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The Change Curve

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The Kubler-Ross model was first introduced to the world by Swiss American psychiatrist Elizabeth Kubler-Ross in her 1969 book ‘Death and Dying’. The Kubler-Ross model initially explained the 5 stages of loss a person goes through when faced with a terminal illness or the loss of a loved one. In her posthumous published book, Kubler-Ross extended her model to include any form of loss such as loss of a job, loss of income, loss of health, loss of a relationship, basically loss of anything that has meaning to us. In this book a 6th stage was suggested which is the stage of Meaning.

The 6 stages of the Kubler-Ross model then became Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance and Meaning.

Through the years, the model has been widely accepted and adopted as emotions we feel not just when loss is experienced but when we go through significant change of any kind, – positive or challenging, wanted or unwanted, planned or unplanned.

The model, in various forms is widely used in business as a support system to successfully navigate organisational change. The model can also be used in terms of any personal change to understand why we feel what we feel during times of change.

Below are the 6 stages of the Kubler-Ross model in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic that we are all currently living through, by far the biggest change the world has ever seen on such a global scale in our lifetimes. In terms of the Covid-19 pandemic we are at the beginning of the changes that this virus has made and will make to our world. As the future for us all is so uncertain this a perfect time to utilise the Kubler-Ross model to understand the feelings we may be experiencing, based on the changes the pandemic has caused and will cause to our lives.

Stage 1 – Denial

The collective loss from Covid-19 has been on an epic scale and has affected every single person in the world and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

As the world continues to be in varying degrees of lockdown, social distancing and cocooning, feelings of denial may surface. The losses have been different for everyone – some people have lost their lives, of which there is no greater loss. On publishing this post, the death toll worldwide is over 200,000. This means 200,000 families have lost a loved one to Covid-19.

This loss of life is on an unimaginable scale and truly heartbreaking.

Kubler-Ross in her model explained that this first stage is one of shock and denial where time is needed to process the loss/change. It is normal at this time to feel that this is not happening, that somehow there has been a mistake, that what we are experiencing is not true. It is also normal to feel low energy and lack of motivation for anything. This can be a short lived stage moving on to the next stage quickly or people can remain in this stage for a long time making it harder to move to the next stage.

At this relatively early stage of Covid-19, a lot of people have lost jobs, incomes, businesses and we have all lost some element of freedom and miss spending precious time with our loved ones. In this stage it is not uncommon for people to lay blame with someone/something and cling to a false, preferred reality. Whatever loss you have experienced due to Covid-19 or anything else in life, do know that feelings of denial are normal and a natural part of the process we need to go through to accept and ultimately thrive in a new reality.

Stage 2 – Anger

When the loss or change is finally realised and denial is no longer an option, anger sets in. Anger at the loss, anger at the unknown future that lies ahead and anger at the entire situation. This is a stage of anger at oneself, anger at others and anger with life in general. People can be irritated, frustrated, negative, short tempered and can feel like they are a victim during this stage. Usually during this stage the future is most uncertain.

In terms of the Covid-19 pandemic this is very true, no-one knows what will happen with the virus and no-one knows what the future holds for our lives, our jobs, our economy, our families and what level of ‘normal life’ we will return to.

Kubler-Ross in her studies (supported by subsequent findings) noted that some people can alternate between denial and anger for some time which makes sense in the current Covid-19 situation as the future is so unknown. Anger is a well recognised emotion of loss/change and is an important part of the human emotional spectrum. When managed effectively, anger can support us and help us to move to the next stage of the Kubler-Ross model.

Stage 3 – Bargaining

In the third stage of the Kubler-Ross model there is a hope that there could be another outcome to the reality of what is happening. For example in terms of job/income loss one might bargain by saying ‘I’ll never take my job/income for granted again’. In terms of a business/relationship loss one might bargain by saying ‘I’ll spend more time on my business/relationship in the future’. Bargaining can take the form of many guises – anything that takes away the pain of the loss/change and in some way makes the loss/change seem less real.

In this stage we look for a better, more positive outcome because we do not want to accept or deal with reality.

Stage 4 – Depression

During this stage many negative emotions are felt – immense sadness, fear, regret, worry, doubt, confusion, orientation, causing low mood and low energy. People may become indifferent and reclusive, push people away and have no interest in or excitement about life itself or anything else that once gave meaning to their lives.

This is a stage of despair where there seems to be little or no light at the end of the tunnel.

Awareness of this stage goes a long way to working through these emotions to move to the next stage. If you find yourself in this stage, reach out for help. There is so much support available to help you understand these feelings and work through this stage.

Stage 5 – Acceptance

In the penultimate stage there is a realisation that denial of, being angry at, bargaining with and being depressed about the loss/change will not make the situation any different. It is here in this stage that we stop resisting the situation and accept it completely. We may not be happy with the new situation but we accept it nonetheless which is crucial to enable us to move forward.

The new situation we find ourselves in becomes the ‘new normal’, routines are rebuilt, everything starts to become second nature and there seems to be not just light but happiness, contentment, fulfillment and optimism for the future at the end of the tunnel.

Previous feelings of sadness, fear, regret, worry, doubt, confusion, orientation and low energy diminish and are replaced by forward thinking, confidence, excitement, engagement, optimism with high energy and hope for the future. As positive as this stage may sound, there is still work to be done as planning for the new future can cause worry, doubt and confusion.

