Coaching to Success

Our business is your success

Strategy

There’s no Compromise to Prioritise…

A new client recently explained to me how he was at a stage where he wasn’t sleeping well, his lack of focus was affecting his work and with so many things that all needed to be done, seemingly at the same time, that he was at his wit’s end.

Now with the best will in the world, there are only 24 hours in the day and if you have 26 hours’ worth of tasks, physics simply states that “it ain’t gonna fit!” So how did we go about dealing with this situation? How was he able to regain a peaceful night’s sleep, becoming the less irritable and more pleasant guy that colleagues and family had missed?

Everyone will have their own criteria or needs, no two people will be the same and although there were specific requirements for the aforementioned, there are certain things that we can all adopt to help us gain some clarity. The simplest of all is to Prioritise your workload.

  1. Get it written down – Our thoughts are all vying for the #1 slot. It’s tricky to ascertain which is more important than others when there are so many. First thing to do is get them out of your head and written down.
  2. Time-frame – Now they are out, give each task a simple recognisable title and write a realistic amount of time you envisage spending on it.
  3. Urgent vs Important – What needs the immediate attention? What has a deadline that has to be met (eg Applying for a job that has a closed deadline). What will have a seriously negative outcome if not met?
  4. Scheduled To-Do – Go back to #2 and plan your day(s) according to the amount of time each will take. Write a START time and END time and block this out in your diary. Remember to add time between tasks for all those inevitable unexpected things!
  5. Log – Regardless if a new task or a repetitive one, we can so easily assume they should take less time than expected so don’t ‘assume’, know and log the amount of time you ‘actually’ spend on each to help you plan for future similar tasks.
  6. Order of effort – Look at the tasks that will take you the most effort. Deal with these when you are most productive. If you’re an early morning person, crack on with it then but if you don’t get into your flow until later in the day, take on board the smaller jobs and clear the decks of them.
  7. Manage distractions – know what your distractions are and manage them. I’ve found that one of the biggest is Messenger and/or Emails. TURN THEM OFF!!! Unless you are a business that relies entirely from email orders, you don’t need them. Be brave! Difficult though it may appear, turn them off and only visit them at ‘scheduled’ If it is urgent, people will soon learn you don’t immediately respond unless they call you.
  8. Multi-tasking – It’s a lie! Yep, multi-tasking isn’t time saving, it’s time draining. You start numerous jobs and keep going back to them spending time familiarising yourself with them. Start a job, give it your undivided attention and as far as you can go with it, complete and then move to the next. Refrain from jumping from one to another. From your To-Do list, you’ll have plenty of jobs but you’ll do them more efficiently by concentrating on them one at a time… trust me, it works!
  9. Cut it out! – Literally, cut tasks out if they don’t fit into the priority listing. Delegate what you can and what’s left, leave to one side and concentrate on the priorities you know are critical to the business and/or you. You can’t do everything so if there are areas to be sacrificed, this way you can be honest with yourself as to what are the least important.
  10. Review – Check your task list and see what can be delegated. Trust others to do it. If, as a sole trader or entrepreneur, you have to manage many aspects of the business, ie admin, then set a time (we refer to this as a ‘default diary’ entry, same time every day, week, fortnight etc depending on required frequency) and then don’t add this to the worry pile as it has its allocated slot. Also, keep assessing the priorities as later, those tasks that initially appeared high on the list may not necessarily be that important so keep revising.

Well there are ten areas to help start the process. An author who I totally admired was Stephen Covey and he once quoted “The key is not to prioritise what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities”. A great mantra to take on board.

Coaching to success understand the headaches that a busy career or life can bring and we have the expertise, much as the client mentioned earlier, to help you through those harrowing times. To help you set clear parameters and offer the motivation to see you through to the end with positive and profitable outcomes.

Take the first step to gaining this clarity and contact Neil on 07761 187238 or email neil@coachingtosuccess.co.uk who, with tools and techniques, can assure you of a smoother, quicker transition from despondency to joyful completion.

