Failure is always a possibility, what is more important is that you tried to succeed in the first place.
Learn to control your inner thoughts and reflect on why you are anxious.
Anxiety is contagious and therefore be on your guard you do not catch this from other people, or indeed transmit this yourself. An anxious mind cannot make good choices.
Toyota developed the 5 why’s and then you will get to the solution to any problem, why stop at 5?
If you have had children you know that they don’t.
To stop this happening to infinity, ask yourself the question before someone else does, because if you can’t figure out why for yourself the task/situation is best left alone.
Yes we all like to be in Control, but be realistic. Control what you can, be the focus of everyone’s attention, but don’t be a control freak.
Think, feel and behave as if you are in control of yourself and other people/events and you will be.
Don’t blame luck, other people or external forces for your lack of control. Live in the moment and enjoy the sense of control this brings.
Dont lose control and drift, take responsibility for your actions and remain calm and controlled.
Whenever possible, remember, too much control stunts personal (and other people’s) development.
You are capable of changing. You change your underwear, hairstyle, partner, job because you want to.
When other people want you to change, review your capabilities to change. If you don’t want to go along with the change then remove yourself from that environment.
If you do accept the change then embrace it.
Resisting change because you don’t accept it is purely selfish and you should spend your time elsewhere and not block other people’s progress or willingness to change.
Resistance to change is a huge drain on your emotional and physical energies. Go somewhere where you are more comfortable and your energy is projected onto positive change rather than obstruction.
One type of change does not fit all situations.
Change can either be massive, traumatic, radical and instantaneous.
Or
Change can be little and often
The trick is to know which works best in the particular circumstances.
You know the difference between right and wrong. The issue therefore is that it is your choice what you do next knowing it is right or wrong.
Ask yourself why you would do something that you know to wrong know that further consequences will probably be painful. Why do what you will regret?
There is a time and place for this. Accountants are quite often asked to be creative. That is OK, the outcomes can be relatively safe (although a few have lost their jobs).
People should be pushed to find new methods of working and new ideas to work smarter, at the right place and the right time then.
Airline pilots landing a plane should not be similarly encouraged, the flight simulator would be preferable.
What I am saying is, be creative, but not at all costs.
Be prepared to give the credit to someone else. It is often easier to get things done if you do not want to directly receive the credit for the success.
This detaches you from the idea itself and then you can be more receptive to critically evaluate ideas from other people.
If you come across this here are a few tips:
Firstly, try and plan for these. Put some scenarios in when you pretend that a crisis has happened. Ffamiliarity will mean that the crisis is not so critical.
Form a team of people who can help you manage the crisis and have better experience.
Adopt a crisis mentality. Sometimes democratic processes may not work. Adopting a strong leadership approach works best. Be careful about the choice of leader.
Protect and preserve your core values, these will see you through the crisis.
Be prepared to change. The reason you are in a crisis is that you did not see it coming and you therefore did not change in time.
Dont let the crisis dominate your life. Try to continue as normal as possible in other non-critical areas. Keep a sense of perspective.
Finally, the crisis will pass. Analyse the results and learn from your mistakes.
Things to consider
need for independence ( of thought)
readiness to make decisions
tolerance for ambiguity and uncertainty
interest and curiosity levels
understanding of goal congruence and direction
skills, knowledge and experience
collaborative and cooperative willingness
Yep, we all come across them from time to time – here are some ideas:
Do nothing, wait until they are receptive to your thinking.
Change your perception – ask yourself why are they saying/doing what they are doing. Dismiss the notion that they are bonkers and try to see it their way.
Change the context – what is it that has triggered their dis-ease? Try reframing the context and see if their behaviour now makes sense.
Motivate them to change their behaviour. State the obvious – if you carry on like this, then X (bad) will happen; if you approach the matter differently the Y (good) will happen.
Above all, concentrate on the difficult behaviour, not the person. Try and understand why their behaviour is ‘difficult’.
If you have been brought up as Christian, you will be familiar with this principle. The usual interpretation of the phrase is to treat each other as you would like to be treated yourself.
However, consider this, the phrase goes beyond this slightly egocentric view. What it is actually saying is that you should treat other people as they would like to be treated; i.e in a way that pleases them. That way:
a) they will understand you better
b) they may even reciprocate this principle and you will understand them better
Don’t forget, not everyone has the same world view as yourself and therefore by seeing the world through other people’s eyes and having a flexible approach in treating people means you can get your message across much easier.
This is the old metaphor for tackling a large task and dividing it into smaller pieces.
Let’s go with this metaphor and share the meal with other people. Throw in some unusual spices and generally yet to make the task interesting and interactive.
Never curb the enthusiasm of others. Always take their ideas and adapt or adopt accordingly.
Remember that good ideas and enthusiam are infectious. Learn to soak up and reflect on other peoples energy levels.
This will rub off on you.
Whatever you do make the best of your environment. Go for the best (see Quality) and if you need to change it for the better, don’t hesitate. Be at one with the world and a good environment will make whatever you are doing better and more bearable
Failure is always a possibility, what is more important is that you tried to succeed in the first place.
Overlook faults in others and don’t dwell on them. Look at your own faults and eliminate them.
Five stages of Grief
Although originally written by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross to describe bereavement, this cycle is applicable to emotional reactions in change or trauma situations
This is the old conundrum, is your glass half empty or half full? which is supposed to elicit whether you are an optimist or pessimist.
The trouble with this question is that it is constrained by the fact that there is a container and by definition a boundary to your thinking.
What about a world in which there is no glass and so there are no limits to optimism or pessimism? Mere physical boundaries should not exist when it comes down to personal characteristics as the world is what you make it.
