META+COACH OUTLINE FOR BUSINESS LEADERSHIP

What makes a really great leader? In our view the most important criterion is that they genuinely care about the success of all their key stakeholders. Obviously, they also have an interest in their own success and ambitions – they have to get something out of the endeavour for themselves – but they are also working for something bigger.

Great leaders take responsibility for the organisation – their job can be the toughest of all. It’s not a reward for what they’ve done in the past, or something they have a right to, it’s something they really want to contribute to, and develop as a legacy for the future.

Many people are in leadership positions, but a surprising few are really great at the role.  This creates a miserable environment for their colleagues, and squanders many chances to maximise success.  Why is this the case?  What makes a great leader? 

All great leaders need to have, and be able to communicate, a clear vision of where the organisation is heading, and why.  They need to be brave and show integrity, honesty, and humility. They must not be afraid to roll up their sleeves and get involved at any level of the organisation.  A great leader understands their own strengths and isn’t afraid to hire and learn from people who are more skilled than them.  Great leaders are genuinely proud of their team’s accomplishments and genuinely care about helping them succeed.

 

Leadership Framework

It’s worth taking time to stand back and clarify the elements that we consider will lead to success as a leader. We may then decide that we’re already well on track, or that to reach success in the longer term we need to review our approach.

As a starting point, it’s worth asking:

1.     Where we are against the elements below?

2.     What would be the benefit of clarifying which are important to us?

3.     What is the likely benefit of adhering to them more closely?

4.     What are the implications and costs of not having a strong leadership framework?

If we want to improve our leadership framework, a good start is to answer the questions in the ‘Creating rules and clarity’ section, and then develop a plan based on what we discover.

What’s important in leadership?

These five elements are vital for great leadership:

1.     Developing an agreed purpose and vision and knowing what leads to success.

2.     Building a cohesive leadership team.

3.     Creating rules and clarity.

4.     Creating a clear meeting structure.

5.     Continually developing leadership competencies.

Each division should have its own vision and purpose that links to the overall vision and purpose, and likewise each area of the company.

LEADERSHIP COMPETENCIES CHECKJLIST 

A great leader needs to determine, in conjunction with stakeholders, which are the key competencies for him/her to help the organisation, the team, and themselves. They continually seek ideas and take action to improve their performance in each. Leadership competency examples, these will vary depending on the context:

1.     Demonstrating integrity.

2.     Encouraging constructive dialogue.

3.     Creating a shared vision.

4.     Developing people.

5.     Building partnerships.

6.     Sharing leaderships.

7.     Empowering people.

8.     Thinking globally.

9.     Appreciating diversity.

10. Developing technological savvy.

11. Ensuring customer satisfaction.

12. Maintaining a competitive advantage.

13. Achieving personal mastery.

14. Anticipating opportunities.

15. Leading change.

KEYS TO SUCCESS

We believe these are the keys to success:

1.     The leader’s purpose is to be responsible for helping all stakeholders succeed.

2.     Success in any project needs discovery, leadership, management (planning and effective use of resources), a safe space to develop action, action, and review.

3.     Creating and achieving buy-in for the vision.

4.     Developing an appropriate culture. Hiring, promoting, and firing as needed.

5.     Creating, implementing, and reviewing strategy.

6.     Setting priorities and measurement.

7.     Building, communicating, and reinforcing clarity almost daily.

Building a cohesive leadership team

The leader’s behaviour sets the tone for the behaviour of the leadership team and, through them, the organisation. It’s based on creating an environment of vulnerability-based trust and creative conflict. Achieving results is dependent on achieving the first four capabilities.

1.     Vulnerability-based trust.

2.     Mastering conflict.

3.     Achieving commitment.

4.     Embrace accountability.

5.     Focus on results (e.g. balance 60% tea, 40% individual.)

DELIVER VALUE BY CONVERTING DECISIONS INTO ACTIONS.

 Knowing how to manage time effectively is probably the most important trait of a leader. Focusing on contribution, impact and efficiency are a leader's primary goals. Yet, success is not a one-man-show: a synergy of communication, teamwork, self-development, and development of others are essential markers for productive organizations.

Success happens to companies with the executive ability to "concentrate on the few major areas where superior performance will produce outstanding results," as well defined by Peter Drucker in the inspiring "The Effective Executive" book. This means that management teams must be vigilant and proactively analyze the future, focusing on the opportunity rather than the problem, continuously delivering value , building on company strengths, and setting the pace to differentiate from the competition.

