Will I lose my job?  “Stood down”, what does it mean anyway?  Am I in the right job?

These uncertain times can certainly bring up the concern of job security, but also presents an opportunity to truly check in with yourself and to consider “Is this the career path I always wanted?” or “Is my work a true expression of who I am?”

Why is this the best time to find out?

(a)  This could be the wake-up call you have needed to commit to your passion, to look for  greater fulfillment in a role where your strengths are appreciated, or an environment that “just-feels-right”.  It’s important for you know exactly how to do this, with the right guidance, personalised tools, and perhaps the right coach.

(b) The stress of uncertainty compounds over time.  Instead of waiting for conditions to change, why not alleviate your stress by getting clear about your purpose, your capability, and craft a plan to get you where you want to be.  When you move from confusion to clarity, stress naturally disappears.

It’s time to gain clarity of purpose and of your future.

This crisis has hit hard and very quickly.  It has thrown all normality as we know out the window and has left us disrupted and agitated. People wonder what is going to become of all this, of their jobs and of their way of life.  The stress of this sustained crisis is likely to affect many people for months to come.

In these times, it’s important to know that anxiety and grief are natural states, however without intervention, your wellness can go from bad to worse.  According to medical research conducted by Harvard University, chronic stress can keep us in fight or flight mode, and can diminish our performance and capacity to think effectively by up to 50%.  Unless we take charge of our career related stress and wellness, the impact of this crisis could have grave financial and human consequences.

Fortunately, we have a few specialist coaches with a dual focus and expertise in the areas of career change and wellness.  They encourage and guide clients along a two-pronged process which releases stress and anxiety and helps to clear the mind of clutter and negative patterns – clearing the path with a plan to align identity, strengths, and purposeful careers.

Who can help you make a successful career change?

Shahran Masood, a Performance Coach | Career Change Specialist | Resilience Coach on the team, says “with clarity of mind and greater self-awareness you’re well on your way to call on your strengths and express yourself honestly in work, business and life”.  Shahran will support you in the alignment of your (new) identity and with your career development plan. While receiving consistent coaching and being held accountable, good habits will form, your confidence will grow – as you bridge the gap from where you are, to when you want to be.

For full details and pricing go to our Contact Us page to make your request or call Sandy or Shahran on 1300137706 for confidential discussion.

The post Job Security?? But weren’t you thinking about a career change anyway? appeared first on Life Coaching Melbourne.

Spending time at home has given you time to think. Are you thinking about undertaking further study, or setting up a new business? Now is a good time to start your plan and make the most of new opportunities.

The Government has recently announced new funding for on-line training to help people re-skill or advance their careers, as a result of disruptions from COVID-19. These discounted six-month courses are expected to start in May, and will be offered by TAFEs, Universities and private providers in priority areas. Loan schemes will also apply.

https://ministers.dese.gov.au/tehan/higher-education-relief-package

Our experienced coaches are ready to help you to take the first steps towards making a change, identify your career goals, your skills, strengths and interest and select the most suitable training course.  Your coach is also there to provide guidance and encouragement so that you gain confidence in your decision-making.

You can go to our Testimonials page to learn more about the results you can gain or can pick up the phone and call 1300137706 to speak to an Holistic Career and Life Coach today.

Contact us now and lets work on this together!

The post The ‘new normal’ awaits, are you ready? appeared first on Life Coaching Melbourne.

What’s the impact on your potential?

We have a very tall eucalyptus tree in our front yard. It must be well over 10 metres tall. We’ve watched this tree grow over the past 10 or so years from a sapling that was given to me by a friend who used to have it in a pot in her backyard. She didn’t have the space to plant it in the ground and it was very pot bound. She knew it would never reach its potential in the pot and so she asked me to plant it in the ground. It is now definitely in a place it can reach its potential.

Are you pot bound?

