Get Off Your Butt: 16 Ways to Get Motivated When You’re in a Slump

Even the most motivated of us — you, me, Tony Robbins — can feel unmotivated at times. In fact, sometimes we get into such a slump that even thinking about making positive changes seems too difficult.
But it’s not hopeless: with some small steps, baby ones in fact, you can get started down the road to positive change.
Yes, I know, it seems impossible at times. You don’t feel like doing anything. I’ve been there, and in fact I still feel that way from time to time. You’re not alone. But I’ve learned a few ways to break out of a slump, and we’ll take a look at those today.
This post was inspired by reader Roy C. Carlson, who asked:
“I was wondering if you could do a piece on why it can be hard for someone to change direction and start taking control of their life. I have to say I’m in this boat and advice on getting out of my slump would be great.”
Roy is just one of many with a slump like that. Again, I feel that way sometimes myself, and in fact sometimes I struggle to motivate myself to exercise — and I’ll use that as an example of how to break out of the slump.
When I fall out of exercise, due to illness or injury or disruption from things going on in my life, it’s hard to get started again. I don’t even feel like thinking about it, sometimes. But I’ve always found a way to break out of that slump, and here are some things I’ve learned that have helped:
1. One Goal. Whenever I’ve been in a slump, I’ve discovered that it’s often because I have too much going on in my life. I’m trying to do too much. And it saps my energy and motivation. It’s probably the most common mistake that people make: they try to take on too much, try to accomplish too many goals at once. You cannot maintain energy and focus (the two most important things in accomplishing a goal) if you are trying to do two or more goals at once. It’s not possible — I’ve tried it many times. You have to choose one goal, for now, and focus on it completely. I know, that’s hard. Still, I speak from experience. You can always do your other goals when you’ve accomplished your One Goal.

2. Find inspiration. Inspiration, for me, comes from others who have achieved what I want to achieve, or who are currently doing it. I read other blogs, books, magazines. I Google my goal, and read success stories. Zen Habits is just one place for inspiration, not only from me but from many readers who have achieved amazing things.

3. Get excited. This sounds obvious, but most people don’t think about it much: if you want to break out of a slump, get yourself excited about a goal. But how can you do that when you don’t feel motivated? Well, it starts with inspiration from others (see above), but you have to take that excitement and build on it. For me, I’ve learned that by talking to my wife about it, and to others, and reading as much about it as possible, and visualizing what it would be like to be successful (seeing the benefits of the goal in my head), I get excited about a goal. Once I’ve done that, it’s just a matter of carrying that energy forward and keeping it going.
4 . Build anticipation. This will sound hard, and many people will skip this tip. But it really works. It helped me quit smoking after many failed attempts. If you find inspiration and want to do a goal, don’t start right away. Many of us will get excited and want to start today. That’s a mistake. Set a date in the future — a week or two, or even a month — and make that your Start Date. Mark it on the calendar. Get excited about that date. Make it the most important date in your life. In the meantime, start writing out a plan. And do some of the steps below. Because by delaying your start, you are building anticipation, and increasing your focus and energy for your goal.
5. Post your goal. Print out your goal in big words. Make your goal just a few words long, like a mantra (”Exercise 15 mins. Daily”), and post it up on your wall or refrigerator. Post it at home and work. Put it on your computer desktop. You want to have big reminders about your goal, to keep your focus and keep your excitement going. A picture of your goal (like a model with sexy abs, for example) also helps.
6. Commit publicly. None of us likes to look bad in front of others. We will go the extra mile to do something we’ve said publicly. For example, when I wanted to run my first marathon, I started writing a column about it in my local daily newspaper. The entire island of Guam (pop. 160K) knew about my goal. I couldn’t back down, and even though my motivation came and went, I stuck with it and completed it. Now, you don’t have to commit to your goal in your daily newspaper, but you can do it with friends and family and co-workers, and you can do it on your blog if you have one. And hold yourself accountable — don’t just commit once, but commit to giving progress updates to everyone every week or so.

7. Think about it daily. If you think about your goal every day, it is much more likely to become true. To this end, posting the goal on your wall or computer desktop (as mentioned above) helps a lot. Sending yourself daily reminders also helps. And if you can commit to doing one small thing to further your goal (even just 5 minutes) every single day, your goal will almost certainly come true.
8. Get support. It’s hard to accomplish something alone. When I decided to run my marathon, I had the help of friends and family, and I had a great running community on Guam who encouraged me at 5K races and did long runs with me. When I decided to quit smoking, I joined an online forum and that helped tremendously. And of course, my wife Eva helped every step of the way. I couldn’t have done these goals without her, or without the others who supported me. Find your support network, either in the real world or online, or both.

