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Showing posts from August, 2022

Home before dark

I hadn't intended on doing anything this evening but found myself and Ted the Maltese going for a walk. Ted was restless all evening and I remembered that before leaving the house this morning I promised him we would go for a walk when I got home - he didn't forget, unlike me ! As we walked along, I thought about how I found the motivation to deliver on my promise to a small white dog much more easily than any promise to myself to continue with my daily exercise routine …  As we turned to make the return walk home before it got dark - I looked along the road and couldn't help but see how the long road is such a popular reference to our lives … clearly not enough unexpected twists and turns in this road to reflect true life! I completed a programme of coaching with a client this evening and I used the remainder of my walk to reflect on the meetings we had and the close out of this particular engagement. My coachee was positive about the work we had done - and yet I am always

Be more aware - pay attention to where you are

In our fast lives it is all too easy to be caught up in the busyness and miss or not see what is around you. While driving today it was hard not to notice a herd of mountain goats on the road - not to mention these two who were having a full on disagreement.  The novel or unusual will obviously get our attention easily - but how often do we go through life on 'auto pilot' oblivious to what is going on around us - caught up in worrying about people and future events and not present in the moment ? How often do you notice things on your drive or walk to work ?  Do you take time to be conscious of the familiar sounds and sights each day? I challenge you to go for a walk this evening - walk around somewhere familiar but go with the intention of being aware and take notice of your environment. As you walk, look up and around, notice things, be aware of the noise your feet make as you walk ... try and focus on your breathing ....  Stop half way on your walk and consider your life, wh

Lighthouse fascination - another Irish landmark visited

 I don't really understand the fascination and lure of lighthouses .... but I know I'm not the only one who is fascinated and drawn to the mystery of a lighthouse.  Today I made my first visit to Hook Head Lighthouse  in Wexford, Ireland.  I remember fondly my time living and working on Fair Isle  and how on the (many) stormy days I wondered how the lighthouse managed to stay standing - but how reassuring it was at night as the light would sweep over my house ... it was a constant and dependable feature of my life at the time.  I wonder if the altruistic purpose and nature is a component of our love for them ... there to keep us (or boats at sea to be more precise) safe ?  As a final reflection - I can't think about lighthouses and not recall that powerful saying which is a timely reminder for everyone; If you close your eyes no lighthouse can help you   a challenge to us all to be aware, live in the moment and not to ignore or refuse the support and help that is there. Al

Nothing like a break ... reminder that we need to manage our energy levels not our time

I suspect I am not the only person currently or soon to be on a break or holiday from working as we enter the month of August. Acknowledging my natural need to be 'always doing' I do have moments where I enjoy doing nothing productive or nothing productive as I would have previously thought. I have had to learn to relax and find ways to renew my energy levels. I have spent years working without ever giving a seconds thought to my energy levels or the impact of low energy on my ability to work effectively. I wonder how many of us stress and constantly try to manage our time ? And yet as was so well identified by Tony Schwartz  ' the core problem with working longer hours is that time is a finite resource. Energy is a different story ' and of course Tony was right ... you can't save or store time ... or indeed out run it ! What we need to do is ensure we manage our ENERGY and build up energy reserves to sustain us. This requires a complete change of thinking and I hav

Reflections on my D-behaviour preference

I wonder if discovering your Everything DiSC® preferred behaviour style is a bit like ordering a meal in a restaurant ? While you are happy with your style - everyone else's style looks more appealing ! Completing the online assessment to uncover my Everything DiSC® type was easy and took about 20 minutes to complete - and it turns out I am a 'strong' D style. There are four 'types' in the DiSC system D - Dominance, i - Influence, S -Steadiness and C - Conscientiousness. Of course there is no ideal or perfect style to be and in truth most of us will demonstrate a mix of styles. I was assessed as  unmistakably  D and it is hard for me to disagree since the assessment result was based on my responses to the questions !  Doing this assessment allowed me to reflect and re-consider my behavioural patterns and reactions.  My detailed report reminded me and I had to agree that I am motivated by power and authority and success. I couldn't disagree and neither could my

How to develop your leadership skills?

Your leadership ability is not static and just as your role develops and as we all increasingly work in VUCA environments (volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity) the need for leaders to develop their abilities and skills does not end.   Self awareness provides a strong foundation to understand your behaviours, motivation and reactions for example. Effective leaders put in the work to progress from having self-awareness to self-improvement and this is where coaching and leadership development support can support you becoming the best version of yourself. To progress towards self-improvement work on the following four areas of behaviour change: Be present  Be self-aware Identify a range of behavioural choices and  Intentionally choose behaviours that are believed to be the most productive. Coaching and leadership development i s personal -  so it is vital that you have access to a professional coach who can tailor your meetings and planning in a way that recognises your sp