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“Creating Successful Leaders”

Category Archives: Thrive at Work

December 31, 2014 Lessons from the Airport

I’ve been traveling quite a bit lately–standing in long lines at security, enduring cramped flights and noisy neighbors, hoping my bags make it to my destination unruffled. It is easy to adopt a negative attitude while flying, but I’ve come to realize it’s not worth it and it only brings other people down.  When it comes to air travel, we’re all in this together.

Sounds kind of like office life, right?

A few bad apples can hamper an entire team or set a negative tone in the office. I encourage you to take the lessons learned from the airport and apply them to your daily office life. It’s amazing what being in close quarters with several hundred strangers can teach us!

1. Be patient

The airplane will arrive when it does, the maintenance crew will change that broken light bulb when it can, and you’ll get to your destination as soon as possible. It doesn’t help to gripe or be pushy. Wait your turn, make pleasant small talk with your neighbors, and focus on the amazing fact that you can fly from point A to point B in a matter of hours. Flying is still a luxury for many people and (as you shuffle off to business meetings or on little trips), it’s easy to lose sight of that.

2. Work together

Instead of bee-lining it to your seat, shoving your bag into the overhead compartment, and turning on your music as you ignore others, offer to help. Maybe someone needs an extra hand with their luggage or maybe a mother needs help situating her child. If we all work together (instead of focusing just on ourselves and our immediate needs), things will go much smoother and we can all enjoy the ride.

3. Be courteous

For some reason, air travel can turn some of us into monsters. We might shove others aside as we jostle for a place in line or we might fight for that last place for our bag in the overhead compartment. Or, we might do something even more common: completely ignore our neighbors for the duration of the flight. I know I’m guilty of it. It’s easy to just wrap ourselves in our personal cocoons and not exchange any pleasantries with our neighbors, but think of everything you might be missing! What if the person sitting next to you is your next big account? Or someone who can help you design that website you’ve always been meaning to build. Make an effort to initiate some small talk and see where things lead.

Wishing you a happy, safe, and prosperous New Year,

Margaret Signature

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December 17, 2014 Top 20 Stress-Busting Tips

It’s the holiday season and things can get hectic. Take a bite out of stress! Here are some quick practices to help you relax and revitalize:

  1. Breathe deeply

The steady rhythm of your breath has a calming effect on the mind, much like any repetitive, soothing sound or motion.

  1. Eat a healthy lunch

According to Dr. Pat Bass, a healthy diet is an essential element to combating stress.

  1. Exercise

Find something that works for YOU and practice it regularly!

  1. Mind relaxers

Do a crossword puzzle, squeeze a stress ball, paint a picture, doodle in your notebook.

  1. Yoga/mindfulness

Yoga helps you focus on the ebb and flow of your breath, as well as releasing the tension in your muscles

  1. Schedule “you time”

Write it on the calendar! Set aside some time to do exactly what you want to do.

  1. Schedule family time

According to the Mental Health Foundation, “A key way to protect your mental health against the potential detrimental effects of work related stress is to ensure you have a healthy work-life balance.”

  1. Walk outside

Vitamin D is essential for your skin and just being in the outdoors has a revitalizing, rejuvenating effect

  1. Laugh

Laughter reduces stress, according to the Mayo Clinic. Watch a funny movie, read the comics, or go to a comedy show.

  1. Be present

Focus on the here and now instead of getting stressed about the future or regretting something in the past. My book, The Ten-Minute Leadership Challenge, devotes an entire chapter to this concept.

  1. Network/reconnect with friends/find your support group

We all need a support group. If you have close friends in the area, make an effort to reach out to them from time to time. If not, find a supportive community through meet-up groups, your local community center, etc. My last newsletter on Building Community discusses this topic in-depth.

  1. Indulge in your interests

Do you like to knit? Paint? Practice Tae Kwon Do? Work your interests into your schedule

  1. Massage

Everyone loves a professional massage, but if you’re short on time or don’t want to spend the money, give yourself a hand massage or shoulder rub.

  1. Listen to music

“Music calms the savage beast” and it can also reduce tension. Pick your favorite genre and let Pandora find the perfect music mix for you.

  1. Practice gratitude

As I mentioned in my November newsletter, a grateful person is generally a happier, more optimistic person.

  1. Count/recite a mantra

The rhythm of counting or reciting a mantra can help calm your mind. Additionally, a positive mantra (i.e. “I can do anything,” “I am smart and strong,” or “Nothing can get in my way”) can give you an added confidence boost.

  1. Close your eyes

Sometimes closing your eyes is a good way to distance yourself from your troubles. It also helps you focus on your thoughts without letting visual distractions get in the way.

  1. Get organized

A neat and tidy desk or house can help focus your thoughts. Too much clutter can lead to feelings of anxiety and stress.

  1. Free write

Get your thoughts down on paper. Write whatever comes to mind if you’re feeling overwhelmed and want to sort through a complex issue.

  1. Plan a vacation

Even if you don’t plan on going anywhere anytime soon, it’s fun to plan a future vacation. It also gives you something to work towards—a long term reward.

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December 10, 2014 How (and Why!) To Make A Mind Map

Have you ever felt lost amid all the things you want to accomplish or all the tasks you need to do?  Have you ever felt like your brain was so scattered, you couldn’t keep a clear thought in your head or a clear direction. Sometimes, when I’m feeling that way, I make a mind map.

The main objective of a mind map is to take a large project or idea, and break it down into bite-sized chunks so you can deal with it on a more manageable scale. It’s a great way to get all your thoughts onto one piece of paper and see how they fit in with the main idea.

First, think about one main topic.  For instance, “Job Promotion.” Write the main topic in the middle of a large piece of paper.  Then, think about big-picture actions that will support your main topic. These actions should be broad and kept between one and three words long. For this example, you could write: “Networking,” “Major Projects,” “Meetings,” “Update Wardrobe,” etc. Draw lines or arrows connecting your main topic to the supporting topics.

UXL mind map

Then, think about what, specifically, you could do in each area. For instance, under the Networking box, you could write: “Attend weekly happy hour” or “Arrange for coffee with boss” or “Get to know three new people this month.” You can get as specific as you’d like, creating as many branches as are necessary to capture all your ideas.

Mind maps are meant to help you sort out your thoughts and they might seem messy on the surface, but they are a useful tool for getting your ideas out there and seeing how things connect. Once you create your mind map, try focusing on specific areas in order to achieve your goal. If you take on too much, you’ll get nowhere, so start with one or two goals and then create a more specific action plan revolving around each goal.

Here’s a video about how one could use a mind map to plan an “Egyptian Holiday.”

Happy mapping!

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