9. Realize that there’s an ebb and flow. Motivation is not a constant thing that is always there for you. It comes and goes, and comes and goes again, like the tide. But realize that while it may go away, it doesn’t do so permanently. It will come back. Just stick it out and wait for that motivation to come back. In the meantime, read about your goal (see below), ask for help (see below), and do some of the other things listed here until your motivation comes back.

10. Stick with it. Whatever you do, don’t give up. Even if you aren’t feeling any motivation today, or this week, don’t give up. Again, that motivation will come back. Think of your goal as a long journey, and your slump is just a little bump in the road. You can’t give up with every little bump. Stay with it for the long term, ride out the ebbs and surf on the flows, and you’ll get there.
11. Start small. Really small. If you are having a hard time getting started, it may be because you’re thinking too big. If you want to exercise, for example, you may be thinking that you have to do these intense workouts 5 days a week. No — instead, do small, tiny, baby steps. Just do 2 minutes of exercise. I know, that sounds wimpy. But it works. Commit to 2 minutes of exercise for one week. You may want to do more, but just stick to 2 minutes. It’s so easy, you can’t fail. Do it at the same time, every day. Just some crunches, 2 pushups, and some jogging in place. Once you’ve done 2 minutes a day for a week, increase it to 5, and stick with that for a week. In a month, you’ll be doing 15-20. Want to wake up early? Don’t think about waking at 5 a.m. Instead, think about waking 10 minutes earlier for a week. That’s all. Once you’ve done that, wake 10 minutes earlier than that. Baby steps.

12 .Build on small successes. Again, if you start small for a week, you’re going to be successful. You can’t fail if you start with something ridiculously easy. Who can’t exercise for 2 minutes? (If that’s you, I apologize.) And you’ll feel successful, and good about yourself. Take that successful feeling and build on it, with another baby step. Add 2-3 minutes to your exercise routine, for example. With each step (and each step should last about a week), you will feel even more successful. Make each step really, really small, and you won’t fail. After a couple of months, your tiny steps will add up to a lot of progress and a lot of success.

13 .Read about it daily. When I lose motivation, I just read a book or blog about my goal. It inspires me and reinvigorates me. For some reason, reading helps motivate and focus you on whatever you’re reading about. So read about your goal every day, if you can, especially when you’re not feeling motivated.

14 .Call for help when your motivation ebbs. Having trouble? Ask for help. Email me. Join an online forum. Get a partner to join you. Call your mom. It doesn’t matter who, just tell them your problems, and talking about it will help. Ask them for advice. Ask them to help you overcome your slump. It works.

15 .Think about the benefits, not the difficulties. One common problem is that we think about how hard something is. Exercise sounds so hard! Just thinking about it makes you tired. But instead of thinking about how hard something is, think about what you will get out of it. For example, instead of thinking about how tiring exercise can be, focus on how good you’ll feel when you’re done, and how you’ll be healthier and slimmer over the long run. The benefits of something will help energize you.

16. Squash negative thoughts; replace them with positive ones. Along those lines, it’s important to start monitoring your thoughts. Recognize negative self-talk, which is really what’s causing your slump. Just spend a few days becoming aware of every negative thought. Then, after a few days, try squashing those negative thoughts like a bug, and then replacing them with a corresponding positive thought. Squash, “This is too hard!” and replace it with, “I can do this! If that wimp Leo can do it, so can I!” It sounds corny, but it works. Really.

Is Your Enthusiasm For Work Flickering Out? Re-ignite the Flame!

Is Your Enthusiasm For Work Flickering Out? Re-ignite the Flame!

Are your workforce teams under so much pressure that they are erupting like volcanoes? Do you see the people around you turning into pessimists? Are they waiting for the overwhelming situations to just go away? If so, please read on.
Most things written about burnout are negative. Yes...the price for doing what you feel passionate about is burnout. Burnout is also a time for deep reflection to make major changes at home, work, so you can achieve personal satisfaction. People who pay attention to their burnout discover new ways to re-ignite their flame. They design a better quality of life. They harness burnout and refocus their energy toward more productive behavior.
This article covers the definition of burnout, its warning signs, hot tips to keep the flame of energy ablaze, and ideas for all professionals to use in order to rekindle their vitality

Definition of Burnout

Burnout occurs when its victims have been worn out physically and emotionally as a result of long term stress. They strive to reach unrealistic expectations many of which may be self imposed Burned out people are of little value to the organization. For this reason alone, it is important to discover the signs of burnout and to resolve the issues that cause them. Burnout is a general erosion of the spirit.

