Tag: behaviour

A Word of Wisdom

Reflect No Comments

The TV presenter Floella Benjamin was interviewed in The Guardian Newspaper on Saturday.  She said the following about dealing with those who dislike or despise you, after arriving in the UK aged 10:

“My mother explained that some people would hate us because of the colour of our skin but to remember,  ‘It is their problem, not yours.’  It took me four years to understand.  If anyone called me a name, I’d fight them.  At 14 I realised you can’t fight the world with your fist.  You have to fight with integrity, morality, intelligence and self confidence.  I learned to smile and to know I was not going to be a victim.”

Tags: ,

What makes people successful?

Do, Personal productivity No Comments

We believe…the key thing with successful people is NOT what happens to them, but how they react when things DO NOT happen for them – when that job application is filed, the contract doesn’t come off, the relationship goes wrong.

The Art of Resilience is key;

  • Not being overly negative (or positive) – realism is powerful.
  • Seeing things from a range of perspectives.

How do you beef up your resilience?

Have a look at this assessment.

Tags: ,

Irresponsible or what?

Personal productivity, Reflect No Comments

Our June business briefing has proved popular.  What about this for a case study in responsibility.

Waiting at café for meeting.

A guy takes his gum from his mouth and throws it to the ground.

He goes inside.

He is young.

With a hoodie.

Is he hard?

But he has a Waterstone’s bookstore bag?

Is it his?

Does it have a book in it?

What sort of book?

Jeremy Clarkson?

Something by Wittgenstein?

Options – we like the work of John Heron and use his 6 ways of intervening on our coaching cards (which we can provide if you want one).

In this situation some of the main ways of responding include ignoring it through to confronting the person.

When confronting, trying to get the balance right is important. Not pussyfooting (can I find a bin for you) or clobbering (what do you think you are doing), but achieving the correct balance on the tightrope between those two extremes (excuse me, I think you may have dropped something).

 

By the way, is the inactive observer just as irresponsible?

Tags: ,

It ain’t (English) cricket?

Personal productivity No Comments

The remarkable turnaround of the fortunes and performance of the English cricket team has not gone unnoticed, though it has been coming for a while.

Coach, Andy Flower, is renowned for the dedication he expects of the players – expecting physical fitness, determination and focus plus positive team working and behaviours.

A great example of Front Foot Organisation we reckon – see this for more www.idenk.co.uk/frontfootorganisation.

Tags: ,

What are your prospects?

Personal productivity No Comments

In our work helping individual and teams through change, we find the ideas from Prospect Theory of use.

Behavioural economists note that humans, when faced with a discontinuity or transition, tend to focus on the things we fear we might lose, rather than the things that we might hope to gain. They point to the ease with which disposable income gets spent on insurance, long in advance of choices for savings!

Page 5 of this booklet  shows one way of trying to get some balance and buck this inbuilt orientation that most of us share.

Of course, some are not wired this way. For example, those going onto reality TV shows seem to focus on their dreams over the likely prospect of failure, ridicule and humiliation!

You can read a bit more here.

Tags:

Listening with our feelings

Personal productivity, Reflect No Comments

How do we listen?

1) We notice

– But do we notice assumptions as well as information?

– Emotion and energy as well as ideas?

2) We filter to recall (and forget)

– On the basis of thought-out criteria?

– Or is it more haphazard?

3) Also, we can be more aware and mindful if we listen with our feelings.

 

So here is a ladder of listening…

I

-Listen behind the emotion (what is not being said)

I

-Listen to the emotion

I

-Listen for information, facts and data

I

-Listen partially or from a distance

I

-Not listening

I

 

Much time is spent at the bottom.

The most effective listening is at the top……

Tags: ,

Core to Humanity

Think No Comments

We tend to take the easy route.

Humans are like that.

It is something innate in us.

Trying to take the path of less resistance.

Like water when it leaks.

When might you need to pause, think and try to take a harder road?

Starting a business?

Within a friendship?

Tags: ,

What we say matters

Reflect No Comments

There is a legacy to what we say and do.

A legacy to others – and for us.

We create our reality in how we talk.

In the conversations

– with call centre staff

– in a store

– with a family member

– with a friend

– with a partner

– with a business colleague

Talking well with – and of – others matters…

Tags: ,

Sharing knowledge

Reflect No Comments

In your organisation, how do you share important information?   

How is knowledge created and passed about?

Through computer repositories or community conversations…….by digital text or time to talk?

How might you try to do a bit more of the ‘other’?

Tags: ,

How many modes have you got?

Personal productivity, Reflect No Comments

How many modes

(including ways of speaking/interacting such as tone of voice, physical stance, speed and gaps in speech)

do you have…

When you lead a meeting?

When you speak with your staff?

When you meet people 1:1?

How aware are you of your style – and the choices you have about that?

Tags: ,

Phil's Blog

Sign up for Phil’s regular blog.

Email: phil.hadridge@idenk.com