I wonder how many of us allow ourselves to stay pot bound? In an organisational context, are we in jobs that we’re good at, but that no longer stretch us? Are we allowed to spread both our roots and our branches? If not, what’s our pot made of? Is it organisational constraints, a lack of encouragement and support, have you developed your capability in your current role to an extent that others don’t want to lose you from that role (i.e. the plant looks great where it is, and they want to keep it there, even if it’s not best for the plant)? Could it be your own confidence, mindset and belief systems, or something else? How do you know when you’ve moved beyond your comfort zone and actually become pot bound? And what impact is this having on your potential?

Are you manifesting your potential?

John Whitmore, in ‘What is Performance?’ (Coaching for Performance) suggests that on average, we only manifest about 40% of our potential in the workplace. Does this mean we aren’t able to even fill our pots, or are we actually pot bound? I would suggest that often we’re probably pot bound, either by our own beliefs or by organisational structures, processes and lack of support. Perhaps we just need nutrients and more sunlight, or perhaps we actually need to increase the size of our pot, or even be planted in the ground. If this is the case, how do know we’ve reached this point?

How do I know it’s time to replant?

I think the first sign is that of being aware of wanting to move out of your comfort zone. You may have a sense that you’re capable of more, even if you do enjoy your current role. You may feel bored, or unchallenged, you may have a sense of your increased capability and confidence, or you may feel that you are no longer a good fit with the company or team you’re working in. Finally, you may just feel restricted by the status quo.

Moving to a bigger pot

If this is the case, it may be time to look for a bigger pot. First become aware of what your pot is made of and then have a look at what a better fit would look like. What would allow you room to grow both your roots and branches? If you’re not sure how, consider coaching. This is a great way to tap into your potential and to explore a pot or patch of land that will allow you to reach your potential.

Laurenne Di Salvo is an Accredited Coach (ICF), Corporate Trainer and Learning & Development Consultant. She enables individuals and groups to take the next step in their development through evidenced based coaching practices and learning programs.

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Have you ever found yourself doing things that you are competent at, but that you don’t particularly enjoy? While you may not actively dislike the tasks, they certainly don’t energise you and perhaps they even leave you feeling bored. Maybe you’ve thought about moving into a new area of work because you already have the skills. It feels like the practical, sensible choice, but your heart’s just not in it.

We sometimes explore these situations with clients with the thought starter “just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.”

This can apply at work, in making career decisions and in your personal life. The nett result of ignoring ‘just because you can, doesn’t mean you should’ is that you often feel frustrated, dissatisfied or even bored.

Why is this a problem?

If you spend a lot of time doing things just because you can, there’s no time and space to do the thing things that you really enjoy, the things that keep you in flow, that light you up and energise you. You may experience the satisfaction of a job well done, but this is different from the satisfaction you feel when doing something you believe really represents you properly, that you feel proud to have completed well.

A different approach

What if you took a different approach and tapped into those things you really enjoy, rather than those things that you believe you ‘should’ do. One way to do this is to identify and draw on your ‘signature strengths’ rather than on your ‘learned strengths’.

To identify your signature strengths, think about what gets you into flow. You know, that state where you get completely absorbed in a task and lose track of time. You often know you’re using your signature strengths when you feel energised, engaged and motivated.  Ask yourself, does this idea/work/activity energise me? Do you feel ‘in flow’ when doing it or thinking about it? If not, you may be using a ‘learned strength’. This is one you’ve developed based on need, rather than one that comes naturally to you.

Say you can absolutely do detail oriented work. You can even do it quite well if you put my mind to it. However, you don’t enjoy it and feel quite drained of energy when you spend too much time on these tasks. This doesn’t mean you should not do work of this nature. In fact, it’s really important that you can do this, as we all need to do detail oriented work at times. However, it would be ill advised to work in a role where close attention to detail and routine were key aspects of the job, as this doesn’t draw on your signature strengths. That is, just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.

What’s the benefit?

Why does this even matter? Well, the research suggests that when we draw on our signature strengths we’re happier and more productive.  This has certainly been true for me. So, if you’re looking to move into a new role, think about what would best allow you to use your signature strengths. If you intend to stay put, think about how you could recraft your role a little to allow greater use of your strengths. What projects could you get involved in? How could you do your existing role a little differently?

