Best Recipes Ever

Category: Stress Management

  • Workplace Wellbeing Series – Productivity and Wellbeing

    Wellbeing and productivity course image

    According to the Health and Wellbeing at Work 2021 survey report conducted by CIPD, wellbeing of employees is growing as a priority for organisations. Below are some results of the survey that help to understand the top 3 causes of stress:

     Main Causes of stress chart

    Productivity and Wellbeing is a course that has been created to address many of these stress-related issues by helping individuals understand factors that are causing  feelings of stress and perhaps even anxiety and to provide tools to manage these issues with the overall goal of developing a healthy work-life integration so that both your employees and the organisation thrives and prospers.

    The co-creator is business trainer and coach Lyndsey Segal https://www.heads-up-coaching.com/. We have shared our expertise to provide a unique and highly valuable training programme to boost productivity and performance of your team while also prioritising and supporting their mental, physical and emotional wellbeing.

     

    Productivity and Wellbeing – Programme outline

    The training programme can be delivered virtually over 6, 2-hour sessions or in-person over 2 days.

    Programme Outcomes· 

    • Each participant to understand their relationship with time and how to be more productive
    • Use strategies, tools and techniques to improve time management, elevate productivity and performance
    • Plan, structure and prioritise time and tasks to reach personal goals and create a healthy work/life balance
    • Use strategies, tools and techniques to build resilience, mental health and improve wellbeing
    • Develop self-care practices for energy and wellbeing
    • Create action plans for performance, accountability and sustainable improvements

     

    Delivered by:

    ·         Rachel Shackleton, Green Key Personal Development and Green Key Health

    ·         Lyndsey Segal, Heads Up Coaching

     

    For further information, please call directly on 01235 639 430 or contact Rachel Shackleton by email at rachel@greenkeypersonaldevelopment.com or Alissia@greenkeypersonaldevelopment.com

    Green Key Personal Development designs and provides learning & development solutions specialized in the spheres of Leadership and Management, Communication, Customer Excellence and Wellbeing in the Workplace. Solutions are delivered face-to-face, online or through e-Learning

     

    Green Key – Nurturing People, Nurturing organisations & Unlocking potential, through interactive training solutions.

     

    twitter.com/gkeydevelopment

    www.linkedin.com/company/green-key-personal-development

    www.linkedin.com/in/rachelshackleton/

     

  • Who or What is the Heartbeat of Your Organisation?

    Usually we talk about the heart in relation to our health or the health of someone else. The heart can be physically sick, such as a heart attack, angina, arrhythmia or heart failure. We also talk about a “broken heart” referring to emotional trauma of some kind. In the English language this means that someone or something has broken our heart and could be referring to the loss of a loved one, an accident or collapse of a relationship. But what about the heart of an organisation? Would you describe the heart of your organisation as emotionally and physically healthy?

    Who or what is the heartbeat of your organisation? An interesting and perhaps even unusual question. As I see it, an organisation is a living entity, it breathes and has a strong or weak heartbeat. The health of this living breathing entity is based on morale within the team, employee engagement, leadership openness, interest and ability to inspire those who are working with them, clarity of direction, communication consistency, positivity and honesty, teamwork through sharing the wins and openly discussing situations that require change or improvement in order to strengthen strengths and learn how to build and change performance that is not as successful as the organisation leadership or team in question want it to be.

    In answer to the question – the people are the heart and the heartbeat of any organisation and depending on how they are treated physically and emotionally will either result in a healthy or an unhealthy heart that misses a beat, struggles to function in some way or is clearly and obviously down-right sick!

    Let’s take an example: The British government. Most people whether British or otherwise will be able to diagnose the current government as definitely sick because the heart health of this government and the government heartbeat is erratic, slow, possibly due to hypotension and is showing signs of arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythms). Are the arteries furring up due to poor flow of communication, lack of openness and trust? I’ll leave you to decide. This is not about whether you vote Conservative, Labour or otherwise, this is about the obvious lack of heartbeat from the head down within the government, which essentially is an organisation whose role it is to run a country.

    To fix the government or your organisation is it a case of going to the doctor? Probably yes, if those in charge are 1. Unable to see the problems, 2. Have no interest in solving them either due to lethargy or ego. 3. Lack the necessary leadership skills to address the issues constructively and fairly to keep blood flowing through the veins and the heart healthy. Going to the doctor will likely result in being put on medication or several if symptoms are varied. Does this solve the issue and lead to a healthy heart and heartbeat? Unlikely, but it will seem like things are back to “normal” functioning for a short period or until such time as the system can no longer tolerate the medication or requires a larger dose. And we all know that famous quote by Henry Ford, “If you do what you have always done, you will get what you always got.” What has to change?

    To quote Forbes “No man can deliver the goods if his heart is heavier than the load.”

    Fixing the heartbeat in an organisation requires clear goals that are shared openly and with everyone, leaders that are interested in achieving agreed goals while supporting and empowering individuals and teams to perform at their best through active coaching, nurturing and fairness. Finding individuals doing things right and encouraging more of the same. Openly addressing blockages and issues constructively to firstly understand and then work collaboratively to solve them, not just temporarily, but permanently. A short-term fix, if needed can hold issues satisfactorily while the long-term fix is put in place. Think of a short-term fix as a sticking plaster, it will at some point come off. Just as managers and leaders look at weekly and monthly reports on financial performance it is important to also check the organisation heartbeat in the same way. This can be done through some form of assessment tool or wellness report. When the relevant indicators are showing there is an issue, or might soon be an issue, be proactive in addressing this before the issue takes hold.

