Tag: Your Values

3 Tips For Improving Your Next Zoom or Teams Call

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Joining A Zoom Or Teams Call – Photo by ANTONI SHKRABA: via http://www.pexels.com

Like it, or not, the Covid pandemic has changed the way we communicate. I mean, how many of us had regularly used Zoom or Teams before 2020?

We learnt a lot about videoconferencing software can do (and what its limitations are, especially for users with disabilities).

However, one of my main take-aways is pretty simple, it involves being camera-aware.

No one is saying we should all be as skilled as a television presenter, but now and again you see people being interviewed and blunting their message, due to their camera technique.

Here are my 3 favourite tips:

  • Make use of daylight – ideally use morning or late afternoon rather harsh noon light
  • Speak at eye level – this is a natural way to engage and to avoid up the nostril shots
  • Avoid the built-in Microphone – A clip on microphone, or one attached to earphones will cut down unwanted sounds from the surroundings.

What is your video call secret?

Here Are 3 Life Skills You Gain As A #Carer

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Words Related To Work

Skills Matter – Wherever They Come From (Image From Alvimann From Morguefile.com)

Dementia Awareness Week just ended* and it has put the spotlight on the role played by thousands of part and full time carers out there.

In particular I’ve talked to several people involved with caring for Dementia patients. Those conversations reminded me of the many valuable skills you get from caring for others. Skills which offer a lot to employers seeking fresh talent..

Professional Skills Gained Through Volunteering

Ever focused exclusively on the goal of helping others and lost track of your own priorities? Not to worry, there is an answer to the question:

OK I have done a lot of caring – how do I run those talents into worthwhile job skills?

The skills you use to look after others look good on a resume or CV, especially if you can relate them to the types of employment that interest you.

The trick is to explain the situation in which the skill was used, what task you were responsible for and the action you carried out. What results did you achieve illustrating the skills you want to highlight?

There is a long list of skills from which you can choose, including the following:

Action Planning

You need to be aware** of what you want to achieve before you can become a good planner. Once you are focused on your main task you will be ready to help to bring about the right results, at the right time.

However you go about your planning (maybe you use a wall chart, a smart phone app, or a diary) you still know what results you expect to create at each stage.

You also know which legal, medical or financial rules you have to follow at each stage to get what you want.

What does a successful final outcome look like?

Managing Collaborations

It is exhausting to try to achieve results on your own.

How do you communicate with others so you build new relationships and bring allies into your world?

What do you offer to bring their skills on board?

Problem Solving

Even the best plans can get derailed by unforeseen problems.

Obviously you will have tried to manage the basic risks involved in your project. What does your Plan B look like, should things go wrong?

How will Plan B bring the overall project back into line?

How do you record what you have achieved to ensure you learn how to get better results next time?

Your Next Steps

Thanks for reading about 3 of the key skills which caring can add to your CV. I would love to hear from you. What skills have you gained through volunteering? How have you used those skills in your professional life?

Use the Comment section to share your story, or Tweet me @RogerD_Said. If this post was useful please share it with a friend who would benefit from reading it.

Finally…

*Here is a useful link about Dementia – https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/

** Here is a 30 minute video I recorded recently, worth a look if you would like to learn more about self- awareness. http://bit.ly/Self-Awareness-Superstar-Part-1-Of-3

Here Are 3 Relationship Building Skills You Need To Practice

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Business Cards Can Help Build Relationships

How Hard Do You Listen Before You Try To Be Of Service ?

Have you ever had someone give you a business card before they say anything to you?

There must be some psychological trigger at work. One where the card giver looks at you and thinks ‘That person has a professional appearance. I must introduce them to what I have to offer’

The card giver doesn’t know who you are – or what you might need – you are another person to whom they gave a business card at that event.

Without getting to know you they want you to know them and why their online marketing process (or whatever) represents a great opportunity for you.

Annoying isn’t it?

What Are The 3 Relationship Building Skills You Need?

I think a better approach to building a relationship involves listening. Then making time to establish rapport. From that mutual place of trust you can go forward. You might get to a point where the other person is deeply engaged with what you are saying.

