3D Juggling 352: Magic Seats

February 22, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Claire writes: ‘When we bought our car, all I knew was that it would be a supermini with room for 4 people and good fuel consumption. Being available in red was desirable but not essential!  If that had been the final criteria, it would have been very difficult to chose between the makes we looked at – Citroen, Peugeot, Skoda, Renault etc.  What allowed us to make an informed choice was that each garage was able to clearly communicate what they felt the added value was in their car. And we did a test drive. So we had to choose between interiors, boot space and leg room.  On the way to buy the Toyota Yaris which fulfilled all the criteria except boot space, we stopped off at the Honda garage because it was raining.  It was the leg room and the magic seats which made us buy the Honda.  You can fold the back seats up or down.  We didn’t know we needed that, but realised it would mean we could fit a bike in the back… or a large plant… or a big box of training materials.

When employers advertise for posts, they advertise the generic basics which are essential for the job.  When we apply, we need to be really clear how we fit that and also what added value we bring so that they can decide who is the best fit for the job.  That means that you need to be crystal clear what you bring before you even fill out the application.  If you only answer the questions you are asked, there may be a significant piece of information which you forget to include.  Until you are clear what you bring, the potential employer will not be able to find it out from you – however hard they try. Especially if you are changing sectors or applying for a different type of role. That’s why we spend a considerable amount of time with individuals and groups facing job changes simply asking: So what did you do? If you have a job change coming up, do you know all the generic skills you bring?  And what evidence you have for them? It’s worth investing time to find that out BEFORE you start approaching employers.

And if you don’t know what you’re thinking unless you speak, don’t waste time siting staring at a blank computer screen or white paper… enlist a listening partner – a friend, colleague or a coach.

© 2007 3D Coaching Ltd
May be distributed freely.  Please retain contact details: www.3dcoaching.com and send a copy/ link to info@3dcoaching.com

Filed Under: Career Change, Career Change: 1 Know what's in your toolbox Tagged With: , ,

3D Juggling 561: Through The Looking Glass

February 20, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Claire writes:  “‘I didn’t mean it’.  How often have you heard that – at home or at work?  We judge ourselves on our intent. Yet we measure others by the impact which their communication has on us.

And that’s where most communication problems arise – where the impact is different from the intention. Especially when we are communicating with people whose style is very different from our own.

Think about it…”

And if you want to understand it even more, talk to us about how DiSC can help you be more confident that your impact is what you intended.
© 2012 3D Coaching Ltd
May be distributed freely.  Please retain contact details: www.3dcoaching.com and send a copy/ link to info@3dcoaching.com

Filed Under: working with people Tagged With: , , ,

3D Juggling 559: Let’s start at the very beginning

February 13, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Claire writes: ‘Let’s start at the very beginning. It’s a very good place to start’, sang Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music.  Except when it isn’t!

  • When we start at the beginning in an interview, the interviewers never find out what they need to know.  What needs to be known by the end that is not known at the beginning? That will tell you where to start.
  • When we start at the beginning in a thinking conversation, the thinker may never get beyond the story and what they know already.  Where do we need to start is a question that only the thinker can answer.
  • When we start at the beginning in an appraisal or review conversation, where the person has already done preparation on paper, we end up going over old ground and creating the movie of the book – or ratifying the paperwork.  You have already started out on this journey, where do we need to start today will mean that things are known by the end of the conversation that were not known at the beginning.

So unless it is the story that needs to be told, next time you’re tempted to start at the beginning, ask yourself and the person you are talking with: where do we need to start? Think about it…

© 2012 3D Coaching Ltd
May be distributed freely.  Please retain contact details: www.3dcoaching.com and send a copy/ link to info@3dcoaching.com

Filed Under: 2 Establishing The Coaching Agreement Tagged With: , ,

3D Juggling 560: Engagement

February 10, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Claire writes: “If you are involved in any kind of training, you’ll know the energy that comes from an engaged group. You will also have an opinion about happy sheets and evaluations and ongoing learning.

We notice that there is always a dilemma about the balance between a performance that people will rate and learning that will transform. We also notice that, too often, the trainer takes responsibility for making the event work! Transformation comes when the responsibility is shared – even if the delegates may need to work harder!

Some questions we like are:

  • What needs to be different by the end of the day so that you go home and say it was a valuable use of your time?
  • What do we need to do to make sure that happens?
  • What do you need to do?
  • How will you know you’ve got what you need?

We write them up – and then at half time, we do it again – asking them to tick off if they have already got what they need – and amend the contract if we need to deliver different material or material in a different way.

Sharing responsibility appropriately in the training room can also mean that responsibility is shared more appropriately back at work.  Think about it…”

© 2012 3D Coaching Ltd

May be distributed freely.  Please retain contact details: www.3dcoaching.com and send a copy/ link to info@3dcoaching.com

 

Filed Under: working with people Tagged With: , , , , ,

Useful data

February 10, 2012 By Leave a Comment

If you’re wondering what jobs pay how much, this data from The Guardian on salaries may come in useful

 

Filed Under: 2 Go Window Shopping Tagged With:

3D Juggling 558: Positive Feedback

February 10, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Claire writes: “The other day I got some great customer service from someone and when we had finished on the phone, I asked to be put through to their manager.  After a long period of canned music, the phone was answered with a silence in which I heard: What on EARTH are you going to complain about?

‘Please can I give you some positive feedback on your colleague?’ was followed by another silence and then a great conversation.

Too often we forget to give positive feedback as willingly as we complain.

Think about it next time you get some great customer service…”

© 2012 3D Coaching Ltd
May be distributed freely.  Please retain contact details: www.3dcoaching.com and send a copy/ link to info@3dcoaching.com

Filed Under: 7 Direct Communication, working with people Tagged With: , , ,