leadership development Archives - BrightBird Coaching and Training

Changing Mindsets to Workload and Wellbeing...

by Karen Amos

As a coach, I never ascribe to the ‘one size fits all’ approach to professional development. But this can cause a problem when it comes to staff training. Wellbeing and Time Management training is a classic example. Every person in the room will have their own challenges and their own reasons for that challenge. Short of engaging a legion of 1-to-1 coaches (or whatever the collective noun for coaches is!), how can you possibly give everyone what they need?

We’ve solved this problem with our coaching approach to wellbeing and time management. By using a coaching approach, teams obtain the tools and resources to coach themselves and change mindsets.

So how does this work?

Here’s an example:

We work on the basic facts of working life. To be frank, they’re not exactly fluffy-bunny and hearts and roses. Here’s one:

There will always be too much to do on any given day/week/term/year…

OK, that sounds a bit depressing, but the fact is, this is exactly the stuff that most people know, but pretend isn’t so. This is the equivalent of sticking our fingers in our ears and loudly singing ‘la la la’ in the hope it will all go away.

With a coaching approach however, we face the issue. Coaching encourages people to face the reality of their situation, which then brings an inevitable question...

So now what…?

And this is where again a coaching approach comes in. By using open questions and other tools, people can work out their options and a solution that suits them as individuals.

Here's an exercise you can try...

One approach is to work out which bits on your list are your sole responsibility and where you might be taking responsibility for other people and their stuff. Simply listing this on a piece of paper can aid thinking and conversations and help you and your team members gain clarity. This means you're clear on who's work is who's and can plan exactly who is going to do what.

Best of all, a coaching approach always has a commitment to action running through it. Without that, teams inevitably indulge in a moan-fest and change is just wishful thinking. This also helps line managers to have better quality conversations with their teams afterwards, giving you much more impact for your investment of time, or in the case of training, money.

That's why all our training at BrightBird is based on a coaching-based approach. This gives much more longevity and value for money, by equipping teams with a toolkit they can put into practice straight away and will be applicable to their individual needs.

Check out the information below for more details and costs of how we can help you and your teams.

If you’d like to develop Wellbeing, People Management or Difficult Conversations skills for yourself or your team, click on the link for your sector below, to check out our latest training offers.

For Schools and Education

For Business and Charities

If you’ve any questions, or would like to discuss alternatives, do get in touch for an informal chat. EMAIL US, or book in an informal chat using the button below. We'll find out about the support you need and provide you with a no-obligation quote.

Karen Amos is an executive coach and Director and Founder of BrightBird Coaching & Training. She supports business owners, managers and education leaders to get the best out of themselves and their teams. She brings a down-to-earth approach to improving working lives through better leadership, communication and working relationships.

Tel: 07714 855757 or email: [email protected][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

by Rachel Priestley

5 Ways to Build Accountability...

by Karen Amos

If you’re frustrated with a lack of accountability and responsibility within your staff or management teams, then why not try a coaching approach. This area often seems too overwhelming or intractable to address, but a few mindset shifts can be a game-changer. This is what makes a coaching approach that bit different. It’s not about following some lengthy script, but allowing you to be the best of yourself and having much better conversations with your people. And that's got to be good for everyone...

Here are 5 tips to get you started…

1. Don’t try to keep everyone happy all the time…

That’s not your job as a manager and to be frank, it’s impossible. If you measure your success by other people’s happiness, you’re destined for a life of failure. Of course, you want to build a contented, motivated work team, but the way to this is through building trusting, honest relationships, with a clear sense of purpose – not acquiescing to every demand and preference you’re faced with. Which leads us to…

2. Get to the point…

Don’t fluff up your conversations with endless, ‘How are you’s’ and ‘How was your weekend?’ This just distracts from the point you’re wanting to make and leaves people feeling distrustful. People always thank you for getting to the point, so long as it’s done with consideration.

Add graphic in here…

3. Begin with the end in mind…

This is one of Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. ^{1}When we’re addressing performance management or behaviour issues within our teams, we naturally focus on what we don’t want and what we want the person to stop doing. This inevitably leads to acrimonious conversations, where people feel criticised and defensive. Instead, take some time to work out what a positive outcome would look like, both from any conversation and also in the longer term. That way, you can focus on the solution, not the problem.

