What are you truly capable of?

On a recent skiing trip I inadvertently ended up on a rather steep red run with my daughter who is six. She has skied many blue runs and nursery slopes but not a red run. For those that don’t ski; a green run is a nursery slope for novices and beginners; a blue run is described as easy; a red run, medium and a black run considered difficult. Now, not only did I end up on a red run (steep) with said six year old but I also didn’t have a piste map. For one whose youth was spent with the Girl Guides where the motto is ‘be prepared’, my predicament was rather less than clever to say the least!

Whilst on the slope, having been somewhat abandoned by my party, I of course had no idea which run I was on, never mind the ability level. So, whilst my daughter was cautiously but ably descending the slope I had noticed that the skiers and boarders that we were accompanied by were undoubtedly experienced – no novices to be seen. Hmm, I thought, that leads me to believe that this is either a red or a black run – which of course would have been no problem other than the fact that my keen and inexperienced daughter was with me. At this point I began to-ing and fro-ing between being cross at my party and thinking how am I going to get my six year old safely down the mountain?

At about this moment of cogitation, the words of Henry Ford passed through my mind, “whether you believe you can or you can’t, you’re right”.

So, armed with that thought and knowing that my bold little girl was progressing well, procrastination on my part was going to get us nowhere!

As in life, it is often impossible to retrace our steps so going forward is the only option.

At this moment, my daughter shouted out ‘this looks very steep Mummy, I’ve never skied anything like this before.’ To which I responded, ‘it’s okay, it’s just like slope we did this morning with more trees.’ If ever I was to be magically turned into Pinocchio this was it!

About an hour later, we arrived at the bottom of the slope; it was a very long run and steep in places, compounded by a bit of ice. My daughter said ‘Mummy, the snow sounds funny?’, I responded ‘that’s okay, snow sounds like that sometimes’ - cue yet another Pinocchio moment!!

Once safely on the chairlift back up to the top and having orientated myself, I revealed to my daughter that not only had she skied her first red run, she had also negotiated the ice (and a wee moment off-piste but that’s another tale) and we lived to tell the tale over lunch!

Much like the fabulous technology we all use; laptops, pda’s, mobile phones, Bluetooth, wifi, Cloud – the list goes on - we rarely if ever, use their full capability and often as individuals it’s the same scenario.

We do have the resources and ability to achieve and overcome a very great deal, if we put our minds to it.

One of my clients woke up on the morning of a prestigious trade conference where he was to make the opening address – something he felt was a very great honour and privilege not to mention the corporate exposure he would get.

He called me and said’ Morning Kate, I can’t do it!’

‘Can’t do what?’ I asked.

‘The opening address!’

‘Of course you can’.

I then said’ Okay, you have 3 minutes to tell me everything that you ‘can’ do from when you executed that very nice £18m deal for the founder and investors some 8 years ago to today…..

‘But…’

‘No buts’

He proceed to tell me about the promotions, the products he’d launched in the market with no budget, the organisational change programmes, the company he’d engineered the great sale for, having turned it round from loss-making!, his two kids now at university …….. he finished with; I can play the piano ……very well as it happens.

‘Okay’, I said, ‘Fantastic’.

‘So, how about this opening address?’

‘Hmm - well it’s much easier than most of those things I just told you about – I can do it.’

‘Fabulous – best you get going then’ I said. (He did a great opening address, some said it was the best he had ever done.)

Sometimes we have to reframe our thoughts, the inner language that we use to ourselves in order to change our perspective, in turn change our behaviour which ultimately leads us to give that opening address, deal effectively with a team members poor performance, be innovative and creative in this challenging economic climate, ask for that new funding, help a six year old novice skier to get down a red run or whatever it is that is challenging you.

For a moment, think about those people that always appear to have the world on their shoulders, are perhaps depressed or glass half-full, lacking in ‘can –do’ attitude. What do you see? Shoulders hunched, little eye contact, mumbling, head bowed… How would you respond to that sort of stance?

Next time you’re feeling a little like you can’t do something or that everything is tumbling down (I appreciate this may be relatively often in the current market);

• Lift your chin,
• Look to the horizon,
• Stand tall
• Shoulders back
• And smile

At the very least you’ll feel a little more able to tackle the world.
Then either write down or list in your head all the things that you ‘can’ do. Give you self 3 minutes or a target list of 10 things, when you’ve done 10 - find another 10 and so on and so forth…

In our journeys through life, self-belief will get you a long way – bolstering that self-belief by regularly remembering what you ‘can’ do is a very good place to start.

