3D Juggling 500: Review Time

This is the 500th edition of 3D Juggling and some of you have been with us all the way. Thank you. We value your company as much as those who have joined us this week.  Welcome. Here's a timely look at the archives.



In 2003, we wrote: 

3D Juggling 139: Adjusting nuts

"Do you remember when a computer with the power of a laptop took up several rooms? In those early days, a computer had some problem and the maintenance guru was called. The machine itself was an enormous size, but the glitch was sorted in minutes. The company were rather surprised to receive a hefty bill for a 2 minute job. When challenged, the response came back: "It's knowing which nut to adjust."

TVs, computers and other fiddly pieces of equipment often come with that great button: Reset to default. So when we've twiddled and tweaked and it's still a challenge, we can undo our work and start again.

Unfortunately we don't have reset switches, but are complicated machines, balancing who we are - our body, mind, emotions and spirit with all the factors which make our lives - money, work, family, home etc. Often, deep down we do know what to adjust to make the whole juggling act easier. It's often a question of whether we are willing or able to face it. And if we can't find the answer, often an objective friend or a coach can ask enough insightful questions to begin to find which nut to adjust!"

This is timely because of last week's spending review in the UK.  This will have an impact on individuals and on teams - including those that are 'safe' - who will have to bear the guilt and adapt how they work with those that are not.

If your job is disappearing, it may be time to think very differently about what the future might look like.  That's what we've been doing in Career Makeovers for many years.

If you're working with teams that are disappearing or know they will look very different in the future, they re-enter Tuckman's Storming phase.  This can be a time to acknowledge the reality and move from fighting the change to knowing what the team is here for now.

If you need to manage fallout in any way, Action Learning can help you to have honest conversations and work out what you need to be asking who.

Talk to us about how we can help you, within your budget, know which nut to adjust.

Discuss this week's juggling at http://www.3dcoaching.blogspot.com/


© 2010 3D Coaching Ltd
May be distributed freely.  Please retain contact details: www.3dcoaching.com and send a copy/ link to info@3dcoaching.com

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3D Juggling 434: Chilli and Rice

Jane writes: "I was coaching a participant on our Coaching for Excellence programme last week when she suddenly realised that if she responded differently to a specific situation that keeps recurring, she was likely to get a different outcome. This opened up all sorts of possibilities for her, and led to rehearsal of a conversation that she needed to have instead of the one that usually happens.

Of course it is one thing to know what you need to do differently, and quite another thing to actually do it. Habits or patterns of behaviour can be difficult to break, and their familiarity can be strangely comforting even if we don’t like the results. This reminded me of an evening a few weeks ago when I cooked a meal for Claire and Lynn. I know that Claire needs to avoid gluten and had decided to cook chilli and rice (not forgetting to provide tortilla chips and sour cream). Fortunately we were all in my kitchen when I was preparing our meal, as when I reached into my cupboard for an ingredient Claire was able to ask whether it was ordinary flour. It was. Although I had planned to use cornflour, I had automatically slipped into my normal routine and done what I always do when making chilli. I am very grateful that Claire was noticing what I was doing and was able to gently challenge me. As a result the meal was a success (well, they both ate it!).

As a coach I need to help clients reflect on their behaviour and notice patterns of behaviour that might not be helpful. I also need help to recognise my own habits as a coach and what I might do differently to better serve my clients. Who do you use to help you to notice your habits?"

Love this? Do us a favour and send it to five people. Who thinks like you? You could send it to someone who likes chilli!

Discuss this week's juggling at http://www.3dcoaching.blogspot.com/

© 2009 3D Coaching Ltd May be distributed freely. Please retain contact details: www.3dcoaching.com and send a copy/ link to info@3dcoaching.com

3D Juggling 420: Change of scene

If you're in London this weekend, do come and see us at www.onelifelive.co.uk at Olympia. We are right in front of the entrance at The Thinking Point 13th-15th March.

Claire writes: 'One of the most remarkable things about sleeping under the stars in the desert is that the panorama in the sky when you fall asleep is totally different from the one you see on waking in the night. As you sleep, everything moves! That's how it felt last Wednesday to hear from www.stopthetraffik.org , our charity for this year. They left a message to say that Cadbury's are going to make Dairy Milk fair trade. Now that one of the major producers has made that commitment, it seems much more hopeful that the others will follow. Once the change is made later in the year, it will take time to get used to buying Cadbury's again!

Often we chip at change with seemingly few results. And then something happens and change comes in like a pile of dominoes falling over. I spoke to someone who wrote a letter a week in an attempt to find a more fulfilling job. After two years, her mission was successful and someone commented that the job had 'landed in her lap'. That's what it looked like! But it was a response to a long term mission. And when the change comes, however much it has been hoped for, it can take time to catch up with where we are now.'

Love this? Do us a favour and send it to five people. Who thinks like you? You could send it to someone who is frustrated at slow changes.

Discuss this week's juggling at http://www.3dcoaching.blogspot.com/ or follow us on twitter 3dclaire

© 2009 3D Coaching Ltd May be distributed freely. Please retain contact details: www.3dcoaching.com and send a copy/ link to info@3dcoaching.com

Juggling in 3D 393: A new discipline

Claire writes: "I have to confess to a slight obsession with the Olympics. I'm still mulling over whether that is connected with switching on the TV at breakfast and discovering that Great Britain have yet more gold medals! Or maybe it's because it's been raining! Who knows?

Anyway the TV has been background wallpaper in the mornings for the last couple of weeks.
Interviewed about her 400m bronze in the hurdles, Tasha Danvers admitted to already deciding what new discipline she will add to her portfolio for 2012. Rebecca Romero added to her 2004 silver medal for rowing with a cycling gold. Interesting how different that is from the commonly given advice - concentrate on what you do well.

How different would things be for you and your organisation if you developed even one new skill? Pablo Picasso said: 'I am always doing things I can't do; that's how I get to do them.'

Food for thought?"

Love this? Do us a favour and send it to five people. Who thinks like you? You could send it to someone who youknow enjoys sport!

Discuss this week's juggling at http://www.3dcoaching.blogspot.com/
(c) 2008 3D Coaching Ltd