Time Management

Apr 18 2016

Let’s gain clarity over what needs to be achieved

The days are longer and the weather’s on a positive turn which is all great … then the to-do lists start: Spring cleaning, the gardening, new ideas need to be put into place for business growth and the easiest solution? Find something else to do!

It happens to the best of us. All those tasks we should focus on completing, yet, we come up with a variety of excuses for why it can’t be started. This wonderful creature called ‘Procrastination’ eats away at our levels of personal productivity. Causing us to feel guilty, reduce motivation and lead to lower levels of efficiency!

For example, how many times do you re-read emails and think “I’ll deal with that shortly”? Postpone high level tasks? Uncertain whether the output will be up to perceived expectations so put it off until in a better frame of mind or even adopt a ‘Last-minute’ approach?

I’m as guilty as the next person especially in areas I’m not initially sure about or not interested in doing but are still important (ie Accounts, shudder with the thought!). But the benefits from getting on and completing far outweigh the mental anguish received by avoiding them.

Sometimes the most obvious way is the correct way. We must make ourselves aware of what they are rather than knowing they are just around ‘that’ corner so we subconsciously travel a different route! So here are my 7 triggers that lead us to avoidance and considerations to address them:

Appear pointless or boring – Look to schedule these tasks when at your LEAST creative moment in the day. Yep, that’s right. Treat these as a relief from the more demanding work. By scheduling a start and end date you know there is an end point so are likely to achieve your objective.
Not sure how to proceed – Write down all the options you are aware of. Find someone to take their view on it which could offer a different perspective.
Appear overwhelming – Look to break assignments down, change your self-talk, give up perfection! Remember to reward yourself.
Afraid of failure – Banish negative thoughts. Embrace uncertainty, see this as an exciting challenge. Take calculated risks as without them, we cannot move forward. Confront your fears with positive actions, once that first step is taken the whole task becomes easier.

So what of the remaining 3? These are deeper to the core and along with the implications they could bring, can best be resolved by having one-to-one meetings with a professional coach as these affect the subconscious.

Afraid of success
Resent being given the task
Possibility of confrontation

Addressing the initial four areas will help you to become more efficient and improve awareness of what causes your procrastination. Should you have already achieved your objectives in these areas and would like to explore the latter, simply contact Neil to arrange a meeting.

Coaching to Success pride themselves on successfully helping their clients to achieve their goals or targets. Our confidence is such that should our clients feel that they have not received an exceptional return on their investment, we simply credit the charge in full so no one loses!

So to move forward in the quagmire of procrastination, do a useful side track and contact Neil either by mail at neil.nutburn@coachingtosuccess.co.uk or direct via phone at 07761 187238. Our business is Your success, let us help you reach those higher goals.

Feb 01 2016

The ‘Key’ strengths of Successful Management … Prt 2of2

The last article covered areas in management concerning pleasing everyone and making time for management. Looking at setting standards, being open-minded, communication, problem solving and the art of listening.

As promised, here are the next six areas to consider when mastering the role of Manager.

Previously we looked at two areas that help towards ill-feelings that managers receive, below are another three to be considered.

Maintaining the old mind-set – You have moved on from the role you undertook but you still attempt to do the same old job!
Avoid difficult issues – Confrontation between team members; Putting off doing the reports; Making ‘that’ phone call; Meeting someone you dislike … this list can go on. Trying to ignore it isn’t the answer!
Self-belief – In the past, I thought my rapid ascension was due to luck. Was I really management material? Could I handle this next role? Well, those who appointed me believed in my abilities so look pragmatically as to why you’ve been chosen!

To continue from lessons I have personally learned as a result of seeking further academic qualifications, from experience as well as the good book of ‘How Not Too’ according to bosses I have worked with (and in one occasion, exceeded!), here are another set of clues to take on board.

