time 4 change - the home of Christina Griffiths

Welcome to Monday Morning: Have patience With Yourself

Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections, but instantly set about remedying them – every day begin the task anew

Francis de Sales

Thought for the week

As human beings we often forget that we are not perfect. Indeed, it is our imperfections that make us interesting, beautiful and most importantly alive! As human beings we have the choice to think of each day, as a fresh day acknowledging the things that went wrong the day before, learning the lessons from them and then doing them differently the following day.

Challenge for the week

In what areas of your life do you need to be more patient with yourself? What would a fresh new start mean for you?

Welcome to Monday Morning: Solving Problems

The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them

Albert Einstein

Thought for the week

For the entrepreneur, solving problems is an everyday occurrence. If we were to look at these problems closely, however, we would probably notice that they were of different types. Some are practical, while others are more esoteric. Some can be solved in a straightforward manner, while others need to be looked at more laterally. But in order to solve them, we quite often need to be in a different mind-set. Examples are the creative mind-set, where all possibilities are available; the pessimistic mind-set, where we assume that all things will go wrong; and the pragmatic mind-set , where all ideas have to be practical.

Challenge for the week

What kind of mind-set do you have? What kinds of mind-sets would you like to help you solve problems? What sorts of mind-sets do the people around you have? How could you include them in solving difficult problems?

Welcome to Monday Morning: Timing

When you encounter difficulties and contradictions, do not try to break them, but bend them with gentleness and time

Saint Francis de Sales

Thought for the week

A sense of timing allows us to understand when to take action and when to back away. Judging when we need to intervene and when to leave well enough alone is a constant challenge. Those who have perfect timing often operate on the level of intuition.

Challenge for the week

What activities this week would benefit from the power of withdrawing and waiting until a better time? What other kinds of activity would benefit from the power of acting now?

Welcome to Monday Morning: Enjoy Your Differences

Fear not those who argue but those who dodge

Dale Carnegie

Thought for the week

Most of us find it very uncomfortable dealing with people who are different from ourselves. Quite often these differences bring difficult conversations and awkward meetings. However, they challenge us to see the world with new eyes, to accept that our view of the world is just one perspective. These differences also allow for very creative solutions.

Challenge for the week

Take this week to notice people who are different from yourself. What do they have to teach you?

Welcome to Monday Morning: Trust

All things being equal, people will do business with, and refer business to, those people they know, like and trust

Bob Burg

Thought for the week

Are you the kind of person that others trust? Do you keep your word? Are you able to act in an appropriate way in most circumstances? Do you keep confidences? Are you personally congruent with your business? When others trust you they are able to give you more. This can be more responsibility, authority, or business!

Challenge for the week

What small changes can you make this week to allow others to trust you more?

Steven Coveys’ Day Planner

When we find ourselves busy but not acheiving our aims a day planner can help us to prioritise our tasks.  Steven Covey’s day planner can help us to do this.  Even if you only do it once, start by listing out your current tasks and you will see where you spend your time and what you are achieving and for who!

I use this day planner a lot myself and recommend it to most of my clients at some point as it really helps when the pressure is building and you need to get a great deal of work done. Continue reading…

Welcome to Monday Morning: Selling

Everyone lives by selling something

Robert Louis Stevenson

Thought for the week

If we think about it, we are all selling something. Teachers are selling us the idea that knowledge is useful. Mothers are selling the notion that getting to bed early is good for you. Employees are selling themselves at interviews and coaches are selling the benefits of making changes. Yet so many of us are very uncomfortable with the notion that we are salespeople.

Challenge for the week

What would happen if you were to embrace the salesperson in you? In what small way can you improve your selling skills this week?

Communicating problems virtually

Wherever we have clients or prospects there are bound to be issues to resolve and problems to solve. Doing this often requires communication between one or more departments, both internal and external to our organisation.

How we communicate an issue or a problem to another will determin the quality of the response we get back. There is a strong relationship between how we communicate an issue to another and the quality of their response to get the issue or problem resolved. Whether we are communicating via a CRM system or via email, clarity in describing what the key issues are, along with the action you want are key.

This document provides quick straightforward guidelines for cleaning up communication and keeping it focused on the task in hand.

Continue reading…

Welcome to Monday Morning: Play

I never practice; I always play

Wanda Landowsk (Harpsichord Master)

Thought for the week

'Practice' does have a sense of work about it. It seems to give the idea that something is being held back for the 'real' performance. On the other hand when we think of the word 'Playing' most of us we have a sense of easiness, freedom and fun!

Challenge for the week

What does play mean for you? Which tasks would benefit from being done from the perspective of play? What 'toys' do you need to do this? How will arrange your space for these tasks?

Building Rapport quick reference

Rapport is a skill that has become essential to the success of your business.  The greater the level of rapport that exists between you and another the greater influence you have on each other.  Rapport allows you to connect with others by making it easy for others to be with you.  By building rapport you build trust and understanding.

This worksheet covers some of the basic ideas behind rapport and is used as a quick reference alongside sessions with my clients.  I hope you find it useful!

Continue reading…