How often are you in a ‘just because I can, doesn’t mean I should’ situation? So, what can you do differently?

Ask yourself, how can I learn about my signature strengths and how to apply them?

Not sure what your signature strengths are or how to apply them? Not sure how to apply your strengths at work to allow you to do the best job you can? Not sure what you would like to be doing? Book your Discovery and Strategy Session today

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I wholeheartedly believe that creativity is something that can be ignited in each and every one of us regardless of who we are or what we do for a living. Now, I can appreciate that creativity means different things in different industries, though I believe that being creative is simply being true to ourselves.

Being true to ourselves means spending more time doing what makes us happy, doing what we love. It means giving ourselves the opportunity to really listen to that inner whisper living inside us all, that points us in the direction of a more purposeful, fulfilling and playful life. When we tap into that source which I call creativity, we step into a space where we can take more risks, we can think outside the box, we can be more innovative and courageous as we navigate forward in our professional and personal life.

We lead lives that can be enormously busy juggling different balls, sometimes all at once. My philosophy is that putting creativity in the driver’s seat can inspire self-confidence, resilience and authenticity in our working and personal lives. When we ignite that creative spark, we live more in curiosity, rather than self-doubt. We live more in purpose, than confusion. Finally we live more in humour. And you know what they say about humour? Smiling is the highest form of meditation. I highly recommend it!

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As always, the first step in doing something about a blind spot is awareness. And yet, having light shone onto a blind spot can be very challenging. It can have us questioning ourselves and our way of being and it can impact our confidence. It can absolutely feel like criticism, but it’s usually not.  Really, it’s an opportunity for growth and personal development and as such, it’s a gift.

So how do we lessen the sting and increase the learning? I think there are a number of key steps:

1. Approach any feedback around blind spots with a learning mindset.  

Be curious. What does the behaviour, approach or mindset look like in different contexts? That is, how does the behaviour show up for us?

For example, while I’m not proud of it, I know it doesn’t bring out the best in me if I don’t feel heard. This may show up in responses that are a little sharper than I intended, or I may interrupt instead of allowing someone to finish what they’re saying. The trick for me is to look further and see if needing to be heard actually shows up in other places that I’m a little less aware of. I need to be attuned to the signs that may be more subtle, but may still impact my interactions with others. This may be needing to finish a story, or being upset when someone interrupts me. Then I need to understand the impact this has on those I’m interacting with.

2. Create Space

Viktor Frankl says that “between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”

I think the next step in addressing blind spots is to create space. Once we are aware of a trigger, or of situations where we tend to slip into default behaviour that isn’t helpful for us (this could be holding back from saying what we need to say, it could be blaming others rather than being accountable, it could be repetitive patterns of behaviour with family members or colleagues), we then need to create the space to allow us to be more proactive in our responses. We can do this by breathing, we can do this by being curious about and observing our reactions, we can do this by acknowledging the emotion we’re feeling and then reappraising the situation and our response options. These are just a few of many options to create space.

3. Explore New Responses

This is where we get to play with new responses. Now that we know what we’re doing and we know the response we will get with our default behaviour or mindset, we can use the space we’ve created to think about some alternative options. We can give them a try and see what the result is. How does the situation change? How do we feel using this alternative approach? Is it more helpful for us? Is it better received by others? Does it help us achieve our goals more effectively? If yes, keep doing this. If not, try another approach. This is a great chance to explore, to experiment and importantly, to learn.

4. Practice Self-Compassion

Practising self-compassion isn’t actually a final step. It’s really something to implement the whole way through. Remember that no one is perfect. No one gets it right all the time and no one expects us to. And while some situations may not bring out the best in us, in most situations we probably behave very well and we probably do get it right. However, we are human and as such, we are fallible. What defines us is how we view our imperfections. This is where we circle back to implementing a learning mindset and the best way to do this is with curiosity and without judgement.

