Is cycling the most collaborative sport?

As I watched the women's cycling event on Sunday and cheered Lizzie Armistead on to her silver medal I sat in awe at how the leading three women, despite being in competition, worked together until the very last 100m.

In pouring rain, they each took turns to lead and take the slip stream, it was a lesson in collaboration and sports-woman-ship.  It made me reflect on some of the programmes I have worked on in the past where each project manager has their own objectives to deliver but ultimately the whole programme team must work collaboratively to make the programme an overall success. So here are three things that the cycling reminded me of:

• When working collaboratively we all need to take our share of the strain.
• It is not being at the front that matters but bringing other people with you, eventually you all need each other.
• Recognition is not just from the ultimate outcome but from how you endured the journey.

Do you have any others to offer?

Finally, what a different race, different approach and different  outcome to the previous days men's cycling event!

A Walk in the Park

As the weather warms up, your eyes may wander more often towards the window and the bright sunshine and azure blue skies. When my brain refuses to focus and problems clog up my thought process I take a walk through the park and let the ideas free fall. There is something about the fresh air, bright sunshine, green spaces and exercise that together release something in my head; allowing my thoughts to start to take shape again.

If you are reading this and thinking that such an activity would be seen as a waste of time in your office, consider this, how much time do you waste whilst in the office? Try releasing some time and giving yourself some space for quality thinking.

Here are some ideas:

1. Tidying the email in box - do you really need to read all of your emails! Learn to keep only the important stuff in your inbox and introduce sub files for other emails. Emails which are sent to everyone and not tagged as URGENT should not be top of your reading list! 
2. Not attending all the meetings you are invited to - when did you last kick back and say no to a meeting, be more picky!
3. Train others to respect your thinking time, it is ok to ask people if their interruption is urgent and if not then suggest you talk later.
4. Take the urgent reads on a walk with you. Often if you escape from your desk you get less interruptions and more quality time to think, also every interruption requires you to take time to refocus to get started again. The less interruptions you allow, the less time you will need to get the job done. Also remember that you don't have to be at your desk to be working effectively!
5. Take a colleague with you and bounce ideas as you walk. It is amazing how two people can resolve problems when they are walking and all other distractions are removed.

Now get out your walking shoes and off you go!

Are your creative juices flowing?

I have absolute faith and belief in the power of everyone to be creative and innovative. Just spend a few moments watching a child play and you will see how a box becomes a house, a smarties packet becomes a train or spy glass and so on. Somewhere along the way as we progress to adulthood we can lose our belief in our own abilities to be creative and innovative and only look on in wonder at those who are. 

Take time today to open yourself up to innovation. Brainzooming offers 8 Innovation Perspectives that are well worth taking a look at to get your innovation juices flowing. Here are three tips for getting the most out of this link:

1) Check your mood - we are more receptive and open to new ideas when we are happy and relaxed. If necessary go for a walk first!
2) Pick one activity from the list to try and then do it with passion.
3) Recognise your own creativity and keep a note. When it comes to annual review time being able to point to examples of creativity and innovation at work will set you apart from the crowd.

Good luck.

Powerful Pairings - Introverts and Extroverts

I always like having a scoot around the Forbes website as they have some great articles. This week is no exception as ForbesWoman,  Jenna Goudreau has written a great little article called The Secret Power of Introverts.

The article raises an interesting thought, she believes the world today is geared to extroverts, in business we recruit with an extrovert bias and in schools we educate from an extrovert perspective.

Now ConnectingDots was formed by Una and Caroline, an introvert and extrovert pairing if ever there was one (we will leave you to work out which is which). Far from creating conflict or causing chaos, this pairing of opposites really works for us. Whilst the 'Exxy' is out there bouncing ideas and creating a tsunami of possibility, the 'inny' is able to mull the ideas (as the 'Exxy' moves onto the next exciting thing), ask the questions that give it substance and provide the infrastructure to anchor the ideas. The 'Exxy' is fantastic at meeting new people, building relationships and exciting passion and interest. The 'inny' is able to put the detail in place to ensure that level of confidence is maintained and the relationship sustained.

With the two different perspectives you might ask, what is it that binds us together so successfully. Well the answer for us is shared values, with this perspective there is plenty of space in the world for both of us!

The 13 presuppositions of nlp

Here is a quick reminder of the core principles of nlp and as you read them think about:

• An example of where, perhaps these principles could have guided a more resourceful learning process
• An example of where, unconsciously you were able to draw on these presuppositions to enable others to better understand their situation and choices – how did it help you and what can you bring into your conscious mind to help you in the future
• How can you be the best role mode you can be for others?

The 13 presuppositions.