    How do you know the heartbeat of your organisation is struggling? The answer is the same as when a doctor looks at a blood test, it shows markers that could be related to different undesirable heart conditions.

    • Low morale – arrhythmia, furring up of the arteries, hypo or hypertension, a “broken” heart
    • Negativity and toxicity – hypertension, angina, pericarditis, myocarditis, fatigue, anxiety
    • Poor teamwork – furring up of the arteries, hyper or hypotension, anxiety
    • Poor performance – the heart is not in it! The blood is pumping, perhaps not optimally, but it is still pumping, just enough to get by with nothing to spare – Hypoxemia (a low level of oxygen in the bloodstream), lack of recognition – a “broken” heart.

    The health of your organisation is dependent on a healthy heart with a strong heartbeat and is as important as the health of your own heart and heartbeat. Zig Ziglar once said “Among the things you can give and still keep are your word, a smile, and a grateful heart.” A simple message for any leader.

    If you would like to ensure that your corporation is fit enough to tackle current and future challenges then contact me (Rachel Shackleton) for a free no-obligation chat.  

  • Managing Your Workplace Stress video

    It is estimated that 12 million working days are lost each year in the UK due to stress-related illness. This worrying statistic is part of a widespread culture of workplace stress. Be it toxic environments, poor leadership or uncompromising deadlines, many workers are feeling the pressure. See my tips on manging your stress levels at work and excelling in a team environment! I filmed a video about this topic – watch the video here or read the transcript below if you prefer:

    Transcript:

    Hello, my name is Rachel Shackleton Welcome back or welcome to my youtube channel both for Green Key personal development and Green Key Health. Today I’m going to be talking about work related stress, and how to build resilience. I recently wrote a blog on this topic. I won’t be covering the whole content of the blog, but a couple of points of things that you can implement in your life to help build your resilience. Without further ado, let’s get going.

    According to UK Government website, more than 1 million people are suffering from work related stress, and it is estimated that more than 12 million days, workdays are lost to businesses every year due to work related stress. Of course, we cannot say that all stress is coming from the work environment. Of course not. There is always going to be a combination of work related stresses and stresses coming from our own lives due to life’s curveballs we all get and we have to deal with. However, there are things that we can put in place to help us to decrease the impact because long term stress on the mind and body aggravates existing disease conditions leading to more serious diseases. This is where we start to suffer and have to have sick days. There is absenteeism and so on and so forth.

    What is stress? Stress is defined as a situation that is forced on you that requires immediate response. This in itself can drain both mental and physical resources and particularly as I mentioned a few minutes ago, when it is ongoing this can trigger chronic diseases. Common stressors include financial issues, emotional issues, lifestyle issues, very often poor nutrient rich diet, so our body and mind is not getting the nutrients it needs in order to respond appropriately. So the question then is what can we do for ourselves to manage the stresses that we live on a day by day basis? Let’s first ask the question, what is the difference between stress and a challenge? So challenge is appropriate. It is appropriate stretching of both mind and body to achieve something. Stress kicks in when a challenge becomes overwhelming in some way. That means that stress works in the opposite way it starts to deplete mind functioning and the body in some way by developing some form of condition, whether that’s back pain, headaches, stiff shoulders, gut issues, and so on and so forth. When we look in the work environment, there are a number of areas that any leader would put for his or her team members as challenges. For example, achievement of certain goals. For example, certain deadlines, deadlines might be too short deadlines might be just right. If the deadline is too short, we can create that stressed environment if the deadline is too long we then find underperformance if the deadline is just right, we have the challenge but we don’t have the on going stress.

    Stress in the work environment can also be caused by other factors, such as a toxic working environment. Perhaps the working environment is overly competitive. Perhaps the boss himself or herself is a not a particularly good leader and is showing up one day over friendly, easy calm the next minute or the next day is completely wired and is overreacting to everything. This makes it very difficult for any team member to work in these circumstances.

    Each one of us is unique. There is no one size fits all. I mentioned some of the physical factors that might show themselves if you are under a constant form of stress due to your lifestyle, due to work environment due to personal issues, whatever it is. Some of the most common symptoms of stress are headaches, migraines, if you didn’t suffer from migraines before or headaches before and you start getting headaches on a regular basis. This could be an indicator that the body’s trying to tell you to back off or slow down, take the foot off the pedal back issues another typical one related to stress. The back is actually the support system of the entire body and if that is crumbling, or aching, not holding you up, you’ve got to look at what is causing that and ask yourself why is my back aching in this way? Some people put stress into that gut and start to suffer from things like irritable bowel syndrome-type symptoms where one day you might be going to the loo in a hurry and the next day, you can hardly go to the loo. This could also be shown in bloating after you’ve eaten and other gut issues and things like this. Of course those are physical. The mental side of being overly stressed things like feeling a little bit depressed, feeling anxious feeling overwhelmed on a constant basis, not wanting to go out, not wanting to socialise. These are all indicators that the body is suffering in some way. It’s showing you that you need to take a look at this and ask the question, why?

