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Fall 2013
Dear
Colleague,
Summer is officially over! Although we will likely continue
to experience a range of hot and cool weather in the weeks ahead, it is time
for leaves to start changing colors and for autumn to emerge. For some, this is
their happiest time of the year and for others it is the onset of colder
treacherous weather ahead. Reminds me of a great saying we have all heard over
and over again, 'beauty is in the eyes of the beholder'. We could apply this to
basically everything in life - nature, art, people, work, and more. One
person's treasure could be another's misery and vice versa.
Such is the case with our 'happiness'. Why are some people
always upbeat and happy even in the midst of adversity while some seem to
always be unhappy even while achieving success? How do we measure happiness?
The answer is different for every individual. There has been
much written about 'happiness' over the last several years accompanied by many
theories that have evolved. Last year Talent Management Magazine
published an article titled, "Does Happiness Really Drive
Results?" by Dan Bowling and Shannon Polly suggesting that
"promoting happiness in the workplace is now a scientifically motivated
practice that has proven benefits for productivity, profits, and people". It
also correlates to a lot of positive psychology theories that stress the
importance of focusing on and leveraging strengths as we have learned with
resources such as StrengthsFinder 2.0 by Tom Rath.
Numerous books and articles have been published around the
'happiness' concept in addition to other theories related to
'positive Intelligence' and 'optimism'. It involves
much research and scientific discoveries around brain science as well as
behavioral patterns and assessments. This is all fascinating and great dialogue
to build upon especially around the impact on engagement and performance.
Here are a few resources that discuss these
topics:
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Power of Positive Thinking, Dr.
Norman Vincent Peale
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Positive Intelligence, Shirzad
Chamine
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How to Stop Worrying and Start
Living, Dale Carnegie
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Happiness: A Guide to Developing Life's
Most Important Skill, Matthieu Ricard (Foreword by Daniel Goleman)
Happiness and positivity play a daily role in our personal
and professional decisions and outcomes. I believe it is a choice to be happy
and that we are each responsible for our own happiness. We live in a world of
constant change, uncertainty and opportunity. How we choose to show up every
day, frame our outlook, engage with others and put forth energy in our work and
relationships is solely our responsibility and no one else's. My favorite quote
at the end of a poem by Charles Swindell says it best, "I am convinced that
life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it…"
Staying positive is a way to empower ourselves to live a
happy, productive and fulfilled life regardless of our challenges! I was
recently interviewed by The Boston Club, a professional association for
executive women for which I have been a member for many years,
www.thebostonclub.com. Please allow me to share this
interview with you. I look forward to hearing your thoughts and perspectives
too.
Staying Positive, Empowering Ourselves and
Other Critical
Life Lessons:
TBC: Most people are busier than ever, torn
between lists and lists of obligations and "things to do." How do you maintain
effectiveness when there are so many priorities competing for your attention?
RBA: I truly believe finding focus is the
differentiator between effectiveness and ineffectiveness. We all have long
lists of things we need to accomplish and even when we have great plans to work
through our lists, something unexpected comes up that pulls us away and/or
distracts us. The reality is that everything on that list does not need to be
done today. All projects have different timelines and being able to prioritize
what needs your full attention today, then differentiating the big items from
the smaller items can help you determine how much time you need to dedicate to
each item on a daily basis.
In my coaching work, I find time management is one of the
culprits that can derail people from achieving their best work. It requires
discipline and individual accountability as well as the ability to say "no" or
"not now" when appropriate. I have learned to manage my time and my schedule in
an efficient manner. I make adjustments on a weekly and daily basis to ensure
that I focus on the right things at the right time. Getting organized and
staying organized is important.
Another strategy I have found helpful for me personally is
to not expect to cross everything off that list. It is quite liberating when
you acknowledge that life is busy and will always be busy! There is only one
constant that we can all expect to encounter each and every day, and that is to
expect change. Having an open mind to expect and embrace change every day can
help us manage demands and shifting priorities much more easily and
effectively.
I have a quote in my office that is very appropriate: "I'm
too blessed to be stressed." Stay focused on the important and timely
deliverables, and take it one day at a time.
TBC: What are your top two tips for
effectively dealing with stress?
RBA: The first tip is to identify what
your personal stressors are. Awareness can be enlightening and it can help us
manage stress much more effectively. Everyone is different-some of us handle
certain things well while others find them stressful. Keeping a journal can
help to uncover stressors as well as to identify patterns that we may have
created. Once we can identify what the source of our stress is then we are
better able to determine the best ways to proactively manage it.
The second tip is to accept the fact that we cannot change
or control other people or situations, only how we react to them. I realize
this can be easier said than done, but I have learned that often, stress is
created when we are overwhelmed, want a different outcome or have a different
expectation.
Our happiness and inner peace is within our control. We make
choices every day that determine how we deal with everything in our lives. The
key is to embrace the fact that we determine how we will deal with stress and
whether we allow it to manage us or vice versa. Here's another great quote on
this topic from the end of a poem by Charles Swindell: "I am convinced that
life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it."
I must add a third tip, and that is to eat healthy, be
active and get enough sleep. When we don't do all of these things, it greatly
impacts our stress level. On the flip side, when we do these things well, it
can eliminate stress in our lives because we are much more equipped to think
clearly, make good choices and manage our time and outlook more
effectively.
TBC: What one thing do you try to do every day
that provides you with the energy you need to be effective?
RBA: The one thing I try to do every day
is to always stay positive and see the cup half full. It is very easy to go
down a path that drains us of our energy to be effective. It also leads to
behaviors that cause stress. I look for the positive in every situation and
focus on the things that are important. Life is too short to dwell on the
negatives. Staying positive always energizes me and helps me focus on the
important things in life. Being positive also helps me be creative, keep things
in perspective and see the big picture.