4. Don’t assume…

If you find yourself using phrases like, ‘Well, they should know…’, or, ‘They ought to be able to do that by now…’ you’re likely making assumptions. This isn’t to say you’re wrong, but until you have an open conversation with the other person you won’t know for sure. This is where a coaching approach to leadership comes to the fore. Rather than assuming and telling people what they should do, risking getting this wrong and alienating your staff, try asking probing questions regarding what their understanding of the issue is.

5. Start as you mean to go on…

I encounter so many issues where under-performance hasn’t been addressed in probation period, or just in a timely manner, then managers find themselves in a bind when matters don’t resolve themselves, or escalate. So always start as you mean to go on in your conversations. Set out expectations and build collaboration from day one. Whilst you may worry about being ‘nit-picky’ over small issues, a supportive, coaching conversation can bring people on track quickly, or if not, at least give you the evidence you need to implement more formal performance management procedures. And if you haven’t always done this? Well, the best time to start is now!

So, as a coach I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't ask the question... 'Which of these are you going to put in place, starting today?'

I hope you find these tips useful and do get in touch if you’ve any questions, or just for an informal chat or listening ear. We’re always happy to help

1. Covey, S.R., (2004) The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People. London: Simon & Schuster.

If you’d like to develop People Management or Difficult Conversations skills for yourself or your team, check out our latest training offers below. If you’ve any questions, or would like to discuss alternatives, do get in touch for an informal chat.

Click on the link below to find out more:

For Schools and Education

For Business and Charities

Or why not EMAIL US, or book in an informal chat using the button below. We'll find out about the support you need and provide you with a no-obligation quote.

Tel: 07714 855757 or email: [email protected][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

by Rachel Priestley

Tips to Make Difficult Conversations Easier

Tips to Make Difficult Conversations Easier...

by Karen Amos

I’ve been thinking a lot about the Difficult Conversations and Leadership training I deliver – particularly how people’s language and mindset affect their success. The usual expectation for this type of training is that if only we could learn a nifty phrase or approach, then we’d smash every difficult conversation, or be that amazing, inspirational leader.

Having an ethical business, I have to be honest and say, unfortunately there’s no such thing.

BUT… Don’t despair!

By being more conscious of our language and mindset through a coaching approach, we can instantly change a ‘difficult conversation’ to… just a ‘conversation’.

How much positive impact would that have on your life, both at work and personally? You need to speak to someone about something and you do. No worry, no dread, no hysterics - and no stress!

Here’s how it works. Let’s take the words ‘Difficult Conversation’. By using the word ‘difficult’, we have already set an expectation – that it’s going to be difficult/problematic/tough/upsetting, etc. This means we approach the situation from a negative or defensive standpoint from the start.

We frequently use the same type of language about people. They’re ‘difficult’, ‘awkward’, ‘a nightmare’ and on it goes. I’m sure you can see how this can taint our approach from the outset and set us on the wrong trajectory.

Now don’t get me wrong – I’m certainly not suggesting that we can magically transform people’s behaviour and attitudes just by changing a word, but you’d be surprised at the difference it can make.

Here are some coaching questions to get you thinking about your own mindset on these issues…

What is it about this conversation that I see as difficult?
What’s my evidence this is correct? Or is this assumption or fear on my part? (NB: there may be objective evidence and you should certainly act on this.)
What would I need to think and feel differently in order to see this situation or person in neutral, or even positive terms? (e.g. If we’ve labelled someone as ‘difficult’, could we perhaps see they’re ‘anxious’, or ‘disliking uncertainty’? Or that we’re ‘helping to solve a problem’?)
What would I lose or risk by changing my current thinking or beliefs about the situation or person?
What could I gain from describing the situation or person in more neutral or positive terms?

Click on the link below to find out more:

For Schools and Education

For Business and Charities

Or why not EMAIL US, or book in an informal chat using the button below. We'll find out about the support you need and provide you with a no-obligation quote.