By learning about and and using the Kubler-Ross model we may want to skip all of the previous stages and get to the acceptance stage as it seems like a nicer, more pleasant, easier place to be. However this is not possible, every stage of the Kubler-Ross model fulfills a purpose that ultimately allows acceptance. No matter how dark the tunnel may seem, there is always light and much more than you can imagine at the other end.

In terms of Covid-19, we don’t know what the future holds and so all we can do is accept the current situation which is different for all of us at the moment.

‘We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude…I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you…we are in charge of our attitudes.‘

Charles Swindoll

Stage 6 – Meaning

In this final stage, the loss/change has been accepted, the ‘new normal’ created has been accepted and this ‘new normal’ starts to take on meaning. Life starts to feel normal again and plans start to take shape for the future. As the ‘new normal’ becomes more enjoyable and has more meaning, people can start to look back at the journey of loss/change that they have come through. Learnings from this change cycle can be evaluated and understood that will support us when the next wave of change comes our way. We evolve and grow from every change in our lives, how much we evolve and grow is very much in our control.

If you want to learn more about having meaning in life, I highly recommend Viktor Frankl’s book ‘Man’s Search For Meaning’.

This book is absolutely life changing and gives meaning to meaning!!!!

Viktor E. Frankl was professor of neurology and psychiatry at the University of Vienna medical School until his death in 1997. His 32 books have been translated into 26 languages. During World War II he spent 3 years in Auschwitz, Dachau and other concentration camps.

‘Man’s Search For Meaning’ is Frankl’s recollection of his time in the concentration camps where everything was taken from him yet he still managed to find meaning to his life. This book is not just a holocaust survivor story, it is a brilliant masterpiece of hope, resilience, survival and an insight into the depths of the human strength that we all carry within us. This book reminds us that no matter how hard life gets, no matter what gets thrown at us or taken from us, as long as we are still alive we can always choose to bring meaning to our lives.

We may not move through the Kubler-Ross model in a linear fashion or step by step, instead we may move through the model in a random order, going back and forth between each stage with each stage lasting a different length of time. We are all unique, we all live unique lives and so we all experience loss/change differently. The Kubler-Ross model is a support system that can help you move from stage to stage and reassure you that what you feel is completely normal.

There is and always will be light at the end of every tunnel.

I hope you and your families are safe and well and that your ‘Change Curve’ due to Covid-19 or anything else isn’t too steep,

Want to read more about change?

Download your free e-book ‘The A-Z of Effective Change’ below.

Thanks for reading,

Siobhain

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The Pomodoro Technique

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Image Credit: Madhuri Gupta

I have been using the Pomodoro Technique for many years and I find it keeps me focused, on track, organised and helps me to get things done efficiently and effectively.

So what is The Pomodoro technique and how does it work?

The Pomodoro Technique is a time management method developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s to help utilise time more effectively. Work is broken down into intervals usually 25 minutes in length, separated by short breaks.

Each interval is known as a ‘pomodoro’ (Italian word for ‘tomato’) named after the tomato-shaped kitchen timer that Cirillo used when he discovered the method.

For anyone who tends to procrastinate (which is more than likely most of us at some time) this is an excellent technique as it gives structure and urgency to tasks.

Below are a list of benefits from using the Pomodoro Technique,

Makes your work more organised and supports better planning of tasks as you need to plan out your work one pomodoro at a time

Gives urgency to tasks as you are very much aware of the amount of time you have to get tasks done

Ensures you take sufficient breaks – it is suggested to take short breaks (not exactly coffee breaks!) in between each pomodoro and a longer break at the end of 4 pomodoros – you can decide what timings work best for you

Increases focus and concentration by reducing interruptions – it’s best to turn off all distractions during pomodoros (e-mails/social media/phone etc)

Increases focus as the more you use pomodoros, the more you will realise how long it takes to get tasks done (we tend to underestimate how long it takes to get tasks done)

Increases focus as usually one pomodoro is used for one task which naturally helps us to prioritise

Increases motivation – we are motivated by getting things done and the Pomodoro Technique certainly supports getting things done

The more you use it, the more you will evolve and change it to suit your own working style

There are many apps and websites available that support the Pomodoro Technique, I use Pomodoro Tracker which is really easy to use.

Do you think the Pomodoro Technique could help you get more tasks done effectively and efficiently?

Do you use the Pomodoro Technique? If so, I’d love to hear your thoughts on it.

Want to read more about Positive Change?

Download your free e-book ‘The A-Z of Effective Change’ below

Thanks for reading,

Siobhain

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All Green is Red

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Following on from my blog post ‘Red is Good’, this post takes a look at the role the colour green plays in business in terms of Lean. The colour green is associated with all things positive – go, start, progress, energy, growth, environment, finance etc.

We use green in the Lean world to highlight when a target has been met, when something is on track, when a task has been completed, when we are happy with an outcome. As green is associated with positive outcomes, it would be normal to think that all green is good.

This is not always the case.

Problems exist in all processes and if all we are seeing is green then these problems are not visible. In this case then ‘All Green is Red!’. Problems will be invisible if your measures are too high level, too low level or if your measures are not the correct measures.

Taiichi Ohno’s well known saying ‘No problem is a problem’ is so true. If you are not seeing problems in your process than this is a problem.

How do you make problems visible in your workplace?

Does your culture support problem identification, discussion and solving?

