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 /

Leading to Here with Steve Britton

This latest episode of Leading to Here is a must-listen; Steve Britton shares his story, his journey to here that includes a life-changing experience as he turned up to a football match looking forward to seeing his beloved Liverpool FC in the 1989 FA Cup semi-final that quickly descended into a tragedy.

Listen to how Steve navigated life in the immediate aftermath and how another life-changing moment meant he had to take a job before embracing every opportunity that came his way. Hear how he transitioned from ‘old-school’ into a modern people-focused leader who leads with passion and energy and someone who proudly says, “I love my job.”

Posted On May 27, 2024 By Paul Hutchinson In Leadership, Leading to here, Podcasts, Resilience, Uncategorized /

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 /

Leading to here with Ian James

Join us as we talk to Ian James, who shares his journey from an insurance claims handler to Head of Global Risk and Control for a major global bank. His progressive attitude to risk management stands him out from the crowd, and his desire to be at the inception of ideas means he can be an enabler rather than the nay-sayer when he’s left on the periphery of thinking.

Ian shares how he channelled his early dislike for formal education into his work life as he hoovered up a wide range of knowledge and skills and developed a passion for developing people. This passion extended beyond work as Ian coached a rugby team, developing them from eight years old through to eighteen. He also led a scout group and volunteered to help many Duke of Edinburgh award groups. He’s even turned his hand to judging for Regional Enterprise awards in Birmingham.

Ian’s passion for developing people with exceptional engagement scores in almost every role he has undertaken. He shares how several people influenced him in his career and how he has paid that forward many times.

Posted On March 8, 2024 By Paul Hutchinson In Leadership, Leading to here, Podcasts, Resilience /

Is perfectionism a problem or an advantage?

Rob and Paul continue this mini-series within The Question Is podcast about some of the different ways that people ‘get in their own way’. This time we consider perfectionism.

Could perfectionism be an advantage, or are we confusing high standards, with nothing ever being quite good enough?

Like most traits that get in our way, these habits were once useful, which is why they have become a habit. Then, out of the blue, the very thing that was helping becomes the thing getting in the way.

Paul and Rob explore the fine line between driving to excel and perfectionism and discuss strategies for perfectionists to stay on the right side of the line.

Posted On September 6, 2023 By Paul Hutchinson In Coaching, Leadership, Podcasts, Productivity, Resilience, The question is /

What is imposter syndrome (and how does it affect us)?

The feeling that you are an imposter, doing something you feel unqualified for or that you have no right to do. Going to work every day with the feeling that this is the day when everyone will realise that you are there by mistake, and it is time for you to go.

Surprisingly, it is a very common feeling, one that most of us will experience at some point in our working life. In this episode of the podcast, we continue to explore the different things that we do, getting in our own way. Richard and Paul talk about imposter syndrome / phenomenon / thoughts (it has many names), look at why it exists, share their experience of having it, and explore strategies that might help you see the feeling in a completely different light.

Posted On August 23, 2023 By Paul Hutchinson In Leadership, Podcasts, Productivity, Resilience, The question is /

How can I improve my confidence?

Confidence is an integral part of our own personal success. With it we make bolder decisions, try and little harder and frame difficulties as obstacles, without it we become more cautious and only see barriers. Not having confidence, in ourselves, the people around us or the situations we find ourselves in is one of the most common ways we get in our own way.

In this podcast, Rob and Paul explore what confidence is, and how we get it. Do we need confidence to do the things we do, or do we get confidence from doing them? This is the classic psychological chicken and egg…

Posted On July 26, 2023 By Paul Hutchinson In Leadership, Podcasts, Productivity, Resilience, The question is /

How can I improve my self-esteem?

When asked, ‘what gets in your way?’, most of us have the same answer. Me!

However hard we try, we cannot get out of our own way. We spend our life erecting barriers for us to them climb over, acting like a critic and sometimes even being a bully to ourselves.

This is the first of several podcasts exploring the different ways we get in our own way and looking at some simple things that any of us can do to reduce self-inflicted barriers. Getting in your own way is perfectly normal, but you don’t have to accept it as being inevitable.

In this first podcast, Rob and Rich explore self-esteem. How do we understand that we have self-worth in a hyperconnected world where we are asked to compare to highly edited versions of everyone else, yet we have a warts and all version of ourselves?

Posted On June 28, 2023 By Paul Hutchinson In Continuous Improvement, Podcasts, Resilience, The question is /

How do I make the best of change situations?

Why is it that some people thrive when change happens, and others seem to do so badly? Change at work is almost the only constant left, yet many of us are really bad at handling it; missing the opportunities that change often presents.

In this podcast, Richard and Ricky explore what we can learn from the people who have handled change well. What can all learn from their behaviours to ensure that the next time we face change at work, we can make the most of the situation?

Posted On May 31, 2023 By Paul Hutchinson In Change, Leadership, Podcasts, Resilience, The question is /

How do I keep it together when change affects me unexpectedly?

Dealing with unexpected change, especially when working with or in large organisations, has become a core skill every employee must master. Yet, many people find themselves unprepared for change when it happens and can find themselves struggling to cope.

In this podcast, Paul and Rich explore why some people are good at dealing with change and others struggle. What makes some people resilient and how can the rest of us use the techniques for ourselves?

Posted On May 18, 2023 By Paul Hutchinson In Change, Podcasts, Resilience, The question is /