Uncategorized

Having fun to anticipate is a basic human need. And it manages anxiety.
Your team have been through a lot. But you can help them bounce back. What can you create in their diary now for them to look forward to in the future?

I get the idea of selling a dream, but this email was totally out of touch with reality. And, most importantly, out of touch with their end users – their customers.

It reminded me of why so many change plans are going wrong right now. 

New perspectives solve problems.

But we’re not getting new perspectives right now. Think about the exchange of ideas you’re missing out on in the coffee queue or the quick drink after work. You may even be solving an old problem because you didn’t get the update in that 5-minute lift ride that yesterday’s crisis has evaporated.  

Sure, you can get new ideas from reading or research but there’s a better way.

At this time of year when reflecting on aims, I often hear a desire from my clients to “manage time better,” “be more productive,” or “focus on what matters.”

Even very successful clients, whose role would prematurely age the average genius, struggle with time management

So, hands up if you thought that the craziness at the end of 2020, had to give way to a more measured and manageable 2021?

It can’t carry on being this chaotic, right?

Ah, apparently it can.

Usually at this time of year I spend lots of time looking forward.

But this year is different. There’s far more ‘here and now’ activity that’s taking up my time.

And it’s concerning me.

A few years ago, I had a team member called Melissa. She was excellent at her job as a senior programme manager and had many successes. But unlike other members of my team, public recognition was not her bag.

Change is about taking calculated risks and managing them.

It’s about setting a direction, accepting you don’t yet know how to get there and gathering a team who just might help you find the way.

It seems we’ll be in varying degrees of lockdown for the foreseeable future, but the impact on working life hasn't all been bad.