Tips and tricks for Professional Development.

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Resilience Is Your Superpower

Jenny Reilly On Resilience

Jenny Reilly discusses the importance of professional resilience and how events in 2020 have been a test in resilience for all of us. Being resilient enables you to bounce back when things do not go as planned and helps you handle what life throws your way.  Jenny describes resilience, why it is needed and strategies to develop and strengthen your level of resilience. For more information on participating in Jenny’s TEC Canada Small Business Peer Advisory Group in Vancouver, strategic business consulting, or executive coaching, please reach out to askme@jennyreilly.com or phone +1-604-616-1967.

 

RESILIENCE IS YOUR SUPERPOWER

 

2020 a Period of Great Resiliency

Resiliency is a relevant topic for us all today, as we navigate our way working through:

  • the global pandemic
  • the second lockdown in British Columbia, Canada
  • the state of the worldwide economy
  • the media coverage of our neighbours across the border. The angst around the lead up to and aftermath of the US Presidential election, and now Trump refusing to concede to Biden 
  • a new way of working and socializing where virtual meetings make up our days, wearing a mask, standing six foot apart, and reducing our professional and personal connections is our ‘new norm.’

 

Corporate Resilience

 

Resilience Is Amazing

I have the opportunity to consult with small to mid-size companies and coach resilient small business owners and C-Suite leaders. I believe that RESILIENCE IS A REAL SUPERPOWER, almost like a muscle; we can build on our level of resilience to ensure it is beneficial in our professional and personal lives.

 

In this challenging time of COVID-19, for many, we have had to reassess our positions, or businesses, and be conscious of our vulnerabilities concerning the pandemic. We have had to foresee disruptions, leverage resources quickly, and ensure we have a real focus on our reserves and cash position.

What is Resilience?

Resilience helps us get back up after we have been knocked down, allows us to try again, and handle whatever life throws our way.

 

vancouver_business_consulting

Why do we need to be resilient?

Being resilient enables us to move forward after a failure or disappointment. A resilient individual acknowledges a situation, learns from an experience and then can move on. 

 

Being resilient enables us not to be paralyzed by an event, nor permit it to destroy our self-worth or confidence; instead, a resilient individual sees the opportunity for growth and a positive future. Resilient individuals are motivated and committed to moving forward in their professional and personal pursuits.  They have a compelling reason to get out of bed each morning and take the next best step, rather than the alternative of dwelling and fixating on the past. Resilient individuals focus on events that they have control over and do not worry about the unforeseeable or uncontrollable. 

 

Now that being said, I appreciate entirely that being resilient is not easy! Having a resilient mindset enables us to fail and be okay and acknowledge that life is not a perfect upward trajectory of professional and personal success. Being resilient enables us to aim high and go for our big hairy audacious goals, despite the risks involved.

 

Resilience after Covid

Building your Resiliency Superpower

Resiliency does not come naturally; however, the good news is that you can strengthen your ability to have a resilient attitude and positive mindset. 

 

Step 1: Self Awareness

  • A good night’s sleep will help you manage your stress levels. You will wake with energy and be able to cope with demands and challenges more effectively.
  • Balanced nutritious meals throughout the day. Eating well will ensure you do not become ‘hangry.’ Simply put, when we take care of what we put into our body, we can deal better physically with challenges as they arise.
  • Getting in even a 20-minute walk daily (preferably outside rather than on a treadmill), being in the outdoors and moving will help your refresh, which in turn will increase your ability to focus and increase your levels of productivity.  
  • Being nice to yourself, by that, I mean stopping the negative self-talk as it occurs. This cognitive adjustment will help you change the way you think about situations and pivotal events as they occur. 

Step 2: Awareness of Others:

  • Responding and acting thoughtfully, calmly and logically with your colleagues and clients. Being a hothead, not listening or jumping to conclusions does not help anyone. How you react in a situation is your choice, so make it a priority. Being knowledgeable about those around you and aware of their needs is hugely beneficial.

Step 3: Being Conscious of the Resiliency Gap

  • Knowing how resilient you are and measuring that against the resiliency levels of others around you may show a resiliency gap. Once a gap is identified, you then need to and work out how you can shorten it.  This action’s payoff will be three-fold and be seen in long-term engagement, increased focus, and better bottom-line results.