Challenge your Motivation by being SMART

How often do we find ourselves looking to the future and imagining a better outcome, whether personal, such as fitting into that suit/dress, or career path, only to find a few months later the outfit still sits in the wardrobe and the CV is exactly the same.

At that time of making the all-important decision to change things, motivation was running wild but as time goes by, motivation wanes with willpower following closely.

Reflect on the following, “A dream is but a dream but a goal is a dream with a deadline!”. There are many other factors to consider insuring we keep motivated along the way to realising your goal.

There’s a great acronym that some will recognise, and that’s all about setting S.M.A.R.T. Goals (Specific-Measurable-Achievable-Relevant-Timely).

By setting SMART Goals, and we can help create these, the motivation can be re-vitalised along the way as each part is covered. Usually motivation loses its way with the passing of time if no significant development has been noticed. The objective may be a long term one such as building an extension to a house and this isn’t such a bad example and having rescomdesigns do the home designs by adding some glow in the dark stones as well to make the decoration even better.

Consider what is involved. Drainage, groundworks, foundation, brickwork, windows, roof etc. You have the finished product incorporating many elements to making it up, therefore, each one is a goal in its own right. As each is accomplished, recognition for doing so helps keep the motivation fed.

There are numerous ways to keep motivated according to what works for you. Here are a few ideas to help you:

  • Find inspiration – others who have achieved similar topics. Read features. Converse with those who will likely support you (avoid negative peole)
  • Start small and build – Much like exercising, don’t look to do 100 press-ups straight of, start with 10 and build on this. Look at some of the smaller elements to begin and with each success, recognise and move onto the next. Review how closer you are towards your objective and how much you’ve accomplished.
  • Know your ebb and flow – motivation is not constant! Different times of the day, week, month will prove easier to feel inspired. Know when you’re at your best and channel your energy.
  • Stick with it – writers get writer’s block but they carry on. I sometimes struggle with the flow of these features but sticking at it, suddenly I break the barrier and it flows again. Don’t give up when hitting a tough spot.
  • Change the mind-set – positive affirmations all the way. Refrain from looking at the difficulties of the task and concentrate on what you have achieved thus far. A ‘Positive’ mind will encourage further motivation.
  • Rewards – Reward accordingly. Make them appropriate for the task. For me, a nice cappuccino having completed these features is my treat. One client bought himself an iPad for accomplishing a project.

Once you know what feeds your motivation, look to other ways of committing to it:

  • Don’t do it alone.
  • Choose goals that interest you or that you can make interesting.
  • Announce your goal to others.
  • Break the goal into manageable components.
  • Plot the progress.
  • Look back and celebrate achievements.

Coaching to Success help their clients with setting SMART(ER) goals and offer the support to insure the motivation doesn’t lose sight of the overall objective. If you or your team are looking for that motivation, contact Neil on 07761 187238 or email neil@coachingtosuccess.co.uk who, with tools and techniques, can assure you of a smoother, quicker transition of change for the positive.

It will only happen if you decide to make that change!

Holiday blues are inevitable if you enjoyed a great break. We return wishing things could be different, a change in career, a move forward in your existing organisation. But we accept what is before us, just ‘wishing’ things could change.

“By changing nothing, nothing changes” (Tony Robbins). The only person who can make those steps forward is you. You can allow others to plan your journey and destination but you do have choices. They may not be easy, but there are choices nonetheless.

I was made redundant in 2008 while working in the building industry! I was also recovering from Cancer. Unable to work full time and no work in my field, I had to make changes. Through hard work, perseverance and the support of those close to me, I pushed not only through illness but also developed and grew my business.

Let me share one of the tools I used to help me gain the focus I needed. And that is a big clue to making change, ‘Focus’ on what you want to change. I refer to it as the Wheel of Progress.

