Category: HR

About Confidence..

Confidence comes from ‘Thinking for yourself’.  It’s a tough one as many things influence us from our early childhood, our temperament, our experiences.  The human is a complex being and who am I to really comment?

Because sometimes our mind tricks us, fogs our brains and leads our minds astray.  I know.  I’ve been in that thick dense fog and it can be devilishly hard to find your way out. No matter how much advice and support you receive, each of us has our own ‘inner schedule’ and until we have processed something sufficiently, whatever it is, the way out and way forward will inevitably elude us.  That’s because we are human.

 

At work and in our personal lives we reach crossroads. Situations arise we feel unable to handle. And what stops us moving on? Yep. Got it in one.  BUT HOLD ON. That’s making the assumption that fear is a bad thing.

Facing up to fear, to anxiety. To addressing something head-on takes courage and the harder the challenge, the braver one has to be.

So pushing through that fear makes the achievement all the greater,    The every act of making a decision will alleviate the anxiety because whatever the outcome, you have taken control by making a decision. Taking control means you have accepted the responsibility and this represents a shift in power.

This week I’m going to be working with a new group. They are young, about to enter a new phase of their lives and there is so much opportunity to tempt them, challenge them, test and teach them.  But only if they recognise the freedom that thinking for oneself brings.  Life really is the most amazing, most challenging teacher of all.

Challenging Assumptions: A Dublin based breakfast event 22nd March.

Multi-Cultural Exchange:  A Dublin based evening monthly workshop launches 22nd March – to attend this first event FREE click here to go to Eventbrite

 

love what you do 🙂 Janie

 

Happenstance – Fit, Young, Talented and Male..

Happenstance ?

When you have three young CEO’s, one who works on water, one who understands Sentiment and one who optimizes health and leverages technology for the greater good, we’ll be as challenged in our beliefs as our assumptions are challenged, just as they have been. I hadn’t planned to bring three guys together, pure happenstance!

Join me, Charlie Byrne, CEO of Engager, Sean Greif of Moon Tour and Gary Kealy of Night Raven at our next Dublin Breakfast Event..

March 22nd. Bank of Ireland, Montrose. Places limited. Registration advisable.

I may not be as young as I was, as fit as I’d like to be, though time has increased my abilities to recognise there’s plenty to gain from bringing people like these great guys together for Breakfast !

Join us. Be Challenged. Be part of our ‘Conversation’, A great opportunity to continue the dialogue we started in January with Dr. Annette Clancy.

Love your work !

Janie

087 8572005

 

Challenging Assumptions – Changing Perceptions

Sometimes, you’ve got to take a stand and question whether current thinking is perhaps a little warped – or still works

Sometimes it is not enough to ‘go with the flow, to feel you’ve met the brief, ticked all the boxes.

Sometimes you have to question the decisions you’ve made and continue to make and maybe re-evaluate if you’re getting the best outcomes from the decisions you’re making – which generally…. are being made using our past experiences and may not be reflecting current needs.

This day in two weeks time, we’re doing just that and getting to hear what some of today’s younger CEO’s are thinking.  And we’re getting a male perspective too.

What does human centric really mean in the mindset of emerging leaders?

How much can we learn from them – and them from us?

22nd March. Breakfast Event. Bank of Ireland, Montrose.  Registration Essential.

 

Organised by Janie Lazar: 086 857 2005

bookings.muchmorethanwords.com

22nd March. 8am. Challenging Assumptions

After the success of our January event, we’ve brought together extraordinary people to challenge us even more – the question is will you be there – or miss out?

Challenging Assumptions – at the Bank of Ireland, Montrose, 

Click to book your place – space limited

Event starts: 8am sharp.

Organiser: Janie Lazar 086 857 2005

Much More Than Words – Creating a Culture of Conversation

Real support When you Need it

Jan Cooke, Events Manager Bank of Ireland with MMTW Founder Janie Lazar

It has to be said that without the consistent encouragement and support of people like Jan Cooke, Events Manager for the Bank of Ireland, there are days I would just…. give up!!

Launching something new can be terribly exciting but once the novelty wears off, then the hard slog begins and having people around you like Jan and Montrose Branch Manager Gavin Leech makes all the difference. Their drive and interest in what you’re doing, where they can help keeps you going, as let’s face it, keeping momentum can be challenging.  Talking of challenging…

On the 22nd March, we’ll be having our next breakfast meeting at the Bank of Ireland Enterprise Lounge, Montrose  with a diverse panel of contributors to ‘Challenge Assumptions’.  My vision for the breakfast meetings is simple:  in bringing together HR and leadership professionals, we gain a better understanding of what’s important.

‘creating a culture of conversation’.

As we bring people together to work collaboratively within an increasingly multi-cultural workplace, we’re shaking things up with lively dialogue before the day has begun, great connections are made and amazing things unfold..

