Overhaul Your Outlook
November 30th, 2011 by Beth Kennedy
- Boost your mental energy by creating conditions that help you get the best out of yourself- every day!
- Rethink your to-do list so that you spend your energy and attention on what matters most.
- Take a 15 minute break in the middle of the day; leave your desk and walk instead of web surfing.
- Set a date to spend time with a friend who energizes you.
- Give something to two people this week – whether it’s a cup of coffee, a hug, or a compliment.
- At the end of the day, reflect on what you accomplished, not on what you should have done.
Read more articles like this here: http://www.bethkennedy.com/resources.html
Beth
Recognize Your Emotional Reaction to Conflict
September 30th, 2011 by Beth Kennedy
- Look for patterns that will help you remain flexible in the face of conflict.
- Once you sense a conflict developing in an e-mail, stop and think. Do not elevate the conflict by getting into an e-mail battle. Be proactive and talk with the person to reduce the conflict and move forward.
- Realize that conflict is a normal part of work and it is how we deal with it that will affect our productivity.
- Don’t forget to modify your personality according to the conflict situation. Many conflicts can be prevented or reduced by our own self-awareness.
Read more articles like this here: http://www.bethkennedy.com/resources.html
Beth
News About Beth
August 27th, 2011 by Beth Kennedy
My latest Training Series Success at Work has now been endorsed by NEHRA. NEHRA is New England’s premier human resources association. Its mission is to lead, advance and influence the management of human resources and its impact on organizational success. The Success at Works trainings have also been endorsed by Project Management Institute, International Coach Federation, HR Certification Institute and MBTI Master Practitioner.
Does Your Wellbeing Need a Recharge?
August 15th, 2011 by Beth Kennedy
As a career and leadership coach, I not only focus on specific work and career issues with my clients, but I also have them take a look at their wellbeing. Although I practice as a certified career and leadership coach, I am also a licensed therapist and strongly believe in a holistic approach in coaching. Gallup research has determined that there are five universal and interdependent elements of wellbeing that differentiate a thriving life from one spent stressed out.
Career: liking what you do every day (Strategy: Every day, use your strengths. Make sure you are aware of your strengths!)
Social: having strong relationships (Strategy: Make time every month for individuals you care about.)
Financial: a well-managed economic life (Strategy: Set financial goals annually.)
Physical: Having good health and the energy to get things done on a daily basis (Strategy: Get 20 minutes of exercise every day you can and 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night.)
Community: A sense of engagement with the area where you live (Tip: Identify how you can contribute to your community or neighborhood.)
While 66% are doing well in at least one area, only 7% are thriving in all five. If we are struggling in any of these areas, as most of us are, it damages our wellbeing and wears on our daily life. Stress can affect us in so many ways but often we do not address the stressors. In my own private practice I have seen how important stress management is for my clients and notice a direct correlation in their career success depending on how resilient they are.
Our wellbeing will not improve unless we make a conscious decision to do so. I often hear from my clients that there is just not enough time for exercise and time with friends. We have to make our wellbeing an objective just like a career objective. We need to have our own personal development plan so we have the energy needed for the success we want!
Small changes can have a huge impact. It also helps to have someone making you accountable. In my full day career class I have everyone leave with an action plan. Not every person will be meeting with me as a follow up, so I have them identify someone who can check on their goals. This one step will greatly improve their goal success.
September is a great time to focus on your wellbeing. There is something about the start of a new school year that makes setting new personal goals exciting and more realistic. Think about the five areas above and how would you rate yourself in those areas. Then pick one to set a specific goal in for September. Set up a file or get a journal and write down your wellbeing goal! We sometimes focus too much on getting things done and forget that we need to energize first so we have the energy needed to accomplish our goals!
3 Ways To Reduce Stress
August 7th, 2011 by Beth Kennedy
3 Ways To Reduce Stress:
- Show up five minutes early. Everyone knows the feeling: You’re running late, stuck in traffic, glancing at your watch every 30 seconds in frustration. Give yourself extra time to get wherever you need to go. Being an early bird will kill stress by giving you more control over your day and your commitments.
- Exercise 20 – 25 minutes – 5 times a week. Stress makes your body produce two hormones: cortisol and adrenaline. These chemicals put your body into fight-or-flight mode, ratcheting up your energy level and causing your heart to pound and your muscle to tense. Exercise gives you an outlet to reduce some of that tension. A good workout also increases your levels of “feel-good” chemicals called endorphins.
- Enjoy the company of friends. Socializing releases oxytocin, a chemical that can help combat stress hormones and lower your blood pressure. Just knowing you’re not alone can go a long way toward coping with stress.
How Engaged Are You in Your Career?