    In my blog, I mentioned five simple steps to managing your stress or your overwhelm. I’m not going to cover all five here. I’m just going to cover two of those in the blog and you can refer to the blog later for the other three. The first one I’d like to look at is be more assertive or be assertive. Being assertive means that you’re able to stand up for yourself. It means that you don’t compare yourself to others. Comparing yourself to someone else is actually a useless exercise because you’re unique as the other people and what they’re good at you may not be but what you’re good at they may not be good at, therefore, why go down that route. So avoid comparing yourself to others. Be aware of the areas where you communicate and you don’t actually say what it is you want to say. In other words, you say yes, when you’re asked if you can do something, maybe do an extra shift, work longer today, take on an extra task, whatever it is, and you say yes, when actually in your heart, you know that it’s “No”. You need to learn to turn around to that person and talk it through with them, find a compromise or negotiate a different solution that suits them and suits you. Do not be afraid to do that and if necessary, actually say “No”. Assertiveness also means speaking up for yourself in meetings, speaking up for yourself and one to ones sharing your opinion. Sharing your ideas, sharing your thoughts, not allowing another person to actually shout you down because you have a different opinion. You have a right to have a different opinion, as does everyone else and that difference is not a foundation for emotional distress. It is a foundation for confidence that you can think for yourself that you can be yourself. But, at the same time if a different decision was made that is not what you wanted, you have to give your commitment and work with that when you’re in the work environment and you’re working in a team so that the team accomplishes what the team is committed to accomplish.

    The other step that I would like to include today to help you manage your stress better and improve and build your resilience is setting your own boundaries and creating me time. We all need me time. Now that means time can be downtime. It can be time where that’s just yours. to do with what you want, whether that’s walking in nature, doing the gardening, walking the dog meeting friends, lying in a bubble bath. It doesn’t matter what it is. It’s that time that feeds you, feeds your mind your body and your soul and this is really important to recharging the tanks. But also, me time can be in the work environment where you set the boundaries for when you’re available and when you’re not available, giving yourself time to accomplish those tasks, those goals that you’ve committed to accomplish. Therefore you put a notice on your door, or a notice on your computer screen, whatever it is that helps your team members know you’re not available at this time. Whether that’s a regular time once a week, or whether you take each week separately and say okay, my me time this week is Wednesday afternoon or it’s Friday morning, or whatever it is. Educating your colleagues around that system and that process for you is very liberating. It also gives you time to think yourself, to clear the mind to unclutter and to really get down to a task, that task that is important and urgent, not only for you, but for your colleagues, your team and your business as a whole.

    I hope what I’ve been talking about is useful for you. And I urge you to go and read my whole blog, which is on www.greenkeypersonaldevelopment.com. There you’ll find all the other steps and more detail around what I’ve been talking about, which I hope will feed your mind and your soul and that you’ll have some techniques that you can put into practice to build your resilience and therefore manage your stress more effectively.

    I thank you so much for listening, and I look forward to welcoming you back to my YouTube channel.

  • Working from Home? Distracted & Struggling with Motivation?

    The present lockdown experienced by the majority working from home has lost its sex-appeal.  The novelty of being at home, and often working in a onesie or your pyjamas, no longer has the initial draw and excitement of going back to the inner child.  Things have become “business as usual” in the home setting with all the added distractions of working from home.

    Most of us are now in the second phase, of trying to motivate ourselves to work through our to-do lists, meet deadlines and engage in the work environment fully motivated and inspired to achieve, to close projects, search clients, close deals, follow up, and meet on-line as the “buzz” of colleagues going about the same, is simply not there.

    Talking to a colleague or boss on-line with the family photograph, wardrobe or favourite plant in the background simply does not cut it!  The human smell has gone, the human touch is distant and the to-do list competes with the distraction of whatever is happening within the family, which friend is calling, in the kitchen, on the patio or simply outside.

    In a recent training, conducted over an interactive business platform similar to Skype, designed to assist with the transfer to working and managing people from home, raised many issues.  The three top issues raised were:

    • How to create a new structure and working regime within a confined space?
    • How to maintain the level of support and contact with team members with a limited toolbox?
    • How to motivate and inspire myself to perform effectively and productivity without the human contact and “touch” of peers and subordinates.

    In the first module we primarily addressed the work structure and regime by sharing ideas and understanding of what colleagues are doing to protect their performance and stay motivated.  It sounds so simple, however when you live in a 2-3 room apartment and there are two of you competing for space, or you are the only one, emotions interfere prying on feelings of lack of security, exhaustion through constant screen time, lack of support in terms of humour, someone to have a coffee with and the importance of recognition when you pass by one of your subordinates to simply say “Hi”.

    Working from homeWHAT ARE THE EIGHT TOP TIPS TO MANAGE DISTRACTIONS, MOTIVATE AND INSPIRE YOURSELF?

