The Sunday Spotlight

A 3 minute read.

3 things. A lesson, a win and a thank you.

I'm writing my next book. It doesn't have a title yet. It barely has a theme. But if you're interested in human performance, you might want to follow along as I share what I discover and the process of conjuring ideas to life.

As I clarify my thinking, it may help you to clarify yours. On the other hand it may not!

Let's see where this takes us....

A lesson. ??

Laura Colenso and I spent a couple of hours this week talking about the future. What do we want from life and work? Where do we see ourselves in 5 to 10 years time? Where do we want to place our focus??

It’s always good to make space and time to reflect.?

We’re both naturally hard workers. Maybe it’s an ethic from our theatre backgrounds. Hard graft, blood, sweat and tears are a normal part of getting the show on the road. But after nearly a decade of running our own business I’ve realised that I might have had my foot stuck on the gas. Busyness has got a stronghold. It’s in danger of becoming a badge of honour.?

Growth is important to me. Personally and for the business. I’m not good at standing still. But everything has a cost.?

I’m lucky that I’m my own boss. It’s means I definitely have a choice. It also means my current busyness is self-inflicted. That’s an important but hard pill to swallow.?

In Flow will be 10 years old in July. Before we celebrate that milestone I intend to spend some time thinking about what I want from the next decade and how to ensure busyness isn’t part of the foundations.?

A timely lesson.?

A win. ??

The most rewarding part of what I do is seeing my clients successfully use the tools and techniques I teach.?

This week I caught up with a one-to-one coaching client after a four month gap. He’s had a senior role in a high profile project that’s been attracting some negative national headlines recently. He’s not responsible for the mess but he and his team have had to deal with the fall out.?

I thought he’d be as flat as a pancake but it turns out it’s actually been a career highlight (although I think he’s looking forward to a few weeks off!).

It hasn’t been easy but his leadership and ability to communicate through uncertainty have been recognised by those above and below him.?

One of the key factors he attributes to being able to navigate the chaos is our coaching sessions.?

For me there’s no bigger win.?

A thank you. ??

On Wednesday I drove down to Nottingham to give a speech for the Professional Speaking Association ’s East Midlands region. It’s always strange speaking to a bunch of speakers about speaking. All very meta! ??

What struck me most though was the camaraderie in the room. It’s easy to see competitors rather than colleagues in those sorts of environments but I was made to feel so welcome and people were genuinely curious about what I was sharing.?

It’s always nice to find a place where you feel you belong.

Thank you for having me PSA East Midlands.?

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I hope this was useful in some way.

Talk next Sunday.

Enjoy the week ahead.

Dominic