Moving on - new blog site

Thank you for reading my blog on this site. My Blogger served me well in the early days and then I chose to move to my new site as we wanted to add a lot of new features, etc.

If any Google reviewer ends up reading this.......We have tried to set up redirects to help people get to the new site more efficiently. Also we are trying everything we know to try and stop any duplication of material by placing metatags on this site hoping Google does not index both sites as duplication. If you can suggest any other action we can take so that we can direct our visitors to the new site and avoid duplication please contact us and let us know.

In short we are doing everything we are aware of.... to make this switch as clean as possible.

Mike Pegg's blog has now moved to:

http://www.strengthsacademy.com

Hope to see you there.

Mike.

3 tips for recognising that 'everything is food'

“Everything is food,” say the Zen Buddhists. Everything we expose ourselves to affects our mind, body and soul. For example, our environment, friends, work and the influences we absorb. Frequently a person is faced by a decision: “How should I spend my time? Should I boost myself by taking-in some ‘positive food’? Or should I hurt myself by consuming ‘poisonous food’?” Let’s consider how you can enrich your mind, body and soul.

1) Positive food.

“My Eureka moment came one morning on the M25,” said one person. “Sitting in the traffic jam listening to politicians arguing on the radio, I found myself getting more depressed. So I switched off the radio, put on my favourite music and let my mind wander. It didn’t shift the traffic, but something changed within me. Now I start the day by listening to music, rather than arguments. Instead of ‘garbage in, garbage out’, I go for ‘good things in, good things out’.”

Try tackling the exercise on this theme. Start by identifying the ‘positive food’ you want to consume in your life and work. These may include, for example, meeting encouraging friends, spending time in the countryside, doing satisfying work, visiting the theatre or pursuing creative activities, such as painting, writing or gardening. Try completing the following sentence.

The positive food I want in my life and work is:

*

*

*

2) Poisonous food.

Describe the poisonous food you don’t want to consume in your life and work. One person took this literally. He said: “For years I ate unhealthy white bread and felt heavy. Now I have a wheat-free diet. I feel much better and, over the last 6 months, have lost 3 kilos.” The equivalent things for you may be, for example, listening to serial complainers, working with dispiriting clients, meeting in windowless rooms, staying in hotels that have ‘sick building syndrome’. Try completing the following sentence.

The poisonous food I don’t want in my life and work is:

*

*

*

3) Positive food in the future.

“Planning is needed to change the habits of a lifetime,” explained the person who changed his diet. “My job involves travelling around the country by train. Now I get to the station 20 minutes before the train departs - building-in time to buy salad and fruit at one of the recently opened food outlets. Previously I arrived 5 minutes before the train left - then ate crisps and starchy sandwiches during the journey. Now I feel more energetic and creative.”

Describe the specific things you can do to consume positive food in the future. Focus on the people, projects and places you find inspiring. You are then more likely to feel healthy, rather than heavy. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to get more positive food in the future are:

*

*

*

3 tips for clarifying the goals for a development session

“Agree on the goals when starting the session,” is the golden rule. This sounds so obvious, much like ‘teaching granny to suck eggs’. But it is a vital step in achieving success. Certainly I have hit trouble by wrongly assuming a person - or a group - wants to focus on certain issues. Fortunately it has been possible to recover by going back and making clear contracts about the agenda. The old rule applies when facilitating any coaching, mentoring or other development session – see below. Let’s explore three tips for making this happen.

1) You can clarify the person’s – or the team’s – goals for the session.

“Normally I email a mentee one week before a session,” said one person. “I invite them to let me know the kind of topics they want to explore during the meeting. Sometimes they do not get round to replying, so I check their goals at the start of the session.”

“I follow the same process when running a workshop, but in much greater detail. It is absolutely vital to be crystal-clear on the goals ahead of time, otherwise you can get into deep trouble. So I always talk with the key person to ensure everybody wants to achieve the same aims. Agreeing the ‘What’ gives me time to prepare ‘How’ to reach their goals. Obviously I also re-contract at the start of the workshop to make sure everybody is still on the same page.”

You will have your own methods for clarifying the goals for a coaching, mentoring or other development session. For example, you may ask the person or leader: “What are the topics that it would be useful to explore? What would you like to take away from the session? What for you would make it a successful session?” It sounds obvious, but ‘knowing your destination is a vital part of the journey’. It’s amazing how often this gets overlooked. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to make sure that I clarify the
person’s - or the team’s - specific goals for a session are:

*

*

*

2) You can communicate what you can & can’t offer to help them to achieve their goals.

This is a vital step in clear contracting. Once the person - or the group - has said what they want, explain what you can and can’t offer. You may say something like:

“I can provide practical tools that will help you to achieve goals a, b & c. Some of the other goals may require more specialist attention. If you would like to go-ahead, it would be good to clarify the respective roles. My responsibility to help you achieve the goals is to … The help I would like from you - or your team - is to … Providing we do these things, I am sure we have a good chance of reaching the goals. Would you like to go ahead?”

You will obviously communicate these messages in your own way. People often find it reassuring to know what you can and can’t offer - rather than you claiming to offer every possible service. Try completing the following sentence.