Here are 3 skills at the heart of engaged relationships. Having these 3 elements in place makes it easier to say what you mean concerning your project / area of work / bright idea:

Empathy – How much time have you spent building your knowledge of the needs of the particular niche you want to service?

  • Who is in that niche?
  • What stresses are they under?
  • How does your ‘thing’ reduce those pressures?

Authenticity – Have you been a member of the niche you are focusing on?

  • What true ‘Before and After’ story can you tell to connect you to it?
  • How passionate are you about offering service to your niche?
  • What do you want people to feel when they first encounter your work?

Self-Awareness – How much effort do you want to make in building and maintaining these relationships?

  • What signals tell you that you are holding the other person’s attention?
  • How do you vary what you are doing to deepen your connection?
  • How do you feel if the other person says they are not interested?

There’s A Google Hangout You Might Want To Join

I am hosting a Google Hangout on 12 May looking into these issues – I hope you will want to join in. Follow the link if so.

https://plus.google.com/events/c67917issejfjbmbupmuv125nho

What Is Your Next Step?

Thanks for reading to the end. What step will you take today to build more productive relationships? Feel free to comment below – or Tweet @RogerD_Said – share this post with the people you know who would benefit from reading it.

3 Steps Toward Better Diversity Results And #TVWeWant

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There’s a good chance you haven’t thought about diversity lately.

 

Why would you need to pay attention to diversity after all?

 

Unless one of your goals is to meet the needs of a diverse group of customers (or you have a personal story which connects you to a disadvantaged group) you just get on with providing products and services on an equal basis.

 

However there is a risk associated with not showing  inspired leadership. That risk involves failing to meet the needs of different staff within organisations / industries and not paying attention to different customers / clients.

 

We each have a different life story. Leaders who build on the range of talent available make their team members feel engaged in producing outstanding results since their  unique contribution matters.

 

Diversity Problems In Hollywood Echo Those In UK Television  

 

Follow the link in the Tweet if you want to check out my LinkedIn post on the Diversity Problem within the Hollywood film industry.

 

A similar discussion about the exclusive nature of an industry is taking place within UK public service broadcasting circles. What role will ethnically diverse staff and others at the margins play in that future? You can contribute to the discussion at www.futureoftv.org.uk

 

The Risk Of Staying The Same

 

If the people responsible for bringing new talent into organisations only hire people like themselves they aren’t helping solve the lack of diversity issue.

 

Staying the same within an organisation means it is likely the range of ideas, insight and engagement available to that organisation will remain limited. Customers won’t be served with the widest selection of offers possible.

 

More than that. If the sector stays the same don’t be surprised if in 5 years’ time award winners, Directors, Department Heads and senior staff still do not reflect the widest pool of talent.

 

A Better Way Forward

 

It seems to me there is a better way forward for media, or other business organisations.

 

I think that recruiting, retaining and supporting the progress of a diverse range of creatives (staff) can only widen the rich mix of broadcast output (products and services).

 

A greater mix of outputs makes it easier to achieve customer satisfaction.

 

3 Self Help Steps Toward Greater Diversity

 

So, assuming diversity matters to you here are 3 self-help steps which reflect my experience of supporting the development of women and men from diverse backgrounds since the 1990s:

 

  • Present yourself in a way which highlights your present experience and future potential (don’t get defined by other people’s view of you)

 

  • Record your achievements regularly using testimonials, feedback and a goal setting process (ensure those achievements count towards your next step)

 

  • Support others pursuing their professional development and seek support yourself where necessary (be determined to make the progress appropriate to your ambition)

 

Visit www.experienceyourlife.coachesconsole.com to download a FREE tool to help you tackle your key presentation, achievement or support goals (just fill in your contact info and press the big blue button).

