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A Word To The Wise

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Communication

A Thought About Communication (c) R Dennison November 2013

Occasionally it is difficult to get your point across.  You might want to communicate something of yourself, as well as impress with your call to action.

Also there may be certain expectations about how you communicate linked to the working culture in your profession.  In some places of work anything goes, ‘patois’ or ‘banter’ included.  In others, not so much.

I was thinking about all this as there have been several examples of self-expression colliding with effective communication recently.

Exhibit A is X Factor winner James Arthur’s Twitter feud with fellow rapper Mickey Worthless.  On reading the tweets I wondered what Mr Arthur was trying to achieve with his choice of language?  Did he think homophobic language helped establish his street credentials?

Exhibit B belongs to Australian cricketer Michael Clarke.  His sledging comments toward James Anderson were obviously intended to disturb the batsman’s concentration; didn’t they also make Mr Clarke look childish and unprofessional?

Finally, by way of contrast, Tottenham MP David Lammy is right to point out that using a limited vocabulary is not going to help anyone get a job.

Here’s my point.  There’s something to be said for having a communication game plan, before writing, Tweeting, blogging or speaking.  The bare bones of the plan respond to three simple questions:

  • Who is my audience?
  • What sort of language do I want to use to get my point across to them?
  • How do I want to be perceived by them?

No one will get it right all of the time.  However a little fore thought will go a long way to help get the message across.

So here is a question for you: what is the first item in your plan before you start communicating?

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International Men’s Day

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International Men's Day

19 November is International Men’s Day (c) R Dennison November 2013

I’m usually on the ball when it comes to noting anniversaries and special days.  However the significance of 19 November – International Men’s Day– slipped by me.

After a quick read of the IMD website I can sign up to the goals for the day.  Those goals challenge men to become better role models and promote gender equality.  Where’s the downside?

http://www.internationalmensday.com/

Interestingly I only happened to come across a reference to IMD courtesy of Dr Tim Stanley in the Daily Telegraph.

He has shared a 9 item tongue- in-cheek list of ‘manly, masculine and non-girlie’ ways to commemorate the day.

First item on the list is to start the morning with steak and cigarettes.  I think I see what Dr S is saying about truly ‘manly’ men, as he would describe them.   I suspect they aren’t the sort of fellas who would grow facial hair for Movember.

There are other perspectives on masculinity of course (to be fair, some within the Telegraph itself as the related article below shows).  The Mankind Project in the UK also offers one www.uk.mkp.org

Hopefully, despite the scorn from some quarters, self-aware guys will take a chance, today or soon, to rise to the challenge and grow.  Who knows, some might even be selfless and  pursue long-term goals that make them better men.

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Work: Do You Stay Or Do You Go?

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A Difficult Decision To Stay Or To Go - (c) R Dennison November 2013

A Difficult Decision To Stay Or To Go – (c) R Dennison November 2013

In my experience unexpected events can highlight the value of keeping an up-to-date life-plan.  In fact the life-planning topic came up recently when I talked to someone whose work situation took an abrupt turn, for the worse, over the summer.

Things changed to such a degree that they needed to decide whether to stay with their organisation or go, within a couple of days.  Having clarity over their work goals – and the operating values guiding them – would have helped reach that life changing decision speedily.

A query in the Guardian Newspaper’s Work blog has echoes of this scenario.  My thoughts – shown as RogerAD – are straightforward.  The decision hangs on whether the correspondent knows they would be more comfortable:

  • Staying in a job with prospects in 2014 – but little rapport with colleagues
  • Returning to a familiar – but small – organisation next year

Employment is such a significant part of life now, this is not an easy decision to contemplate.  Drawing on inner reserves of wisdom will help.  Seeking coaching support and taking the time to think the decision through will help too.

In the same situation what would your answer be?

http://www.theguardian.com/money/work-blog/2013/nov/15/go-back-old-job-career-stagnation

Work In Progress

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British Library Business & IP Centre

Good Resources At The British Library (c) R Dennison November 2013

Kudos to the British Library’s Business & IP (Intellectual Property) Centre, for one particular area of work.  They definitely lay on some great business-themed learning and networking opportunities.  Over recent weeks I’ve enjoyed finding out more about:

If one of your goals is to learn more about entrepreneurship the British Library is a good resource to tap into.

Here’s another work related thought, this one courtesy of the Daily Telegraph.  Apparently research from insurance firm LV suggests there are 1.7m home-based sole traders in the UK at present.

Some 11% of those traders – 180,000 – do not have insurance for their business activity.  They may believe that their domestic policies protect them, when in fact they do not.

It sounds like there is a need to signpost some top ten ‘how to’ materials to new entrepreneurs.  In that way the 11% figure may gradually come down and fewer start-ups will miss out on a basic element that helps their businesses get going.

 

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Remembrance

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A Chance to Remember (c) R Dennison November 2013

A Chance to Remember (c) R Dennison November 2013

I worked alongside a couple of ex military people during my time in the civil service.

I think I understood their approach to getting their office jobs done.  It was a combination of pride and dedication that they brought to work.

With Remembrance Sunday behind us now I know I won’t be alone in taking two minutes out of my day at 11am tomorrow.

That will be my time to think about the professionalism of the military and the sacrifices they make for the rest of society.  On the eleventh day of the eleventh month it is the least I can do, to say ‘thank you’.

Stock Take Part Three: Wealth

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What is important about your wealth goal? (c) R Dennison November 2013

What is important about your wealth goal? (c) R Dennison November 2013

Part one of the stock take series of posts touched on work.  Part two concerned well-being.  Inevitably part three draws those strands together somewhat by addressing wealth.

