What do you do when everything is urgent?

I don’t know if you are having the same issue, but…

Suddenly, my next two weeks are really full!

How did that happen? I thought I was “off” for the month! I only begin correcting exams at the end of the month. But I have a guest teaching “week” this week with a focus on leadership and team development, plus an important funeral of a good friend, so now this week is much fuller than expected. Next week looks about the same because of birthdays and such.

And that makes me mostly happy. I get to teach something I love; I will certainly not be bored  - and the funeral will bring closure for many of us who loved Helen.

The How of productivity without overwhelm:

How do I keep from feeling overwhelmed, even if the activities are (mostly) great?

I use a couple of coaching tools on myself.

One is the Eisenhower Matrix (some call it the 4 Ds of time management; you can look up both)

Another is writing everything down- on the family calendar, on my electronic calendar, writing it in my to-do journal…

These two activities help me to separate the important from the urgent, and to keep everything “together” so it gets done in as calm a manner as possible.

Lean in and Prepare (in a crisis)

In a crisis we can acknowledge the fear (which is NORMAL), lean in, decide what you can control, make a plan and be as ready as you can be

...And sometimes you lose some- dealing with loss and grief

Sometimes you can control life to some extent and plan it.

And sometimes life happens to you, without your permission.

For instance, I had COVID a few weeks ago and it’s taking longer than I want to fully recover.

And two friends have lost close loved ones recently.

And someone is dealing with a really difficult relationship issue.

And someone is being made to retire who doesn’t want to.

Scale Your Stress and Breathe

Long Term Stress

It happens to all of us, and for some it is a “given”.

Sometimes it’s the job, or the season, or it’s COVID, or…

My clients run companies. That is, by definition, stressful, and long-term stress must be dealt with.

Also, bankers and insurance companies and other professions have special seasons where there is a lot of stress.

There are two kinds of stress: cognitive and body stress (remember your body keeps score). You may not be able to totally reduce cognitive stress, but you CAN take care of your body.

So, what can you do to help the stressors that are always there and you can’t get rid of them.

First and foremost, breathe well and take care of your body as best as you can - and get outside (and remember your PPFs).

Pivot

Some call it Pivot, others call it reinvention.

It’s always a (big) change.

It could be that a change of career or changing your business is needed.

Re-inventing Yourself - a necessity for many, especially for those over 50, but it’s vital for others, too, such as stay-at-home parents who are re-entering the job market and for those who discover that what they have trained for/studied for is no longer a need.

Do not become burnt out - take a break!

It’s now proven that stressed employees cannot produce as well as rested and relaxed employees. Everyone seems to know this fact, so why are so many bosses still expecting their workers to keep their phones on and return to work early from vacation? Companies suffer when people do not get holidays, as the company that closed down clearly shows.

The temptation is very high to keep on working, even if you have planned holidays

Many of us, whether pressured from the boss or not, are tempted to skip our summer holidays, or, at least, check our work emails frequently while at the beach or in the hotel. Some bosses expect this, and, after all, nobody wants 1,000 emails to go back to work to.

Hone your Leadership Skills!

What makes a good leader?

Here is SOME of what it takes is what it takes in general to be successful.

· Learning head and heart and soul

· Engagement

· Visionary and Influencer

· Aspects of different kinds of leadership used at different points with different situations and people

A good leader is open and ready to learn, for oneself and as a model

A while ago I gave a talk in a small business on learning and what the MD said before I started was key: “I have had coaches and supervisors to grow and learn; you should consider the opportunity for yourselves.” She even said there were funds budgeted in the employees’ further education budgets for such activities. What a model!

A successful leader values and encourages employee engagement

In Switzerland, the average percentage of engaged employees is less than 15%, according to Gallup. This is extremely low, but in line with the DACH region.

Leadership is Usually seen as visionary and influencing in a positive way

Not only is engagement important, but how the leader shares the vision, and encourages the employees is very key. It can be a deal maker – or breaker – as to whether an engaged employee stays or goes.