Spending time identifying a company's value and having vigorous debate on scenarios to execute the best plan to bring to market solutions that solve critical needs are managements' most important agenda:

1.     How do we turn knowledge into value and decisions?

2.     Why is it so important to turn decisions into right actions and behavior?

3.     How can effectiveness be translated into outstanding results?

Choose value by making effective decisions

When debating over roadmap priorities and innovation pipelines, it is key to be able to differentiate a generic situation from exceptions. Assumptions are important, validating them even more so. No one wants to develop products for an exceptional/extreme customer, but rather aim for greater scale through a broader customer reach.

Defining management decision's output requires clear specifications, for example, minimum goals, boundaries, and a clear understanding of what's right versus what is acceptable.

For example, executive management may decide to:

·         Concentrate on value performance for the business-partner ecosystem

·         Diversification of the business portfolio

·         Optimization of the customer journey (e.g., access, end-to-end experience)

·         Operational efficiency and productivity

·         Partnerships (e.g., growth in scale, increase in number, strategic interactions)

Drilling down into details cross-department is key to evaluate feasibility (cost, quality, timing). Validating with stakeholders is key to measure utilization and purchase intent, both being critical for estimating growth and scale.

DELIVER VALUE BY CONVERTING DECISIONS INTO ACTIONS

Once the management decision is clear, and the detailed scope is validated, two best practices are important to follow through. First, management should be looking to gain continuous feedback from the field, both to optimize and nurture adoption, and to manage internal bias. Second, the team should invest in continuous testing against other solutions in the market. Only this way can companies guarantee the superior performance of their business portfolio.

Different organizations chose different strategies at different points in time, based on maturity of their products and market. Whether it's enabling cloud-based systems at scale to become agile and efficient, software offerings to monetize directly, or digital offerings that feature advanced analytics or AI; or by adding technologies to enhance existing offerings or building exclusive technology partnerships to access capabilities or integrated offerings, actionable decisions endure when field work is properly done. Having a business process to ensure these steps are ongoing is key for leadership control of plans and fast decision-making to optimize/iterate/pivot or abandon when required.

FINAL WORD : MAKING A DIFFERENCE

"Leadership is an action, not a position." The most effective leaders build bridges between knowledge and decisions, and between decisions and actions, and they act quickly when new action-plans are required. Leaders understand the need to measure action versus non-action to grow a company, differentiate it, and avoid placing it at risk. They generate trust because of their willingness to act. They are not limited by fear or by making a mistake. They are focused on priorities, managing business processes, and educating the market. They are passionate about pursuing dreams and challenging the status quo. Most of them enjoy high-level relationship-building skills, based on trust, respect, and self-awareness. They cultivate comfortable settings that enhance the confidence of peers to express opinions, brainstorm, and embrace new ideas.

When people around them see the successes of working together, overall engagement and productivity climbs. And this is the foundation for an organization to focus on opportunities, to embrace change, create, and innovate. Effective leaders are women and men out there, bringing outstanding results together with their team. True heroes: genuine, confident, humble, trustworthy, positive, and fun!

 With best compliments

                                                          Dr Wilfred Monteiro

our META+COACH MODULES emphasize these common behaviors a 24CARAT PROFESSIONAL© must master

 5 PILLARS  TO BECOME A 

“24CARAT PROFESSIONAL”

 Every tries hard to keep moving up the corporate ladder. But only a few succeed let us call them the 24CARAT PROFESSIONAL; like pure 24carat gold they  shine at the workplace. Not so much for their outward brand image but as much as the instrisic qualities. A 24CARAT PROFESSIONAL©  entails a set of traits that make you come across as respectful, reliable and capable.  It is about how you conduct yourself when interacting with clients and colleagues. Most of all, being a professional is about giving others the confidence that they can actually trust you to do what you are supposed to do. The good thing is that anyone can learn how to look more professional and thus increase their chances of success in the corporate world.

Throughout our META+COACH MODULES we emphasize common habits a  24CARAT PROFESSIONAL©  must master to  look more professional. These little things will make you better at your work, which will in turn make you come across as more professional.

