Archive for the ‘Strategies’ Category

The expression “Thinking Outside The Box,” has become a catch phrase in our busy world. Innovation and creativity generally comes from taking a different perspective, perhaps even going against the norm. The other end of the spectrum would be finding yourself in a rut, always doing or thinking in the same way. You may have some habits which have served you well, but perhaps they are habits which have created “1 channel” thinking for you. This is where you stay on the same channel to deal with all situations.

In business to be successful you need to establish what works but also be willing to change as internal and external factors evolve. This means moving from only one channel to having many different channels as options. Read the rest of this entry »

We live in a fast paced world and often we believe that the way to get ahead is to take on more and more. The price we pay for doing “more” or too much is feeling overwhelmed and out of balance. “NO” is just a simple two letter word. Yet it is often the hardest word to say. The challenge is to set limits and boundaries for ourselves which requires us to learn how to say “no”. Why is this so difficult? Some of the reasons we may have trouble saying “no,” are because we want to be liked, may be afraid that others would get angry or upset, or perhaps we may have been taught to always be agreeable and give others what they want. Women in particular often have been conditioned to say yes to all requests.

Whatever the reason, there are consequences of our inability to say no. We might feel that people are constantly taking advantage of us. We could experience feelings of being overwhelmed, angry, irritable or resentful. Our bodies could be experiencing constant fatigue, tension, headaches or various other aches and pains. Our behaviors with others might be more abrupt, bordering on rude and we probably would be doing less of the things that we enjoy. Read the rest of this entry »

Are you someone who makes lists of all the things you need to do? At the end of the day when you review your list, are you disappointed because you haven’t accomplished as much as you would have liked. Does this sound familiar to you?

We hear a lot about time management and how we need to organize ourselves and manage our time more effectively. In order to regulate our time, new ways of thinking and being need to be developed. Our attitudes and beliefs need to be identified and at times altered in order to make beneficial changes. We need to develop self management strategies. When we manage ourselves better we tend to be less overwhelmed, more productive and happier. Read the rest of this entry »

You have just been promoted at work and you are excited and proud because you have been working towards this for a long time. At the same time you are nervous about all the changes this will bring.

Change is defined as the “act, process or result of altering, transforming or modifying something.” We all know change is inevitable and even though we may not like it, accept that it is part of life. Some changes we know are coming and we prepare for them. The change of seasons, the first day of school, and special holidays like Christmas or a birthday. Other changes may be thrust upon us, like losing a job, a major illness or loss of a relationship or a loved one. Read the rest of this entry »

At some point in our lives most of us will be working for someone else, so it is important to fully understand what makes our boss tick and how best to interact and influence him or her. How much attention have you given to your boss’s personality style? How does she function? What seems to agitate or please her? If we have a difficult boss we focus on what drives us crazy. If we have a great boss we tend to take things for granted. Recognizing the factors which contribute to creating the most successful, powerful working relationship is a skill to be utilized throughout one’s career.

One of the ways to do this is by identifying your boss’s personality type. Let’s look at a few examples. Jo’s boss is extroverted, high energy, with lots of ideas which he makes happen. He tends to move quickly and rarely acknowledges the good work his staff does. He assumes they know he appreciates and values them. Bill’s boss is hard working and organized but tends to micromanage her staff. Bill worries that his boss does not trust him to do his job and therefore would not recommend him for a promotion. These are two different kinds of bosses , with different personality types . What does this mean for their colleagues and staff? Read the rest of this entry »