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Welcome
to all the new subscribers since last month.
Contents Part 1 - Welcome! Part 2 - Recommended Read Part 3 - Products / Special Offers Part 4 - Feature Article - Why we say YES when we really want to say NO Part 5 - Media Interest Part 6 - organizations - Effective Delegation Part 7 - Support For Partners Of Workaholics Part 1 - Welcome! [Back to Top] Dear Recovering Workaholic, Welcome to this our nineth newsletter for Recovering Workaholics. Firstly I would like to thank you for signing up for the newsletter which is published on a monthly basis. Recovering Workaholics is a growing concern. We offer 1:1 coaching, and training to facilitate those who want a truly satisfying life. Understanding what drives us to work to the point where love, happiness and fulfilment are the poor relation is the first step to creating a life you truly love. We can help you work towards achieving your “dream” life. We also offer support for those who are facing retirement or who have recently retired or experienced redundancy who are finding it difficult to adjust to the change. If you know of anyone who would be interested in working with us please let us know by contacting us on info@recoveringworkaholics.com The first three of our CDs are now available as both down loads and as hard copies via the web site at www.recoveringworkaholics.com/booksandcds.php. How YOU Can Manage Your Staff More Effectively (And Pave The Way To Your Next Promotion) (featured as our Recommended Read) together with the companion volume Kick-Start Your Career can be ordered in both e-book and hard copy versions via our web site at www.recoveringworkaholics.com/booksandcds.php. This helps with questions like:
********* So may of us find ourselves agreeing to do things even when it is detrimental to us. Having said “Yes” we find ourselves flying around, stressed and resentful. Creating a great relationship with yourself where you treat yourself as well as you treat others (no better, no worse) is vital for a sense of wellbeing and a truly well balanced life. In this months article we explore the reasons why we give ourselves and our needs a lesser ranking than those of others and consider some strategies to solve the problem. Having the confidence in our own self worth and the skills to say “No” graciously without causing offence can make a significant difference to the quality of our lives. Do you find saying “No” difficult? Do you feel that you have a real choice when you are asked to do something you really don’t want to do? If so – read on. With best wishes, Gina
Gardiner Recovering
Workaholics Part 2 - Recommended Read [Back to Top]
This is a course of discovery – a way of recovering your creative self. It is designed for people who have recognized that they have the wrong work life balance, who feel burnt out, restless or who feel their life lacks meaning. The book offers a structured approach to finding your creativity. It offers a daily programme which builds up over a series of weeks to you getting in touch with your inner creativity and how best to use it. It is thoroughly enjoyable – well worth the time and thought.
Offers lots of practical strategies for managers to help get the very best of their staff as individuals and as a team. Everything in the book has been tried and tested in a variety of organizations; it is a distillation of over 30 years experience of developing leadership at every level. The book does not attempt to teach grandmothers or grandfathers to suck eggs, but offers tried and tested principles, strategies and ideas which have been proven to work. Time, energy and money are all very precious resources and all three seem to be in short supply for most busy managers. How YOU Can Manage Your Staff More Effectively (And Pave The Way To Your Next Promotion) Can help! Dip into it if you are facing specific issues or use the comprehensive approach to underpin ongoing and sustained individual and team development. It has relevance for experienced managers who want to share good practice and for aspiring leaders who want to develop and deepen their leadership skills. The book covers a wide range of issues including
How YOU Can Manage Your Staff More Effectively (And Pave The Way To Your Next Promotion) will stand alone but you will find it useful to use it in conjunction with the companion book Kick Start Your Career.
This book is designed for new initiates into the business world and graduates who are ambitious and want to create a successful career for themselves. It is a no nonsense, jargon free manual, full of practical ideas and strategies to support the development of leadership from day one. These books can be ordered via our web site at www.recoveringworkaholics.com/booksandcds.php. Part 3 - Products and Special Offers! [Back to Top] The three new CDs that we mentioned last month are now availabe to buy from www.recoveringworkaholics.com/booksandcds.php. We have produced them especially for you to tackle the most common problems that seem to affect many of our members. They are available as CDs and are also available as downloadable MP3 files.