    1. Dress for work – start your day as you would normally if you were going to the office. Get out of your pyjamas and go through the routine of preparing yourself for work. In doing this you shift your attitude to a work attitude.Working from home certainly is not new, but with Coronavirus pulling us all into lock down, it has become our new normal. Whether that is temporary or not, here are eight tips to manage distractions, motivate and inspire while working from home.
    2. Use the normal daily routine to your favour.  Avoid trying to search for that perfect variant. Likely it does not exist.  Get up at the “normal” time, eat breakfast, prepare your lunch that you would normally take with you to the office.  Keep it to eat later. Schedule in breaks in accordance with what is on your to-do list and enjoy a virtual coffee break or lunch with a colleague. Close the working day at the scheduled time, informing colleagues that you are finished for the day with a message on the screen.
    3. Educate international colleagues who are on a different time zone that just because you are working from home does not mean you are available 24/7.  Set the parameters and inform them.  There are always exceptions to this rule when there is a crisis of some kind, as there would be if you were working from the office.
    4. Stay in contact – don’t wait for a work-related question to check in with your colleagues and subordinates.  Check in with them to “see” how they are feeling, and to share human contact.  If you feel down and distracted, call someone that you know always gives you a boost, and take 10 minutes to share issues outside of work.  Doing this helps to alleviate the “I’m on my own feeling” and pick up your spirits to return to whatever you were working on.
    5. Recognise and be open with how you are feeling – acknowledge your feelings and work with them through being kind to yourself.  Use techniques such as deep breathing, tuning into your senses for 5-10 minutes, stretching and loosening up, away from your work-space, or try meditating.  It is quite normal to feel insecure, angry and fearful.  However, these emotions when suppressed and buried only undermine your confidence taking away your self-empowerment.
    6. Use any distraction to tune into your senses.  Instead of fighting it, flow with it.  Follow the distraction for a few minutes through sight or hearing.  Be truly present to it. When the distraction naturally comes to an end, return to your work.  You will find that by being mindful and flowing with the distraction that you are now able to focus once again.
    7. Trust yourself and trust others. Systems to a certain extent are able to track productivity, but at the end of the day this is about building relations and not vica- versa.  Having trust that colleagues and subordinates are doing their tasks is important both for mind and body.  If you have agreed with your subordinates on what they are to do, trust that they will do it, being open for questions and nurturing them when they are having an off-day.
    8. Cut subordinates, peers and yourself some slack. The most important aspect of being human, has been removed.  Human beings are social animals. The social recognition given and received from others is vital to our survival.  It is normal and natural to miss that, leaving our minds and ultimately our bodies to fill the gap.

     

    To learn how we can help you and your organisation, email Rachel directly at rachel@greenkeypersonaldevelopment.com

     

    Rachel ShackletonRachel Shackleton is an entrepreneur who owns and manages Green Key Personal Development and Green Key Health. Working with local and multinational organisations, she is a public speaker and trainer in the spheres of leadership, communication and customer excellence. She ensures sustainable productivity and profitability through healthy self-management and leadership practices, ensuring a focused and successful workforce.

  • To bank or not to bank? The customer has a choice

    This morning, I travelled 25 miles to and from Reading specifically to meet with a Business manager from firstly the bank that I currently bank with, and secondly another bank that I am looking at in comparison.  Why you might ask did I travel that far to have this meeting? The simple answer is that the branch where I bank, which is 12 miles away does not have a business manager. Having tried to discuss the points by phone, it was agreed that I should come into Reading and meet with the one and only business manager for what appears to be the Berkshire area.

    This is an account of two experiences in two different banks on the same morning.

    Bank No. 1 where I have banked for more than 20 years.  The Business Manager who met me, based on the appointment made, was under the impression that I wanted to open an account.  Clearly the message of why I wanted to meet was not relayed.  Having corrected her on this topic, and explained why I was there, she immediately stood up and said that she would invite her senior, more experienced colleague to join and answer my numerous questions.

    The more experienced colleague started with the phrase “So what is your problem that I can help you with?”   Sadly, this question lacked my name in the first address.  Sincerely, if I personally had a problem, I would not be talking to a bank representative?  Again I repeated the issues that I would like to gain advice on, as well as to find some kind of solution.  The lady concerned turned to the rate sheet and began to demonstrate the charges involved in what actually is a very simple transaction.  To this, I explained “I know what the rates are, I am looking for a solution to this situation because for this simple transaction, it is costing me about 12% each time!”

    Sadly, the lady both missed my need for help and secondly ignored my frustration, which was evident from the lack of interest she showed in trying to find solutions that might mitigate some of the cost.  Instead, “Well you know we do not fix the rates!” she exclaimed.   With that I understood that my plight was neither important nor of any concern to this person, and perhaps to the company as a whole.  What’s one customer?  I tried one more time by saying “You are looking at a very unhappy customer,” in the hope that this might spur her to explore options and recognise me as an individual and a customer, rather than a number and a statistic.  Why you might ask?

    Bank No. 2 Just down the road a few hundred metres on the same high street is a competitor bank where I had also arranged a meeting, which had been re- confirmed with me that morning. This experience was so different it was a joy, despite not being 100% satisfactory due to my requirements. The business manager knew in general what I was coming for, offered me a drink and then proceeded to build rapport with me before going into the details of opening an account.  She took time to understand my needs and whilst unable to answer some of the questions arranged a meeting for me with the relevant person.

    In this bank, I watched with interest and focus on how other customers were being treated.  Each time the customer was given attention, interest and appropriately directed, or questions answered on the spot.  When the queue got more than 3 people waiting someone came out from an office and helped manage the enquiries.  It was a well-oiled team with customers at heart.

    How can two experiences with practically the same goal, be so different? We cannot attribute this to differing weather patterns, Brexit or any other reason. The end of this story is left to you the reader.  I know what I have done to ensure the bank I work with shares common values of respect, ownership, flexibility and simple old fashioned regard for me as a customer.

  • Transitioning to a Remote Classroom

    A Guest Post by Shaheen Sajan

    Transitioning to a remote classroom could sound as intense as learning to land a plane while reading the pilot’s manual. To add to the helplessness of the situation, it’s as if our children are the passengers of this flight of fancy and nobody knows how this thing’s going to land. What I know as an e-Learning professional is that it doesn’t have to be so dire.

    Think of it this way, we learn best by doing and there are some amazing resources out there to help both parents and teachers, so they’re not faced with the daunting task of reinventing the wheel.

    Yes, there have been some teachers whose idea of remote learning means recording a video of themselves talking about some mundane subject and then asking their grade 3 students to pause every few seconds to write down what they just said. But it really doesn’t have to be this way.

