First Impressions Count More in the Credit Crunch Era

Do you think about how you dress at work and carefully select your outfit depending on your working environment? Or do you think it doesn't matter and simply put on any outfit which is to hand?

Perhaps, you should know that your attitude to work can be gleaned from how you dress? So, if you look sloppy and unkempt others will assume that this is also your attitude to your work. Why is this? In today's tough times when jobs are scarce and we need to do all we can to hang on to our employment, read on to find out how can you adapt it to your advantage? You have 30 seconds to make a 1st impression which can last up to 15 years.

Think about the last time you met someone new, albeit in a social or business environment. Do you recall how they spoke to you, the tone of their voice? Do you remember exactly what they said? Or do you remember what they wore? Recall a time when you've been watching a politician, presenter on the television and you've commented on the colour of the tie or the wrinkled shirt or some other slip up on their appearance. Or imagine if you were seeking the advice of a lawyer and were met by someone in jeans and a casual shirt. Or if you arrived at the car mechanic's and he was dressed in a suit. Would you take either of them seriously?

Whether we like it or not, we are all judged on our appearance. Research by Professor Albert Mehrabian (his book Silent Messages) shows that 55 per cent of our first impression comes from our behaviour and appearance. 38 per cent of the sound of our voice are remembered from the first 30 seconds while only 7 per cent of what we say will make any impact. So, be aware that 93% of how you come across has nothing to do with what you are saying. What about the time you walked into a local store requiring advice, only to be confronted by a sales assistant whose hair was a mess, who looked scruffy and unkempt. Did you approach them for advice or did you seek out another member of staff? The first staff member you encountered may have been the most knowledgeable but his appearance portrayed an attitude of 'I don't care' and so you are very likely to have wanted to look for someone who appeared tidy and therefore portraying a more professional image. How can you use this knowledge to your advantage?

It is known that after communication skills, the next most important element that CEOs and HR executives consider when making a new appointment, is a candidate's personal image. This includes grooming, dress and manners. By dressing well and looking appropriate for your workplace, you will alert those around you as someone who means business and is serious about their job. For example, if are attending a client meeting dressed appropriately, the client sees immediately that you respect them. But secondly, you are also giving yourself confidence. If you were to imagine attending the same meeting dressed in your swim wear, you won't feel so confident.

Here are some key tips on making your image work for you in your workplace to ensure you make the right first impression; Make sure you fit in. Research the company you are visiting or look to your bosses for dress code clues. This will ensure you are dressing appropriately. As we've discussed above, your image says most about you as a person and your attitude to work. So, take pride in your appearance - make sure clothes are well maintained and your grooming is impeccable. Dress for the job you want and not for the job you have. This will show your bosses or interviewer that you are serious about your work. Add variety to your working wardrobe. Don't always wear the same shirt and tie combination or the same blouse. It will be noticed and be viewed as non flexible and lazy. Ensure your accessories are of the best quality you can afford. Eg: briefcase, business card holder, cufflinks. These are the finer details and are noticed. Ladies, do wear make-up. It shows you can manage your time well and also enhances your eyes and mouth - your key communication portals. Men, don't forget a belt on your trousers. A belt is as important a part of your outfit as a tie. Smile!! With your polished look, the best additional accessory is to smile as this shows you are confident and approachable. The upshot is that you should always think carefully about what you wear. If you are dressed appropriately you will feel comfortable, have positive body language and be noticed by the powers that be. If you are unsure of how to dress appropriately for your workplace, visit your local Style Consultant who will help you become the best dressed person you can.

For help with your career during these tough times, call Liz Kentish The FM Coach on 01778 561326 or for more information click here



Sarah Gray is a Senior Image Consultant with Colour Me Beautiful Image Consultants. Located in Warwickshire, Sarah offers advice on all aspects of personal image.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sarah_Gray

The Professional FM

BIFM Training asked me to facilitate this three-day course recently in London. As I already run their Resolving Communication Problems course, I already know of the high quality training that BIFM Training provides, and was delighted to take on this role. This programme is intended for public and private sector staff with a minimum of two years’ management experience, who want to focus on improving their performance through developing more effective relationships.

Over the three days seven other experts from the FM sector shared their knowledge and expertise in these areas:
• Techniques for Performance Improvement in FM
• Key issues of Commercial Awareness
• How to optimise and develop staff and skills
• How to develop effective relationships with Suppliers & Specialists
• The essentials of Relationship Management
• Information & Knowledge Management using IT and Technology
• How to improve Personal Effectiveness in FM
• How critical Communication is to the role of FM

One of the key areas for me was the session on Getting Clarity and Work/Life Balance: an exercise which is probably one of the biggest ways to increase the amount of time you have, by comparing everything you are doing to the to the clarity statement and to begin taking control. We also looked at Understanding Task Prioritisation: a matrix tool to reduce the common symptoms associated with poor time management and Managing Distractions: to assist in dealing with the external influences that may impact efficiency.

The 21 delegates benefited not just from the quality training, but also be working together and creating a new peer group. They agreed to keep in touch as a group, to support each other as they move through their careers in FM.

If you are looking for support and training to help your career progression, call Liz Kentish The FM Coach on 01778 561326 for a free consultation by 'phone.

Click here for free downloads of reports and articles to help you manage more effectively.

What’s beekeeping got in common with FM?

I was asked recently, by a former colleague, if I would facilitate a strategy weekend for him. Bee Craft is a publication for beekeepers and is the official journal of BBKA, the British BeeKeepers’ Association. Did you know that 2,500 people start beekeeping every year in the UK? You’d be amazed what type of person gets into beekeeping – it’s certainly not the stereotypical grey-haired, bearded gent – these days it’s young professionals who care about their environment, are concerned about the disappearance of bee colonies, and want to produce their own honey.

How much did I know about beekeeping? Enough to put on the back of a postage stamp! However, the skills of facilitation is about being a guide for people, and helping them reach conclusions, and that I can do really well!

The aims of the weekend were clear; where would Bee Craft be in 2012 and how would we get there. Much of the weekend was based around marketing, products and advertising. I started by asking everyone to share their expectations for the weekend, then I led various workgroups based around these questions:

What is the market for this publication?

About our customers
• What are we already doing well? What is the evidence to support his?
• What different kinds of information can be gathered about existing and potential customers?
• What are the different ways of collecting this information?
• What are the most effective ways of gathering this information?
• What are the problems in collecting the data?
• What is the best way to project the strongest message from us while getting the customer information?
• What are the best ways to present and use the data?

We analysed the competition – what is their market, what is their circulation, price and offering.

We looked at who can help us, and realised just how many personal contacts the group already had!

What do we actually offer? Who are we? Does that tally with what our existing and potential customers want?

As a group we then considered all the risks associated with the brand, marketplace, environment and resources, and started a risk register.

So, not so different from FM really – know what we are offering; understand our customers, keep asking them what they want and how we are doing; understand the competition; understand the risks.

If you are looking for an expert facilitator to run your next FM event, give Liz Kentish The FM Coach a call on 01778 561326 or e-mail coach@lizkentishcoaching.co.uk

The final word goes to one of Bee Craft’s committee members, ‘a big thank you for your contribution to a very worthwhile weekend and for your enthusiasm’.

The Number One Reason Most People Fail to Achieve Their Goals

If you read through the success stories of every successful person, you will notice that they all have one thing in common, that is, they have goal in their life and they work toward that goal every single day.

Did you know that the main difference between successful people and ordinary people is in their thinking? Successful people think about what they want most of the time, while ordinary people think about what they don't want most of the time. Even if ordinary people have goals, they will never take action and make their goals come true.

And the lack of action is the number one reason most people fail to achieve their goals. Too often, many people thought that goal setting is a magic wand. All they need to do is to take out a piece of paper and write down what they want to achieve in their life. After that, they just hope that their goals will come true without doing anything.