So, notice what happened and if it happens again, use this as an opportunity to identify your triggers and to play with new ways of responding.

Will it always be comfortable? Probably not. Will it enable growth, learning and personal development? Absolutely, if you let it.

The post Exploring your Blindspots appeared first on Life Coaching Melbourne.

As you start a business your focus will likely will be on acquiring clients and building your database to help covert future clients.   It can be quite easy to go off on tangent when someone comes to you for your input.  You get excited about a new client and immediately swing into action to serve them, right?  But sometimes, if you haven’t done your homework or established a method for qualifying people before you swing into you action you could potentially find your service offering isn’t the solution they really need.  This can lead to negative feedback or worse.

Here are my 5 tips on how to fish with the right net so you acquire the most suitable clients as you start out.

1. Define and be willing to broadcast in your marketing material who are the kind of  clients you want to work with. Be clear on what is your area of expertise and what problems will you help them solve.  And equally important, do they align with your values?
2. Do your homework, before seeing a client check them out, get as much background as you can
3. Who are the right networking groups for you and sort them in different categories, like learning, collaboration, referral business etc.  Create your A, B and C lists of groups you can gain referrals and equally importantly, can refer business to
4. Define who can you collaborate with within the A list groups. Sometimes it’s a great idea to think outside the obvious
5. Strive to do things better every day so you can serve your clients better

When you follow these simply tips you may well find your return on your time invested in networking and client acquisition is greatly rewarded.

Sarita,
Business Mindset and Strategy Coach

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Whether you’re a parent of a teen, a teacher or youth work professional, you are positioned in an important role. You have the influence and obligation to assist your teen to navigate their way from adolescence into young adulthood. With youth unemployment at high rates and soaring, follow these six steps to support your teen to not just find any job, but find the career path they want and are passionate about.

Aspirations – Step One

Begin with your teen’s goals and dreams. Ask them about their interests, what they like to do or are good at and even what their ideal or “perfect” job would be. This gets the teen talking about their favourite topic – themselves! You can learn a lot from this conversation. What do their answers come back to the most? Is there a common theme or interest there? Notice what goes on with them as they talk about these things. It’s a great starting place, which then allows you to move onto the brainstorming step…

Brainstorm – Step Two

This is where the planning and goal setting stage happens. Encourage your teen to think big and ask “What if..?” Make it conversational, and suggest possible pathways you know, but don’t force any onto your teen. Rather, just make them aware of what’s out there. Ask them to consider how best their skills could be used and what would be important to them in a job. By now, your teen has identified some possible career paths or jobs that could be stepping stones t where they want to be in the future. This then allows your teen to see the relevance in exploring various forms of education…

Readiness – Step Three

Looking at where your teen is at academically, what would be the next best step for them? Perhaps just completing high school is the focus. However, if that is going well, then look at further education via University or TAFE. But if your teen is a hands-on leaner, then think about apprenticeships or traineeships as an option. By asking your teen what they know about different educational options, you will get a good idea of where their knowledge ad enthusiasm is when it comes to the further development of their w learning. From this conversation, your teen will tell you what they know and see the route to get where they want to be vocationally in the future. This is now the precursor for deciding the way forward in their learning journey…

 Pathways – Step Four

Connecting their interest with their ideal job and a possible educational pathway, it’s now time to lay a foundation upon which your teen can build on. This could be University, TAFE, a short course work experience, volunteering, learning on the job, etc. Determine your teen’s preferred learning style and what their vision is for their own future. By now, they are piecing together the puzzle of work and education, beginning to see that making a choice is easier once they’ve considered what’s most important to them. Realising that a job matching their interests is a possibility, there are educational pathways to get them there and a variety of ways to learn, they will now be ready to start moving in that direction…

