Thursday 5 September 2013

TIPS TO MANAGING CHANGE IN ORGANISATIONS

  1. All appears to change when we change.”  -  Henri Amiel

  2. Ask yourself, what does team change look like?

  3. Establish a sense of urgency.

  4. Create a powerful vision.

  5. Communicate the vision every day.

  6. Empower everyone and you to act on it.

  7. Be accountable (accountability achieved by being willing to have every choice scrutinized).

  8. Leadership through expectation (avoiding micro-managing, set high expectations and creating a culture of trust).

  9. Managing change in the 21st century is all about connection.

  10. Educate all leaders to be socially and self aware in three main areas:
    ●  Empathy awareness – sensing perceptions and feelings.
    ●  Organisation awareness – reading the groups emotional currents.
    ●  Service awareness – anticipating and recognising customer needs.


  11. Learn to persevere.  Very often change management processes can look like they are failing in the middle.  Keep going.

  12. Have momentum reviews.  Stop and celebrate along the way what you all have achieved.

  13. Silence the critics – move obstacles, keep moving forward.

  14. Show up and show you are capable of dealing with change.

  15. Every day in some small way, continue to build trust.

  16. Remember the how is as important as the what.

  17. Every day build on the old and step into the new.

  18. Be a great change role model.

  19. Be present and develop deep listening skills to whatever is happening on a day to day basis.

  20. Remember to clarify progress every step of the way and celebrate each small step.

Friday 23 August 2013

12 TIPS ON HOW TO THRIVE IN AN UNCERTAIN WORLD

  1. Learn to be comfortable with being uncomfortable.

  2. Be solution orientated.

  3. Quit fast to what does not feel right.

  4. Every day be eager to learn in these life changing times.

  5. Every day focus on growth not fear.

  6. Life is all about how you approach the challenges that you face.

  7. Be grateful for every new day.

  8. Every day is a chance to create and build your legacy.

  9. Every day focus on just being.

  10. Practice letting go of control and welcome more allowing into your life.

  11. Be open as new organisational forms and ways of doing business emerge.

  12. Be open to creating many loose connections rather than the old way of having a small number of close connections.



Wednesday 24 July 2013

FIVE REASONS WHY GOAL SETTINGS FAIL


  1. Only a Wish List
    Many people don't give enough thought to their goals and very often copy other's goals because they look better.

  2. No Clarity
    It is no use setting goals if you don't add a realistic date by when you want to achieve them.

  3. All Talk, No Action
    Have you ever met someone who is still talking of achieving the same goal ten years later?  They talk a great talk; however they don't want to do the hard work that is needed to get there.

  4. Not Taking Responsibility
    Many people don't take responsibility for the intentions they have set and when their goals don't happen as quick as they want to, they blame everything from the weather to the economy.

  5. Take Advice from the Wrong People
    If you want to be successful in any main area of your life, go out and find or attract someone into your life who is already achieving what you want.  Don't take advice from people who are not there yet.

Tuesday 16 July 2013

GET YOURSELF ORGANISED

It's hard to get anything done when you have 1,000 emails in your inbox, a desk piled high with paper and the environment around you overloaded.  Here are some suggestions on how to handle it today.

Office Clean Up Day
  • No moaning that you haven't time, make time, do it today.  I promise you it will be so worth it.
  • Get rid of piles of paper.
  • Only leave on your desk what you are working on.
File Folders
  • Always have a set of spare file folders on hand so you can organise current and completed projects.
Press the Delete Button
  • Make the delete button on the computer your best friend.  Take an hour to unsubscribe to every newsletter that you never read.
Make Space
  • Don't be afraid of space.  Create space everywhere around you; it helps you think more clearly.
Let Go
  • Let go of old books, mementos that you no longer need or use.

When we make space and declutter, we create space for new ideas and changes to come into our lives.




Wednesday 10 July 2013

CHANGE IS SCARY... GET OVER IT

Most humans would rather leave the planet than change, yet from the moment we are born things are changing.

Change is scary and yes change is hard, but it doesn't have to be any of those things if we get our mindset and company mindset right.

Before you carry out change, ask yourself the following questions:
  • Are you willing to pay the price?
  • Is it worth it?
Once you have made the decision to move forward with the changes, then get the buy in from your team and everyone around you.  You can never shortcut the change process, so make sure you have everyone around you on board.

Be prepared, change at first will feel awkward, yet isn't that how any new habit feels?  

As a leader you can't be a change agent for your organisation if you're stagnant on the inside, so commit to your own personal growth and be the change you want to see around you.

