One of the benefits in working with a coach is the development or the enhancing of self awareness. Interestingly, most people have a blind spot when it comes to self awareness - few people acknowledge the gap they have in that area. It also seems easier to spot that gap in someone else as opposed to oneself. Evidence of self awareness is in the maturity of actions, decisions taken and the way an individual presents themselves. The most important is when someone acknowledges that they need to work on themselves in a particular area. Further evidence is in self care and self preservation, knowing when to say yes and when to say no.
Self awareness, facilitates courage to act towards change . It affords one an opportunity to almost stand outside of oneself and observe, going meta. With self awareness we have permission to choose what works for us and to walk away from what does not work. We find reason to savor the aha! moments and to learn at a pace comfortable to us. We own the movie director's chair when we are self aware and we take over the production of our lives. It is therefore important that we continue our development in the area, to also solicit feedback from those around us.
It is easier to embrace feedback when we are self aware, whether we asked for it or it was offered unsolicited. We would still decide what to do with it without taking it personal. It is important to be aware of power relations when you ask for feedback. There are cases where employees feel threatened to give honest feedback to their managers, on how they experience them. Feedback that is sugar coated has no value, it will never help the person it is intended for.
We all deal with different challenges at different times and often, we try apply the same tired solutions that do not bring about change. Self awareness catapults our minds to search for innovative, future focused solutions to our challenges. When we are not self aware, we often are in a 'cruise control' mode where we operate without much thought. Think of the drive from your home to the office or to the client, did you notice how you were feeling and why? Imagine the difference if you were aware of the smells and sounds, could there have been a difference in the input or outcome of your meeting?
The skill of self awareness takes time to perfect. Like other skills, we have to continuously work on becoming more self aware. It enriches our experience of the world, as well as our interactions and relationships.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Monday, August 23, 2010
Multitasking is out
Multitasking is dangerous so how do we wean ourselves off? It is important to know that multitasking renders us far less productive than we are capable of, it also gets us functioning at a level far below what we can generally manage. The results when we multitask is producing a very poor product, shoddy work, or interaction with no focus on the person we interacting with. A few ideas to wean ourselves off:
1. Switch off the games, the computer and the phone. Start off with an hour a day. A good time is when you are with family or in a meeting with your team. Look everybody in the eyes and truly engage.
2. Embrace mindfulness in everything that you do. This will take practice to perfect, but make yourself learn to do one thing at a time. Our brains were not made to multitask. If you are eating, sit down, look at he food, chew slowly and enjoy your meal. Use silence creatively. Listen to other points of view and have others experience your interest in what they have to say.
3. Bring back the 'to do'list and go back to prioritising your activities. Planning what to do in advance works wonders.
4. Breathe throughout, stand up and stretch every hour.
5. Be aware of your energy. Do the more demanding tasks when you are mostly productive.
6. Have your routine work for you.What do you do before you start work? Do you take time to think about your work during the process of doing work?
7. Use feedback. Solicit feedback from colleagues and family. How do they feel with you on your laptop almost every evening when you come back from work? Is there a quick win that you can consider? Do your colleagues experience you as fully present or all over the place?
8.Finish what you start unless your work is to initiate and move on. There is satisfaction in staying with a task, until finish. As you step back and admire what you have done, you can only be focused on that outcome.
9. Use a timer to help you develop these habits incrementally, as you immense yourself fully in one thing at a time.
10. Accept that you cannot always do it all.
One of the most dangers of multitasking lately has been texting and driving. Just don't do it.
1. Switch off the games, the computer and the phone. Start off with an hour a day. A good time is when you are with family or in a meeting with your team. Look everybody in the eyes and truly engage.
2. Embrace mindfulness in everything that you do. This will take practice to perfect, but make yourself learn to do one thing at a time. Our brains were not made to multitask. If you are eating, sit down, look at he food, chew slowly and enjoy your meal. Use silence creatively. Listen to other points of view and have others experience your interest in what they have to say.
3. Bring back the 'to do'list and go back to prioritising your activities. Planning what to do in advance works wonders.
4. Breathe throughout, stand up and stretch every hour.
5. Be aware of your energy. Do the more demanding tasks when you are mostly productive.
6. Have your routine work for you.What do you do before you start work? Do you take time to think about your work during the process of doing work?
7. Use feedback. Solicit feedback from colleagues and family. How do they feel with you on your laptop almost every evening when you come back from work? Is there a quick win that you can consider? Do your colleagues experience you as fully present or all over the place?
8.Finish what you start unless your work is to initiate and move on. There is satisfaction in staying with a task, until finish. As you step back and admire what you have done, you can only be focused on that outcome.
9. Use a timer to help you develop these habits incrementally, as you immense yourself fully in one thing at a time.
10. Accept that you cannot always do it all.
One of the most dangers of multitasking lately has been texting and driving. Just don't do it.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Coaching is ...
Coaching is a conversation between a coach and a client based on set objectives that the client seeks to achieve. The coach is trained to ask questions to the client that will facilitate awareness and 'aha' moments that will potentially bring about change. Awareness on its own provides very powerful insights. When a client becomes aware of why they do something or believe in a certain way, they become more open to change the behaviour or belief, especially if it does not yield the results they want.The coach is trained to use and provide tools and techniques that facilitate change. The coach and client are able to co-create together, with the coach facilitating exploration towards new meanings.
Coaching is future focused and will not dwell on the client's past. A typical coaching client is someone who wants to add to their lives, careers,relationships or whatever area they are working on. They could be doing well, wanting to do even better. The coach's role is to hold a mirror to the client for them to 'see' why they are not reaching the heights they would like to reach.
Coaching is future focused and will not dwell on the client's past. A typical coaching client is someone who wants to add to their lives, careers,relationships or whatever area they are working on. They could be doing well, wanting to do even better. The coach's role is to hold a mirror to the client for them to 'see' why they are not reaching the heights they would like to reach.
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