Finding another way

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Image by StockSnap from Pixabay

Sometimes we have to find more than one way to get where we want to go. And sometimes that can be still be challenging, and we may not be sure that we can get there, but it is worth it in the end.

While I’m thinking this is particularly relevant for leaders in the workplace, I was reminded of this when several areas around my home were flooded on Sunday.I tried the usual route to get home and came across two people wading in water over their knees. I turned back and went a few miles around only to find a fallen tree across the road. Finally, with a bit more of a detour, I found a route home but still had to drive carefully through quite deep water.

Sometimes in the workplace we can find ourselves with challenges and blockers that seem to be stopping us getting where we want to go to. Sometimes these are external to us, but sometimes our own mindset and assumptions play a part.

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Why did I say ‘Yes’ to that when I wanted to say ‘No’?

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Do you find yourself giving way to others’ wishes or suggestions even when you’d rather do something differently or decide on a different way forward?

Giving away what you’d like in order to please others or to keep the peace is a surprisingly common issue brought to coaching sessions by some of my clients and, if not addressed, can result in resentment, pent up emotions, and missed opportunities in their lives.

So, what’s behind this, and what can you do about it?

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The best way to predict the future is to create it

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Peter Drucker once said ‘The best way to predict the future is to create it’. 10 years ago I handed in my dissertation for my Masters in Coaching and Mentoring which was a foundational step in launching my business and career as an executive coach.

Did I clearly see back then in 2014  that I’d be able to have a thriving business in 2024? Well, not exactly. But I did have hope and faith!

How can you shape your future career in a way that gives it the best chance of becoming a reality?

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Communicating in an ‘other-centric’ way

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How often do you consider who you are communicating with when putting together a proposal or trying to influence someone through a conversation?

Unless communication is your area of expertise, I suspect it is less often than could be helpful (and I say that because I know I probably don’t do it as much as I could!).

If you’d like a reminder on why being ‘other-centric’ can support you with your goals, or some tips on how to do this in a practical way, read on.

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My self-leadership lessons from Covid

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Hands up if you’ve had Covid lately?

I’m in the middle of my second bout … first time around was June 2022 and it hit me a bit harder the first time than this time around but that being said, it’s still able to pack a punch!

As I take a more relaxed approach to work while dealing with symptoms, it gave me the perfect opportunity to consider what I’ve learned about managing myself, as a business leader who doesn’t get paid if I don’t work.

I’m sharing two lessons as food for thought for those of you, like me, who like to push themselves, drive to achieve, and can have a tendency to feel guilty if they take their foot off the gas.

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Dealing with your imposter feelings

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Ever felt like you are going to get found out at work? That you somehow aren’t up to the job you’ve got and surely it is only a matter of time until others think that too?

This has come up a few times with coaching clients lately where they have been quick to tell me that they have imposter syndrome and it can feel like a trap.

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Why you’ll want to support employee career progression

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As a manager of people, do you invest time in enabling their career progression?

While the responsibility for career progression is a shared responsibility between employee and manager, you’ll need to play your part – or risk your employees looking for career development elsewhere according to a recent study called ‘From skills to success: L&D insights for the modern workforce’, based on survey results by Cypher Learning.

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How to get going when feeling stuck

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Do you ever find it hard to get going? Want to start a project or change role or get fitter but find you keep putting it off?

You are not alone.

The definition of ‘Inertia’ can help us understand what is going on here .. .according to New Scientist, “Inertia is the resistance of objects to a change in their state of motion”. Now I appreciate this probably wasn’t written with human beings in mind but doesn’t it feel just like that on some days? Our brain is telling us we want to do something and yet there is an inertia – something holding us back.

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Future You

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What would your quality of life be like if you live to be 150 years old?

Why am I even asking you that question?

Well, according to David Sinclair, director of the Harvard Medical School’s Paul F Glenn Center for Biology of Aging Research, the first person to live to 150 years’ old has already been born.

I imagine that is someone who is pretty young at the moment but none the less it does make you think.

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Your career – happy accident or carefully curated?

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“Snakes and Ladders” by jacqui.brown33 is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

Are you someone who has taken roles when they appeared in front of you or do you have a more planned approach to your career?

I was coaching a senior director recently who realised that she had more or less just taken roles that were offered to her because they seemed good opportunities at the time… and she has done very well from it.

However, now that she is approaching the latter stages of her career and thinking about how she’d like to invest the last 5 to 10 years she can see that she could have set herself up better for the next stage with some more selective role choices along the way.

So how could she have done that?

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