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 /

How do you switch off autopilot?

We spend most of the time with our brains on ‘autopilot’. We are thinking at a subconscious level, causing us to act without being truly aware of what we are doing. This handy little trick helps us get through the day, making the most of the energy available and freeing up our conscious mind to work on the more important stuff, like ‘what’s for dinner?’.

Rob and Ricky explore in this podcast how you can turn off this automatic process, so you can take conscious control of the things that you really need to think about, not just respond to.

Posted On June 15, 2022 By Paul Hutchinson In Continuous Improvement, Leadership, Productivity, Resilience, Sales Mindset /

Do leaders have a natural strength or are they better at building resilience?

Leadership roles, big all-encompassing roles can be great fun, but doing them can have a big impact on your physical and mental health.

While it might look like the people who end up in these top jobs just have natural resilience. However, for many, resilience is actually part of their leadership discipline.

In this podcast, Richard and Paul reflect on the habits and behaviours that they have seen in leaders who continually build their resilience to ensure they have the physical and mental health to deal with the demands of the role.

This podcast is the third of four podcasts considering what is required of anyone who wants to take a senior role or highly demanding job in an organisation.

You can find out more about the four areas and how we use them here.

Posted On June 3, 2021 By Paul Hutchinson In Leadership, Podcasts, Resilience, The question is /

Why is empathy a vital leadership skill?

Do you need to understand others to be able to lead them, or is a compelling idea or vision enough?

In this podcast, Richard and Paul explore the role of empathy in our lives, talking through what empathy is, and the advantages and disadvantages of empathy to leaders. Can people who master empathy can utilise this trait to become more effective leaders?

Posted On April 23, 2021 By Paul Hutchinson In Culture, Leadership, Podcasts, Resilience, The question is /

Why am I suddenly so critical of myself?

All of us can be hard on ourselves sometimes, but when we are under pressure, or stressed, or like right now worn out after a difficult year, sometimes our inner critic can be very harsh.

In this podcast, Richard and Rob explore why this happens and some of the things that we might be doing that with a little awareness we can take control of and change our thinking to make it more helpful and hopeful.

Posted On March 19, 2021 By Paul Hutchinson In Culture, Podcasts, Resilience, The question is /