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7-Personal-Practices-for-Navigating-Complexity
Career  ·  Productivity
7 Personal Practices for Navigating Complexity

“I’m confused! I don’t even understand anything anymore.”

Personal Practices for Navigating Complexity

  1. Utilizing active listening – Being open to listening to new voices and opinions is a great way to navigate complexity. During the process of active listening, you compare and contrast different voices and you get to learn newer, easier, (and probably faster) ways of doing and handling things. Know that listening is not just something that happens, it is an active process where an intentional decision is made. Active listening requires patience. As an active listener, allow yourself to explore your thoughts and feelings and choose what works best for you.
  2. Accept the complexity – Do not live in denial about your complexity. Understand that it is okay for you to be confused when complexity sets in. There are few absolutes and many relatives in modern organizational life. It is not a question of hard or soft data, but of both. It’s not about a temporary period or a permanent period, but about both. It’s not a case of stick or carrot, but of both. It is not a choice between productivity and creativity, but rather between the two. Complexity can set in, but once you accept it, the path will be easier to navigate.
  3. Be ready to change your point of view – Being open-minded is good behaviour in complex situations because you are always ready to accept new situations and opposing points of view and you can immediately adjust accordingly.
  4. Create and embrace simplicity – Know that you do not have the ability and resources to completely solve a problem and you cannot do more than your strength can carry. Don’t outweigh and overwork yourself by trying to always do everything alone. Be open to taking your tasks one step at a time and also use the simplest methods.
  5. Build on open foundations – You are probably not the first person to work on the task that is causing your complexity. Feel free to read books, make research, find archetypes, and build on the derived and accumulated knowledge. Embrace quality shortcuts and easy work.
  6. Seek diversity and consult professionals: High complexity conditions are too elaborate for one head and mind. Feel free to seek professional consultations and diversify from your usual procedure and watch as the complicated situation carefully untangles.
  7. Reduce analysis rate and start acting: Don’t dwell too much on “whys” and “hows”. Sometimes, when you can’t find a headway from your analysis, things tend to become more complex and you just freeze without doing anything. But when you start acting, you are prone to getting a proper headway and further analysis can be built on previous actions.

December 13, 2021

The Power of Being Interested in Others
Career  ·  Direction  ·  Entrepreneur  ·  Leadership  ·  Life
The Power of Being Interested in Others

Leaders often tell me they struggle to connect with their staff, but a lot of times that is down to the fact that they have not taken a genuine interest in the people they lead.

When you show your people you are invested in them, they invest back in you and one of the key ways to show you are invested is to take an interest in them and what they do.

As a father, one of the ways I connect with children is playing Adopt Me with my kids. The game features two parties, a baby and a parent.
There are four of these needs the parent must tend to, otherwise, the baby will be unhappy. Players also adopt pets, including basic ones likes dog and cats, or rare pets such as wolves, griffins, unicorns etc which you need to look after because they have the same moods as babies and they can be taught tricks by the pet trainer at the school. Babies cannot hold pets or put pets in strollers, but parents can.

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This is a chance for them to bring me into their world and even though I don’t complete get it they appreciate it because it shows I am genuinely interested in them which is how you develop a good relationship.

“You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.” — Dale Carnegie

Dr. Trevor Boffone, a Spanish teacher at Bellaire High School in Bellaire, Texas wanted to connect with his students, so he took an interest in what the kids were into which was Dubmash videos and once they knew he was for real the kids began to teach him.

“While it feels great to be recognized for my teaching, fame is not why I do it. I do it to help my students. I do it to show my students that I care about them beyond the content of my class. I do it because I care about their cultures and identities. I do it to create a more inclusive classroom. I do it because my students are visible. They matter.” — Dr. Trevor Boffone

When leaders taking an interest in their people by asking questions, by listening, by observing, they begin to understand what motivates and drives the people they lead. The are able to build good relationships and get the best out of their people.

January 21, 2020

A Manager is a Map — A Leader is Satellite Navigation
Career  ·  Direction  ·  Life
A Manager is a Map — A Leader is Satellite Navigation

As I wrote that title it suddenly dawned on me that for some people reading this some won’t ever have used a paper map, in fact the closest thing the Gen Z (also known as the iGeneration) will have as a point of reference would be Call of Duty/Fortnite.