There is a more detailed article on these and what we can learn from them to use in our role as Learning Entrepreneurs on our site under stretch.

1.                   People respond to their experience, not to reality itself.

2.                   Having a choice is better than not having a choice.

3.                   People make the best choice they can at the time.

4.                   People work perfectly.

5.                   All actions have a purpose.

6.                   Every behaviour has a positive intention.

7.                   The unconscious mind balances the conscious; it is not malicious.

8.                   The meaning of the communication is not simply what you intend, but also the response you get.

9.                   We already have all the resources we need, or we can create them.

10.               Mind and body form a system. They are different expressions of the one person.

11.               We process all information through our senses.

12.               Modelling successful performance leads to excellence.

13.               If you want to understand – Act

A short video on keeping things in perspective!

Sometimes you see something and just say WOW!! I love this video which with its simple approach really tells a powerful story and puts all our little troubles into perspective. Enjoy

Works Well Under Pressure.....

Years in large organisations meant I have been subjected to other people's views of my performance for decades.

Questions were continually asked - did I deliver on time, could I take the pressure, was my thinking analytical, did I work well with others? Over the years several trees and umpteen gallons of ink must have gone into analysing and shaping me into who I am today.

The phrase that often arises on these occasions is 'works well under pressure'. Now anyone who has had that said about them is probably proud and perhaps feels they must be courageous and resilient. What strikes me though is many of us don't work well unless there is pressure! Think about it, when you have no deadlines to meet, no adrenalin coursing through your veins are you really 'on your game'. I suspect the answer is no. In fact I suspect that without the 'fear and panic' factor you join me in a feet up, have a cuppa, relax on the sofa, it can wait kind of approach.

So for all those in the business of designing performance criteria I urge you to change this phrase to a much better one:

Works well even when NOT under pressure!!

Now it must be time for another cuppa.......

Perseverance - from coat hanger to CEO!

I loved this video where Andrea Jung, CEO at Avon talks about the importance of perseverance. Sometimes things seem pointless or hard or just plain boring and we are tempted to quit, however, success is often dependent on us keeping going regardless. Here are some tips to help you keep going:

1) Focus on the outcome you are trying to achieve not the current 'pain'
2) Establish little milestones you can celebrate along the way - getting a paper accepted by the board, good feedback from a pilot programme, completing a video production
3) Get tips from those who have gone before you, revel in their war stories and tales of overcoming adversity
4) Keep your energy high, ensure you take time to relax and recover your energy levels
5) Never say 'if' say 'when'

Searching for Socks!!

As you woke up this morning and set about your day, were you searching for your socks or searching for inspiration? If we keep our mind open to new ideas and input   it is surprising where inspiration can come from. Here are some  examples of sources which may encourage you to open your senses and your mind to look for inspiration in the oddest of places!

a) Watch how children interact and talk to each other. What can you draw from that about body language, transactional analysis, communication?

b) Close your eyes in a meeting and just listen to the words and how people are saying things, what different perspective does this give you. Often we are moved by what we see over what we hear.

c) Take a walk and soak up your environment, the colours, the smells, the sounds, the sunshine (or rain!). Let your thoughts tumble freely and relax. See what new thoughts form in your mind.

d) Listen to a talk in a totally different area of expertise to your own. TED Talks are a great place to start, how can you apply what you see and hear to your own area of expertise?

e) Spend some time on social media sites such as Twitter, LinkedIn, Reddit etc and see what ideas are coming up and where they take you, be brave and follow the weird, wacky and off piste stuff!

"Every moment and every event of every mans life on earth plants something in his soul" (Thomas Merton)

Staying Focussed When All Hell Breaks Loose!

It has been a particularly difficult week. I won't go into detail but it has involved, travel, hospital trips, legal paperwork, moving large amounts of boxes and even the cats bringing live animals into the house to add to the chaos.

I have had to work out how I could remain focussed and get the important things done whilst dealing with a lot of other pressing needs (and feline distraction)s. Here are the 5 lessons I learned:

One - not everything is urgent, pick out the MUST do and re-prioritise the rest (should, could and would do if I had lots of time)!
Two - double up. Look for opportunities to tick off two items at once e.g. adapting something so it meets the needs of more than one audience, covering two errands in one round trip.
Three - pick your moments. Do not do things just because it is morning and you ought to be working. It is ok to do things in the evening if that works better for you.
Four - ask for help. Let people know if you are struggling and look for things that others can temporarily take over for you. THEN LET GO!

Five - be kind to yourself. The world will not end if an email is sent a day or two late or if things are not perfect. In times of crisis the aim is not to be at the top of your game but to survive as best you can.

For fellow survivors I hope this helps and next week is better!