Money will not fall from the sky and there is no free lunch in this world. If you are not doing anything to make your goals come true, you will never achieve them. With that means, after you have set your goals, you need to take massive amount of action. Action produces results. Even if there is a magic pill that once you took it will transform you into a super achiever, you will still need to take that pill and swallow it.

Remember, success is about getting things done. Goal setting is just a powerful tool that helps you to stay focused in your life and bring you to where you are heading. It is not a magic wand that will make what you want to come true without doing anything. Often, the lack of action is because of the lack of motivation.

Sometimes when you are in a motivated state, you will take a lot of action and you feel excited. However, when you are in a less motivated state, you will feel lazy and unwilling to take action. This is what causes the lack of action, and hence, fail to achieve your goals. Therefore, if you want to cure the lack of action, start from motivating yourself.

Motivation is not a skill; it is something that you must do everyday in order to keep that momentum going. Thus remember, it is what you do after you have set your goals that determine your success. So take the necessary action now and make your goals come true today.

If you are serious in achieving what you really want in your life, goal setting is the right tool for you.

Click here to contact Liz Kentish The FM Coach for help with your goal setting.



For more information about Goal Setting Activities, please visit: http://www.Goal-Setting-Activities.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shawn_Lim

3 ways to stay motivated despite movable deadlines

It is important to know how to find self motivation when you are dealing with unstructured timetables and deadlines that can change from one moment to the next.

Unstructured time and changing deadlines can be very frustrating and can cause motivation to dwindle away.

Motivation can also sometimes be difficult to recover in these types of situations unless we can find a way to put more prediction in the unstructured time and changing deadlines.

Most of us find motivation somewhat easy to get when we are dealing with structured situations. Going to work is a good example of a structured situation. We get out of bed each day and go to the office or factory and put in our eight hours, sometimes not really wanting to.

But we find the inner strength and desire to do so day in and day out. The reason we do is that if we don't we don't get paid and can actually lose our jobs. The need for an income to support our families is the source that motivates us to get to work even when we don't want to.

There are many tasks in life that have unstructured time tables and changing deadlines. A simple example might be getting the house painted. If you are a working person, like most of are, you only have time to paint the house on the weekends.

However, most house painting projects are not just a one weekend event, but rather a project that can take several weekends to complete. Moreover, the deadline for completing such a project can change because of weather conditions or other events that interfere.

So how do you stay motivated to complete your painting project when time is unstructured and the deadline changes?

The thing to do is to put structure into your time. This is fairly easy to do if you:

1. Break your projects down into smaller pieces.

Taking the house painting example, rather than trying to paint the whole in a weekend, break the overall project into smaller projects.

For example, scrape the old paint away on one Saturday morning. Then the following Saturday morning apply your primer. Then the next Saturday morning paint one side and the final side on the next Saturday.

The point here is to put structure in unstructured time by breaking projects down into more time manageable pieces as it relates to your ability to complete the smaller pieces.

When you put structure in time where it was unstructured before you will find more motivation to complete the overall project as you complete the smaller ones.

2. Be flexible but do something!

Movable deadlines can be a source of frustration, discouragement, and pressure, all of which can then affect our motivation.

Deadlines move for a variety of reasons, many of which are beyond our control, like the weather interfering with getting the house painted before the party you planned to have in a few weeks.

But here again even though the rain today has prevented you from painting the house today you can do other things that you were going to do next weekend and paint the house next weekend.

3. An effective way to cope with movable deadlines is to be flexible and able to change your schedule.

Unstructured time and movable deadlines can affect our motivation. By nature we are creatures that feel more comfortable and motivated with stability and prediction in our lives.

When time is unstable and unpredictable we can become confused, frazzled and frustrated because unstructured time and movable deadlines require us to change something.

The key to staying motivated in these situations is to remain flexible at all times and adapt ourselves and schedules to meet those changes.

For help with motivation click here or call Liz Kentish on 01778 561326



Peter Murphy is a peak performance expert. He recently produced a very popular free report that reveals how to crush procrastination and sustain lasting motivation. Apply now because it is available for a limited time only at: stay motivated

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Peter_Murphy

But that's the way we've always done it!

Change. This six letter word can strike fear in the hearts of many an employee. The thought of changing anything can be anxiety producing in some people. But businesses are dynamic. And for businesses to survive, they have to be flexible and they need to have the ability to react quickly. If an anti-change mentality exists within the company, the ability to remain flexible and react is reduced considerably.

Businesses and the people that inhabit them become creatures of habit and comfort. The thought of change in procedures and processes can be uncomfortable. But it is vitally important that a business remain open to change and adjust the way it goes about its business as changes in the markets it serves occur and as inefficiencies creep into the operating environment.

Because people are reluctant to change, it is important to establish a standard of change. In other words, employees should be well aware that nothing is sacred. If a process is causing problems, it will be changed to make it work better. If a particular approach to doing business isn't working as well as it used to, it will be changed. The "because we've always done it that way" excuse is not acceptable in explaining why something shouldn't be altered.

Since employees are often protective of established ways of doing things, it is sometimes difficult for them to admit that there might be a better way of accomplishing the task at hand. There is also the fear of job loss when an employee feels there will be a reduction in the amount of work required to accomplish a particular task.

To avoid an ant-change mentality, set expectations about change. Those expectations include eliminating the notion of sacred cows. Sacred cows in business can be, at best, limiting and, at worst, crippling. Sacred cows can be employees, processes, procedures, products or services, promotional approaches, office or store front location or a host of other things held near and dear to the heart of someone in the organization.

Look at current business practices with a critical eye. Ask yourself if those practices really are the best way to go about meeting your goals. If they aren't, initiate changing them. Employees will feel more comfortable about change when it is a part of the culture. When change is not feared because it is known that the business will keep up with market changes and with the times, employees will buy into the idea of change more readily and help facilitate the change process.

Don't allow employees to dictate the rate of change. Many employees will tend to slow that rate. Your job as a manager or owner is to encourage employees to identify things that need to change or to assist the employees in identifying what needs to be changed.

It's widely recognized that businesses that are adaptable and flexible stand a better chance of thriving. They can react quickly and prudently. In a culture where change is uncommon and feared, the ability to change rapidly is diminished significantly because the organization isn't accustomed to making changes as needed. In a slow-to-react culture, the business often finds itself on the outside looking in, so to speak, when it comes to taking advantage of new opportunities in the market or upticks and downturns in the economy.

Change is inherent in business. Unfortunately too many businesses are not good at recognizing when to change. And in many other cases, the people within the organization hold the business back by not wanting to change. Cast a critical eye on all facets of your business and constantly ask yourself if any of them should be changed. Ask your employees to do the same and encourage them to come forward with their ideas for change.

One word of caution is in order, however. Sometimes an owner or manager will want to change things simply for the sake of change. Adhere the old adage, "if it ain't broken, don't fix it". Certainly something that appears to be working well can often be enhanced by making some minor modifications. Evaluate whether radical change is necessary or just some simple enhancement is in order.

For help with Change in your organisation, contact Liz Kentish on 01778 561326 or coach@lizkentishcoaching.co.uk






Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Arringdale

5 Ways to Drastically Improve Your Resume in 10 Minutes

Follow these quick and easy tips to build yourself a better
resume in under 10 minutes flat.

* Use strong, action oriented language that describes
specific skills or accomplishments.

Go through your resume from top to bottom and eliminate weak
language. Don't write "Was in charge of large graphic design
department that increased company revenues" when you can say
"Managed 12 graphic artists in major creative projects that
increased revenues by over 3 million last year."

Whenever possible, eliminate all forms of the verb "to be"
(is, are, was, am and so on), as demonstrated in the
previous example. Instead, replace them with strong action
words that paint a compelling picture.

