Leadership | Executive Coaching and Business Development UK

April 4, 2017 by j9wood 1 Comment

How to find some balance in a crazy world

How to find some balance in a crazy world zingg 11 I’ve touched on the topic of mindfulness on my blog before. Today I want to share my own experience with you in the hope that it can help you find some balance in your own life.

We live in a great, big hurly-burly VUCA world. And it’s exhausting. What is VUCA you ask? It’s a term borrowed from the US Army. It stands for Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous. The business community has borrowed it from the army, and applied it to leadership development, for us to think about how we need to lead (ourselves and others) in a VUCA world.

Are you creating your own in-balance?

If you reach for your device on waking, the chances are that you are met with an onslaught of demands before you’ve even started your day. But does it have to be this way? We are creators of our own fate. You can choose to start your day in a different way. In a way that gives you a bit of time to yourself – at least for a short time each day. One tool that has proven successful for me is mindfulness.

Choose to create balance

Mindfulness has its roots in Buddhism. It’s come a long way from ‘hippydom’ to being a legitimate cognitive tool to help us deal with the frenetic pace of today’s world. While mindfulness is not an activity as such, it is often arrived at by practicing mindfulness meditation, yoga or other mindfulness inducing activities.

Mindfulness itself is a state of awareness of your experience in the present moment – a state of awareness that carries no judgement on what that experience is.

In the past mindfulness was often viewed with scepticism by the business community; something that was more appropriate for holistic enthusiasts and hippy types. But today the medical field stand behind it as a well-researched and successful tool to deliver significant psychological and physiological benefits. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, NHS Choices and the Mental Health Foundation have all acknowledged the benefits of mindfulness in leading a healthy, stress-managed life.

Some of the most common benefits associated with the regular practice of mindfulness are

a reduction in stress and anxiety
improved sleep quality
increased focus
better memory
an improvement in cognitive flexibility

And with this researched evidence, the business community is finally catching up and catching on.

Choosing how to practice mindfulness

With the explosion of interest in mindfulness, there has been a proliferation in the ways we can access it. Choosing the right option to help you practice can be stressful in itself! So here’s an overview of your options:

The two main categories of help are

in-person mindfulness activities (e.g. courses, retreats, workshops)
digital mindfulness activities (easily accessible digital version of mindfulness which you can carry around in your pocket and access as and when you need).

I’ve tried many options over last five years. My personal interest was piqued by the emerging research, and I wondered how mindfulness could help my clients in the leadership development and resilience optimisation work I do. And of course, as I’ve explored and tested various options, the benefits for my own health and wellbeing have become more and more evident.

During my experimentation, I found it difficult to find a way of practicing that worked for me. Id’ find myself starting with and online app, and then getting bored. I’d get the giggles during ‘in-person’ activities. Or I’d find the voices used in the various digital activities I tried deeply irritating. But then…

…finally, some Headspace

I saw Andy Puddicombe’s TED talk , Ten Mindful Minutes, back in 2012. But it wasn’t until last year that I discovered Headspace.com. Headspace is an App designed to bring mindfulness to people in a simple way. Andy Puddicome is one of its co-founders, and the voice of all the guided meditations.

I am a Headspace convert. I love it for many many reasons:

it has a superb structure built with the aim of learning a new practice
it’s not patronising
you can choose the duration of your sessions and vary it each day if you like
there are hundreds of different options depending on where you want to focus your practice (sport, creativity, focus, anxiety, sleep etc etc). There are even options children.
Andy’s voice is very listenable, calm and encouraging.

I also like Andy’s story and the ethics surrounding the business he and his business partner have set up. After all, it is important that the businesses we support are ones that align with our own principles.

My Headspace experience so far…

Practicing mindfulness is neither hard nor easy, but it is different. For that reason, you need to approach it as you would learning a new sport. Lots of practice!

I am now five months into my Headspace journey. I have completed 131 sessions, averaging 14 minutes at a time. (Though I have challenged myself and managed 40 minutes on one occasion!) In that short space of time, it has become an essential part of my morning routine. Gone is my grab for Facebook and emails. Gone is listening to the news first thing. I have learned that these things can wait. In return, I enjoy a more peaceful entry to the day and it doesn’t just make me feel good. It makes me much more able to deal with whatever the VUCA world throws at me. Bring it on!

I invite you to try mindfulness practice for yourself. It can be hard to get into the practice of doing it every day, but stick with it. When you do you will see an improvement in how you deal with everyday stressors and an improvement in the quality of your relationships and encounters.

If you do one thing after reading this blog – watch this short animation on how Headspace works.

If you do decide to give it a go, I’d love to hear how you get on.

June 20, 2015 by j9wood 1 Comment

Who can we really trust? 5 tips and 3 insights for untruths in the workplace

Two recent, high profile stories have got me thinking about lies in business.

Honesty and integrity are among my core values, so I’ve always found it fascinating to see how people’s actions demonstrate where their moral compass is orientated. We all know actions speak louder than words, and we also know that we ALL lie in some way.

So which stories have prompted this blog? Firstly (and obviously) the FIFA debacle and disgraceful leadership of Sepp Blatter. And secondly, an older story reignited; a new film about Lance Armstrong (The Program) told from the perspective of David Walsh, the Sunday Times journalist who spent 14 years trying to expose him.