As that lovely old expression goes ‘people are like teabags, you never know how strong they are until you put them in hot water’. In the current climate, never a truer word I think!!

Challenge yourself a little everyday, if there’s a tiny thought or perhaps a very big thought that you can’t - see if you can? Make that difference today.

Have a great week.

My warmest regards,
Kate

How far ahead is your focus?

A friend of mine is learning to fly a glider and last week he did a perfect landing! I overheard him telling a friend about it.

The instructor said, decide where you are going to land and then utterly keep focus on that spot BUT when you are about 10ft from the ground, your focus MUST be at the far, far end of the runway. That way you get a smooth ride and a great (and safe) landing. Hmm….

In an equally nosy manner, I heard some-one speaking on a packed commuter train to London from Cambridge the other day about the doom and gloom (Chicken Licken eat your heart out!) in the market, the desperate situation in the financial sector and that there really was no option but to hope for the best and sit tight! Now, it is a fact that there is uncertainty in the market, the economic outlook is less than rosy, points are dropping of the NASDAQ and the FTSE, left, right and centre; however if we believe that we are in a difficult spot with no means of navigating out, that there is no way of, or that we can’t take action to make a difference, well that’s exactly where we are – in a tight spot without any means of getting out! That’s right for sure!

A great friend reminded me of the oft quoted Henry Ford’s ‘Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal." How true – in which case – for the man on the train in the pit of doom and gloom and the people fuelling his woes - better get sight of that goal again PDQ!!

Recently, I heard Richard Branson speak and he argued that business is not about “balance sheets, money, profits and loss” but “to create something that you’re really proud of, something that the people who work for you can be really proud of”. OK, so in this market (any market in fact) it would be rather foolish to not care for the financials, cash flow (is king!) and P&L however, having that truly motivated and therefore creative and innovative workforce, can make the most powerful of differences in terms of market share, reputation, and ultimately profits.

I was very privileged to work with the most fantastic group of people (you know who you are!) last week who achieved and set plans afoot which were extraordinary and more importantly, I’ve no doubt will be successful. With the right focus, strategy, and dare I say passion and enthusiasm, anything and everything is possible.

So, to recall Henry Ford, don’t lose sight of that goal, the obstacle of recession, trouble in the markets and economy have been with us before and will be again.

And whilst we can’t help you land a glider perfectly (though I know a man who can) if you or your organisation would like some assistance with the landing spot and a smoother ride ahead, we would be delighted to hear from you.

Enjoy the summer!

Warmest,
Kate

New Year - what does 2008 hold for you?

Making the right choices;

A few little words stood out last week, ‘being constantly concerned about other people’s perception of you will never make you happy’! That was the sentiment anyway - I was reading Russell Brand’s autobiography, half-way up a hill in Tuscany – so that may not be word-perfect!

At this time of year, a time for reflection, review and looking to and planning for the year ahead - as individuals, managers, chief executives - it is sometimes easy to be swayed by others views and doing the same thing. Not rocking the proverbial boat! I work with many clients to make choices that are for them, truly for them and not what they believe others desire from them. How they should behave, what they should drive, how they should live etc……. be true to you and the rest will follow.

I was party to a conversation just before Christmas about ‘choices’. One individual in the debate was of the belief that some things we just ‘have’ to do, and he believed that there was no choice in certain situations; his example was the following; a friend supporting a large family and large house with correspondingly large mortgage, and commuting to London from the home counties, and working for a boss that he dislikes….. One of my colleagues rather artfully assisted him in changing his thinking… having a large family – a choice, a large house with a large mortgage – a choice, commuting to London - a choice, working for a boss you dislike – a choice……all of the above can be changed if you truly want to.

Of course these are all choices, each and every one and whatever it is that we are doing in life, there is always a choice…

• People will always give you differing opinions on which choice you should make.
• You will never know if you made the right choice.
• Someone will always feel you made the wrong choice.
• Not all choices have a “right” or “wrong” answer.
• Any choice can be “right” or “wrong” depending how you treat them.
• What you choose is not as important as how you choose and what you do with your choice.
• You can live with any choice you make.
• You can take responsibility for any choice you make.
• Only you can make your choices.
• Making a choice is an act of will that shapes your life to your dimensions.
• Everyone inevitably makes “wrong” choices sometimes but that’s okay.
• You are the choices you make in life and your future will be determined by them.

So, because you know what happens if you put off thinking about the important stuff i.e. you then put off making things happen.

A few thoughts to help you on your way;

How do you decide what you really want? Try considering your options at each of the five stages that go into every decision.