Tel: 07714 855757 or email: [email protected][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

by Rachel Priestley

A Fresh Approach to Performance Management...

by Karen Amos

Life as a coach can be a strange way to earn a living. It can appear very negative on first inspection. I inhabit a world of performance management and even disciplinary proceedings. But it’s actually anything but negative.

You know the feeling – yet another member of staff has done or said something they shouldn’t have. (Again! – Cue slap head/rolling eyes emojis) You’re in despair. They’re a great member of staff, you can really see what they bring to the team, but there’s just this one recurring problem.

A classic example I encounter is the person who doesn’t communicate appropriately. This could be anything from a manager, to a front-line worker. Somewhere along the line, there is a trail of informal and even formal complaints about this person’s 'attitude' and communication style.

Or perhaps it’s their self-management in their role, such as managing workload.

So you do the right thing and ‘have a word’. You tell them what they’re doing isn’t appropriate, etc. and off they go. To do the exact same thing again. And on it goes, until finally your days are filled with grievance and disciplinary hearings. The whole thing often has an inevitability about it, BUT – there is another way!

It’s a coaching approach… Read on to find out how…

Traditionally, disciplinary and performance management has relied on telling people what we don’t want them to do. This definitely has its place in your management toolkit.

The problem with this approach is 3-fold:

It doesn’t get to the root of the problem
It doesn’t help them find the resources to work out what they should do instead
It doesn’t effectively build personal responsibility and accountability

This is where coaching as an approach comes into its own.

Before we go any further, do understand that coaching is no fluffy bunny approach – in fact just the opposite. This is a highly effective way to get to the root of the problem and give the responsibility for solving this right back to the person.

Here are two ways you can implement this approach in your workplace:

1. Take a coaching approach to managing people

This is simply to be clear about what you expect from the person, but then to use a coaching approach and questions to help them to come up with actions and solutions to resolve the issue.

This has the additional advantage of you easily being able to hold the person to account for any actions they set, which means they’re much more likely to follow this through, rather than taking your directions and suggestions.

2. Engaging a 1-to-1 professional coach

An external coach will have specialised tools and approaches to quickly get to the crux of the issue with the person. Often people don’t know what they don’t know, so using these approaches and a combination of coaching, training and mentoring means we can help the person explore and implement alternative ways to resolve the issue.

Areas I frequently work on with clients include building better communication styles with staff, managing their stress in high-pressure environments and changing mindsets to workload management.

As managers, you often don’t have the time to do this yourself and the confidential nature of coaching means people are much less defensive and likely to open up to the real challenges they’re facing.

If you’d like to develop People Management or Difficult Conversations skills for yourself or your team, check out our latest training offers below.

For Schools and Education

For Business and Charities

Tel: 07714 855757 or email:

by Rachel Priestley

Tips to Turn a Coaching Approach into your Leadership Superpower

by Karen Amos

I’ve just finished facilitating BrightBird’s latest Effective People Management programme. As with the previous programmes, participants bring along concerns, anxieties and ‘Is it me…?’ feelings around the challenges of managing people.

Interestingly, there are always common themes. Most people come with a sense of frustration of how they can’t just, ‘Get on with the job,’ and a feeling of, ‘Why is this always so difficult?’

This is usually accompanied by some sense of one step forward and two steps back, or feeling that managing people is like trying to nail jelly to a tree.

As a consequence, I find many managers of all levels feel they end up playing a role, rather than being themselves. And it’s not a role they enjoy. It’s often the role of ‘bad guy’ and whilst they’re prepared to step up and do this, it’s not one most of us would choose given an alternative.

My view is that no-one needs to ‘play’ anything. The ‘bad guy’ scenario inevitably leads us down a one-way street, with all concerned doubling down into increasingly entrenched positions. This is difficult if not impossible to step away from and often results in demotivated teams, or even a brain drain from your organisation.

I genuinely don’t believe working life needs to be so difficult – for managers and employees alike.

That’s why I’m on a mission to improve the quality of working life for everyone.

The problem is, most people in my experience, embark on a management career because they’re great at what they do. I mean, who seriously sets out in their career thinking, ‘I know, I’d love to be the line manager of tons of awkward people!’ Probably the same ones who look up ‘How to herd cats’ on google.

