Smart Coaching and Training | Business Support, Consultancy, Mentoring

Transforming Businesses and Lives | Coaching, Mentoring & Training for Excellence

 

+44 (0)7788425688 | info@smartcoachingtraining.co.uk

 

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Our Team
    • Our Scope
    • Our Approach
    • Social Value
  • Our People and Partners
  • What We Offer
    • Behavioural Preference Profiling with C-me Colour Profiling
    • Coaching and Mentoring
    • On-Line Courses
    • Workshops and Short Courses
    • Longer Courses and Retreats
    • Keynote Speaking, Talking and Writing
    • Consulting and Facilitation
    • Psycho-social Adult Development
    • Diversity, Inclusion and Teams
    • Intercultural Globality
    • Wellness at Work
  • Our Clients
  • News & Events
  • Resources
  • Contact us

30/11/2020 By David Rigby

Squaring Mindful Meditation with Internalised Capitalism

Squaring Mindful Meditation with Internalised Capitalism

According to New York Therapist, Lee McKay Doe, Internalised Capitalism looks like ……

Internalised Capitalism

  • Feeling guilty for resting
  • Your self-worth is largely based on doing well in your career
  • Placing productivity before health
  • Believing hard work = happiness
  • Feeling lazy, even when you’re experiencing pain, trauma or adversity
  • Using busyness as a way of avoiding your needs .

Painting by Andrés Sergio Echeveste taken in Altea by David Rigby

Many of us will recognise many of these thoughts in ourselves. And this is why we might find meditation so difficult.

Finding meditation so difficult

When we meditate, we lower our stress levels, we get to know our pain, we connect better, we improve our focus, and we’re kinder to ourselves. All of these things can improve our health, and as a consequence help us become better at our internalised capitalism.
Being super focussed on the here and now, rather than planning what to do next, or reviewing the past, is the basis of mindfulness and also can be a good focus when meditating. But that also requires letting go of the here and now too. Learning to be who you are, and liking it is sufficient.
If I am chugging along nicely I don’t find the tine to meditate. If I am super stressed I find it really beneficial, If I am not too busy then it’s a useful way of connecting with myself and with others.


So how to avoid the guilt trip?

• See meditation as part of work. – and so it’s not ‘resting’
• Recognise meditation can help you focus – so you can be better at your career and self worth
• Meditation can improve your heath – and with better health more productivity
• Meditating is not being lazy – it’s not easy to do
• It’s a way of being busy, but also it can be a way of recognising and meeting your needs.

Meditating Mindfully

Meditating Mindfully is difficult on your own – better to join a group and meditate on Zoom or whatever. Your colleagues can give you insights and encouragements as well as the discipline. You can also watch how the others meditate – though it is often more interesting to watch paint dry (especially these paintings).

Painting by Andrés Sergio Echeveste taken in Altea by David Rigby

Written by David Rigby, © 2020 Smart Coaching & Training Ltd

Filed Under: C-me Colour Profiling, Communication, Emotional Intelligence, Mentoring, Mindset, News, Personal Development, Wellbeing Tagged With: coaching, code switching, female, Foreign, globality, intercultual, LGBT, profiling

27/10/2020 By David Rigby

Staying authentic while code switching

Staying authentic while code switching

Code-switching is when someone changes their language based on who they are with, typically to fit in better with that group. There are many reasons why people code-switch. People switch their pronunciations of words and their dialects around to better fit in with a certain group.

They also change their behaviour.

In linguistics, code-switching or language alternation occurs when a speaker alternates between two or more languages, or language varieties, in the context of a single conversation. But its much more than that.

Multilinguals, speakers of more than one language, sometimes use elements of multiple languages when conversing with each other.

Ghiyathi, UAE – code switching or diplomacy? by David Rigby

In dress and food – choosing to dress in the mode of the people you are with, learning to eat the same food in the same way the others do is another type of code switching .

Why do people do this ?

Often to do with work. In the UK people switch to the codes of the straight white southern public-school-educated male in order to get the best jobs.. And all places have their equivalents.

But what do they switch from?