 

Thanks for reading this post (please share it with anyone who would find it useful). Also feel free to join in the discussion on the theme of diversity here in the comment section or on Twitter @RogerD_Said

 

Here Are Some UK Diversity Dates For Your Diary

 

LGBT History Month (February)

International Women’s Day (8 March)

Black History Month (October)

International Men’s Day (19 November)

Disability History Month (22 November – 22 December)

5 Steps Towards Greater Success

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Looking And Acting Like A Winner Picture From Morguefile.Com

Looking And Acting Like A Winner Picture From Morguefile.Com

 

Thank you if you have been following my posts this year. If you have checked in recently you probably know already I led a workshop in January focused on turning goals into reality.

The session reminded me that if you get enough freelancers and 9 to 5 workers together their stories come tumbling out. Their feedback created a snapshot of the world of work in 2016.

Avoiding Overwhelm

They said one of the tougher challenges they faced involved taking the right action and avoiding overwhelm. They were talking about having too few hours each day and too many to do items to handle.

They knew something had to be done. The question was, what to do to get that winning feeling back?

Was starting a new project the answer? Could growing a new professional relationship be a solution? How about keeping going with what already worked?

What Does Success Feel Like?

To help the discussion focus I mentioned Brian Tracy’s principle of starting with the end in mind. Vividly capturing (in words or pictures) what success feels like helps you work out how to achieve it.

Does success involve you creating client-pleasing software which puts a big smile on your customer’s face by offering more results, faster than expected?

Or is your success measured by the strength of the hug you get when you prioritise finishing work in time to pick your partner up from the station?

Greater Success Ahead

Whatever success means for you there is scope for it to include a greater sense of wellbeing; more positive teamwork; a growing group of satisfied customers.

5 Routes To Greater Success 

  • Create Affirmations Using Words You Repeat to Inspire You
  • Construct A Vision Board Capturing Images Of The End Result You Want
  • Use A Favourite Piece Of Inspiring Theme Music To Get You Started On A Key Task
  • Enjoy The Smell Of Success By Using Your Favourite Aroma When Working
  • Treat Yourself To Your Favourite Healthy Beverage To Get Your Creativity Flowing

I will be sharing some more ideas about success ahead of my 5 March Reshaping Reality workshop*

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/reshape-your-reality-now-tickets-21388445416

Thanks for reading this post. Share a comment below about your success strategy. You can also use social media to let a friend have this information if you know it will help them.

How To Start Turning Your Resolutions Into Reality

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What Are You Going To Achieve Today?

What Are You Going To Achieve Today?

As January is nearly over I thought I would ask this question:

How are your New Year Resolutions holding up?

New Year New Start?

With 11 clear months ahead it is easy to promise to live healthier; improve skills; follow different career options; manage money better.

Just making that promise to yourself is very easy.

The reality is (once you have written your goal down) there is a lot of hard work to do something, every day, to move closer to you what you want to achieve.

Where Do You Start?

I think knowing ‘why’ you want to improve your life is essential. Clarity about your why means you can picture what part of your life to pay attention to first.

For example, do you want to feel confident that you are managing your money so your situation will be more secure in future? Then taking action now will start to shape your reality in years to come.

Why Self-Awareness Really Matters

I deliberately opened this post with that Steve Jobs quote. His wording is perfect. The evidence from a workshop I ran a couple of days ago is also spot on.

We each know best what we want from our lives. Our inner voice says it best. Listen to it. Then get your next steps to line up with your priorities.

So, here’s another question: which part of your life will you start improving today?

Want To Get Clarity About Your Priorities?

If you want to get some free support to figure your priorities out follow the link below. Click the blue download button and the ABC tool will be sent to the email address you have selected.

https://experienceyourlife.coachesconsole.com/

Don’t forget to feedback here to let me know how you get on, or to ask questions about tackling your 2016 goals.

 

4 Self Care Strategies Which Also Help Others Achieve Their #Goals

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You Need To Feel Good To Use These Resources Well

You Need To Feel Good To Use These Resources Well

If you are a coach, a team leader, or a motivator you are used to helping others tackle their goals. With the start of 2016 close by where are you on the scale which starts in Excitement and ends in Overwhelming Anxiety?