Tuesday 2 July 2013

NEW LEADERS LEARN TO BE RADICALLY HONEST

Powerful leadership involves really asking one's self radically honest questions and paying attention to the message you are sharing on a day to day basis in the business.

Three examples of such questions are:
  1. Are you truly surrounded by the people who inspire you to be your best so as you in turn can inspire everyone around you to be their best?
  2. Are you sharing the message you came here to share in the world?
  3. Are you being the person in the world you most want to be?
Being radically honest can feel uncomfortable at times, yet it builds boundaries and firm foundations for the future.

Tuesday 25 June 2013

BE A MOUNTAINEER IN THE WORKPLACE

When I think of the word mountaineer, it builds a sense of excitement and inner wildness within me.

How much excitement and inner wildness is there in your current workplace these days?

When we feel excitement, it gives our lives meaning and hope, two of the most needed words in today's work environment.

As I travel the world I still see too many workplaces that are filled with the living dead, who say on a Monday morning, roll on Friday, living lives of quiet desperation always wishing for the weekend to come.

The leader as a mountaineer has the ability to change that.

  • They realise every day is a new day.
  • Every day is the chance to climb a new summit together.
  • Every day they bring the presence of who they are to the workplace.
  • Every day they lead from the inside out.
  • Every day they bring meaning and creativity and it affects everyone around them.
  • Every day they know and understand that being outstanding makes a difference.
  • Every day they take small steps knowing that over time, it will have an incredible impact.
  • Every day they are a mountaineer in the workplace, encouraging and supporting everyone in their team to leave the Valley and live from the mind set of the Mountain.

Wednesday 12 June 2013

MAKE CHANGES NOT EXCUSES

Has anyone else out there carried around a little too much weight for most of their lives?

Well that was me until recently.  I decided to give up the excuses and make changes.  I had many times over the years dabbled with making changes, yet the same old habits came creeping back... and isn't it amazing the lies we tell ourselves like 'I am big boned' or 'It's just my metabolism' and on and on...

The funny thing is for many years I used the excuse that I was big boned, then one day as I was speaking on stage, I had my hand held high and I looked at my wrist and realised I had a tiny sparrow's wrist.  Time to let go of that excuse....

What will it take for you to make changes and let go of the excuses.  Far too often we spend our lives living with the brakes on and yet our past need never be our future.

Why not start carving out a new future for yourself today and let your unique light shine...

Imagine all the extra energy you will have for starters!

Monday 3 June 2013

BE RESPONSIBLE

What are you doing every day to help build this new and better world that is emerging?  Are you stuck in the victim paradigm or feeling your way into the possibility paradigm. The times are changing quickly and somehow right now it's as if we are in between worlds.  Some leaders are still blaming the Politicians, the Banks, each other and on and on...

The front covers of most newspapers have become so negative that the vibration of negativity just hits you like an arrow as you pass any news stand.  What will it take to stop playing victim and take responsibility.

When we as humans take responsibility our inner and outer world changes.  We find the courage from the inside to give up our excuses.  We build bridges instead of barriers.

How do you stop playing victim?
One way is to get a large sheet of paper and on the left hand side write down all the reasons why you feel dissatisfied with the world and yourself right now.  Then on the right hand side, write what do you want and then do something to improve yourself, your family, maybe even your country.  I passionately believe that sometimes in life we need to get over ourselves and wake up to the fact that life is short.  Just one long moment, made up of many small moments.  Why not use every moment to make a difference.

You, your family, work colleagues and even the world will be better for it.

Monday 27 May 2013

NOISE IS KILLING CREATIVITY

Where has all the silence gone?

Have you noticed lately that our world is becoming more noisy by the minute?  From computers, ipads, people, twitter and cars, it just goes on and on...

Most humans are now wasting up to 2.5 hours per day being distracted by some noise or other.  How productive and creative are we really in the workplace in 2013?

I think it's time to stop and take a rain check.  Fast and noisier is not always better.  If you look behind any extraordinary achievers, you will find silence is one of their daily practises where they practise their skill when no one is watching.  As we merge the old and new in business, extraordinary shifts are happening.

Take 37 Signals, Jason Fried the co-founder noticed that their offices had become full of interruptions and noise, so he decided to implement changes.  One change was 'No Talk Thursday' in which employees do not talk to each other, so they have time to be creative and work on projects in silence.  Some companies are starting to understand the value of silence and are creating flexible open-plan offices with a mix of quiet zones, reading rooms, solar workplaces and computer hubs.  Similarly at Microsoft, many employees have their own office hubs, yet they come with sliding doors, movable walls and many other features that allow them to collaborate when needed.

