"Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I
remember. Involve me and I learn."
— Benjamin Franklin: 18th century statesman, scientist, and writer

Ben Franklin was also the diplomat in Paris during the 18th Century representing the US. He noticed how much would be saved on street lighting if the clocks were changed in the winter - he haggled with the governement and we all do it now

Can't sleep - relax or get up and do something

My friend Tim has strange sleep patterns as I do often.

Did you know that when we get to around 60 our role in the tribe is to change our sleep patterns and keep a look out for the bad guys in the night while the others sleep as they have to go and get the food.

So what is happening to you and I is a totally natural phenomenom – and programmed into our DNA. If you are 30 and this is happening to you, it is probably some unfinished business that you may need to get up, write down and taken action on tomorrow. Remember the key is to write it down.

Karen - Be more efficient by handling Monkeys

I have been working with Karen for a little while. She is fantastic. Her issues are ones that surround a lot of senior / middle managers NOW who are hardworking, honest and wanting to do a great job.

She has too much to do and people who work in her team always seem to leave her to make decisions for them. Secondly she has to go to a lot of meetings and her work is still there when she gets back. Thirdly she is bombarded with emails - and of course they are not dealt with when she is not there or on holiday.

There is a lot of management speak that surrounds these normal issues in any company. "Work smarter not harder" - "Work on your business not in your business" - " have a to be list not a to do list" " Stand back and see the big picture" "less is more" the list goes on.

The problem that faces most people is that feel they are sinking under the weight of the issues. Look at that wording - sinking, weight - taken literally that is what the unconscious mind thinks, and guess what - that causes stress. Reframed into positives, the words mean I have challenges and opportunities to learn how to sort this out and move on to even greater success. Language like this is motivating and makes the brain secrete positive chemicals ( feel good rather than feel bad - endorphines rather than dopamine )

Here is the catch - if all you do is firefight and do more, you get more. You have to set aside thinking time, time to plan, time to delegate, time to coach people to higher performance, put time slots in the diary for "feedforward" sessions with your people. Put time in the diary for thinking time - where you treat yourself to a coffee for being smarter. If you are saying to yourself you can't - switch off that negative voice in your head and ask yourself how does Sir Richard Branson do it. Modelling comes from high achievers, NLP or wherever. If someone else can do it - copy what they do and you can do it. Speed read Branson's latest book, it will be the best £10 you have invested.

One final point - don't accept Monkeys. Monkeys are problems that belong to other people and they want to give them to you and leave them with you. Letting the monkey jump from their back to you and leave it there. Managers are constantly faced with Monkeys. The skilled manager recognises the monkey and pushes it back to the other person with typically "What do you think we should do? What do you recommend" - if they say I don't know - here is the magic - and Karen hates this when I do it to her but she now does it to others and it is great for them in the long term "If you did know, what would the answer be?" DO NOT AT THIS STAGE SAY ANYTHING, WATCH and LISTEN TO THEIR REACTION and leave it with them. They will come up with the answers themselves. This has three benefits for Karen -
1 - She avoids Monkeys
2 - She develops her people and they respect her more
3 - She has more time

Do you have any of Karen's issues?