When I stay focused on the positive, I am inspired and that
always energizes me do to my best work-delivering the highest quality service
to my clients. Laughing and smiling also help, as does connecting with other
positive people in my life!
TBC: How do you ensure you stay true to your
career/life goals and not let them lose priority to things that are more
"urgent?"
RBA: I'm going to share with you an
analogy I always use in regards to managing our careers as well as our lives.
It really is all about empowering ourselves so that we can take charge-it's the
difference between sitting in the driver's seat vs. sitting in the back seat
going along for the ride. If we don't stay true to ourselves and we allow other
things (or people) to take priority, we are sitting in the back seat rather
than in the driver's seat. Who's determining what is urgent? It should be
within our scope to make that determination and/or to be in agreement.
Empower yourself by doing these 3 things:
The best way to not let your own career and life goals lose
priority is to always stay focused on them. Do your due diligence-empower
yourself by always having a plan and staying true to it. Even when unexpected
and/or urgent challenges present themselves, when you are in the driver's seat,
you will determine which direction to take.
As women, we may have a tendency to put others' needs before
our own, and there is a time and a place to do that. When it comes to our
children and families, we will make those choices and be more than willing to
put their needs before ours. But, if we have a plan and have identified our
priorities, those choices are ours and no one else's.
TBC: If you could give one piece of advice to
women today, what would it be?
RBA: Trust yourself. I mean really trust
yourself-your judgment, your capabilities, your instincts and your dreams.
Don't short-change yourself or minimize your talents, accomplishments and
decisions. Take more risks-what's the worst that could happen? Get rid of the
guilt and learn to gracefully say no! Lastly, it's really important to take
care of yourself emotionally. Our well-being and our balance comes from inside
first and if we know our emotional self at the core, that truly makes all the
difference in how we are able to be present and fulfilled. Find your passion
and allow yourself to experience the things that make you whole both
professionally and personally! Enjoy the journey!
Current Updates
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Business continues to be active within
my areas of specialty which are executive coaching, leadership development,
management training and career development. High demand remains for
one-on-one executive coaching as well as team leadership development
initiatives. Please be sure to visit my website at
www.ritaballenassociates.com
to learn more about my consulting services, programs and workshops as well as
my approach to coaching.
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A sampling of topics within
leadership development and management training that I offer include:
Communications Skills, Executive Presence, Relationship Building, Conflict
Management, Emotional Intelligence, Multicultural Awareness, Remote Team
Management, Strategic Approach to Talent Acquisition, Time Management,
Development Coaching, Strategic Planning, and High Performance Work
Teams.
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My monthly blog and column, "Rita's
Career Corner", in the Global Business Hub section of boston.com, has a
new topic each month and an opportunity to post questions to "Ask
Rita…" All of these blogs can also be found on my website. This
month's topic is "Manage Your Career…On Your Own Terms".
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In addition to my part-time roles as
Lecturer at Northeastern University and Bentley University, I am very excited
to be working with Deb Kennedy in Executive Education at Bentley
University to introduce a new Human Resources program offering,
"Strategic Leadership for H.R." to launch in Spring of 2014. Stay
tuned!
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I continue to serve as a member of the
Board of Directors of More Than Words, a non-profit which
empowers youths who are in the foster care system, court involved, homeless, or
out of school to take charge of their lives by taking charge of a business!
Please join me and get involved by donating books, CDs, DVDs, volunteering your
time or expertise, providing cash funding, and/or sponsoring a book drive at
your organization. To learn more, please feel free to call me or visit their
website at www.MTWyouth.org.
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Please take a moment to visit my website to
see a variety of events and my other published articles. Here are a few
highlights of my recent articles and upcoming events where I will be
speaking and/or presenting:
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"How to Improve Your Interviewing
Technique" Webinar,
FX Conferences September 26, 2013, 2:00 - 3:00 PM EDT
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Radio Interview with Mike Mullaney on
104.1 Radio, October 1st
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Leadership Retreat at MBA Women
International Annual Conference October 3, 2013, Boston Park Plaza Hotel,
The 2013 Annual Conference & Career fair
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10th Annual Best Companies: Best
Practices - Keeping the Competitive Edge Executive Forum, Bentley University,
featuring Harvard Vanguard and Rapid7, October 24, 2013
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"Mentor and Be Mentored - A Powerful
Career Management Strategy" , Society of Women Engineers Dinner Program,
sponsored by Intel, November 12, 2013
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"Increasing Your Efficiency by Honing
Your Time Management Skills" Webinar,
FX Conferences December 3, 2013, 2:00 - 3:00 PM EDT
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"Building a Consulting Practice - Is it an Option for
Me?", NEHRA Newsletter, August 2013
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"Manage Your Career On Your Own
Terms" Global Business Hub, boston.com,
Rita's Career Corner, September 2013
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Speaking of managing our careers, I
recently read a very good article by one of my colleagues, Jamie Graceffa at
Philips Healthcare co-written with Dr. Beverly Kaye that I would like to share
with you as well,
"Your
Reputation at Work". Enjoy!
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Watch for my new website…coming
soon.
Many thanks for your continued support, your business and
your referrals! I am grateful for another active year and welcome the
opportunity to be of assistance and continue to provide a variety of talent
management consulting and coaching services. Please reach out and share some of
your updates, accomplishments and challenges! I look forward to hearing from
you!
Best Regards,
Rita B. Allen
Rita B. Allen Associates
| 460 Totten Pond Road, Suite 110
| Waltham, MA 02451
781-890-6803
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rita@ritaballenassociates.com
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www.ritaballenassociates.com
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