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COVID-19 = Transformative Professional and Personal Change

COVID-19 Changes

COVID-19 restrictions were put in place near eight weeks ago in Vancouver. During this time, our doctors, nurses, paramedics, and medical staff have been working tirelessly, saving lives, and caring for those infected. The 7 pm cheer, hearts displayed on house and apartment windows, and posters along routes to hospitals are visually demonstrating the community’s sincere gratitude and support to our medical community.

 Professional and Personal Changes

We have all been affected in some way professionally or personally by the pandemic. We have moved through stages as we navigate the pandemic from immediate crisis management to practicing social distancing, working remotely, and climatizing to our new conditions. We have had to redefine priorities and critical areas of importance, for many, re-boot our businesses, pivot our services and products, and execute strategy quickly and to the best of our resources. How we worked before COVID-19 will not be how we work in the future. This crisis is acting as a catalyst for many to pivot direction. It is and continues to be a period of transformation and fluid change.

 Mental Health

How we turn up to work, greet, work with, and are present in our jobs is now different. We have felt exacerbated levels of stress through the pandemic, and mental health and wellness practices have taken on a new level of acknowledgment as we encourage our teams and colleagues to take care of themselves and their families. Eat better, sleep well, exercise, meditate, and stay healthy as the ramifications of the pandemic will be endured for many months to come.

 For Leaders

Leaders, be kind to yourself, you have been managing your human capital remotely, and the energy that is taking is immense. The increase in communication, the cadence of contact and the time taken as you help individuals cope during this period have been significant. On top of that, you have your day-to-day professional responsibilities, pivoting work practices while paying attention to the bottom line, and for many simultaneously balancing family and relationship roles on the home front.

 Elevated Support

My clients are from a range of industry sectors, and all have focused on elevated employee communication and support. Checking in on how individuals are coping personally, being transparent as new information comes to light, and clear on direction and the next best steps to take. Morning zoom huddles focused team meetings, and the integration of an online social connection, for many being virtual happy hours, has been essential to bolster individual and team spirit. Zoom meeting malaise or fatigue has set in for some, so focus on meeting practices has been emphasized. Each meeting must have an agenda and plan, and required pre-reading is sent in advance to enable thoughtful discussion and action item focus.

 Questions to Consider

The coronavirus pandemic has left us with health and economic challenges; however, it also provides the opportunity to evaluate deeply, refocus, pivot, and plan for an optimistic future.

 

I encourage you to answer the following questions:

  1. What have you learned about yourself since the pandemic commenced?
  2. What is now clear to you that is important personally and professionally?
  3. Post COVID-19 what are you going to stop doing, keep doing, and START doing?
  4. What is your story going to be post COVID-19? What do you want to focus on and achieve, and how are you going to ensure you execute the required strategy to do so?

 

Stay healthy, stay focused, and stay safe.

 

If you would like to continue the conversation, please reach out to me at jenny@jennyreilly.com.

 Medical Field Coaching

If you are or know of a health care worker who has been working on the front line who would benefit from a coaching session, please let me know. I am gifting five coaching sessions weekly to those in the medical field.

 

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2020 It Is Your Year!

We all have great intentions at the beginning of a New Year, the first day of the first month brings the promise of starting with a clean slate. Don’t be like the estimated 40 percent of North American’s who make New Year’s resolutions, of which only eight percent achieve. Instead, design a well thought out professional and personal roadmap for your success in 2020.

Now I know you may want to earn more, lose those extra few pounds gained over the festive period, have more time with family, travel someplace exotic, etc.…so do I!  Unfortunately, these generic statements don’t make things happen, so let’s give it a real try this year and be more focused and intentional on what we want to achieve in 2020 and how we are going to spend our time.

There is real value in setting aside time to first reflect on the past year:

  1. What did you accomplish in 2019 that you are really proud of?
  2. What worked well for you in 2019?
  3. What did not work well? Do you intend to improve in this area, or simply cut this action/process in 2020?
  4. What would you like to be doing more of in 2020?

