Coaching to Success

Our business is your success

Change

8 Tips for those who want to stay ahead…

Being a beautiful Bank Holiday weekend, Thought I’d make a start on tidying up the garden and didn’t realise how much the grass had grown while I was busy with a growing business. Which then got me thinking about the comparisons, so, as a consequence, this week’s blog is asking you if your business is growing as fast as the grass is?

Now, without taking control of the lawn and garden in general, you can see how unmanageable it can soon become and much like business, what starts off as a flourishing beginning, you still need to maintain and keep on top of it otherwise weeds take over and the beauty of it all becomes lost.

Well enough of the analogies, let’s have a look at eight ways that you can stay on top of your game where the business is concerned.

  1. What Elephant in the room? – Deal with the Big jobs first, stop putting them off until later because later rarely comes. The smaller jobs will fit in and around the larger one so avoid trying to get rid of them first… Prioritise.
  2. Don’t take on too much! – Time management is one thing. This is all about managing what you have to do and fitting it into the time you have available but if you take on too much, then there is still only 60 seconds in a minute, 60 minutes in an hour and sometimes you have to realise when you need to say ‘No’.
  3. Delegate – Usually as we work up through the ranks, we feel that we not only have to carry out the task of the new role, but we also have to manage everything else we’ve done so far to get here! It’s time to delegate those tasks that are less important for the role you hold and, besides which, the person you delegate tasks to has a new sense of self-worth because of the trust you bestow upon them. This is not a simple or straightforward thing to do, so please check out This Post which will help in this area.
  4. Create your ‘Scheduled’ To-Do list the day before – For those of you who know me well, you’ll know I’m a great fan of the To-Do list. Not any ordinary one but a scheduled one! (Contact us if you want a copy). Make this the last task of the day to complete the following days list. As your day moves through it and other jobs come about, start creating the following days list and finalise it at the end of the day. Start this the minute your day begins avoiding unnecessary tasks or procrastinations.
  5. Got to check those emails! – As part of your ‘To-Do’ list, introduce a couple of times during the day that you will check emails and then turn the auto alerts off. Simple. Once mid-morning and the other mid-afternoon. Having set this time, mentally you’ll soon allow yourself the freedom to not having to read and respond to each one that comes through.
  6. Be process driven – Having a decent system in place certainly cuts back on wasted time. For example, if you are a solicitor with a new contract in place, create a checklist for the front of the folder that insures that each step from logging full client details all the way through to final account is there. This way, at any time, you or colleagues can see where you are in the process, what has been completed and, in turn, saves having to continually re-read over old stuff just to bring yourself up to speed as to where you are in the process.
  7. Manage meetings – To be a busy business person, you have to have lots of meetings! Really? Don’t waste your time going to meetings that aren’t relevant to you or your business. Check the frequency, if you’re managing meetings, do they have to be every day? Every week? Can you relay the important stuff in half an hour rather than the usual two hours and consider ‘where’ you meet. Do you need to travel or could you hold an ‘electronic’ meeting?
  8. Short, un-interrupted bursts – Rather than allowing those phone calls to interrupt what you need to do, turn your mobile off, ask reception to hold all calls for a given period of time and make sure those other distractions (emails, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter etc) are also turned off. Then fully concentrate for 30-40 minutes to complete whatever your task is. Do it in one un-interrupted burst that will take you so much less time than just periodically drifting in and out of doing it.

It’s wise to know that coaching isn’t something that firms, companies or organisations use just when areas need to be improved. We would ask you to consider some of the great leaders and organisations around at the moment. You can be assured they’ll have a coach on board to insure they remain that one step ahead of their rivals.

Coaching to Success frequently keeps their clients one step ahead and invite you to contact Neil Nutburn on 07761 187238 or send an email to info@coachingtosuccess.co.uk to arrange a free, no obligation consultation should you be one of those great businesses that wish to step ahead of your rivals.

How to be a ‘Commercial’ Marathon Runner by looking at the Big Picture …

What a glorious weekend for those running the marathon. Perfect weather, perfect temperature, perfect conditions but with a change in the way so many looked on due to the Boston Marathon incident. Something local that can have implications in so many different ways from events some 3300+miles away (3325ml if you’re truly interested).

Change affects us all in a myriad different ways and in the world of commerce, this can be even more dramatic so often tools such as SWOT analysis are used.