No, the fact is that we usually gain promotion because we’re the expert in our field. The best sales-person, the best teacher, etc., etc. The problem is, no-one told us how to be managers. Very few people are born with an innate ability to lead other people. But it can be learned.

And this is where a coaching approach becomes a bit of a superpower in my experience. I’ve used this approach personally and seen my clients implement this with fantastic results. It’s definitely an approach that sees compound benefits, with exponential growth in performance over a relatively short period of time. On the surface, it’s counterintuitive. Management is about putting the right people in the right place isn’t it? Well, yes… and no. How about seeing successful management as having your people put themselves in the right place?

So where to start? Here are a few tips to improve your coaching leadership style, along with some questions to help build insight into what’s going on for you.

1. Listen – I mean really listen. Listening isn’t about waiting for your turn to speak, or jumping in to close down the other person half way through a sentence.

Ask yourself – How would my peers and team members rate me as a listener?

2. Understand – Only when we’ve listened will we understand the other person’s viewpoint. The challenge is to show them we understand – even when we don’t agree with them!

Ask yourself – How often do I find myself or the other person saying some variation of, ‘Yeah, but…’ in my conversations? (This is a classic sign of a lack of understanding being demonstrated.)

3. Collaborate – It’s not your responsibility as a manager to solve everything on your own. That’s why you have a team and why it’s important to know who is responsible and accountable for what.

Ask yourself – Do I feel I’m carrying a burden of responsibility that other people don’t share in my team and how can I share this more equally?

4. Challenge – There are many types of challenge, but I like to call a coaching approach ‘challenge with a small ‘c’’. This doesn’t mean going out of your way to make people uncomfortable, or being on some kind of power trip. Instead, it means not accepting everything at face value and using coaching questions to explore and promote personal responsibility and accountability.

Ask yourself – Do I feel that members of your team are tying me in knots, or I come out of conversations wondering what just happened? If so, how can I be more enquiring in my conversations to find out more?

5. Problem solve – Coaching at its heart, is a problem-solving approach. You want something better and have a plan on how to get there. This is a gift for any effective manager to get the right results.

Ask yourself – Do my team get bogged down in problems and look to me to solve them, or do they naturally seek solutions themselves? If it’s the former, what can I do to enable them to problem-solve naturally?

Hopefully, you’ve now a few pointers to begin to develop your coaching leadership style.

If you’d like to learn more about how to take a coaching approach to Managing Difficult Conversations and people management, check out our latest courses below:

For Schools and Education

For Business and Charities

Or why not EMAIL US, or book in an informal chat using the button below. We’ll find out about the support you need and provide you with a no-obligation quote.

Tel: 07714 855757 or email: [email protected]

by Rachel Priestley

5 Tips to Help You Switch Off From Work

By Karen Amos

I see a lot of posts on social media about people who find they can't switch off during the holidays. Is this you? Whether you're going away somewhere or having a break at home, the feeling that your long awaited holiday is finally here, but your mind's whirring like a machine and all you can think about is how many jobs there are to do when you get back - if not before!

As a note of reassurance here, you're not alone. The pace of the working week can seem relentless. For some the 'end of the (working) day' never really comes, particularly with the advent of home-working. This means we're living in an 'Always On' state of high arousal levels and stress.

In simple terms, this means rather than your adrenaline response shutting off, allowing your stress to ebb and flow naturally, your brain has its foot on the gas pedal and keeps it there. This response is supposed to be fleeting - just long enough for you to get yourself out of imminent danger. In the case of workplace stress, it can remain in place. For months sometimes. This leaves your body and brain unable to simply flick the switch to turn off the response, even though it's not needed any more.

So what to do? Here are a few tips and coaching questions to help train your brain to lift its foot off your stress gas pedal, so you can work and rest productively. Remember, the aim isn't to solve all of these in one go. No point ending up more stressed out by trying to fix your stress levels! Instead, pick one area and take one small action at a time...

Tip #1:

See time off as an investment - Explore and clarify to yourself how you will be more productive if you take time off to rest, whether that's for an evening, a weekend or a holiday. Set out clearly what you would gain - naming it makes all the difference, then you know what you're aiming for.