Firstly, think of the area you want to change, for example, managing a work team. Look at all the components within this, ie (1)Relationships (2)Leadership (3)Influence (4)Work skills (5)Management skills (6)Stress.

Take each subject and give yourself a score marking from 1 (couldn’t be worse) through to 10 (Perfect).

Draw a wheel with increments from 1 to 10, being the outer wheel. Divide it equally into the number of segments you are considering, ie example is 6 equal slices. On the outside, write your subject header against each slice. Use the inner circles to highlight your given score, ie if 7 in relationships, count 7 from the centre circle out towards the rim and highlight that part of the circle within your given slice.

Continue for each subject. See how uneven your wheel is, then consider how uncomfortable the journey would be if this was the construction of your bike’s wheel! Ideally all would be at 10 but this will rarely ever be the case. The best approach is to make the ‘rim’ as even as possible, even if the overall score is just 6 or 7.

For each subject ask these questions:

  • What is the Final Goal you wish to achieve? …
  • What are the 1st and subsequent journey goals to move you forward?
  • What Barriers do you foresee that may hinder or prevent you from achieving these initial steps or the ultimate goal?
  • What actions are required to move you forward?
  • What are your strengths that you can call on to help you along the route?
  • When do you intend reaching your Final Goal, what date specifically?
  • When are you going to complete each journey goal, when will you review them?

A business coach will ask those questions you will avoid. We look hard at each area and push questions deeper than if left to your own device. The surface questions and consequent actions you plan to take will certainly help you start that journey of change.

Coaching to Success are here to help you dive deeper and retrieve those answers to help you make those changes more succinctly and motivate you along the journey. When you’re ready to make those changes, contact Neil on 07761 187238 or email neil@coachingtosuccess.co.uk who, with tools and techniques, can assure you of a smoother, quicker transition of change for the positive.

Do you associate with these business struggles…

I am no different than any other company in areas of a coaching/mentoring that I offer to that of other businesses when it comes to struggling. However, I recognise what they are and do something about it and would like to share some with you.

So in this feature we cover recognisable areas whether you head an organisation or work within one and come up with methods by which to address them.

On the Verge – All too often we work, work, work all hours possible. Warning! We are NOT robots and you will burn out. Do not be a martyr to the cause, look to see what can seriously be delegated. Learn to let go.

Using your head – Oh I have been there. I know best and it will take too long to explain to others as it’s all in my head. As well as this, tasks get done when you remember them (poor time management). Look to create your own protocols and procedures for consistency in what you do. If you have a team, insure they too follow the procedures which helps keep track of any element through its life cycle.

Fear of failure – Things seem alright, why rock the boat? Why take unnecessary chances for fear of potential failure as opposed to moving with your desire for success. This is a mind-set area not based on fact. Work with a positive ‘I chose to make the best of an un known rather than fearing it’. Try it a few times and see what positive affirmations can give you and your business.

Marketing ROI – What IS your Return On Investment? Be honest with yourself. Don’t know! Well I would strongly recommend assessing the time and money outlaid on marketing. Too many organisations rely on you simply throwing money at them without really giving what you expect. Look, monitor, re-evaluate.

Research – Do you really know the market you are aiming at? If your target market seems unclear, rather than attempting to sell to all, look at the Psychographics (personality, values, opinions, attitudes, interests, and lifestyles) of the Demographics (quantifiable characteristics of a given population) of your target market.

Constantly doing the same task – Look to see how repetitive tasks can be formalised with little input to create the overall masterpiece. This can be anything from quoting to copying and pasting messages. Look to formalise it. Use Mail Merge for creating a standard letter or quote with information extracted from a spread sheet. Copying and pasting cannot only be time consuming but is inherently open to mistakes (as I have found out to my cost historically!). Think Time Management.

Go it alone – Politically this is a bit of a hot subject at the moment, however, in business, I look to Aristotle’s wise words, “The sum of the total is greater than the sum of its parts”. Look to share your knowledge base and gain knowledge from others. Networking or Mind dump groups are great to accomplish this.

