Performance at work

For lawyers – What to do when you feel dissatisfied at work

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‘I have been wondering whether law is the right career for me for a while now. I don’t feel very motivated or satisfied at work but my options are limited as my skills are so specialised.’

It is not uncommon for lawyers to consider a career change when they are feeling demotivated or dissatisfied at work.   If a recent event has made you feel this way then wait until the situation has calmed down or you have managed to resolve it before you make any decisions.

Also, take a look at your current situation. What specifically is bothering you about your current situation –   is it the working environment, the subject matter, your work-life balance or something else? A career change may be the answer but consider other solutions too such as changing law firm, changing specialism, in-house work, further training and development, seeking help from your supervisor or even pursuing a hobby out of work.

If you do decide that a career change is right for you, the good news is that you do have transferrable skills. Start having a think about them now. Your skills are likely to include people skills, advanced drafting skills, research and problem-solving skills, excellent oral skills as well as many others that make you employable. You can then start investigating career options that closely match your set of skills.

Remember, with all challenges you face, if you keep doing what you are doing you will keep getting the same result. Try new techniques and tools to help you succeed and if you think a career change is for you, start your investigations now!

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Does perfectionism hold you back?

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I have coached many people who define themselves as perfectionists. They approach me because they are struggling to move forward with their career for fear of making the wrong decision.

Perfectionists do not want to ‘fail’. They often want to ensure that any decision they make is absolutely perfect before proceeding with it. However, the only way they will know if their decision is right is by giving it a go and taking a risk. This turns into a catch-22 situation and the decision making process becomes extremely difficult and stressful.

It is really important to be aware of when perfectionism is helping you move forward and when it is hindering you. It can be a great characteristic for doing work brilliantly (although it can be unrealistically expected of individuals) but it can also hold you back from making decisions and attempting new things. For example, delaying a career change for fear of failing or choosing not to apply for a job because you believe other people will be better than you.

If you feel perfectionism is holding you back, ask yourself the following questions:

  • What is the worst that can happen?
  • How can you make it better?
  • What small step can you take now to bring you one step closer?

Also, have a think about the standards you are setting yourself. Are they too high?

Always set standards that are high, but achievable. Setting standards that are too high can be like setting yourself up to fail. How about lowering the bar, making your goals something you know you can and will do rather than something that is always beyond your reach.

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Do you want to be happy at work?

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Do you want to be happy at work or is your salary a big enough incentive to keep you going?

How important is enjoyment at work for you?

Provided you are on a reasonable salary and have a relatively secure job, I believe enjoyment at work can be just as important as the money you earn. This is because being unhappy at work can have a huge impact on your life; your motivation and commitment may decrease and your  stress levels will increase.  Your enthusiasm for life will diminish.

Sound familiar? When you realise that your misery at work is all you can think and talk about, it is definitely time to accept that you should do something about it.

What causes unhappiness at work?

A number of factors can cause unhappiness at work including:

  • Lack of control and fairness.
  • Micro management.
  • Long, inflexible hours.
  • Unmanageable workload and deadlines.

In an ideal world, to improve wellbeing at work, we would be allowed to work shorter or flexible hours, have manageable deadlines and workloads and have a good manager. In the absence of these things, it is down to you to make some changes. Here are some ideas:

In work:

  • Be organised – every morning make a list of the tasks and do the least attractive task first.
  • Dress confidently.
  • Take breaks – drink plenty of water and eat healthy snacks.
  • Arrange a lunch date.
  • Delegate work where possible.
  • Ask for feedback.
  • At the end of each day, remind yourself of what you have achieved.

Out of work:

  • Pursue a hobby and do some exercise.
  • Take a holiday.
  • Set some goals.
  • Instruct a career coach.
  • Plan something nice to do each week.

You may think this is common sense but when you are feeling unhappy, it is easy to forget the little things that make a difference. Often the smallest alteration to a working day can make the biggest difference to your happiness and wellbeing at work.

Make some changes now – you will achieve more in your career and feel much better for it!

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Is it time to make your career dreams a reality?