    Follow these four easy steps used in e-Learning and your students in k-12 (North America) or primary-A-levels (UK) will log on each morning, eager to learn more:

    START WITH A CLEAR GOAL FOR EACH CLASS

    Let them know what they’ll be able to do by the end of this class. When the goal is achieved, the students feel empowered knowing their time was well spent. 

    For parents, in case the goal wasn’t achieved, it leaves your children with something tangible to work on. For additional support, you can set up free accounts for them on sites like IXL.com or Khan Academy to get real-time feedback on their children’s development through a suite of interactive activities. Real-time feedback in general should be something I’d suggest all teachers strive to provide so that it’s timely, otherwise for children, it becomes disconnected and irrelevant.

    Transitioning to a remote classroomKEEP THE CONTENT RELEVANT AND FOCUSED WITH PLENTY OF OPPORTUNITIES TO PRACTICE

    Here are four easy steps used in e-Learning for students of all ages.

    If you’re teaching new terms, and there’s an assessment, the assessment should focus on the terms that were taught in this lesson, not in previous ones.

    USE A BLENDED LEARNING APPROACH

    Teachers know better than anyone that children are unique and have their own learning styles. Create a balance using a mix of videos, zoom classes, online flashcards and hands-on activities. By the way, they don’t have to be videos recorded by the teacher, try and include videos already available online. When you’re teaching a language for example, if we were to choose between a teacher’s low budget attempt of rhyming through the vocab list compared to the plethora of quality videos already on YouTube teaching the same vocab list, then why re-invent the wheel, especially when there’s a really good wheel already out there?

    As parents, there are some great ways to extend that language course with Duolingo. That’s such a great platform that you’ll hear zero groans or resistance from your kids when you suggest they do their daily five- or ten-minute session. In fact, they’ll like it so much, you’ll rarely need to ask. That’s what good online learning should feel like. The technology is already there, so there’s no reason why we can’t make their remote learning experiences rewarding and engaging. The big win is that when learners are excited the real learning happens, and that’s when they really are going to retain the content in front of them. So how do we build that excitement?

    MAKE IT FUN

    Game-based learning is a multi million-dollar industry in e-Learning for a reason. It’s what motivates learners to want to learn more and more. It puts them in the driver’s seat of learning and whether they’re competing against others on a leaderboard or simply competing against themselves and their last attempt, it motivates them to want to keep improving, which means by default, they keep practicing that skill. It’s through repetition after all, where retention levels can really get elevated.

    A great example of this is Studio Code where learners can use code to build a video game. There’s a very tangible reward at the end of their labour, which is a great of their own creation. It’s perfect to get you through the entirety of a very rainy Sunday afternoon. 

    An engaged and empowered learner is a motivated learner. When they’re having so much fun learning that they forget that they’re learning, those are the moments when I know we are going to land that plane just fine.

     

    To find out more about how Green Key can design interactive e-Learning courses for your organisation, contact Rachel Shackleton directly.

  • What is the impact of morale on productivity?

    I have been working with a hotel client who has been undergoing a change in ownership from one owner to another.  Any kind of management buyout, transfer of ownership, or change of direction within an organization is guaranteed to create unease amongst the management and staff.   Fear of the unknown is always daunting irrelevant of how vital our position might be or how many times we have been through similar situations.

    Major change automatically, whether consciously or not, takes an individual out of their comfort zone and into the potential sphere of the unknown, with the ultimate impact of slowing down work ethic and productivity through comments such as “The new owners may not like it this way – lets wait.”  “The new owners will probably change this so no point in starting.”  “Why start something now when a new General Manager is coming in soon and he will for sure want something different?” And so on.  Sounds familiar?  This slowing down has its effect on the business through less productivity, less desire to sort out customer problems and more “private chats” in the corridor.  The overall effect usually sees a drop in staff morale

    My client supported the idea of a one day ‘Change Management” programme with elements of effective communication, as the foundation to sharing information – concerns, worries, problems etc   The main goals of the workshops were to:

    • Realize the new owners expect a change in service offered to guests
    • Feel excited and empowered to make those changes
    • Be motivated to want to stay with the new owner

    These goals, whilst appearing unambitious revealed an enormous amount of information about how personnel were feeling, giving them an opportunity to share in a non-threatening environment. Additionally, providing an understanding of where the real problems lay – lack of uniform, poor canteen food, unfair scheduling, the difference between how casual labour are treated against full time staff, lack of and poor communication throughout the operation, lack of working equipment, thus driving the need to hide their own equipment to avoid being embarrassed when serving the guest, to identify a few.

    What was the impact of all these points on the overall morale of the personnel and therefore the direct correlation in how they were communicating with and serving guests and clients?  Knowing you are starting the day looking worn out, with only eight hours between finishing one shift and starting the next.  A uniform that is no longer smart and fresh looking because you only have one, and on this particular day, had no time to wash and dry it before the new shift.  These examples have great impact on internal confidence and morale even before considering the lack of operating equipment needed to serve all customers in the manner that is expected and other issues such as scheduling, communication and taking responsibility.

    As managers and leaders, how can we ask “more” of team members under these circumstances?  Clearly, we cannot.  Addressing these issues and many more has provided a foundation to build trust and from this to start to excite and inspire individuals to believe in what they are doing and to work together to achieve levels of excellence expected from each and everyone in the team.

  • Where is the Blue Ocean Strategy to “Beat COVID”?

    The current national and international lockdown is impacting individuals in ways that may not yet be obvious. Most organisations with the exception of those that are classed as “essential” are either working from home or closed, such as the hospitality sector including hotels, pubs, clubs, restaurants and sports centres as well as many small businesses that are either temporarily or permanently closed as their cash flow could not stand the “forced” closures.

