![]() |
|
![]() |
|
![]() |
|
![]() |
This week I coached a wonderfully lovely woman I'll call Jill. She's a bright woman, very compassionate and sweet. She's at one of the corporations where I am an outside consultant/coach. This was our first meeting but within seconds I could tell she had a lot on her mind.. and her plate.
She basically has to work 12 hour days 6 days a week to be able to keep up with her job. She's highly in demand and is spread a LOT too thin. She's in management and so her opinion counts, but she often does the work of three people because she doesn't want to appear to be a complainer, so she doesn't say anything.
She's got a few bosses over her who are very appreciative of the work she puts forth. And then there are a few who continue to heap more work on her already back breaking load.
Today in coaching she told me that she envy's others who have been able to be aggressive to lesson their work load. But she explained to me, that she was the TYPE WHO ALWAYS FOLLOWED RULES.
Ooops! Red flag for sure!!
For more information: [email protected] WEB: www.marygardner.com
? (What if it's 5:00 in the morning and you're sitting at a red light that isn't changing.. do you run the red light or sit and wait until it changes?
? How about, what if you are on the high way and there are no cars in sight and the speed limit says 65, do you go 75?
? Or what if there is a late fee of $25 if you write a check to the county by a certain date and you back date a check to look like the mail's fault? You do it because you are trying to be fiscally responsible?
? What if an employee has to take extra sick days from work because they've got sick children?
? What if you or your child has terrible mosquito bites and can't stop itching and the drug store is closing. Would you ask them to stay open a few minutes late for you? )
Come on! Everyone breaks rules every once in a while!! Rules are made to keep people monitored and in line but are broken all the time with good cause.
Anyway, she continued to share with me her frustration over no one noticing her crazy schedule and her continued quiet suffering.
So I asked her: "Jill, when did you learn this lesson that you always had to follow the rules? " She replied that her dad was in the military and that she learned that you never talk back to superiors, and whether you have a great opinion or not, you keep it to yourself if it differs from authority.
Hmmmm. "And Jill, how old were you when you learned this lesson from your dad?" Jill told me that she was about 3-5 years old, and grew up that way.
So I replied: "so you are living with the decision of a THREE year old. You made this decision at age THREE or age FIVE and you are STILL living with it!" " Do you want to continue living as a THREE year old in business.. or do you want to learn some NEW skills that are a bit more up to date?"
I could see her take a gulp at the realization that she is running around acting like a child when she is in her mid 40's. She IMMEDIATELY said that she wanted to learn some new rules to live by.. and gain some new business tools.
As a matter of fact, I think I saw her pound her fist on the table when she said it! Now THAT Is a woman who is ready to claim her power!
I was thrilled. It made my day. What the heck, it made my week! I felt alive and so rewarded that I could make a positive impact in the way this woman conducts her life.
So ask yourself, what is holding YOU back? Do you keep repeating something over and over that isn't helping you anymore or it's actually prohibiting you from getting ahead? Have you asked yourself WHY?
A great exercise is to sit down with pen and paper and answer the question of why. If you have a reason that stems from childhood, whether it was your parents or what you were taught, then it's time to get some new teachers and time to learn new skills.
It's a great revelation when we see how we gain our limiting beliefs. But its even a better feeling to know that they'll soon be past history.
Mary Gardner is an Executive Communications Consultant and Coach. She works with, coaches and trains individuals, sales teams, executives, and celebrities. She enjoys seeing the best come out in people and has fun in the process. Mary is married to Sway and is mommy to Jeremy 5 and lives in Orlando, FL.
For More information: [email protected]
WEB: www.marygardner.com
We have been spending many hours surveying the market for... Read More
If you own a pressure washing business one of the... Read More
"Most great plans aren't. They are just nice, high-level ideas."That's... Read More
Storytelling and writing a business plan actually go hand in... Read More
Where would your business be without a proper plan? A... Read More
American Eagle Outfitters and Wet Seal Stores have issued statements... Read More
Remember reading "Alice in Wonderland?"She asks the Cheshire Cat, "which... Read More
To stop a computer virus you must understand how it... Read More
Growing your own small business can be one of the... Read More
When in doubt, cut that out! Yeah, yea, doubting Thomas... Read More
Microsoft Great Plains fits multiple services market niche and healthcare... Read More
Private equity firms have raised so much capital over the... Read More
Human beings are rational agents. Rationality endorses one to take... Read More
I am surprised how few sales professionals, independent consultants, and... Read More
Have you ever done a SWOT analysis? No, it's not... Read More
A recent conversation started with a typical question, "How's business?"... Read More
The decision to sell, or not to sell your business... Read More
Twice a year, Bill Gates goes to a remote island... Read More
A well known, national chain of restaurants discovered that certain... Read More
The time when a website was just a simple set... Read More
Imagine spending the same amount of money on marketing and... Read More
1. Largest Selection -One way that you can make your... Read More
No "meme" isn't a typo and Got Milk, the more... Read More
"Rubbish!" shouted the large, aggressive man in the red-striped shirt... Read More
The trick is to determine what uniquely identifies your best... Read More
Storytelling and writing a business plan actually go hand in... Read More
"Most great plans aren't. They are just nice, high-level ideas."That's... Read More
When in doubt, cut that out! Yeah, yea, doubting Thomas... Read More
"Did you hear what your competitor is doing?" This question... Read More
It is always said "If you Fail to Plan, you... Read More
It's easy to lose sight of what needs to be... Read More
Business planning is widely acknowledged as one of the keys... Read More
I've either been involved with or held a process-related role... Read More
Every decade we seem to come up with a buzz-word... Read More
I'm not talking about posting the HBO schedule on your... Read More
Is your business growing as fast and effectively as it... Read More
Building a dynamic small business is a constantly evolving, increasingly... Read More
One of the most important initiatives in the domain of... Read More
With a heightened awareness of opportunity, ideas can often be... Read More
If you own a mobile car wash business or auto... Read More
When someone mentions business planning we have been conditioned to... Read More
No matter what business you plan to start in your... Read More
If ever there were an industry where we want zero... Read More
Let us look at a few of the big distribution... Read More
Twice a year, Bill Gates goes to a remote island... Read More
Most companies that are worthy of raising venture capital have... Read More
Remember reading "Alice in Wonderland?"She asks the Cheshire Cat, "which... Read More
Human beings are rational agents. Rationality endorses one to take... Read More
Microsoft Great Plains, former Great Plains Dynamics is excellent fit... Read More
Many of Ohio's downtown areas are in need of upgrading... Read More
Strategic Planning Strategic Planning |