1. MASTER PRODUCTIVITY TECHNIQUES  

24CARAT PROFESSIONALs  are well organized. Nothing screams unprofessionalism like someone who does not know how to manage their time. Imagine your boss asking you for an important document, but you can’t seem to remember where you placed it. As you rummage through your drawers searching for the document, your boss will probably be wondering what kind of incompetent person she hired. Being organized means you know what you are supposed to be doing at any particular moment. It means you know the tasks that need to be prioritized or delegated. It means you know the emails that need to be acted on and which ones you are yet to read. Being organized improves your productivity and makes you more efficient, which in turn makes you more likely to receive promotions. To become more organized, Use a planner or a to-do list to keep track of everything that needs to be done to ensure you don’t miss deadlines. Take notes of important things that are brought to your attention. Being a good time manager means being aware of your deadlines and managing your work to ensure you meet the deadlines. It also means respecting other people’s time and being punctual for your appointments.

2.SPEAK THE LANGUAGE OF SUCCESS

The workplace requires you to constantly interact with clients, colleagues and your superiors. The better you are at communicating with these people, the more professional you will appear. Being a good communicator also means communicating effectively through written communication/emails and responding promptly to such communication from others; moreover  you need to be a good listener. We often underestimate the power of good listening skills because we are always in a hurry to speak instead of trying to comprehend what is being communicated to us and preparing what we’re going to say next. You need to learn how to communicate clearly and concisely. Communicating professionally does not mean using complicated words and jargon that will leave everyone confused. Instead, you should use simply language to ensure everyone understands what you are trying to say. The first thing you say when you answer your phone also influences whether you will be seen as a professional or not.  A sound etiquette on phone, with a gentle voice and steady pace will create a good impression to the person on the other end.

24CARAT PROFESSIONALs  convey a positive image by the kind of body language you portray when interacting with others. With studies showing that more 60% of communication takes place non-verbally, you should adopt body language that shows you are a professional who believes in himself and knows what he is doing.  display confident body language: sit or stand upright. avoid slouching; always hold your head high; maintain eye contact when talking to someone; greet people with a firm handshake.

Every workplace  has a gossip mill, and it can be very easy to get sucked into it; avoid it at all costs. Not engaging in gossip also shows that you are someone who respects his colleagues.Avoid talking about others behind their backs or spreading rumours around the office. Talking bad about your superiors behind their backs will only make you seem jealous, immature and unprofessional – the complete opposite of what you are trying to achieve. Concentrating on your work and performance while ignoring any gossip that might be doing rounds in the office shows you are a mature and focused person.

Being a professional requires you to treat everyone equally and with respect. Regardless of your position within the company, you should be respectful to everyone, whether they are senior or junior to you. You should remain respectful even in situations where you do not agree with your colleagues. Similarly, you should avoid being rude to others, belittling their intelligence or giving them sarcastic remarks, even if you think what they are saying makes no sense.

3. EXUDE LEADERSHIP QUALITIES

If you want to  become a 24CARAT PROFESSIONAL; be accountable for your actions at all times. This means that you should place responsibility to get things done on yourself. If you are unable to get things done on time or if you make mistakes, own your mistake and find ways to fix it. If you notice things going wrong, don’t be afraid to bring it to your boss’s attention and propose ways to fix it.

If you want to  become a 24CARAT PROFESSIONAL, you should be willing to step up and take charge, even when the situations is outside your comfort zone. Is there a presentation that needs to be made yet no one is willing to volunteer? Step up and volunteer to make the presentation. Has a mistake been made?

People who are not accountable will often look for people or things to blame whenever they make mistakes. Looking for scapegoats every time you mess  things up will make you look unprofessional and will affect your workplace relationships with your colleagues and superiors. Take charge and rectify it, even if you did not make the mistake. Does your team need to do something yet the team leader is not around? Step up and get the team started instead of waiting till the team leader arrives. The willingness to take charge, especially in times of crisis will go a great way in establishing you as a professional.

A 24CARAT PROFESSIONAL  is always  dependable . Being reliable means clients and colleagues know that they can trust you to do what you said you will do, when you said you will do it. It means being consistent with your work. Being reliable also means that you can step in and save the day when things are not going as they should. Most of all, being reliable means not giving people any unwanted surprises, such as going missing on the day you were supposed to make an important task .

A 24CARAT PROFESSIONAL  is proactive and can be entrusted with even more responsibilities, you should be willing to go above and beyond in whatever you do. Don’t just do what is required of you and sit back. Instead, once you have performed your required set of duties, anticipate things that need to be done and do them. If you have ideas that can improve efficiency or productivity, share them with your boss. If a colleague is overloaded with work, offer to help. The motto is doing more than is expected of you

4. MAINTAIN A POSITIVE ATTITUDE

A 24CARAT PROFESSIONAL  are always  exude self-confidence. There is a strong link between confidence and occupational success. Confidence is a state of mind where you know what you are doing, what you are good at and what you stand for. Confidence also involves acting in a manner that shows others you know what you are doing. Confidence makes you look professional for a number of reasons. If you are confident, you won’t be afraid to share your ideas and opinions. You won’t be afraid to take up challenges and responsibilities. You won’t be afraid to make decisions or take risks at the workplace. In addition, others are more likely to believe in you when they can see that you believe in yourself. 