A successful leader knows how to use various roles to bring about success

Robert E Quinn has a “Competing Values Framework” that can be helpful for measuring your leadership skills for the roles needed: team builder/facilitator, mentor, innovator/pioneer, broker/networker, director (of strategy), producer, controller and coordinator. All of these roles have skills to develop and use as a leader, and when necessary, to develop and encourage in the upcoming leadership under you.

what do to when it is "dark" inside - to outside?

It IS dark – How do you deal with darkness?

Darkness outside can be a metaphor for what is going on – inside and outside of us.

For me, the darkness is outside.

I have a friend, E who was home in the Ukraine when the war began over a month ago. He struggled to get his family out and to Switzerland where he lives and works. I saw him for the first time since yesterday – and his inside is traumatized. Naturally so. It is dark outside me, and dark inside him.

There are more stories, and I don’t want to go far here, but I have other U. friends who are here and in other places…

Even if it is dark from the time to time, there are things we can do to help make the dark better:

PPFs

Resilience in 2022

Resilience is a lot about those soft skills, or “EQ” and a lot about what makes us healthy and happy:

· It’s being honest and open about your feelings; it’s vulnerability.

· It’s being curious where those (especially what we think of as negative) thoughts and feelings come from and letting yourself go with them for the moment.

· It’s being compassionate with yourself (and with others) when you (they) fail.

· It’s finding and acknowledging those false assumptions and putting a correct one in its place; - this is key, and not easy!

· It’s learning from the mistake and putting new practices in place.

· It’s not only about healthy mindsets, but also about healthy lifestyles and relationships.

When it comes to our thoughts and emotions and that struggle to see what’s really happening, then its really about what’s going on inside of us.

Brené Brown calls this the rumble.

Branding is key - do you have a "brand"?

When it comes to start-ups, your BRAND is really key, and you need to establish it clearly.

Branding is key to a new business and to continuing onwards and upwards as an established enterprise. Keep it clear and keep it in front of your potential customers and clients.

But what is branding and how do I go about it as a start-up? First you need a name (or name of the product), then a logo, website, and URL. There are more steps, but that is the very beginning.

Then you need to know why you are even doing this (and the answer is NOT to make money!). sometimes this is called a “mission statement”.

The product and its purpose: know your WHY and your USP

Please Take CARE of yourself - then you can care for others

I am overwhelmed today.

Maybe you are overwhelmed, too?

Take care of yourself, body, mind and soul!

First acknowledge the emotion.

Then watch your actions and try to move from unhealthy to healthier responses.

Watch yourself for binging of any kind (including Netflix)

Then reach out to your “people”

Or reach out and help others.

Helping is (almost always) good for us.

Get help from professionals, especially if you are experiencing symptoms of PTSD - see the list at the very end of the blog from Harry Hoffmann.

Finally, watch yourself and your activities.

Set some boundaries, especially when it comes to the “news”.

In-between times: Liminal Spaces

Liminal Spaces

There are physical liminal spaces: waiting rooms at the doctor’s office, airport terminals, airplanes in flight, hallways, bridges, in the car driving somewhere, and doorways…

There are also emotional liminal spaces: graduation, illnesses, deaths of loved ones, job searches, divorce and separation, moving, waiting for that phone call,

COVID19…

and the Ukraine Crisis…

Though in-between times can be very difficult, there is something positive about this liminal space because we learn a lot about ourselves and our (negative and positive) patterns of coping in stressful situations.

Insularity? or Community?

Alone, and yet not alone. Connected --or not? A Controlled Distance?

Are you feeling lonely? Maybe you need to get out of your virtual world and DO something with HUMANS again – face to face.

Or is your life more like this:

“I share, therefore I am”

In the midst of the “connected virtual world”, I am thinking about our relationships - and businesses, and how social media and gaming affects us.

Spring is for GOOD news and new activities, products, and innovation

Spring is for new things, new growth and good news!

Are you doing new things? What is your plan for the spring and for the rest of the year?What are your goals – for now, for the spring and for the year?