WARNING SIGNS: WATCH FOR SMOKE SIGNALS

Today's workplace environment is a perfect place for burnout to occur. We are all too familiar with downsizing, doing more with less, mergers, new teams, new bosses, new philosophies, new mission statements, distrustful relationships, unclear work roles, thwarted career progress, un-shared information, no existing feedback, unfair politics, and not being able to catch up with the workload, similar to being on a treadmill and not able to get off.
Many workshop participants have shared their experiences with me. They started out full of compassion, enthusiasm and energy. They actually looked forward to work. Then something happened along their journey...they lost their sense of control and interest, became bored, and started withdrawing. They became all too familiar with the expression "all work and no play". Remember the old adage, "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."

Their positive attitudes started to diminish and they became more cynical.
I could go on but by now you may be thinking, "Joyce I am familiar with this...please tell me something that will help me get out of this feeling of powerlessness?" During our research, workshop participants ask us to give them some techniques that they can use immediately, and not to concentrate on our "woe-is-me state." We know that morale must be improved. We know that workers have lost their sense of control and feeling of joy at work, which carries over to their home lives. They beg us to show them how they can lighten up and learn from all of this.

Story of a farmer

Once upon a time there was a farmer. He lived during the time when the terrible warlords ruled the country side. He had a son and owned one horse. The farmer's neighbor always said to him, "You have such good luck." The farmer replied, "Good luck, bad luck...who knows?" One day the farmer's horse ran away. That very night the warlords came to the village and told the farmers to gather up all horses so they could confiscate them. The farmer's neighbors said, "Oh, you have such good luck, the warlords can't take your horse because it ran away." The farmer said, "Good Luck, bad luck...who knows?"
A few days later the farmer's horse wondered back to the farm. His son was so excited to see his horse, he jumped on the horse and went for a ride. The horse tripped on a rock and the son fell off and broke his leg. That very night the warlords came back to the village and ordered everyone to round up all the able bodied sons, who would be taken away to fight in the wars. The neighbor said to the farmer, "You have such good luck, your son has a broken leg and will not be able to go with the warlords."
The farmer said, "Good luck, bad luck...who knows?" We can all learn from this story. The farmer didn't label this circumstance as good or bad. He gave life a chance. At first it looked like bad luck when the horse ran away and the son broke his leg. His neighbors felt like victims and lost all sense of control or responsibility for their future. They quickly labeled life's challenges as good or bad. At times things seem bad, but after awhile we can actually see a positive outcome.
Many people have shared with me that the loss of a job was horrendous at first. However, when they found new employment, it turned out to be better than their previous job.
I tell this story at most workshops because we all know people who complain and sound like victims.
Some people blow one incident out of proportion and their self talk becomes such a detriment to their own, and their team's, mental health. Well, I challenge people to stop playing the victim and look at their lives to see what they need to do to rekindle their vitality. At times they give me a look of "You've got to be kidding, there is nothing I can do." At other times people tell me they feel more hopeful and are ready to focus on the cause of burnout and to do something about it. Sometimes the worst situations end up teaching us the most valuable lessons.

10 tips to keep the flame burning

You've probably heard the following suggestions before. Now may be the time that you are ready to actively change. These all require some kind of discipline since you may have let burnout become part of your life. We have to recondition how we think and what we choose to do. It took us a long time to form these negative habits it may take some time to make life changing choices. Are you ready? Now is the time for self care. Many workforce professionals take care of others now it's time to give to yourself.

Number 1
Find a hobbyTalk to people that have achieved balance in their lives and find out what activities they have added to enrich their lives. What activities have you wanted to experience? Now is the time to discover them not when you retire. Why wait? Act now! The change and excitement of photography, flying, art, etc., could be just what the doctor ordered.

Number 2
Take a class for funLearn something completely new.

Number 3
Volunteer for a cause that means something to youWhat goes around comes around. I hear many success stories of people receiving much more after they give their time and attention to others.

Number 4
Eat right, exercise, and try meditatingDo these for the right reasons. First add them to your life, but not just because they are good for you. Upbeat music adds energy to a workout session. Exercise automatically helps people deal with their problems. They become more relaxed and are able to tackle the challenge even after only a 30-minute workout. They feel fired up to re-ignite the energy in their life.

Number 5
RestI don't mean hide. Your body may need some extra time to heal. So take the time, just don't use it as an excuse to stay away from others. Many people have told me they thought they had chronic fatigue syndrome. They rested their body and refocused on what is really important in their lives and the symptoms disappeared.
History tells us that most American presidents took short naps each day as a preventative measure against burnout.