When I talk about a map I am referring to the only point of navigation widely used before we had Satellite Navigation. I am referring to a piece of paper or a book if you were fancy which I am sure accounted for 40% of marriage/relationships breakups before 2000 when a more accurate GPS navigation was made widely available for civilian use.

Maps were rigid, they were created decades ago and could not be easily changed. They did not consider any roadworks, road closure or traffic. They did not give you an estimated time of arrival to your destination. You were left to your own devices with a loose idea of how to get to your destination. Long journeys tended to have one person driving and the other person “navigating” based on the map but they were confusing a wrong turn could cost you hours on the road or worse yet completely lost and as you can imagine frustration lead to anger which to arguments and you arrive at why relationships ended after a long car journey.

A manager is a map, they give you a task to accomplish sometimes with a timeline but they do not come along for the journey. They are sometimes very inflexible and are as dynamic as a paper map.

When you have issues along the way due to conflicting commitments or delays which impact your delivery they don’t care. They rely on positional authority to exercise control with complete focus on execution.

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A leader, on the other hand, can be compared to Google maps, they are there with you on the journey from start to finish. They help you navigate the detours, road closure and accidents that might occur on the journey. They understand that the estimated time of arrival can change due to things outside of your control.

Timeframes do still matter but they are flexible and more understanding when change occurs constantly communicating updates when the course changes similar to how maps update due to delays like traffic.

Leaders inspire people to follow them without necessarily having positional authority over them. They focus on developing and empowering others so by the time the journey is over you have grown and developed.

WHICH TYPE ARE YOU?

It has been said the business world needs both great leaders and great managers but as companies embrace more technology in organisations as well as trying to improve diversity we need more leaders and fewer managers for real change to occur but that is a topic for another day

July 24, 2019

YOU CAN’T POUR FROM AN EMPTY CUP
Career  ·  Direction  ·  Life
YOU CAN’T POUR FROM AN EMPTY CUP

We live in a time where being on the go is the new craze. You are constantly bombarded with quotes like “Don’t say you don’t have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein.” You are made to feel like if you are not spending 24/7 working on your goals and dreams there is something wrong with you and you don’t want it bad enough. I post quotes on a regular basis on Instagram, I do believe how you spend your time shapes your life but I also believe in the swear word “REST”. 

Why Should I Rest?

Running on Empty

Have you ever tried running a car on empty? I remember those dark times when I could not afford to put fuel in my car regularly (that is for a future post) I ran very close to the wire on a regular basis and once I was caught out. It was like my car was trying to teach me a lesson for ignoring all the warning signs I had been given and it stopped working. In case you did not know it your body is like a machine and it needs to be refuelled regularly. When you choose to ignore the various warning signs your body just like my car will stop functioning properly.

Spiritual Discipline

The Bible is filled with instructions about rest and recreation and relaxation. In fact, it’s so important that God put it in the Ten Commandments — right up there with “Don’t commit adultery” and “Don’t murder.” He says that every seventh day, you have to take a day off. That’s how important a Sabbath (from šāḇaṯ in Hebrew which means rest)is in your life.

Jesus said in Mark 2:27, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath”(NIV). In other words, God created this idea of you taking a day off every seven days for rest, recreation, worship, and restoration. It’s his idea, and it’s for your own benefit so you don’t burn out — Rick Warren

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How Do I Rest?

Rest is not one size fits all & it’s not always about sleep either. We all have different things that fill us, which help us to relax and provide much-needed restoration to our minds and soul. Naturally, when you speak of rest the idea of a holiday comes to mind but you can’t go on holiday every week and not all holidays are relaxing. Have you come back from a holiday needing another holiday? Another problem with focusing on holiday as your rest time is that you are postponing …. Life is unpredictable so if the unforeseen were to happen and you could not go on holiday that year there is a good chance your body won’t let you make it till next year for a reschedules holiday.

Below are some practical way I find rest which might work for you:

Exercise

I run about 5.5 miles 4/5 times a week, I know what you are thinking how is that restful but when I go for a run it’s just me and my thoughts. It’s a chance for me to process the day ahead of me, spend some time with God, exercise, and release of endorphins which trigger a positive feeling in the body. Regular exercise has been proven to Reduce stress/Ward off anxiety and feelings of depression/Boost self-esteem /Improve sleep.

