Do or do not, there is no try (Yoda)

I recently came across one of those people – you know the type – the one who constantly says, I’m going to...

Infuriating, aren’t they?

I’m going to resign, I’m going to spend more time with my kids, I’m going to get fit, I’m going to...

I think there are a couple of things going on here:
1. The ‘need’ to do whatever it is just isn’t strong enough
2. It might be the wrong goal or maybe the goal is too big

The biggie for a lot of people right now is ‘I’m going to work less hours and stop taking work home with me’. Did you know that Work Your Proper Hours Day (24 Feb 2012) is the day when the average person who does unpaid overtime finishes the unpaid days they do every year, and starts earning for themselves. So if that’s not an incentive to review the hours you spend either at work, or on work (or both), then I don’t know what is!

What can we do about it?

It may sound simplistic, but you need to review your work priorities – are you doing things that are unnecessary, can be done by others, or can wait? Are you doing things because they are ‘easy’, or maybe you just enjoy doing them?

Check back with your overall objectives, and the business objectives for your department and your company. If what you’re spending your time on is not contributing to those objectives, why are you doing it?

It’s probably time to have a conversation with your line manager.

If you’d like some pointers to help you prepare for that conversation, get in touch with us. Liz Kentish The FM Coach

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.