Both Armstrong and Blatter have told barefaced, whopping lies. Over and over again. People who tried to stand up to them were quashed, ridiculed or ostracised. It makes my blood run cold to see the footage of their bold, blatant lies. All told with utter conviction.

So, given these two stories, I thought I’d share a few interesting articles on lying, and my personal top five tips on dealing with lies in the workplace.

Lie-spotting: This TED talk by Pamela Meyer opens with the disturbing fact that on any given day we’re lied to from ten to two-hundred times. You might think you’re quite good at spotting the little things that give away a lie (e.g. not looking someone in the eye). But watch this talk – there are some surprising ‘lie-tells’.

I like Meyer’s assertion that honesty is a value worth preserving. She offers us the option of moving from lie-spotting to truth seeking, and ultimately trust building.

Liars in the workplace: For some reason dishonesty in the workplace makes me angrier than people lying outside work. On reflection, I think that’s because in my personal life I can choose to cast out big fat liars. At work, it’s not so easy to avoid them. Here are a couple of interesting articles:

11 ways to spot a psychopath at work: The concept of psychopathic traits being part of what makes a great leader has become a popular topic of debate in recent years. Being a liar comes in at no5 in this article on the ways to spot a psychopath.

“A tendency to misrepresent the facts while appearing plausible and reasonable, along with a lack of guilt or anxiety over telling lies is another hallmark of psychopathic behaviour”.

If you read this and realise you are working for a psychopath, there is a lot of advice online on how to make the relationship as productive as it can be.

3 steps to deal with someone who takes credit for your work: This article from Jo Miller of BeLeaderly.com has some great advice on this. It’s possibly one of the most common examples of lying in the workplace. Miller’s tips show you how to deal with it when it happens and set the record straight.

Here are my top five tips for dealing with lies in the workplace.

Be careful about what you perceive to be a lie: Sometimes people are just taking different things out of the same meeting/discussion. We all experience life in a way that is unique to us, based on a complex range of psychological patterns and experience. A good place to start is to consider what is fact, versus what is interpretation of that fact, before you leap in and confront a lie.

Choose your battles: If you tried to deal with every workplace lie you’d be exhausted. Choose to deal with those people who have told lies that have an impact that is really important to you. One other point, don’t take on battles for other people or you could end up becoming the victim!

Be realistic about the effect of calling-out a liar: By this I don’t mean avoid calling them out. I just mean think about what will happen next. What do you want the outcome of your ‘post-lie’ conversation to be? Sadly, some organisations have toxic cultures of dishonesty which allow people to blame ‘the company’ for their dishonesty. If this is the case, be prepared to ask the liar to comment on their personal responsibility for the lie.

Remain calm and have your facts straight: If you’ve decided there is a lie that it is important for you to confront, work hard to put your emotions aside when you talk to the person concerned. Think carefully about what you want to get out of the conversation (e.g. is it just an apology to you, a wider apology, or a new/different course of action). Keep the conversation on track and focussed on the matter in hand. Talking is important, never try to deal with something like this via email.

Be clear on your personal boundaries: If you are asked to lie/behave in a way that conflicts with your own values and beliefs then speak up as soon as you can. You could choose to adopt the ‘I was just following orders’ approach if you like, but your soul will gradually be eaten away by the differences between your values and what the company is asking you to do.

Good luck.

February 12, 2015 by j9wood Leave a Comment

7 ways to create the environment for success

You 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.

January 17, 2015 by j9wood Leave a Comment

How to be a better leader

Are you sitting uncomfortably? Then we’ll begin.

One of the foundation capabilities of being a good (or even great) leader is self-awareness. But being self-aware is a skill that research shows we lose as we rise through the ranks. Why? Because the more senior you get, the less people give you honest feedback.

So to improve your self-awareness, you need to be brutally honest with yourself. But that’s really difficult. So difficult, it’s almost impossible to do on your own.

(As a point of balance, being honest is as much about recognising your strengths as it is about identifying areas to work on). However, you’re reading this expecting to feel uncomfortable. So here’s a way to begin focussing on improvements. Let’s start with a quote from the great Swiss psychiatrist, Carl Jung (the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator was developed from Jung’s theory of psychological types)

Have I lost you? Are you saying to yourself ‘don’t be so ridiculous’? If you are, maybe you’re not as open to being self-aware as you thought.

Read the quote again. Or maybe think of it in another way; The things that annoy us most in other people can be things we dislike (and generally deny) in ourselves.

Really think about it. Be honest. What’s happening for you now? See what unfolds in your thinking and how your new awareness could impact you as a leader.

Remember Jung’s quote when you feel the same kind of frustrations with people rising over and over again. Then think about whether there’s an opportunity to understand yourself more.

Better self-awareness will help you identify behaviours you want to improve.

The next step is knowing how to turn that awareness into changed behaviour.

January 12, 2015 by j9wood Leave a Comment

Confessions of a workaholic

If you’re a leader the chances are you’ve had to work very hard to get to where you are. But sometimes, along the way, we lose perspective on healthy work behaviours versus those that can damage not only you, but your team (and ultimately your business).

If this sounds familiar, have a read of this interesting article from Jullien Gordon. As a self-confessed ‘recovering workaholic’ he’s identified seven ‘light-bulb’ moments that occurred for him as he worked on addressing his work/life balance…