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Category: Workplace Wellbeing

  • 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/

     

  • What We Can Learn About E-Learning, From A 5-Year Old

    A guest blog post by Shaheen Sajan

    Interface, home screens and gamification truly enrich the learning environment and entice the learner to learn more and more. I recently purchased Osmo Genious kit for IPad which is bundled with activities that teach children reading, mathematics and problem-solving skills. 

    While I specialize in adult learning theory, every now and then I have that ‘aha’ moment when I notice certain universalities exist in terms of how both children and adults learn.  Playing Osmo with my 5-year old was one of those moments. 

    When my Osmo set first arrived in the mail, the packaging looked great and I couldn’t wait to get enough memory on my iPad to start installing all the large apps that are required to play each game.  Yes, looking at the cardboard and plastic pieces that came with the set I did feel the heavy price tag for this learning tool was steep.  I was determined however to prove Steve Jobs wrong when he said he would never give his kid an iPad as it would stifle their creativity. 

    I was excited about the possibility of my son playing games on a tablet that enabled him to still build his fine motor skills and that his attention would not be fully fixated on a screen. 

    We started with the Tangram game. He enjoyed watching the puzzles he created on the desk being mirrored onto the screen and receiving real time feedback on his success rate.  As the game unfolded, we realized there was a map on the home screen and solving each puzzle led us closer to rescuing a kidnapped figure locked in a castle tower.  We must have solved at least ten puzzles before we realized there was this gaming element to the app.  I blame the interface for not making that immediately obvious.  I observed while my son enjoyed Osmo Tangram, it was far from his favourite game in the kit. 

    We proceeded to play the Word game. He guessed the letter that was missing at the start of each word and then we were done with the junior level.  It turned out there are more activities we can download but it was such a struggle getting enough space on the iPad to install the Osmo app’s I really don’t know how I am going to find more space to install these add-ons.  In a debacle of parental sacrifice, it always seems to be my app’s that get deleted when we are trying to make space for his games.We can all learn a thing or two from children. My five-year old recently taught me about the importance of gamified e-learning. Read about what I learned, here.

    What we can learn about e-learning, from a 5-year oldGamified learning works for adults and children alike

    The prize winner by far was the Maths game.  I wouldn’t put the reason down to some stereotypes of boys excelling in mathematics or in them having a natural affinity towards it. I am a firm believer that such traits are socialized.  Simply put, he loved the maths game because it was an excellent example of gamified e-Learning.  I would go so far as to say if the elements in the Osmo maths game were replicated in an e-Learning module for adult learners, the learner would be more engaged in the course and would be more likely to retain the information they consumed.

    The power of choice is very motivating

    What was it that Osmo maths did that your e-Learning module should do?  First, this was the only game in the Genious Kit that enabled the learner to choose which question they wanted to answer.  Teaching is often full of a lot of assumptions that the learner does not know what the teacher is about to put before them.  While this issue can exist with young learners, it is more acutely a challenge with adult learners and can make any learner question or resent why they are being presented with something that is so unchallenging. 

    Putting the user in control of the learning process is a very empowering technique.  It removes any condescending notion and any assumption that they don’t already know what you are trying to teach them.  In the case of Osmo maths, the user is fishing and they choose which fish they will try to catch based on which maths question they will answer. 

    The second thing that Osmo maths does well is repetition.  The learner will be asked dozens of times what combination of numbers add up to numbers like 15, 20 or 23. Of course, it is up to them if they want to answer the question but each time they do, it helps reinforce what they know and makes for better retention of the material. 

    Interface can transform the learning experience

    What makes all of this so enjoyable is the excellent user interface and gamified elements embedded in Osmo maths. The interface starts with a gradient ocean.  The top of the ocean has a light colour and 9 levels in which the math questions are easy.  As you start scrolling down, you find the ocean gets a bit darker and the next 9 levels also get a bit more difficult.  The further you scroll down, you see more and more depths of the ocean unfolding and you can see there will be a long journey ahead for the young learner starting with simple addition and ending with multiplication and division. 

    Within each level, the user has a goal, to pop bubbles containing maths questions.  There is an element of strategy involved.  Trapped above some of the bubbles, there are fish and if you manage to pop the right bubbles below them, the fish fall into the ocean at the bottom of the screen and you get to see them floating around in their natural habitat. At the end of each level, the user gets a key that unlocks the next level.  I noticed this incentive of freeing fish worked wonders at motivating my son to play Osmo maths. In fact, he spent part of his day begging to do maths. I of course used this to my advantage by getting him to eat up everything that was on his plate at dinner.  His reward was the chance to do maths, I never imagined maths can be the incentive to get a child to eat his asparagus, but this is the power of gamified learning. 