    Whilst Covid19 has taken the world by storm and led leaders in governments to make extreme decisions by closing the economy to protect the vulnerable, what is the actual impact on individual health due to fear, anxiety and lack of social contact?  Is this being measured and is there a plan to address this?

    It is easy to be critical of our leaders for taking decisions that most leaders will never have to face, but assuming that these decisions to close economies are correct, where is the plan to manage the situation, and more importantly deal with the fallout from anxiety caused by firstly the fear of getting the deadly virus and secondly fear of the unknown due to potential redundancy, continued furlough, health of loved ones and so on that is increasing the number of people suffering from mental ill health on a daily basis?  How come this has not been addressed by our governments?  Are our leaders really blind to this?

    WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF FEAR ON A PERSON AND ON SOCIETY?

    During the last year, certainly in the UK we have been told to stay home to protect the vulnerable and our NHS (national health service) therefore, to avoid mixing and socialising, to not visit family members and to keep grandchildren away from their grandparents so that they do not pass on the virus, consequently protecting them. Whilst this is protecting them from Covid, could it be possible that we are negatively affecting both the grandchildren and the grandparents and possibly “killing” them with separation and isolation?

    The definition of fear according to the Cambridge dictionary is “an unpleasant emotion or thought that you have when you are frightened or worried by something dangerous, painful or bad, that is happening or might happen.”

    Fear is the underlying issue that stops us from making change, from taking risk and most importantly from “hearing and seeing” what it is we need to see and hear.  It drives behaviour that we would not normally exhibit when we use our logic and think clearly using our left-brain function of analysis, calculation and logic. Infact fear paralyses the ability to think and therefore those being led through a fear situation often look to their leader/s to provide direction, surety and calm in the way forward.  This opens the door for an autocratic leadership approach during a crisis.  Followers are told what to do, and in most cases follow blindly during the time of uncertainty and chaos.

    Where is the blue ocean strategy to "beat covid"?As the chosen style of leadership has so far been the autocratic style surely it is time to address how we are to move forward in order to generate confidence and trust in both our leaders and the future?  As we have been under the Covid threat for almost a year now, and probably more than a year as there are reports of people suffering with Covid type symptoms in December of 2019, is it not time to pull together a plan of action to:

    1. Balance the Covid threat with everyday life enabling businesses to get on with business and for people to live and go about their business “normally”?
    2. Restore the economy from the devastation the pandemic has caused?
    3. Deal with the fallout from the fear that has led to the massive increase in mental ill health, anxiety and depressive disorders in all ages within our societies?
    4. Bring families together to support each other as would normally be the case in a crisis, rather than dividing them creating additional fear and insecurity, which in turn weakens the immune system?

    Surely leadership is not only about fighting fires, but putting in a plan to get everyone out of the fire, even in an unknown situation?  It is clear now that the current government adviser group are not coming up with answers to address most of these issues, simply hanging their hat on a vaccine that even they admit does not stop transmission of the virus nor does it make you immune against the virus. Therefore surely it makes sense to invite and listen to other expert bodies of people who are not within the usual adviser group to get some different perspectives and inputs on how to move forward out of this situation?

    This brings to mind the book, “Blue Ocean Strategy” by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne published in 2005 which is primarily the study of Cirque de Soleil and several other organisations including Starbucks and North West Airlines and how they created new market space. Instead of competing in a red ocean, they created their own blue ocean of tranquillity and success and in so doing appealing to a new market, leaving competitors behind.   We have been in the Covid red ocean for too long, competing for who supplies who with what to fight the fire and “beat Covid”.  Where is the strategy to leave this red ocean and move on into calm and normality, whatever that might look like?

    Remember, “if you do what you always did, you will get what you always got”?  Cirque de Soleil came out of the red ocean it was in by analysing what others were doing, taking the best from that and creating something completely different, thus creating a market audience so that years later they are still very successful.

    When can we expect to see a Blue Ocean Strategy that our leaders use to lead us into calmer and successful waters?

     

    To find out more about how Green Key can help you and your leadership journey, contact Rachel directly. 

     

    References:

    Blue Ocean Strategy, W. Chan Kim, Renee Mauborgne, published 2005, Harvard Business School Press

    NHS

  • Stress is good – Well sort of…….?

    When was the last time you walked into a train and saw people just sitting or standing looking into “space” or out of the window?  When was the last time you walked in the street and everyone was mindful of where they are going, but not in a hurry to get there first?  When was the last time you walked into an office and everyone was relaxed, thinking, planning, calmly listening to each other and discussing matters of importance, but not urgency?

    What is the point that I am making?  Today’s world is going at such a fast pace that most of us don’t think about, pay attention to, or even notice others as we hurriedly make our way to the office, to home, the shops or in general through life!  What is the impact of this on our well-being and in general on how we see life – Do we live to work, or work to live?

    Stress is at the base of many symptoms and “dis-eases” that modern man suffers – insomnia, depression, anxiety, high blood pressure, stomach ulcers, digestive problems such as Crohn’s disease and acid reflux, much of which we bring on ourselves by the type of life we lead.  What is stress and how can we manage it?

    Stress may be defined as  “a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or demanding circumstances.”  Stress is primarily a physical response.  When stressed, the body thinks it is under attack and switches to ‘fight or flight’ mode, releasing a complex mix of hormones and chemicals such as adrenaline, cortisol and norepinephrine to prepare the body for physical action to fend off danger.   This is commonly known as the “fight or flight” response.