Later the same day, thanks again to the Bank of Ireland, we’re launching Much More Than Words ‘Multi-Cultural Exchange  in the evening at the Trinity Enterprise Lounge.  My vision here is building a collaborative community where non-native English Speakers working across a wide range of disciplines can boost their language competency and become more effective communicators, whilst using their skills to help other people.  Again a place where  it’s a WIN/WIN. Not everyone works for larger companies where training is available and this, we feel is a good way to help fill what our research shows is a much needed skills gap.

If you’d like to know more about what we’re doing, let’s talk!  Janie Lazar: 086 857 2005

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Technology and Monkeys

Oh so cleverly! Technology is making monkeys of us.

Rather than creating a 'Culture of Conversation' where people think for themselves, we're moving on autopilot. Increasingly failing to question what on earth we're doing and more importantly why.

Every day we’re overloaded with images, subliminal advertising, thousands of messages which slowly, oh so cleverly are taking over our minds.  Influencing how we think. What we think.  Directing us towards products and services companies think we might like. Even this blog, our web-site. That’s the reality of the word of commerce.  Pressure to canvas support, for charities, for political parties, for local campaigns. We are free thinkers. Aren’t we? Sometimes I wonder whether we really think at all.  Edward de Bono felt thinking is a skill that should be taught in school and I agree.

HOLD ON.  It’s time to challenge yourself. take the time to think out  loud.

RATIONALISE what you’re thinking.

QUESTION the basis for  judgement and use a little more reason to challenge any assumptions you or a colleague are making before finalizing key decisions..

We use our ‘gut’ almost instinctively. It can help guide us to make the right decisions, using a combination of knowledge we’ve accumulated based on fact and our experience. We don’t always pick up on what it’s telling us. Hear the signals. From the ‘unsettled’ feeling in the stomach to perhaps ‘tingling’ when something is right.

Think about the word disease.  See it again perhaps as dis-ease. Consider it as discomfort, an alert. A way of telling us to be careful.

Sometimes though I believe it is there to stop us rushing into things. Making the wrong decisions The problem is often we don’t give ourselves time to think. We get caught up in the excitement of something and don’t make time for that ‘internal dialogue’.  I’ve done it so often myself as I don’t always take the time I should.  And there is often a cost.  Usually an emotional cost.  Consequences. So my thought for today in this blog post – which is one way for me to having a conversation of sorts with you – is to ask you to challenge your emotions and any assumptions you’re making. Don’t just blindly accept what you’re thinking especially on the bigger issues.  Emotions are triggered by what we think and therein lies the opportunity to use reason and make sure your mind and heart is really working in tandem and your intentions are coming from the right place.

Click for details of our next Dublin Breakfast Event ‘Challenging Assumptions’

 

 

 

 

Face to Face Matters – it’s where real life happens!

Knowing What to Say and Using language appropriately – effectively – efficiently and in your own way

Yes, all of this matters and how you come across to people says much about you personally and professionally. Now we’re not saying you need to be perfect, that can be, well perhaps a little lacking in soul you might say.  Where you come from and accents are an essential part of who you are and in many instances can be quite endearing.  They are part of your identity and give powerful clues as to your cultural identity.

When you show who you really are through what you say, sharing what you feel by how you tell your story, people connect emotionally with you.

What we’re talking about is being understood, speaking clearly and effectively. In short, communicating in the most appropriate way in a manner which reflects who you are and represents your company well too. As a business owner, this is equally important as you are representing your business and in many cases as the business owner, you may also be representing your clients, their services and brands.  In doing so you’re carrying their reputations with you too. They have placed their trust in you and that carries a responsibility to be taken seriously.

 

Face to Face Matters - it's where real life happens.

(even though you're probably reading this on FB now!)

image from FB.  Source unknown.

ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS and yet..

Words do matter and it is important to be comfortable in how you use them so you can be understood, whether you are speaking in your own language or another. If you’re speaking without feeling, as if reciting from a script people will know. They will hear it in your voice, see it in your body language.. Aiming to be word perfect is unrealistic. Just because you’ve written your speech or presentation in one way, it does not mean you have to deliver it that way.  If you do, there’s a danger it will sound wooden and insincere.  The goal is to establish a rapport, a connection, to deliver a clear message that can be understood.  You need to understand who you are talking to, whether it is an audience of many or simply one other person and relate to them, deliver in a way which is appropriate to them.  Reading your audience, not reading to your audience is vital. The more you speak in public and make presentations, the more aware you become of how to keep on improving whatever the language and wherever you are in the world!.

Face to Face Matters  –  making life real

Click to talk to us about working with your company on a group or one to one basis.

Click here for details of our March 22nd Breakfast Event
7.45 Registration. 8am prompt start. Ends c. 9.30. am