3D Juggling 511: Underemployment
Claire writes: I had one of our cups of coffee last week with someone who works for a public sector organisation which has already made its first round of redundancies. Those people who are left are expected to deliver the same service with less resource. Does that sound familiar?
It may well be that their work can be done differently and more effectively with less people. But only if they have time to stop and think. James Watson, an American scientist, said: “It is necessary to be somewhat underemployed if you want to do something significant”. Creativity comes when our minds are not fully or over occupied. What can you do to create just enough underemployent in your week? Think about it...
© 2011 3D Coaching Ltd
May be distributed freely. Please retain contact details: www.3dcoaching.com and send a copy/ link to info@3dcoaching.com
When we are working with executives and executive teams we often become aware of ‘tension’ between executive directors (EDs) and non executive directors (NEDS). Typically EDs value the external experience, expertise and challenge that NEDs bring whilst experiencing frustration about how this is offered (‘they don’t understand our constraints...’), and NEDs value the experience, expertise and commitment of EDs whilst experiencing frustration at their assumptions about what’s possible (and often, in the public sector, an apparent lack of accountability). We’re thinking about how NEDs establish authority and relate to EDs, and about how EDs can help them to challenge appropriately. We’d love to hear about your experiences.
Click here for a factsheet from the Institute of Directors about the role of a NED
Showing posts with label creativity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label creativity. Show all posts
Friday, January 14, 2011
Tuesday, November 09, 2010
3D Juggling 502: Swiss Balls
Claire writes: "Now that I have got back into a routine at the gym, I am back using Swiss Gym Balls. Yesterday there were no 55cm diameter balls and the only ones I could find were overblown enormous things which were too wide to lift. I'd like us to have one in the office because they're meant to be a healthy way of sitting at a desk - but they do take up rather a lot of room!
Do you ever have conversations or meetings and come away wondering why all the responsibility or actions are left with you?
Think of the Swiss Ball - if you hold one during a conversation, you will
* be unable to see anyone else in the room
* feel slightly overwhelmed
* ache quite quickly
And you won't have much idea of what the other person is doing!
Responsibility is like a Swiss Ball. If you hold it all during a conversation, you will feel overburdened. And if you have to take it all away.... Responsibility needs to take its rightful place - in the space in between you and your companion. Or - in a meeting - on the table. Then you can decide between you who does what and take away a manageable amount of responsibility.
A useful question is: How are WE going to take this forward?
If you work with people who don't like to take responsibility and to give you their swiss ball, and you are a person who likes to fix things quickly and will solve things for them, you can quickly found yourself swamped. It's still supportive to acknowledge the problem and help them find out how they might solve it. But picking it up is like picking up a swiss ball!
Although it can be tempting to grab all of the responsibility, remember how difficult it would be to take a swiss ball home in the car - or on the bus. They're even difficult to get through a door! Maybe you could turn it into a spacehopper!"
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
Claire writes: "Now that I have got back into a routine at the gym, I am back using Swiss Gym Balls. Yesterday there were no 55cm diameter balls and the only ones I could find were overblown enormous things which were too wide to lift. I'd like us to have one in the office because they're meant to be a healthy way of sitting at a desk - but they do take up rather a lot of room!
Do you ever have conversations or meetings and come away wondering why all the responsibility or actions are left with you?
Think of the Swiss Ball - if you hold one during a conversation, you will
* be unable to see anyone else in the room
* feel slightly overwhelmed
* ache quite quickly
And you won't have much idea of what the other person is doing!
Responsibility is like a Swiss Ball. If you hold it all during a conversation, you will feel overburdened. And if you have to take it all away.... Responsibility needs to take its rightful place - in the space in between you and your companion. Or - in a meeting - on the table. Then you can decide between you who does what and take away a manageable amount of responsibility.
A useful question is: How are WE going to take this forward?
If you work with people who don't like to take responsibility and to give you their swiss ball, and you are a person who likes to fix things quickly and will solve things for them, you can quickly found yourself swamped. It's still supportive to acknowledge the problem and help them find out how they might solve it. But picking it up is like picking up a swiss ball!
Although it can be tempting to grab all of the responsibility, remember how difficult it would be to take a swiss ball home in the car - or on the bus. They're even difficult to get through a door! Maybe you could turn it into a spacehopper!"
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
Friday, June 12, 2009
3D Juggling 433: Extravagant Ideas
There are still 2 spaces on the Action Learning Set Facilitator training on 30th June in London. Make us a reasonable offer...
Claire writes: 'Many years ago, Barbara Sher wrote a book called: I could do anything if only I knew what it was. When people come for a Career Makeover, that phrase is mirrored in many conversations. So how on earth do you get inspiration? Ask for advice, and those close to you receive your anxiety and add it to their own feelings about your career and how it affects them - which can rather stifle creativity!
Try this: Find 5 people who know you well and ask them each to write down 20 jobs they could imagine you doing. You'll have thought of the first five and the last five will probably be crazy. But in that list will be clues about potential which others see in you and some great creative thinking. Embalmer was on one lady's list - not something she had thought of before! This can also make a fun evening with friends - just get the list down before you open the second bottle of wine!'
Love this? Do us a favour and send it to five people. Who thinks like you? You could send it to someone who is looking for ideas.
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
There are still 2 spaces on the Action Learning Set Facilitator training on 30th June in London. Make us a reasonable offer...