  • Being Northern – whilst having a Northern Accent is not the slur it was, it can still be prejudicial in building the connections.  Dropping the northern sense of humour in order to be understood, removing terms of endearment and being over-friendly.
  • Being Female – it is possible to get on as female, but many have to adopt ‘boy’s behaviours’ to climb the ladder.
  • Being of Foreign Origin while raised in Britain. – In many ways having to have two different cultures – the ones you use at home and the ones you use at work.  Those that don’t follow the subtleties and indirectness of the polite British society can ‘scare the natives’ with their directness or loudness.
  • Being Foreign – being aware that the accepted behaviours at home may not be acceptable in your new location. Observing and copying the new ‘norms’.
  • Being LGBTQ – being ‘straight acting’ or so you think.

There are dangers

So, at least historically, wearing the traditional uniform of white man’s business – Grey or Blue suit, white shirt and tie, no beard is a way of ‘belonging’. But it can be cultural appropriation – white people wearing dreadlocks or Arabic dress is asking for trouble.
The more you code switch the more you become the person you are switching into. And then you go ‘back home’ and everyone thinks you are now too posh to talk to. So you switch back. Which is the real you? It is so stressful and exhausting.

Being Intercultural while Leadership Training in Ghana by David Rigby

Intercultural Globality is a method by which you can learn to be all things to all people. And still be true to yourself. Understanding your communication preferences is a good start. Just ask .

Written by David Rigby, © 2020 Smart Coaching & Training Ltd

Filed Under: C-me Colour Profiling, Communication, Emotional Intelligence, Mentoring, Mindset, News, Personal Development, Wellbeing Tagged With: coaching, code switching, female, Foreign, globality, intercultual, LGBT, profiling

03/10/2020 By Eric Moore

The Age of Anxiety

The Age of Anxiety

“West Side Story” composer Leonard Bernstein’s Symphony No. 2 The Age of Anxiety was composed from 1948 to 1949 in the US and Israel. It is titled after W. H. Auden’s poem of the same name. Was 1949 the Age of Anxiety or is it now? Most of us have some form of anxiety in our lives and with the continued events of 2020 it is becoming more prevalent.

Our trainer Eric Moore. Ask about individual and group wellness at work coaching

Coping Mechanisms

To combat anxiety people will employ different coping mechanisms to help deal with their anxiety. These may include, exercise, going for a walk, listening to music, or some other form of distraction, though when it strikes these often fail, because the problem is neurological, so therefore to successfully cure anxiety the changes need to take place at the neurological level. Another mechanism many use is to try and avoid the situations that cause them to feel anxious or panic. This though prevents, change and growth. Another thing I often come across is hearing clients say “It happens to me – I don’t make it happen”. This mindset can unfortunately prevent the person from taking ownership of the problem.

Causes of Anxiety

Anxiety is caused by an over arousal of the autonomic nervous system, so someone will often get anxious before they even know it, and by the time this happens it’s too late. So they say “it’s not my fault since it happens automatically”. However they created it due to reacting to an external stimulus such as crowded spaces, social gatherings, giving a presentation. This can then generalise, so even the thought of it becomes enough to create the anxious state.

Holbourne Museum Bath UK by David Rigby

Fight or Flight

This triggers the fight or flight response in part of the brain called the amygdala and can cause a myriad of issues both psychologically and physiologically. Dry mouth, sweaty palms, palpitations, racing heartbeat and thoughts, tightness or pain in the chest to name a few.

Internal Dialogue

Taking responsibility and owning it is one of the steps to overcoming this debilitating issue towards recovery. Anxiety and panic is often a function of the internal dialogue and the images one creates in the mind. Intervening by changing the images and speed of what is said internally are key to becoming anxiety free. Now, depending on the type of anxiety there will be more activity in one hemisphere of the brain and another tool for change is to engage both hemispheres whilst thinking of the anxious state. If you are curious about to take back control and become anxiety free then join our workshop here on send us a message here.

Written by Eric Moore , Smart Coaching & Training Ltd.

Filed Under: C-me Colour Profiling, Communication, Emotional Intelligence, Mentoring, Mindset, News, Personal Development, Wellbeing Tagged With: coaching, profiling, white lies matter, white lives matter

22/07/2020 By David Rigby

White Lies Matter

White Lies Matter

“You might think that, I couldn’t possibly comment!”   was the signature phrase of the scheming politician Francis Urquhart, played by Ian Richardson in the 1990 television thriller House of Cards. It’s the great coaching get-out, but what if you did comment and were sparing with the truth?