A 24CARAT PROFESSIONAL  is positive and motivated in whatever they do. Having a positive attitude means that you are willing to keep pushing even when things are not going as they should. It means that you are always upbeat about the work you need to do. Positive people are willing to look for solutions and will motivate others to give their all at work. Positive people are also more receptive to feedback and criticism.

Positive people gratefully listen to negative feedback and  use it as an opportunity to learn and improve themselves. Positive people are easier to work with, which in turn makes your colleagues and bosses view you as someone who is professional. A negative  person drains your energy; he is  always complaining about how he is being overworked and being underpaid, the next minute he is complaining about how useless a certain colleague is; such behaviours only make you look immature and a repulsive companion.

5. LET ETHICS BE YOUR BUSINESS  TACTICS

a 24CARAT PROFESSIONAL  is always  works with ethics. Being ethical is about how you conduct yourself at work. It is about doing the right thing at all times and being a person of integrity. It is about striving to achieve excellence in whatever you do while holding the interests of your clients at heart. 

Being honest and trustworthy is rare especially in today’s world where people are so used to deceptive behaviour. So being honest can really make you stand out. Being honest also makes it easier for people to trust you and to forgive you whenever you make a mistake. For instance, if you make a mistake and own up to it, your supervisor will accept your honesty and will be more likely to let it slide. They are also more likely to trust you with something else in future compared to someone who tried to lie about their mistake. Honesty also means being truthful with what you can do. Don’t promise to do something when you know you won’t do it, thereby inconveniencing other people.

BE A LIFELONG LEARNER

A 24CARAT PROFESSIONAL  , you should be aware of the latest trends and practices within your field of work. Knowing the latest news about your industry not only positions you as a professional, but also makes it easier for you to do your work and allows you to stand out to your management by proposing solutions and new methods of doing business during company meetings. To keep abreast of the latest news in your industry, you should make a habit of reading widely about your field. Follow major blogs related to your field, read industry magazines and attend industry events.

Learning is best when your  boss  gives you feedback on your performance at work. If you want to learn , you should treat feedback as an opportunity for you to learn and improve. When receiving negative feedback resist the temptation to get angry or defensive. Keep in mind that the feedback is not about your personality, but rather giving you pointers on how to perform better at work.

LAST WORD

Nobody is born a  24CARAT PROFESSIONAL … the good thing is that it is something you can learn. By following and implementing these simple tips will bring you closer to the success you want.

With best compliments

Dr Wilfred Monteiro

MODULE # KEEPING A GRATITUDE JOURNAL

 

EVERY DAY IS THANKSGIVING DAY!

this module is part of the Executive Coaching model for grooming the "Inner Self" and has given amazing results to the numerous participants in our Meta+Coach programs

A gratitude journal is simply a personal record of things, experiences or people in your life that you’re thankful for. The process is essentially about paying attention to the good things in life that we normally take for granted and are easily overlooked. Thankfulness is an attitude that you can practice and develop. Cultivating gratitude as the norm in your life will make keeping a gratitude journal much easier.

 

WHY KEEP A GRATITUDE JOURNAL????

Actually writing gratitude journal entries on paper  forces you to organize your thoughts and dedicate time to thinking them over. This process helps acknowledge what’s important in your life and cultivates a positive mental attitude; the simple act of saying ‘thank you’ will help transform your state of mind, even your health and fitness. The positive effects of gratitude journaling have been observed in scientific studies  it was found that generally, those people who recorded their gratitude reported an overall higher sense of well-being, slept better and were reported to have more energy than people who did not.

 

HOW TO KEEP A GRATITUDE JOURNAL

Keeping a gratitude journal is needs recording the highlights that you’re particularly grateful for each day   ( not more than 3-5 items) and capture the sentiment/ thought preferable in a single sentence. Look in a different aspect of the days happenings. This will make writing in the journal more challenging as time goes on, and  your awareness and thankfulness will grow. You'll be challenging yourself to find new things to be thankful for that perhaps you never noticed before.