Stationary Skill-Set – To be blunt, it is a vicious market out there. If you stand still, not only will you miss the train but others will catch it! Never stop learning or looking forward to new ways. For those of you old enough to remember, look at Encyclopaedia Britannica or Kodak for examples of companies who thought the modern digital era would not affect them. Keep up with or ahead of the game. Look at every aspect from software enhanced presentations to innovative ways of pushing forward using time saving elements that will have a positive effect on everyone within the organisation.

Although some may appear obvious, we can easily get caught in the day-to-day running of the business. Step back occasionally, view what is going on. Treat yourself to regular reviews and learn to develop ways to get around what sometimes appear insurmountable problems that when broken down, can be manageable chunks.

Coaching to Success specialise in addressing ‘clarity’, you could say we demystify the foggy screen of your business’ windscreen. Should you or members of your team be looking to gain some direction in the organisation, first contact Neil either by mail at neil.nutburn@coachingtosuccess.co.uk or direct via phone 07761 187238. Our business is Your success, let us help you move on to turn Struggles into challenges and challenges into positive rewards.

Decision making made easier…

I was with a client the other day when they commented on the difficulty of making well-considered decisions. Now he is more than capable of making decisions but the fact that, much as most of us in today’s hectic lifestyle, making clear decisions can sometimes be difficult due to the constant demands and distractions we are all regularly subjected to.

I then began to think about how fast-paced the world has become and how decisions, right or wrong, are made more on a whim, based on little structure or evidence due to our time constraints.

I often see people spending a fair amount of time re-visiting tasks as interruptions have distracted them. This in turn brings up other topics such as Procrastination and Time-management but we’ll leave those for another day.

At the moment, we are looking at decision making! How do we gain clarity over making judged and worthy decisions? I use a tool called the ‘Cartesian Quadrant’ and the eventual outcome is as a result of 4 well-considered factors to create a satisfactory result.

To begin, grab a clear sheet of A4 paper. Allowing enough room to write along the top and down one side, draw a large box and then lines central top to bottom and central left to right to create a 2×2 matrix.

Top left box is No.1, Top right is No.2, Bottom left No.3 and finally bottom right is No.4

Now for the titles and these will depend on what the decision you’re attempting to come to. However, the principle remains the same, just the wording differs.

To explain, let’s look at a couple of situations. One may be to do with a result from your own personal action, therefore the result will be “What will happen if I do make the change” (#I), whereas another may be to do with a work promotion, therefore “What will be the outcome if we do proceed with this promotion”. Now to make this more apparent…

Along the top, using the above ideas, on the left write “If I DO make the change” on the right, “If I DON’T make the change”. Along the side, level with the top box write “What WILL happen” and underneath, “What WON’T happen”

So each box now raises these questions

No.1 “What WILL happen If I DO make the change”

No.2  “What WON’T happen If I DO make the change”

No.3  “What WILL happen If I DON’T make the change”

No.4  “What WON’T happen If I DON’T make the change”

Simply write your thoughts in each category. Should you be interrupted, you’ll be able to return and focus on each element until you have satisfied all options. As a guide, approach each one with a different outlook. Ie, how will it affect you personally? How will your thoughts be effected from a work, client or friend’s perspective?

Clarity is the key and until you have assessed each area, judgement may be slightly biased. If this is what you wanted, you at least can view what the argument could be and already be armed with your reply!

Coaching to success is all about the ‘Clarity’ and in the melee of rapid business highways where it sometimes appears we don’t have time to scratch our proverbial and this is where we help first help find the time and then to focus on actins to achieve what wouldn’t be perceived as possible before. We have such belief in this, we will credit any person or organisation for the coaching should they not deem it to be a worthwhile return on investment.

If you’re open to take on the challenge, contact Neil either by mail at neil.nutburn@coachingtosuccess.co.uk or direct via phone 07761 187238. Our business is Your success, let us help you gain that clarity to succeed in the next level