Do You Still Believe? honestly?

This past fortnight has been a busy one and partly magical, I speak a lot about connecting the dots and Steve Jobs quote sums up not just my career but also the last 12 months quite well...

"You can join the dots looking backwards, not forwards"

We just don't know what is going to happen, we can plan for a lot but we just don't know until it happens, the key though is to try and learn from everything we do.

For example, who would have thought interviewing people in the bath would have been so successful, and have led to so many amazing conversations both in and out of the bath.

Excitingly there are 3 already scheduled for early next year and form a big part of the value I will continue to share.

Reflection

If I was to review my year I would say that two things when done together have really helped me and these are 'FOCUS' and 'CONSISTENCY', 2-3 years ago I believe had consistency but not at my current rate and not with the same level of focus. I was prolific posting but it was a little more random. However, in the last 12 months I have focussed in on a couple of things and been consistent in talking and helping people with them.

Since the 21st July I have posted every day on LinkedIN and for the last 50 days I have posted every day on TikTok & Instagram too (@businessproblemssolved on both). In posting every day, consistent, focussed content my following has grown, my engagement has grown and more importantly more people have reached out that ever before for support. So as we go into 2022, whatever it is you want to succeed with, please ask yourself how can you be more focussed and consistent!

This time last year I wrote an article which I want to revisit and build upon for you today especially as the bearded chap is about to visit us!

It Should Be “Believing Is Seeing” … Shouldn’t It?

Santa is just about to embark on his epic magical adventure around the world, putting smiles on many children’s faces as they wake on Christmas morning greeted by the gifts of their dreams.

For Santa to visit though, many Children do not need to see him to believe he will visit, they start purely by believing… But why is that, and can we learn something from this?

I realise when I am writing this that I am generalising and there are also many that are not fortunate to experience this, especially following the last couple of uncertain and challenging few years. My aim with this article is to draw the comparisons however of the ideal with our current working environment and hopefully help you a little in your thoughts for 2022.

We live in a world where workplaces and different environments are littered with examples of people who will only do something or change something if they see demonstrable evidence of the benefits, the results or even others doing it first. I completely understand the need to balance potential risk vs the potential benefits or outcome on offer, but please stick with me and let me explain.?

We can be often greeted with phrases like “that won’t work here”, or “no, we have done it this way for years”. It is easier to be on the side of different is not better and have no thoughts that, to be better it just might have to be different.

"After all leading people and change is simple, but it is not easy"

Opinions are divided, groups are created, and energy is spent trying to persuade others…

There must be another way, surely?

Especially, for us, people who lead other people or are dedicated to facilitating change.

We face challenges and obstacles that we need to overcome. Our belief is strong, we believe in what we are doing, we believe we know how we can help others, and we believe in the difference we can deliver.

Now, consider just for a minute that you could be Santa, with everything that you can offer others.

BUT, consider this, if only Santa believed in himself then, he would probably not get through many chimneys, he would not get the chance to deliver many presents and he may even be arrested, sectioned and Coca Cola would have chosen another character to paint red….

AND, if you are the only one to believe then what will happen to you and your efforts? If you continue to do things the way you have always done?

We do what we do and are in our roles because of our experiences and the choices we have made. I get the opportunity to meet many people and change leaders who are passionate, dedicated and love what they do.

And like Santa putting on his red outfit on Christmas Eve and proudly sitting in his sleigh, we too get up, dressed, and set off to work to deliver many more days a year than Santa, but in his 1 day there are several lessons we can learn from.

There are?five things to share, these five things we all should consider to help us be more like?SANTA?(Do you see what I have done here?):

• Stockings – Are filled with joy for Children, full of the gifts they would love to play with.?Children throughout Christmas focus on the outcome throughout and how they will feel on Christmas morning.?How do you get people to focus on the outcome and their feelings when they open their STOCKING?
• Actions – Children know they should write a letter, always behave (ish), send cards and gifts to others, and go to sleep early on Christmas eve. The actions are clear everyone knows their role and why they should do these things.?Can everyone in your team be as certain about their ACTIONS and reasons for them?
• Narrative – Parents, peers and friends all share the same compelling joy filled story, the signs, the adverts, the decorations all play a role in delivering the story. Do you and all your?communications, colleagues and environments support the NARRATIVE?
• Trust – Santa always does what he says he will, you write, he replies and visits with the gifts you wanted.?Are you reliable? and what do you do to build others TRUST in you?
• Attitude – A child’s attitude is one of strong belief, from mid-November they are looking forward, they are talking about it positively and they are unwavering in their belief. Their attitude is positive that SANTA will visit!?What can you do to enable a positive ATTITUDE and belief in what will be achieved for you?

Who would have thought;?Santa who has not changed what he does in several years has many lessons we can learn to help us lead people and facilitate change more successfully!

So, lets try to move everyone from ‘Seeing Is Believing’?and let SANTA help us realise that ‘Believing Is Seeing’ or it can be!

Before I sign off for Christmas and finish this newsletter with a round up of other things that have happened, I just want to say THANK YOU, thank you for joining me on my journey joining the dots with so many to support people, teams and businesses deliver change more successfully and helping me believe even more!

I have an amazing supportive network for which I am so blooming grateful!

?On the podcast this past fortnight, 2 completely different conversations. The first last week with Mark Cameron , all about his journey and lessons from the world of change and bodybuilding.

?KEY TAKEAWAYS

• It's important to ask questions about the world around us. This is how we learn and grow and taken on new perspectives. But it's also crucial to ask questions about ourselves, because this is how we grow as a person.
• When our beginnings are surrounded by adversity, it instils a sense of resilience and hard work. Often, those with tough beginnings end up being the most successful.
• Health is very important, both physically and mentally. It is far better to be happy than it is to present a perfect version of ourselves to society.

And then this week someone I met a number of years ago Nigel Peters the Ornua Ingredients Operations Director, who has a continuous improvement background.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Sometimes life takes you on journeys you're not quite expecting. Opportunities come our way and it is up to to embrace them, and follow the routes it takes us upon.
• Success is relative, and not always necessarily something we can measure through our working careers. Success is about growing, developing, taking opportunities and seeing how they can shape us.
• Balancing life and work is incredibly important. We must remember that the reason we want to do well at work is so that we can provide our families with better lives. However, better lives also mean time well spent in their company.

As always to listen to any episode just search 'Business Problems Solved' on your favourite podcast player - there are over 160 now and it has been downloaded in over 150 countries (I still can't get my head around that).

Additionally if viewing is your thing then all the conversations can be seen on the Get Knowledge YouTube Channel which can be found HERE!!

And now the end is near.. for this issue, our xmas preparations and also 2021, although we still have uncertainty with the pandemic and the challenges it brings, one thing we can be certain about is we are stronger together and I am so grateful to share this newsletter with you and the opportunity to build stronger connections in 2022!

I hope you, your families and all those around you have the most amazing festive period and New Year celebrations and I look forward to chatting with you next year.

Take care, stay safe & have fun

Lee