* Add bullets.

Bullets are a great way to transform lists that would
otherwise make tedious reading in paragraph form, or that
would benefit by a cleaner layout. They make the job of
reading your resume more pleasant for the reader. A perfect
candidate for bullets is a list of accomplishments related
to a single job. For example, "Postmaster, 1998 -2003"
followed by 3 or 4 major accomplishments in bullet form.

* Write a specific, concise job description.

If the job you really want is "Director of Human Resources
at a Fortune 1000 company," say so. Don't write "Middle
management position at a large or mid-size company" or
something equally vague. That covers a lot of territory. You
need to help the company with the exact job you're looking
for find you. Put yourself in the hiring manager's shoes.
Would you call a candidate for an interview in the hopes
that she is a good match, or would you call the person whose
job description specifically indicates she wants the job?

* Don't include every single position you've ever held.

Your resume is a document designed to land you an interview,
followed by a job offer. There will be times when omitting a
position - especially if it has no relevance to the position
you are seeking, may be in your best interest. This is easy
to do where omitting short term positions or special
projects conducted as part of an ongoing job assignment will
not create an obvious "hole" in your background that you
will need to explain.

(There are ways to avoid making an employer suspicious of
resume rough spots, like gaps in experience or experience
that lacks relevance to the position you are seeking. A
professional resume writer can offer you specific advice on
ways to do so, considering your unique background.)

* Spell check.

When you're finished improving your resume, run a final
spell check. Your word processor's spell checker probably
won't contain all the acronyms and specialized industry
jargon that your resume likely contains. In that case, take
the time to manually check each flagged item to make sure
your resume is spelling error-free.

Follow these five easy tips for a better resume, fast!


For more help with your career, contact Liz Kentish The FM Coach



Copyright 2005 by Vincent Czaplyski, all rights reserved.

You may republish this article in its entirety, as long as
you include the complete signature file above without
modification.


About the Author

Copywriter and consultant Vincent Czaplyski is founder of
www.impressive-resumes.com, your online source for
professionally written "industrial strength" resumes and
cover letters guaranteed to land you an interview.

Women in FM event 13 November

Last night's event, held at 6 More London, promised to be inspiring and energising - it was certainly that! Around 60 BIFM members were treated to presentations on Energised Performance, Your personal brand and the WiFM Mentoring Programme.

The theme running through the presentations is that it's definitely time to take control of your career, how others perceive you, the balance of your life (is it all work work work?!) and how you can help develop others.

Afterwards, over a glass of wine and catering provided by Over the Moon, there was the chance to network, build up contacts and compare notes. Several of those present commented that 'it was the best FM event I've ever attended'!

Our next event is on 25 November, check out the details here

For more ideas on career development, contact Liz Kentish The FM Coach

So what do you do for work?

I remember being asked this question a lot when I was dissatisfied with my career. My usual strategy would be to give a pat answer and immediately turn the question back on the person who asked it.

My avoidance of the question wasn't so much that I was considered unsuccessful or that my work was embarrassing, it was more about the fact that I didn't feel personally successful doing what I was doing.

I longed to be excited not evasive when asked this question. I wanted to be able to speak for more than 2 seconds before I turned the question back on my inquisitor.

What do you do when asked this question and how do you feel? If you find yourself avoiding and not feeling all that great about your answer, it's time to change your answer and here's a simple way to get started...

Ask yourself this: "What do I REALLY want to say when someone says, "So what do you do for work?""

What's the first thing that comes to mind?
What about it is appealing to you?
What other things come to mind?
How do feel thinking about it?

If you feel good, then you are on the right track!

Now if you are like most, you'll immediately start thinking of all the reasons why this will never happen. What if you put all those reasons aside and just thought more about it? Try it...

What would be one thing you could do to explore how this idea might work? I bet you do a lot of projects at your current job, what would be your next steps if you were to make turning this idea into reality a project?

This may seem simple, but it is the first step to shift your attention from discomfort to possibility.

Give it a try, you really have nothing to lose and could possibly get on your way to happily answering, "So, what do you do for work?"


I trust you enjoyed this article from Doreen. Want some help with your career? Contact Liz Kentish The FM Coach on 01778 561326



About the Author

Doreen Banaszak is a career coach, teacher & founder of the "90-Day Get Your Career UnSlumped Challenge". Where do you want to be in 90 days? Register today to receive your free "GetUnSlumped Welcome Package" including an e-workbook, free tele-workshop and complementary coaching consultation. Register at www.getunslumped.com

The Pioneers

FM World last week revealed the names of the pioneers of the facilities management sector. The winners have helped to create and steer the industry and have had a major impact on its development over the past 30 years.

I wonder who you would consider pioneers, not just in industry, but in general?
Richard Branson? Anita Roddick? Barack Obama? Michael Dell? Bill Gates? Tony Robbins? Deepak Chopra? Dalai Lama? Lance Armstrong? Steve Jobs?

What does pioneer mean? It's 'a person who is among those who first enter or settle a region, thus opening it for occupation and development by others', 'one who is first or among the earliest in any field of inquiry, enterprise, or progress: pioneers in cancer research' and 'one of a group of foot soldiers detailed to make roads, dig intrenchments, etc., in advance of the main body'.

As it's 11 November tomorrow, let's remember those who fought so that we could have peace. They may not have been pioneers in the true sense of the word, often just following orders, but to me they led the way.

www.lizkentishcoaching.co.uk
The FM Coach

A week in the media

This week has been all about the published word. At the start of the week I was asked by BIFM to peer review the new Good Practice Guide to to Implementing a Sustainability Policy, and as a member of the Sustainability Committee, I was delighted to assist.

Yesterday's FM World quoted me talking about Etiquette in open plan offices - a fascinating topic and one which I'm sure we'll hear more about as budgets get squeezed and FMs are asked to save space costs.

Today's Daily Telegraph has an interesting four-page career supplement on FM - for once the media seem to approach FM as a seriously sector with much to offer the new entrant.

On Wednesday I was representing the Best Practice Club (www.bpclub.com) at their Internal Communications workshop hosted by DVLA - a day full of valuable advice from the many companies represented, and an opportunity to participate in discussion groups around market segmentation, measurement, engaging line managers and other ways to communicate.

Enjoy the rest of your week!

Liz

www.lizkentishcoaching.co.uk

Saying 'No'

I ran a training event yesterday on Resolving FM Communication Problems, and one of the hotly debated topics was when, how and whether to say 'no'.

A lot of people just don't like the idea of having to tell people they can't do something. Often they feel obligated when a colleague asks a favour; or feel pressurised when a client or someone senior to them needs something done.

How many of us find it easy to say no to something we really have not got the time or desire to do. How often do we find ourselves in situations where are workload is too high and in turn the work we produce is rushed and not to our capable standard. How often do we find ourselves at events that we never wanted to attend but we just did not have the heart to say no?

Human beings have a strong desire to be accepted and appreciated and feel that one of the ways to do this is to avoid hurting peoples’ feelings or letting them down. We feel that the more we do for others the more they will appreciate us. We feel that by saying no we are being selfish and self- centred. By saying yes to every thing that is asked of you, you are actually denying yourself of the right to do what you want to and be who you want to be.

You will find people may take advantage of your generosity and flexibility. You will also find that if you have said yes to too many responsibilities and committed to too many deadlines, your work will be rushed less thought through and mistakes will occur and deadlines will be missed. These consequences will generate a lack of respect and trust from others. So always saying yes to obtain acceptance and respect is not the way forward.

There is a way to generate respect and be accepted. We call this process of saying NO.

Rationalise
The first step to building enough confidence to say no is to identify why you feel you always have to say yes. You need to stand back from the situation and think about it logically.

