Executive Coaching and Business Development UK | workshop facilitation

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Spring clean your attitude: 11 simple questions to ask yourself

FullSizeRender Spring clean your attitude: 11 simple questions to ask yourself fullsizerenderIf you’re finding yourself feeling negative about work, asking yourself these questions will focus you in the positives and help you understand what motivates you. That in turn will help you appreciate what you have, or maybe set you on the path to change something…

In Samantha Rodman’s blog in the Huffington Post she looked at how the principles of positive psychology could help children be happy. The advice can equally be applied to our working lives.

For this blog I took the same questions Samantha suggested, but looked at them from a work perspective. So here they are. Eleven questions to ask yourself to spring clean your attitude.

  1. What was my favourite part of today?

A habit of focusing in on the best thing that happened in any given day (rather than the worst) is a known way of improving our positivity. Don’t ignore the negative, this is about accentuating the positive.

  1. What am I grateful for?

There is a strong correlation between happiness and gratitude, so this is a powerful question to ask yourself. So even if you can’t think of a good part of the day, perhaps you’re grateful that you have such great colleagues/a great boss who support you through the tough work times?

  1. What am I going to do about that?

When you have a problem do you try and sort it out, or do you immediately turn to someone else to give you a solution? Happy people are people who think of problems as surmountable, and think of themselves as effective problem solvers. So try and think about options to overcome your problem, and then perhaps sound out other people.

  1. How did that make me feel?

The concept of Emotional Intelligence is now well understood.  An essential part of this, which contributes to happiness, is being able to notice and express your own emotions. If you can identify what you’re feeling, you can make sense of it, you can process it, and you can obtain support from others. So if something good (or bad happened) as work, ask yourself this question. It’s all about using information from your feelings effectively.

  1. What do I think he/she feels?

Empathy is another key component of Emotional Intelligence. In any situation, you can cultivate empathy by asking yourself what someone else feels. Empathy will allow you to have stronger interpersonal relationships.

  1. How can I look on the bright side?

So you’re down in the dumps and facing a real work-based challenge. In any situation, you can teach yourself that there are positives. Keep asking yourself the question. There is always a bright side. An example from my mum: Dad’s hair was coming out due to chemo, and she said ’at least it’s spring so the birds can use it for their nests’. Perfect.

  1. What part of that can I learn more about?

Even if you’re an old pro at your work, look for something new to learn. Happy people are people who are curious and always learning.

  1. What do I want to do on the weekend?

Research shows that anticipation of positive experiences brings more happiness than the experiences themselves. So encourage your work life balance by planning things. And if you’re having a tough week, don’t wait till the weekend. Plan a treat (walking round the park, a nice meal) once you’ve completed the tough task on your list.

  1. What can I do to help/to make someone happy?

Research shows that giving and being kind releases oxytocin and endorphins, so it’s like a natural high. Being at work doesn’t mean you need to switch off this thought. Little things mean a lot.

  1. What do you want to do outside today?

We all know that exercise, fresh air and sunlight release endorphins, boost mood and regulate circadian rhythms. But at work we can spend too long at our desks. So how can you get outside today? Even for 10 minutes…

  1. When do you feel happiest?

If you direct your attention to the experiences at work that you most enjoy, you will discover/remind yourself why you’re there, and help you identify if there are ways to get more of what makes you happy at work.

I hope you found this useful? As always, let me know what you think.

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7 ways to create the environment for success

Success 7 ways to create the environment for success successYou won’t have clicked on this article unless you want to do the best job you can. A great place to start.

I’ve written this ‘how to’ from the viewpoint of someone who’s working with a company vision/direction that’s been set by someone else.

However, if you’re a business leader responsible for setting direction, this is still worth a read. After all, your vision won’t be realised unless you help shape the right environment.

So, as an employee, how do you create the environment for your success in the context of an overall company vision?

1) Be very clear on your objectives

This sounds really obvious, but in many companies, the more senior you are, the less focus there is on clear objectives. Peter Drucker’s SMART approach from 1954 still holds true. I recommend you contribute to writing your own objectives so they are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-bound. It’s also worth reviewing them every three months. Nothing stands still for long any more.

2) Identify the key enablers for you to succeed

Now you know what your objectives are, what do you need to achieve them? Think broadly about this; start with your own capabilities, then look at your team, your organisation, and external factors. Identify what you have control or influence over, and look at strategies and actions to optimise all enablers towards your goals. If something is important, but you don’t have control or influence over it, discuss it with your superior to agree a way forward.

3) Check that your compatriots have objectives that align with yours

It’s highly likely that you’ll identify that some of your colleagues are enablers for your success. Arrange to chat with them, share objectives and check that their own objectives align with yours. All too often I’ve seen conflicting (or duplicated) personal objectives cause problematic team dynamics that undermine the environment for success.

4) Communicate and collaborate

Extending from the point above, share your objectives with peers and your team. This will ensure clarity of focus and help foster teamwork and collaboration. Also, if you have a genuine interest in other teams/departments you’ll improve your understanding of company dynamics and how to work to best effect with different stakeholders.

5) Know your onions

Do everything you can to remain expert in your field. That may mean formal study, networking, reading/watching talks. External inputs will keep your perspective fresh and broaden your mind.

6) Seek forgiveness not permission

Assuming you’re not a crazy maverick and will always act with good intentions, take hold of the reigns to achieve your objectives.

7) Navigate well through failure

Not everything goes to plan. There are a zillion quotes you can find that will tell you failure is part of business (and life). How you learn from and navigate through failure is a key part of creating success.

Good luck! Do share any more tips, or thoughts on those I’ve noted.

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10 tips to achieve your goals

Zingg_ 12 10 tips to achieve your goals zingg 12How are you feeling about 2015. Have you set some goals? Well here are few tips to helping those goals stay current and not get ‘lost’ like so many of their ‘goal cousins’ the new year resolutions.

1) Write it down…you may think you don’t need to as it’s all in your head. However, if the doubts and demons appear during the course of the journey towards your goal, looking back at your notes will help you. You can’t dispute the energy and passion in your own handwriting as you conceive your goal.

So, with your pen in hand…

1) what is your end goal

2) when do you want to achieve it by?

3) why is it important to you

4) what will be better for you once you have achieved it

5) what won’t be so great if you don’t achieve it

6) how motivated are you at this moment of writing, to achieve that goal?

7) what could sabotage your achievement of this goal (be honest with yourself!). For each potential sabotage, what could you do to minimise the likelihood of being knocked off track?

8) how can you break your goal down into little chunks?

9) when would you like to achieve each ‘chunk’. You may find you need to go back and extend the deadline for your overall goal after you’ve done this. We are often over ambitious in our expectations of ourselves, and this is a key contributor to giving up.

10) who are your goal champions. I like to have a few key people I tell about my goals, so I can celebrate the success of little chunks with them, but also bemoan challenges along the way (and no goal comes without challenges)

Good luck for 2015. And if you need any coaching help and support in achieving your goals, just get in touch!

Zingg

Your time is precious. So make sure you’re not just working IN your business. Devote time to working ON your business. What needs to happen to unlock the potential needed to take the next step? I will help you focus, and challenge assumptions that are holding you back. I’ll support you in uniting individuals and teams towards bold business goals.

Zingg on the web