Action – Step Five

This is where the teen picks their target and goes for it. Maybe it involves applying for a job, enrolling in a course or both. It also involves what to do beyond the initial attainment of these goals, i.e. how to keep the job once they have it and how to mange their own learning experience once in a course. Asking questions that give them a good insight into their strengths and weaknesses before they start will prepare your teen with the mindset they’ll need to navigate their chosen direction. Questions like, “What are your concerns and fears about job interviews?” Is there anything holding you back from studying or working right now? How do you go at taking instructions and meeting deadlines?” Before they even start, your teen can see how they go in doing certain things. This prepares them mentally, giving them the confidence and ability to predict how they will handle various situations and the duration of time they will require of themselves to take each step. With a plan and a clear outcome in place, they’ll have a better chance for…

Success – Step Six

Help your teen set goals and expectations that give them the best chance of success. Encourage them to choose a direction, emphasising that everyone starts somewhere and where they begin won’t necessarily be where they remain. They may try many roads in their working and learning journey, but the important part is to simply start somewhere. Check in with them regularly around how well they understand their choices and pathway. Remind your teen that once they’ve made it they still have to work to keep it; being responsible, committed and enthusiastic.

Taking your teen through this Six Step Process will create a blueprint or road map for their success.

The post Helping your Teen get their Ideal Job – in Six Steps! appeared first on Life Coaching Melbourne.

3 Steps to Leading a Multi-generational Team

Gen Y have not only now entered the workplace, but they have also entered management roles which means that they need to lead, motivate and engage different generations with each bearing their own strengths.  The challenge is as much about understanding the generational differences and communicating and leading accordingly as it is about maintaining cohesion in the team.

There is a new leadership skill needed in town and that is being able to create a melting pot. This means creating an environment where differences are recognized and interact harmoniously to create a common culture.

Gen Y leaders whose team is composed of different generation can facilitate the process by following these 3 steps:

Step 1: Agree on the Common Grounds

This is the core. This is the “agora”, the fire camp, where everyone regroups, has cohesion, belongs and agrees. Part of this is the culture, the values, the mission and the vision as well as the goals.

Members need to understand clearly what they are working towards and what the business will stand for and what it will not tolerate to achieve it.  When this is in place, it is easier to negotiate, limit conflicts and come to an agreement simply by asking “Is this getting us closer to where we want to go? In a way that we can stand by?”

Step 2: Understand Individualities

Yes most generalizations about Gen X and Gen Y are correct, but they remain generalizations that don’t take into account the different type of personalities or background and history of the individual.

Have a coffee chat with your team members, find out what makes them tick. What their values are, their life goals, their pet hates and their strengths. And, maybe above all, how they like to operate.

 Step 3: Enable the Harmony

Now you need to create a harmony between all the differences you have found out in step 2 so you can get the best results as set in step 1.  To do that you need to guide your team through 3 steps, in the following particular order.

• Respect: Each member must respect others’ way of thinking and operating, whether they are from a different generation or have a different personality.  This is the first and most crucial step. Even if other ways don’t always make sense or aren’t always effective, understanding others should not be a prerequisite to respecting others.

• Best Practice:  This is about finding in each different approach what can benefit all to achieve the agreed common goals. Whether it is using technology like Gen Y or creating processes like Gen X. Generate a structure around it, create procedures to document what works best.  Because you already have step 1 in place, which was creating a common ground around results, it is easy to convince each party to follow what makes the most sense in terms of outcome.

• Apply:  Now implement the structures that have been created and see members using each other’s best practices.  Each strength is being recognized and used for the greater benefit of the business.  In any given situation, the first step is always to come from a place of respect. Nothing is all good or all bad about any of the generations.

Adopting the point of view that all Gen Y have the entitlement syndrome and all Gen X or baby boomers have old-fashioned views is not getting us closer to a positive outcome.  Instead, let’s focus on what strengths each has that can benefit everyone else. In other words, let’s focus on the solution rather than the problem.

Still unsure on how to deal with a particular individual? Click on the Contact Us tab and book a time now to discuss and let’s create a strategy adapted to your situation.

Nathalie Gevinti

Life | Leadership | Executive Coach | Workshop Facilitator 

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