Coaching to Success

Our business is your success

Decision Making

Change is a necessity in our lives but how do we handle those we didn’t wish for?

Often the pleasant things that change go un-noticed while those which go against what we’ve been used to can cause fear or trepidation. Consequently, if you are in the throes of change that is out of your direct control, rather than rebel, look at it from a positive manner, adjusting your own preconceptions as to how it may work out.

To begin, actually adjust your thinking

  • Reframe – Look to encourage new experiences to get you out of the ‘Norm’ rather than the ‘How will it affect me’ in a negative sense. Give it some positive meaning.
  • Process orientated – Any Great British Bake Off fans? Well think of change like baking! Stick with me on this … whether it be bread or cakes, there are many ingredients and steps to ultimately produce the wonderful results. It takes time and patience. Change is no different, it needs to be worked through. No ‘Knead’ for any other analogies here!

Okay, now that’s set the way of thinking, let’s move on to territories we experience in change.

  1. Change is inevitable – Changes occur frequently throughout the day and we handle them without a thought. A pen and it runs out, we change to another without thought, a minor change. You see a building site going up, a major change now for those working there and the soon to be new residents It doesn’t affect you, nonetheless, accept change happens.
  2. Change is just learning! – So it’s something you’re not familiar with? Think of some major but pleasurable changes you’ve undertaken. , it was all new to begin but now you’ve probably settled into it quite well now. A little like driving, the first responsibilities at a new job etc. Enjoy new experiences through wanting to learn rather than fearing the unknown.
  3. Address your feelings – Especially when you have no choice. Try avoiding the victim approach of “This isn’t fair, why me?” If it’s out of your control, the decision has been made so start searching for the positive elements. This will be hard to begin but with enough practice, you’ll search the more comfortable way of travelling your new direction. Positive thinking assists in building bridges or opportunities!
  4. Opportunity – welcome change as such. You’ll spend less time fighting it and while you’re searching, write down the positive experiences you’ve found that will open these doors to opportunity.
  5. Notice enjoyable changes! – consider all the areas where positive outcomes can be found in change. When was the last upgrade of your mobile? How many new great features does your new phone now offer. Think of how we used to listen to music and how portable it now is! These are enjoyable changes but even so, they are changes!
  6. S.M.A.R.T. Goals – Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant & Time-bound. My clients will tell you how important I believe this to be. “A dream is a dream but a goal has a time limit!” Create an accurate goal with start, middle and finish. Each component having clear settings with time against each and the most important thing is to establish when you will START and not when to be done BY!

One of the biggest helps is your ability to find a supportive network. Whether this be in your workplace, home, family or friends, look to someone who may have had similar experiences and how they overcame their initial concerns.

Coaching to Success understands change is inevitable. As George Bernard Shaw put it “Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” And this is where we specialise, in helping you find new paths and then embracing them as you do.

With the change of mind-set, you can achieve almost anything and for those really difficult situations, contact Neil by email neil@coachingtosuccess.co.uk or call 07761 187238. If you’re online, have a look at his interview video at https://youtu.be/RvCwOL4hPco where you’ll be assured a warm welcome to discuss how we can help.

‘Procrastination’ – Why do today what you can put it off until tomorrow?

How often do you find that you are about to start something with the best intentions only to find … sorry, hang on a minute, let me just read this email, oh, I better have a look into this… and sometime later we’re back to writing this feature!

There are several reasons we (and I include myself in this!) let procrastination get a grip. These may include:

  • Waning interest – This is sooooo boring!
  • Motivation – The Mojo has taken a holiday!
  • Skill factor – Umm, how do I do this?
  • Rebel – Don’t want to do it and I’ll prove I don’t have the time!
  • Failure – What if I can’t do this?
  • Success – If I do well, will they expect more?

There will be more but I have found that these 6 normally top the bill, so let’s look at them individually.

