Tag: behaviour

Hope syncronicity

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Having just written two emails and one event design note that all majored on hope, it was great to see the front cover of the Health Service Journal leading on a piece by Helen Bevan on the very same thing. 

It is clear that  ‘hope’ is needed in the NHS and Bevan shows how a conscious choice of that stance is possible (despite countervailing pressures) and how useful it is.

In our role as team coaches, we often start client events with ‘what is encouraging you?’ or ‘what gives you hope from the pre-event survey?’. 

Only then do we go on to explore what might be holding a group back – and what new habits are needed (another version of 3Hs, to go with humility, honesty, humour and head, heart, hands).

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Motivation follows action

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In the weekend supplement to The Guardian Magazine on 1st January New Year, Oliver Burkeman, whilst dismissing positive thinking, writes “motivation follows action”. 

We are not sure who first coined that phrase, but think it is a great mantra to live by. Our own experience is testimony to this.

 What do you think?  We would love to know.

 And see here for inspiration on the topic.

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Achieving the change

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Two and a bit weeks into the new year…do any of these sayings help? All draw inspiration from positive psychology.

“Motivation follows action”

“First you make your habits, then your habits make you”

“Fake it till you make it!”

“Put our behaviours where we want them, then our mind and heart will catch up”

“First hands, then head and heart”

Finally, from Ghandi…”be the change you wish to see in the world” (but that is possibly another story).

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Getting them to sing takes time

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One of our Directors volunteers to help with music at a local primary school by playing the piano. Along with a couple of others, they introduced recorder lessons, singing during assemblies and musical shows in the summer and at Christmas. That was seven years ago.

At first they worked mostly with the older children, then gradually involved the younger classes step-by-step. It wasn’t always easy to get time with the kids to practice and a lot were shy or embarrased to take part.

This week she noticed that when playing a song as everyone left assembly, one of the children started singing along and then the rest all joined in spontaneously.

It takes a long time to change the culture of a place but it can be done.

What behaviours would you like to change in your business or team? More knowledge sharing and less ‘silo working’? More innovation and less “that will never work here”? A better balance between work and the rest of life?

Whatever it is, you should start making the change now.  Getting them to sing takes time.

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What’s your Plan B?

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When facing changes in our work or personal life it helps to have a ‘Plan B’ as well as a ‘Plan A’.  If we can be more imaginative in widening our ideas of what the future might look like, we can increase the repertoire of options available to us.

An example of this is personal scenario planning when facing possible job changes. ‘Plan A’ is often “I hope they keep me on, doing what I do now”. 

To move beyond this, it is useful to face our fears. “What is the worst case?” By articulating our anxieties, we can move from just feeling them to confronting them and then to mitigating them. Ask yourself “what am I really afraid of, how would I cope, how could I soften the impact of what might happen?” 

Now try to come up with an interesting ‘Plan B’. “What’s an alternative future career or line of work that I could envisage given the goals and resources available to me?” Try to spot the trends you see around you that offer new opportunities. Review the things you’ve done successfully which you can build on. Write down the contacts you know who can help.

It may be a time to start achieving those personal ambitions which you’ve often thought about but never really acted on.

Ask us for a for more on this or a summary of our favourite article on personal resilience.

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Quick, make your mind up

photos, Think No Comments

Waitrose charitiesWaitrose offers tokens which you can allocate to a charity or local organisation as you leave the store. They share £1000 according to the proportion of total tokens each organisation receives.

Which of these three would you allocate your token to?

For what reasons?

– I might need them or know someone who does
– they look popular already and I should support the one that most people think is important
– they seem under-supported and I want to help the underdog
– they already have enough support and mine won’t make much difference
– I won’t allocate at all as I can’t choose between them (or I’m late and need to rush!).

When people make quick decisions, it can be worth exploring the underlying reasoning.

PS – this accumulative and transparent way of expressing a preference (where you can see the relative support so far) is quite an efficient and possibly fairer way of allocating resources. It ensures that lower profile needs or those with weaker ‘brands’ or ‘voices’ don’t miss out completely. If you did this blind (ie the boxes were opaque), the most popular one could well get a much higher proportion of the votes as people are less informed and hence less inclined to make some of the alternative choices listed above.

PPS – the Hampsire search and rescue has consistently had the most support.

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National treasures

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“Oh, they really are a national treasure.” 

Who would you agree on?

1. Absolutely they are (for the moment at least) – Gary Lineker, Bruce Forsyth, Eddie Izzard, Michael Portillo, Delia Smith, Alan Titchmarsh, Gary Barlow, David Beckham, Felicity Kendal

2. Maybe – Peter Tatchell, Ann Widdecombe, Simon Cowell, James Corden, Dawn French, Johnny Rotten, Eddie ‘the Eagle’ Edwards

3. Possibly, but not yet – Neil Kinnock, Chris Moyles, Piers Morgan, Cheryl Cole

4. Might be losing it – Jonathan Ross, Cliff Richard, Gordon Ramsay, Jamie Oliver, Helen Mirren

5. Was and no longer – Bob Geldof, John Humphries, Bono

 What do these  characters share in common? Well they have moved from being a  figure of hate or fun (or irrelevance or especially narrow interest) to someone who most recognise and someone who doesn’t polarise opinion very much.

And many have done something special beyond they classic role – showing a bit of passion, doing something different or just being resilient with staying power in the face of a challenge.

So the choice is: change or continue the same; show humility or demonstrate no self-awareness.

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Focus and relaxation

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PlanePlanes have been in the news recently with the exhibition at Tate Britain (which is even more impressive in reality).

In this photo (with a great headline from The Sun), we see one member of a team of two with total focus, flying low through a valley. Meanwhile, the other is (for that moment) able to relax.

Managing the pace of work is a key element of what it means to be part of a team that is on the front foot.

See this on getting the balance right here.

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On the train #2

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On the train.

I see an old contact.

Maybe he could become a new client.

I think of approaching him.

Then he puts his feet on the seats, and starts moving in ways that disturb those around him.

And begins eating an unbelievably smelly item of food. 

I decide to leave it.

We all choose who we work with?  Do we choose well?  Are these valid reasons?

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On the train #1

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On the train.

A loud voice.

“You haven’t got enough on him.

He is crap.

Double his targets.

Make him get another job.

Gradually get him out.

You have been too nice for too long.

I will phone her to try and sort this out.

I won’t charge you.

I want something else.

I want your HR work.

I WANT YOUR HR WORK”

 

Laughter of disbelief throughout carriage.

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