According to a recent ‘Better Life Index’ report for the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (link to the OECD’s research is below), increasing the amount of money we possess is an important means to achieving higher living standards and greater well-being.

That may be a particularly important notion for the bottom 20% of the UK population whose annual disposable income, the OECD says, is the net equivalent of approximately £5700.

There is quite a disparity between the bottom 20% and the top 20% equivalent (net annual income of approximately £27,800).  That gap may also underpin the current party political and media conversation around the: ethics of payday loan organisations; senior executive salaries; growth of low-cost retailers’ profits.

Wealth related goals can touch many primal emotions depending on the individual’s upbringing.  Some people are encouraged to view money not as a neutral store of value – but as a commodity about which to feel shame, guilt, or fear.

Once the client’s orientation towards wealth is established the coaching proper can start.

The coaching questions that spring to my mind around managing wealth seem particularly relevant to those on the lower end of the income scale:

–       What is the most important aspect of your wealth-related goal?

–       What progress do you want to have made toward that goal in 12 months’ time?

–       How will you know you are making progress in 6 months’ time?

–       What else could you do to attain your goal?

These are just a handful of the questions which might generate illuminating answers.  I believe if the client can get some specifics down on paper they are increasing their likelihood of success.  Tackling their goals, especially their wealth goal, can definitely make their life seem brighter.

http://www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org/countries/united-kingdom/

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Stock Take Part Two: Well Being

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Promoting Well Being

Promoting Well Being (c) R Dennison November 2013

Thanks to the Office of National Statistics there is an actual measure of happiness.

From ONS figures it seems: where you live matters; your level of material status is a factor; being in a relationship helps too.  Having a secure stake in a local community is also positive.

If only promoting well being was as simple as wearing a badge, to show others they are welcome around you, because you are secure in yourself.  Come to think of it, how do you create a sense of well being for yourself and others?

You can explore the background to the data via the following link.

http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/national-wellbeing-statistics-happiness-wealth

Stock Take Part One: Work

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Rose Tinted Glasses

Looking Through Rose Tinted Glasses (c) R Dennison October 2013

It’s that time of the year.  British Summer Time ended on 27 October.  Stand by for Argos Christmas gift offers; wintery warming recipes on television; Top Ten lists of the year.

Meanwhile, if you are reviewing your Work-Life-Everything Else list in 2013 here is the first three posts which might help.  This part looks at actions you can take to help yourself if your focus is work (well-being and wealth will follow).

Work

Research commissioned by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development suggests that ‘trust between employees and senior managers is more likely to be weak (34%) than strong (29%)… and that trust is particularly weak in the public sector (43%)’.

Seemingly some senior managers wear rose-tinted glasses when they look at their teams’ performance.  Their junior colleagues feel they can’t speak up.  That could make for unhappier workplaces.  If so that’s an unfortunate outcome, as demographic trends seem to show people working for a greater proportion of their lives before retirement.

So a couple of good stock-take questions to ask are:

How can organisational leaders display honesty and integrity to build more trust into their relationships with their employees?

What else can staff do to voice their concerns in a way that captures leaders’ attention?

Hopefully thoughtful answers to those questions can produce more trusting, and productive, workplaces.

For more on the CIPD you can visit them online at www.cipd.co.uk

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Lighting Up The Future

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A match flame

A bit of illumination (c) R Dennison October 2013

It almost goes without saying, that work plays a huge part in most people’s lives – and according to the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) figure there are 29.87 million people in work in the UK.

However the days are long gone in which employees started work with an organisation in their 20s and stayed there until retirement four decades later.

Even a thorough PEST analysis of the political, economic, social and technological climate now could not identify the sort of jobs that will be the backbone of the economy in 2053 .

If only there was some way of being able to light up the period 40 years ahead, and know what make a future career meaningful and exciting.

I would argue (based on the people I have coached) that self-knowledge can help light up that darkness.  If you are supported in developing an understanding of: the qualities you value; the skills you offer; and the work you find stimulating you are closer to where the next few steps in your career might take you.   Having some light shed on the future makes it seem less uncertain.

The Guardian’s Work Blog sets out the quandary quite neatly.  The discussion below the line is useful too.  My comments are shown under the name RogerAD.

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Steady progress

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Pursuing goals can be challenging (c) R Dennison October 2013

Pursuing goals can be challenging (c) R Dennison October 2013

Last week I was waiting for a train across London just after a heavy rain shower.  Although the rain wasn’t falling the platform was alive with thirsty slugs and snails.  I was struck by the determination those molluscs were showing, as they headed to where ever they were going.  Despite the obstacles in their way they kept moving toward their goals.  They covered a fair bit of ground too, in the short space of time I spent watching them.

I think there is an analogue between that image and the coaching process.  I can think of a couple of clients whom I coached over a year where progress was steady, and purposeful rather than explosive.  Their sense of accomplishment resulted in taking actions which gave them a buzz of achievement.  Depending on the client sometimes significant coaching outcomes are most noticeable by standing back and looking at the bigger picture.

So, for one person their valuable outcome was an insight: changing their working pattern was actually their way of opening the door to a significant career change.  For the other client their major learning involved a point of clarity: structuring their time effectively – rather than going off in different directions at once – meant that there would be more time to take small, but significant, steps.  Those steps led them to make inroads on their key milestones.

Bottom line: the terrain may be difficult; the distance to travel may be great;  life planning or time management maybe challenging, but gradual progress is possible.  However close to the ground you are.