Number 6
Concentrate on what is in front of your noseIf you are taking a walk, notice what is in front of you. If you are at home, notice the person you are talking to. These are golden moments to cherish. When you are at work, forget about the problems at home and look at your task at hand. This one tip is so powerful and you can start using it now!

Number 7
Develop team meetings to discuss what front line, supervisors, managers, and administrators can do togetherTake everybody's complaints and constructive feedback seriously. Are teams working together or waiting for the stress to go away? Think in terms of we and not me. Are your teams practicing a feeling of esprit de corps? Are the actions of team members aligned with the team's mission? Do people do "whatever it takes" to get the job done? If not, this could be a huge deficit in achieving team balance.
These are all contributing factors to the burnout of individual members.

Number 8
Learn how to be authentic and share your thoughts with othersSome people are more open than others. For some it is difficult to be straight forward, especially if they are more private or guarded. I suggest taking classes to help you learn to be open and straight forward. This tip is a real burnout buster. People who are straight forward and not rude experience less stress. Just think about it. Instead of wasting hours during the night thinking of what you should have said to someone, just do it. Straight forward communication is a skill that is well worth learning. Look at the extra hours of sleep you will get if you don't have to worry about things. Sometimes we need to tell people what they need to hear, not necessarily what they want to hear. Straight talk works and people see immediate results after learning this technique. Ann, a workshop participant, told me how she used straight talk on her boss. The boss was very negative and this attitude was eroding the morale. Ann practiced her conversation and took the initiative and used straight talk. The boss thanked Ann because he didn't realize the impact of his negativity. Ann is respected now by her boss.

Number 9
Discover the necessity of positive humor at work and at homePositive humor lightens the stress of impossible tasks. Numerous worksites have added humor and joy bulletin boards where employees can place cartoons or inspirational stories. Humor is not a luxury in our lives anymore, it has become a necessity! We included a segment on humor in our workshops since we have seen the incredible results. Make a list of 15 things you enjoy doing for fun, such as, sailing, travel, going to the theater, hosting a dinner party, or reading a novel. Once you make your list, ask yourself when was the last time you did any of these activities? Decide which ones are important to you and make plans to do at least one new activity this week. Schedule it in your daily planner. Honor the little child inside of you.
Remember how children can be creative and resourceful. You deserve fun and pleasure in your life. British novelist George Eliot wrote, "It's never too late to be what you might have been."

Number 10
Discover what values are important to youThe qualities you consider most significant will have a tremendous impact on your life. Which ones need immediate attention? Could it be personal solitude, creativity, family, social welfare, freedom, or independence? It is a necessity, not a luxury to find the value deficit in your life. Balance is the key to re-igniting your energy.
I recently discovered that I needed more personal solitude in my life. I research and plan for my speeches and workshops. I practice and market my programs. But I was ignoring the personal time I desperately needed to take I was out of balance. "All work and no play" was making Joyce a dull person. This went on for years as I climbed the mountain of success. I was fortunate to have a son who saw the smoke signals before I noticed them and warned me about them. What area of your life is out of balance? Now is the time to take the steps that will re-ignite your energy!

Re-ignite Your Energy

!These 10 tips are but first steps to help you rekindle your enthusiasm. If these don't work, then you may need to seek professional help. People are hospitalized because of burnout and we need to find the major causes. People have gone to their boss and asked for different responsibilities those that fit more with their values or interests. Others have found new jobs because a former position created too much stress for them.

Abraham Lincoln said, "People are just about as happy as they make up their minds to be." Remember the farmer? Well the "good news" is that we can gain control of our lives again. We can feel enthusiasm again. We can feel a sense of joy at work and home. Burnout is a time for us to look within ourselves and find what is missing in our lives. Burnout happens to people who live intensely. Also be aware of "rust out". You can see it on the faces of people who are just hanging on to a job or relationship. I would rather burn out several times as long as I know it is a signal to make some changes and rethink what I want out of life. Remember we need to recondition ourselves if burnout is lurking on our horizon. It did not come overnight. So with some discipline, introspection, and change, we can rekindle our vitality and move on to more exciting times. And one last thing make sure to enjoy the journey you deserve it!

TWO GLASSES OF WINE

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 glasses of wine...

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full.

They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full.

They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full.

The students responded with an unanimous 'yes.'

The professor then produced two glasses of wine from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

'Now', said the professor, as the laughter subsided, 'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things; your family, your children, your health, your friends, and your favorite passions; things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.'

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, and your car.

The sand is everything else; the small stuff. 'If you put the sand into the jar first,' he continued, 'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.

The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you.'