We can’t all be upbeat 24/7. Sometimes our inner critical voice interrupts our excitement. We are developing into a new area and then BAM! up comes a story from the past where things didn’t go as planned.

Your Stories Have Value

I have supported enough people engaged in professional development as coaches etc to have heard a lot of stories about 2015’s challenges. Building up knowledge, likability and trust is hard work.

To be fair you also hear a lot of optimism about the new opportunities coming in 2016 and how learning lessons from the past can help shape the future.

Self Care Comes First

From what I have heard (and experienced) it makes sense to have a healthy balance between the positive energy you share with others and the wisdom you tap into from your own stories.

Speaking at London’s Business Show recently Britain’s number 1 motivational speaker Brad Burton made a brilliant point about the balance between useful stories and achieving results for others.

Reflecting on his own efforts to get the balance right over the years he said

Your story starts now. Pay attention to caring for yourself, your family and your business.

Your business goal might be achieving good results in your 9 to 5; enjoying success in your part time startup gig; or organising a knockout Christmas social for 100 people. Either way having a healthy balance helps produce good results for others and a feeling of satisfaction for you.

Inspired by Brad here are 4 self care strategies to reduce overwhelm, which you can start using today.

  1. Pay attention to the quality of your contributions – family, colleagues and customers appreciate your efforts. If you over do it trying to be active all the time with everyone in your life the quality of what you achieve goes down.  
  2. Respect others’ boundaries and your own – if you have too much on your plate you can’t offer your best self to others. It is ok to set time when you won’t be available because those limits mean you can focus your time on your priorities.
  3. Care about your results within reason – while you recognise that some outcomes don’t call for 100% of your effort (because 80% will still produce good results).
  4. Decide how often you are going to review your needs – setting time to check in with yourself means you remain mindful of your own maintenance / development priorities. That helps you keep a fresh focus when you are supporting others’ development.

Want To Learn More?

Thanks for reading this far. If you have ideas about the value of self care please leave your comments below. Feel free to share the post if you have found it helpful.

If you are ready ready to start 2016 by making positive changes to your professional work which benefits others take a moment and follow this link https://experienceyourlife.coachesconsole.com/

There you will find a FREE tool you can download by clicking the blue button (in exchange for your contact details) which will help you focus your attention on your biggest priority issue. You will start making improvements from there, if you keep taking action.

If you would like to learn more about the support I offer to coaches, thought leaders, inspiring speakers and others please schedule a discovery conversation with me using the calendar function on the right of the page (where it says Click Here).

How To Take A Step Forward On #InternationalMensDay

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I had a really interesting conversation at a networking event earlier this week.

A woman guest and I were talking about the all the different ways it is possible to be of service and to ask for support so you can improve. Here’s a big generalisation that I brought to our discussion:

Women and men have different ideas about seeking support while they tackle their working day 

Plenty Of Men Aren’t Alpha Males

I went to a Boy’s school, so I grew up knowing a bit about bullying and that some guys held more of the cards than I did (and weren’t shy about pointing that out).

For every Alpha male out there you will find plenty of ordinary guys who are trying to do the best they can with what they have got.

Where many women will reach out and work effectively together to do more than ‘get by’, many men will try to go it alone, toughing it out in isolation, without showing any vulnerability.

Perhaps (at the extreme end of the scale) that is part of the reason why three times as many men take their own lives, as compared to women.

Men Can Take Action

Keeping calm and carrying on only highlights the distance some men maintain between their inner world and the effective support networks they can tap into. 

If there is truth in the men-go-it-alone generalisation then men will keep losing out. They would be better off making time to be thoughtful, working out how they need to grow and taking action to improve their situation. The alternative is spending more time working and less time:

  • paying attention to their inner growth goals
  • deciding where their boundaries lie, so they don’t end up shortchanging their family, friends and community
  • caring about the impact they have on the people they serve, including their clients, their colleagues and the wider community

Making A Difference

I hope that today (International Men’s Day) someone reading this post will decide to set themselves a goal and take an action which helps to improve their quality of life and benefit their community, team and family too.

Share this post with someone for whom it will make a difference today or tomorrow (and comment below if it resonates with you).