Just say No
Once you have rationalised and come to a conclusion you should feel more comfortable about saying no if you need to. The next step is to say no directly to the person making the request.
When doing so you will need to remember to use assertive body language and an assertive tone. You do not want to sound or seem apologetic or nervous.

Explain your reasoning
Make sure that when you say no, you explain your reasons for your decision. This does not mean you are justifying your decision it will simply help others to understand especially if they are used to you always saying yes. This does not mean offering an excuse.

Offer a solution/suggestion
For those of you who were born to help or are not totally comfortable with just saying no you may feel more comfortable to compromise or offer an alternative.

Saying No
Here are some pointers of what could make it easier to say 'no':
If you're saying something serious, notice whether you smile or not. Smiling gives a mixed message and weakens the impact of what you're saying.
If someone comes over to you while you are seated; and you want to appear more in charge, stand up. This also works when you're on the phone. Standing puts you on even eye level and creates a psychological advantage.
It's all right to interrupt! A useful technique is to say something along the lines of, 'I'm really sorry; I'm going to interrupt you.' Then use whatever tool fits the situation. If you let someone have their whole say without interrupting, they could get the impression (when they get no message to the contrary) that you're on board with their plan (to get you to do whatever...)
Pre-empt. Meetings are a great place to get landed with work you don't want. You can see it coming. So to avoid the inevitable, pre-empt, 'I need to let everyone know right at the top, that I can't fit anything else into my schedule for the next two weeks (or whatever).'

Some phrases to avoid:
“It’s not my fault, I don’t make the rules”
“What’s the problem”
“To be honest with you”
“With all due respect”
“Nobody has complained about this before”
“You’re the 3rd person who’s complained about that today/this week”
“It’s the way we do things here”

Some food for thought I hope!

Liz.

www.lizkentishcoaching.co.uk

Cutting work space

Many employers are planning sweeping cuts to their workspaces to cope with the tightening economic squeeze, according to property experts.

TheUK cities monitor report 2008 found that 25% of companies expected to reduce space requirements to cut costs. One-fifth intended to consolidate staff into one building, while almost 10% were considering moving to cheaper premises.

Will forcing employees into smaller working areas or less salubrious buildings cause them to look elsewhere - what do you think?

Operations Directors - help is at hand!

Over the past week several Operations Directors within the FM industry have openly shared with me their current key people issues.

In times of economic uncertainty, your people become ever more vital to the smooth running of your service.

Here are some of your key issues and some ideas for resolving them - fast.

Retaining qualified employees
Ensure every individual has clear objectives and still understands the need for flexibility and working as a team. This will also help tackle the 'it's not my job' syndrome. Give people development opportunities. Find out what drives every individual in your team - it may be security, variety, a sense of belonging, recognition, status - who knows? And how do you find out? Ask them! Once you know, use it in managing them.

Motivating a multi-site team
You need to see them face to face as often as you can - not necessarily for formal meetings - just show you care about their welfare, development etc and say thank you to them. Find the 'key communicator(s)' on each site and give them responsibility to e.g. contribute to your newsletter, intranet etc. Some of these people may even be the 'moaners'; get them on side and they will be valuable assets to you.

Stopping gossip
Why do people gossip? Because a) we all want to communicate and feel we belong, b) we need to feel informed. One way to stop gossip is to communicate regularly and honestly - good news and bad. Right now your FM teams may be clearing the desks of colleagues who have been made redundant, cancelling meeting and conference bookings, cutting back on using sub-contractors - all this makes them feel uncertain. Give them answers to their questions, even if the answer is sometimes 'I don't know'.

It all comes down to you
Yes, quite often it feels like that. Are you talking with people in your peer group, your coach and your mentor, to find out what's working well for them, and exploring ways to cope more effectively? It's good management to ask for support.

For more help and advice, download your free report 'Building confident, high performing teams in FM' here

Only 100 days to go!

As of today (22 September) there are only 100 days left of 2008.

Look back at those resolutions and goals you set at the start of 2008 and see what you still need to achieve.

What did you want?
What did you want to have; What did you want to do: Who did you want to meet: Places you wanted to visit; Who you wanted to help; Who you wanted to be

When did you want to achieve it?

Which were most important to you?

Were your goals SMART? – this means they should have been Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and with a Timescale. They should also have been written in the present tense, as if you have already achieved them.

Take some time to review your goals, check your progress, celebrate those you've achieved, discard those that are now less important, rewrite those you still want to work on.

Your coach can help you make the most of the last 100 days of 2008!

Don't waste another day, contact us now coach@lizkentishcoaching.co.uk

Women in FM - new Specialist Interest Group announced

Last night, at the Women in FM event at the RCN in London, the group was formally recognised as a Specialist Interest Group (SIG). This means that the group now has a recognised status, formal representation and a voice in the decision-making structure of the BIFM, our institute.

It also means greater coverage in FM World and on the BIFM website www.bifm.org.uk to promote events and support communication, access to sponsorship and marketing relationships that the institute enjoys centrally, the opportunity to tap into other initiatives and support such as the Succession Planning Panel which can help our members move on to roles within other groups in the BIFM if they wish to.

I am proud to be a small and relatively new part of this new Specialist Interest Group and commend it to you all - both women and men!

What do workers want?

Here’s a snapshot of the Executive summary of a recent TUC poll of almost 3000 workers.

Most people are satisfied with their jobs, but around one in four is neither satisfied with their job, nor would speak highly about their organisation as an employer. Nearly six million workers in Britain are dissatisfied with their jobs.

Almost one in three workers says their organization does not fully engage them and less than half the workforce (46%) agree their employer deserves their loyalty.

The top attributes that people look for in a job are fair pay, working with great people and the chance to learn new skills. The biggest gaps between aspiration and reality are for promotion opportunities, fair pay and the chance to learn new skills.

The commonest problems that people report at work gather into three groups:

Pay
Just under half the workforce say their pay has not kept up with the cost of living (42 per cent) and significant proportions say that their workplace has unfair pay structures (26 per cent) or they do not get the same pay as people doing similar jobs for other organizations (31%).

Workloads, stress and hours
The biggest complaint is of an increased workload (46 per cent), with 39 per cent complaining of increased stress levels and 23 per cent of longer working hours.

Training and progression
30% complain of poor promotion prospects and 27 per cent say they lack training.

Those who are dissatisfied with their job in general report much higher levels of boring, repetitive work, little opportunity to progress and a lack of training - a significant group of the workforce are stuck in boring dead-end jobs.


Coaching can help with many of these issues - contact us here

Coaching article in FM World

Check out this week's edition of FM World to read my thoughts on coaching in FM.

Did you know seventy out of every 100 companies in the UK coach their people?

As I say in the article,

'Coaching is about someone acting as a catalyst to help you unlock solutions and answers which you already have but don't know it'.

To subscribe to FM World, click here

Remembering 11 September 2001

Just a thought for today...

'The price of freedom is eternal vigilance' - Thomas Jefferson

How are we supposed to remember everyone we work with?

Yesterday, an MD of a major FM company told me how difficult they find it to remember not just the names of their ever-growing team, but also their clients and those oh-so-important details about them all:

their family, childrens' names etc
where they were going on holiday
what they enjoy outside work
their specialisms within work etc etc

Why are these things so important? Because people feel we care if we take an interest in them as a person.

Here's one way to improve your memory....

Take an index card box and write one card for every single person you meet - you can group them by site, contract, dept, whatever works for you.

Each time you talk to that person, make some brief notes (beware of the Data Protection Act, and simply write facts)

Before you talk to them next time, refer to the card and hey presto - you go armed with relevant and important information. So you don't need to launch straight into 'business talk', you can enquire about their family, holiday, football team - watch how quickly this builds the rapport between you.

Give it a go and let me know.

coach@lizkentishcoaching.co.uk

Are you an inspiration?

If you want to be seen as inspiring those around you, first you need to be inspired. Are you inspired? Really?