July 15th, 2011 by Beth Kennedy
Engagement is a key factor for individuals to enjoy their career and for companies to be able to retain the employees that make an impact on the business. So what do we really mean by engagement anyway? I see engagement as an alignment of job satisfaction (“I like my work and do it well)” with maximum job contribution (“I help achieve the goals of the organization”). Engaged employees are not just committed and proud. They have a sight on their future and on how they can make a difference for their employer’s business success.
Lots of organizations are doing research on engagement. The latest study by BlessingWhite in 2011, found some interesting findings:
- Fewer than 1 in 3 employees worldwide (31%) are engaged. Nearly 1 in 5 (17%) are actually disengaged.
- Despite the challenges of the economic recession, engagement levels around the world remained roughly stable when comparing early 2008 and mid – 2010.
- Yet more employees are looking for new opportunities outside their organization than they were in 2008, suggesting that 2011 may be a challenging year for retention.
Consistent with other findings, two factors top the list of satisfaction drivers for employees in nearly every region across every engagement level: “career development opportunities and training” and “more opportunities to do what I do best.” Individuals also want a better relationship with their manager. This supports the drive of companies and specifically managers to spend time and really understand what drives your employees and provide regular feedback to develop and enhance trust. Over the years, I have had the opportunity to facilitate career discovery and development trainings in progressive organizations. These companies are ahead of their time. By supporting your employees to become clear on their interests, skills and values you are providing a key development strategy. The greater fit a company can have with their business needs and the employee’s strengths, everyone is going to benefit!
Spark your Success Tip-Determine Your Engagement Level and Become More Proactive!
June 29th, 2011 by Beth Kennedy
It is important that we take responsibility for our engagement. Individuals must:Own your engagement. You come to work with unique motivators, interests and talents. You cannot expect the organization to provide an exact set of tasks or conditions to fit your personal definition of satisfying work. You are ultimately responsible for being proactive for personal and professional success.
Be clear on your core values and goals. If you do not know what is important to you, you will not find it in your current job or potentially any other. Take the time and be clear on your motivators.
Take action. You need to take the initiative to build your skill sets, articulate your interests and identify ways to apply your talents to achieve the organization’s goals. Set a monthly goal that focuses on engagement
The Magic of Leadership
May 16th, 2011 by Beth Kennedy
An exciting part of my coaching practice is when I have an opportunity to interview innovative leaders and their reports. When I interview their reports they share the unique magical aspects that make their managers such incredible leaders.
Former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Baxter International, Harry Kraemer, has written a back to basics book on value- based leadership: From Values to Action. He presents four interconnected principles that are key ingredients to effective leadership.
The first principle is self-reflection. “If you do not know yourself, how can you lead yourself? If you cannot lead yourself, how can you possibly lead others?” Self- reflection makes it possible to answer key questions like, what is most important? and What should we be doing? This provides clarity and makes sure you’re in line with your strengths and values and organizational goals. Leaders need to be clear on their Myers Briggs personality type so they are aware of their natural strengths and opportunity areas.
The next principle is balance and perspective, being able to understand all sides of an issue. Kraemer says, “My task was to recognize when a particular perspective offered by one of my team members was the best answer.” He uses the term life balance over work-life balance because it’s not an either or proposition. The leaders that have the magic know how to focus on balance in their career and personal life as well!
The third principle, true self-confidence is knowing what you know and what you don’t know. Leadership is not about always needing to be right. The final principle is genuine humility. Genuine humility helps you recognize that you ought to respect everyone equally and not treat anyone differently just because of a job title. I learned this skill from my Dad who always respected every person he encountered in such a positive engaging way.
Kraemer describes a leader well: “Self –reflection increases self-awareness. Balance encourages the individual to seek out different perspectives from all team members and to change their mind when appropriate in order to make the best possible decisions. With true self-confidence, they easily share credit with their team. Genuine humility allows them to connect with everyone because no one is more important than anyone else.” These principles can be applied to individual contributors or individuals in leadership roles and the magic will appear!
Spark your Success Tip-Display empathy towards others.
March 14th, 2011 by Beth Kennedy
Every person you work with is worthy of your respect and empathy. Listen without judging. Don’t cut people off in the middle of a sentence. Take the feelings and perspectives of others into account. Sometimes we get too busy and forget to put ourselves in the other person’s shoes.
Beth
Spark your Success Tip-Write in a Journal
February 21st, 2011 by Beth Kennedy
Research indicates that those who keep a “gratitude journal” achieve better physical health, are more optimistic, exercise more regularly, and describe themselves as happier.
Quick Tips:
- Keep a journal by your bed and try to write in it at least once a week. Bring it when you are traveling or have appointments and know you will be waiting around.
- Pay attention to whatever gives you energy and amazes you! Capture these ideas in your journal.
Beth