Some suggested topics are shown below; People who’ve had a positive influence on your life or helped shape you as a person;  Experiences you’ve had; Passions and interests; Good health; Food and drink; Material goods or services; Money and career success; Recent accomplishments and personal bests; Places you’ve been… the list can go on; you will yourself discover some more points as your progress in the art of the gratitude journal. The most important factor is to build the habit of paying attention to gratitude-inspiring events in your life.

 

Here are some pointers for direction:

 

Many people start by writing down basic material things that they are grateful for in their lives.  As a further step think about the extended abilities that are unique to you. Think about skillful things like dancing, singing, writing, and features that make up your character like your listening skills, your skills in cheering up people, your skills in being a good friend. You may strech on to write about extended material things in your life. These things vary from person to person depending on what you like and take interest in. For example, if you love to paint, you may be grateful for the paint that you have. Or, if you like music you may be grateful for your CD collections.

 

An important aspect is to consider the people in your life. Think about all the people you care about, like your parents, your friends, your significant other, your pets. Write why you are grateful for each person and how they make you feel. This helps you to appreciate them and see only the good in them. It's also good to write about the people that you don't really like and find a reason to appreciate them. This can be difficult as we don't really appreciate people we don't like but it can be very uplifting. There is good in everyone and it's very mood shifting to find the good in even people we dislike and feel grateful for them.

 

Write about  mundane situations and the new experiences and feeling therefrom . There are always situations that have made us happy. For example, you may be grateful for a fun party, a good day at work, a fun vacation.

THE BENEFITS OF KEEPING A GRATITUDE JOURNAL 

There’s a surprising amount of research on the benefits of gratitude on health, relationships and general well being -  yet it only takes five minutes.

#1 You‘ll appreciate even small things taken for granted 

You can write down anything to appreciate it; freshly brewed coffee or nice weather.I’m usually goal-driven, but I can wind down a bit when journaling, and my appreciation of small things keeps me grounded.

#2 What you write tells you what you’re passionate about

My first topic tends to be about my job. Any achievement on that day or any inspiring event that may lead to job opportunities. Thanks to these notes, you will be learning more and more that my home-life balance r is an essential part of yourself; or  keep writing down funny remarks you little children make; or  include in your journal some  funny episodes.

#3 Journaling gives you a chance to express your gratitude to others

 Everyone feels the urge to  be thankful and say that aloud, but journaling gives you an additional opportunity to show my appreciation. For instance, I often write, “my wife  took our kids to a park to play” on weekends. Then, I tell him how much I appreciate that after jotting it down.

#4 Your mind will turn any adverse events into life lessons. 

It is said “thank God for tender mercies…” here you express gratitude that a bad situation did not get worse; for example an skirmish while driving and it did dent the bonnet of your car; but you did not suffer any grave injury .  You can  start rephrasing any unpleasant event as a life lesson or a disguised blessing  in the journal.

CONCLUDING

What if you’re just not a naturally grateful person? Luckily for you, you can “learn” gratitude by practicing it. 

A sustained month long plan  helps you foster a new attitude of gratitude by pushing you to look for the good around you and express thankfulness for it. However don’t feel the need to write something unique each time and avoid something common or forceful that happened today. Keeping a gratitude journal is often very repetitive and it should be a reflection of what you’re thankful for at that time. If you’re thankful for it, add it to your gratitude list! 

The  nicest  part of gratitude journaling is there’s no right or wrong way to do it. Simply starting and finding what comes most naturally to you is the best start. Begin TODAY!

                                                                                     Yours gratefully

Dr Wilfred Monteiro

 

 

BUILD LEADERSHIP PIPELINE IN YOUR COMPANY - GET STARTED TODAY

 

Workplace stress is preventable and identifying the potential sources of stress begins and ends with YOU

 

 MANAGING WORKPLACE STRESS

 Workplace stress is preventable and identifying the potential sources of stress to employees in an organization is the first step in addressing them. Effective interventions for reducing workplace stress can be classified as primary, secondary, and tertiary.

