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Practice Your Short Game

I love golf. However, unfortunately I am not particularly good at it. Regardless of ability, I love playing the course with my golfing buddies. There are five of us that play, however with our busy schedules it is rare that more than two or three are able to make a round. We try to get out weekly, and after every game, I must admit, I look forward to the next time we can go again.

One of the women is a female Tiger Woods, she can hit that ball so hard and far we often see it land right on the green. Another is articulate with her practice swing. Her form is excellent and she perfects her practice swing before she hits the ball…and yes her game is good. Another is consistently steady, thoughtful on every swing, patient and is on a continual improvement trajectory. The other an experienced tennis player, takes to the course like she is playing Wimbledon. She has the drive to be very good and her level of improvement has been outstanding in an exceptionally short time. And then there is me…I am impatient when I get to the tee, I want to whack that ball as hard as I can, and then just GO! I can hit straight, however not far. My best game is on the green – my short game.

Our golf balls sometimes go the wrong way, quite a few have been lost in the trees, and yes, admittedly, there are the odd mulligans — when we top a ball and it rolls off the tee or take a swing and miss completely — that occur. We keep track of our score, and are not delusional about our golfing weaknesses. We keep each other in check, are each other’s biggest cheerleaders, and while doing this, have valuable authentic and uninterrupted conversation along the way. I love these ladies, they are my support team, ones that I can bounce ideas off, be challenged in my way of thinking, and continuously be pushed forward to be a better person.

Leaders, too, need a similar support system. Leaders like golfers have the same desire – to simply get better.

Who provides you support and encouragement in your leadership role?

Every successful leader wants greater success, to be a better leader, get better results, and make more of a positive contribution. Despite success, there is always room for improvement, there are always areas that require a little more focus and concentration. Leadership is a lifelong journey of improvement and not a game.

If you need support in your leadership role, are feeling as though you have plateaued or needing more of push to attain the results you are targeting, I can assist you. If you would like to discuss your situation, please book a free strategy session with me by clicking on the button below.

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Developing your personal brand

“Many of us are taught to do our best and then let the world decide how to judge us. I think it is better to do your best and decide how you want to be judged. And act that way.”  Seth Godin

Your personal brand is one that others will identify you by and highlights your skills (technical and soft skills, abilities, education and work experience), passion, personality and your unique selling points (your differentiators from others). It is deliberate, thoughtful, outward-focused, and is all about the results you deliver.

As we change jobs several times throughout our career, it is important to know how to market ourselves, and if needed, reinvent ourselves through our personal brands.

Your personal brand may shift minimally, or if you decide to make a significant change, may need to be completely reinvented. Not everyone bothers to work on their personal brand, however I cannot emphasize enough how important it is in today’s market to have one. If not, you are missing a professional and strategic opportunity to promote yourself, increase your visibility, respect and level of influence.

Do you have a personal brand, and if so what is it? Does it represent what you can do and what you want to be known for? Will it entice others to want to work with you?

Think about what people say about you when you leave the room and then, what you want them to say about you – is it different? If you truly do not know how you are perceived, ask your colleagues and clients what your greatest strengths are and what experience you have that makes you stand out from others.

For example, are you focused, engaged, collaborative, creative, innovative, strategic and/or results-orientated? Do you excel in project or team-based assignments? Do you have an aptitude for leadership? Are you agile and innovative? Do you attain exceptional results? Have you demonstrated your ability to deal in a complex and/or changing environments? Through globalization and increasing levels of competition your ability to deal with change is essential in today’s market. Your brand showcases your abilities and what you have to offer.  The communication style you use needs to be clear, articulate and consistent so it is compelling to your target audience.

You are the only one responsible for your personal brand, so own it! Be honest and authentic in how you market yourself. Remember to highlight what separates you from the crowd and how you can make your brand easy for people to remember. Your personal brand statement should address your strengths and how you accomplish your goals.

Your personal brand will help you design your personal pitch, also often referred to as your ‘elevator pitch’. Your pitch should be less than two minutes, strong and straight to the point. You should be able to easily and confidently explain your skills and strengths, as well as the value you will provide and what you have to offer. Make it easy for people to get to know you, understand you, and remember you. An elevator pitch can be used when networking, updating colleagues or clients, in performance reviews, and of course, for job hunting and contract development.  Remember to use an active voice in the present or future tense.

Also, ensure your online presence is up-to-date and correlates to your personal brand; it is critical to put your digital presence at the forefront as many online searches are done as an initial screening.

Once you have a draft or a completed personal brand statement, ensure you test it and receive feedback regularly. Diarize to revisit your personal brand every six months. Keep a check on it regularly through client, employee, employer or investor feedback.

