I found myself recently on a treadmill machine in the gym whilst listening to a personal development expert on my iPod extol the virtues of being organised. "If" he asked "a prospective client/stakeholder/boss was to see your office space would they entrust you with a significant piece of work or project?"
And that got me thinking.....
Just how do we go about making significant decisions? Are the things that are maybe on our own periphery much more central to others? I reflected on my office space and asked myself if this was all a person had to go on, what conclusions might they draw about me? I confess I didn't much like my own answer.
My guru went on, as the treadmill went up a pace, up to 30% of time is wasted by senior executives "looking for things". Now I feel conviction kicking in. I reflected on just how much time I waste on a weekly basis doing, well, just that.
Now whenever we encounter new information we have a choice. Choice number one. Do nothing. This is the choice that leads down the path of mediocrity and as anyone passionate about good leadership will tell you, this is not a good nor wise choice. Choice number two. Do something with the information and make a change, giving life to your learning.
Time I decided to give life to my learning and so I have embarked on a four day "organise" of my work space and at the very great risk of sounding like a recent idealogical/theological convert, the result is nothing short of amazing.
Firstly, I can find things. Files, notes, references, posits, staplers, books, feedback forms- you name it I can locate it within minutes. Secondly, I "feel" more organised, more capable and more confident. I have a renewed sense of appreciation for "clutter" experts whose unique selling point is their ability to help you de-clutter your life. Thirdly, I have noticed a surge of creativity and innovation, now there is order its as if my unconscious can bring all sorts of ideas to light which my conscious mind can process in a relaxed and critically appreciative manner!
So, what does your work space say about you? How does it communicate to others? and more importantly does it help or hinder your personal effectiveness? I really think creating order out of chaos could catch on and with the extra 30% of time saved, who knows just what we might all achieve?
Monday, 16 January 2012
Sunday, 8 January 2012
Living Life On Purpose
January is a great month to consider what our lives are all about, which is why we have such a love-hate relationship with New Years resolutions. We love setting ourselves new goals and then generally feel depressed when we fail to live up to them! I was recently at a dinner at which someone told me that in Russia they don't tend to in the introductory phase of a relationship ask what people do, but rather ask the question "what is your life all about"?
What an intriguing question!
If we ask ourselves what our life is all about what answers do we get? When I asked myself this question, the answer seemed deceptively simple- supporting my family, having a great marriage, making a contribution and leaving a legacy. Fleshing out what these actually mean is rather like shading in a picture once you have drawn some kind of outline.
How can I best support the family? What would enable me to have a great marriage? What sort of contribution to the world can I make this year? What legacy would I like to leave?
The answers to these questions take my thinking (and following the same process I am suggesting also yours) to a new level and lead me to be more intentional about how I spend my time (which is after-all my and your most precious resource)
So instead of feeling depressed over New Year's resolutions that didn't quite pan out as you had hoped, why not consider what your life is all about and ask yourself some different questions. Perhaps living life on purpose is qualiatively more satisfying in the long run and certainly makes for a more interesting introductory conversation!
What an intriguing question!
If we ask ourselves what our life is all about what answers do we get? When I asked myself this question, the answer seemed deceptively simple- supporting my family, having a great marriage, making a contribution and leaving a legacy. Fleshing out what these actually mean is rather like shading in a picture once you have drawn some kind of outline.
How can I best support the family? What would enable me to have a great marriage? What sort of contribution to the world can I make this year? What legacy would I like to leave?
The answers to these questions take my thinking (and following the same process I am suggesting also yours) to a new level and lead me to be more intentional about how I spend my time (which is after-all my and your most precious resource)
So instead of feeling depressed over New Year's resolutions that didn't quite pan out as you had hoped, why not consider what your life is all about and ask yourself some different questions. Perhaps living life on purpose is qualiatively more satisfying in the long run and certainly makes for a more interesting introductory conversation!
Saturday, 7 January 2012
Dispelling the Work/Life balance myth
I wonder how many people this year will have considered a New Year's resolution around improving their work/life balance? According to Wikipedia Work–life balance is a broad concept including proper prioritizing between "work" (career and ambition) on the one hand and "life" (Health,pleasure, leisure, family and spiritual development) on the other.
What does this really mean?
Are we to assume that the world of "work" and the world of "life" are really two completely different spheres?
Really?
What is happening at work? Are people so focused on their career and ambition they are forgetting to live? or so focused on their health, pleasure, leisure and family and spiritual development they are failing to work?
The government is even launching a work life balance week so that we can all address this obviously pressing issue. You can attend training courses that enable you to re-balance your life with your work or your work with your life.
What if we've got it all wrong?
What if one of the primary tasks of effective leadership is to dispel this pervasive myth? What if, we've just got one life that is lived both inside and outside of the world we call "work"? What if the work we are all called to is to live fully irrespective of context or focus?
What does it mean to live fully?
I would suggest that to live fully is to be the best expression of yourself.
Meaning?
That as we discover and give expression to who we are and as we live out what we value in a congruent way, we balance our energies in a way that is automatically life enhancing whether we are doing what we call "work" or not.
Balance then is a byproduct of living an authentic life that is congruent with our values and beliefs.
Are you saying I wasted my money on that work life balance or time management course?
Most courses worth their money will encourage you to consider and reflect on what is really important to you (your values) make some form of assessment about how your time is currently being spent, and then evaluate the difference and give you some useful strategies for re-ordering your priorities. But they are in my view all based on a fundamental flawed logic that assumes that life is divorced from work.
I personally love the Jewish toast L'Chaim which means "To Life" - it's a great toast and perhaps reflects a universal truth. So, you could invest this year in a great work life balance course, and collect a few more strategies or you could just embrace your life, who you are and live out what you truly value and you may experience more balance than you had previously considered possible.
What does this really mean?
Are we to assume that the world of "work" and the world of "life" are really two completely different spheres?
Really?
What is happening at work? Are people so focused on their career and ambition they are forgetting to live? or so focused on their health, pleasure, leisure and family and spiritual development they are failing to work?
The government is even launching a work life balance week so that we can all address this obviously pressing issue. You can attend training courses that enable you to re-balance your life with your work or your work with your life.
What if we've got it all wrong?
What if one of the primary tasks of effective leadership is to dispel this pervasive myth? What if, we've just got one life that is lived both inside and outside of the world we call "work"? What if the work we are all called to is to live fully irrespective of context or focus?
What does it mean to live fully?
I would suggest that to live fully is to be the best expression of yourself.
Meaning?
That as we discover and give expression to who we are and as we live out what we value in a congruent way, we balance our energies in a way that is automatically life enhancing whether we are doing what we call "work" or not.
Balance then is a byproduct of living an authentic life that is congruent with our values and beliefs.
Are you saying I wasted my money on that work life balance or time management course?
Most courses worth their money will encourage you to consider and reflect on what is really important to you (your values) make some form of assessment about how your time is currently being spent, and then evaluate the difference and give you some useful strategies for re-ordering your priorities. But they are in my view all based on a fundamental flawed logic that assumes that life is divorced from work.
I personally love the Jewish toast L'Chaim which means "To Life" - it's a great toast and perhaps reflects a universal truth. So, you could invest this year in a great work life balance course, and collect a few more strategies or you could just embrace your life, who you are and live out what you truly value and you may experience more balance than you had previously considered possible.
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