KRL Newsletter
2020 - Issue #8
I just need that Lucky break!
Over the last two decades of working within people development, I have always discussed and challenged what I call the ‘luck factor’, within business.
You often hear, that was ‘lucky’, or you always get the ‘luck’, or the classic, it started with a ‘lucky meeting/telephone call’
‘Luck’ seems to be associated with the difference between success or failure
It is apparently linked to the concept of chance - a chance happening and so on
However, what we don’t often see, or indeed consider is the part behind the scenes and see the actual journey – the route to success!
Luck is virtually never a one off occurrence – more so the result of a series of events leading up to the one ‘lucky’ event.
Derren Brown in 2012 ran a superb experiment around ‘luck’ - famously flipping a coin to get 10 heads in a row.
- What we saw on his TV programme was 10 heads in a row land in a bowl – a 1 in a 1000 chance.
- What actually happened was Derren flipped coins in front of a camera for over 9 hours until he got a clear run.
- We saw what we wanted to see – the ‘lucky’ break of 10 heads in a row, which took around a minute or so on the TV.
Professor Richard Wiseman has studied and written about ‘luck’ within business for years – it is a phenomenon that is illusive for some, timely for others and life changing for many.
But what role does ‘luck’ really play within business?
Some see ‘luck’ as a positive, whilst others an inhibitor. It can be the ruin for some within a busy office – feeling that their chances of hitting target, earning commission, achieving a bonus, getting a promotion and so on, are limited and pre -written by the ‘luck’ factor.
Perhaps ‘luck’ needs to be seen and repositioned as great results, but how can we do this.
So how can you start to make the ‘luck factor’ work for you?
1. Reframe your own views about what is ‘luck’. To start to view the concept of ‘luck’ in a positive way and ensure it works for you, not against you. We can do this and have done this, consider the following
- We do it as kids – I watched my 6 year old son go from not riding a bike at 10am on a Sunday morning, to riding a bike by 2pm the same day. I got to see every bruise and scrape and witness the tears, the throwing down of the bike and so on. Swimming is another great example, especially with your children
- Get out of your comfort zone, which diminishes as we grow older.
- See luck as opportunity.
- What is your relationship with and your view of risk?
- What has your track record been with taking risks? Risks can be personal, health, financial and so on
2. Take small risks. Firsly look at your self and your business and decide what constitutes a small risk.
- It might be calling a client and discussing something different
- It might be getting up 1hr earlier to ensure you have more time to think and plan
- It might be investing into a new marketing campaign with new graphics and so on
- It might be starting to use social media
3. Show appreciation to people. How often I am working with a client and ask the question around the words ‘thank you’.
- When was the last time you thanked a member of staff, even though they didn’t fully achieve everything
- When was the last time you sent a thank you email, even though you didn’t win the business
- The big wins and successful people often get all the praise, however sometimes we need to show appreciation for some smaller wins or gains.
- Also we need to ‘keep the door open; with a client. We cannot expect to win every piece of business nor get frustrated at losing a deal. Dust yourself off and look towards winning the next deal. Reflect, plan and prepare to ensure you are better placed to win the next business – enhance your ‘luck factor’
So, overall if you change the relationship with your view of what luck and chance are and the views you have about it, you will achieve better results.
And remember - Good luck!
Supporting Mental Health Awareness week
Some great advice from the WHO website...#HealthyAtHome
The new realities of working from home, temporary unemployment, home-schooling of children, and lack of physical contact with other family members, friends and colleagues take time to get used to.
Adapting to lifestyle changes such as these, and managing the fear of contracting the virus and worry about people close to us who are particularly vulnerable, are challenging for all of us. They can be particularly difficult for people with mental health conditions.
Fortunately, there are lots of things that we can do to look after our own mental health and to help others who may need some extra support and care.
Here are tips and advice that we hope you will find useful:
Keep informed. Listen to advice and recommendations from your national and local authorities. Follow trusted news channels, such as local and national TV and radio, and keep up-to-date with the latest news from @WHO on social media.
Have a routine. Keep up with daily routines as far as possible, or make new ones.
Get up and go to bed at similar times every day.
Keep up with personal hygiene.
Eat healthy meals at regular times.
Exercise regularly.
Allocate time for working and time for resting.
Make time for doing things you enjoy.
Minimise newsfeeds. Try to reduce how much you watch, read or listen to news that makes you feel anxious or distressed. Seek the latest information at specific times of the day, once or twice a day if needed.
Social contact is important. If your movements are restricted, keep in regular contact with people close to you by telephone and online channels.
Alcohol and drug use. Limit the amount of alcohol you drink or don’t drink alcohol at all. Don’t start drinking alcohol if you have not drunk alcohol before. Avoid using alcohol and drugs as a way of dealing with fear, anxiety, boredom and social isolation.
There is no evidence of any protective effect of drinking alcohol for viral or other infections. In fact, the opposite is true as the harmful use of alcohol is associated with increased risk of infections and worse treatment outcomes.
And be aware that alcohol and drug use may prevent you from taking sufficient precautions to protect yourself again infection, such as compliance with hand hygiene.
Screen time. Be aware of how much time you spend in front of a screen every day. Make sure that you take regular breaks from on-screen activities.
Video games. While video games can be a way to relax, it can be tempting to spend much more time on them than usual when at home for long periods. Be sure to keep the right balance with off-line activities in your daily routine.
Social media. Use your social media accounts to promote positive and hopeful stories. Correct misinformation wherever you see it.
Help others. If you are able to, offer support to people in your community who may need it, such as helping them with food shopping.
Support health workers. Take opportunities online or through your community to thank your country’s health-care workers and all those working to respond to COVID-19.
More information can be found at - https://www.who.int/
Karl Morris - Founder, KRL Consulting
Karl achieved a BSc in Psychology and has over 17 years of designing, delivering and evaluating training and coaching programmes for a wide range of businesses, across a variety of industries.
Karl has extensive experience of working in a variety of roles and companies, this includes senior management positions with RBS Corporate Banking, Bank of Scotland and VW.
He has company director experiences within the UK and US, is an experienced guest speaker both in the UK and overseas, he is a business coach and has successfully managed and run results focussed teams.
He has also trained over 15,000 people from over 1,200 companies, which include Bupa, NatWest, Skype, Siemens, Barclays, Shell Energy, Tarmac, HM Prison Service, NHS and many, many more.
He has good experience also within the SME and Start up to Scale Up markets.
His comprehensive background has provided him with knowledge and experience on covering wide-ranging training topics, which include:
- Management and Leadership,
- Sales,
- Account Management,
- Health & Wellbeing,
- Conflict Management,
- Customer Experience,
- Telephone Skills,
- Business Coaching,
- Consultancy,
- Interim Management and more.
Karl is a DiSC psychometric practitioner.
If you would like to have an informal chat regarding you, or your business, please contact Karl directly on 07766 053306
Alternatively, you can email him at karl@krlconsulting.com
KRL Consulting
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