‍

PRIMARY INTERVENTIONS 

Primary interventions involve proactive measures to prevent stress by removing or reducing potential stressors. This level of intervention focuses on the sources of physical and psychosocial stress in the workplace. Examples of primary interventions include:
‍

Redesigning the work environment
‍
‍Providing breaks and nap-times for employees
‍
‍Increasing employee participation in decision making and work planning

‍Increasing time and resources for completing specific job tasks

‍Matching job description with employee skills and qualifications

‍Creating clear promotion and reward pathways

‍Eliminating physical hazards

‍Substituting with safer equipment and technology

‍Establishing control measures to reduce worker's exposure to occupational hazards
‍Promoting the use of personal protective equipment

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SECONDARY INTERVENTIONS 

Secondary interventions are corrective and are focused on altering the ways workers perceive and respond to stressors. These interventions aim at improving worker's ability to cope with stress and detect stress-induced symptoms early. Examples of secondary interventions include:
‍

Training and education of employees

‍Cognitive behavioral therapy training for workers

‍Routine health surveillance - screening for high blood pressure and stress symptoms

‍

TERTIARY INTERVENTIONS 

Tertiary interventions are forms of control at the level of the illness. These are initiated for workers who are already experiencing stress. Tertiary interventions involve providing treatment, compensation plans, rehabilitation programs, and return to work programs for affected workers. Tertiary interventions include:
‍

• Providing medical care and employee assistance programs to affected workers
  ‍
• Return-to-work plans including modification and redesign of work
• 
  ‍

.... BUT IT ALL BEGINS AND ENDS WITH YOU

We all know the things that we could be doing to keep ourselves physically healthy, but we’re not so sure about the things that we could be doing to keep ourselves mentally strong and healthy.

Here are some top tips for or keeping mentally well in the workplace

Remember who you are and the things that are really important to you. Your values are the things that are really important to you and the things that help you make your life meaningful. Spend some time reconnecting with your work and life values.  What are the things that you would refuse to compromise on?  What, if anything, is preventing you from living to those values?

Understand the way you think. Just because you think something, it doesn’t make it true. Your thoughts are just your thoughts. It’s easy to get into poor habits of thinking, jumping to conclusions, thinking that everything is going to go wrong, thinking that you can read minds, focusing on the negatives, feeling responsible for everything that happens, but these are just thinking styles, and they’re not reality.  Learn to recognise the automatic thoughts that pop into your head and learn to let them go, replacing them with more balanced, realistic, objective thoughts.

Remain curious. Being curious about the world is good for your mental health. Try new experiences. Rediscover old interests. Explore new places. Cook different foods. Meet new people. Explore the world around you.

Think positively. People who have a positive attitude cope better with stress.  At the end of each day, spend a few minutes remembering the great things that happened in your day. Learn to reframe your experiences, seeing the good things and recognising the opportunities that they bring.

Focus on the things you can change or influence. The only thing in life that you can directly control is yourself and your decisions.  Focus your valuable energy on the things that you can change.  You might not be able to change the situation that you’re in, but you can change the way that you respond to it.

Learn to let go. Everyone holds on to things, whether it’s possessions, bad habits, relationships, or past mistakes.  You visit these in your head again and again and again.  You don’t need to – you can let go, allowing your feelings of frustration and regret to float away and allow acceptance and peace to take their place.

Keep active. Incorporate more physical activity into your day.  Take a walk at lunchtime. Take the stairs instead of the lift.  Get off the bus a couple of stops early and find a sport or exercise you enjoy.  It doesn’t have to be the gym or running.  It could be dancing, cycling, playing tennis, walking, yoga or skateboarding.

Learn to relax. Find time for things that you enjoy – reading a book, watching a film, walking in the park, riding your bike, listening to music.  Learn short relaxation techniques, tensing and relaxing your muscles in turn.  Visualising a peaceful scene for five to 10 minutes or practising, taking long, slow, deep breaths in and out through your nose.

Build and use your social networks. Connect with people around you and find time for your friends. Think quality not quantity. You don’t need lots of friends -hundreds of friends – just one or two people who you enjoy spending time with and who you can call if you need help.

Manage technology – don’t let it manage you. Technology has revolutionised the way that we work, helping us to become more flexible and productive. But you can become a slave to technology constantly checking emails, updating Facebook, taking work calls late into the evening. Manage your technology. Turn your phone off during meetings. Have separate work and personal phones so that you can turn the work phone off. Limit the times you check and respond to emails. Resist checking up on your social networks until break times. Schedule in focus work time when your telephones are turned off.

ROUNDING UP

Workplace stress is a silent, and oft-neglected, factor which impairs employee health and productivity. It not only affects the workers but also contributes significantly to a decline in a company's overall success. Employers should begin to tackle this worrisome concern to create a healthier, safer, and more productive work atmosphere.

With best compliments

Dr Wilfred Monteiro

how does the META+COACH PLAN work?