| Relaxation CD 1 - A Spanish ThemeTake time out of your busy and stressful day to relax. True relaxation is known to reduce stress levels, lower blood pressure, clear the mind and leave you feeling alert, refreshed and ready to tackle the rest of your day with renewed energy and vigor. "A Spanish Theme" uses a mixture of guided imagery and deep breathing exercises to take you on an intensely relaxing journey. Stress is sited as the cause of over 500,000 days of absence a year in the UK alone. It represents a huge cost in both economic and personal terms. In order to deal with it we must first understand what it is and what causes it. Where stress is detrimental people are often in situations where they feel they have little control. Sustained exposure to such negative situations can have serious implications for the health and well being of the individual and ultimately for the organization as a whole Relaxation is a powerful tool to combat stress. Learning to take time out, to truly relax has been proven to lower blood pressure, improve mental acuity and reduce stress. Our Relaxation Tape with a Spanish theme is the first in a series of relaxation tapes created by Gina Gardiner associates. Using
visualization, guided imagery and deep breathing
exercises take time out of your hectic day
to unwind, de-stress and relax!
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Beat Insomnia CD - Retrain Your Sleep Pattern Without DrugsSleep is vital to our health and sense of wellbeing. We need it as much as we need food and water and the air we breathe. It is during sleep that the body rests and repairs itself. Good quality sleep leaves us feeling refreshed, re-energized and ready to face the new day. Insomnia affects most people at some time during their lives. For many it is a passing phase caused because of a stressful event in their lives. For chronic sufferers it becomes a way of life. Although it is not life-threatening it can and does threaten the quality of life for many sufferers leaving them frustrated, exhausted and feeling low. "Beat Insomnia" uses deep trance techniques to help you retrain your sleep pattern without drugs. Use "Beat Insomnia" to get a great nights sleep and make Insomnia a thing of the past.
| Confidence Building CD - Creating the Confident YouWe all feel less confident in certain situations. This CD is designed to help you feel confident in any situation. It uses tried and tested NLP techniques to help you develop the confidence you need to tackle new social situations or when gicing an important presentation or interview.
Developing confidence is about much more than learning to do an activity better. It is about changing how we feel about ourselves and dealing with our thoughts and beliefs. It is about facing the things we fear and being curious about why we fear them. Use "Creating the Confident You" to learn to push through the fear and create a world of limitless possibilities one where you are in control of your own destiny. We expect the following titles to be available later in the year.
For any further information or advice about CDs contact info@recoveringworkaholics.com or phone 01708 703959 Part 4
- Feature Article If it happens occasionally it is likely to cause some minor irritation or inconvenience which is short lived. But if it has become the way of life it can be extremely damaging to our sense of self worth and in some contexts our health and well being. There always times when it is appropriate to do things because we want to help or please others, when it is right to do what we are asked by those who have a greater expertise or level of authority. In this context I am talking about an ongoing pattern of saying the opposite to what we really want to do because of something within us, rather than because it is the right thing to do. There are so many reasons why we say “Yes” even though it is the opposite of what we really want. The circumstances and the motivation for this pattern of behaviour can be vastly different for each person. If you want to change the way you respond you need to work out what is at the heart of your need to respond positively. Below I have identified some common themes which have come to light during various coaching sessions with clients. It is not an exhaustive list by any means and you may find several of the examples resonate with you: Low Self Esteem
Saying “Yes” To Get Them Off My Back
The Person Who Asks Has High Status
So What Is The Solution If your sense of self – worth could do with an overhaul you may find it useful to work with a coach. There is no single solution but some of the following suggestions may be helpful. Thinking about life in terms of what is fair and equitable may help. Think about a pair of old fashioned scales, (the sort with a weigh pan on each side). The fair thing is to treat yourself no better OR WORSE than you treat others. Consider each time someone asks you to do something. Weigh it out on your scales. Use that as the measure between “yes” and “No” On balance is it fair and right for you to be asked to do it? If it is – go ahead. If you feel that the balance is tipped against you, then it is probably time to say no, unless there are other factors at work. Do you measure your own performance by the same criteria as you measure others? If not ask yourself why not?