Download the personal branding worksheet below to help you get started.

Download the Worksheet

Do you need assistance in developing your personal brand? I would love to work with you and help you transform, improve and thrive. To schedule a free 30-minute high-performance coaching consultation, or discuss coaching package options with me, please click on the button below.

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7 Simple Steps to Success in 2018

Why is it an estimated 40 percent of North American’s set New Year’s goals, however, only about 8 percent achieve them?

Have you made your New Year’s Resolutions? And have you been able to stick to them?

We all have great intentions at the beginning of a New Year; many start after a break and are ready to hit the New Year running at full speed. However, ‘life’ simply happens. Generic goals like eating healthier, exercising more, saving money and working smarter top the lists, however often our resolutions are too broad and we lose focus.

Many people set resolutions or goals for the upcoming year without first taking the time to reflect on the previous year. Reflection enables you to put 2017 into a brief year summary, put pen to paper and list accomplishments. State what worked well and what did not. What practices and goals should be continued and which simply should be cut? This is the starting point to planning for the New Year, and if you have not had the opportunity to do so already, it is not too late.

Think of your professional and personal goals as a ‘Roadmap for Focus and Success’ in 2018. And here is my New Year’s gift to you — seven very simple steps that you can take to help you pave the way for success in 2018:

Step 1

Review and reflect. Review 2017, take time out to think about last year even if it is as little as 10 minutes to list what worked and what did not. Of the items that worked, ensure you carry forward these practices in 2018. For those that did not, it is simple, don’t do them again. You will also have some goals that need to be continued over the next year, so ensure you write them down.

Step 2

Think Big. Now is the fun part. Set a timer for at least 10 minutes but no longer than 50 minutes. Now, write down without judgment or doubt any goal or desire you have for 2018. Open your mind and write; keep writing until your timer goes off.

Step 3

Categorize. Of your long list, categorize and group the items into between four and 12 personal and professional goals. Write your goals in past tense as though you have already achieved them – this will keep you motivated when you are planning the tasks that need to be done within each goal. This step may initially feel overwhelming, but trust me, what normally occurs is that many of the items you brainstorm end up being actual tasks within an overriding goal.

When I do this exercise, I write each of my goals on a separate post-it note. This makes it easier to categorize and shortlist. It also provides an easy visual for the steps to make great things happen.

Think of the Pareto Principle also known as the 80/20 Rule. The rule suggests that 80 percent of your results will come from 20 percent of your effort. Or inversely, 20 percent of your results come from 80 percent of your efforts. After categorizing your goals and determining the top 20 percent that will provide you the best return on your time, then you’re ready for the next step.

Step 4

List Tasks. For your most important (the 20 percent that you identified will bring you the most return) personal and professional goals, set a timer again for between 10 and 50 minutes. Write tasks necessary to move the item from goal to reality. This will assist you in setting a timeline for each task, prioritize what you do first, second, third, etc. The important thing here is to take the first step, this will enable you to move forward and gain momentum. For each goal, define no more than 12 tasks necessary to accomplish the goal.

Step 5

Set 90 day/Quarterly Targets. Assign your goals to quarter time frame periods (ie: January – March, April – June, July-September, and October-December). Many of your goals may span the entire year. However, the tasks that need to be completed should be listed in the associated time frame of each quarter. This will provide you with a visual roadmap to follow in 90-day increments.

Step 6

Schedule Time. Set a dedicated, uninterrupted time every morning to work on your defined goals. Diarize time in your schedule to make these things happen – you just need to prioritize it; schedule it; and start. Simple!

Everyone has a tendency to concentrate on ‘busy work’ through the day, and before you know it, quality time and concentrated effort — on goals that truly make a difference to your performance and productivity — go by the wayside. By spending time, even as little as 50-minutes on a goal at the beginning of the day (rather than getting caught in the spiraling trap of email), you will be surprised how quickly you can move forward. Setting appointments for yourself on your defined goals will guarantee that you spend uninterrupted and focused time on achieving them.

Step 7

Change your Mental Focus. Make the mental shift to focus on your top identified goals and simply DO. By making the simple shift of thinking of goals within 90-day project windows and by setting aside specified, focused time to work on these projects, I guarantee you will have increased performance and productivity in 2018. And even get excited about your goals and your ability to achieve them! This shift in prioritizing your time will enable you to create a laser focus on you goals and help you achieve what you want to in 2018.

Are you as excited about 2018 as I am? It is going to be a GREAT year!

To schedule a free 30-minute coaching consultation with Jenny to work on your priorities for the year/or quarter ahead, or to learn more about 90-day High-Performance Coaching packages,  please click on the button below.

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