However, have you considered looking at the bigger picture that ultimately affects what you do? The ‘OT’ (Opportunities and Threats) of SWOT can be further explored by another acronym in PEST (Political, Economic, Social-Cultural and Technological – believed to be created by Harvard professor Francis Aguilar)

In brief, PEST …

  1. Gives you advanced warning of significant threats yet aids in spotting business or personal opportunities.
  2. Assists with avoiding the start of projects that are likely to fail, for reasons beyond your control.
  3. Reveals the direction of change within the business environment. Helping shape and to work with change, rather than against it.

Unlike SWOT, which focuses inward, PEST is best used to open the thought process and to ‘Brainstorm’ ideas.

 

POLITICAL

  • Consider what happened at the Eastleigh, Hampshire, UK by-election! What affect did that have on Government? Could the next election change government policy?
  • Who are the contenders? What are business policy views/opinions, or other policies that affect your business?
  • Will business regulation and/or planned changes to it, affect your business? Is there a trend towards regulation or deregulation?
  • Are there any other political factors that are likely to change?
  • Could any pending legislation changes affect your business, positively or negatively?

 

ECONOMICAL

  • How stable is the current economy? How is it in your market?
  • Where are customers’ levels of disposable income at? What’s the likelihood of change in the next few years?
  • What is happening concerning unemployment?
  • How accessible is credit for businesses or consumers? Will this affect you?
  • Is globalization affecting your economic environment?

 

SOCIO-CULTURAL

  • What is the population’s growth rate and age profile? How is this likely to change?
  • Are generational shifts in attitude likely to affect what you’re doing?
  • What attitudes toward work can you ‘truly’ observe? Do they differ for different age groups?
  • How do lifestyle choices or religious beliefs affect the population?

 

TECHNOLOGICAL

  • Are there any upcoming technologies that could radically affect your industry? (the internet with the likes of Jessops!)
  • What new technologies could you be using?
  • How have infrastructure changes affected work patterns (ie, remote or home working)?
  • What other technological factors that you should consider?

 

OPPORTUNITIES

Now you know the changes, brainstorm all the potential opportunities that could be opened up for you (regardless of how inept they may first appear). Is there a new market you could venture into? Are there new products or services you could offer?

THREATS

Equally as important, consider and brainstorm these too. What could potentially demoralise your business and considering these at this early stage, what can you do to minimise the impact knowing in advance rather than fire-fighting them later?

ACTION

This is the area I love. Once you know what the Opportunities are, how to break the Threats, or at least, minimalise them … Take action and build these into a Business Plan

This tool can be used by individuals but so much more benefit can be gained by inviting others to join in and contribute as their perception may bring different ideas to the table than just the ones you may have.

Coaching to Success frequently help organisations with such tools as we know how to delve that little bit deeper to understand obstacles or barriers that may not be revealed due to the closeness to the business. Being external, we’re trained how to ask incisive questions to find those little diamonds often missed and to open up the thought process.

Have a go and consider how your organisation would benefit. To open the thought process further, and to explore the other benefits coaching/mentoring can bring, contact Neil Nutburn on 07761 187238 or send an email to info@coachingtosuccess.co.uk to arrange a free, no obligation consultation.

Our business is about your success and your future successes are in your hands so give us a call so we can help you turn the ideas into reality.

MULTITASKING! – Does it Really help you get more done?

To seemingly increase our productivity, many of us multitask with activities like being on the phone to a client/customer while reading through emails. The call ends and as we write up notes, we call a colleague. They answer and during that call we enter appointments in the diary/outlook as well as work through figures for a quote/invoice etc!

People who multitask are seen as effective as well as efficient in this hectic world that we’ve made for ourselves because we all know we get more done when we multitask… don’t we?

The Allegory of Productivity Through Multitasking

In simple terms, Multitasking doesn’t make us more productive! It IS a MYTH.

Studies show we can waste up to 40% of our time multitasking. Not saving time. Not being creative. Wasting it! Contrary to belief, we can’t actually focus on more than one task at a time. But we think we can so that’s the route we take.

Here’s a thought. Try having an emotionally charged conversation about whether it’s problematic or not to have horsemeat in our processed lasagne (hmm, rather topical at the moment) or something based around work that is a bit contentious and do this while writing an important report needing to be presented to the board or partners! Extreme but it sets an obvious benchmark for something that isn’t so obvious due to the extremes, nonetheless, even smaller tasks are affected.

What can I do?

A quick question… when you’ve accomplished something that you have allowed yourself to give full attention to, how satisfied did you feel. Also, to what level of standard was it achieved?

So what can be done? “It’s not that easy, I have soooooo many tasks, jobs, people to see over. I have to multitask” I hear the cries call out. Okay, I’m as guilty as the next person when it comes to attempting more than one task at a time but areas that I look at trying to help me, fall into the following:

EMAILS – Turn off audible or visual warnings that an email had arrived. Helps avoid the temptation to continually check each and every new one.