Help Others

Scientific studies show that helping others boosts happiness. It increases life satisfaction, provides a sense of meaning, increases feelings of competence, improves our mood and reduced stress. It can help to take our minds off our own troubles too. Speaking from experience when I have helped others out either by just spending some time to talk to them or anonymously buying something I know someone needed I have felt so much better. “There is more happiness in giving than in receiving.” Acts 20:35

“Reading”

I love reading or these days listening to books on audible, reading provides an escape as well as a different perspective on issues or worries you might have. It provides clarity for me which ultimately provides some peace of mind.

Quality Conversation & Companions

By far this is what fills me up the most spending time with people who are good for your health, people who fill you up not drain you. I am blessed to be able to say my wife is someone who I can relax with and she fills me up. We act like teenage kids sometimes even though we have some of our own.

I also have a good group of friends who I can either talk to on the phone as they are not local or spend some time with when I visit who restore me and keep me sane. It is important to stress that you identify the “fillers” from the “drainers”. Some friends/family/relationships etc are draining so “STAY AWAY FROM THESE PEOPLE” during your rest period.

Spend some time looking back over your past and identify the various activities which have left you feeling revitalized and do those more often. The activities that have left you depleted STOP DOING THEM.

CONCLUSION

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March 8, 2019

A story about quitting my job and stepping out in faith to embark on a new path.
Career  ·  Direction  ·  Family  ·  Life
A story about quitting my job and stepping out in faith to embark on a new path.

A story about quitting my job and stepping out in faith to embark on a new path.

To the outside world I had what some people have described as the perfect life, I was in a job I enjoyed with a loving wife and 2 kids who we were putting through private school and regular holidays. I was happy and content but God knew I was not reaching my full potential so January 2016, God put a word on my heart which was “get comfortable with being uncomfortable”.

To say it was puzzling at first would be an understatement but one thing I know is when God gives us information he tailors it to our individuals ways of thinking and looking at life and over the next 2 weeks he showed me what he meant. From listening to Steve Harvey talking about jumping and taking a leap of faith to various other videos, clips, quotes and conversation he revealed to me that I was settling.

8 years ago I was a contractor and it was something I enjoyed and I always said it would be something I would like to get back into and God was saying to me why not now? I was comfortable in my job, I had the privilege of working from home 2 days a week something which was unique to me only, I was respected and highly regarded and I had a good friendship with my manager. Work was comfortable but God was telling me if I want to reach the goals I had for my family I had to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. To go into contracting you needed to be immediately available which at a maximum was 1 month but mostly it was a week. I had a 3 month notice period so that meant quitting my job without having something else to go into and believing everything will work out. As the main breadwinner of the house this was a serious leap of faith but as stated above after seeking God’s face and speaking to my wife whose response was what are you waiting for I resigned. **I cannot state the importance of having a good woman by your side who believes in you and gives you confidence**

During this period I also had the word about my running, I started running in Nov 2014 as a challenge because I had always told myself I was a short distance runner which I was at school and the sports I played where all quick burst so for me it was doing something which pushed me out of my comfort zone and after doing 2 half marathons in 2015 I thought I had proved something to myself and that was finished but God was not through teaching me just yet. Arthur Blank said “I run because it’s so symbolic of life. You have to drive yourself to overcome the obstacles. You might feel that you can’t. But then you find your inner strength, and realize you’re capable of so much more than you thought” & looking back I can see that it was linked to what I was going to face in the upcoming months.

At the end of January 2016 I had quit my job and I was facing running a marathon so I was definitely embracing getting comfortable with being uncomfortable. In the next 3 months that unfolded I went through a lot of tests, I was offered a promotion at work which I turned down eventually as it was not what God has put on my heart, I was approached about some permanent roles which in Dec I probably would have jumped on and I also had some disappointment’s along the way in regards to interviews I went for but I was not successful. So many times I cried out to God to find some strength because worry and fear sometimes crept in but he was there revealing himself to me and my wife was my rock.

He also revealed himself through my marathon training because to be able to accommodate training that meant waking up at 5am in the morning every day in the rain, wind & snow. It meant being dedicated and sticking to a schedule and pushing myself and body to lengths I had never done. I remember a lot of times when I ran I always saw me getting my medal and that kept me going, during that period I was able to listen to several motivation rips from YouTube, sermons and sometimes just spend some time praying and running. As Romans 8:28 says “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose”.