How many hours a week are you working, and how many of those hours are truly productive? How many hours are you paid to work? Think about what your true hourly rate might be – scary!

Have you just taken a holiday, but took your Blackberry along with you – did you feel the need to be in touch with the office all the time, just in case..?

Is your life all about work? Is there something missing? Are you trying desperately to fit in quality time with your spouse, kids, friends? Do you find yourself currently turning down invitations because you either don’t have the time, or you’re just too tired?

Are you working for an organisation whose values match your own? What was it that attracted you to that company in the first place? Does it still hold true?

Are you eating well, taking regular exercise, sleeping enough?

Are you working with a coach and/or mentor, someone who will help you move forwards with your goals, support you and hold you accountable?

Do members of your team ever seem to avoid you, perhaps when you’re feeling a bit grumpy or under pressure?

Do you find you are constantly criticising the team, with little to praise them for?

You can’t inspire others if you’re not on top form yourself. Remember what inspires you, do more of it. Reconnect with people who inspire you, books that inspire you, places that inspire you.

Everyday find something small to do that will inspire you; you’ll be amazed at the impact this will have on those around you. It’s like they say on the airlines, fit your own mask first before helping others.

Find out more here about coaching and how it has helped professionals just like you.

Useful techniques for giving feedback

Last week I highlighted the main principles of giving feedback, now let’s look at some useful techniques we can use in feedback sessions:

Open-ended questioning
Use open-ended questions to allow and encourage the person to give more detail and elaborate.

Use words like:
What?
How?
Who?
Tell me?

Avoid closed questions when you are trying to get more information from someone.
Avoid words like:
Do you?
Did you?
Have you?

Also be careful when you use the word “Why”. The person may think that you are blaming them or being critical if you use it. They may think that you disagree with them if you use this word.

Reflecting Back
This is about putting what the other person has said into your own words and reflecting it back. This is called paraphrasing and by doing this it shows that you are listening and more importantly that you are listening and understanding!

For example:
Individual – “I always seem to get the rough end of the stick - no-one listens to me at all……..”

You – “You seem concerned that no-one listens to you and that you seem to be getting a raw deal”

Maintaining Silence
Encourage the person to take their time. Always give the other person time to think through their reply to a challenging answer. Do not feel uncomfortable about silences but do be wary that silence can make people feel very uncomfortable.

Maintain eye contact and demonstrate an interest.

Summarising
Summarise the output of the meeting and action plan to ensure that you have heard correctly and understood from his/her perspective.

Restate the key aspects of the feedback discussion

Conclude the discussion and focus on planning for the future.

Example: “The three major issues you raised were……”
“To summarise then……”

Being Sensitive
Acting sensitive to the needs of the person is important as they may reject the feedback initially. Give the person space to think in his/her time. This may help the person to absorb the feedback

Initiating Action and Offering Ideas
Example:

“Can you think of an action that would help build on your skills in this area?”

Offer ideas without forcing your personal opinion.
“One thing you might do is….”
“Have you thought about……..”
“Your options include………..”
“What can I do to help?”

Gaining Ownership
Help the person to integrate the feedback into their own experience and view of themselves. Link the feedback as much as possible to business results and objectives – this will help increase ownership.

Any change in behaviour will only occur through acceptance and ownership of then feedback by that person.


Receiving Feedback
As long as feedback is given in a non-judgmental and appropriate way, it is a valuable piece of information for learning and for our continued development as a person.

Constructive feedback is critical for self-development and growth; here are some points to bear in mind when you receive feedback.

1. Don’t shy away from constructive feedback, welcome it
2. Accept feedback of any sort for what it is – information
3. Evaluate the feedback before responding
4. Make your own choice about what you intend to do with the information

The feedback emotional rollercoaster
Whether you are giving or receiving feedback it is useful to bear in mind the following model when it comes to people who receive feedback.


DENIAL
When people first receive feedback, they have a tendency to deny it. Please avoid immediate defensiveness – arguing, denying and justifying. This just gets in the way of your appreciation of the information you are being given.

ANGER
After the denial stage comes anger! So you’ve been told that your work is not as good as what it ought to be. You’ve said, “It’s as good as always” so you are denying it then you become angry as it stews in your mind and body. The immediate reaction is to fume!

WITHDRAWAL
After the anger has calmed down, the person has had time to reflect and ponder on the feedback. “Well, I have been making more mistakes then normal” This is when time is taken out to mull over the feedback and think about what it actually means.

ACCEPTANCE
The final part of this model is finally accepting the feedback, assessing its value and the consequences of ignoring it, or using it. “I have been making mistakes”.

For more articles on effective people management, go to www.lizkentishcoaching.co.uk

How to give tough messages and still be liked and respected

Providing feedback to staff is always tough, but if it’s constructive, you not only get the message across, but, build a more cohesive and capable team as a result.

Constructive feedback is the only way to learn and develop—both personally and professionally.

That means, you as Manager, have a responsibility to your staff to help them develop. That means, you have to give constructive feedback.

What is constructive feedback?
First, I’ll tell you what it’s not.

Constructive feedback is not criticism (which has a negative connotation because it is so often generalized and personal).

Constructive feedback is a not personal (e.g. you are lazy), but a targeted response to an individual’s action or behavior (e.g. you did not accomplish the task you agreed to complete) that is intended to help them learn, and is delivered from a place of respect.

Constructive feedback is not “closed” but rather invites the individual receiving the feedback to shed light, share their perspective, or provide their response. (e.g. Do you see it differently?)

Constructive feedback does not blame, but presents a collaborative approach to problem-solving. (e.g. If we are all to go home tonight on time, task A needs to get done. What support can the team offer to finish task A, so that everyone gets to go home on time.)

Why constructive feedback works
Constructive feedback enables us to give honest, “tough messages” to those with whom we work.

However, instead of insulting, shutting-down others, or alienating those who receive the feedback, and thus lowering their morale and their resulting productivity, it motivates them to ask for help, and acknowledge a skill or competency deficiency, while feeling supported and respected.

Two of the most important factors influencing employee retention/satisfaction are: “great boss,” and “feeling part of a team” (Hay Group Study on retention). Constructive feedback, because it is delivered out of respect and a genuine desire for the individual to improve, accomplishes both.

Providing feedback, in this way, enables you to build the competency and cohesiveness of your team, while effectively managing performance issues. It also enables you to remain respected, well liked, and overall, considered “ a great boss.”

Principles of feedback
1. Choose correct timing for feedback
Praise is most effective when given as soon as possible after the behaviour has occurred. Immediate feedback will help to reinforce a correct behaviour and make it more likely to happen again.

When an incorrect behaviour is not corrected with feedback, the staff member may incorporate it into his or her customer of colleague interactions unknowingly. It is highly desirable, when possible, to give corrective feedback before the situation occurs again.

2. Ask for self assessment
Beginning by asking the person for self-assessment involves them in the feedback process.

It helps to promote an open atmosphere and dialogue between the person doing the coaching and the person being coached. Often the person is well aware of his or her own strengths and weaknesses.

It is more effective to allow the person to voice opinions before providing your own assessment of performance.

Through self-assessment, the person can gradually assume more responsibility for his or her own abilities and performance.

3. Focus on specifics
When you focus on a specific correct or incorrect behaviour, you remove the feedback from the sphere of personality differences and the other person will be more willing and able to change.

For example, when providing corrective feedback:

Do: “When you were talking to customer xyz, I noticed that you forgot to use her name”

Don’t: “You are not building rapport with the customer”

When providing praise:

Do: “When you spoke to customer xyz, I noticed that you used really good open and closed questioning techniques”

Don’t: “You communicated well there”

4. Limit feedback to a few important points
Good coaches and communicators identify one or two critical areas and help the person address them one at a time.