    It is this exact gamification of learning that will make an e-Learning project a resounding success.  You will captivate your learner and motivate them to keep learning.  Remember, an excited learner, is an active and engaged learner.  That is when the wheels are turning and the knowledge seeps deep into the brain.  Gone are the days when the passive reader skims through volumes of data out of hopes that small glimmers of knowledge enter their cerebrum.

    Five-year olds aside, make your e-learning gamified and your adult learners will thank you for it.

    To find out more about how Green Key can design interactive e-Learning courses, please contact Rachel Shackleton directly at rachel@greenkeypersonaldevelopment.com

  • 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

  • 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.  

  • Why is Leadership Development Important?

     The Health & Safety Executive estimated that 31.5 million working days were lost due to work-related physical and mental health in 2022/23. If including work-related non-fatal injuries the figure is a staggering 32.5 million days lost to organisations and businesses. Think about the impact of lost workdays on your business?

    Is management of stress a function of leadership?  One could argue that it is up to the individual to regulate their own stress levels in order to manage what life throws at them, and therefore does not fall under the leadership role or umbrella.  However, if workdays are being lost from absenteeism due to overload and stress, it becomes every leader’s concern and issue. Surely, therefore, it is better to help employees manage their stress levels before it gets to the stage where they call in physically or mentally sick, thus increasing the urgency and pressure that someone going off sick creates on daily operations as well as those left behind to pick up the pieces. 

    Working with individuals on work-life balance, as well as with groups on self-leadership and leadership of others, I am seeing more and more people with adrenal stress, very often worked-related. Reasons for stress vary, some can be self-inflicted, such as striving to be a perfectionist, the inability to say “No”, poor time management, inability to delegate as well as procrastination by putting things off. As for external factors that might cause stress, the first one that springs to mind is living in a blame culture, thus creating an environment of fear. Inappropriate leadership styles and habits such as a boss who doesn’t listen, or a boss who can only influence and get things done by using manipulation techniques, a boss who lives in crisis due to poor planning and time management or a boss who is unable to communicate effectively, displaying chameleon type behaviours, swinging from one mood to the other, making employees’ lives hell when they are not sure which persona they will be greeted with at any moment in the day. 

    Adrenal fatigue occurs when the adrenal system struggles to maintain homeostatic balance, leading to depletion and dysregulation of the adrenal glands and Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal axis after a long period of emotional stress and/or chronic illness. Adrenal stress presents in different ways. Early signs might be intermittent lack of energy, headaches, cravings for carbohydrate or salty foods, low motivation and poor sleep feeling tired and exhausted on waking up. More advanced stages of adrenal fatigue may include these symptoms, and others such as night sweats, brain fog, lack of energy to do anything, poorly functioning immune system, resulting in catching every cold or flu bug that is flying around, as well as cravings for stimulants including coffee, chocolate and fizzy drinks all giving that quick, short lived, hit and energy boost that only leads to an energy low within a very short period of time. 

     Effective leadership walks a fine line, on the one hand between challenging team members enough to ensure they are not bored, and that they grow and develop, to on the other hand over challenging and therefore causing undue and unhealthy levels of stress, which due to constant pressure may lead to sickness and the inevitable time off work. Continued over-stress can lead to diseases such as hypertension, anxiety, depression and various forms of chronic disease, as well as mental ill-health whether anxiety, complete overwhelm, brain fog or depression. Many of these conditions will lead to the individual taking sick leave, leaving managers responsible for managing the gap this creates, picking up the pieces and somehow inspiring other team members to compensate for their colleague’s absence.

     Surely its worth getting this right from the beginning and investing in managers and leaders who are able to lead effectively through creating an environment where employees want to work, love working and consequently are heathy and happy? Does this mean there won’t be conflict or times when everyone has to step up due to peak periods in the business or additional demands for extraordinary reasons, of course not! Investing in leadership development gives leaders the confidence, skills and ability to rise to the occasion and support their team members fully during these extraordinarily demanding periods. 

    John C. Maxwell once said, “The single biggest way to impact an organisation is to focus on leadership development.” Avoiding investment in development of your leaders is short-term thinking, indicates lack of foresight and is overall detrimental to your business in terms of ROI, growth and quality of service delivered to your customers and reputation, as well as employee physical and mental health and wellbeing.

    References

     https://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/dayslost.htm

     

  • 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.

  • Two phenomenal leaders of our time – Kofi Annan and Aretha Franklin

    The sad news last week of the passing of Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul and Kofi Annan the statesman who spent his life dedicated to a fairer and more peaceful world, leaves two huge empty pairs of shoes for someone to step into. Their contributions to this world, their ability to touch the minds, hearts and souls of so many is true inspiration, and phenomenal leadership.

    Annan set up the Kofi Annan Foundation in 2007 after stepping down from the role of Secretary-General of the United Nations (1997-2006), to build a “Road to Peace” with the premise that “No long term peace is possible without development and no sustainable development is possible without peace.  No society can remain prosperous without the rule of law and respect for human rights”.