Most of my work colleagues could not understand why I had quit work without a job and I had several long conversation but as the one of my fav quotes says “Not everyone will understand your journey. That’s fine. It’s not their journey to make sense of. It’s yours.”

28th of April was my official leaving date so for me my search really started on the 4th of April as I was in that 1 month window, I signed up to LinkedIn Premium service for the 30 days free trial and I remember saying to myself I will not be extending this regardless of what happens. On the 6th I came down to London and met several recruiters and despite positive meeting over the next couple of weeks nothing happened. The roles I applied for I was not get any callback’s, the recruiters in London and Midlands were all quiet and the closer I got to the 28th the harder it got however my wife shared with me that she had been praying that regardless what happens I will have a job, in the second week of April I had a conversation with work who had filled my role but due to one of my team leaving (I had helped her get a job somewhere else) they wanted me to stay on till I got something. They initially wanted me to have a month notice period but I reduced that to 5 days & I also requested flexibility to attend interviews whenever I needed which eventually was agreed & my wife’s prayers were answered.

Despite having this agree I wanted to leave by the 28th so when I saw a role advertised by one of the agencies I had visited on the 4th which suited what I wanted to do I reached out and I got an interview. The interview was on the 22nd of April, I felt I did well and I was what they were looking for but a couple days later I got the feedback and it was a no, I had the required skill set but he wanted a season contractor not someone new to the contracting field. I was flabbergasted and angry because the reason for not getting the job I felt was ridiculous. On the 27th I saw a number of roles advertised by Hays so I reached out to my contact there and told him to speak to the relevant colleagues, one of them got back to me not about the role I had applied for but about another opportunity at BT, I looked through the job spec and I did not think I ticked all the boxes but I told her to send my details which she did and on the 28th of April she said they wanted to see me on the Friday which was a pleasant surprise. I went for the interview and probably for the first time in my life I walked out of an interview thinking I did not get that job, the question from the interviewee I felt I answered well but he repeated them a number of times and little things that were said I just felt nope this was not for me and I told the agency that.

Monday was a bank holiday and the marathon, all the months of training and preparation came and the race started really well I was keeping my pace and I was happy till mile 8 and I got injured. My hamstring from a previous football injury came back and I was in pain. Society says real men do not cry but I was close to it, the disappointment and frustration of coming this face was a deadly combination inside and when the medics asked me if I wanted to be quit I almost screamed yet but then I was reminded of the quote by Epictetus “It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters”. God had not brought me this far just to quit and turn around and yes even though it meant I won’t hit my time of 4:45 which was my target, it meant I would be in pain and it would take longer getting lapped by people in costumes and other who were 20+ years old than me I said I wanted to complete a marathon that was the goal so I persevered and carried on. I dragged myself around the track and I ran/hobbled the last mile but I finished and I got my medal. I learnt a lot of valuable lessons in that race in relation to life which is best summed up by this “Endurance is the spirit which can bear things, not simply with resignation, but with blazing hope. It is a quality which keeps a man on his feet with his face to the wind. It is the virtue which can transmute the hardest trial into glory because beyond the pain, it sees the goal.”

Tuesday the 4th of May was the final day of my free trial with Linkedin and that morning when I got to work I cancelled it, I had not managed to get a job but I was determined (cheap) to not have to pay for anything to get my job, the marathon despite the pain had filled me with hope and renewed me and looking back I could see why God had put that on my mind. That morning I got a phone call from Hays and they said they had spoken to BT but the feedback they had was the opposite of what I had said they wanted to offer me the job, I was in shock. The role which I did not I would get a call back from, with a bad interview I had got an offer for and it was more money that the previous role I was disappointed about. They also needed 2 weeks to sort things out due to security which was perfect for me as I could give work 5 days’ notice and take my holiday before leaving. In 2 days everything he had laid on my mind in Jan came to pass and he was faithful.

Previously me and my wife had been discussing the possibility of her reducing her hours at work by half a day possibly in September due to this she has been able to reduce her days to 4 days starting end of May. The long term goals are already happening because God is faithful.

May 6, 2016