It is too hard to examine and try to change many aspects of behaviour at one time.

Restrict your feedback to one or two important points so that you do not overwhelm the other person with too many things to consider.

5. Provide more praise than corrective feedback
Positive reinforcement is one of the strongest factors in bringing about change.

Unfortunately a lot of people always focus on the negative.

When you give corrective feedback, remember to point out corrective behaviours first. This is as important as pointing out mistakes and areas that need improvement.

And always end the conversation on a positive.

6. Give praise for expected performance
People deserve to be praised for doing their job to the expected level. Too many people take the expected level for granted however.

Remember that praising anyone who meets established standards is as important as praising the exceptional performer.

Praise is a strong motivator, and enough praise may be what it takes to turn an average employee into an exceptional one.

7. Develop Action Plans
Work together to identify the desired performance or result and how it can be achieved.

Decide when the steps will be accomplished.

Tune in next week for useful techniques to use when giving feedback

www.lizkentishcoaching.co.uk

Join us at http://fmclub.ning.com/

People are not your most important asset - the RIGHT people are

I saw this headline today, it came from an FM recruitment company, and it got me thinking.

How often do we recruit people into FM roles because they have 'some' experience - perhaps they have worked in an engineering role, or maybe as office manager they ended up managing an office move, or did they work for a construction firm?

I have coached numerous people who have 'fallen into' Facilities Management, and there seem to me to be two key issues:

1. do they have an understanding of their new role before they agree to take it on?
2. do we (as employers) have a development and induction plan in place to help them be successful?

Too often, these people have a short induction (some site visits, a corporate induction day) and then nothing. I have often heard criticisms of front line managers who have been in the role for 6 months to a year - is the criticism fair? In the majority of cases, no.

These people need mentoring, coaching and training - they need to know that their employer cares enough to invest in them and their development. People become far more efficient and productive when they have the right support.

So, the recruitment company was partly right, in my opinion. Yes, it's about the right people, but it's also about how you support them.

Contact me to find out how coaching can bring you results with your people - fast.


Liz Kentish
The FM Coach

coach@lizkentishcoaching.co.uk

Effective Networking for FM professionals

I was at the BIFM members' event and AGM yesterday, and I spent some time observing how people networked during the event. Having spent many years learning the hard way what works, and - more to the point - what doesn't, I've put together some tips, which I hope will be useful.

What is networking?

It’s all about building relationships and getting to know other people (their skills, attributes, interests and how you can help them) both within your field and outside it. These days, in industries such as FM where there can be many stakeholders, ‘knowing the right people’ can be a huge advantage. Managing your stakeholders is the key to running successful contracts, and involves identifying those people who have power and influence over the project and knowing exactly what you need from them. If you have already built relationships with them through your networking activity, they are more likely to help and support you and your teams.

Whether you want to change jobs, start out in a new field or simply find ways to be even better at what you do now, then you need to be marketing your skills, knowledge and experience right now.

How do I network?

Networking doesn’t need to be difficult; in fact many people find it to be fun and rewarding as part of their continued professional development. I bet you already belong to more networks than you realize.

Do you already belong to any of these:
• Industry associations (BIFM, FMA, CIPD, CIM etc)?
• Regional or sector groups to do with your work (Chamber of Commerce etc)?
• Special interest groups?
• Voluntary organisations?
• A lodge chapter?
• Social networks (Facebook, Friends Reunited etc)?
• Business networks online (LinkedIn etc)?

Now that you know who you already have in your network, who else would you like? Consider the following:
• People in your team
• Other people in your organisation
• People working with your clients and suppliers
• People you have worked with in the past
• Local community groups

What can you give?

People will be keener to network with you if they (and you!) are clear about what you can offer them. Perhaps you can help in terms of mentoring, putting them in touch with reputable suppliers, working on community projects together, sharing latest ideas on hot topics such as sustainability etc.

It is well worth spending some time, once you have identified your target networks, to clarify what you want to offer and what you would like in return.

For example, as an Executive Coach working with FM Professionals, I may want to target the editors of trade publications, to promote my business. In exchange I can offer articles and advice on people development, the benefits of coaching, and perhaps offer discounted rates to their readers.

What next?

So now you know who you want to bring into your network, what you want from them and what you can help them with. The next step is to find them and enable them to get to know you.

Networking is no longer limited to face to face sessions – in this age of technology, there are a myriad of online forums, blogs and other groups where like-minded people can share their knowledge.

(A word of caution – take care who you give your details to online – as far as you can ask for recommendations for online forums from people you trust. You don’t want to end up with 400 spam emails in your inbox every day!)

However, face to face meetings will help people remember you – start saying YES to the meeting requests you get, the after work events, the seminars and workshops – and go armed with plenty of business cards - your card is your silent salesman, reminding people of you after you've left.

OK, I’m ready to get networking!

If you are planning to go to an event, here are some invaluable tips:

• Get hold of a delegate list if you can and research who’s going to be there and their companies – if there are particular people you want to meet, make a beeline for them

• Develop and use your own 60 second introduction which will capture their interest and help them remember you, e.g. ‘Hi, I’m Jane Smith from Hardy’s Electronics. (They’ll introduce themselves then they’ll ask what you do.) I’m responsible for inspiring all our people to make a difference through the management development programmes I facilitate’

• Arrive early so you are not faced with masses of faces when you walk in

• If you feel a bit awed by the whole thing, go up to someone who is by themself – they’ll be thankful they don’t have to stand on their own anymore. Have the confidence to make the first move and start to build a relationship. You'll be surprised at the response you'll get

• Use someone’s name as soon as you are introduced to them – it will help you remember it

• When someone approaches you, give them your full attention

• Let the other person speak - people would rather talk than listen and it's amazing what free information they give out. . Ensure that your relationship-building conversations are two-way and evenly balanced. Ideally, you should know as much about the other person by the end of any conversation as they know about you. Ask about them, probe using phrases such as, ‘tell me more about that…’, ‘what do you feel about…?’

• Write notes on the back of other people’s business cards, so you can remember them after the event – I keep an index box in my car with a card for everyone I meet, notes about their family, places they want to visit, interests etc, so I can make them feel important next time I meet them – it’s very effective

• Show interest with body language, use words to show you are listening actively

• Be active and visible - volunteer your expertise to the group. Many networks are on the lookout for speakers and other volunteers to make the events run smoothly – get yourself known by getting involved

• If you commit to following up a contact, do it when you say you will.

Last thoughts

You will get out of networking what you put into it. The more networks you’re part of, the more you become someone that people can turn to. This builds a network around you of people who will be more than happy to help out in return.

Let me know how you get on!

coach@lizkentishcoaching.co.uk

People just amaze me sometimes!

Just had an interesting thing happen...

Visually impaired chap with a guide dog outside government offices in Victoria, London. The dog evidently is 'doing it's business' in the middle of the pavement, must be about 20 people standing around watching, waiting to see who will clear it up, if anyone.

What do you think happened? Would you have stood and watched and said 'tsk' to yourself under your breath?

Well, another lady and I both approached to see if we could help, both digging in our handbags for an old carrier bag. In the meantime, a well-dressed middle-aged chap approached us and in no uncertain terms told us that it was not our responsibility and just because the chap was blind didn't make him above the law.

I was amazed and disgusted at this attitude and simply got on with clearing up the mess.

Don't people just amaze you sometimes?

Keeping a confidence diary

A great way to boost your confidence is to keep a confidence diary.

It is a smart tool to just remind yourself just how good you really are and what you have to be thankful for and pleased about in your life right now.

Either buy yourself a notebook or a day to view diary and once a week for the next month I’d like you to jot down your answers to the following confidence questions.

Don’t give me any excuses about you haven’t got the time to do it!

