Here are a couple of online groups you might like to join, which encourage networking, discussions, posting of events etc.
FM Club
Women in FM
Now, more than ever, is time to think about having an online presence, raise your profile, and help others by sharing your knowledge and experience.
For more ideas on your personal brand, contact Liz Kentish The FM Coach coach@lizkentishcoaching.co.uk 07717 787077
Showing posts with label training. Show all posts
Showing posts with label training. Show all posts
Thursday, 16 April 2009
Friday, 20 March 2009
So what is a Personal Brand?
I hear more and more about 'personal branding' and recently I've attended workshops and presentations where they talk in detail about colours, appearance and so on.
I wonder if this is all it's about? Having spoken to some of my training and coaching clients, we feel it goes even deeper than this - it's about our values as individuals, and about authenticity - being more of who we naturally are, rather than trying to conform to some 'ideal' within our organisations.
What do you think? I'm keen to know how your perceive 'personal brand' so please do add your comments....or contact Liz Kentish The FM Coach coach@lizkentishcoaching.co.uk
I wonder if this is all it's about? Having spoken to some of my training and coaching clients, we feel it goes even deeper than this - it's about our values as individuals, and about authenticity - being more of who we naturally are, rather than trying to conform to some 'ideal' within our organisations.
What do you think? I'm keen to know how your perceive 'personal brand' so please do add your comments....or contact Liz Kentish The FM Coach coach@lizkentishcoaching.co.uk
Thursday, 4 December 2008
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.
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.
Thursday, 16 October 2008
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).'
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.
Friday, 12 September 2008
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
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
Tuesday, 22 July 2008
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
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
Wednesday, 9 April 2008
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.
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.
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