    One of Aretha’s most famous songs, “Respect” through the lyrics shouts loudly about the need to respect each and every person irrelevant of who they are – man, woman, black or white, old or young.

    Annan was awarded the Nobel Peace prize for his unrelenting dedication to peace, sustainable development, human rights and the rule of law.  Aretha won many awards including the Grammy award for best R&B female vocals every year between 1968 and 1975.  Both earned the respect and consequently honour of these awards by what they lived and contributed to this world every day of their lives.

    Annan’s speech, on 20 July this year at the Citizen’s Manifesto Forum on the impending election vote, as Chairman of the Elders group, founded by Nelson Mandela, on “Time for Zimbabwe’s Third Wave” so succinctly points to the people.  His words “If a leader fails to lead, the people can lead and make them follow, and that is what you are trying to do with this manifesto, whoever wins this election.“

    Aretha Franklin and Kofi Annan had so much in common, neither waited for some one else to show the way or to create the road.  They got out there and did it themselves by believing in, sharing and living their values, thus leading with determination, commitment and very often courage.  Aretha through her lyrics, and heartfelt voice. Kofi Annan through his untiring dedication, love and respect of the human race.

    Thank you is simply not enough.

  • Walk your Talk: developing a healthier work environment and workforce.

    I recently attended the Daily Standard SME Expo in conjunction with Water Cooler “Connecting Workplace Wellbeing Solutions.” Hats off to the organisers for this excellent event that gathered together many experts from different fields to discuss, debate and deliver thoughts, ideas and opinions on different topics related to workplace wellbeing as well as to answer the most urgent questions facing SME’s today. Out of this event has come my latest blog about developing a healthier work environment and workforce.

    Many years ago as a junior member of the management team at the Elangeni hotel in Durban, South Africa I was constantly reminded by my then General Manager to “Walk my Talk.” As I remember this phrase was never really explained to me, but it is pretty straight forward that “Walking your Talk” is doing what you say showing an example to your team members of how to interact with customers, treat each other, carry out your job role professionally etc. While I don’t think this has changed, nor should it, in the new business environment for leaders and team members perhaps it is time for “walking your talk” to take on a broader meaning?

    “According to the World Health Organization, poor worker mental health will cost the global economy $1 trillion this year. Without intervention, 122 billion working days — or 500 million years of work — will be lost between now and 2030.”


    I don’t know about you, but it is unlikely that I will live 500 million years! Joking aside, in order to address workplace health, the current paradigm has to change. Leaders are being called on and challenged to come up with creative ways to inspire and lead others in the process of achieving company vision and goals. Taking a simplistic approach to health we know that sound health and wellbeing – the feeling of being well, the feeling that you are ready to embrace the world and what it has to offer, the sense that you are part of something greater that is both miraculous and inspiring leading to all the energy you need to fulfil your life there has to firstly be love for yourself and the many roles you play – mother, father, son, daughter, aunt, bus driver, engineer, programmer, customer account manager and so on as well as, love for your job and the company in which you work.

     Team members and employees always want to do a good job, it is human nature to feel valued for who you are and what you contribute, therefore returning to the office has to offer something new – an environment that is fun, creative and a comfortable place to be. In other words, it has to create the state that organisations want their employees to be and to achieve. Going into the office to answer emails, no longer makes any sense as that can be done at the home office. Therefore, what does the new office environment need to offer?

    •  Spaces where teams can get together to enhance social connection that a home office cannot provide. 
    • An environment that is less about me and more about us – where individuals can “catch up” and collaborate.
    • An environment that stimulates co-creation and fun.
    • A place that individuals go to get their energy fix and dose of inspiration from their boss and colleagues.
    • An environment that fosters healing and overall wellbeing.

    What about the leadership?

    Leaders need to start connecting more to their hearts and become whole humans to provide a welcome to those in need of coaching, mentoring or simply someone to listen to them while they share what is going on in their lives. Most of us don’t need fixing we need someone to truly listen.

    Of course, organisation goals don’t take a back seat to make way for human interaction on a heart-felt level. Instead we go about achieving the goals in a different way by turning the current paradigm on its head and taking care of people first, so that they take care of the customer, fulfil their K.P.I’s and productivity levels as well as the organisation goals because they feel valued, happy and well.

    The pillars of health include a nutritious diet, adequate sleep, hydration, fresh air and nature as well as a job role that we love. How many people do you know that are working because they have to and not because they want to? How many people do you know that are working for toxic bosses? How many do you know that are working at something they dislike as the pay is good? Too many of these people end up in my consultation room suffering from different issues, such as back pain, digestive problems, hormone issues, headaches, adrenal fatigue…….. mostly because they are in roles in their working lives where they feel undervalued, exploited and even in some cases abused through managers and leaders who themselves are suffering from the pressures that are fed down through the organisation in pursuit of certain numbers. All this is doing is making people sick, literally.

