How can I do this all over again?

The coaching question in this podcast might not be as common as others we have covered, but it is one we can personally relate to.

Regardless of your role or expertise, there are times when we give it our all, putting everything we have to get something over the line, then we reset to the start and have to go again. Sales targets reset each year, project manager complete their delivery only to get a new project, software engineers get the release out the door, and then start working on a new feature.

Ricky and Paul explore what it take to have to reset, sometimes overnight, and the find the energy to go again.

Posted On November 20, 2024 By Paul Hutchinson In Coaching, Podcasts, Productivity, Resilience, The question is /

How do I stop feeling so tired?

As we continue our mini-series of common topics from coaching conversations, in this podcast, Ricky and Paul explore why sometimes people feel drained at work, leaving them with an overall feeling of being tired.

Clearly, at times, we can all burn the candle at both ends, but in coaching situations, this is often a sign of something deeper going on. From doing work that is draining to the unintended consequences of the habits we adopt when our workload goes up, Ricky and Paul explore some potential causes and strategies to help maintain us through these peak times.

Posted On October 23, 2024 By Paul Hutchinson In Coaching, Podcasts, Productivity, Resilience, The question is /

How will I know when it is time to change roles?

As part of our series of questions often raised in coaching conversations, in this episode of The Question Is, Paul and Graham explore the often asked, without ever being actually said, question: How do I know if I should change roles?

Being ready to move on from your current role can be challenging. From not feeling like you have finished what you needed to do in the role to not feeling ready for the next role, changing jobs can be difficult and anxiety-inducing. There is rarely a good time to change roles, with opportunities presenting in manual ways at inappropriate times.

Graham and Paul share their experience and pose the questions you need to ask yourself about opportunity, growth, and passion, which will help you understand when it is time to move, even when that might not have been in your plan.

Posted On October 9, 2024 By Paul Hutchinson In Coaching, Podcasts, The question is /

Why is this leadership role harder than my last one?

Every leadership role you undertake is slightly different. Different people, different problems, different cultures, maybe just a different time and place. Our ability to lead can be as much about the context or situation we find ourselves in as it is the skills we bring to the party!

As part of our series of questions commonly raised in our coaching practice, Ricky and Paul explore the situation that many people find themselves in: doing the things that have always worked for them and finding that, for some reason, this time,, they do not get the outcomes they envisaged.

Posted On September 11, 2024 By Paul Hutchinson In Coaching, Leadership, Podcasts, The question is /

Why do I find giving feedback so difficult?

Feedback has been described as the breakfast of champions, but giving feedback can be one of the toughest things we have to do, with many people avoiding giving feedback if they possibly can.

In this, another podcast in our series of questions from coaching conversations, Ricky and Graham focus on why some people find it so difficult to give good feedback and how developing your technique around feedback is a vital leadership skill.

From why we find feedback so difficult, through to models and structures to make you better at feedback – if you want to help the people around you be better at what they do, then this podcast is for you.

Posted On August 14, 2024 By Paul Hutchinson In Coaching, Leadership, Podcasts, Productivity, The question is /

How do I deal with a bad boss?

There is an old saying in business psychology: People rarely leave a company; they normally leave a manager! Not all bosses are good bosses, yet at the same time, not all bosses people think are bad are really bad bosses.

Sometimes, what appears as a difficult boss is actually a different style that evokes a reaction from some of the people working for them. Sometimes, though, it is the manager’s behaviour that makes it difficult for those working for them.

In this podcast, Ricky and Paul explore the different categories, from bosses who are just different to toxic bosses who may not provide the support their people deserve.

Posted On July 19, 2024 By Paul Hutchinson In Coaching, Leadership, Podcasts, The question is /

How can I be successful and have balance in my life?

Continuing our journey into the questions that often come up in coaching sessions, in this podcast Richard and Paul explore how success in demanding jobs and work-life balance often can seem incompatible.
Creating balance is a popular topic, with no end of articles and influencers talking about the tricks to create balance, or the sacrifices required to be successful. However, the topic is more nuanced that commonly presented, as balance is a very personal thing, and what might look like as balance for one person, would feel like purgatory for another.

It is possible to create balance and have a demanding role, but as Richard and Paul discuss, this takes self-awareness, an ability to prioritise different aspects of your life and choices.

Posted On June 5, 2024 By Paul Hutchinson In Coaching, Leadership, Podcasts, Resilience, The question is /

How do I become comfortable with uncertainty?

Uncertainty has become a very present factor of modern working life, yet almost all of us crave certainty and spend a lot of our time and effort working very hard to create as much of it as we can. Only to find that uncertainty often wins out!

In this podcast, part of a mini-series looking at the questions and topics that often come up in coaching sessions, Richard and Paul dive into the world of uncertainty. They explore some of the ways that we can ensure that we don’t get stuck waiting for certainty, or derailed when the world gets messy.

Uncertainty can feel disorienting and makes decisions far more complex, yet we can all learn the skills that enable us to lead, work, and succeed in an uncertain world.

Posted On May 22, 2024 By Paul Hutchinson In Coaching, Leadership, Podcasts, Productivity, The question is /

What are my values?

Another podcast in our mini series exploring some of the questions that come up in coaching sessions, in this episode of the podcast, Richard and Paul discuss the questions that is asked without ever being asked, what are my values?

Values are at the heart of behaviours, driving both purpose and actions. Yet, we are often oblivious to them and their impact on our decisions and perceptions of the world. Paul and Richard explore their influence on our lives, how you can find out what your values are, and the ways they change at different stages of our lives.

Posted On May 9, 2024 By Paul Hutchinson In Coaching, Leadership, Podcasts, Productivity, Resilience, The question is /

What’s The Point?

Sometimes (at work) we get a little lost. Maybe our actions are not working, our dreams suddenly appear unattainable, or we become disconnected from the purpose. It may happen slowly over time or can be a sudden upheaval when things around us change.

It can be very disconcerting to feel lost, yet many of us experience it at some point. As coaches, we are frequently asked the question, ‘What’s the point?’.

In this podcast Paul and Ricky explore how people may find themselves lost, and what they can do to reconnect with their purpose, or discover a new purpose that will give them the energy and desire to carry on.

Posted On April 24, 2024 By Paul Hutchinson In Coaching, Leadership, Podcasts, Productivity, The question is /