It's a simple system, but a good one. Take five minutes at the end of every work day to tidy your desk, put stuff away and prepare for your tomorrow, by: opening and checking your diary to see what appointments you have and where you need to be at a particular time; what important tasks you need to do and chunk and label specific time in your diary to do them (thereby making an appointment with yourself); what telephone calls you must make. Jot down your appointments, important tasks and telephone calls on a piece of paper so you have an easy, quick visual aid to your day (especially useful if you find you are too busy to open your diary, electronic or otherwise, during a day). Keep it on your desk, so that first thing in the morning when you get to your desk, you can begin work straight away and follow your plan.
For many, the thought of systems, system development and using systems in their workplace constitutes the height of dreariness. Free spirits often like to do their own thing with systems and sometimes develop their own and ignore the organisational ones. The trouble with this approach is that good systems are designed to process information and/or material in the most efficient and effective way and ideally, the systems themselves have been well developed to eliminate any processing gaps, duplicated effort and bottlenecks. So any do your own thing approach tends to cause problems eventually. Systems need to be monitored to ensure they're working in the way intended and staff also need to be monitored, to ensure they're using them. Time invested in systems development is time well spent, as systems are the organisational oil that keep organisations working. If you do needs systems developed, use people who can see all the component parts of a system, as well as the overview of the system in its entirety and how it interrelates with other organisational systems.
I came across this phrase just recently and it took my fancy. It suggests that if we think we can do something we will, thereby showing we could and did; and if we think we can't do something we won't, thereby showing we couldn't and didn't. Some years ago I wondered if I could walk a half marathon - it seemed such a large distance - however, I thought I could do it and did so. A year or so after that I wondered if I could walk a full marathon and thought I could, so I did; now I've committed myself to walk 800 kms over 31 days and know I can do it and will do it. The journey towards any action starts in the mind and the body follows...and it is only by doing that you find you can do that and a whole lot more.
I'm shocked, I really am. I went trekking-shoe shopping on Friday night and had the most amazing customer service experience ever. The store manager introduced herself, offered her hand to shake, found out what I was after, chatted about things as she sorted the fit for purpose shoe and went to great lengths to ensure the final shoe was the right one, in every respect. She focussed totally on my needs and made sure she met them, with great humour and laughter along the way. The personal service was amazing and shocking too, because it is so rare... when it happens (once in a blue moon) it's hard to believe.
I grant you it's not the most elegant phrase in the world, but it's a good one. I often say it to myself when I'm hesitant about doing something and doing the 'will I, won't I' thing. And once I've made the decision to get over myself, I make decisions and get into gear pretty quickly. All too often our internal self talk, fears, imaginings and nervousness overtakes us and we get stuck. So, if, like me on occasions, you find self stuck yet wanting to move forward, then take a deep breath and get over yourself. You'll be glad you did.
There is a quiet revolution going on in many educational institutions that may not be known by workplace employees wanting to get qualifications or update old ones. Traditionally, tertiary education has been delivered in the main in face to face classes or distance learning - with text books and course material arriving through the mail. Yet for many years now, new courses have been developed and existing ones redeveloped for online learning - for certificate, diploma and degree qualifications. A feature of online learning is that the course content and additional reading material is embedded within the course material; the course material is developed especially for the online environment; and studies can be done at any time during the day or night in the privacy of your own home or workplace. If the thought of travelling across town in peak traffic to attend classes doesn't do it for you and you are comfortable with technology, explore online learning options. In New Zealand, TANZ - the Tertiary Accord of New Zealand - has been at the forefront of this development - http://www.tanz.ac.nz/
I shouldn't be surprised at some of the things I hear but I still am, even after fifteen years as a personal management trainer. The one issue that gets me, every time, is hearing managers who have inherited poor performers with a known, longstanding history of poor performance. The core issue, which is startling, is knowing that a long line of managers have chosen not to deal with a serious problem and ignored it in the hope it will go away or miraculously right itself. What does it tell you about the skills and competencies of those previous managers? What does it tell you about the soundness of the organisation's performance appraisal systems? What does it tell you about the organisational culture that tolerates and endorses poor performance? I despair sometimes, I really do.
Some women and men seem to have a natural flair and style in their dress sense. It seems they could go out in a sack cloth and ashes and still manage to look fantastic. Yet, there are the rest of us poor creatures who struggle with colour, style, coordination and overall look, and never quite get the look we want for ourselves. For those of us who do struggle, it is an unpleasant feeling if our roles require us to look smart and professional and we're uncertain if we are on the right track. Help is available and it is an investment well worth making. Professional advisors can do our colours, advise on best styles according to body shapes and sense of self, advise on hair styles and accessories, clean out our wardrobes and take us shopping. Peace of mind can be quickly had with this level of support. If you're based in Christchurch, New Zealand and want help, look at http://www.enhancelife.co.nz/ and see what can be done.
How much time have you spent thinking about your working life? I don't mean the daily thoughts about whether it was a good day or not, but quality time spent reflecting on the roles you've had; the things you really enjoy doing; the tasks that don't interest you or want to be doing any more; the ideal conditions that enable you to be your very best; the things you're passionate about? If you haven't done this for a while, do so. Check whether you heart is in what you do; whether elements in your working world make your heart sing or sink; whether you are thriving or dying inside. And if you know deep down what you are doing doesn't do it for you anymore, then do something about it. You owe it to yourself to do so.