Relationships?
... At Work?
I've recently had the privilege to work with an MD who highly values his one to one relationships with his Board members, and wanted to spend some time with each person getting to know each other better and exploring how their roles might interface more effectively. These people work for a Bank, and feelings are hardly encouraged - you can have them if absolutely necessary, but talking about them is frowned upon. And for two grown men to spend time in a hotel room discussing their relationship with each other is definitely suspect! Despite this everyone found the experience very valuable, and each of the individual relationships was carefully described, respected and supported to grow further. I was quite moved by the sensitivity and affection I witnessed.
I don't have time - Time has me
So many people complain of not being able to do what they want because they don't have time, or can't control time. ENOUGH! we cried, so we invented 'Smiley Associates' - an irresistible weapon in the battle against being a Time Victim. We tested it on me (there were tears) then Beta tested it on the MD of a telecommunications company. This included getting into his office and getting all the toot on the desk and sorting it out. Just when we thought we had done it I found a briefcase he had been concealing under the desk - full of stuff from a trip 3 months ago! He was most shame faced as we tackled it. Smiley Associates uses about 7 techniques, each of which on its own should do the trick; taken together you would really have to want to be a Time Victim to have it not work. The client is still reeling from the experience. He says it has boosted his self-esteem and transformed his way of life. His secretary couldn't believe the change. Smiley Associates isn't one of those things where I could say "these are the 7 techniques - now go away and apply them"; rather its a synthesis that must be played out in practice to really crack it. Do get in touch if you want to know more.
Confront or Confront?
John Heron in his book 'Helping the Client' presents 6 major types of intervention. Our client has made a good living and climbed to the top of his organisation primarily using only one intervention - confronting. You may know the type. Everyone is terrified of him and his outbursts, he gets exactly what he wants, and no-one crosses him. Unfortunately he is exhausted most days and feels somehow misunderstood and friendless. We spent 5 days out over a 3 month period, and he learned and applied the 6 intervention types. He now feels happy most of the time instead of fraught, and most of his work relationships have improved. He also told me a tear jerking story about a tiff with his wife which he got to the bottom of and resolved in 24 hours - a stunning blow for male sensitivity!
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Be satisfied
As you probably remember I completed my dissertation last year. The report 'Why am I not Satisfied?' is now for sale, and I am launching a Masterclass 'Be a Satisfied Client' in June. People I have invited have sadly told me how hard it is to get what they want from consultants. And they are astonished to find that there may be help available. The Masterclass is a one day event at The Lygon Arms in Broadway - which is by the way a fabulous venue for workshops and business meetings.
Self-Assessment Boom
Team Inquiries seem to be in vogue at the moment. People are getting into the idea that self-assessment at team level is a more useful and more sensitive approach than an external only 'objective' view or an unresearched plan to develop the team. Organisationally speaking, I am meeting an increasing number of execs who have started an organisational change and are doing well, with a raft of mixed benefits and a few stuck points, who simply need some help sorting out some kind of self-assessment at organisational level. And it has been becoming increasingly common for some time to find individuals who are comfortable with the idea of personal self-assessment. So 'Self-Assessment' at individual, group and organisational levels seems to be a major theme moving towards the end of the Millennium. This could be a reflection of increasing levels of self-awareness and attention to self-directed learning and development. If so I believe individuals and organisations can only benefit - so I welcome this 'Self-Assessment Boom'.
Personally ...
It's well known that I dabble in all things esoteric with a view to enhancing my business life, and life in general. Recently I've been enjoying the benefits of the I Ching, Osho Zen Tarot, Tai Chi, 5 Rhythms Dance, Shiatsu and Reiki. If you'd like to look further into integrating alternative methods into your lifestyle I'd be happy to chat with you about it on a friendly basis.
Thank you for reading
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