 

Resiliency Self-Assessment and Personal Strategies

Three questions to rate your resiliency on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the highest):

 

  1. How resilient are you intellectually?
  2. How resilient are you emotionally?
  3. How do you cope when a door closes for you (maybe imagine the proverbial slammed door in your face)?

 

In each of the above three areas, what could you work on to increase your resiliency level in the future?

 

The following five questions can assist you in identifying your professional vulnerabilities and where you can be more resilient:

  1. Does this second lockdown pose an additional threat to my position or business?
  2. What disruptions can I foresee and prepare for in advance?
  3. How healthy are my financial reserves?
  4. What resources could I leverage quickly if needed?
  5. How will my team and customers/clients be impacted?

 

Resilience at Work

Building Your Resilience

Building upon your ‘Resiliency Superpower’ will help you see the positive possibilities moving forward. Although there have been many negatives that we have had to navigate through COVID, living through a pandemic has also provided the opportunity to hit a ‘refresh’ button on our professional and personal lives. What has the pandemic made possible for you? In what areas will you now focus on in your business and personal life moving forward?  

 

Make everyday count!

 

For more information on Jenny Reilly Consulting, please email askme@jennyreilly.com, call +1-604-616-1967, or book a 15-minute discovery call directly through my Calendly appointment schedule. 

 

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Business Owner, Entrepreneur or Intrepreneur – let’s have the same objectives!

Professional Growth for Business Owner, Entrepreneur and Intrepreneur

Working through COVID in remote or hybrid models has opened up the channels for individuals to demonstrate greater creativity in their positions, be proactive in thinking ahead, and be more flexible as they have had to manage the day to day challenges of working and living during a pandemic. Increased autonomy provided an opportunity for professional growth. The pandemic has allowed many to change their mindset when approaching work and look at it from an intrepreneur’s perspective rather than an employee.

For business owners and entrepreneurs during the last ten months, we have needed and relied on our employees to help with new cadence, processes, and ways of business, whether working remotely or with PPE’s (Personal Protective Equipment). 

 

‘The best type of employees to have are those that have acted like an intrepreneur through COVID.’ Jenny Reilly 

 

Intrepreneurs operate within a company and possess the entrepreneurial spirit that is often referenced when we talk about creative, flexible, and problem-solving individuals. 

An intrepreneur has the same outlook or mindset as an entrepreneur or business owner; they can identify gaps and provide solutions, take action before it is needed, and are always looking for ways to improve or innovate to make things better. 

 

intrepreneur

North America

During the last ten months in North America, the number of business decisions required was amplified as we adjusted to the new way of work, team interaction, virtual client service, and the differing levels of self-isolation. Intrepreneurs with the following mindset qualities assisted leadership through this turbulent time by being:

 

  1. Open to opportunities, challenges, and alternate ways of doing business 
  2. Resilient, patient, resourceful, and creative while pushing through adversity and times of challenge during COVID.
  3. Always on the lookout for solutions to existing or potential problems. Looking for connections that others may miss. 
  4. Relentlessly consistent in taking action to improve processes and efficiencies.
  5. Courageous in trying new things, not being frightened to fail, bounce back with improvements, pivot, and try again.
  6. In pursuit of continuous improvement until a problem is solved. 
  7. Authentic, sincere, respected, and humble. Developing trust and commitment quickly.

 

Intrepreneur

Individuals who have transformed themselves into an intrepreneur through COVID have redefined how they approach work. This new approach to work, mindset pivot, and results have improved confidence levels, purpose, and commitment to the company’s success. 

 

intrepreneur

Encourage your staff

How can you, as a leader, encourage staff to adopt an intrepreneurs mindset?

What support and training can you provide to your team to support their leadership journey?

How can you encourage the uptake of a new perspective while adapting to the world of work’s unique rigours during and post COVID?

Contact Me

Reach out to me if you are interested in learning more about how you can encourage intrepreneurship within your business model, or book a 15-minute strategy consultation through my Calendly link here.

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Goals Set your Direction & Systems Help you Make Progress

Your days are jam-packed; however, you often feel by days end that you have accomplished little as your time has been spent on low-value tasks, putting out fires, and getting caught up in the day-to-day business minutia. There is never enough time to focus on what is important; your goals are defined; however, you can’t seem to make progress on moving them forward. Sound familiar?

