Dare to do it differently
There is so much fear, uncertainty and apprehension around at
present that we are purposefully striking an optimistic, forwardlooking
note. It would be too easy to fall into the gloom. So, we
are daring to do it differently and we are inviting you to join us.
This month, more than ever, we are seeing the importance of
keeping focused on the values that guide us through our decisions,
on involving all members of the team - to bring in fresh, new
perspectives - and on allowing creativity to flow in order to find
new ways of working that bring out the best in ourselves and our
clients.
(Continued below)
An invitation to Thrive in Tough Times
Breakfast Seminar
- Date: Thursday 30th October
- Time: Breakfast from 7.30am, seminar 8.00 - 10.00am
- Venue: Hilton Bracknell, RG12 0QJ
- Cost: £65 (inc VAT) * Last few places remaining *
Techniques you can apply immediately with fast results:
- Save time: A Crown Prosecutor decreased meeting times by 30%
- Cut Costs: Engineers in an R&D company cut costs by £112,000
- Increase growth: A distributor increased sales by 42%
- Increase profits: This distributor also increased profits by 60%
- Cut absenteeism: Our client reduced absenteeism to 2% from 30%
Tried and tested by...
- Xerox
- Crown Prosecution Service
- GlaxoSmithKline
- QinetiQ
- Microsoft
- National Blood Service
Click here for more information and to book online
If you have any contacts who could do with a lift, some fresh ideas and new energy, we would be delighted if you would let them know.
Dare to do it differently (Continued from above)
These are times when those that pull together and bring out
the very best in themselves and others will get through; those
that try and do the same old thing may well get stuck.
Traditional responses - redundancies, cost saving initiatives
and spending cuts – are guaranteed to leave staff feeling
demotivated, insecure and disengaged.
If there is one quick, effective super-tool that we find
invaluable in cutting away stress, chaos and uncertainty, it’s
Stillness (Newsletter, December 2007). Taking just two
minutes out can have a remarkable effect.
It allows us to detach from the negative thoughts flooding our
minds and contracting the muscles in our shoulders; it helps us
reconnect with right-brain creativity, where we can discover
new answers; it facilitates patience and cooperation at
moments when we may otherwise snap at our colleagues.
There are many ways you can do it differently. Experiment
with stillness. Try Radiant Problem Solving (Newsletter,
September 2008) to tap into new ideas.
Look at the inspiring stories on our website to motivate you
through tough times. Come to the Breakfast Seminar on Oct
30th to find fresh ideas, new energy and leave with a lift in your
step!
Ground Rules
These are some ground rules that we use for running
meetings and training sessions.
- Confidentiality – anything said in the room is
confidential
- Listening – only one person speaks at a time and
everyone listens to that person; use world class
listening where we listen with ears, eyes, an
open mind and an open heart
- Pacing – each person takes responsibility for the
speed at which we work in order to reach the
outcome within the given time
- Pass – any person can choose to not do any
activity that is not right for them
- No observer status – we all agree to be players
in the game rather than observers in the stadium:
although we may ‘pass’, we still remain part of
the group.
Why not try out the ground rules for yourself and see if
they’re useful in making your meetings more productive?
Re-energising Meetings
How often have you sat through tedious meetings,
where participants make the same points repeatedly,
read unrelated documents, or even text and email
others during the meeting?
Over the past few months, we have facilitated meetings
where someone has come in after we had agreed the
ground rules. The impact? It was always the latecomers
who were reading other documents, not
listening and talking across the speaker!
Though it seems like such a small thing, the ground
rules are very important. Without them, chaotic
meetings that frustrate, demotivate and irritate ensue.
The ground rules are like soccer rules: if a substitute
comes onto the pitch playing by different rules, the
players are frustrated and the game no longer flows
smoothly.
The Ground Rules really are the cornerstone of good
meetings. They serve several roles:
- they ensure that the people at the meeting
are focused on the meeting
- they clarify the standards of behaviour
expected at the meeting
- they help us show respect for our colleagues
- everyone takes responsibility for their
involvement in the meeting
- when we listen the first time around,
meetings are quicker and more productive
Small changes can lead to big differences.
Story: In The Boat
The bank crisis shows clearly that we are more connected than we sometimes imagine
Two men were out on the ocean in a boat.
One of them began drilling in the bottom of the boat,
and the other, aghast, said "What are you doing? Stop
drilling!"
The first man replied: "It's all right. I'm only drilling on
my side."
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