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Success doesn’t come to you… you go to it. (Marva Collins)

As Christmas approaches, our minds start to wander into next year. Whilst reflecting on 2014, we think about what we would now like to achieve in 2015.  Perhaps you didn’t achieve everything you set out to achieve in 2014 or you may still have some important decisions to make in specific areas of your life. Whatever your situation may be, is it now time to put an action plan in place to enable you to achieve what you want to achieve in 2015?

An action plan can really focus the mind and help you to put small steps in place to enable you to achieve your personal goals/objectives in life. These goals may be solely focused on your career or cover all aspects of your life.

Here are some action points to help you start planning:

  1. What are your objectives?
  2. How are you going to achieve your objectives? Think about this in detail.
  3. How would you rate your commitment in achieving these objectives on a scale of 1 – 10 (anything less than 8 may need your further attention!)?
  4. How realistic are your objectives on a scale of 1 – 10?
  5. By what date do you want to achieve your objectives?
  6. When will you review your progress?

By putting a plan in place, your dreams can start becoming a reality.

Do not fear going forward slowly; fear only standing still.

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Is it time to stop blaming other people?

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It always seems to be someone else’s fault

I am sure you all know someone who always blames someone else when things go wrong. If they had a bad appraisal, it was the fault of their boss. If they had an argument at home, it was the fault of their partner. If they were late for an appointment, someone else had delayed them. It is never their fault.

Sometimes other people or organisations are to blame when things go wrong but here I am talking about day to day problems. Those problems that can be dealt with quickly by blaming someone else and avoiding having to do anything about it.

I attract dramas everywhere I go!

People who deal with problems this way are often surrounded by dramas. Everywhere they go, something happens for them to moan about. They do not take responsibility for their own actions and therefore nothing changes and they simply move on to the next crisis creating a life of drama for themselves.

Gradually, their life becomes increasingly stressful and their view of other people becomes extremely negative. Negativity and stress prevent us from moving forward and creating the life that we desire.

I want to create a stress free life!

What can you do to limit the dramas you experience in your life?

Next time you experience a problem, take a deep breath and stop yourself from immediately looking for someone else to blame. Instead, have a think about how your actions may have affected the outcome. Were you entirely blameless?!

Now think about what you can do to prevent or overcome these problems from happening again in the future. Take control of the situation.

Perhaps the actions of others were partly to blame but can you control this? No, probably not. If you rely solely on other people to rectify mistakes, change may never happen and you may be making life harder than it needs to be.

It is all about taking control, and giving yourself the power to make your life better. (You can also then take the credit for when things go right!)

When you take responsibility for your actions and control of the outcome, you will limit the dramas you experience and improve your life for the better. 

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BREXIT – THE END OR THE BEGINNING?

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Brexit has triggered an explosion of emotions over the past week. On Friday 24th June it was announced that 52% of the UK had voted to leave the European Union. This meant that 48% did not want to leave and it is these 48% who are feeling shocked, angry and confused.

This result has triggered a reaction that has exposed us all to an intense build-up of negative emotion. It is surrounding us in everyday conversation and on the news. My Facebook thread has been dominated by unhappy and angry posts written by family and friends who feel really passionate about our country and care about what happens to our future. Through no choice of their own, the change and uncertainty which lies ahead has caused them, as well as millions of others, to feel fearful.

However, it is this fear that makes individuals feel even more out of control and anxious about their future. It is this fear that stops individuals from achieving the things they want to achieve. It is this fear that causes unhappiness.

I have already seen the impact this is having on some individuals and feel really sad about this. This is why I was so relieved to read Dr Rebecca Edwards’ recent post on Facebook. Rebecca is a very good friend of mine and extremely committed to her political views. This is her request:

‘If today you are feeling outraged, harness that energy and get involved in politics. There is great political uncertainty ahead, with changes in leadership in our political parties certain and a general election in Autumn most likely. We need people to step up and act as our representatives and for many more voices to be heard. Join a political party (even if it needs changing from within), write an informed blog piece, take part in a protest, deliver some leaflets or talk to a neighbour about why your viewpoint matters. Let’s take politics back.’