A lot of Eastern Philosophy is going on in that last paragraph which makes the whole issue of what governs are thinking open to debate.
Many suceesful (and Western) business leaders have developed the ‘can do/think outside the box/paint the sky blue’ thinking which has it roots in this philosophy.
One thing is certain, if you believe there to be a boundary to your thinking there will be.
Comedians will tell you that jocularity depends on timing. Knowing when to put in that quip for maximum effect is a key skill; conversely saying the light hearted comment at the wrong time can be disastrous.
know your audience, know the occasion and the timing will flow.
plan and make decisions about resources
organise activities
motivate
initiate appropriate feedback mechanisms
Lead by example and by experience.
Don’t ask anyone to do something you do not understand or would not be prepared to do yourself if you had the relevant expertise.
That way you will understand the outcome and more importantly you know whether the task has been performed efficiently or correctly.
My definition is that this means helping people to realize their full potential by giving them advice from my own experiences.
Successful leaders are motivated by their desire to help and support others.
the process of getting things done via the agency of a community
Sir Charles Renold -1949
Once a team finds itself ahead of schedule it will try to get itself even more ahead of schedule- aka momentum
Mmmm… Eastern or Western Philosophy?
Enjoy the moment. Or, if you don’t enjoy the moment, find a moment that you do enjoy.
If your Personal or Corporate Mission statement is not something like “Increase the net worth of the entire universe”, then ask yourself why.
If it passes the test of “doing exactly what it says on the tin” then equally this is good.
Somewhere between the two is probably meaningless.
Look for the apposite, not the opposite
How you deal with money can influence the rest of your life.
Do you recognise these attitudes towards money?
You will have a natural approach to money, knowing your preferred approach will help you identify those weak areas and core motives. If you a natural spender, don’t be surprised you are continually overdrawn. Manage your attitude to money just as much as you manage the money.
Know when to finish and take a bow. Leave a situation on your terms and make sure your exit is viewed as the end of an era, not the end of an error. Don’t overstay your welcome or repeat yourself.
It is a fine line between achievement and failure.
Multitasking is fine provided you do not spread yourself too thinly.
Having many tasks in progress and not completing any of them will lead to frustration.
Make sure you continually review what you are doing and that they are achievable within the time frame you have set yourself.
Keeping personal human contact is the best way to build and maintain relationships. A follow-up email, telephone call, letter is nice but nothing can replace the sensory experience of a face to face meeting. You can get an awful lot more information out of social interaction than you can in a two dimensional piece of print or a telephone call.
If you can’t be motivated to go and see someone then question your motivation.
Get used to pressure – you can’t continue to perform unless you challenge yourself. The ability to remain calm under fire is enhanced by continuous exposure to pressure.
Mild exposure can seriously improve your performance.
Multitasking is now mandatory. Prioritising your tasks will help you remain focussed on what is important.
Constantly consult your priority list and re-prioritise as necessary.
Cross off those items that don’t matter and tend to the most important whether you like them or not.
A lot of this is about time management. We all have the same number of hours in a day. It is a question of what task is most important in the allotted time we have available. Staying in bed is not an option!
Principles have the casting vote over rules
Spend as much as you can on quality, either for people who work for you, items of plant and machinery, pens/pencils, whatever. Do not allow standards to drop for the sake of a few pennies.
A quality environment influences:
a) the way you work
b) the way others perceive you and more importantly the standards that you require of them
No reputation is built on the basis of a single experience or the result of a solitary factor.
Reputation is a culmination of all the things you are good at done consistently well over an extended period of time. Once you have established what this is and what these things are then protect them and cherish them as valuable assets.
see them as stepping stones
There is no one style appropriate for every occasion. Learn to adapt your style to particular circumstances, but make sure you keep to your principle centered beliefs.
The greatest obstacle for your future success is your present success.
Manage the present but not at the expense of the future.
We all work in teams of varying shapes and sizes, here are a few lessons to help teams work better:
Do:
Don’t:
It is better also if you clearly define the Goals and Objectives of the team so that all members appreciate and understand their respective duties.
Having an open mind is useful, using it well is better. The ability to think in a perceptive manner and use our minds and experiences for the good of others is what sets us apart from other animals. The ability to think and change your mind and continually express your curiosity drives your energy levels and exposes yourself to new experiences, causing you to think again.
When we are short of time it means we cannot get our allotted tasks done in the time available. Therefore time management is about task management.
Learning to manage your ‘to do’ list is the key.
Everyone only has 24 hours in the day, so manage the amount of work you have to get through, allow yourself reasonable timescales to acheive your objectives, and then allow some slack for overruns.
Prioritising your tasks makes the time much more manageable.
When you meet someone new, there is no past and the future has not yet happened, so make the present a good place.
There is a language style that goes with time, depending on your perspective of time and whether you are past reflective, present orientated, or future thinking.
Bear this in mind when you speak to other people who will not have the same time perspective.
Time is the greatest gift you have and a natural resource. Stay in the present, don’t dwell on the past or overplan the future. The present is here and now. The greatest gift you can give other people is your time and enjoying the present with them.
Remove complacency from your life.
After discussions or meetings demonstrate Urgency, say to everyone as a result of this meeting my behavior will change in the next week and I will achieve this result. What are you going to do to help me and yourself?
The ability to recognise and act in accordance with the spirit not the letter of the law.
You need to know the greater good, do the good and deliver the goods.
Develop a thick skin – after setbacks it takes considerable self discipline to get back in the ring.
Learn to be resilient and fundamentally stick with your principles.
If you believe you are right, you will keep that will to win.