The things I can do to communicate what I can and can’t offer
to help the person- or the team - to achieve their goals are:

*

*

*

3) You can make clear contracts about the goals for the session.

Conclude this part of the discussion by making clear contracts. It is good to recap ‘What’ you aim to achieve and ‘How’ you intend to work together. Bearing in mind what you have covered, you may say something like:

“Let’s just recap on the goals for the session. You want to achieve a, b and c. My role in making this happen is … Your role is …”

You can then embark on the real work in the session. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to conclude the contracts about
what we will cover and the respective roles in the session are:

*

*

*

Contracting is crucial when you are providing a service. It’s vital to take the time to be crystal clear on the goals for a session. This will provide the foundation for achieving success.

3 tips for focusing on strengths, sponsors and success

“The world of work keeps changing,” people may say, “so how can we help people to shape their futures? It is hard to know what skills they must learn to be successful.” Perhaps, but as the saying goes: ‘the more things change, the more things stay the same.’ At least, some things stay the same. For example, freelancers have followed certain themes throughout history. They have built on their strengths, found sponsors who paid them and delivered success. People who develop such eternal skills are more likely to shape their futures. Let’s explore how this works in practice.

1) You can build on your strengths.

Michelangelo, Anita Roddick and Steve Jobs had at least one thing in common. They all built on their strengths. They did what they did best and got somebody to pay them for doing it. This has been a key skill throughout history. Some customers will always be interested in buying quality - and the best way of producing quality is to develop your top talents. The Strengths Toolbox provides many exercises for identifying what you do best, but you will obviously find your own way. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to build on my strengths are:

*

*

*

2) You can find sponsors.

Anybody can do work they love, the art is to get somebody to pay you for doing it. Creative artists have had faced this challenge throughout history. They have asked themselves: “Shall I be true to my art, stay in a garret and wait to be discovered? Shall I publicise my services, sell my soul and do whatever is necessary for money? Shall I be true to myself, find patrons and try to get a ‘win-win’ solution?” People will continue to face this challenge in the future.

So how do you find sponsors who will pay you for doing what you do best? There are several rules. a) To understand the sponsor’s agenda - their picture of success; b) To provide services or products that will help them to achieve success; c) To reach out to these sponsors and show you understand their agenda; d) To make clear working contracts about how you can help them to achieve success. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to find sponsors
who will pay me for doing what I do best are:


*

*

*

3) You can deliver success.

“My role is to help my sponsor to reach their goals,” said one freelancer. “I go through several steps when working for a person or organisation. a) To make sure I really want to work for them. b) To make clear contracts about what must be delivered. c) To keep them informed, go the extra mile and provide great service. Going through these steps produces lots of repeat business.” Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to help
my sponsors to achieve success are:


*

*

*

“Change is the only certainty in the world of work,” we are told. Perhaps, but there is another certainty. People will need to build on their strengths, find sponsors and deliver success. Developing these eternal skills will enable them to shape a positive future.

3 tips for focusing on fun, freedom and fulfilment

How can you find professional fulfilment? During the past 40 years I have met many people who have found satisfaction and stimulation in their work. Such people often demonstrate three characteristics. They focus on fun, freedom and doing work that is fulfilling - both for themselves and their ‘employers’. People who hate their jobs demonstrate the opposite characteristics. For them work is a chore. They feel imprisoned and frustrated. So let’s explore the following steps in your work.

1) Fun.

“I’d like to do work I enjoy, but it is so difficult,” somebody may say. Perhaps, but try doing work you hate. That is more difficult. What the person may mean is: “I would like to do work I love, but it is hard to find somebody to pay me for doing it.” Peak performers often begin their professional journeys by doing work they enjoy - then developing the skills for finding the funding. Try completing the following sentences.

The extent to which I have a sense of fun in my work is: ___ / 10

The specific things I can do to continue or
increase this sense of fun in my work are:

*

*

*

“After completing this exercise, I decided to go back to doing what I enjoy - my specialism - rather than general management,” said Jenny, a brilliant marketer. “I feel really happy focusing on what I do best. General management was just an endurance test. Now I have much more fun in my work.”

2) Freedom.

People like to feel free. They want to feel in control of shaping their destiny. Many fulfilled people seem to have a ‘freelance mentality’. They may or may not be freelancers - but they feel in charge of shaping their futures. “I now feel more in control of my professional life,” said Jenny. “I still work for the same company. But now feel more in control of my diary and contribution to the business.” Try completing the following sentences.

The extent to which I have a sense of freedom in my work is: ___ / 10

The specific things I can do to continue or
increase this sense of freedom in my work are:

*

*

*

3) Fulfilment.

“Now I concentrate on what I do best,” said Jenny. “I am able to use my imagination, set clear goals and make a positive impact.” So how do people find professional satisfaction? They put themselves in a place where they can flow, focus, finish and, as a by product, find fulfilment. Try completing the following sentences.

The extent to which I have a sense of fulfilment in my work is: ___ / 10

The specific things I can do to continue or
increase this sense of fulfilment in my work are:

*

*

*

People who do satisfying work often focus on fun, freedom and fulfilment. Feeling stimulated in their work, they build on their strengths, set specific goals and deliver success. They develop a ‘win-win’ - both for themselves and their employers.