 

You Can Get Frustrated Before You Make Progress

If you are frustrated by your progress on moving goals forward, it is time to reset how you are prioritizing the work that needs to be done on your goals, the processes you have in place to focus on the ‘next best step,’ and systems to enable you to work smarter, not harder on the work at hand.

 

Goals set direction and can help keep you organized.

 

Processes outline what you need to do – step-by-step actions.

 

Systems help you achieve your goals and make progress – a critical component for all, no matter what industry you are in or the position you hold.

Make Progress at work

Implement a System 

The implementation of process, technical and time management systems are critical to enabling you to make progress on your goals. I have outlined below systems that I use daily:

 

Process System

  • I utilize the 80/20 rule when determining goal focus. Using the Pareto Principle, or 80/20 rule, I appreciate that 80% of my business outcomes are usually a result of 20% of my efforts around my top goals. So, when working on my goals daily, I commence working on high-value tasks associated with a top-level goal, which in turn provides the greatest return on my time investment. When using the 80/20 rule, a simple trick is to ask yourself daily when mapping out your schedule: ‘What goal focus should I concentrate on today that will provide the greatest impact?’. 

Technical Systems

  • The client CRM I use is HubSpot. The project management software I use is Trello to manage goals, task assignments, staff communication, the delegation of tasks, reporting, and metrics. 

Time Management Systems:

  • When scheduling my time, I allocate a minimum of two hours daily to focus on high-value goals that significantly impact my consultancy. I block of uninterruptable time chunks in my Outlook calendar and couldn’t live without my Full Focus Paper Planner to keep me on track. By having this identified time blocked out daily, I make guaranteed goal progress. You need to remember two words that go hand in hand with your time management systems, RELENTLESS CONSISTENCY – this will help you move forward in your goal attainment and track if you make progress. 

 

7 Steps To Help You Stay On Track And Make Progress:

  1. Determine your goals; they set your direction
  2. Under each goal, detail the associated tasks and timelines
  3. Set critical milestone dates, and ensure reporting metric expectations are communicated
  4. Detail the strategy as to how you will approach and achieve the goal
  5. Focus first on the top 20% of goals that will provide the most significant impact.
  6. Set aside time daily to work on ‘the next best step’ of the goal. Do this in uninterruptable time chunks. The daily allocation of time will make a significant difference in your goal timeline.
  7. Be relentlessly consistent – action should be taken daily for the greatest momentum

 

Make progress in life

Atomic Habits 

If you have not read Atomic Habits, I encourage you to do so. James Clear’s reference around the importance of small habits making a big difference is critical to address procrastination and move your goals forward. An example in his book given is one that I often refer to with clients, ‘The effects of small habits compound over time. For example, if you can get just 1 percent better each day, you’ll end up with results that are nearly 37 times better after one year.’ Now that is progress!

Evaluate Your System

I hope this article has motivated you to evaluate your current systems to ensure they are working to your best advantage—work smarter, not harder, for greater productivity, balance, and increased results. Be relentlessly consistent in your actions; small steps compounded make a significant difference to your bottom line. 

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How to achieve personal and professional goals by the end of 2020?

Time to refocus on personal and professional goals you want to get done by year-end.

Week 43 – Already!

Only ten weeks remaining till year-end, and no doubt it has been quite the year for all of us professionally and personally.

 

Priority Refocus

Personal and Professional goals that were set at the commencement of the year, for the majority, have had to change and pivot due to COVID-19. For the remaining weeks of the year, refocus on what is important to achieve professionally and personally by year-end. Remember the 80/20 rule when refocusing on your goals for the remainder of the year. Your focus should be on the top 20% of activities that result in 80% of your results. The goals that you decide to focus on over the next two and a half months should be the ones that will give you the most positive consequences by year-end.

 

The first step is to block off an hour in your schedule today to work on your list of revised goals that you will concentrate on over the next ten weeks. Identify, clarify, set priorities, and plan with timelines for all that needs to be done under each goal.

 

professional goals

 

What do you need to accomplish professionally that is important by year-end?

 

In your personal life, what do you want to accomplish by year-end?

 

What are your top three priorities to year-end both professionally and personally?