MONOTASK SETTING – Focus on one task at a time. Although ‘Emergencies’ may arise, can you assess their urgency? Do they all need to be done NOW?

PROCRASTINATION – One of my favourite words! Try to guide your wandering thoughts back to where or what you are doing. If thoughts drift, acknowledge what you’re doing and a little self-talk of getting back onto the item in hand will at least help you regain focus.

BLOCK PLAN – knowing you have emails or calls to make, block in time throughout your day to accomplish these and do it then.

AVOID THE DARK SIDE – (I hope that’s not infringing copyright! hehe). When you are expecting to carry out a task, avoid wandering just to ‘check’ text or emails or even voicemails. Take a deep breathe, resist and get back to the task in hand.

STOP JUGGLING – You will inevitably drift back into to quagmire of multitasking and when you do, take a short break from everything! Allow your mind to re-focus, the stress levels to reduce and concentration to reframe itself.

PRIORITISE – Not only important but ‘urgent’ issues will come, there is no escaping this, however, take note of where you are concerning your current task. Jot notes to help you pick it up again and then deal with the ‘urgent’ (and truly assess its urgency over possible distraction or enjoyment (procrastination!)) issue. Once complete, return to the original task and pick up from where you left off as a result of the notes you made.

With any hope, this blog will have helped towards re-looking at the way we think about multitasking and how it actually reduces the ‘quality’ of our work. The fact it doesn’t normally save but creates more time accomplishing a given task and this is as a result of reducing our ability to focus.

Coaching to Success fully understands that this isn’t going to be an overnight cure for the multitasking junkies, however, with luck and some concentration, it may help you towards focusing better on tasks. We are here to support you in this and many other ways.

Why not read some of the historic blogs again, have a look at the web and then pick up the phone or send an email for an informal chat about how we can help you succeed in your goals or aspirations. Call Neil Nutburn on 07761 187238 or send an email to info@coachingtosuccess.co.uk to arrange a free, no obligation consultation.

Our business is about your success and your future successes are in your hands so give us a call so we can help you turn the ideas into reality.

Do you need to un-freeze your business potential?

Looking at what the weather is threatening to bring, another big freeze is on its way, but is your business already frozen?

Back in the 1940s, Kurt Lewin developed a model for organisational change that applies to firms, companies or individuals therein to look at the common thread that runs through all businesses regardless of size and that’s the need to change.

Whether working for yourself or within a bigger group, “Change Management” is a common term used in business today and, much like what the weather’s going to bring, Lewin’s model is based around the principal of UN-FREEZE … CHANGE … RE-FREEZE.

In simple terms, the best way to understand Lewin’s model is to compare it with ice. If you have a square block of ice and want one that looks like a cylinder. You take what you have, un-freeze it to make it more responsive to change. Then mould it into the shape you want, ie cylinder. Finally, solidify it, ie re-freeze.

Although a lot deeper in it’s delivery, the fundamental principles are as such…

Unfreeze

  • Determine what needs to change … Analyse your Firm, Company or behaviours to understand the current state … Recognise why change has to take place.
  • Ensure there is strong support from upper management, partners, those around you … Identify and win the support of key people within the organisation … Frame the issue as one of organisation-wide importance.
  • Create the ‘need for change’ … Emphasise the “WHY” … Formulate a convincing communication as to why change has to occur … Use your vision and strategy as supporting evidence.
  • Understand then manage the doubts and concerns … Remain open to concerns and address in terms of the need to change.

 

Change

  • Communicate often … Do so throughout the planning and implementation of the changes … Describe and continually promote the benefits … Prepare everyone for what is coming, don’t assume they’ll just accept … Detail and explain how the changes will affect everyone.
  • Oust rumours … Deal with problems immediately … Answer questions openly and honestly … Re-visit and repeat the need for change back to operational necessities.
  • Empower action … Empower employees and give them responsibilities … Insure you and your line managers provide day-to-day direction.
  • Involve people in the process … Generate short-term wins to reinforce the change … Negotiate with external stakeholders as necessary.

 

Refreeze

  • Anchor the changes into the culture … Identify barriers to supporting change … Identity what supports or nourishes the change and embrace this.
  • Develop ways to sustain the change … Ensure leadership support … Adapt the organisational structure as necessary … Establish open feedback systems … Create a reward system.
  • Provide support and training … Keep everyone supported and informed … Celebrate success!

 

Coaching to Success helps firms/companies and the people therein not only to understand the benefits of change but the necessity for it too.

