December   2007     

Here we are again, wrapping up one year and getting ready for another. As a coach, maybe I should be jumping all over you to set your goals for 2008, so that you can be and achieve all that you want. But I'm not going to.

There's an important piece that I want you to do first. I want you to look back. To help you take stock, this month's edition of Wisdom@Work is a little different.

Let Me Ask You This, has a series of questions designed to help you look at your accomplishments, as a leader and as a human being. Consider it a holiday gift. Following from that, Manage Your People is about how you can use the energy that you cultivate by appreciating your accomplishments, to drive yourself and your team forward.

This is a strategy I use and it works. I am very excited about the coming year. Core Dynamics Group is working with some fantastic companies, and I have speaking engagements and coaching opportunities in Canada, the US and Europe. I strongly believe this success is a result of 2 things: clarity about what I want to achieve (both personally and professionally), and appreciation for my past, and the people around me.

I am grateful for all the clients that I have had the great pleasure of working with. I appreciate the people who have helped me take my business and personal development to another level. I'm thankful for the brave people who inspired me, the brilliant people who taught me, and the miserable people who made me stop and ask, "Why are they so miserable?" I also appreciate the mistakes that I've made, and the valuable lessons that came with them.

You can gain strength, conviction and courage simply by looking back and being appreciative.

While I'm at it, thank you for the tremendous feedback about how Wisdom@Work has helped you. Thank you for passing it on to others. I really appreciate that you are being open, taking risks, and trying something new.  Thank you.

My very warmest regards to you and your loved ones for a happy and healthy holiday season, and for 2008.

Chris 604.209.4988

Look back over the past year, five, ten, fifty years. Think about the people, experiences, accomplishments and setbacks. And take a moment to appreciate all that you have gained.   

As you look back, what successes have you most enjoyed?

What strong relationships have you developed?

What bad habits have you kicked?

I'm sure there have been setbacks or speed bumps, but what did you learn from them?

How have you grown?

What is really working for you right now? With your career, your relationships, your health?

What are the little things that you take for granted, that you would really miss if you lost them?

What has your team achieved that makes you feel good?

What have you learned from your team?

What have you seen them learn from you?

Out of all of this, what or who rises to the surface, and has the most significance in your life?

How can you demonstrate appreciation for that person, thing, or accomplishment right now?

Try writing down your answers to some, or all, of these questions. This is important stuff - it is your life, your story. What do you have to say for yourself?

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Manage Your People

Manage Your Energy

Let Me Ask You This

If You Feel It Say It

Tools For the Tool Kit

Words of Wisdom

Contact Chris

Who Is This Guy? 

MANAGE YOUR PEOPLE: Look what you've done!

Whether you are planning for your own personal and professional success, or planning for the success of your team, it's tempting to just look forward, and get on with it.

But when you do that, you are focusing on what you don't have. Consciously or subconsciously - you are starting from lack. Why?

Gather up your accomplishments, and your team's accomplishments. Look at them like presents under a tree. When you see bounty around you, you feel bountiful. That feeling alone can bolster your energy to move forward.  

Beyond that, the insights you gain by connecting the dots will help you to move forward with clarity and purpose. And I'll wager that your story has a few pretty cool highlights. Replay them to psych yourself up for tackling the unknowable future.
 
When it comes to the future, some people are planners, some believe in the laws of attraction, and some people avoid it as much as possible. No matter how you approach the future, try this - try looking back first. Just see if it makes a difference.

I hope Let Me Ask You This helps you call to mind lessons learned, moments of success and unexpected good turns that have got you where you are today.

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 If You Feel It Say It 

Kathleen Derry
Canada Wide Media

MANAGE YOUR ENERGY: Mmmmm...coffee 

The Gods of coffee must be smiling on me. This month I have speaking engagements in two of the world's great coffee cities -  Seattle and Paris! (And the topic is Energy Management!)

The aroma, the complex flavors, the perfect crema, the art of the pour, the very first sip - coffee drinking is an ancient ritual. There are so many reasons to appreciate coffee - but energy management isn't one of them.

Managing your energy is about understanding, and responding to, your body's real needs and rhythms.

Coffee is counterfeit energy. Here's how it works:
sluggish body and mind + jolt of caffeine = temporary fix, followed by the revenge of the slug.

What goes up, must come down. It's a law.

Whereas:
sluggish body and mind + effective energy management = serious and sustainable performance improvements.

Effective energy management works with good nutrition, hydration, exercise and sleep. If you consistently give your body what it really needs, your body will respond with steady energy rhythms, empowering you to naturally perform at your peak.

Look, we all have days when the elevator needs a little shove to get to the top floor. On those days, coffee could be your quick fix solution to boost your energy, but don't drink coffee to avoid fixing problems that need your attention.

Ongoing use of coffee as a pick-me-up can have negative effects on your energy:

Your body uses up water to flush out the caffeine, potentially leaving you dehydrated and low on energy.

Coffee can curb your appetite and your thirst, blocking your body's messages to eat and hydrate.

And continuous jolts can fry your nerves, making it harder to replenish your energy with sleep.

Are you dosing in the morning, because you haven't slept, or because you skipped breakfast? Do you need another shot in the afternoon because you haven't had a glass of water or moved from your desk in 6 hrs?

So my big question is why are you reaching for your skinny tall latte?

If you drink coffee, I hope you do it because you like the taste, because you can enjoy it with friends and colleagues, or because it reminds you of a perfect morning in France - just don't kid yourself. Coffee is not an effective energy management tool.

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 Tools for the Tool Kit

The Four Agreements
by Don Miguel Ruiz

I'll give you a sneak peak at the agreements...

Be impeccable with your word.

Say only what you mean.

Don’t take anything personally.

Don’t make assumptions.

"He who jumps into the void
owes no explanation to those who
  stand and watch."

Jean Luc Godard