Take just 10 minutes per week, sit down and jot down your thoughts to:


1. What have I got to be grateful for in my life right now?


2. What am I happy about in my life right now?


3. Why am I happy about these things?


4. What did I accomplish last week?


5. What am I excited about in my life right now?


6. Who do I love and appreciate in my life? Who do I like hanging around? Why?


7. Who loves and appreciates me for what I am? Warts ‘n all!


Answer these questions at the start of each week and it will set you up for success.

If you need a booster midweek, then by all means answer them again whenever you want to feel centred and remind yourself of what you have got going for yourself in your life right now.

Right now, I'm looking out of my office window, enjoying the morning sunshine and being grateful that I live in such a beautiful place - how about you?

Keeping things in balance - join me in a smile?

It's been another hectic week so far! I was in Slovakia for a long weekend with some very good friends and we had the most amazing time. It's been a while since I've met people for the first time who have been so welcoming.

Makes me wonder whether we are losing a sense of 'good manners' when we greet strangers? Whenever I am in London I find people desperately avoiding each others' gaze and being suddenly interested in the adverts in the tube!

Is this because we are scared of other people, scared of engaging in conversation, exchanging a smile, or have we created so many stereotypes that we are now suspicious of everyone we meet? For goodness sake, the people we are now married to were once strangers - imagine if we had avoided looking at them?!!!

So, tomorrow, when I get to London, I'm going to smile at everyone and see just how many smile back - want to join me and make the world a little brighter tomorrow?


Check out my coaching workshops next week on 5 June (Rutland) and 7 June (Kenilworth) - coach@lizkentishcoaching.co.uk for more info and to book.

Elephants get stressed too!

I'm just back from a fabulous trip to South Africa, which included trips to various game reserves and even a ride on an elephant. One of the most interesting things I learned was that, in between its eye and their ear, an elephant has a small opening, called the temporal opening which becomes enlarged and secretes a fluid, which resembles tears. It seems this happens most when the animal is stressed or sick. It seems we are not the only species to suffer from stress!

So what is stress and how can we best deal with it?

Stress is excess pressure - a result of the demands made of us outweighing our ability to cope. Some people - when exposed to exactly the same pressures as others -
don't seem to suffer from stress. By looking at how these people cope, we can adopt some of the things they do to prevent stress.

People who cope well with stressful situations tend to have certain things in common:
They take care of themselves – by eating well, getting enough sleep, drinking alcohol sensibly and exercising regularly.

They confide in people they trust

They are realistic about how much they can achieve and are not perfectionists

They have a sensible work-life balance

The enlist help and support to deal with issues

They communicate assertively - they know how to say "no"

They stay calm under pressure

They create positive moments - eg relaxation, yoga, a weekend break.

Think about your ideal day, and what it would contain. Identify and knock down the barriers to change. One small change can make a difference.

Learning to deal with stress isn’t always an easy process. There are, however, a few techniques that you can do at work, even at your desk, to help relieve stress, anxiety and to regain focus. Some people find meditation works. It slows the biochemical reaction within the body and steadies the senses. Others prefer to just drift off, daydream, listen to nature or feel the elements, all of which can clear the mind and help relaxation.

I have hundreds of photos from my trip which I can browse through to remind myself of more relaxed times - what's your way to de-stress?

How to get motivated to achieve anything you desire

Are you one of those people who always put off things for later? Have there been times when you felt you lack the confidence and skill required to do a certain task? Well, you are not alone. Motivation will provide that inner drive you need to achieve what you aim for. Step into the world of confidence-building and see your dreams turn into reality.

There is a simple equation that you can apply whenever you are faced with the responsibility of taking a decision as to whether something should be done or not.

D x V x P > C

DISSATISFACTION
First of all, you must be really discontent with the way things are right now.

VISION
You should have a clear vision of what you want and why you want it.

PRACTICAL STEPS
You should be aware of the steps involved to implement the change. An action plan has to be drawn up.

D x V x P is the formula of your desire for change.

COST OF CHANGING
What will you have to let go in order to make way for the change? How much will the change cost you?

The underlying rule is that you will proceed with the change only if your desire to change is greater than the costs of the change.

Numerous people fret over their figure and take up diets to reduce their weight. They start, make some progress and then give up. People don’t mind making short term sacrifices. They tend to give up once they find that the sacrifice has to be extended in order to succeed.

De-clutter your life and improve your motivation.

Many people carry around with them a lot of excess ‘baggage’ or ‘clutter’.

Do you have a mental list of ‘if only’s’ and ‘should have’s’ cropping up every now and then? Be honest with yourself. Because if you are like this, your confidence and motivation have probably been suffering.

So now, what do you have to do? Get rid of this useless burden, that’s what! Try out these questions.

Putting up with
List 10 things that you are putting up with at home
List 10 things that you are putting up with at work
List 10 things that you are putting up with, in any other area of your life
Create an action plan to weed out these things

Unfinished matters
List all the things in your life that you feel are unresolved/unfinished
Create an action plan to reduce this number
Do you need to clear the air with anyone? If so, just do it, life is too short!
Is there someone you are supposed to call or keep in touch with but failed to find time for? If yes, do it now.
Let go of as many ‘coulds, woulds, shoulds, maybes and oughts’ from your life as you can.

Your standards
Write down the standards that you have always told yourself to try matching. Now let go of them and create a new list. These should be the standards that you are going live by from this day onwards.
List 5 people that you admire the most and their qualities, their behaviour and their way of life. What standards do they have? What are the standards that you could set for yourself, in order to be more like them?

Attitude and motivation

The most important factor that goes into determining one’s success is what goes on in his/her mind. Where you are today and what you are today is because of your own mental attitude towards yourself and others. And you alone can change it. All that is needed is a change of your attitude.

The mental attitude that you carry is actually more important than it seems. It may be a boon or a bane for you. It could be affecting your life without your knowledge.

Your mental attitude could either take you up the path of success or down the depths of failure. And changing it is in your hands.

For a free copy of my fabulous 6 part e-book Get Motivated! (normal price £39.97) simply e-mail your details to coach@lizkentishcoaching.co.uk

Fit your own mask before helping others

I spent time today with a friend who works as cabin crew on a major airline, and we were talking about how some people want to help all the time. She tells me what a battle it is to ensure parents fit their own oxygen mask before helping their children (not that it happens very often of course!). I realised that some of my coaching clients do just that, metaphorically speaking. They always seem to have the answer for their staff, spouse, children...

Perhaps they should let others help themselves and find the solution that way? Maybe those clients would benefit more from looking out for themselves first. Do you know anyone who puts others' needs first? Someone who thinks that by helping they are doing the best thing for those they care about? Do they ignore their own needs?

One of my clients in particular spent so much time worrying about whether his daughter would get into her first choice University, that he never stopped to ask her if she was worried? One of his small actions from a coaching session was to ask her - and guess what? Exactly, she was comfortable that she would get in, and even if she didn't, she didn't see it as the end of the world. So perhaps my client was worrying unnecessarily and his energy could have been better spent elsewhere!

So, some food for thought as we go into the weekend - fit your own mask before helping others.

Busy, busy, busy

It's been a really hectic week so far, I've been travelling all over the country training and coaching. This morning was my chance to be coached - amazing how these sessions always seem to come at the right time! It was a chance for me to review my goals, and in particular how I am managing my time right now. The great thing about coaching is how you can be honest about your frustrations, and how the coach helps you to move forward in small steps.

I've always been a bit of a 'giant leap' sort of person, so sorting it into smaller steps has been a challenge, but what results!!!! This type of coaching is focused on finding solutions, and doing more of what works well already - quite a change from the British attitude of dissecting problems to find root causes, even before we look at possible solutions.

I now have dates for my next 7 Steps to Understanding Coaching Workshops, 7 June near Warwick and 12 Sept near Guildford. E-mail coach@lizkentishcoaching.co.uk for more info and to book your places.