 

How much time will each of your areas of priority (defined goals) take to complete? For each of your personal and professional goals, detail the steps required and associate key tasks with a deadline. By breaking down your priorities into smaller tasks, you will be able to dig into a task and complete it quickly, which will fuel your motivation and momentum. Seeing tasks completed on your list will help ease procrastination when moving onto the next step.

 

Allocate time blocks into your schedule; these focused blocks of un-interruptable time will enable you to have full concentration on the task at hand and get more done in less time.

Technology Usage

The second step is to put tactics in place to achieve your priorities; this is where a digital project management tool comes into play. We have so many tools at our fingertips to help us stay on track, pick one and stick to it for the remainder of the year (e.g., Trello, Monday, Asana, Zoho…). Maximize the benefits of your software to keep on top of your digital to-do lists under each priority. Your software should help you manage resources, budget, collaboration and communication in addition to keeping on top of task lists, schedules, file sharing and reporting.

 

  • Use technology well to stay on top of your priorities, maximize the software you have on hand to streamline your processes, communication, scheduling, and project management.
  • Take control of your schedule and calendar. Only accept meetings that you need to attend—block off uninterrupted time to work on what is important.
  • Relentlessly commit to the allocation of time to work on what is important daily.

professional goals

Tips for retaining focus:

 

1) Plan your week in advance. 

Detail your top three personal or professional goals to accomplish during the week. Daily, focus on your set three priorities and, at the end of the day, list what you achieved and what you need to move onto the next day. At the end of the week, list your wins, what worked well and what didn’t, what needs to be carried over to the next week and your focus for the next week.

 

2) Stop multitasking and stay on point. 

Focus is a critical component to high-performance and the attainment of results. Multitasking is one behaviour that you will have to curb. Even though we may think we can manage multiple tasks simultaneously, the reality is that when focusing on the most important task at hand, we should be putting all of our energy and focus into that item when working on it to get more done. The tendency of many is to shift attention between tasks, priorities and interruptions, and this is a sure way of adding time onto your week and making it more difficult in your position. When you move from one thing to another, every shift adds on transition time to get back to the point where your attention is 100% on the task at hand. Don’t lose this precious time; use it wisely; otherwise, you will be prone to mistakes, missed deadlines and frustration as you will be working harder and longer hours.

 

3) Allocate time at the commencement of your day to work on identified priorities.

This may require schedule updates; however, in the long run, it will be worth it. Where you can clear your morning, do so to work on important priorities and leave the remainder of the day to deal with daily tasks and responsibilities. As tempting as it may be when you see ‘Priority Work” blocked off in your schedule, use your willpower and refrain from adding any other appointment in this area. Your productivity will increase, often threefold if you can stick to your blocked, uninterruptable time to work on priorities. Within these time chunked blocks, do not permit yourself to be distracted from personal or virtual interruptions, phone calls, email or other pressing priorities. After you have become used to this habit of working on your most important professional priorities daily, you will not look back.

 

4) Be in ‘action’ mode. 

To move forward and attain your defined priorities, you need to start with good momentum. Stepping into action without distraction will help you make better and faster decisions and, as you complete a task, provide you with the motivation to move forward to the next. As you are working through your task list, as items are identified that require specific action, lean in and do it!

professional goals

 

5) Concentrate on your professional and personal priorities. 

Through blocking off time in your schedule through the workweek to work on professional priorities, and time on the weekends or evenings for personal priorities, you will be surprised how much you can get through. Your scheduled time blocks provide you with the opportunity to only work on high-value tasks that are going to positively impact you professionally and personally. I use time intervals of 30, 60 or 90 minutes when working on high-value tasks as this helps me get into a ‘flow’ state and achieve more in less time. When possible, I will have three blocks of time scheduled in the morning, set aside 100% for project work. During this time, I turn off all my computer notifications and put my phone on do not disturb.

 

6) Walk your talk. 

Don’t just schedule and talk about what you are focusing on; take action on the specific tasks you can complete and get started. Developing the habit of working on your professional and personal goals as a priority is a habit. Taking continuous action to move forward on a priority, ticking off specific steps or tasks on a priority through completion, will help you attain results faster. If you feel like your focus is wavering, remind yourself to step back into action mode on your high-value priorities as this is where you will see real results to your bottom line.

 

7) Self-discipline. 