“Does my bum look big in this?”  What can you say? If you don’t say ‘no’ you are in trouble. My father lost a life long friend by responding honestly to the question “What do you think of these paintings I have made?”.

White lies, being economical with the truth a.k.a. lies by omission : Do they have a place in the coaching world? Do they have a place in your everyday world?

it’s ‘the way you tell them’

Ultimately, it’s ‘the way you tell them’ which makes the difference between retaining and losing a client or a friend.  How honest an answer will you give, will depend on

  • Who you are;
  • Who they are;
  • The nature of your relationship.

But white lies and omissions are only for the lazy.

Sugar coated diplomacy

For those who are familiar with Behavioural Preference Profiling, which is about communication, the blunt logic of the ‘Reds’ and ‘Blues’ can be an affront when talking to the more emotional ‘greens’ and ‘yellows’ who prefer the truth sugar coated with opinion and diplomacy.

Palau Altea by David Rigby

In the world of politics telling blatant lies seems to be the way forward, and of course the history of the winners, as taught in schools, and portrayed by the tabloids, seems not to matter either.

My father used to say ‘Give me the facts’ – and was not interested in opinions. Even if they confirmed his own. He read a left wing broadsheet so there was some hope, but never got the balance, and believed what he read was ‘the truth’ because it was ‘in print’.

In the office, it is well recognised that having the Psychological Safety to be able to speak up and speak out leads to better results but in most organisations cannot be done. To be well at work you need also to be able to both tell the truth and receive the truth. But you must remember

  • Your truth, is probably your opinion often based on little or biased knowledge of the facts;
  • Their truth, is probably their opinion often based on little or biased knowledge of the facts.

Learning to debate, without falling out, is a life skill, as is being able to recognise that others may be just as passionate as you about their incorrect views.  Learn to live with it. I recently asked a group to debate with me issues I was currently having about recent politics. It helped me enormously. Being able to discuss without fear of retribution is crucial to a healthy life. We can facilitate groups or just coach you honestly to help you resolve your issues.  Be brave. – white lies do matter.

Written by David Rigby, Smart Coaching & Training Ltd.

Filed Under: C-me Colour Profiling, Communication, Emotional Intelligence, Mentoring, Mindset, News, Personal Development, Wellbeing Tagged With: coaching, profiling, white lies matter, white lives matter

11/04/2020 By Halina Jaroszewska

Becoming the leader you want to be

Becoming the leader you want to be

Expectations of leaders and aspiring leaders in business today have never been higher and the demands on them never been greater.

What are these expectations and demands and how can senior executives get the support they need?

First … there is the sheer volume of work: significant number of tasks to accomplish and vast swathes of information to filter. Emails, phone calls, meetings, travel, conferences, presentations, reports, 24-hour connectivity; it’s not surprising if senior executives become exhausted.

Second … the pace of change and the levels of uncertainty surrounding business decisions have never been higher. Executives who are used to striving for specific, measurable goals may not be so great at handling the ambiguity and fluidity that rapidly changing situations can bring.

Third … where companies used to run on a simple top-down command and control basis, it is now widely recognised that the best businesses are those that harness creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship. The most effective leaders are those that participate in, encourage and manage collaborative teams.

Fourth … leaders and aspiring leaders play a crucial role in engagement. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) defines engagement as “feeling positive about your job, as well as being prepared to go the extra mile and do the best of your ability.”

Not surprisingly, engagement is linked to a wide range of positive outcomes. Two important drivers are for people to have opportunities to feed their views upwards and to feel well informed about what is happening in their organization. But a key driver of engagement is for people to think their leaders – especially their manager or line manager – is committed to the organization and cares about them.

Fifth … a major study by Watson Wyatt:Connecting Organisational Communication to Financial Performance found that “a significant improvement in communication effectiveness is associated with a 29.5 per cent increase in market value.” Once again, it’s the leader who needs to be communicating.

So, leaders face a greater work load; a more challenging, fluid and ambiguous business environment than ever before; are key drivers in employee engagement, and their effective communication skills and their ability to harness the creativity and entrepreneurship of their teams is essential if the business is to succeed. It’s not surprising that some leaders and aspiring leaders lose focus or wonder if they are doing a good job.