Thanks for reading, you might like my previous post on ‘Red is Good’,

Siobhain

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Annual Review 2019

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In the Lean/Continuous Improvement world we carry out ‘Hansei’ which is Japanese for ‘Self-Reflection’. Hansei allows us to review & reflect on our goals (personal and professional) to evaluate what worked so we can build on the successes and evaluate what didn’t work so we can adjust and change direction.

I have been carrying out an ‘Annual Hansei/Review’ for many years and find it hard to believe this is the 7th year I have published this review online. See Annual Reviews from past years at the end of this blog post.

A large part of me didn’t want to do this year’s Annual Review as I would prefer to look forward to 2020 than to look back at 2019. Parts of 2019 were amazing, and parts were beyond sad. My uncle and one of my best friends passed away in Oct/Nov and everything else that happened in 2019 paled into insignificance.

Losing people you love is hard for many reasons and even if someone has been ill it is still so unexpected and completely unwelcome. It is an inevitable destination for us all but still yet so incomprehensible.

And so, with trepidation, here is my Annual Review for 2019. As always, Mike, my family and my friends are my reason for everything. and the source of most of my happiness.

Lean is a business philosophy that I follow at work & in my personal life and that I write about here on my blog.

I had 3 ‘Lean’ highlights this year,

1. I travelled to Riyadh in Saudi Arabia on two trips to teach (and learn) Lean Principles & Leadership to the 2018 & 2019 classes of Riyadh Airport Future Leaders. These groups of young and inspirational Future Leaders taught me more than I could ever teach them. I am grateful to all at daa International for this opportunity esp. my friends Debbie Kearns for looking after me so well and all of the Riyadh Airports Future Leaders for welcoming me to their beautiful country and sharing their knowledge with me.

2. I wrote an e-book on ‘Positive Change’ All going well I will be launching it early in 2020. The e-book is a compilation of blog posts from a blog series I wrote in 2019/2019, you can view the blog posts here ‘The A-Z Of Effective Change’

3. I am fascinated by Japan and all things Japanese and in 2020 I am finally getting to tick Japan off my ‘to visit’ list. I have booked a place on Katie Anderson’s ‘Lean Study Trip’ in May 2020 and will be sharing the journey with you here on my blog and through social media

Similar to 2018, in 2019 I became more aware of the power and necessity of a Lean Culture in business. Respect for & development of people is truly the only way to grow and sustain businesses. Lacking these people focused elements and treating people poorly will ensure your company is one that people cannot wait to leave and are in no hurry to join, leaving your company moral on a downward spiral with your profits following closely behind.

In terms of Travel and Photography, my friend’s Karin and Paula enjoyed a few days skiing in the Italian Alps in February. I’m not the best skier but the fresh air and the excellent company on the slopes was food for the soul!

I visited Riyadh with work twice in 2019. My blog post on ‘The Top 5 Reasons To Visit Saudi Arabia’ was my most viewed blog post of 2019. I cannot recommend Saudi Arabia highly enough as somewhere to visit and now that it has opened to tourism, there has never been a better time.

My Mom and I spent 2 fabulous weeks on the islands of Malta and Gozo in September. I would highly recommend both islands as places to visit, you can read more about them on my blog posts,

The Top 5 Things To Do in Malta

The Top 5 Things To Do in Gozo

I enjoyed working with my gorgeous family and friends on photo shoots this year, it is always a joy to work with those you love.

Like most things in life, the more I learn about social media the more I realise I don’t know. Social media changes every day and so there is always much to keep up to date with.

In 2019 I continued to post about Travel and Photography and Positive Change on my blogs,

‘The Photographer’s Guide To Travel’

‘The Art Of Positive Change’

Blog posts on ‘The Art Of Positive Change’ were categorised into 3 areas of interest,

Thoughts On Change – my thoughts on both personal and professional change
Tools Of The Change Trade – useful tools I recommend for personal/professional change
Book Reviews – reviews of books I love

Throughout 2019 I continued to post daily positive quotes to various social media platforms which helped me learn more about posting, scheduling and outsourcing on social media. I created ‘The Quotes Store’ on Flickr where you can download albums of these positive quotes for your own use.

I continued to work with the brilliant cartoonist Andy Kefford who created the cartoons of ‘Pinky the Positive Pig’, the star of my 26 part blog post series ‘The Complete A-Z Of Effective Change’ of which my new e-book is based. I look forward to sharing our new writing project with you later in 2020!

I love writing on my blogs and I learned over the past couple of years is that not only do you need to build skills to write content, but you also need to find the time to think about, write, edit, publish and market this content. I struggled to find enough time for writing last year (as I did in 2018) and so this is a real focus area for me for 2020.

I have always been aware of the importance of physical and mental health. 2019, for many reasons, brought this awareness to another level.

Keeping our physical and mental health in peak shape is required for everything else in our lives to function. Working to look after our physical and mental health should be the top priority in our lives and a daily practice to ensure same.

I wish you and your loved ones excellent physical and mental health in 2020.

In 2019 I continued to improve my financial habits by learning from Tony Robbins book ‘Money Master the Game – 7 Simple Steps To Financial Freedom’. Tony is a master when it comes to finance and in this book he not only shares his own wisdom but also leverages the wisdom of many of the world’s finest financial advisors to share their advice, insights and experience. Tony’s book is written in an easy to understand format for all levels of financial understanding which is why I like it so much.

Like all habits, my financial habits are a work in progress.

It’s nice to give back. I have been supporting various charities for many years. Year on year I try to give more to each charity whether this is monetary support or volunteering my time. This is something I will continue with and build on in 2020.