Tip #2:

Make a list of everything that needs to be done - Include everything, big or small. This allows you to stop worrying that you’ve forgotten something and allows you to stop spinning those mental plates. Remind yourself you can add any jobs, when they come into your head as you go along.

Tip #3:

Prioritise what needs to be done – Do a reality check and ask yourself - Is this thing possible? – is it essential? – Also ask yourself what would happen if this wasn’t completed before the end of the month, or if you were off sick? Chances are most of these tasks will be less 'urgent' and 'important' than you feel they are right now. Where you can, block out things into a basic timescale or planner.

Tip #4:

Switch off your media – This means no checking in on emails and social media. Give yourself a digital detox and if you find this makes you anxious or you have such strong ingrained habits to pick up your phone, put your phone or laptop out of reach at least for a short while.

Tip #5:

Find something practical to do – If you engage in a practical activity, you're more likely to be distracted from the anxious feelings, at least for a while. Get outdoors for some exercise. Not only is this a great stress-buster, it will also help you to sleep. Whether it's indoors or outdoors, book activities in that you enjoy and revel in that restorative distraction. Why not catch up with friends and family too? Having a laugh and talking with others is a great distraction. Just stick to those positive people in your life and avoid the 'joy stealers'!

Hopefully, these will help you set some positive habits and ensure you have some quality time off so you're well-rested and on top of your game when you return to work. In the meantime, here's wishing everyone a positive and productive month, no matter what you have planned!

Find out about our training courses and coaching using the links below:

For Schools and Education

For Business and Charities

Or why not EMAIL US, or book in an informal chat using the button below. We'll find out about the support you need and provide you with a no-obligation quote.

Karen Amos is an executive coach and founder of BrightBird Coaching & Training. She supports business owners and managers who are feeling the pressure, to get the best out of themselves and their teams. She brings a practical, down-to-earth approach to improving working lives through better leadership, communication and working relationships.

by karena

Does your wellbeing strategy add to your stress?

By Karen Amos

Are you working in education? Are you feeling under pressure, stressed, or that your general wellbeing just isn't that great? You probably already know this, but I'll say it anyway - you're not alone. BUT WAIT! Whatever happened to the Education Staff Wellbeing Charter? After all, it was only launched in Autumn 2021 and who doesn't love a new initiative...?

Thinking back to my time in leadership roles in the public sector, the NHS in particular, I can remember that sinking feeling when yet another ‘initiative’ landed on my desk. Not that they were always bad (although to be fair, some were shockers), but I recall that feeling of overwhelm, wondering where and how I could find the resources and time to actually implement this, without dropping another plate.

I’m not going to tell anyone working in education that they have a tough job. That’s like telling a sheep it’s woolly. There’s a degree of acceptance of an education professional's lot in working life – and by this I’m meaning everyone working in education, not just teachers - and to corrupt a song, 'a teacher's lot is not a happy one'. The fact is the statistics make grim reading.

I don’t believe there’s anything to gain in playing misery ‘top trumps’ with other jobs and sectors. This doesn’t get anyone anywhere. Many sectors have huge issues with stress and burnout, each with its own particular issues and education is no exception. The fact is however, that education does rank in the top 4 most stressful occupations in the UK. ¹

So here are some numbers:

72% of education professionals described themselves as being ‘stressed’ in 2021 (84% of senior leaders)²
Unsurprisingly, this was up from an already high 64% in June 2020²
70% of Education staff (80% of senior leaders) who considered leaving the profession did so due to workload²
54% considered leaving due to personal mental health and wellbeing²

I believe this is the tip of the iceberg and that the issue is significantly under-reported for many reasons. If you have time, do check out the links below for more information. (Short pause for you to laugh derisively at the word ‘time’…)

From a leadership view, I see there are two issues with wellbeing in the workplace.

Firstly, there’s an ethical issue. No-one should come to work and be made ill or unhappy. That’s my mantra. I have personal (negative) experience in this area. We can all have a rubbish day from time to time, but if we’re accepting this as the norm, then something’s seriously broken.

Secondly, there’s the financial issue - and let’s face it, this is often the deal-breaker. Few would argue against the ethics of having a healthier workplace and workforce. The difficulty lies in implementing this – either though lack of time and resources, or simply the financial pressures of balancing already stretched budgets.