Finally, if you want FREE Downloadable information to start the improvement wheels turning for yourself, or a man in your life, please visit
https://experienceyourlife.coachesconsole.com/   

Which 4 Letter Word Keeps You Moving Forward?

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Sunset Framed By Hands

What Will Motivate You Tomorrow? – Picture From Unsplash.com From Mayur Gala

The biopic documenting the life of Apple Founder Steve Jobs will be on screens soon. There are plenty of lessons to take from his innovative approach to life. I like the ones which flow from the memorable commencement speech he gave at Stanford University 10 years ago. That speech included these lines:

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma, which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

I think there are a couple of key ideas in this section of the speech

  • Your inner voice reflects your history, so it is best to pay attention to what it says
  • If you set boundaries for yourself you tune out noisy and unhelpful opinions
  • Caring about your self and others helps you move forward toward your goals

There is an extra bit of pathos in those words, since Steve Jobs knew his time was limited. He was living with cancer as he spoke (he died in October 2011).

Which 4 Letter Word Is More Important For You?

Is it Need? (meaning your wisdom and inner voice tell you something is necessary)?

  • You are driven to take action because your bills need to be paid
  • You need a more senior role in your organisation

Is it Love? (your overwhelming interest and pleasure in something)?

  • Your achievements come from rising to a fresh challenge
  • You are happiest producing an outcome that exceeds expectations

Will Need Or Love Drive You Forward Next Year?

Sometimes we can get so busy with life we lose sight of our driving force.

As far as I can tell Steve Jobs was driven by his love of a challenge and a desire to innovate. What’s true for you?

The people I have coached enjoy reconnecting with their motivation to be happier in themselves as well as more productive team players. Handy attributes to have, especially during tough economic times, when they focus is producing more, quicker and with less resources.

So, which principle – need or love – will help you with your goals next year? Use the Reply space to share your thinking with this community.

Extra Help On Offer

Would you appreciate some extra help working out which of your priorities to pay attention to? Then there is a free download available via this link (just fill in your name and email details then hit the blue button on the left hand side of the page)

https://experienceyourlife.coachesconsole.com/

 

4 Steps Toward Workplace Inclusion And Emotional Intelligence In #NIW2015

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Human Nature: Bringing Empathy To Work - Picture From Dantada From Morguefile.com

Human Nature: Bringing Empathy To Work – Picture From Dantada From Morguefile.com

According to recent research into artificial intelligence (AI)* by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in future there will be many jobs which will be destroyed, or at least done better, because machines have become smarter.

Emotional Not Artificial Intelligence

Luckily National Inclusion Week started today. That programme of developmental events highlights EI (Emotional Intelligence) rather than AI.

Therefore us human beings have a little more time to focus on the way we work with each other. Our goals can remain becoming more successful in delivering results and growing more skilled, innovative and service-focused at work.

Benefits of NIW2015

#NIW2015 highlights the business benefits on offer when people feel more valued, respected and listened to. Those factors help us challenge the status quo.

The benefits to organisations include:

  • More successful results for customers, provided by staff whose values are respected
  • Productive teams, where colleagues work well together towards shared goals
  • High morale, as people are engaged on work which makes good use of their skills

4 Ways To Boost Inclusion And EI

  • Ask staff what systems work well and which could be adjusted to create better results
  • Ensure that each team member has a goal which contributes to organisational goals
  • Prioritise personal development goals, which help staff grow more confident
  • Make sure that equality and diversity good practice is carried out, so that staff can flourish

Have Your Say About Workplace Culture

What is the culture like where you work? Are you able to speak up and suggest change? If you are a leader, what will you do this week to make your workplace feel a bit more human?  Use the Comment section to have your say.

Sharing This Discussion

Thanks for reading this post about National Inclusion Week. If you found it useful feel free to share it with a friend and Like it as well.

*Follow the link for information about Jobs That Artificial Intelligence Cannot Replace
http://bit.ly/Brynjolfsson_And_McAfee_The_Jobs_Which_AI_Cannot_Replace