It’s not surprising that some leaders and aspiring leaders lose focus or wonder if they are doing a good job. In Development Dimensions International’s Global Leadership Forecast 2011 only 38% of the 12,423 senior executives participating in the study reported the level of leadership in their organization as ‘good’ or ‘excellent.’

However, the positive news for leaders and aspiring leaders is that help is available and that companies want to invest in supporting their leaders and aspiring leaders.

The Value of Executive Coaching

A DMB study in connection with the Human Capital Institute on emerging practices in executive coaching suggests that organizations are planning to increase their investment in supporting leaders and aspiring leaders in several key areas. Specifically, by helping capable executives reach higher performance, and in supporting high potential executives. Similarly, coaching is seen as having the greatest impact when it is used to groom high potential executives and help high potential executives achieve higher performance, rather then for remedial purposes.

For those respondents who measured the financial impact of coaching, 77% estimated the ROI on coaching to be at least equal to the investment. Some respondents reported the ROI on coaching to be as high as 500%. An earlier study by the International Professional Management Association found that training plus coaching was four times more effective than training alone.

It will pay dividends for any leader or aspiring leader who wants to fulfill their potential and deliver real benefit to their business to make a solid case for the value of executive coaching. While you are making the case for your organization to invest in executive coaching to support you in challenging times, here are a few hints and tips to keep you on track

  • Think about what is most important to you. Not what you do but how you behave. In a tough business environment staying true to your values will give you a guiding star on which to base decisions and choose priorities.
  • Leadership is about values and behaviour – not about having all the solutions. Establish end goals and empower your team to come up with solutions – this will open up far more opportunities and motivate your team.
  • Keep communicating. Explain your thinking and keep up an ongoing narrative with your team about the progress towards your goals. Remember any good story has ups and downs, so don’t be afraid to admit to adversity.
  • Be consistent. If you set up new initiatives or new ways of doing things – especially if they relate to communication or team empowerment – then keep them going. Show real leadership qualities and stay steady regardless of set-backs.
  • Be decisive. Far more damage is done to businesses by delaying decisions than by taking wrong decisions. If you find yourself unable to take a decision ask what additional information you need to make the decision. If that information is not available then staying true to your values will help make a decision.
  • Remember 80% is good enough. Whatever the task, if its 80% good enough, sign it off and move on. Striving for perfection, or taking on too many tasks because only you can do them well enough is a recipe for bottlenecks, frustration, stress and lack of achievement.
  • Flip negative to positive. When facing a set-back, make a conscious effort to look at the opportunities that a challenging situation presents you with, rather than just the problems. The results may surprise you.
  • Focus on your team rather than yourself. If you focus on supporting your people and enabling them to improve their performance in tough times, you will find you are more likely to reach overall goals and less likely run into self- absorption and lack of focus.
  • Be open to learning. Setting out to learn something new, to expand your knowledge or skills is life-enhancing, confidence-boosting and can have a positive effect on other aspects of your performance. Don’t close down in reaction to adversity; open up.

And finally I have no hesitation in repeating point 1 because it is so important …

  1. Think about what is most important to you. Not what you do but how you behave. In a tough business environment staying true to your values will give you a guiding star on which to base decisions and choose priorities.

Halina Jaroszewska is an Executive Coach, professionally certified by the International Coach Federation. Halina helps leaders and aspiring leaders to turn uncertainty into a powerful tool for change and growth. Her aim is to enable clients to take their success to the next level, switch surviving into thriving, and maximise their potential during challenging times

Filed Under: coaching, Communication, Emotional Intelligence, Growing your Business, leadership, Management, Mentoring, People Development, Personal Development, Training Tagged With: executive coaching, leadership training

  • 1
  • 2
  • Next Page »

Read our Newsletters

Recent Posts

  • Squaring Mindful Meditation with Internalised Capitalism
  • code switching or diplomacyStaying authentic while code switching
  • The Age of Anxiety
  • The Mindful Flâneur
  • White Lies Matter

Contact Info

+44 (0)7788 425688
info@smartcoachingtraining.co.uk

Smart Coaching & Training Ltd, Reg No 08362126

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter

Twitter

My Tweets

Facebook

Copyright © 2021 Smart Coaching & Training All Rights Reserved · Privacy Policy · Website design by TEA Websites

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.OkPrivacy policy