NB: Whilst there’s also a legal/compliance issue with wellbeing, I’d suggest this comes from a combination of ethical and financial (i.e. costs to the state) issues.

So, if the finances are the clincher, here are a few more stats:

50% of all working days lost in the UK in 2020/21 were due to work-related ill health¹
Education is one of the top 3 most stressful sectors in the UK ¹
Poor mental health amongst employees costs £42–45 bn in the UK each year - This includes the costs of absence/presenteeism and turnover³
The cost of poor mental health to the UK education sector (and public purse) is estimated to be £1.1 – 1.5 bn per year³
This equates to £1203 - £1585 per education employee per year³

So what to do?

Whilst there’s lots everyone can do to improve wellbeing in education, it’s obvious there is no quick fix and I’ll be writing more extensively on this in future articles. In the meantime however, we should take note of the Education Staff Wellbeing Charter⁴ , where it states that there are no expectations that ‘managers [will] provide professional wellbeing support for which they have no professional training.' In short - you can't be all things to all people.

Instead, I suggest we should take a holistic view, rather than the traditional sticking-plaster approach. This will take time and starts with building a wellbeing culture. To do that we need to throw away any badges of honour that go with working ridiculous, impossible hours and begin meaningful conversations with those around us. This means we have to be prepared to hear uncomfortable truths. Additionally, it’s now time to check our own personal story - from one that talks about ‘overworked education professionals', to one that says ‘This is not acceptable’ and ‘I deserve more’.

If you would like to find out more about BrightBird's online Positive & Productive Wellbeing Programme, click HERE.

Down-to-earth, straight-talking support for you and your team to manage stress, build resilience and time management skills and develop a positive mindset. Delivered at a time and pace to suit you.

For an informal, no-obligation chat about how we can help you, call us on 07714 855757, or email [email protected].

Karen Amos is an executive coach and founder of BrightBird Coaching & Training. She supports education leaders and managers who are feeling the pressure, to get the best out of themselves and their teams. She brings a practical, down-to-earth approach to improving working lives through better leadership, communication and wellbeing.

by karena

Team Coaching - What is it and how does it help?

Team Coaching - What Is It And How Does It Help?

By Karen Amos

Whilst one-to-one coaching is becoming increasingly popular, team coaching has been slower to catch on. The term itself sparks interest, but there's little information out there about what it actually entails. Reason for this is that team coaching is an evolving concept.

Here are some Q&A's around Team Coaching:

What is Team Coaching?

Team Coaching is a way to implement the approaches and benefits of coaching within a group and organisational context.

Working with groups of people - rather than 1:1 - teams work together to overcome issues that they and/or their organisation are facing. This enables them to build a positive, problem-solving approach to their work.

When would you use Team Coaching?

Team Coaching can be used for:

Supporting teams to work through times of change or crisis
Implementing projects
Building new teams
Developing and supporting leadership and management teams
Supporting individuals with professional development within peer groups

How does it work?

Groups or teams of between 4 and 10 people are identified
These groups meet on a regular basis – e.g. weekly/fortnightly/monthly
Can be online via video meeting, or in-person
Sessions last between 1 ½ and 2 hours
A programme of sessions is agreed – we recommend at least 4 sessions
Team Coaching – a coach/facilitator supports the group to identify the issue they wish to work on, with clear outcomes

Peer Coaching – Individuals within the group set out their own issue they would like to work on that week
The group are supported to use incisive questioning and coaching tools to seek solutions to the identified issues
The group or individual then decide actions they will take by the next session
These actions are reviewed at the beginning of each session

What are the benefits?

An effective tool in change and crisis management
Builds personal and collective responsibility
Brings accountability
Helps with team-building
Helps team to develop coaching skills
Develops a positive, solution-focused mindset with clear outcomes
Excellent for leadership development – builds confidence and reflective skills
Builds a cohesive team approach to issues
Allows individuals and teams to feel supported within the organisation
Helps to manage stress and build resilience
Builds more agile teams and ways of working

Who is it for?

Leadership and management teams of all levels
Project teams
Peer groups within organisations
Function teams
Work groups

Why do we need a facilitator?