First, I have updated my webpage (check it out: www.jehle-coaching.com ) and my Goggle Business Page (if you don’t have one, contact me, ASAP!). It’s time for an update and a lot has been happening with my business, both with possibilities for contact (COVID)-wise and what training I have been having and what I can offer.

Also, that weekend away reminded me of what is most important. I need to make time for solitude, reflection AND for creativity.

Reflecting TIME - Silence, Solitude and Retreat

When we are in a good place, take time to reflect and move forward

Maybe it’s time for solitude and a retreat from everyday life. Maybe it’s best to be alone and think.

When in a difficult place, take time out to reflect, recalibrate, make a plan, and then move forward

Last week I had a lovely time reconnecting with friends, and at the end of the week I went on a silent retreat to reflect on that and what I have been learning these past months.

When have you taken some solitude time to reflect – how long ago was it? How did it help you to think? How did it affect you afterwards, in your life?

What are some benefits of being in quiet for an extended time?

I can reconnect with myself and, as a fellow coaching friend says, “find my voice again”.

I can get creative and do what I want and need in this time.

I get R&R- and can come home re-energized and thankful for what I have and do but there’s much more.

I receive direction and clarity- what’s important to me now, and what will it be like in six months, a year, two years, etc.

I can see where things are going well and build on that and see where changes need to be made, and deal with them.

Community is balm to our souls - it's TIME to meet up, once again

Community is my “word” for 2022, and that – and the review of my calendar has made me realize it is time to get together with people again, especially people who make me happy.

That is just what I did this morning: coffee with an “old” friend.  It did my soul good!

Last week – here in Switzerland – the COVID doors “opened up” even more to meeting people in person and I am very glad.

Why? – because it is healthy for us to have contact with other people, with a variety of people, people who give is hope and joy and energy.

February Check-in with some help with making and prioritizing decisions

It is almost February and perhaps you and I should take some time for a reflective check-up. It is important to regularly reflect upon our goals and check our progress to make changes and keep on your chosen course.

First you must ask yourself questions:

· What are my goals (yearly and quarterly) and where am I at regarding them right now? What changes need to be made to reach those goals, or do I need to re-work the goals?

· How am I doing with my work and personal relationships? Where do I need to change here?

· How am I doing with boundaries? Do I have enough time and energy to get my work done and have healthy relationships?

· What am I doing daily for me, for my health and well-being?

· How has my attitude been lately? Do I need an adjustment in attitude? How can that be best achieved?

Let’s look at a few of these topics for the next part of this blog, namely boundaries and “me time”.

Be a Care-Full Leader

Leadership is caring

· Care for yourself first

· So you can care for “your people”

· And then care for the purpose of and for the organization/group

· With care-full character

What that means, in specific, is that you first need to care for yourself because if you don’t you might just burn out and not be able to care for anything anymore. Take good care of your body mind and spirit so you can, as a friend once said to me, “help the other person put on their oxygen mask.” Maybe you know the analogy: in an airplane the fight attendant says we should put on our oxygen masks first before helping other. This means we are connected to what we need to continue to care for others.

How to get important things done, not just the urgent ones

Time management is key to getting the important things done.

We need to find ways to CARVE out time for the important things and for reflection and Rest for 2022.

Look at your calendar and make that “cut” and CARVE out the time.

Then when you are in your reflection day (or at least half-day per month), decide what is really important and CARVE out time for that one or two items for the next month.

Then reflect again at another pre-planned date. And keep those times holy.

Dealing with Busy-ness, two suggestions

The How of productivity without overwhelm:

How do I keep from feeling overwhelmed, even if the activities are mostly great?

I use a couple of coaching tools on myself. One is the Eisenhower Matrix and one is writing everything down with visualization - on the family calendar, on my electronic calendar, writing it in my to-do journal…

Jehle Coaching Blog - What I’m thinking and doing (what’s new)…

Subscribe

Subscribe

Subscribe

Subscribe

Subscribe

Subscribe

Subscribe

Subscribe

Subscribe

Subscribe

Subscribe

Subscribe

Subscribe

Subscribe

Subscribe

Subscribe

Subscribe

Subscribe

Subscribe

Subscribe

Subscribe