    In the modern world, the ‘fight or flight’ mode can still help us survive dangerous modern day situations, If taken to the extreme it can cause a number of reactions, from blood being diverted to muscles to shutting down unnecessary bodily functions such as digestion. If we find ourselves in the fight or flight state for long periods, due to too much stress, blood flow to the brain is minimised, potentially leading to the inability to think straight and cause dis-eased reactions in our general state of health.  Elevated cortisol levels can lead us to being less tolerant of others, aggressive and short tempered as well as causing an increase in sugar and blood pressure levels, and often a decrease in libido.

    Pressure or Stress

    Most of us respond well to and give of our best when jobs, careers and lives are challenging, but at the same time stimulating, and interesting.  Tasks that are too easy do not engage us or encourage us to give of our best.  On the other hand tasks that are overly challenging, or too numerous push us, and inevitably those around us into an area of too much stress.  Giving of our best means learning to know when we are under or over our limit.  Signs might include:

    Under-stressed – We show a lack of interest or enthusiasm.  We don’t see the meaning behind what we are doing and become bored or have lack of energy.  The colour associated with this state would probably be “grey”.

    Over-stressed – We feel anxious and often confused, feeling like we are in a hamster wheel with no way out. Judgment on situations drops, our ability to solve problems becomes less effective, mistakes increase, re-work increases, and potentially we get angry and frustrated at ourselves and others.  The colour here would probably be “red”

    Optimum level – We are alert and self-confident.  We are interested, respond appropriately and do our tasks with energy.  Our overall demeanor is calm, relaxed, positive and enthusiastic.  For this state, there are several colours that might be associated with optimum level – yellow, green and blue.

    How to achieve and maintain optimum level

    Research into lifestyle shows that we will be better equipped to manage stressful situations if they come along when mentally and physically well.  This means exercising at least three times per week.  Exercise does not have to be running a half marathon or doing the iron man, it can be walking the dog, or yourself upwards of 30 minutes at a steady pace.  It can be swimming, playing tennis, football or any other sport that increases cardiovascular activity to exercise the heart muscle, increase oxygen in the blood, and to the brain and raise the essential endorphins or feel-good factor.

    Maintaining the correct body weight means we are not straining our heart, we are feeling comfortable and happy within ourselves and the organs within our body are not having to work harder, thus taking essential energy due to excess body weight.

    Body weight and energy are achieved through a balanced diet.  Does this mean we cant have the odd piece of cake, packet of crisps or bar of chocolate?  Of course not!  However, eating three meals a day thus feeding the brain as well as the body is important.  Meals should contain slow releasing carbohydrates (whole grains, lentils and pulses), essential fats of Omega 3 and 6 (avocados, pumpkin, sunflower and flax seeds), good quality protein to supply with body with amino acids (chicken, eggs, fish and lentils), and lots of vegetables.  In other words at every meal you should be eating the rainbow!

    Water is not only essential for our bodies, but vital for organ health, the brain and all bodily functions. The human body is made up of 75% water and 25% solid matter.  Brain tissue is 85% water.  When cells in the body are starved of water they start to complain manifesting in different reactions, including stress.

    Additional methods of coping to help us maintain optimum level are:

    • Practice good time management
    • Say “No” when it is needed to say “No”
    • Practice constructive self talk
    • Develop a support system of people you can talk to
    • Avoid procrastination – do it today!

    Stress is necessary at some points in our life, the trick is to ensure that it is “optimum level” stress and if for some reason it goes into “over stress” it is short lived and temporary.

  • Successfully Adapting To Change

    I was out walking recently and heard green canaries chirping in the trees above. This led me to consider the meaning of “adaptability” and how important that is in our world today. Green canaries are not native to the UK. Coming from warmer climates, they have learned to adapt not only to the UK vegetation and food, but also the climate. How did they do this? 

    Being able to adapt to changing circumstances gives the possibility to see and embrace new opportunities, as well as to flow rather than block what is happening around us without becoming a “Yes” man or woman and just going along with everything, therefore being run roughshod over.

    WHEN IT COMES TO ADAPTING AND CHANGING ARE YOU PIVOTING OR ADAPTING?

    Pivoting is the ability to slightly alter your behaviour to accommodate a need created by one person or situation.  You might pivot to make a computer algorithm work, or to bring stability to a procedure or process in response to a situation that requires immediate change. It is not a short-term, superficial correction. It is a long-term solution that requires behavioural, procedure and system process change.

    Adapting on the other hand, is also about change in processes and procedures as well as adapting your behaviour to a change in business processes, company strategy or direction. When you adapt, you respond to a situation that requires change and “make suitable, make fit or suit”. 

    As the world is constantly changing, it is necessary for us to both pivot and adapt in response to change. Businesses, to survive need to adapt to changing external circumstances, such as new competition, economic and financial crises, lack of talent in the market, and many other reasons.  Internally within the organisation there can also be reasons, such as loss of market share, computerisation of certain processes and development of new products.   

    Change is recognising that we need to adapt or change from where and how things are now to what we want them to be.  It is not always negative.  The negativity around change is often individual perception which blocks ability to think positively and flow with the change, rather sticking with “the devil we know rather than the devil we don’t know,” even though things might not be functioning the way we would like them to function.  

    Successfully Adapting To ChangeAs humans we tend to create a default behaviour that includes routines, habits and patterns around seeking pleasure, avoiding pain and conserving energy. This is termed your “comfort zone”. The familiar and automatic ways of how you organise your life around what you know with little or no thought needed.  