An experienced and qualified coach facilitator is essential to get the best out of team coaching. They are able to clarify objectives, manage expectations and behaviour and most importantly, ensure the session remains coaching focussed, rather than just an advice-giving session, or a talking shop.

We find that without a facilitator who is experienced in coaching, most team coaching quickly deteriorates into a ‘moan-fest’ or ‘catch up’ session, losing the desired positive, results-focused approach that was intended.

Initially, many members of teams will naturally veer towards advice-giving, rather than coaching. An experienced coach facilitator is able to recognise this and help develop the team’s coaching and incisive questioning skills and thus, effectiveness.

What’s the difference between Team Coaching and a staff team meeting?

Rightly or wrongly, staff team meetings often centre around updates and procedure. They’re inevitably facilitated by a senior member of the team, or manager and as a result have an imbalance of power and issues around accountability and responsibility.

Team Coaching creates a more equitable environment, where everyone is expected to contribute and take responsibility for finding the solution to an issue. It focuses very specifically on one, or a small number of issues, with the intention of seeking and implementing tangible solutions to this.

If you would like to book team coaching for your business, organisation or school, or would like an informal, no-obligation chat about how this can work for you, call us on 07714 855757, or email [email protected].

Check out our latest training offers at https://brightbird.wordifysites.com/services/training-courses/

Karen Amos is an executive coach and founder of BrightBird Coaching & Training. She supports business owners and managers to get the best out of themselves and their teams. She brings a practical, down-to-earth approach to improving working lives through better leadership, communication and working relationships.

by karena

Feeling Overwhelmed? Try Chunking...

By Karen Amos

I recently returned from holiday feeling very rested. I was raring to get stuck back into work – I’ve loads of exciting work, opportunities and projects going on right now. The thing is I didn’t – get stuck into work I mean. I just couldn’t find the concentration required to knuckle down to the work, with the inevitable self-recrimination that brings. That just brought me more stress.

The thing was I couldn’t understand why. I love my work and all the jobs I had lined up were things I enjoy (well, apart from my book-keeping, but let’s not talk about that right now!).

So what was going on?

I’ve finally realised after a few days it was good old overwhelm. I was simply trying to hold too much in my head at once. Now those of you that already know me will know I’m a huge fan of lists, so I don’t have to hold loads of info in my head, so why didn’t they work? The answer was that the tasks felt too diverse – they were like confetti being scattered all over the place and I was spending way too much mental energy keeping it all swept into a pile.

So here’s when I decided to chunk my work.

Chunking is simply the art of pulling together similar pieces of work or information to allow our brain some space to actually work on things. There’s no right or wrong way to do this, but here’s how it worked for me…

Step 1 – I wrote down the main functions of my business – e.g. financial, marketing, clients, etc.

Step 2 – Under each of these I listed the main things I need to achieve over the next month – e.g. follow up clients, arrange meetings with contacts, write blogs…

Step 3 – I created a ‘Drop List’ on my One Note app where I can check in with these mini ‘chunks’ and ‘drop’ any new items in there as they arise, or that I may have missed.

Step 4 – Check in at the beginning of each week to plan in time to address each of these issues.

But isn’t this just adding another layer to an already significant workload?

In fact, this is just the opposite. Now I’ve captured everything I need to do and organised it into meaningful ‘chunks’, I have freed up brain space to actually work on the tasks. This also gives me opportunity to schedule work into my planner, helping me to estimate how much time I’ll actually need to complete the things I’ve identified.

Along with this, as a person with strong visual preferences, I've colour coded each chunk too. This helps my brain to separate these out.

The result? A clear focus, less anxiety and more productivity. Give it a try if you’re feeling that you’re just not making a dent into your tasks.

If you would like to find out more about how you and your teams can improve their time management and productivity, whilst minimising stress and overwhelm, check out our new Positive and Productive online programme.

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For an informal, no-obligation chat about how we can help you, call us on 07714 855757, or email [email protected].

by karena

Professional Fatigue – Taking steps to recovery…

By Karen Amos

‘Fatigue’ and 'Exhaustion' seem to be the word of the moment for many, with an inevitable impact on productivity and mental wellbeing. Of course, some sectors are suffering more than others, education and health care to name but two, but there are increasing signs of strain everywhere.

