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Coaching, Mentoring, Counselling are different ways to help arrive at a new life strategy, and Work and Live is well equipped to do this, whether it is developing a more satisfying work life balance, getting the best possible preparation for job interviews and assessments, or gaining insights into the organisation’s priorities, so that the best opportunities are identified quickly
Violent change that is out of our control has the potential to lead to depression, and a loss of perspective which can become self fulfilling if allowed to progress unchecked. The only place to start is the here and now, examining the facts of the matter as well as the real emotions generated. Work and Live works with clients to establish a realistic individual perspective of what is involved, the key players and their motives, and what is really important and what is not. This is rooted in the real world and what is possible, not just what we might like to happen, so there is an emphasis on what is within our control, what we can do.
lWhen economic events hit organisations, individuals are affected. Restructuring, redeployment, downsizing, change of focus or strategy can all mean that even high performing individuals are not the best fit for the organisation’s new set-up and priorities, and individuals have to cope with what is often sudden change.
In such circumstances it is natural to fight change, to try to cling onto old roles and to carry on business as before. But the market has caused the change in the first place, and often the real opportunities lie elsewhere, at least for now. Resisting change is understandable, and indeed appropriate for a time as the extent of the change becomes apparent, but after a while clear sighted individuals start to examine the new set of circumstances to extract every ounce of positive opportunities and to use all our talents as fully as possible. This is exactly what we would expect an organisation facing difficult markets to do – and it is the same for individuals.
Just as an organisation will use its established resources, capital, brand and advisors to help it change, so individuals need help to find the right niche for their talents – which may be in the same or similar fields, or in new, intrinsically satisfying roles, or new growth opportunities to use change as a springboard to a new way of life.
Money is always a consideration; we can easily come to rely on bonuses, and if they and pay-checks stop the result can be acute anxiety. We may have mortgages and other commitments, transport costs, credit card bills, children’s education and much more to fund. We need to challenge some of our perceptions like how much money we need to be happy, and what our real needs are, and if we have a partner how best to work them to arrive at the best way forward. The psychology of happiness has much to say about this, and we can learn what is important to us and what is not, and how to shape our life so as to maximise our own effectiveness and happiness in the new circumstances and look after those we care about. We can also learn about the tricks our mind can play on us, the wildly different perspectives we remember from reality, and how our priorities shift without us being aware of it.
Just as a good business strategy starts from consideration of the goals and the market and the organisation’s strengths and weaknesses, so developing a new life strategy for ourselves starts with a complete consideration of what we really want, the state of the market now and in the future, and our own strengths and weaknesses.
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