That’s it, 2019 in review, albeit a little less detailed than previous years.

Here’s to 2020, may the New Year (and the new decade) bring you and your loved ones health, happiness and prosperity,

Thanks for reading,

Siobhain

x x x

Note: The system I use for my Annual Review is a work in progress and evolves year on year. When I first carried out my Annual Review I started with a template used by Chris Guillebeau. If you are interested in starting your own Annual Review, here is Chris’s guidelines on How To Conduct your own Annual Review and his Annual Review Template.

My previous Annual Reviews can be found below,

Annual Review 2013 Annual Review 2014 Annual Review 2015

Annual Review 2016 Annual Review 2017

Annual Review 2018

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Red is Good

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Photo Credit: Olav Ahmen Rotne (Unsplash)

The colour red is associated with energy, passion, action and feelings of warmth, vibrancy and intensity. Red is also associated with danger and most warning signs we see on our roads and in our workplaces are red for this reason.

In a Lean culture red usually means something has failed, that there has been a deviation from standard, that a target has not been met – in short there is a problem of some kind.

A company that does not have a healthy culture of problem-solving assigns blame to those who find problems, which in turn drives employees to remain silent and not speak up about problems with their processes and work environment. This fear of speaking out and associated silence has a detrimental effect on companies and their employees as not only do the problems get worse and more frequent, the employees get frustrated, disengaged, disillusioned and spend more time covering up problems than solving them.

In this culture, the colour red associated with problems becomes a colour of danger, a colour to be avoided, a colour that no-one wants to be associated with.

In stark contrast, a company with a healthy Lean culture of systematic problem solving encourages problem identification, discussion and investigation into why problems occur and implementation of sustainable solutions. Blame does not exist in this company as everyone is aware of and understands that problems are caused by ineffective, outdated, broken, unsuitable, non-standardised processes. This culture ensures that processes are monitored and improved, and people are developed and rewarded – two of the key principles of Lean.

[tweetthis]’Problems are treasures, reward the messenger’ Pascal Dennis [/tweetthis]

In a Lean culture of systematic problem solving when we see red we,

Know we have a problem
Have open and honest conversations about what the problem is
Investigate how the problem occurred
Brainstorm solutions to solve the problem
Work together to implement sustainable solutions to ensure the problem does not reoccur
Monitor and continuously improve the process
Reward and recognise excellent problem solving and teamwork

How is red perceived where you work? Is red a colour that is welcomed or does it mean danger?

I hope you are lucky enough to have a culture where ‘Red is Good’!

Thanks for reading,

Siobhain

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Not sure what Lean is?

Check out my previous blog post ‘Meeting Art and Understanding Lean’ where I share Art Byrne’s keynote speech that I attended at the 2013 Lean Enterprise Academy Summit.

This video sums up exactly what Lean is and how important it is to business. 6 years later I continue to refer to this video all the time – so much wisdom!!!

Photo Credit: Alana Harris (Unsplash)

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PDCA – Dr Deming’s Gift To The World

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Image Credit: Madhuri Gupta

William Edwards Deming (October 14, 1900 – December 20, 1993) was an American engineer, statistician, professor, author, lecturer, and management consultant.

Dr Deming’s philosophy below (thanks Wikipedia) will give you an insight into his profound wisdom and deep understanding of systems and operations and how they work efficiently, effectively and optimally.

‘Dr. W. Edwards Deming taught that by adopting appropriate principles of management, organisations can increase quality and simultaneously reduce costs (by reducing waste, rework, staff attrition and litigation while increasing customer loyalty). The key is to practice continual improvement and think of manufacturing as a system, not as bits and pieces.”

The above sentence sums up why all businesses would benefit from Lean and how Lean requires to be implemented through a series of systems that support the work and not as a stand alone philosophy.

See ‘Wikipedia’ for more information on Dr Deming and his great work.

The Plan, Do, Check, Act Cycle, or PDCA cycle, is a technique designed to facilitate continuous improvement in the workplace. It is also referred to as the Deming Cycle, as it was popularized under the instruction of Dr. W. Edwards Deming. Deming was introduced to the concept by Walter Shewart, a statistical quality control expert. PDCA has also been referred to as PDSA (Plan, Do Study, Act), PDSA (Plan, Do, Study, Adjust) and numerous variations in between.

Whichever version you decide to you the principles are the same.

Dr Deming’s PDCA cycle has completely changed how I work and how I live. Everything I do in relation to projects & work (personal and professional) now goes through this cycle or some variation of it. Let me give you an insight into how it works and the benefits it brings.

PLAN

(Develop a detailed plan )

This is the first step in the Deming cycle, and it is here you determine exactly what the opportunity for change is. In this first step, it is important to determine what problem you are solving, what is the goal, what will the measurements of success be and how will you implement this change.

It is here that you determine exactly what you need to achieve success and how you will know you are successful. The only way to know if something has improved is by measuring it and so it is critical to determine what metrics will give you this information and how you will collect these metrics.

When you are happy you have a detailed plan, know what metrics you will monitor (and how you will gather and monitor these), it’s time to move into the ‘Do’ phase.

The above sounds very simple but it’s not uncommon for people, departments and organisations to plough ahead with change without a detailed well thought out plan.

Spending most of your time in the Plan phase will set you up for success on the next stages of the PDCA cycle.