3 tips for being fully alive

When do you feel fully alive? You may be teaching, fixing a problem, renovating a house, selling to certain customers, leading a team or whatever. What are you doing right then? How can you follow these principles more in the future? How can you base your life on doing the things in which you feel fully alive? Let’s explore some ideas for making this happen.

1) You can clarify when you feel fully alive.

“I split this into the personal and professional sides,” said one person. “On the personal side, I feel fully alive when encouraging our children, walking in Scotland, gardening, listing to certain music, painting and spending time with friends. On the professional side, it is when doing one-to-one coaching – rather than running workshops, working with high-tech companies and, strangely, travelling by train to assignments – rather than getting stuck on motorways. The coaching part provides an important pointer. I can run workshops, but feel more comfortable working with individuals. Sometimes I have five sessions a day and still have energy.”

Try tackling the exercise on this theme. Looking at your personal and professional life, describe the times when you feel fully alive. Be as specific as possible and complete the following sentence.

The times when I feel fully alive are:

*

*

*

2) You can do more of the things in which you feel fully alive.

Let’s start this part by exploring what you are doing right when you feel fully alive because this highlights principles to consider when shaping your future life. One person said:

“My partner and I enjoy walking together in Scotland. Looking at this activity, the things we are doing right then are: a) Planning and spending quality time together – this takes discipline, but the alternative can be to drift along; b) Doing something we both enjoy – going on an adventure; c) Being in our element – feeling able to reflect yet also getting outside stimulation. We now go to Scotland four times a year – but we also try to follow these principles elsewhere in our lives.”

Let’s return to your life and work. Looking at the activities you wrote in the previous section, how can you do more of these in the future? Then go deeper. Choose one of the activities in which you feel fully alive. What are you doing right then? How can you follow these principles more in the future? Bearing all these answers in mind – and being as specific as possible - complete the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to do more of
the things in which I feel fully alive are:

*

*

*

3) You can base your life on doing the things in which you feel fully alive.

This may seem radical - perhaps unrealistic – but it can provide a good starting point. Let’s imagine your life is an empty white room. Start by putting your family and friends in the white room. Then move onto the personal and professional activities in which you feel fully alive. Put those into your white room. Focus on the professional activities. How can you make these the basis for your future work? One carpenter said:

“Ten year ago I worked as a builder and carpenter, erecting ‘assembly-line’ houses. Then I was approached to build a house extension in French Oak. I set-up my own firm, managed the whole project and satisfied the customers. Their friends saw the ‘work in progress’ and asked me to do something similar in their house. Now I have a waiting list of customers. People say, ‘You have to wait a year for him – but he is worth it.’ I am doing carpentry work I love and it pays the bills. What more could you ask?”

Different people will employ this approach in different ways. Looking at the fulfilling things in your professional life, for example, consider how you can expand some of these activities. The answers will not always appear straight away but, with some creativity, they may well emerge. You will then be able to keep developing the areas in which you feel fully alive. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to base my life on
doing the things in which I feel fully alive are:

*

*

*

3 tips for following the peak performer's path

How can you continue to do your best? One approach is to follow the peak performer’s path. Let’s explore how you can pursue these steps in your own way.

1) You can follow your passion and translate it into a clear purpose.

What are your passions? Which of these could you translate into peak performance? How could you channel the passion into a specific ‘project’? You may want to write a book, design a garden, lead a team, invent a product, encourage other people or whatever. Clarify your goals – the real results you want to achieve. Ask yourself: “Will pursuing this project give me a sense of peace?” After settling on the goal, clarify the 3 key things you can do to give yourself the greatest chance of success. Then move onto the next stage.

2) You can be professional, solve problems and achieve peak performance.

Be super professional and establish good habits. Keep doing the right things in the right way every day. You are certain to hit problems, so develop strategies: a) To encourage yourself on the journey: b) To be calm during a crisis: c) To find creative solutions to challenges. Master the art of finishing. Do whatever you can to deliver peak performance and get a 10/10. Sometimes you will reach the goal by adding that ‘touch of class’. You can then go onto the final two stages.

3) You can pass-on knowledge and perhaps find peace.

Isaac Newton said: “If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants.” How can you pass-on your knowledge to other people? Some do this by simply being good models. Others by producing articles, books, seminars, works of art or whatever. Try tackling the exercise called The peak performer’s path. First, describe a time in your life when you followed some - or all - of the steps along the path. Second, describe what you did right then. Third, describe how you can follow similar principles in the future.

The time when I followed some - or all - of the
steps along the peak performer’s path was when:


*

*

*

The things I did right then were:


*

*

*

The steps I can take to follow
similar principles in the future are:

*

*

*

People who feel they have done their best in life are more likely to enjoy a sense of fulfilment. Sometimes this takes the form of leaving a ‘legacy’. They may wish, for example, to provide a happy childhood for their children, create something beautiful or make a positive difference in the world. As the sages say: “Live, love, learn, labour and leave a legacy.” What do you want to be your legacy? Everybody makes their own choices on the way towards finding peace.