Courteous & Direct – Refrain from saying one thing but thinking something else! Drop the Jeckyll & Hyde! People like you to be frank and direct about areas such as performance. Do this with humility but also remember the power of ‘Please’ and ‘Thank you’
Humour – For those that know me personally, humour and raising the feel good factor is something I’ll always aspire to achieve. Don’t make a joke of the person or situation, but witty comments relating to the issue will help reduce fearful thoughts and put people at ease.
Respect – All too often I’ve heard manager’s refer to their team as Half-wits, or other derogative remarks (I’m sure you will know of similar expressions). These are not only discriminatory but disrespectful. This in turn leads to distrust and further lack of respect. Here’s the catch, if you think that, you will receive that! To improve performance change your own thought process to thinking ‘positively’ towards staff and their abilities. Acknowledge people’s contributions. Offer assistance rather than reprimand for those who are unsure of what’s expected or lack in skillset.
Praise in Public, Reprimand in Private – We all know variations on this saying but how does it relate to you? I have seen people in authority too frequently belittle people in front of others but to what end does it serve? All too often it’s easier to criticise and take things that go well for granted. Consider the way you currently manage both negative and positive situations and start to adopt this philosophy.
Vulnerability – Showing that you may make mistakes or that you are wrong isn’t a weakness but makes you human and thus, more approachable.
Self-belief – Confidence can affect us all! If you put yourself or abilities down, it’s going to be tricky picking yourself up. Whether it be developing a small business or stepping into new Executive roles. A great saying is “Fake it ‘til you make it” or “Act as if” would be a milder interpretation. This isn’t to say be false but encourages a self-perpetuating growth in your confidence to overcome any hurdle.

Other areas to also consider include focusing on the big picture, being authentic and accessible all while being an independent thinker who looks for solutions rather than focusing on problems.

Coaching to success specialise in Management (Procedure) & Leadership (People) and whether it be yourself looking to get that edge over internal or external competition or simply looking for better ways to help manage the business, contact us by calling 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.

Jan 18 2016

The ‘Key’ strengths of Successful Management … Prt 1of2

Whether you have been promoted, gone straight into the role or found yourself suddenly responsible for those around you, the majority of us like that feeling of being noticed for what others perceive us to be capable of. And what of those who manage on your behalf? What of their style? How does the team(s) look or regard them?

Due to the complexities involved in becoming a respected and admired manager, this feature will be in two parts with the second being a fortnight from now.

We begin this new adventure full of enthusiasm, clear in the knowledge that we will be successful in our endeavours. Then the honeymoon period is over. Demands upon you have increased, those around you approach you differently, the anticipated respect you thought you would obtain is absent. Worse still… you find yourself alone!

So, the happy world of management! It’s great isn’t it? Well it can be, but let’s first look at the areas that help towards creating this ill-feeling and then we’ll look at ways to move forward:

Trying to please everyone – Most of us in management have fallen into this trap but understand that you will need to make decisions that not everyone will like or appreciate!
Make time for managing – Management is about processes, structure, order and not about how much work you do compared to others! Knuckling down to get the job done doesn’t engage others and lack of ‘management’ results in both disengagement and disinterest from those who answer to you.

So where do we go from here? Having learned through education, experience and seeing historic examples from poor managers I followed in my career, I’ve developed a list to aid obtaining that respect a great manager deserves, while I also learned a lot about how management and projects work.

Set the standards – Raise the standard of work, demeanour, attitude and professionalism for all to aspire to.
Open-mindedness – For others to ‘invest’ in what they do. Take an approach of thinking ‘Yes’ before ‘No’ and that the initial idea is just the beginning thought, a small acorn from which greatness may develop. Encourage ideas.
Communicate – Knowledge is NOT power if retained by one person! Develop your communication skills and open that office door. Consider all the means of communicating: Emails, Skype, Written reports, Seminars, Meetings and yes, speaking to one another! Be seen as being approachable and rather than harbour ill-feelings towards someone, put it on the table for discussion.
Problem Solver – Look at a situation with the aim of finding a solution and asking for ideas is a great trait for others to aspire to.
Listen – “Seek first to understand, Then to be understood”, Stephen Covey states as #5 in his book “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” (a good read if not done so previously!). The best way to manage this is to listen. Your team may see things that you don’t and respect will be gained if you’re willing to lend an ear.

