More Favourite Quotes

“You cannot look in a new direction by looking harder in the same direction”

Edward de Bono

Just take a few minutes out of your busy day to think what might happen if you tried looking in a different direction today. Allow yourself to think the unthinkable.

Remember your current safe comfortable knowingness,(job, partner, etc.), was once unknown to you. It became safe and knowable because you first tried it out.

If you had no fear and could do one thing today to improve the quality of your life, what would it be?

Be A Lateral Thinker!

If you want to be a lateral thinker, to creatively solve the problems and issues you encounter in life, you’ve got to challenge your own parameters.

Don’t take things for granted. Don’t assume just because they have always happened that way they always will. Rules can be broken!

Here are a few thoughts and questions to ask yourself to aid your lateral thinking:

• Is the question/problem the right one to be asking? Will asking it in another way be more helpful and creative?
• Can you draw out the problem with out using any words? (This is one of my favourites!)
• Is this the actual problem you need you need to be solving at all, or is it something more fundamental that needs to be addressed?
• Why do we things this way?
• What would happen if we threw away all our assumptions and started again?
• If we had all the money (& staff) in the world how would we look at this problem?

Remember real growth and change in you, your personal life, your career, or your business probably won’t come from what you know now but what you might know. You have to get comfortable with the uncomfortable and allow yourself not to know now and again. Try a bit of lateral thinking about your life and see what emerges!

Go With the Flow!

I recently interviewed Elissa Stein, American co author of the newly published book, Flow. the book is causing quite a stir on social media sites and in the press: I thought you might like to see the accompanying video.

I will be reviewing the book soon in a new ‘reviews’ section so please send in your suggestions for good reads!

To see the video just click this link

Inspire Others!

I recently attended a conference where the amazing AllegraMcEvedy was the key note speaker. She was truly inspirational! So much so that despite being first on, she got a standing ovation at 10.30 am!Hearing her speak about the team she has nurtured was an insight into just why she has become so successful.

If you are in a management position, or a role where you inspire others to give of their best, here are a few basic tips which might help:

• Let people know that what they are doing is valued. Make sure you appreciate and notice their contribution to any project or the day to day running of the business. Say thank you often and mean it. People respond well to praise and not to criticism.
• Realise that work is only part of the equation in people’s lives. Take an active interest in their careers. If possible give them opportunities to grow and develop their talents.
• Allow people to make mistakes recognising this is how they learn. Try and engender an attitude of learning from mistakes not blaming. The latter will produce back watching and resentment, the former maybe something truly innovative and exciting!
• Try and let people have as much as freedom in how they do their work as possible. Autonomy is highly valued and can produce great results.
• Let people know you too need help from time to time. Be honest when you need help and also ask staff/colleagues if they require a helping hand.

If you have any favourite tips of your own please do share them!

Women and Careers Tip 10

If you are prone to sit quite meekly in meetings with hands in your lap, or well back from the table, you may be putting yourself at a distinct disadvantage. As Lois P Frankel says in ‘Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office’, normal table manners don’t apply in business situations. You CAN put your elbows on the table!

She suggests the following:

• Look really involved in the conversation by leaning forward slightly with your forearms on the table, hands lightly together. You are also in a good position to gesture that you want to speak as well.
• The head of the table need not be reserved for the eldest and most senior male in the family. Try sitting there once in a while, don’t assume you must take a less significant seat.
• If you can, sit next to the most powerful and influential person in the room (without looking too needy and sycophantic obviously!). Sometimes the power stardust rubs off, and certainly people will tend to look in your general direction, which again gives you opportunities to contribute more.

How to Get Your Point Across!

Do you sometimes feel like no one is listening to you? Does it feel that in meeting after meeting the same old stuff is being trotted out and no one really listens to anyone? Here are a few tips which might help you to stand out more in the workplace, to get your point across and make a real impact!

Six Tips to Help You be Heard:

1) Abandon PowerPoint.

It’s usually dull or overpowering.
We’ve all sat through presentations from someone who has just been on the power point course and use every gizmo going. They either stun their audience into silent submission, or extreme catatonia. People mentally switch off or, are looking at the gizmos not the content. Worse is the person who simply scans in reams of script that no one can read anyway!

If you must use it try to keep to three main points on one page, points that back up what you are actually saying. And don’t turn to look at the screen; keep eye contact with your colleagues.

If it’s the norm in your workplace to do presentations using the dreaded Power Point try leaving it behind for at least one day. Introduce an element of surprise, dare to be a bit different. You might start a trend…

2) Pose a direct question.

Involve your audience from your opening words. For example, if you’re reporting back on sales figures don’t begin with a bald statement of the figures. Try and create a sense of mystery about them. I don’t mean host a quiz (although that’s an idea!) Try ‘Do you remember what sales area broke records for us this last time last year?’ Or ‘How many staff do you think completed our latest on line survey on working conditions?’

Asking a question is open and so requires closing; people’s interest will be piqued.

3) Give Some Details.

Actually putting some context into your talk is helpful. People remember detail and it adds an air of credibility and authenticity. For example, if you’re talking about a trip to another site or office, include some description.

4) Give it Some Height. 

If you are at a seated meeting,stand up when it’s your turn. Studies have shown that people attribute power to tall people. This is an important point if you are a woman and therefore probably shorter than your male counterparts. I’m not advocating teetering about on heels but own your space and inhabit it all. Remember that information is received in many ways but the most commonly quoted statistics estimate:

7% is the actual words that you use
38% is your tone of voice
55% is the appearance of the speaker.

Be careful with that last figure. Words are clearly important but if what you are saying is incongruent with your body language and expression, people will believe the body, not the voice. Look as if what you have to say is important. Be interested in what you are saying; if you don’t look captured by your words it’s certain no one else will!

 5) Be Specific.

When you are explaining ideas use examples that people can visualise easily. People find abstract ideas harder to remember and understand. If you want your ideas to stick try and come up with a good analogy. When we’re told the national debt of a country is so much we generally don’t understand or remember.

However, if we’re told that it’s the equivalent of every person living in London having a massive £100,000 overdraft, it sticks.

6. Men and Women use Different Body Language

Remember that women nod to say “I am listening, I understand, carry on”. Men nod when they agree with what you are saying and they do not give as many obvious listening signals as women.

Do share your most helpful tips for making effective presentations.