Sometimes the real work gets done in silence and the space between the gaps.

Make time to think; create the space to be creative...

Thursday 21 March 2013

12 CRITICAL STRATEGY QUESTIONS

Strategy is all about shaping the future and how it can bring value to the organisation and the real world.

  1. Less is more  -  In less than thirty words, describe what your organisation strategy is?

  2. What sort of company do you want to be?

  3. What sort of leadership style do you want to adopt?

  4. What are the most important objectives to the organisation?

  5. How will you explain to all your people how each of them can contribute to achieve these objectives?

  6. What do you think is possible?

  7. What do you need to do to achieve your goals?

  8. Is your existing market growing, stagnating or shrinking?

  9. Where are the markets that are growing faster than yours?

  10. What changes have to be made?

  11. How should the changes be made?

  12. How shall we measure progress?





Wednesday 13 March 2013

WHY MULTI TASKING CAN BE TOXIC TO LEADERSHIP

Do you ever speak on the phone to clients when driving the car?  
Do you have your iPad on your knee as you watch television at home with the family?  
Do you write and look at emails during conference calls?
Do you text your daughter or son when they are only in the bedroom upstairs and you are downstairs in the office?
We all think that we are good at multi-tasking but we are not...

Multi-tasking can be toxic for business and life.  Too often today we make knee jerk reactions and decisions because we are over functioning and later when we pause, we often regret whatever we over promised at the time.


TIPS ON HOW TO STOP MULTI-TASKING

  1. Instead of a 'To Do' list... create a 'Why' list.

  2. Start at number one and continue in sequence until the list is finished.

  3. Throughout the day, keep pulling your mind back into the present moment.

  4. How you start your day is how you will live and be in your day.

  5. Learn to slow down and focus on one thing at a time.

  6. Stop between tasks and pause.  Learn to distinguish between reaction and response (well thought out).

  7. Remember you will never get this day back again.

  8. Shift from being a human doing to a human being.

  9. When you have a clear mind you will be also able to observe old patterns of behaviour and the hooks that try to pull you back. Watch, pause and let go.

  10. Lead in the moment, be in the moment.

Thursday 7 March 2013

11 TIPS ON HOW TO DEVELOP MENTAL TOUGHNESS



  1. COMMIT 
    From this day forward, commit to what you have been putting off until now and do it.

  2. BELIEVE IN YOURSELF
    You will never out-perform your self-image, and self image is all about belief in yourself.

  3. ZEN LIKE FOCUS
    Get into the zone and focus on one thing at a time.

  4. AWARENESS
    Stop and pay attention to what distracts you mentally.
      Is it emails, computer, phone, etc?  Turn off the outside noise.

  5. CLEAR UP YOUR ENVIRONMENT
    It is hard to develop mental toughness if your office or house is a mess.  Clean up and clear out.

  6. TIE UP YOUR MESSES
    Make a list of all the unfinished projects or unfinished promises, then delete or prioritise your list of actions.  Do it one step at a time.

  7. COME TO THE EDGE
    It takes courage to leave your comfort zone and live on the edge.  Yet that is the only place you are truly alive.

  8. DO SOMETHING THAT SCARES YOU
    What if every day for the next 30 days you did something every day that scares you?

  9. REPETITION IS THE KEY
    Repetition of great habits every day is the key to outstanding success.

  10. IT TAKES TIME
    Know that sometimes you will feel bored and fed up and won’t feel like doing whatever you have set in front of you.  As Mother Theresa once said “Do it Anyway”.

  11. WORLD CLASS FITNESS
    The more physically fit you are, the more mentally fit you will be.  Make a decision today to exercise a minimum of 20 minutes per day, every day
    .


Monday 4 March 2013

12 TIPS ON HOW TO LEAD AN EXTRAORDINARY LIFE



  1.  KNOW WHY YOU ARE HERE
    What’s your purpose?
     What have you got to do before you die?  Find it and spend the rest of your life crafting it.

  2.  START EACH DAY WELL

    The way you begin each day determines how you will live each day.

  3.  BE GRATEFUL BEFORE YOUR FEET TOUCH THE FLOOR EACH DAY

    Once you awake each morning spend a few minutes being grateful for the body you are in and the chance to live another day.

  4. HAVE A BUDDY JOURNAL
    A buddy journal is a journal which has all your dreams and aspirations written in.  Look at it each day and live it.