Where does the time go?

I have far too much to do and not enough time. Where has the day gone? I’ve not stopped all day but I don’t know what I’ve achieved. I feel guilty because I haven’t spent much time with my family. The long bank holiday weekend was great, but now I’ve got to do twice at much this week!

Do these sayings ring true with you? I've been looking at how we can manage our time to work efficiently and keep stress levels down.

Time Management is not about how we manage time, but how we manage and organise ourselves. Like any other skill it takes practice and repetition, until it becomes a habit.

Your own priorities, whatever they are (even the boring ones!), need focused attention. This way you are in control of your work not the other way around. The key to working efficiently, and keeping stress levels down, is to be focused. It’s that simple. What we focus our attention on is what we’ll achieve.

You can determine what you need to do each day, instead of drifting along and going with the flow. You will learn to do what you decide to do, not what you seem to end up doing.

Here’s a challenge - just before you go to bed, write down two things that you have decided to do the next day. And do them! No procrastination, no excuses, no new priorities.

It’s best to make sure these tasks are achievable, but a little stretching. They must also be relevant to your business or current goals. This does not mean that these are the only tasks you do tomorrow. But you definitely do these, as well as whatever else you are doing.

Over time you build up the difficulty and the number of tasks. When you have mastered two tasks, then two more challenging tasks, then two yet more challenging tasks, you set three tasks, then three more challenging tasks and so on. Be patient though, as doing this effectively is like building muscle. You should build gradually at a pace that is right for you.

The end goal is to get to the point where you can list all of the tasks you will do next day, knowing for sure that you will achieve them all - no matter what!

P.S. A great book for anyone who has a tendency to put things off is ‘Eat That Frog’ by Brian Tracy.

Back to work

It’s been a fabulous Easter weekend with all the family here. We got out early on Sunday morning and started building our snowmen - in fact we ended up with a whole snow family! A couple of long walks around the village gave us all a huge appetite and we managed to do some justice to all the chocolate eggs.

But today it’s back to reality and putting the finishing touches to the Coaching Workshop which takes place next week (3 April) in Rutland. The venue we chose is Whitwell, which is a really inspiring learning and development venue, right on the banks of Rutland Water. I love running these workshops as I enjoy seeing people understand the power of coaching and how it can impact them, their businesses and their lives.

Spring is here

Here I am in Keble College, Oxford (for the BIFM conference), surrounded by daffodils. The view from my room reminds me of my favourite poem:

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced, but they
Out-did the sparkling leaves in glee;
A poet could not be but gay,
In such a jocund company!
I gazed—and gazed—but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

Have a wonderful Easter, spring is here and summer isn't far away!

The soundtrack to our lives

I was listening to the radio yesterday as an ageing rocker shared his favourite tracks. This got me thinking about the soundtrack to my life, those songs that capture a moment in time. ‘Vienna’, the song I had my first slow dance to, aged 14, with Roger, who wore a brown leather jacket! ‘Jerusalem’, one of the hymns we chose for Dad’s funeral, a tune which used to make me cry, but now just brings back lovely memories. ‘Truly’, by Lionel Ritchie; that was our first dance as a married couple.

So, last night I dug out some old vinyls, wired up the PC and put them all onto my Ipod. I laughed, cried, and cringed at some of the tracks, and realised just how strong they are as ‘anchors’ – they take us right back to that moment in time, and also enable us to reconnect instantly with the emotions we experienced, good or bad.

So this morning I deleted all the ‘bad stuff’ and just left those tracks that bring joyous feelings. I was even dancing to ‘Disco Inferno’ at breakfast time – what will the neighbours think?!

Why not spend an evening going through your music collection – put together the soundtrack to your life, focus on the great memories and emotions; put them on your Ipod and then you can access those great feelings anytime you need.

And what am I listening to right now? I hold my head up with pride as I tell you, ‘Shang a Lang’ by the Bay City Rollers – I can picture those dreadful trousers right now!

If music be the food of love, play on…

Well, shake it up baby....

Well, that was a first! Never having experienced an earthquake before, we had absolutely no idea what was going on as we were shaken awake in the early hours of this morning! Rushing around the house looking for...well, I've no idea what, but we felt we should be looking for something. No other houses in the village appeared to have their lights on, so we decided there was no more we could do and went back to a fitful night's sleep.

It was only when we caught the 7am news that we realised there had been an earthquake, it's epicentre only about 60 miles from us. And it was then that the 'phone calls started. Sometimes it takes a shock like this to make us realise just how many people care.

That also taught me something, that I shouldn't wait for something bad to happen before I let people know that I care. The Universe does work in strange ways and there are things just around the corner that we can't possibly predict. So I'm off to call up friends and family who I haven't spoken to in a while, just to say hello.

Taking action (or not)

Hello and welcome to Friday!

I have started re-reading Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill – in it are the ‘secrets’ to financial success, gleaned from over 500 of the richest men in the USA almost 100 years ago. I’m taking notes as I read, starting to plan what I need to do next.

Ever bought a ‘self-help’ book, CD or DVD, read or listened to it once then put it on the shelf? Why is it that we don’t always take action? Is it because:

We’re just too busy getting on with our lives?
People might laugh at us?
It’s ‘happy-clappy’ nonsense?
If it worked, why isn’t everyone doing it?
We might fail?
We might succeed?

Mmm, any of those sound familiar?

Over the past 7 years I have spent a huge amount of time and money on self-education – I have travelled to seminars as far afield as the Bahamas, Fiji, San Diego, Docklands; I have walked across burning coals, broken thick wooden boards with my bare hands; learned how to invest on the stock markets, invested in property at home and overseas; worked in network marketing; retrained for a new career, moved home, learnt a new language, started up a language forum, become a volunteer business mentor…I look back and even I am amazed at how much I’ve managed to do.

I began to think about the payback my investments – both time and money – have reaped. I also wondered why I chose to apply some of the things I learned and not others. And why did some things excite me when others didn’t?

There’s a saying that ‘the book you don’t read won’t help you’. I’d go beyond that and say ‘even the book you do read won’t help if you don’t take action’.


So, how do we create a spark inside ourselves that spurs us to action?

For me it’s either pain or pleasure.

If it hurts me – mentally, physically, financially, or just my pride – then I will do something about it. On the flipside, if I can imagine something bringing me pleasure – for me that’s about having more freedom, free time, being able to travel, making others smile – then that also spurs me on.

One of the first things I remember hearing from Tony Robbins back in 2002 was ‘with awareness comes responsibility’ – for me that has been key to taking action. That, and the fact that when I spend my hard-earned money, I want to feel I’m getting value. Value for me isn’t just about knowledge, it’s about using that knowledge to create something – whether it be an income, a business, better quality of life or just to be a better wife, friend, daughter…
What can I do today to take action?

Think about a time when you just jumped at the chance to do something – what was it, how did it feel, where were you, what did you say to yourself? Who was influential in that decision? What was the outcome?

Take some time now to write down some notes to remind yourself about that time – if you really want to start benefiting from your knowledge, don’t deny yourself these few minutes.

On a scale of 1 to 10, where are you now, today, in terms of having put into action all the knowledge you have gained (1 being haven’t’ use any of it, 10 being ‘I have implemented everything I’ve learned’)?

Wherever you put yourself on that scale, let’s call it ‘y’. Now, all I need you to do is think about getting from ‘y’ to ‘y+1’, so just one small step up that scale.
What small action can you take today to move you to ‘y+1’?

As a Coach I have discovered that it’s the small steps that make the difference. Take one small action today, then another small one tomorrow, and so on… You will be amazed how far you have gone in just a week!

If you have bought books, CDs and DVDs over the years and they are sitting on the shelf, do yourself a favour – either re-read them and take one small action today, or sell them on e-bay – either way you will benefit!