What do you believe about yourself which makes it right to give yourself a harder time? How can you say no gracefully without upsetting the other person. Remember that the tone of your voice and the body language you use will have an enormous impact on the way the other person interprets your motives.. If you have trouble saying “No” in the first place rehearsing different ways to say no which are both friendly and appropriate can help you avoid being caught on the hop. You don’t need to go into great screeds of reasons. Keep it simple and avoid lying as you are likely to be found out which will cause bad feeling. Having some responses rehearsed so you are not caught on the hop can be really helpful. Think about the last few times you have said “Yes” and wish you had said “No”. Now create the script for how you could have said “No” graciously. Here are some possible examples. In The Work Context
In The Personal Context
Where the person has high status:
When You Feel You Have To Fit Clients In If you find it difficult to say no to clients who want an appointment and find yourself creating a longer and longer working day you may find it useful to block out time with appointments to yourself. One client I have worked with is self – employed. She found it difficult to say no to her clients but the result was her working very long days. She was exhausted and her health was suffering. She found just saying “No” difficult, Her solution was to create a number of mythical clients. . She went through the diary booking in appointments with them in all appointments after the time she wanted to work. When clients were demanding about her working late she simply showed them the diary and said – sorry there isn’t a space left for those times for months. How about …. Instead. When you say yes simply to give yourself breathing space Several clients used to use this as a management strategy. In the first instance it would work giving them a bit of breathing space, however the relief was short lived. They then had to either find space to complete the task in their already crowded diary or go and say they couldn’t do it after all. Both outcomes created stress and had a knock on effect on the way their bosses and colleagues regarded their efficiency and professionalism. An alternative strategy could be to ask the boss politely: I am rather snowed under at the moment. I’m happy to help but I need a steer – which is the priority. I can do a ---- or b----- in the time scale. Which one would you rather. Or I’ll have to get back to you as I need to look at what I can reasonably do in he time I have available. I’d rather not promise something and then let you down. I’ll ring you this afternoon. With both of these strategies it is important that you are clear about what is a reasonable expectation of you it is not a strategy to be used to avoid doing a fair share of the work. ********* In the next newsletter we will look at Energy and question if we are making the most of ours. You
might find it useful to work with a coach on some
of these issues. If you would like a free 30 minute
coaching session to explore how you could improve
the relationship you have with yourself contact
me on info@recoveringworkaholics.com Part 5 - Media Interest [Back to Top] The media continues to feature the issue of work life balance and the huge cost both personally and economically when the balance is out of whack. There is a growing recognition that failing to deal with the culture of long hours and constant pressure is simply storing up problems for the future. Part 6 - organizations [Back to Top] EFFECTIVE DELEGATION Done well – delegation can free managers to lead and think strategically with a positive impact on productivity and efficiency. It offers a wonderful opportunity for professional growth and the best use of time and resources. Many managers talk about delegating to their staff but in reality delegation can often have very mixed results. Managers approach delegation in a wide range of different ways. There is the:
And so many more. Is it any wonder why managers have little time for strategic thinking and management and why time is wasted, stress levels grow higher and staff feel demoralized and de-motivated in some organizations. If you would like to improve the delegation within your own team you will find How YOU Can Manage Your Staff More Effectively (And Pave The Way To Your Next Promotion) sets out the principles of effective delegation in a clear, jargon free way. By following the process you can be sure that delegation will be done in a positive and empowering way freeing managers up to manage more effectively. Create a Life You Love We are running a course for senior managers at IBM this month. It combines a one day course with a series of three coaching sessions. The focus is on managers managing their personal work life balance. There is no suggestion that they need to be workaholics indeed it is designed to ensure that they create a life where they work hard and live well. By modeling good practice they will in turn promote a healthy work life balance for their team. If
you world like to know more please contact us
through info@recoveringworkaholics.com
or through Part 7- Support For Partners Of Workaholics [Back to Top] There is now a monthly Newsletter designed for the partners of Workaholics. This can be accessed by going to www.recoveringworkaholics.com/partners.php. Your feedback is greatly appreciated. If there are any topics you would like covered in future issues please let me know on info@recoveringworkaholics.com or complete the feeedback form at www.recoveringworkaholics.com/enquiryform.php. What do you think? Warmest
wishes, ******** Creating
a good work life balance is vital for long term
If
you would like support to achieve this, visit
For any further information or to discuss your coaching needs contact info@recoveringworkaholics.com or phone 01708 703959
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