  5. TIME IS A DIAMOND
    Appreciate time, you will never get today back again.

  6. NEVER WHINGE
    Turn your whinges into possibilities and you will have lots more energy.

  7. BE PRESENT TO FRIENDS AND FAMILY
    Switch off the iPad and turn off the phone and revel in the art of conversation.

  8. CHUCK WORRY OUT OF YOUR LIFE
    Too often we waste too much time thinking about the past and worrying about the future that is not here yet...  Let it go and focus on what you can influence today.

  9. WALK EVERY DAY
    It doesn’t cost anything, it clears your mind.  Imagine if you walked 1,000 steps per day, every day for a year.  I bet you would be mentally and physically fit.

  10. RUN TOWARDS YOUR FEAR
    When we get the courage to run towards our fears, we then look at fear as feeling excited and ready.

  11. TELL PEOPLE CLOSE TO YOU HOW MUCH YOU LOVE THEM EVERY DAY
    Let love be your greatest weapon.  Love is not soft, love is real, love matters, love is everything.  Stop for a moment and capture that feeling of being loved. 
    L O V E are the four most important letters to living an extraordinary life.

  12. WHEN THE PAST CALLS LET IT GO
    I recently saw a quote that I just loved and it really does help you live an extraordinary life.  “When the past calls, let it go to voice mail, it has nothing new to say.”


Thursday 14 February 2013

10 TIPS ON HOW TO HAVE A ZEN LIKE FOCUS




  1. LIVE LIFE AS IF YOU HAD 24 HOURS TO LIVE
    What would you do this day if it was your last?

  2. WAKE UP
    What’s no longer working in your life and organisation?

  3. PICK ONE THING
    What one thing if you did it today would make the biggest difference to your life and business?

  4. FIRE UP YOUR PASSION
    Zen like focus is carried on the wings and breath of passion.

  5. LIVE IT, BREATHE IT, COMPLETE IT
    When you live it and breathe the task or service you are doing, you will complete it.

  6. BE IT NOW
    What does your company want to be when it grows up?  Focus on it now.

  7. QUIT NOW
    What products or services no longer work?  Quit them today.

  8. BE UNREASONABLE
    Make a decision now and write down what you will have a Zen like focus on within the next twelve months.

  9. LISTEN AND ACT
    Listen to your customers.  Listen to your staff.  Then apply Zen like focus.

  10. JOIN THE 3% CLUB
    Everything that is easy to do is just as easy not to do and that is why most people won’t be consistent and have Zen like focus.


Monday 4 February 2013

10 TIPS ON HOW LEADERS USE TIME MORE EFFECTIVELY



  1. GET UP EARLY
    Early morning stillness has secrets to tell you...

  2. LEARN WHILE THE WORLD SLEEPS 
    Be ahead, read, research, write, learn for a minimum of 30 minutes early morning.

  3. BE AHEAD
    Always do your ‘To Do’ List the evening before.

  4. DIFFICULT TASKS FIRST
    Embrace that project that you have being putting off first.

  5. AVOID EMAILS FIRST THING IN THE MORNING
    Never get caught up in your emails first thing once in the office.  They will steal your time away.

  6. ACTION TOP THREE THINGS
    Take action on your top three things first every day.

  7. TIME BLOCK CALLS / EMAILS, ETC
    Batch tasks together.

  8. SWITCH OFF NOISE
    Turn off the email notification and text sounds – it’s another distraction.

  9. SUNDAY NIGHT DREAMING
    Build 20 minutes on a Sunday evening to dream, plan, action the week ahead.

  10. LIGHTEN UP
    Do your best work in the moment.  Ask yourself what’s the most important task I need to achieve in this moment?





Monday 28 January 2013

10 TIPS ON HOW TO LIVE A LIFE OF EXCELLENCE



  1. BE AUTHENTIC
    Show up, be present, be real and make a decision to get out of your own way.

  2. ON THE OTHER SIDE OF FEAR LIVES EXCELLENCE
    Walk into and embrace your fears and watch them dissipate.  Know that every step is a step closer to excellence.

  3. DO WHAT YOU SAY YOU ARE GOING TO DO
    Don’t say yes if you don’t mean it.

  4. CO-CREATE
    Who do you want to co-create with?  Time is precious.  Who do you admire for their excellence?

  5. QUIT BEING AVERAGE
    It takes more energy to keep being average than being excellent.

  6. EXCELLENCE IS A STATE OF MIND
    Live it and be it from this moment forth.

  7. FEEL YOUR WAY TO EXCELLENCE
    Excellence is all about a feeling and knowing that things can be better, bigger and more possible.