This is but a start. 3 more areas and another 6 management considerations will be highlighted in the next feature. See how you or the managers under your remit get on with these and here’s to wishing you all the developed success this will bring until the next instalment.

Should you look to gain further professional help, Coaching to success specialise in Management (Procedure) & Leadership (People) and whether it be yourself looking to get that edge over internal or external competition or simply looking for better ways to help manage the business, contact us by calling Neil Nutburn on 07761 187238 or send an email to info@coachingtosuccess.co.uk to arrange a free, no obligation consultation.

Sep 14 2015

The Power of People’s help via successful delegation!

Often delegation can help relieve an element of stress. The reverse can be said when you try to handle it all and everything then seems stuck or at least moving only in first gear.

Delegation sounds easy, after all, you pass what you don’t want to do onto others … simple! The true art of successful delegation is not that easy. But done correctly, successful delegation build teams, strengthen the business, improve productivity/profit making for a more pleasant working environment.

So let’s start by ascertaining some reasons ‘Why’ as in why people don’t delegate!

No-one has the same level of knowledge.
It takes time to explain what is required – quicker to do it myself!
Fear of delegating yourself out of a job.
Your lack of trust in others’ capabilities.
You don’t know how!

You have progressed to a level but now can’t move forward as your workload eats into your time and more! So how do we get around this? It will be easier to break this into sections.

WHEN to delegate

Your own skill sets can be enhanced or new ones developed by passing other tasks on
Ascertain if this ‘Truly’ has to be done by yourself or whether someone else can manage it
A chance to improve another’s skill-set by them taking it on board

Some of this takes being honest with yourself. There may be tasks which take you out of your comfort zone so you avoid them and, worse still, avoid delegating them for fear someone will know notice!

WHO to delegate to

Check the current workload of the person. It’s no more beneficial to the organisation if you simply pass it onto someone in similar situation.
Skill set. Do they have the skills or how long would it take for them to grasp its importance?
Up-skilling may be a great opportunity for a person to start the promotional ladder!

HOW to delegate

Clarity, from Stephen Covey “Begin with the end in mind”. Insure the person knows when the work is to be completed by. Where they can get resources and what the expected outcome is.
Authority – again, make it clear who has overall responsibility and if this impacts on others, make sure they know too.
Matching workload – insure you delegate to the lowest level. Make sure the work is appropriate to the level of the individual. If anything, give it to someone who will need to stretch a little to achieve it in order to raise their skillset!
Motivation – never underestimate the value of positive motivation. A simple “Well Done” can carry so much weight. Recognition that they have been selected or promoted may be a sufficient reward in itself.
Results – Focus on the outcome. They may have a different, potentially improved productive means of carrying out the task. Assist when required but also allow them to self-develop as you too may learn something.
Support – It’s never wise to ‘Micro-manage’ people, but in the same degree, to leave them completely to their own devices with a new task is equally wrong! Be available to answer questions. Arrange update reports/meetings to allow them to raise concerns and questions.

CONTROLLING the task

Create a delegation log sheet. Indicate who you’ve given a task too and expected completion dates.
Allow them room to find their own way of doing things.
Explain why they have been chosen. This should be done to promote their emotional attachment.
When completed, set time aside to go through the objectives and outcome. Allow lessons to be learned if areas haven’t been done.

Although there is still a lot more to be learned, the above steps will at least set you on the right path towards some of the elements involved with positive delegation.

Coaching to Success specialise in gaining clarity and responsibility. Should either yourself or a member of your team want to enhance your delegation skills to get the best out of your team, please contact Neil by email neil@coachingtosuccess.co.uk or call 07761 187238 to arrange an complimentary meeting 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.

Aug 03 2015

‘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.

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.
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!
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.
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.
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!.
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.