DO

(Implement the changes according to the plan)

Here it is time for action and time to use the plan developed above to put that action in place. The plan will serve as an excellent guide and reminder of exactly what it is you want to achieve. The metrics you will gather during the ‘Do’ phase will ensure you are continuously moving in the right direction towards success.

If you are leading a team, department or an organisation through change it should be very clear at all stages in the ‘Do’ phase where you are with the change and what the next steps are.

CHECK

(Reflect on and evaluate results)

This phase reduces rework and provides clarity.

This step is sometimes referred to as the study phase. Here we are reviewing and analysing the results of the improvements implemented in the Do phase.

In this phase you ‘Check’ if your initial goal from the ‘Plan’ phase has been reached and ‘Check’ if the metrics gathered support this goal achievement.

Did you reach your goal?

Do the metrics support this?

Are you happy that this initiative has been a success?

ACT

(What are the next steps?)

This step is our last in the where we ask 2 questions and act accordingly on the answers.

Did we reach our goal?

If the answer is Yes, we standardise, document and roll out the new process, training those who need to be trained. This is the new Standard Work on which we continuously improve.

If the answer is No, we may need to alter our methods of implementation, develop a new plan, or test our improvements on a larger scale.

As this is a cycle, the PDCA process never really ends.

It repeats itself providing the path to continuous improvement.

Do you use the PDCA cycle?

Could the PDCA cycle help you transform how you live and work?

Want to read more about change?

Download your free e-book ‘The A-Z of Effective Change’ below.

Thanks for reading,

Siobhain

x x

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Extreme Ownership

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To say I adore this book is a huge understatement. It is, by far, the best, most profound, most exciting, most down to earth book i have ever read on leadership. Here’s my book review on just some of the reasons why I love it so much.

Jocko starts this incredible book by explaining that this is not an individual’s glorified war story but it is indeed ‘all about the team’. The focus on teamwork is evident from the beginning of this book, throughout every chapter right up to the last word. Jocko explains as ‘Seals they operate as a team of high calibre, multi-talented individuals who have been through perhaps the toughest military training and the most rigorous screening process anywhere. In the Seal program, it is all about the team, the sum is far greater than the parts’. Jocko goes on to say ‘we call ourselves team guys’.

[tweetthis]’There can be no Leadership where there is no team’ Jocko Willink [/tweetthis]

We are given a glimpse into the fine characters of these great Leaders Jocko Willink and Leif Babin as Leif explains they wrote the book to capture and pass on the Leadership lessons they had learned on the battlefield and through their work with civilian business’s so that such crucial lessons may not be forgotten or need to be relearned or rewritten. Jocko and Leif wrote this book for Leaders everywhere so they may use the principles they share to lead and win.

Even with all of their accomplishments, experience and knowledge, Jocko and Leif remain extremely humble which is hugely admirable. This humility is evident as they explain they ‘continue to learn and grow as Leaders every day and that they pass on these Leadership lessons not from a pedestal or a position of superiority but from a humble place where the scars of their failings still show’.

Similar to Lean, the single most important factor on the battlefield or in business is Leadership.

Throughout the book, Jocko and Leif tell stories from the battlefield and the civilian world of business where they have supported businesses to get back on track and solve their problems using the following Extreme Ownership principles that they teach.

All responsibility for success or failure lies with the Leader
The Leader must own everything in his/her world – there is no-one else to blame
The Leader must acknowledge mistakes and admit failures and take ownership of them
Leaders take responsibility not only for their own job but for everything that impacts their mission
Leaders do not blame subordinates
It is all on the Leaders
Taking ownership when things go wrong requires extraordinary humility and courage, doing just that is an absolute necessity to learning and growing as a Leader and improving a team’s performance
Extreme Ownership requires Leaders to look at the problems of an organisation through the objective lens of reality without emotional attachments to agendas or plans
A Leader must set aside egos and accept responsibility for failures and consistently work to build a better and more effective team
The Leader does not take credit for his/her team’s success’s but bestows this honour on team leaders and team members
When a Leader sets this example and expects this from others, the mindset develops into the culture at every level – efficiency and effectiveness increase exponentially and a high-performance winning team is the result
There are no bad teams only bad Leaders
Leadership is the single greatest factor in any team’s performance
The Leaders attitude sets the tone for the entire team
The Leader either drives performance or doesn’t

Every chapter of this book is filled with nuggets of wisdom in relation to everything that is integral to Extreme Ownership. Jocko and Leif back up their advice with stories from the battlefield highlighting both when the benefits of having and the devastating effects of not having Extreme Ownership can have on a team.

As I read through every chapter of this book I realised that all the principles, advice and lessons learned shared by Jocko and Leif can be utilised to great effect in every area of business and life. Here are a few of my favourite Extreme Ownership principles,

Decentralised Command – the ability to delegate to others while still having full understanding of the overall high-level picture and the details required to deliver your Mission
Simplicity – the chapter on Simplicity is my favourite chapter as I am a minimalist and if this is a word a ‘simplist’! I like keeping things straight forward and simple. This chapter explains the necessity of keeping everything as simple as possible as over complicating the simple on the battlefield can cost lives. Over complicating the simple in civilian business may not have the same devastating effects but the costs can still be very high.
Prioritise and Execute – How do you prioritise; how do you determine what is the most important next step? Do you prioritise or is everything a priority? The concept that anything more than one priority is not a priority rings true in this chapter. How can you move forward in the right direction if everything is a priority?
Standardised Planning Process – How do you plan your life? How do you plan your business? How do you plan for your Mission? Do you have a Standardised Planning Process? How do you ensure everyone understands the plan and their part in it? It is critical that the troops on the ground understand what the plan is and how it is going to be executed. If front line troops don’t understand the plan, questions must be asked until everyone is crystal clear. Everyone must know the Mission, understand the Mission and know what part they play in the Mission.
Situational Awareness – leading up and down the chain of command, aligning Leaders at all levels of the organisation. Not only supporting and leading those in your care but also supporting and leading those who lead you.
Discipline equals Freedom – Standard Operating Procedures and the discipline to be more flexible, adaptable and efficient. With this discipline, changes and improvements become easier. This Standardisation is similar to the Lean philosophy of Standard Work.