  8. BE ENCHANTING
    Enchant your friends, work colleagues and your customers.  It’s all about presence.

  9. EXCELLENCE COMES FROM LEAVING FAILURE BEHIND
    Learn from the past and present and move on to excellence.

  10. JUST START NOW
    Live it, be it and let the world one day wake up and see your excellence.

Monday 21 January 2013

10 WAYS TO SIMPLIFY YOUR BUSINESS LIFE



  1. HAVE A GREAT OFFICE CLEAR OUT
    Set the clock for 5 minutes and see how many papers, magazines, etc you can get rid of.

  2. HAVE A ZEN LIKE FOCUS ON YOUR GOALS
    What two goals if you achieved this year would make the most difference?

  3. DIARY CLEAR OUT
    What is currently in your diary that you could let go of and delegate?

  4. TURN OFF THE NOISE
    What if you switched off the computer on your desk between email checks?

  5. CUT DISTRACTIONS FOR 30 MINUTES
    What if you had no distractions for 30 minutes and you did a difficult task you have been putting off?

  6. CUT JOURNEYS TO MEETINGS
    Why not look for alternative ways to connect?  Skype call, Teleconference call?  Imagine what you could do with the extra time...

  7. SCHEDULE THINKING TIME
    Make it a habit to schedule thinking time in your diary.

  8. STOP DOING
    What one thing could you STOP doing from today that would free your time up?

  9. EMAILS USE NNTR
    To emails you don't want a reply to, sign at the bottom (NO NEED TO REPLY)

  10. SAY NO
    Say no to anything that doesn't feel right.  Always trust your gut.


Monday 14 January 2013

12 SMALL STEPS THAT WILL LEAD TO BIG RESULTS OVER TIME



  1. LET GO OF YESTERDAY
    It's gone forever and you cannot change it now.

  2. QUIT MAKING EXCUSES
    Make your some day today.

  3. QUIT BEING INDECISIVE
    Today take just one small step in any direction and the next step will come.

  4. QUIT PROCRASTINATING UNTIL TOMORROW
    Tomorrow may never come, move it and shake it today.

  5. LET GO OF YOUR MISERY GENE
    Start right now and focus on what's great in your life.

  6. BE IN THE PRESENCE OF NOW
    What small steps will you take right now in this moment?

  7. QUIT RUNNING
    Stand and face today, right now and in this moment, what you have been putting off.

  8. QUIT HAVING TO ALWAYS BE RIGHT
    Why not from this moment choose peace over being right?

  9. BE GRATEFUL NOW
    Don't wait until tomorrow, next week or next year to be grateful.  Find three things to be grateful for right now.

  10. STOP CARRYING OTHER PEOPLE'S CARGO
    It's not what others think, it is what you think about yourself that matters.

  11. YOU WILL NEVER OUT PERFORM YOUR SELF IMAGE
    Own your presence and be proud of who you are.

  12. SHOW UP NOW
    Be real, Be you, Be brilliant.


Saturday 5 January 2013

12 TIPS ON HOW TO MOVE FAST IN A CHANGING WORLD


  1.  QUIT FAST
    What worked yesterday in your business might not work today.  Stop and make an inventory of what no longer works.

  2. DON’T FOLLOW THE CROWD
    Be bold, take risks as Randy Gage says; when energy is zigging you want to be zagging.

  3. GET SOCIAL MEDIA SAUVEY FAST
    From the explosion of iPhones to Tablets to the abundance of bandwidth, we are now connected 24/7.

  4. RISKY IS THE NEW SAFE
    If you are not taking risks in your organisation right now, your days are numbered.

  5. STAY CURIOUS
    To move fast and stay awake, the gift of curiosity will help you keep an open mind in a changing world.

  6. DISCERNMENT IS THE KEY
    If something doesn’t feel right in business or collaborative relationships, trust your discernment and don’t go there.

  7. BRAND MATTERS
    It’s all about the brand.
      You and your people are the brand, pay attention to the brand.

  8. OWN YOUR EGO, OWN YOUR PRESENCE
    Direct your ego to something good in the world.
      Be a fire starter and leave a blazing trail wherever you go.

  9. SAY NO TO MANY THINGS
    Say no to many things so as you can say yes to the right things.

  10. BE DIFFERENT, STAND OUT
    Be proud to be different, unique difference creates opportunity.

  11. LET GO OF WHAT YOU WERE YESTERDAY
    To thrive and succeed in the future as people and organisations, we are called more than ever before to let go of who we used to be, to become who we were meant to be.

  12. ENJOY THE JOURNEY
    Stay awake, be aware, live at the edge and enjoy the moment.