Time is precious

In discussions with friends and colleagues it is exceedingly common to hear people express frustration at how much of their time is wasted by other people. Wasted by inefficiency and ineffectiveness. But it doesn’t have to be like that.

I frequently hear people tell me about:

• meetings that go round in circles and don’t achieve anything

• time wasted reading and responding to emails that add little or no value (or even subtract value)

• poorly written papers and briefings that take an age to read and leave you thinking, ‘What was that about?’

• other people’s behaviour at work, at home, and in social interactions that winds us up and takes us away from what we need to achieve.

But it doesn’t have to be like this. You hold the answer to solving all these problems. The solution lies in your response and how you manage yourself. It takes courage but you can change the way you react in these situations. It takes leadership, to lead yourself and lead others to make improvements – improvements that have a positive impact on you as well as those around you. In your heart-of hearts, you know what needs to change and you can make it happen.

So why do these scenarios persist? I frequently hear people talk about being stuck on a hamster wheel, so caught up in the machinations of corporate, family, and social life that they have no time to break the cycle; caught up in cycles of meetings, learned behaviours, and accepting things that ought not to be accepted.

How do we stop this? This is where coaching comes in. It gives you space to pause and think and to discover strategies that will enhance your life and leave you feeling more fulfilled. So rather than wait for someone else to solve the problems you face, learn to own them and make positive change happen yourself. Even if you are not seen as the leader, you can lead to create:

• meetings that achieve positive outcomes

• better use of email in your team

• more focussed reading of materials

• improved interactions with others.

To find out how, contact us today to discover how coaching can help you.