    Your comfort zone will include actions and thoughts, for example actions might be getting a coffee from your favourite cafe on the way to work, checking emails every 30 minutes, taking the same route to work every day, and brushing your teeth after each meal. Thoughts might include patterns around “nothing will change, therefore why try?”, “I know I’m right”, and thoughts of “I can” and “I can’t”.  

    A comfort zone keeps you stuck in mediocrity and may even threaten your health and well-being as well as overall achievements.  Some comfort zone patterns and behaviours serve you, some do not as they can be very limiting and stop you from adapting and changing at times when it is needed. All have costs and payoffs. 

    Having grown accustomed to our comfort zones, they become largely invisible. 

    This means you have to consciously make an effort to “see” when you are in your comfort zone and question, especially in situations that require change whether a particular comfort zone is serving you or not. It is natural to struggle at some point with the unknown, preferring to stay with the familiar. It is that same comfort zone that can result in you becoming stagnant, dis-interested and lethargic. Stepping out of your comfort zone to adapt and change is what creates growth and personal development.

    WHAT ARE TYPICAL REACTIONS AND RESPONSES TO THE NEED TO CHANGE?

    Responses are likely to link to various comfort zones and other perceptions and personal goals and might include, but not be limited to: 

    • Denial 
    • Playing politics 
    • Desire to stay with the familiar – comfort zone 
    • Resistance – finding all the reasons why this is not a “good idea” because of: 
    • Fear of failure – anxiety “can I cope” 
    • Fear of job security – perceived threat 
    • Mistrust  
    • Embracing the change as it highlights potential opportunities 
    • Excitement around something new 
    • And many more. 

    Many of us struggle with the need to change on some level and these reactions are mostly natural and understandable, with the exception of playing politics. The Kubler-Ross change curve illustrates clearly the process we go through when facing the need to change:

    1. Shock – surprise or shock at the news and the fact that things are going to change. 
    2. Denial – Disbelief and looking for evidence that it is not true. Talking to others about what they have heard, why it might be the case and why it cannot relate to you. 
    3. Frustration – That you now recognise that things are going to be different. You might have some feelings of negativity, even frustration and anger. 
    4. Depression – A reaction to knowing that change is inevitable, resulting in lack of energy and low mood, which might be dispersed with bouts of anger. 
    5. Experiment – Initial engagement with the new situation. It is likely that you are hesitant and are not embracing the required change. Mechanical rather than whole-hearted, because is it something you “have” to do, rather than want to through personal choice. 
    6. Decision – Realisation that the change is here to stay, and you are coming to terms with it by supporting the process. Usually at this stage you feel more positive about it. 
    7. Integration – The change has been integrated and become the new norm. Mood and behaviour is consistent and positive as you feel “at one” with the new processes and system.​

    The Kubler-Ross change curve

    HOW CAN YOU CREATE STABILITY AROUND SITUATIONS THAT REQUIRE YOU TO ADAPT AND CHANGE?

    Address your attitude and approach – Whenever you are faced with the need to adapt, whether in a discussion when you do not share the same opinion or some other situation. Perhaps a decision has been made that you disagree with or there is a process, system or restructuring change needed in the work environment? What attitude do you adopt to discuss the issues that you face? Do you present a stubborn, unwilling, resisting person, or do you use enquiry to understand more before making up your mind? 

    Cognitive Ability – The cognitive aspect of adapting is reflected through your ability to enquire curiously. The desire to know more before you create your own opinion about what is required or potentially is about to happen. Only at this point making a decision using logical thinking and then expressing your opinion, thoughts and suggestions to support the need to adapt or change. 

    Emotional Reaction – If you care about something, it is very unlikely that you will not have some kind of emotional reaction. If you agree with the change you will likely demonstrate positive emotions, if you do not agree, then you might express this inwardly or outwardly. Inwardly suppressing your feelings and not sharing them with anyone, making it difficult for others to understand how you feel about the situation. If you express it outwardly there can be an array of reactions from a raised voice that is desperately trying to protect the current situation to anger and aggression, demonstrating a “controlling” approach that is pointing out all the reasons why this is not a good idea, and why keeping everything the same is the right thing to do.

    HOW DO YOU MANAGE THESE ASPECTS OF YOUR “HUMAN BEING” SO THAT YOU CAN ADAPT MORE EASILY?

    1. Listen to what is being explained without commentary. Hear what is being said without evaluation. Make notes if you need to. 
    2. Open up the discussion, asking questions to clarify any points and to fully understand.  
    3. If you agree with what is being said, say so and clarify points around any next steps. If you do not agree, avoid needless discussion and subjecting others to a barrage of reasons that making such changes is not a good idea. 
    4. Re-frame your position – think first of the positives around the suggested change and discuss those and then if needed ask questions to see clarification around aspects that appear to be less positive. 
    5. Pose your questions that highlight your concerns in relation to the change. Allow for discussion, remaining open and positive.
    6. As a result of the discussion, define what is expected and any goals. Gain agreement. 
    7. If you feel that it is still not a good idea having heard the answers to your questions, you can express this. At the same time, give your commitment to support the changes and adaptations needed. 
    8. Accept and flow with the changes. 

     

    “Every success story is a tale of constant revision, adaptation and change.”

    -Richard Branson

     

    Our E-learning course ‘Adapting to Change’ is coming soon. In the meantime, why not view our current catalogue of E-learning courses? 

     

    REFERENCES:

    On Death and Dying, Elisabeth Kubler-Ross M.D 

    The Bigger Game, Laura Whitworth, Nick Tamlyn