Claire writes: 'Many years ago, Barbara Sher wrote a book called: I could do anything if only I knew what it was. When people come for a Career Makeover, that phrase is mirrored in many conversations. So how on earth do you get inspiration? Ask for advice, and those close to you receive your anxiety and add it to their own feelings about your career and how it affects them - which can rather stifle creativity!
Try this: Find 5 people who know you well and ask them each to write down 20 jobs they could imagine you doing. You'll have thought of the first five and the last five will probably be crazy. But in that list will be clues about potential which others see in you and some great creative thinking. Embalmer was on one lady's list - not something she had thought of before! This can also make a fun evening with friends - just get the list down before you open the second bottle of wine!'
Love this? Do us a favour and send it to five people. Who thinks like you? You could send it to someone who is looking for ideas.
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
Friday, May 16, 2008
Juggling in 3D 380: Talk it into existence
We had ten emails about last week's juggling by mid morning on Monday. Seems it struck a chord. We loved the one from a priest who said that a significant learning for him was to read a well known bible verse: I can do all things... including fail... through Christ who strengthens me.
Claire writes: "At awards evening at school last week, a rocket scientist talked about her idea for a self-financing space trip to Mars: Big Brother in Space. It's OK until you come to the evictions! Seriously, though, she has been funded to make a video about the idea and if such a trip becomes scientifically possible, maybe her dream will come true! I kept quiet my idea for a TV remote that would whistle back if you whistled at... and now someone else has brought it into existence.
As long as we keep ideas and dreams in our head, they are likely to come to nothing. At some stage, we need to start talking about them in order to get clarity, challenge, support... and to develop them. At the right time, we need to talk them into existence. That's what gives them life. Last week I did a Career Makeover with someone with a huge dream that he barely dare articulate. Over a couple of house webegan to talk about it and it moved from an intangible place in an unknown future to something that can happen sooner.
Is there something you need to say?"
Love this? Do us a favour and send it to five people. Who thinks like you? You could send it to your work neighbours.
Discuss this week's juggling at http://www.3dcoaching.blogspot.com/
(c) 2008 3D Coaching Ltd
Spend a day away... for a change
Invest in your future. There is a "Whatever Next...?" Day most weeks. Call us on 0845 458 0154 and we'll talk about arranging dates to suit you. http://www.3dcoaching.com/with_your_team/whatever_next.phtml
Empower your new staff by offering them coaching conversations in their first 100 days.
It will transform their impact. Call us on 0845 458 0156 to talk about how we can work with you to develop them. http://www.3dcoaching.com/about_work.phtml
Get inspired on Monday! If you're a new reader, welcome!
Click here to get inspired next Monday http://www.3dcoaching.com/php/members.php?id=11
Coming Up
Managing Faith in the Workplace run by Chartered Management Institute and Three Faiths Network. Come and hear Ram Gidoomal, Tariq Hameed, Sir Trevor Chinn and Claire Pedrick. http://www.managers.org.uk/
Are you a coach and want to be simply excellent?
Are you are among the 85% of coaches and consultants who think that supervision is important... but not among the 40% who receive it? Whether you are an internal or independent coach, supervision will transform the art and craft of your coaching. Call Claire on 0845 458 0154 to talk about how we can work with you as you transform your coaching. .
We had ten emails about last week's juggling by mid morning on Monday. Seems it struck a chord. We loved the one from a priest who said that a significant learning for him was to read a well known bible verse: I can do all things... including fail... through Christ who strengthens me.
Claire writes: "At awards evening at school last week, a rocket scientist talked about her idea for a self-financing space trip to Mars: Big Brother in Space. It's OK until you come to the evictions! Seriously, though, she has been funded to make a video about the idea and if such a trip becomes scientifically possible, maybe her dream will come true! I kept quiet my idea for a TV remote that would whistle back if you whistled at... and now someone else has brought it into existence.
As long as we keep ideas and dreams in our head, they are likely to come to nothing. At some stage, we need to start talking about them in order to get clarity, challenge, support... and to develop them. At the right time, we need to talk them into existence. That's what gives them life. Last week I did a Career Makeover with someone with a huge dream that he barely dare articulate. Over a couple of house webegan to talk about it and it moved from an intangible place in an unknown future to something that can happen sooner.
Is there something you need to say?"
Love this? Do us a favour and send it to five people. Who thinks like you? You could send it to your work neighbours.
Discuss this week's juggling at http://www.3dcoaching.blogspot.com/
(c) 2008 3D Coaching Ltd
Spend a day away... for a change
Invest in your future. There is a "Whatever Next...?" Day most weeks. Call us on 0845 458 0154 and we'll talk about arranging dates to suit you. http://www.3dcoaching.com/with_your_team/whatever_next.phtml
Empower your new staff by offering them coaching conversations in their first 100 days.
It will transform their impact. Call us on 0845 458 0156 to talk about how we can work with you to develop them. http://www.3dcoaching.com/about_work.phtml
Get inspired on Monday! If you're a new reader, welcome!
Click here to get inspired next Monday http://www.3dcoaching.com/php/members.php?id=11
Coming Up
Managing Faith in the Workplace run by Chartered Management Institute and Three Faiths Network. Come and hear Ram Gidoomal, Tariq Hameed, Sir Trevor Chinn and Claire Pedrick. http://www.managers.org.uk/
Are you a coach and want to be simply excellent?
Are you are among the 85% of coaches and consultants who think that supervision is important... but not among the 40% who receive it? Whether you are an internal or independent coach, supervision will transform the art and craft of your coaching. Call Claire on 0845 458 0154 to talk about how we can work with you as you transform your coaching. .
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