Are you and your manager on the same page?

Managing our time can be difficult if we are not entirely sure of our priorities. Here's a quick activity that may throw up some surprising (and thought-provoking) results.

List the major areas of your job responsibilities (the ten most important tasks)
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Now predict how many of those ten tasks or areas your manager would list if he or she were asked to do so.

Is there a difference between what you listed and you think your manager would list?

Why do you think that is?

Before your next one to one session with your line manager, ask them to complete the list too, with what they believe are the ten major areas of your role. You can then discuss this exercise together and see where your areas of difference are, and agree a plan to adjust priorities so you are both working to the same agenda.

Liz Kentish The FM Coach runs a one-day programme on Making Effective Use of Your Time. To find out more, please get in touch coach@lizkentishcoaching.co.uk or call us on 01778 561326

'Wherever you are, be there'.

This quote from the late Jim Rohn has always resonated with me – it’s about giving your full, undivided attention to what you are doing. So often, you can hear people on the other end of the ‘phone tapping away on their blackberry or iphone – I even see people checking emails in meetings! As far as I’m concerned, that’s plain bad manners.

I’m working with a client who is CEO of a major FM consortium, and she constantly demonstrates what Jim Rohn means by ‘being there’. As soon as she comes into a meeting room, or stops to talk to a colleague, employee or client, in a corridor, the coffee lounge or on site, she puts her ‘phone away, closes her notebook and gives that person her full attention.

Why don’t we see more of this? Are we really too busy to give people 100% of our attention? Think honestly about yourself and whether you do this or not? What’s one small action you can take right now, to focus on the person you are with, or the job in hand?

Coaching can help you focus. Find out more - talk to Liz Kentish The FM Coach on 01778 561326 / 07717 787077 or email coach@lizkentishcoaching.co.uk

Grab yourself more 'me' time - Free E-book from Heather Bestel

Heather has kindly made her new e-book available to dowonload FREE from her blog, just click here

As Heather says, 'This is a time of year when things can start getting a bit frantic, especially in the run up to the festive season. Just when we need more energy, it seems to vanish. This is when we really do need more me time.'

I hope you enjoy the e-book, do let me know what you think.

For more support with your time management contact Liz Kentish The FM Coach on 01778 561326 - 07717 787077 coach@lizkentishcoaching.co.uk

Have a fabulous weekend.

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.

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.