‘The Dichotomy of Leadership’ is Jocko and Leif’s follow up book which is on my ‘to read next’ list. Jocko and Leif introduce us to these ‘Leadership Dichotomies’ in the last chapter,

A Leader must lead but also be ready to follow – a true Leader is not intimidated by others who step up
A Leader must be aggressive but not overbearing
A Leader must be calm but not robotic – it is normal and necessary to show emotion
A Leader must be confident but not cocky – confidence is contagious – a great attribute for a Leader and a team
A Leader must be brave but not foolhardy
Leaders must have a competitive spirit but also be gracious losers
A Leader must be attentive to details but not be obsessed by them
A Leader must be strong but likewise have endurance not only physically but also mentally
Leaders must be humble but not passive, quiet but not silent
A Leader must be close with subordinates but not too close – the best Leaders understand the motivations of their team members and know their people, their lives and their families. A Leader must never grow so close to subordinates that one member of the team becomes more important than another or more important than the Mission itself.
A Leader must exercise Extreme Ownership, simultaneously that Leader must employ decentralised command by giving up control to subordinate Leaders
Finally, a Leader has nothing to prove but everything to prove. By virtue of rank and position the team understands that the Leader is in charge. A good Leader does not gloat or revel in his or her position. To take charge of minute details just to demonstrate and reinforce to the team a Leader’s authority is the mark of poor, inexperienced Leadership lacking in confidence.

I have read many books on Leadership and this book is up there with the very best. Jocko and Leif’s immense courage is admirable, however it’s their simplistic, humble yet extremely knowledgeable approach to Leadership that makes them such inspirational Leaders and this book such an enjoyable read and invaluable resource. Their lessons, while learned on the battlefield, are relevant for each one of us no matter what role we play in life and business. I cannot recommend this book highly enough no matter who you are or what Leadership means to you.

After the leaving the SEAL teams, Jocko and Leif set up their own company called ‘Echelon Front’ where they support and teach businesses ‘Extreme Ownership’ Leadership principles.

I listened to ‘Extreme Ownership’ on audible which has the added bonus that it is narrated by the authors, Jocko and Leif.

Here’s hoping you love this book as much as I did,

Thanks for reading, check out my free e-book ‘The A-Z of Effective Change’ by entering your e-mail address below,

Siobhain

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The ‘Not To Do List’

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Do you have a ‘Not To Do List’ ?

Lately, the Not To Do List has become my favourite time management tool!

My recent post on the time management tool ‘The Priority Matrix’ highlights that there are many tasks that could be moved from your ‘to do list’ to your ‘NOT TO DO LIST’.

As our lives get busier and busier – creating, updating and getting through our ‘to do lists’ can sometimes feel a little overwhelming. The ‘so much to do, so little time’ syndrome has become widespread as we move through the digital age trying to juggle all that is part of our day to day lives.

The constant and exhausting need to take everything on and get everything done will eventually lead to burnout.

So how do we deal with our ever increasing ‘to do lists’ and the constant and consistent requests for our precious time?

First, prioritise what is on your ‘to do list’ by using ‘The Priority Matrix’.

Then place everything that does not need to be done on your ‘NOT TO DO LIST’.

If you update your ‘NOT TO DO LIST’ every day you will feel you are getting through tasks by the simple movement of tasks from one list to another.

Time is so precious and a ‘NOT TO DO LIST’ can make us think deeply about where we spend our precious time.

To say my ‘NOT TO DO LIST’ has totally transformed how I get things done is an understatement. For me, my ‘NOT TO DO LIST’ is just as important and gets as much attention as my ‘to do list’.

As a big fan of lists but also as someone who is susceptible to overwhelm, I use a ‘NOT TO DO LIST’ every single day. As I review my daily plan of what needs to get done I also review what doesn’t need to get done that day.

I am always astounded at the amount of tasks that end up on my ‘NOT TO DO LIST’ freeing up precious time!

Even physically moving something from your ‘to do list’ to your ‘NOT TO DO LIST’ will give you a sense of achievement!

Do you have a ‘NOT TO DO LIST’?

Could this help you free up time to focus on more important things in your life/business?

What would go on your ‘NOT TO DO LIST’?

Want to read more about Positive Change?

Download your free e-book ‘The A-Z of Effective Change’ below

Thanks for reading,

Siobhain

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The Priority Matrix

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Image Credit: Madhuri Gupta

Eisenhower’s Priority Matrix is named after it’s founder Dwight D. Eisenhower, who was the 34th President of the United States from 1953 until 1961. Before becoming President, Eisenhower served as a general in the United States Army and as the Allied Forces Supreme Commander during World War II.

