General

Jan 14 2013

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 31^st 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!

Dec 31 2012

MOTIVATION… WHO DRIVES YOURS?

The fun and festivities of Christmas and New Year will soon become fond memories as we drive forward into 2013… Oh, and on that note ‘Happy New Year’ to you. So with regards getting up on damp, dark and cold mornings, what’s going to be your motivational push?

One of our primary motivators is to work on our strengths rather than highlighting potential weaknesses! However, sometimes we don’t really know what our core strengths are in ourselves or for those we’re responsible for.

As an example, let’s use the Olympics and the gold medal winners. We have Greg Rutherford who took it in the Long Jump, Tirunesh Dibaba took the 10,000km, Barbora Spotakova secured the Javelin and Usain Bolt took the 100m. Now the team coach/manager wouldn’t look to someone like Usain to compete in Greg’s given strength or Barbora to run in Tirunesh’s given sport of long distance running. Each have different skill sets and different characteristics from endurance to knowing when to jump or release the javelin to give it the greatest distance or have muscles that explode with power for the sprint! Bosses, Managers, Leaders all too very often miss out on individuals strengths and focus on weaknesses as do we with ourselves and this can be such a demotivate outcome when criticism is handed out under the banner ‘areas for improvement’!

Negative feedback often gets us, or those we distribute it to, to become defensive and the desired result is rarely obtained as we seldom believe what is being said is actually true but more of a personal attack! The outcome is usually that we don’t feel ‘motivated’ to do anything about it. However, think back, when praised we feel like we are doing something worthwhile, we feel appreciated and seek to receive the same ‘reward’ by continuing with the positive behaviour.

A tool that coaches often use is to create our own survey on how others see our strengths and is known as ‘The Reflected Best Self’. So how do we go about achieving this, here we go…

PUT OUT A SURVEY … Choose 10 people (Existing colleagues/boss, clients/customers, old acquaintances, family members, friends … generally, a broad spectrum of people who know or have known you). Ask them to consider what they believe to be your strengths complemented with an example so it quantifies what they are writing. Also, stress that this isn’t simply ‘work’ orientated but aligns to what they see in you as a person.
IS THERE A THEME APPEARING? … When you have them all back, group the responses into ‘theme’ groups. There will be the obvious ones you’ve always been aware of but you will undoubtedly find new ones that you hadn’t even realised others see within you because this is something that’s natural to you and you just take it for granted!
CREATE YOUR ‘STRENGTH PROFILE’ … take the key strengths that emerge and write a few paragraphs that summarize what you are really good at. The purpose of this is two-fold, one, this acts as a support when confidence may somewhat escape you and, two, it will help you guide forthcoming actions and choices.
PLAY TO THESE STRENGTHS … so you now have your list of strengths, how do these fit in with your current role? Are you playing to these strengths? If you’re great at analytical work but not so hot on cold-calling, is there someone else within your firm, team, organisation, that are more people orientated that could do that task and you get on with accumulating data? I think you get the idea.

This simple exercise allows you to truly understand your own strengths as well as those within your responsibilities (or even suggest this to your manager/director as a good idea to consider) and by playing to your strengths your SELF MOTIVATION will improve accordingly resulting in not only a better outcome but one that you’ll wish to continue pursuing.

Coaching to Success helps firms/companies and the people therein to develop motivation through such activities both one to one and in teams whilst also building confidence through the benefit of praise within the workplace. 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. 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.

Dec 17 2012

IT’S TIME TO CELEBRATE… NO, NOT JUST CHRISTMAS!!

Woo Hoo! Christmas is upon us and whether religious or not, what a time of year to get together with family, friends, colleagues and customers/clients by way of celebrating. Look how the BBC recognised some of the years’ achievements with the Sports Personality of the Year award held on Sunday night. Now that was something worthwhile celebrating! But what of yourself? How has 2012 been for you PERSONALLY? It’s time to celebrate YOUR successes.

Whether you refer to it as a Goal, Dream, Objective or something else, we live in a goal-orientated culture but all too often, we get a buzz over achieving that ‘task’ and before we know it, we’re onto the next! SLOW DOWN… let’s take stock of what you have done, and learn to celebrate what you actually may consider as just something that had to be done.

We’re about to leave 2012 and cross over into a New Year, so take stock of what you’ve accomplished before you do. By undertaking this little exercise, it will help give inspiration to step into 2013, develop confidence and a healthy pride, as well as offer proof that we are growing and succeeding in life and/or work. This is what we refer to as ‘evidence based’ proof rather than the internal critical voice that puts doubts in our head without any foundation other than negative beliefs we build for ourselves.