My 2020 Professional and Personal Plan is my roadmap, it is something that I will often review, consists of 10 professional and personal goals and required action under each goal that I plan to focus on in the upcoming 12-months. My morning routine involves a quick review of my goals, and I define three action items daily to move goals forward. I review again at the end of the week and the quarter. I am not frightened to pivot if something is not working; as an entrepreneur and small business owner, the ability to move quickly, pivot, change, and adapt is necessary. My goals or action items often do change throughout the year. If something is not working, I pivot. Don’t feel tied to what you are writing down, it may need to be tweaked, and it is your plan, so you can change it as often as you feel necessary.

Time to write down your 2020 Professional and Personal Plan in seven easy steps:

STEP 1: Review and reflect. What worked for you and what has not this past year. Of the items that worked, ensure you carry forward these practices in 2020. For those that did not, it is simple, don’t do them again.

STEP 2: Think Big. Now is the fun part. Set a timer for at least 10 minutes but no longer than 50. Now, write down without judgment or doubt any professional or personal goal you have for 2020. Open your mind and write; keep writing until your timer goes off. 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 next steps required to make great things happen.

STEP 3: Categorize. Of your long list, categorize and group the items into seven to ten personal and professional goals. Write your goals in the past tense as though you have already achieved them – this will keep you motivated when you are planning the tasks for each goal. This step may initially feel overwhelming, but trust me, what usually occurs is that many of the items you brainstorm end up being actual tasks within an overriding goal.

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. After categorizing your goals determine 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. Now write down the tasks necessary under each goal. Writing the tasks down in order will assist you in setting timelines and prioritizing what you do first, second, third, etc. The important thing here is to take the first step, and this will enable you to move forward and gain momentum. For each goal, define at minimum the first five tasks that you will complete.

STEP 5: Set 90 day/Quarterly Targets. Assign your goals to quarter time frame periods (i.e., January – March, April – June, July-September, and October-December). Many of your goals may span the entire year. Allocate tasks to quarter periods, and 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 this happen – you just need to prioritize it, schedule it, and start. Simple!

STEP 7: Change your Mental Focus. Make the mental shift to focus on your identified goals and simply DO. By making the simple shift of thinking of goals within 90-day windows and by setting aside specified, concentrated time to work on your goals, I guarantee you will have increased performance, productivity and experience better results in 2020.

Are you as excited about 2020 as I am? It is going to be a GREAT year!

I have completed my roadmap for 2020 and am excited about the stretch goals I have set professionally and personally.

How is your 2020 looking?

If you are stuck, I would be happy to jump on a brief 15-minute zoom connection with you to help you prioritize your roadmap for success in 2020. Send me a message and I will be happy to coordinate with your schedule.

Happy New Year! 

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It is good to feel good!

Yes, we all have days, sometimes weeks, where we may hit a drudgery zone. I prefer to feel good rather than bad, don’t you? I prefer to be productive, have a plan, and be making a difference rather than feeling stuck. Even in the most complicated circumstances, I am always thinking about the next best steps to take. Even if it is a small step, it provides momentum and the ability to move forward.

I have had three separate in-depth conversations this week around professional and personal engagement. The challenges of individuals on the professional and personal front have been difficult, stressful, and not predictable. In these situations, it did not matter if the individual was an entrepreneur or employee, nor their level, profession, or industry sector.

Although an individual may have the technical know-how or academic background to do their job well, if a positive mindset or good habits are not present, it is tough to overcome challenging periods. There is little to no training in mindset and not enough provided on professional work ethic in an academic setting; these traits are attained through practical training and exposure to others that have the strength and know-how to achieve, maintain and retain a positive mindset.

I read an interesting HRB article on engagement and a study this week from The ADP Research Institute, entitled The Global Study of Engagement: Technical Report 2019. Many of the factors referenced for professional engagement, I also believe, mirror what is required for personal engagement on the family front and within relationships.

Productivity, focus, and satisfaction levels require effort. Some of these points may resonate with you:

  • If you are not receiving the feedback you need, don’t wait for it, step up and ask for it.
  • If you do not have the required skill set to do your job more effectively or life skills to deal with a situation, then seek them out. Utilize training and if it is not available, seek it out personally. The free training and development resources available online through edX, the Khan Academy, TED Talks, and YouTube are extensive. As Marya Angelou said “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”
  • Work at developing trust; it does not just occur. If trust is broken, accept it and move on.
  • Be very conscious about your level of communication and work at it. Don’t assume that others know what you are trying to say. Verbal and written communication skills need continual development.
  • Demonstrating full presence is challenging, with all the distractions we have thrown at us daily. Consciously be attentive and develop personal activators for every interaction to ensure that you are present.