During this time Eisenhower had to make tough decisions about what tasks he should focus on each day. This led him to invent the world-famous Eisenhower Matrix, which today helps us prioritise by urgency and importance.

More recently this matrix has become popularly known as ‘Covey’s Time Management Matrix’, named after Steven Covey who introduced us to the matrix in his wildly successful bestselling book ‘The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People’ which was first published in 1989.

Whether you call it ‘Eisenhower’s Matrix’ or ‘Covey’s Time Management Matrix’ – the ‘Priority Matrix’ is a highly effective and powerful tool for utilising your time wisely and focusing on what really matters in business & life.

It is widely known that focusing on our priorities can help us reach our goals while also ensuring we don’t become overwhelmed, stressed & burned out along the way.

Many studies have been carried out on the detrimental effects of stress & burnout on the human body and going by these studies stress should be avoided at all costs.

If we add all of our tasks into the Priority Matrix, it looks something like the below which is cluttered and can be overwhelming. Knowing where to focus our energy and time will help us declutter our tasks, feel less overwhelmed and focus on our top priorities.

Here is how the ‘Priority Matrix’ works.

The matrix is divided into 4 quadrants determined by varying degrees of urgency and importance.

Only one of these quadrants will move us closer to our goals.

Only one quadrant will PRIORITISE OUR PROGRESS.

1. Important and Urgent

These are tasks that require immediate attention, they must be done asap.

These can be deadlines, crises, problems that need immediate solutions, emergencies, last minute tasks.

Only tasks that require your immediate attention should go into this quadrant.

Care is required to ensure you do not spend all of time in this quadrant as this quadrant is basically FIRE FIGHTING.

You will be VERY BUSY in this quadrant but you will be making LITTLE TO NO PROGRESS towards your goals!

This quadrant does not prioritise YOUR progress towards YOUR goals.

2. Important and Not Urgent

These are long term tasks that contribute to your business & personal strategy.

These tasks move you closer to YOUR GOALS.

They are not urgent tasks but must be planned and scheduled to run the business or live the life you want for yourself.

These are strategy planning, strategy review, goal setting, continuous Improvement, problem solving, learning and personal development.

This is the most important quadrant and you should be spending AS MUCH TIME AS POSSIBLE here.

THE MORE TIME YOU SPEND HERE, the more PRODUCTIVE, SUCCESSFUL & HAPPY you will be.

This quadrant prioritises YOUR progress towards YOUR goals.

3. Not Important and Urgent

These are tasks that deliver VERY LITTLE VALUE in terms of your goals.

These are interruptions, problems that do not belong to you, non-relevant phone calls/meetings/e-mails.

The best thing to do with these tasks is to either delegate or decline them.

They may need to get done, but don’t necessarily need to get done by you.

In this case delegate asap.

If you can’t delegate, it’s also ok to decline and say no to these time wasting activities.

It’s best to spend as LITTLE TIME AS POSSIBLE here.

This quadrant does not prioritise YOUR progress towards YOUR goals.

4. Not Important and Not Urgent

These are tasks that deliver NO VALUE AT ALL in terms of your goals but can be enjoyable and used for entertainment and relaxation purposes.

These are watching tv, scrolling social media, video games, surfing the net, needless phone calls/meetings/e-mails.

Watching tv, scrolling social media, video games and surfing the net can be very enjoyable and they are wonderful ways to relax but they are entertainment – unless you work for Netflix etc!

It’s a matter of balancing these enjoyable, entertaining activities with time spent in quadrant 2!

This quadrant does not prioritise YOUR progress towards YOUR goals.

That’s it, the Priority Matrix is a pretty simple tool yet incredibly effective and powerful.

What quadrant do you spend most of your time in?
Where would you like to spend more time?
Where would you like to spend less time?

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If so download my free ebook ‘The A-Z of Effective Change’ below and you are all signed up!

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Siobhain

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The 9Rs to Eliminate Overwhelm

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Image Credit: Madhuri Gupta

The English Oxford dictionary describes overwhelm as the following

Give too much of something to; inundate – ‘they were overwhelmed by farewell messages’
Have a strong emotional effect on – ‘I was overwhelmed with guilt’
Be too strong for; overpower – ‘the Stilton doesn’t overwhelm the flavour of the trout’

Overwhelm to me is more of a feeling, a feeling of having taken on too much, of having too much to do, of not having space or time to organise, focus, and move forward.

My head feels fuzzy, murky, unclear and even the thoughts of facing another item on my ‘to do list’ makes me feel tired.

This is a familiar feeling to me and happens every now and again, not often enough to be a huge issue but often enough that I like to put a system in place to deal with it.

I am very mindful to watch out for and recognise overwhelm as it arrives and deal with it before it affects my physical, mental & emotional health.

These days when I start to feel overwhelmed, I take immediate action to stop it!.

Here are the 9R’s I use to manage and move forward from overwhelm of which should be priority in our lives at all times and not just when we start to feel overwhelmed or stressed,

1. Rest

Overwhelm and stress (if it has gone that far) is a signal to your mind and body that you need to slow down. One way of slowing down is to get more rest – rest more during your day, take regular breaks from work and keep these breaks device free. If you are taking breaks but using your phone to scroll social media/listen to podcasts/listen to or read books your mind isn’t really getting a break.

Your mind needs a total break from devices to switch off and recharge.

Not only is rest important, it’s quality rest with no electronic devices!!

Another way to slow down is to get more quality hours sleep. Research has shown that we don’t function optimally without sufficient sleep.