“So what have I achieved?” is a question we rarely ask ourselves. Here are 3 successes people tend to gloss over without stopping to think about:

Steps towards the BIG GOAL! Each step is like learning to walk; the first teetering wobbles, standing upright for the first time, the bigger steps, jogging then running, and eventually winning the 100m race. We know how to acknowledge winning the 100m, but celebrate each milestone along the way!
Inner achievements not recognised by the wider society! These are another part of those achievements which mean something to us personally. For example, Christmas is coming but you have no idea how to cook a roast and now you’re planning to cook a turkey, a joint of beef, and a slow-cooked gammon joint!! So once the Christmas meal is over, allow yourself time for reflection and to enjoy the sense of satisfaction on successfully completing something you were nervous, or even scared to start. What an inner achievement – careful how you celebrate though, as I know how easily the Christmas spirit flows, hehe!
Overcoming Failures & Mistakes! Celebrate these; we only make mistakes because we’ve stepped out of our comfort zone, so look at them as learning experiences, and not mistakes. Thomas Edison once wrote “If I find 10,000 ways something won’t work, I haven’t failed. I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is often a step forward.”

Back to your success, consider the following to help you realise what you’ve achieved this year. Get a note pad and put each question as a header on a separate page (7 in all):

What were or was your biggest achievements this year?
What are you most proud of?
What were your minor achievements that led to the bigger goal?
What has surprised you with regards an accomplished achievement?
What were those times of ‘Ooops!’? Those moments of Failure or Mistake? What did you learn from this and what was the resulting sense of achievement or feeling of pride by overcoming them?
What are those ‘Personal’ achievements (like cooking the roast, sorry if I’ve led your thoughts that way!)
AND NOW TO CELEBREATE… How are you going to celebrate those successes? How are you going to recognise them?

Celebration is personal to you. Whatever takes your fancy… go out for a meal with someone you care about (honestly, food isn’t the only thing I think about). Buying some reward whether it is something small or large, you have to recognise that this is bought because of your achievement. Go for a massage or a spa. Take a hike, climb a mountain, get on your bike to take time out for yourself! Just make sure it’s something significant enough to remind you of the reason you have or have done it.

Coaching to Success has helped firms/companies and the people therein to develop strength through building confidence and understanding the need to celebrate ourselves as well as helping others understand the benefit of praise within the workplace. 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. 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.

Dec 04 2012

How great are you at making decisions? Here’s a tool to help you out

This is such an easy tool to use yet so frequently we struggle with options, we do our pros and cons lists or we just let things rattle around in our head without being totally happy with our final choice.

This is a logical way of getting to that final decision and allows you to find peace with yourself on the decision you make, giving you the confidence through its rationality and can make you stand out as the decision maker when others around you are struggling.

This tool is simply called ‘GRID ANALYSIS’. To start off with, you need to consider two lists. The first is the OPTIONS shown in the row and FACTORS needing to be considered shown in the columns. Then you give each a score in the matrix which gets totalled at the end. May sound a bit too complex to some but it’s truly easy.

Okay, so here goes…

FIRST List your options as the rows on your table. Along the heading, write the factors needing to be considered as the column headings (these can be anything that matters, like cost, availability, service level, maintenance, reliability, dimensions etc).

SECOND Score against each of these headings against the options, these may be supplier, candidate for promotion, product whatever it may be. The score should range between 0 (Worst) to 5 (Best) and score relevantly not differently! By this I mean that if all score 2, then, so be it. You don’t have to be concerned about whether the score matches or not but that you give it a true reflection of what you believe it to be worth.

THIRD Now ‘Weight’ the importance of the factor in your overall relative importance (eg if the items were cost, practicality, reliability, quality you may rate them cost(4), Practicality(1), Reliability(3) and quality(4)… again, it doesn’t matter if a few have the same ratings). Create a row at the top or bottom of your options and write this value.

FORTH take each of your scores set against each factor/option and multiply this by the weight. So, let’s say we were looking to buy a camera. Supplier ‘A’ scored 4 on reliability so based on the previous weighting, this would equate to 4×3=12, whereas, Supplier ‘B’ may only score 2 on this factor, ergo 2×3=6 etc etc

FIFTH is the final stage where you total all the scores at the end of the row and the highest score represents the strongest option to work with

As an example, we’ll use the camera idea from before. The number before the line goes through it is the initial score, the number next to it is the total having used the weighting factor (hopefully that’s clear enough)

FACTOR	Cost	Practicality	Reliability	Quality	TOTAL
Weighting	3	2	4	4	N/A
Camera 1	4 12	3 6	5 20	4 16	54
Camera 2	5 15	1 2	2 8	5 20	25
Camera 3	2 6	5 10	3 12	5 20	48

From this, it is clear to see that Camera Two was never really in the running but One and Three were close, however, by adopting this approach, a clear winner (Camera One is ‘exposed’ as being the right one to go for – sorry, bad pun but you get the idea)

And there you have it, a Grid Analysis tool that helps you to decide between several options, where there are many different factors needing to be considered.

And you can also use this tool to help select that all important Business coach that you need in your organisation, just remember to add Coaching to Success to the Row and speak to us concerning areas that we can help with, costing, availability, benefit, ‘fun’ (always an important element to learning or striving forward with new goals or objectives) and call Neil on 07761 187238… well, it’s worth a try by us isn’t it?

Nov 19 2012

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