Whilst there's no magic wand (I wish!), here are some tips and coaching questions to help you on the road to recovery...

Prioritise:

I’m not going to suggest you just down tools. OK, if that’s possible with no consequence, go ahead, but for most people that just isn’t the case. There will definitely be some activities that are ‘must do’s’ at the moment however, and some that will have lesser consequences if not done immediately.

'Where am I feeling the pressure right now?'

Ask yourself, ‘Where am I most feeling the pressure right now?’, then list all the things you can do to minimise or eliminate this, however improbable these may seem. Talking this over with a colleague or someone else you trust can help you out of the ‘stuck-ness’. It may, for example, feel impossible that you can hand some tasks over or re-schedule, but an outside perspective often helps bring a new reality. Many more things are possible than we first perceive.

Another useful question to help challenge is, ‘What will happen if I don’t do this activity right now?’ and if it’s unavoidable, ‘How long can I postpone it for to give me more space and time to restore my energy levels?’

Rest:

This is so obvious to be insulting right? But, even in the best of times, most people don't get enough proper rest. Again, it’s easier said than done, but many of us are experiencing a state of underlying anxiety and in some cases, possibly hypervigilance. This leads us to constantly scan our horizon for threats and reassurance that all’s ok. Signs of this include sleeplessness and constant checking in, or compulsion to check in on the latest news and social media updates.

The paradox is that the more we check and strive to stay on top of things, the more tired and less productive/more anxious we become.

Here are some ways you can give yourself permission to rest:

Take time off work – This is the obvious one, but many of us haven't had a 'proper' break for months now and have nothing booked in for the near future. It seemed a bit pointless to take time off when we couldn’t really go anywhere during lockdown and for many people a 'proper holiday' means abroad. No matter what your plans, it can help to plan some activities in beforehand though, so you feel your time has been well spent – even if that means catching up on some reading or taking a day-trip from home. Taking time off means a complete break however – no checking in on calls, or emails. Just a couple of days can make all the difference. To do this consistently, engage and discuss this with your team beforehand to ensure you’re not disturbed. Remember to plan ahead and book the time off in your diary. It's unlikely to happen if you don't.

Cut out the media – Give yourself a social media break. You can do this by:
- Allocating a specific window of time you’ll check in each day
- Blocking or unfollowing accounts that you find stressful or negative
- Asking yourself, ‘Will reading this help me right now?’ if you’re tempted to click on something contentious that’d send your blood pressure soaring
- Having a social media ‘holiday’. Switch off or even uninstall the apps on your phone
- Make social media unavailable. If you find yourself getting caught in a ‘scroll hole’, put your phone out of reach. I charge my phone on the landing each night, so I don’t take it into the bedroom

Ration the news – Things are changing fast at the moment, so it’s natural to want to be on top of developments, but again, this can feed anxiety. One way to solve this can be to set a daily check in on the news. Choose your preferred news ‘channel’, be that on TV, the radio, or the internet and set a time each day where you’ll have a proper catch up.

Set manageable working hours – Even in the best of times, there’s always more to do than there is time to do it in. Accepting that is the first step to taking back control. Remember that the longer we work, the less productive we become, so long working weeks quickly become counterproductive.
- Planning a start and finish time for your day in advance.
- Set out what you wish to achieve that day – remembering to keep this realistic and finish as soon as you've completed your tasks.
- Plan in what you will do when you finish work. That way you’ve something to aim for.
- Packing away your laptop/work equipment when you’ve reached your finish time. This is particularly important when working from home.
- Asking someone to give you a nudge when you reach your prearranged finishing time.
- Telling work colleagues when you will/won’t be available and asking them to help you with this by not contacting you outside these times.

Looking at the tips above, try this coaching question:

Remember to enlist others to help you to succeed. Your colleagues, friends and family can make great accountability buddies. Good luck with your next steps...

For further support for you or your team, check out our training page HERE.

For an informal, no-obligation chat about how we can help you, call us on 07714 855757, or email [email protected].

by karena

leadership development

Tips to Turn a Coaching Approach into your Leadership Superpower

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