Usually, we choose so fast that we don't realize just how detailed the process is. But when you think about it, there really are five parts to every decision:

• Identify the issue
• Think through possible solutions or alternatives
• Evaluate the ideas
• Take Action act out the plan
• Learn for the future

For example, during a rather smart meal at Christmas I was confronted with some oysters – which I really don’t like.

Identify the issue (how to not eat the oysters and not offend the host), Think through (feed to the dog, slip into handbag, give to some-one else, be honest), Evaluate the ideas (dogs outside! don’t want oysters in new handbag, paper napkin!), Take Action (honesty won - apologized elegantly – then gave to nephew!), Learn (find out before hand what’s for dinner to take pre-emptive action or carefully position dogs).

So, have a wonderful New Year – filled with all the success, prosperity and excitement that you deserve. For an executive coach to assist you along the path and avoid whatever your own ‘oysters’ maybe, call or email me and I’d be delighted to speak with you. http://www.the-x-fusion.co.uk/, or 01763 853 924.

Do you boost your team into the New Year with renewed vigour!

Will you really celebrate the end of the year with your team to propel them ahead into 2008? And will it truly reflect your values?


During the festive season, even if you don’t have a specific religion, ‘’goodwill towards man’’ is, I think, a fine sentiment in its own right. And after all it is the end of the year, the calendar one at any rate. Therefore if that gives us an opportunity for a little review – what did you do well, what did your team do well, what did you do in spite of the odds rather than because of them– then let’s use it! Let’s spread a little goodwill - there’s a new year ahead!

In your business, is the festive season a time for celebration - the successes of the year, the highlights, the lowlights ………. or just an excuse for a good knees up and a drink or six and the potential opportunity to give some-one a quick peck on the cheek that you couldn’t possibly do at any other time of the year!! Whatever it is, it could be that if you apply a little thought and application – you may get as much as you give.

Last week, I worked with a fabulous team and in the afternoon of day one of the workshop - we did an exercise on alignment. What I mean by that is that we worked out how well the team was on plan, on target and more importantly, as a group were their beliefs, values and vision in sync. Despite all of us having got up very early and been rowing (great team-building exercise!) in temperatures of c4degrees – the exercise revealed some business actions that needed to be acted upon immediately and more importantly issues that could make a difference to the bottom line PDQ! This was a high performing team performing well and for them we discovered how they can be even better. For teams that are less cohesive the results of this sort of intervention can be revolutionary - galvanising them into much, much greater achievements or changes that make the difference! One of the most common reasons for difficulty in organisations and within teams is that values and beliefs are different and therefore having and sharing a vision or mission becomes almost impossible.

At this time of year, for whatever reason, there is a nice warmth and positivity hanging about the place and therefore why not use this perfect opportunity to not only thank your teams and employees for this year’s efforts but more importantly get a little clarity to get them focused on the right things for next year – which reflect your values - as leader, manager or CEO.

Despite the financial wobbles that are occurring on the other side of the pond and despite the continued - how to put? - incidents that our new government seem hell bent on producing each and every week - keeping your team and company focused and not put off by economic fluctuations, competition, or anything else that may distract them...... would very possibly be a great thing to do this side of 2008.

So,

When did you last thank your team - and specific individuals within it - not just a wee comment by the water-cooler or an after presentation comment, a short note of thanks in a card or email if you really must. It goes an awful long way to motivating people and is free to boot ( apart from a little of your time perhaps)!

When did you last gather as a team, group or company to discuss your company vision, your values & beliefs - what is it that makes you tick as a team, as a company - what do you collectively believe in and therefore what do you need to achieve it (I hear echoes of ‘what is she talking about’ – this sort of discussion - even for the most cynical of you out there - could make the difference to you hitting target or not!).

When will you sit down with your team to discuss the learning and outcomes of 2007 and what that means for 2008?

What went less well and have you learned not to do it again?

What went well and how can you repeat that performance?

What should you start doing?

And finally, those same questions for you, the leader, what are your values, what did you do well, what did you do less well and what shall you not do again, continue to do and start doing?

Tis the season to be jolly and as I sit here at my desk, there seems to be more than the odd bit of festive clutter gathering. Christmas is but a pantomime and an organic turkey away, so with all that flurry of anticipation – thank your teams, establish what your values really are - ensure that everyone is in alignment and start the New Year with a flourish!

Goodwill towards all men and have a highly successful 2008!

Kate Tojeiro is an Executive Performance Coach & MD of X fusion; www.the-x-fusion.co.uk