What can you do this week to feel better professionally and personally?

#jennyreillyconsulting #engagement #productivity #leadership #positiveattitude

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‘ I am sooooooo busy…’

There is a HUGE difference between being busy and highly productive. Does this sound familiar, your days are filled with back-to-back meetings, urgent email, staffing issues, and before you know it, it is the end of the day, and you have not had the opportunity to start your ‘real work.’ 

Next time you feel like this, or if you are talking to a colleague, who is venting about how busy they are, I encourage you to challenge gently. We often need a kind reminder or gentle push that we are, in fact, 100% responsible for our time no matter what pressing deadline, project, or commitment. 

I am addicted to being ‘on’ or ‘in-flow’ when I am working on a project or with a client. I seek it daily and ensure my time is structured to permit me to be in this ‘happy place of productivity’ during focused periods throughout the day. 

Too often, we get caught up in the minutia, fall down that deep hole of procrastination and forget to focus on our ‘real work’ and what truly matters. 

As 2020 is fast approaching, it is an excellent time of year to do a quick, professional reality check. Evaluate what is working for you, what is not, what you would like to continue focusing on in 2020, and what behaviors or habits you need to rid yourself of that are not serving you well. 

Spend one hour daily, yes, only one hour on yourself, and you will be more productive, present, engaged, aware, and empathetic to those around us. I am sorry to say this does mean raising yourself off that soft pillow and out from under your warm duvet a little earlier, but I promise you it will be worth it. Your first hour of the day can be your rejuvenation hour, stretch, meditate, plan your day, savor a cup of coffee, read – take time out to let your mind and body get ready for the day.

Think about your week ahead carefully; you know you need time for family, exercise, sleeping, meal preparation, and cooking. With your professional hours, look closely at how you are spending your time. Your priority should be to allocate time daily to work on meaningful projects that affect the bottom line or are revenue-generating. How many hours should you be spending on these primary tasks daily? Throughout the remainder of your day, slot in three email check-in times and stick to them. Ensure you also have time allocated to customer or client acquisition and maintenance, finance, operational execution, human resources, IT, and staffing. Your categories may be a little different depending on what role you are in; however, the habit itself is the same in spending allocated time on what you know you need to be working on professionally to move forward.  

Plan weekly your top three priorities, review daily, notate progress, and allocate time to evaluate your weekly progress and the next best steps to take. You are the CEO of your life, and nobody else has the responsibility for your success –it’s up to you. 

 In summary:

  1. Implement a daily rejuvenation hour.
  2. Identify your weekly top three priorities and block off uninterruptible time to work on these priorities.
  3. Cancel, or delegate attendance in any meeting where your participation is not essential, or someone else can sit in for you.
  4. Block off time in your schedule for other areas that require your weekly attention.
  5. Focus on every task at hand, and only do one thing at a time. Be present, fully listen, and be open to a change or pivot when necessary throughout the day. 
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Benefits of Connecting with Like-Minded Professionals

Last week in San Diego, I had the opportunity to connect with 56 like-minded professionals. C-Suite and entrepreneurs from across the US, Canada, Netherlands, and the UK. When you get a group of leaders together, connections are made and learning is amplified. Shared professional and personal experiences bond, inspire and motivate.

Another serendipitous connection occurred on route back to Vancouver. Seated next to a woman who had palpable excitement for the adventure she was commencing to Nepal. Lawyer by profession and survivor, she was embarking on a trek to Everest Base Camp raising money for cancer research. We had a great conversation and I had the opportunity to share my past trekking stories of the Annapurna Circuit. She reminded me to continually seek out new adventure and challenged me to stretch and do something new next weekend and yes… I promised too!

Put yourself in a position to meet new people this week, connect and have a meaningful conversation. Moreover, don’t forget to stretch yourself professionally and personally. Plan to do something new that you have not done before.

Here is to an adventure!

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