  1. Waning interest – If, like me, when doing something that’s not that interesting, the ping of an email or something irrelevant but enjoyable suddenly seems to take precedence … STOP! Find somewhere without the distractions and concentrate.
  2. Motivation – Do you believe you need motivation to begin a task? How about this for a radical idea, start the task and then find it! Even the initial steps to beginning a task can promote the somewhat lacking motivation. Set yourself up with a reward once complete, after this feature, a nice inexpensive filter coffee and half hour read of a book will be mine!
  3. Skill factor –Sometimes it’s our own beliefs that hold us back. As a coach, many of my clients hold unfounded beliefs until we establish exactly where the problems lie and look at ways to overcome them. Consider breaking tasks into manageable parts. What is the starting point and the desired end goal? See what areas you are competent at, others may require some additional training or even delegating.
  4. Rebel – Predominantly another ‘subconscious’ level barrier generated from power struggles. I was amazed how when someone gave me a task I didn’t wish to carry out I managed to find every reason for not accomplishing it on time, whereas, jobs I did enjoy, would be cleared straight away! Remove the ‘Emotional’ attachment to the task and look at it from a practical sense. How much trouble would I be in if I don’t complete it? How will this benefit my business by completing on time? Only you can know the truth of this and letting the emotional attachment go will give a much clearer picture.
  5. Failure – None of us set out to fail, nonetheless, it is something that we learn from. Each step we take we learn something new or to persevere can win out in the end. Take J.K.Rowling for example, she got rejected by numerous publishers while working as a waitress. Her break came from the publisher’s 8yr old daughter begging him to publish it! Sometimes it’s simply down to timing!.
  6. Success – “Now if I do this right, they’ll expect me to continue or even improve!” Maybe expectations of you will be increased? And with each successful outcome, you raise your standards once again. Consider each and every task on its own merits WITHOUT considering where it may lead.

There are many tools that can help with procrastination, however, the biggest obstacle is ourselves! Until we start to realise what our own barriers are, procrastination will let its tentacles stretch out and feed on our daily distractions.

Coaching to success work towards breaking down barriers, opening up confidence levels, assessing what’s ahead and planning to succeed in whatever goal their clients wish to attain. To improve your own levels of procrastination or focus, take the first step by contacting Neil on 07761 187238 or email neil@coachingtosuccess.co.uk and if you’re online, have a look at his interview video at https://youtu.be/RvCwOL4hPco where you’ll be assured a warm welcome to discuss how we can help.

Do you listen, ‘Truly’ listen to what the other person is saying?

You may have come across a book called “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by the recently deceased Stephen Covey, if not, it’s a good book for those wishing to become truly effective

Out of the 7 habits, one of my personal favourites is #5 “First Seek to Understand, THEN to be understood” and this is what this week’s feature is about.

In the early days of sales and retail, I soon learned that your sales would improve once you started to LISTEN to clients’ needs and NOT what I had to sell. Whether it was a ‘Deal of the week’ item or not, if it fitted their needs, great, they got double satisfaction but first and foremost the art of Listening was paramount to a successful sale.

As a coach, this is a skillset which has been enhanced to insure I hear what isn’t being said as well as what, on the surface is! From here, further incisive questions are asked, then more listening is required to reach a specific objective for clients to obtain their goals.

So how can we improve our listening skills both at work and home to help others and, in turn, ourselves as a result of this? First, look at the following questions and respond honestly with as many answers you believe relevant against each one.

How effective are my Listening Skills?

  1. When listening to someone, I’m likely to:
  2. I interrupt people when:
  3. If I had to choose between speaking and listening, I’d chose to …… because:
  4. Listening comes easy to me when:
  5. When people express their emotions, I feel:
  6. If I can’t have my say, I feel:
  7. I find it easy to listen to people when:
  8. I become easily distracted when listening if:
  9. People I tend to find it difficult to listen to include:
  10. The best listener I know is …… because:

Now review what you have learned about yourself as a listener and list these out.

Once accomplished, complete the following statements:

  1. I know I actively listen well when:
  2. Habits I find irritating in a person speaking comprise of:
  3. To become even more effective at listening, I need to:

With a clearer understanding of your own foibles and strengths, write down what you will work on to improve your skillset.

How often have you started a conversation about something that has happened to you and before you even finish what you’re saying, another party has taken over the story with their own examples? We are all guilty of having what others say trigger our episodic memory but some of us learn that this conversation is not about Our needs but actually to ‘Listen’, in full to the other party.

So once you have mastered the skill of listening, the next step is to quell the desire to re-iterate our own examples into the situation unless it will be ‘truly’ beneficial to the other party.

If you are finding that there doesn’t appear to be anyone around to really listen to your concerns, ideas or plans or feel that an external person to your current situation who will ‘Listen’, truly listen to what you have to say, please contact the author, Neil on 07761 187238 or email neil@coachingtosuccess.co.uk and if you’re online, have a look at his interview video at https://youtu.be/RvCwOL4hPco where you’ll be assured a warm welcome to discuss how we can help.

Business challenges … which of these do you recognise?

It’s been a hard few years with many businesses rising from the ashes of the 2008 crash. From lack of jobs or redundancies, from renting to having a new home choosing different types of paint finishes, new and fresh companies are still being formed and for these as well as existing companies that forged through the hardships like availing online personal loans for bad credit, a larger challenge is still being undertaken in as much as maintaining the business like having a Trauma rehab center, and etc.