If you are one of those forward thinking individuals or companies who can see the benefits of change but need some assistance with the delivery, take the first step by speaking to someone who can help. Call us to arrange a free consultation by contacting Neil (07761 187238) or throw us an email at info@coachingtosuccess.co.uk. We’re here to help.

… Oh, and don’t forget the deadline of 31st January 2013 to take us up on the offer of a complementary 30 minutes coaching session that will be designed to hit hard and fast to help you get you on track to your new you!

What are the benefits of ‘Positive Mind Thoughts’ in these times of reported doom and gloom?

On Sunday, the Times headlined ‘High slump hints at a black Christmas’, National Statistics revealing that volumes dropped by 0.8% October month-on-month comparison, whereas, the CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development) recently commented on ‘Employment outlook remains positive for the rest of the year’ stating that employment is forecast to grow steadily throughout the rest of 2012. This being the third consecutive quarter of projected growth recorded!

Which do you tune into… the negative element of slump in sales or the positive affirmation of improved employment levels? One thing is for certain, Individuals, teams, firms or companies work much more congruently and ‘positively’ when engaged in a positive atmosphere.

So when was the last time you were part of a high-morale, highly-motivated team? You’re in one!, great… if not, when you were, you were probably happy going to work collaborating with work colleagues and/or clients and, together, came up with some great ideas and due to the enthusiasm, created some of your best work. Being happy and highly motivated creates a condition where you accomplish far more than those who are in a state of low morale.

Here’s a few guidelines to help yourself or those you are responsible for to be happy and engaged…

  • BE A POSITIVE LEADER… Teams follow the lead! Focus on your own happiness, emotional intelligence and well-being. Change the way you address things from a negative to a positive affirmation (eg from ‘I want to GIVE UP smoking’ to ‘I want to BECOME fitter and live a healthier life’) and we all know about the SWOT analysis (Strengths-Weaknesses-Opportunities-Threats) in business but try carrying one out on yourself! Finally, look at your own state of emotions when becoming a ‘positive’ leader.
  • OBSTACLES TO POSITIVITY – GET RID OF THEM!…  Obstacles block the positive thought process and until this has been accomplished, neither you or your team will become motivated. Look at policies or procedures within the organisation, training needs, clear differentiation of roles, responsibilities or autonomy. Also, be aware of the general demeanour and working environment! Would a lick of new paint brighten the place up, what’s the state of work stations like (cluttered desks = cluttered minds). Do you recognise and reward achievements! Just a few areas to consider.
  • POSITIVE MANAGEMENT… Charters are great in defining people or team roles. With these you can ascertain what the expectations are for individual’s and the team or group’s outcome providing both the necessary focus and consequent direction. From this, you can then establish the objective which helps with the motivation as both teams and individuals know what their worth is through clarity of their role and how this benefits the firm or organisation. Keep people informed about what is happening with regular meetings to discuss how things are progressing, updates, changes etc, this transparency helps with building trust as well as giving opportunity for people to voice their concerns. Finally… Support! This is a crucial element and can be aligned to having the right tools to do the job, the manpower to handle the tasks with training/coaching offered to help those who would benefit from it.
  • NOW LET’S REINFORCE IT!… Now you have great ‘positivity’ or at least the road map to achieving it, don’t slip back into old ‘negative’ ways, let the new positive become the new habit! Celebrating success is a fantastic way of creating this new motivational outlook but this can be expensive… actually, it doesn’t need to cost a penny, it’s amazing how much a simple element of recognition can be. A public ‘Thank You, well done’ gives the recipient a feel and a beacon of light to others that they too could be praised or recognised if they were only to step up or over the mark. On the other hand, a bottle of French Chateau Ausone, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru would also go down well (but then, at around $940 I should hope so). Be aware of the ‘grumps’, one person is all it takes to change the good positive vibes. These people need to be addressed before they bring the rest of the team down, and this needs to be done early and face-to-face. Ascertain what the problem is playing on their mind and don’t just think that they have to change, it may be something you need to look at (google emotional intelligence?). And to wrap up, either coach those around you or employ the services of Coaching to Success or someone like them to use ‘Affirmations’ and for these to be ‘positive’ thus overcoming negative thinking.

Coaching to Success have helped firms/companies and the people therein to develop strength through motivation and pleasure within the workplace so if this is an area you are looking to develop within your working environment to either simply increase the positive atmosphere or to improve performance, take the next step by speaking to someone who can help and call us to arrange a free consultation, contact Neil (07761 187238) or throw us an email at info@coachingtosuccess.co.uk… We’re here to help