It sounds all so easy and intuitive that we define what we need to focus on and work on and then ‘do it.’ However, in reality, we know that life simply happens, and an urgent issue often compromises our time, and we bump the time reserved to work on what is important to put out the latest fire. It took me years to step out of this mode, into being self-disciplined and working on what was important daily without being taken away from it. Self-discipline will help you focus on what you know you should be doing and focus on it through to completion.

 

Make the most of the next ten weeks, and I wish you all the best on your journey to accomplish your personal and professional goals for the remainder of 2020.

 

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Waiting for things to return to normal? Stop waiting, instead hit the reset button!

Last week, I was in a meeting where we had a great discussion on leadership modes and the stressors that have been present over the previous six months in various industry sectors.

 

We moved into ’emergency mode’ overnight, working at double speed to address either challenges or opportunities in the marketplace as a direct result of the global pandemic. Improvising and experimenting along the way. Then came the ‘resilience mode’ as we pivoted, offered differentiated services, changed the way we interacted with our customers and clients, all the time adjusting to adapt to our new reality. This phase has been intense, has lasted longer than expected, and the stress during this period has been consistent and high.

 

Adaptive Leadership

The importance of fostering adaptive leadership in this period of economic recovery is critical for long term success. The need to perform in an everchanging environment of uncertainty, as proven during this period of COVID, has reminded us to continue to focus on execution, while at the same time developing ‘next best practices’ that will work more effectively in our fast-paced changing professional environment.

 

 

Being adaptive to such wavering market conditions in many ways has enabled us to get back to the basics of focusing on our people first and foremost, delivering value and good work for your clients.

 

Being adaptive is essential when planning for the unknown, forecasting worst- and best-case scenarios, and preparing for alternate situations. Working in this constant state of flux is exhausting, and rather than operate at 110% continuously, you will be better served to operate in sprints and reserve your energy. Focus on what can be completed in 30, 60- and 90-day windows. Be proactive in navigating strategic ambiguity, take pragmatic action, stay informed, use your data points, and keep your communication open and transparent

 

Keeping up – remember focus takes personal attention

Being adaptive professionally requires intentional focus. To maintain this edge, your ability to critically and appropriately respond to a situation, while keeping your presence, thinking and emotions in check is crucial to your success. You will be able to do this better if you take care of yourself. Yes, the simple rules of getting enough sleep, eating well, exercising and ensuring you are getting enough social and emotional stimulus. Some questions for you to consider:

  • Are you taking care of yourself physically and mentally?
  • If you are working remotely, who are you reaching out to (coach, confidant or colleague) for support in your role and how often?
  • Are you turning off and disconnecting from your phone and email at least one day per week to allow for rejuvenation?
  • Are you blocking off time in your schedule to reflect on weekly accomplishments, items that need to move forward and the focus required in the week ahead?

Embrace ‘the fail.’

Having and executing a plan does not necessarily mean it is going to be successful. A failed plan is a better plan than no plan at all. After a failed execution of an action, we can pivot, correct and improvise as we have a strong foundation to move from. Being resilient after a failure, consistently pushing forward, and making changes as needed will help you on your journey to attain your desired results.  Thinking on your feet, analytical problem solving, fast decision making, and clear and consistent communication on the direction are all critical attributes of a leader. Caring and placing employees as the number one priority in a period of crisis is not forgotten. I have heard numerous clients’ stories over the last six months how the pandemic and change in working conditions have bought them closer, even though they are physically apart. Consistent communication and forwarding thinking action have improved relationships and, although different in many circumstances, are more robust than they have ever been.

 

 

 

Hit the ‘reset’ button

Hitting the reset button helps you look at your current situation, build on knowledge from recent experiences and redefine the way you work. Providing leadership direction in an environment when uncertainty has been the only given has provided an excellent leadership growth opportunity. Addressing issues with short-term fixes, tightening or cutting resources, and freezing hiring even during a period of growth (which has been for some sectors) may have worked to date; however, I encourage you to take a step back and hit the reset button.

Reset by evaluating how far you have come over the last six months, identify where you want to be by the end of the year, a year from now, and identify action items required to get there – be proactive in planning your roadmap for success.

 

We can help you with your professional development or provide tailored executive coaching that can help support your leadership or your leadership team, please reach out to askme@jennyreilly.com to schedule a convenient time for a complimentary strategy session.

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