Sufficient sleep is a different number for everyone – I have always needed 8 hours sleep to function and I fully feel the effects when I don’t get those 8 hours. By adding ‘adequate sleep’ as a priority to your ‘to do list’ your physical, mental and emotional health will benefit.

2. Relax

How many hours in your day do you spend relaxing, really relaxing – away from social media and all electronics?

It’s so important to relax, – to stop going, to stop moving, to stop thinking and just breathe!

Whatever you do for relaxation, whether it’s reading, listening to music/podcasts, watching tv, meditating or just being – it is so important to schedule this into each and every day.

This will not only keep your mind and body healthy, it will also keep you sane! I’m a big fan of relaxing as I know how it supports me to get more done but I don’t relax as much as I would like to or need to. It’s something I definitely need to find more time for and not only when I feel overwhelmed.

3. Reconnect

Reconnecting with yourself and whoever/whatever you may have lost contact with that gives you joy will help you slow down and focus on the priorities in life and not just what makes it to the ‘to do list’.

This reconnection can be with people such as family, friends, colleagues, team mates or it can be with whatever or whomever you have a spiritual or religious connection with – God, Buddha, Allah, Source, Universe – whatever works for you.

For me, my connection with my boyfriend Mike, my family and my friends is essential for my happiness and well being. There is no easier way to enjoy yourself, slow down and take your mind off your ‘to do list’ than spending quality time (minus electronics!) with the people you love.

My connection to myself and my spiritual growth is the cornerstone on which everything else is built and is absolutely essential for my happiness and well being.

4. Replenish

Replenish your Mind, Body and Soul with what it needs – good food, regular exercise, time in nature, creative hobbies, sports, silence, crowds, prayer – whatever works for you.

Fill your surroundings with good thoughts and kind deeds, this will not only benefit you but those whom you spend time with.

Above all make sure the person you are kindest to is yourself.

For me, the following are the basics required to replenish my Mind, Body and Soul – quality time with Mike, family & friends, reading, writing, solitude, meditating, journaling and exercising.

5. Remove Clutter

Clutter can be physical, emotional or digital.

Physical clutter is stuff in our physical spaces that no longer serves us. Physical clutter also takes up space in our minds, a messy space is a messy mind. Start clearing physical clutter away and your mind will start to feel clearer.

Emotional clutter is all sorts of negative energy, thoughts and beliefs. These are not beneficial to our physical, mental & emotional well being and they do not serve us. Evaluating and replacing these negative energies with positive energies will remove what feels like physical weights from our shoulders.

Digital clutter seems to build up almost without us knowing. Photos on our phones, digital downloads, scanned documents, space consuming e-mails. If you work online, the amount of digital clutter is almost never ending. Digital clutter can also be scrolling time, time spend mindlessly scrolling and clicking through links online – this creates digital clutter in our brains!!

Removing all types of clutter will create the space to allow whatever you want in your life to manifest!

6. Reading

Reading is an excellent way of tuning out of this busy world into other worlds of whatever interests you.

Reading is for me one of the most relaxing things I can do. I love nothing more than sitting down with a great book, soaking up the wisdom and learning as I relax!

I also love listening to audiobooks while out and about, it’s a very efficient way of getting through books – most audiobooks are narrated by the author which is an added bonus!!

7. Writing

I know writing starts with W but phonetically it starts with R!

I love writing just as much as I love reading and also find it very relaxing.

Writing helps me gather my thoughts and clear my mind. I love all sorts of writing, writing in my journal, writing blog posts and writing e-books. You can download my first e-book ‘The A-Z of Effective Change’ at the end of this blog post.

I often say, if I could read and write for a living that would be my perfect job!

I updated this blog post to include the next 2 Rs as my great friend Tony Mc suggested them, thanks Tony!

8. Rush – no need to rush!

My friend Tony says ‘try not to rush, everyone is in a big rush today’.

This is so true, I find the speed at which we live our lives has increased.

Add our connection to social media and the online world where everything is instant & immediate and this makes for lives lived at a dizzying speed.

We all know that the busier we are the faster time seems to go, we also know that we can’t slow down time, the speed at which it passes is set.

We may not be able to slow down time, but what we can do is slow ourselves down – stop rushing from one thing to another, stop racing to and from activities, stop taking on too much, stop filling our calendars with things to do, stop filling our minds with things to process!

Being ‘crazy busy’ is not good for your Mind, Body or Soul. What is good for and what nurtures your Mind, Body and Soul is being more mindful, more intentional and more present, all can be achieved by slowing down.

Even reading the words mindful, intentional, present will slow down a bit.

9. Rewind & Reflect

My friend Tony says ‘rewind and take a step back’ of which I also totally agree.

If we continuously move forward without rewinding, taking a step back and reflecting on our experiences we are missing out on so much learning. We are our own greatest teachers yet we must invest the time to rewind, step back and reflect to bring our inner teachings into our lives.

I am a huge fan of reflection.

The wisdom gained from reflecting on your own experiences can be found nowhere else and is well worth the time it takes.

That’s it, the 9Rs to eliminate overwhelm.

I hope you are using some of these to eliminate overwhelm and avoid stress in your life.

What do you do to deal with overwhelm?

Do you use any of the 9Rs?

Can you suggest anything else to eliminate overwhelm?

Want to read more about Positive Change?

Download your free e-book ‘The A-Z of Effective Change’ below

Thanks for reading,

Siobhain

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