I have found the following 3 attributes the hardest to manage so thought I would share my findings!

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

‘Cash is King’ and Cash Flow is critical. As business starts to pick up, well managed cash flow is tantamount for success. If not already established, get on board with an accountant who can help with bookkeeping and all other aspects of financial control.

It’s not simply about money coming in and going out, seek advice and in the early days, if managing your accounts yourself, seek areas you can improve and as you grow, concentrate on what you do best and hand over this side of the business to someone else.

EXHAUSTION

The pressure to succeed, the variety of tasks and hours put in can eventually wear down the fittest of individuals when trying to start a business! Even when the business is successful, still those hours are ploughed in … but there can be a breaking point.

So look to take time out. Share this with Family or Friends, take positive breaks away from work and refrain from checking in … make it a break! Fatigue takes its toll and can lead to impulsive decisions that may affect both the business and people therein, so rest is essential!

I’ll often go for a walk during a lunch time to get a mental break from what I’m working on, giving me a physical activity which also stimulates positive endorphins that exercise releases.

Yes, the hours need to be put in at the formation but as it picks up, offset some of the rewards to other avenues such as bookkeeping, telemarketing, admin work on a temporary basis to begin but take time out. This is vital for the continuation, without replenishment of air in car tyres, the car will eventually come to a halt probably due to a crash!

EGGS & BASKETS

We start off, get a great client, then really focus on insuring we look after them well. Consequently both theirs and our business’ expand and all is well! As they grow there’s a chance they may move to someone else, so, now what?

I’ve seen this happen frequently throughout my career. Diversity is key to success and growth. I understand how difficult it is especially when you feel committed to this wonderful client/customer who not only pays well but on time too!

So continue to expand your client portfolio. Look to consider where potential new bloodlines can be created from. What are your Unique Selling Points to attract new clients/customers? As before, get someone in to help, maybe a marketing company but always look for the next potential!

 

Coaching to success help businesses and individuals to think logically, pragmatically and laterally when it comes to finding the best way of moving forward and retaining both the mental and physical energy to see it through. If you or any members of your team are showing any of the above traits, contact Neil on 07761 187238 or email neil@coachingtosuccess.co.uk and if you’re online, have a look at his interview video at https://youtu.be/RvCwOL4hPco

 

The art of just getting on with it

With the full knowledge a deadline was looming to write this feature, other ‘Little’ jobs that needed to be completed consistently remained in focus because I wasn’t clear on what it was I needed to write about

Funny really, I was procrastinating as well as hiding away from the task in hand. And then I took my own advice and set about following one or two of the following

How many times have you found yourself in a similar situation where you know you have a project to start, a job that needs to be done or something needs to be prepared but you aren’t clear on what it is so we find ‘warranted’ distractions that take us away (justifiably, of course!) from what really needs to be addressed

We’re all fallible, so such things happen to even us who should know better but it affects us differently. Much like I did here, you can learn to recognise it, then address it with the help of such methods that now follow.

  1. TIME-MATRIX – Steven Covey’s matrix is a 2×2 square. Along the top is ‘Urgent’ (Left) and ‘Not Urgent’ (Right). Down the side is ‘Important’ (Top) and ‘Not Important’ (Bottom). In each quadrant , asses what is Important/Urgent (Manage), Important/Not Urgent (Focus), Not Important/Urgent (Avoid) or Not Important/Not Urgent (Avoid)
  2. CARTESIAN QUADRANT – Similar to above, this time, along the top (a) If you do make that change & (b) if you don’t make that change. Along the side, (c) will happen & (d) won’t Once drawn, this will help give a much clearer picture of importance to focus on this or any other area where a decision needs to be made.
  3. EMAILS – Turn off warnings that an email had arrived. Helping to avoid the temptation to continually check each and every new one.
  4. 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?
  5. PROCRASTINATION – 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.
  6. STOP JUGGLING – You will inevitably be drawn 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.
  7. PRIORITISE – If you are clear as to what is truly urgent as opposed to preferring to do, this will help with the focus too.

These are but a few ideas to help you get back on track. There are others that will also help and this is where a coach can help you to gain focus and meet the objectives, in the meantime, address these and see how you get on.

Coaching to Success’ director, Neil Nutburn, welcomes your enquiries if you are struggling with juggling all those tasks or, as above, avoiding the ones that need to be completed. Contact Neil on 07761 187238 or email neil@coachingtosuccess.co.uk and if you’re online, have a look at his interview video at https://youtu.be/RvCwOL4hPco