I am surprised how many of my male friends are also cooks. It is not
what you expect of the pre-new man generation. But cooking, gardening
and keeping animals for food are basic 'grounding' activities. Literally
bring us down to earth.
This year I have missed a large number of weekends as a result of the
many courses I have attended in my year of professional development. Next
weekend I shall be with John Grinder refining my coaching skills, but
I am delighted that this is the last one booked.
I was struck when we were at the CBI Conference earlier this month that
director general Digby Jones announced that this was the first conference
that did not include a weekend. He said "We talk a lot about work/life
balance. We thought it was time we did something about it." It is
a challenge to those of us who run courses. Should we expect managers
to give up time outside the working week?
British railways have a bad reputation. but they have improved dramatically
since they were privatised ten years ago. I hear that European railway
managers are now turning to our companies as the leaders in the field!
However, the legacy of a run down infrastructure and a massive increase
in passengers means that our wonderful new rolling stock and ambitious
train operating companies are often let down by track failures.
On Friday I travelled to Manchester to meet a favourite client. It was
a beautiful day and the autumn light did some wonderful things with the
colours in the fields. I was sitting on a stationary train when the driver
announced that we were held up by a points failure. There was an alternative
route being considered but there was a points failure somewhere along
that as well. (I must point out that we were experiencing the first, unseasonal,
snow and freezing conditions of the year). The conductor came through
to talk to the passengers. Two ladies were sitting nearby. They said "We
are not disappointed. We are so used to failures that it is what we expect."
What I don't expect is that our new rolling stock should fail –
though it too frequently does. A train had failed at Birmingham. No problem.
A train arriving at a similar time was actually two trains coupled together.
The rear train was closed to passengers and then de-coupled from its leader
so that it could be released for our use. Excellent solution, though each
train might be a little crowded. However, there was a lot of standing
around and waiting by the many railway staff. Even after the de-coupling
had been completed there was more waiting before we were eventually allowed
to board and the train to leave. Now outside its original schedule it
would upset the timings of other journeys that needed to share track and
the whole problem would snowball.
I wonder whether if such an incident had occurred in Switzerland, where
it is expected that trains run absolutely on time, it would have been
treated more urgently and dealt with more effectively. It is what you
expect.
If you expect to succeed you will . . . because you will make sure that
you do. If you expect to fail . . . .
Brefi Group is putting its full support behind the launch of Consultant
Training to support successful professional and business people who are
ready to move into consultancy. I am delighted that John La Valle has
agreed to contribute an article on what makes a successful consultant.
Are you a successful executive or professional who would like to become
a successful consultant?
If so, Consultant
Training Limited has an intensive six month programme that will set
you up in business and give you the skills in consultancy, facilitation,
coaching and training that will turn you into a successful and rounded
consultant.
...[more]
NEXT FREE SEMINAR: Friday
3 December, Central London
LETTERS
TO THE EDITOR
Dear Editor
I continue to enjoy reading your weekly newsletter and find it a very
positive start to the working week.
My reason for writing to you is to comment on Pikes Place Fish (CorporateCoach
No 79) as I have both experienced their store and used their materials
for development purposes. The whole concept is superb but I would have
to say the of their videos the original Fish is excellent and the successive
offerings are less relevant, especially in the European market.
Keep up the excellent work.
Best regards
Richard Brennan
Strategic Alliance Ltd
2. Coaching notes: What makes a successful
consultant?
John La Valle
The dominant characteristic of successful and charismatic individuals
is clarity of purpose and strength of self belief that comes from being
certain about who they are and what they are going after.
The question I've been asked is, "What makes a successful consultant,
trainer, teacher, manager, entrepreneur, etc.?" because to me, whatever
it is you're doing professionally, it helps to put yourself in the position,
or role, of "consultant" at certain times, places and other
contexts.
Based on my experience with many different people across many different
professions, the ones that are the most successful have or do the following
things:
They are driven - not just ambitious - driven by their passions, their
abilities, their purpose. They know themselves so well that they do not
need to explain themselves to others. Their behaviour "says"
it all.
They are infectious - their above permeates a room, permeates all they
meet, their environment. Some will call this charisma, others energy.
Whatever you call it, know what it is because you have not only experienced
it, but have it.
They are passionate about whatever it is they do, truly passionate –
even when they have the opportunity to "sell" something. They
don't have to because their passion spills over onto the people listening
and/or in their presence. And most people want to have success.
They know the following that I have been saying for years and years -
"No one is good at everything, but everyone is good at something".
They know what they are good at, and they have built on that. They know
what they are not good at and pass it up, or pass it along to someone
else, when those opportunities come by. They know their niche and have
developed their own "expertise" of it.
They are not afraid of hard work - as a matter of fact, it's not they
are not afraid of it, they don't equate it with their passion - to them
it's not work, it's their life; it's what they love doing. For years I've
told people: "Do what you love and you'll never work another day
in your life." And at the same time, working 24/7 is part of it for
them. This does not mean that they don't make time away from their "career",
but there is always that one small wheel clicking away in the back of
their mind that keeps them on track.
They know that making mistakes is part of making decisions. They don't
expect perfection, but they do expect optimization. At the same time,
they also have high expectations for themselves, and for others, but they
understand how to balance all these towards success.
They know how to say "I don't know" with confidence.
They are continuously learning - not just from seminars, books, tapes,
etc., but from the experiences they are having. They are acute observers
of their environment and can calibrate interventions well and the results
of those interventions, whether theirs or someone else's, regardless of
how subtle.
They have solid morals and values and their behaviour is consistent.
They do not waiver. They may change their minds, but only after very careful
consideration of new information.
They keep things simple - their communication, their strategies, everything
possible is kept simple, but not at the expense of wasting resources,
more appropriately, they keep things precise.
They are honest and they understand dishonesty and are prepared for it.
They have a healthy scepticism of the business environment in which they
are operating and have the strategies to evaluate opportunities.
How many of the above do you honestly have and/or do? Happy Consulting,
or whatever it is you do.
©2004 La Valle, all rights reserved in all media. HYPERLINK "http://www.nlp-newsletter.com"
Used with express written permission of John La Valle.
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I
enjoy Sundays. Saturday is my recovery day. Washing and shopping, and
maybe a film or a play. Sundays I enjoy because they are an opportunity
to cook. During the week cooking is time constrained and tends to be meat
or fish and two veg. On Sundays we eat at midday and I can spend the morning
cooking something more leisurely and adventurous, a stew or a roast, and
making soups for the freezer.