My request is similar. I now challenge you to decide what your positive beliefs are in reaction to Brexit and to start acting on these beliefs to move you forward towards an inspiring future. It may be a change to your personal life, it may be a career move or it may be, as Rebecca suggests, a political move. No matter how big or small, start making positive changes.

Some of you may now be thinking I am being unrealistic and there is nothing you can do anyway.  Yes, it probably feels like everyone is being unrealistic at the moment and there is not much happening to spur us on. However, isn’t the negative climate we are currently living in an even bigger reason to be driving yourself forward?

Being positive is the foundation for making good decisions, taking action and becoming top of your game. Please take action and create a fulfilling life for yourself.

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Five ways to achieve as a perfectionist

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‘A person who never made a mistake, never tried anything new.’ (Albert Einstein)

Are you a perfectionist?

Do you set yourself standards so high that they are almost impossible to reach? Do you frequently feel disappointed with yourself for not being able to meet the standards you set? Do you worry about what other people would say? Do you view mistakes as failure?

If you answer yes to these questions, you may be a perfectionist.

Being a perfectionist, does not lead to perfection….

A perfectionist sets themselves extremely high standards which are usually unattainable. Furthermore, when they don’t achieve perfection, they can spend a large amount of time criticising their efforts leading to feelings of frustration, anxiety and exhaustion. Their unattainable high standards rarely lead to perfection but instead lead to feelings of not being good enough and a fear of failure which can ultimately stop them from achieving what they want to achieve.

Does this sound familiar? If so, I am sure you would admit that these experiences can be very stressful and leave you feeling really disappointed with yourself.

Now let’s turn to the good news which is that anyone can be successful without being perfect. Let me tell you how…

Being successful without perfection.

If you find that being a perfectionist is stopping you from moving forward with your career or any other part of your life, please believe me when I say that there are ways to achieve without being perfect.

Have a think about something you would like to achieve but have not pursued for fear of failure. Perhaps it’s a career change, a promotion or a new hobby. Now have a think about how you can overcome your fear of failure. Read the following five ways which will enable you to move forward and achieve what you want to achieve:

  1. Stop thinking ‘I am not good enough’ and start thinking ‘I am good enough’. Nobody is perfect!
  2. Be constructive and don’t worry too much about the detail. Instead ask yourself, what is the worst that can happen? Accept that we all make mistakes and use these to help you move forward (rather than feeling rubbish about yourself). How can you do it better next time?
  3. Be kind to yourself and lower your standards. You can still set high standards but make them achievable.
  4. What small step can you now take? Allow for some imperfection!
  5. Celebrate your achievements! Enjoy it!

Remember, you can be excellent without being perfect!

 

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Four ways to feel happier at work

tessaarmstrong.co.uk Performance at work ,

We have all felt unhappy at work at some stage in our career and can recognise the impact this can have on our life. Work misery can dominate home life, friendships and health making your work-life balance all about work and little about play.

If you feel unhappy at work, you have a choice. You can keep doing what you are doing, making work misery the norm and something you ‘just have to put up with’, inevitably leading to high stress levels and further misery.   Alternatively, you can focus on making positive changes at work, giving yourself the chance to be happier.

To help you make some changes at work, I have set out four focus areas:

  1. Support – Are you getting the right support at work? Ask for help when necessary from colleagues and managers.
  2. Expectation – ensure you are clear about what is expected of you.
  3. Working hours – are you working long hours? Think about your work pattern and spend time focusing on your productivity. Are you taking too long on some pieces of work? Do you set aside specific time for admin tasks? Do you sit at your desk stuck on a piece of work instead of asking for help? If necessary, speak to your manager about your workload.
  4. Challenge – Are you challenged enough? If not, perhaps talk to your manager about obtaining more work. Can you be given a different project to work on?

Through making small changes, bigger changes will start to fall into place making you feel happy at work once again.

Remember – if you keep doing what you are doing you will keep getting the same result.

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