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
Friday 28 November 2008
Thursday 27 November 2008
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
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
Friday 14 November 2008
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.
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
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
Tuesday 11 November 2008
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
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
Monday 10 November 2008
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
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
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