Dear ,

Learn it...

Perhaps, like some of those with whom I've been speaking, you are feeling exhausted or ready for a necessary change at work. With Spring approaching, why not commit to learning or doing something new at work in the coming weeks either individually or as a team? Perhaps a new skill or a new approach or a new way of working with colleagues or clients or collaborators. 

You might protest that you just don't have time but doing something new or differently is far more about intention than time. It doesn't have to be about overhauling everything - just one manageable, worthwhile change. Plus, it may be that the very feeling that you have no time is a sign that you might benefit from doing things differently  to save you time or to help you to use your time more effectively.

A few classic ONION® questions to help you to get going:

Outcome: Make sure you're clear on the desired Outcome and impacts you'd like to see from your new approach, skill or activity at work. Bear in mind that, when it comes to learning, the process can be as much part of the Outcome as any result. Ask: "What would I/ we like to see as a result of this?" "What makes it worthwhile?"** 

Now: Think about your current situation and what you already have and what you'd need. Maybe ask: "What have I/we already got/ done to help us to do this?" "What untapped resources are available?" "What other resource or support do I/ we need?"

Ideas: Be creative in thinking of various ways you could do this. Could you find a course or ask someone with more experience in this area or read an article or a book or find a coach? Maybe ask:"What's the most smallest thing I/we could do?" "What would you do if money were no object?"

Options: Apply your Outcome and Now to your Ideas to work out most feasible, relevant Option. Maybe ask: "What's most important to you? And then what? And then what?"

Next Steps: Finally work out some clear, manageable Next Steps which you can get going on ASAP. As always, this a great process to go through with a colleague or as a team. Maybe ask: "What's the next thing you're going to do?" "What's lmost ikely to get in your way?"

Given the value of positive accountability, I will check in with you in a few weeks. Shall we say the 3rd May for a big progress check and maybe another mini checkpoint on the way? I'll let you know how I'm doing on my new professional approaches/ skills as well. 

In the meantime, if you want to get in touch and let me know what you're doing or ask for a bit of help, please do. It's always great to hear from you. 

 .

Next up, another simple but powerful way of renewing your thinking and clarity at work.

Turn it (upside down!) ...

Another positive impact of working with me which clients often bring up is the opportunity it gives them to develop different perspectives not just on their external challenges and opportunities but on their internal strengths and challenges. They are then able to use that new perspective to make the change they need. This change of perspective is often known as reframing - a key coaching skill which we'll look further in a future edition of  "To Be Clear...".

One big part of reframing is that, as per the Now layer of ONION®, clients often discover (or rediscover) skills or resources or capacity which they didn't realise they had or had available. 

A previous edition of "To Be Clear..." looked at reframing the narratives we are used to telling ourselves about the ways in which we work. Although we tend to get used to seeing things one way, very few characteristics are unequivocally good or bad - what matters is the way in which we see them and the context in which we use them. Fans of Jung or indeed the Hogan psychometric love to talk about the shadow side of various traits but that applies both ways, there is often a positive benefit to traits we tend to label negatively.  

A simple but very powerful way to use reframing to help you get deeper clarity is to look at the flipside of a quality or characteristic which you've only been looking at one way.

So, as you try to get clearer on how to work more effectively, why not consider something you or your team have got into the habit of looking at in one way and then flip reverse it.**

Perhaps start by choosing one characteristic that you or your team tend to look at negatively and think how the flipside of that "negative" quality can help you with a challenge or opportunity that you're s currently facing at work. So, to choose a personal example, I tend to be incredibly impatient but the flipside of that is a store of energy and impetus which can come in handy to get things moving when necessary.

Then do the opposite (flip reverse it!) and think of a quality or characteristic your team are proud of and consider how its flipside can get in the way of achieving your desired Outcomes. Again, to use a live example, one of my client collaborations really benefits from the radically different perspectives and ways of working which me and this client-partner bring to our collaboration. However, the flipside of that fruitful diversity of approach and practice is that, at times, I need to be especially careful to ensure that we are aligned on what we are trying to achieve together. 

I hope that these ideas can help you to renew your clarity, energy and effectiveness at work in the coming weeks as Spring unfolds.  As always, do get in touch with your comments and questions. 

I'll be in touch again soon to share more ideas for deeper clarity at work. In the meantime, wishing you a clearer week ahead. Until next time...

As ever,

Ranti

*- The answer to this can be qualitative (e.g. increased confidence/ energy/enthusiasm) and/or externally measurable (e.g. more customer satisfaction surveys completed).

** - Some Friday throwback fun for you. Someone very close to me went through a phase of singing the chorus to this all the time a few years ago and I've only just listened to the song in full for the first time!