    Looking at normal business processes, why not go about daily tasks through “active working”, a phrase used in one of the discussions I listened to, by holding meetings outside with your team and actually, walk as you talk? When someone comes into your office for a “chat”, put your coat on and go for an active walk. Stop at some point to breathe in deeply the healing that mother nature has to offer. Stop to listen to the birds singing, running water, to look at the beauty of a single flower, or the amazing cloud formations overhead. Mother nature has a profound effect on our nervous system, slowing down the sympathetic to balance with the parasympathetic nervous system putting both you and your colleague or employee at ease and making it easier to open up to what is bothering them. If nothing per se is bothering them, slowing down the sympathetic nervous system, increases focus and attention, encouraging a productive output to the conversation.

    Meetings held outside that start with deep breathing and tuning into yourself as well as into the surroundings, can have profound effects on performance. Resulting in becoming more aware of their feelings as well as those of others, because they simply stop to tune in.

    During fine weather if the “Office” has an outdoor space how can you encourage people to leave their desks and go out to eat, leaving the Wi-Fi driven environment for at least half an hour to allow the immune system to come off high alert and return to normal.

    How can you use “walking your talk” through active working to develop a healthier work environment and workforce? How can you use this approach to encourage collaboration, co-operation and fun? After all the best tonic for the immune system is a good laugh. How can walking your talk enhance the leadership approach to inspire and create dynamic teamwork through becoming present, focusing on the wellbeing of your team and the overall environment through your awareness both of self and others, and ultimately the way you lead?  

    If you would like some help to Walk your Talk and create a healthier work environment and workforce phone us on +44 (0) 1235 639 430 or book a call!

  • What does death, dying and change have in common?

    I have just finished reading “On Death and Dying” by Elizabeth Kubler-Ross.  Sadly this lady is no longer with us, however the work she did whilst on this planet is so very special in many ways.  Through her medical work she not only created a model for working with the death and dying to help with, what for some is a very difficult time, the acceptance that their journey on planet earth is coming to a end, but also providing the corporate world with a model for handling change (Kubler-Ross Change Curve).  Who would ever put these two things together?

    Whilst this book is not the easiest read, simply because of the subject, it highlights many things which as leaders we could do very well when applying it:

    Communicate Openly

    Holding back information from a loved one about their terminal illness, may on the surface feel the right thing to do.  However, the mere fact that you know means you subconsciously change your behavior, which means your loved one knows they are seriously ill.  As in business keeping the topic “closed”  does not mean those around you do not understand there is something going on.  Be open, don’t leave subordinates guessing.  Try to understand how they feel, what is important to them.   Avoid assuming you know how they will feel and react on hearing the “bad” news.  Communicate openly and make decisions together.   The beginning of coming to terms with something, is firstly knowing about it and what options there are, if any.

    Avoidance Does Not Help Anyone!

    Even though, the topic of dying is difficult, we should avoid burying our heads in the sand in the hope that it will go away, or that something miraculous will happen.  As leaders there are many situations which we would prefer not to deal with, for example handling conflict with others in our team, with our boss, dealing with difficult situations, making team members redundant and so on. These situations tend not to go away, nor does something miraculous happen, other than the situation becoming more urgent, in the very least, but more likely getting worse!  Have the courage to address and inform those involved, and then find the way forward together.  The result, as for the terminally ill is very often a relief as it is now in the open.

    Help Others Prepare for Change

    We all react differently to change.  Change tends to stir negative emotions.  It is quite normal and natural to ask the question – What does this (change) mean to me?  This then drives the questions – How do I feel?  What is stopping me from embracing this change?   Talking these questions through can be very powerful therapy and can help us all, irrelevant of the situation we face, to move on with commitment, and a  level of comfort.  Whilst for the dying, with peace and joy to let go.

    As leaders – How are you helping your subordinates, peers and colleagues go through change and embrace it positively, with commitment, despite any fear and an understanding that change is necessary both for them as well as the business?

    Don’t be Afraid to Let Go and Move On

    It is easy to sit at my lab top and think when the time comes, which it surely will, that I will end this life journey with ease.  Probably not!  The idiom, “Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t know springs to mind.”   For loved ones knowing that you can let them go with love, light and joy is so important to helping them stop the struggle and to let go.  Talking openly about this will help enormously.  As leaders in businesses,  we also have to have the courage to let go of the comfort zone we have created and move into the unknown for a short period of time whilst things once again find the norm.    Hanging on does not ease the pain.   It just prolongs it!

    Move into 2016 with courage, with passion and with enthusiasm.  Those that are meant to be with you will be with you.

    Best wishes for 2016.  Wishing everyone a fun journey, warmth and a compassionate heart.