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner. Play another 18. Do one more run down the ski slope. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first; the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.

'One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the wine represented.

The professor smiled. 'I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of glasses of wine with a friend.'

Managing the Support Center with Emotional Intelligence

Intelligence comes in many packages, sizes and shapes. We all possess many types of intelligence. The best known intelligence is our cognitive ability, which is measured by our Intelligence Quotient or IQ score. This is unfortunate because our IQ, although important, is not the best predictor of how successful we are in life. A much better indicator is our level of Emotional Intelligence, which encompasses how well we understand and manage our own emotions, and how well we interact with others. The most successful Support Managers are both aware of their own Emotional Intelligence and work to improve it daily.Why is it so important for Support Managers to possess advanced Emotional Intelligence skills? There are two answers to that question

1. The Leader casts a long shadow - and that shadow influences the effectiveness of the group.We know that emotions are contagious. All humans possess an open-loop emotional system in our brain that allows us to perceive and be affected by other’s emotional states or moods. This is the mechanism that allows a mother to soothe her crying baby, or for a giggle to infect a roomful of people. You can bet that as manager of the support center, all employees’ eyes are on you as you show up for the day. They are wondering, either silently or aloud, “Is he in a good mood today? What does that frown on her face mean? Watch out - he’s got that look that means we’re going to have heck to pay around here today.” Your mood and emotions set the pace for the whole group. You, therefore, must be very mindful of your emotions and manage them well, because they quickly affect the entire team.Recently, psychologists have shown that a 1% improvement in emotional climate creates a 2% increase in revenues. Yes, as the leader, you set the emotional climate of the entire group, which influences the effectiveness of your group and ultimately the profitability of your company.

2. Employees join companies but leave managers.As I talk to support professionals about Emotional Intelligence, I am struck by the number of stories that confirm the premise that employees join companies but leave managers. Whether it’s the manager who did not control her anger toward an employee or one who humiliated an individual in public, the immediate result of an emotionally un-intelligent episode is a backwash of animosity and bad feelings toward the manager. The ultimate reality is usually a lost employee. The humiliated employee successfully seeks another position due to the lingering bad feelings about that incident or because of a string of similar incidents that has poisoned the relationship. Even in a sluggish economy in which it is relatively easy to hire new employees, the cost of losing a good employee is very high. No company can afford to lose good talent unnecessarily.How can you be an Emotionally Intelligent Support Manager? Developing Emotional Intelligence is a process that takes time and patience. It’s like climbing a very large set of stairs in slow motion. The four areas of competencies in Emotional Intelligence can be visualized thus:

DEVELOPING EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE – THE STAIRCASE OF STEPS

Like most processes, the first step is the most important. The first step in developing Emotional Intelligence is to be aware of your own emotions (Self-Awareness). Without awareness of your own emotions, it is not possible to develop more advanced competencies. Most of us are not in touch with our emotions – in fact, we’ve been taught to ignore them. I recently saw a movie with my pre-teenage daughter that illustrated this point. In the movie, Freaky Friday, the mother, a psychologist, and her daughter, a rebellious 15 year old, have changed bodies for a day, thanks to dramatic license. The daughter (in the mother’s body) must go to work and see her mother’s patients that day. The daughter is distraught, “What do I say to all your patients, Mom?” The mother (in the daughter’s body) replies, “Just keep asking them, “How do you feel about that?” This is most certainly a gross oversimplification of the psychological profession, but the point is that psychologists are constantly reminding us to identify our feelings – because we are not accustomed to doing so.You can increase your Self-Awareness by constantly asking yourself, “How do I feel about this?” I know that I need to identify an emotion when I notice a physiological reaction in my body, such as butterflies in my stomach or tense shoulders. “OK, what is that I’m feeling that’s making my stomach quake?” I’ll say to myself. Usually, I’m feeling nervous about some event or task I need to perform. The physical reaction can be a tip-off that you need to identify the feeling that is causing it.The second step in developing Emotional Intelligence is Self-Management. Self-management is controlling your knee-jerk reactions to emotional triggers in your life. With some reflection, you can identify certain situations that are guaranteed to “push your buttons” – perhaps a certain employee really makes you mad when they whine, or a customer who talks in an accusatory tone really sets you off. It is our goal as mature adults to stop, take a deep breath and deal with the situation without losing our cool. Most techniques for handling these trigger situations are a variant on the tried-and-true “count to ten” advice, but you can also mentally rehearse your reaction to common situations. Sit quietly with your eyes closed, visualizing a potentially reactive situation. Recreate the scene in your mind using all five of your senses – how does it look, smell, sound, etc. – and then imagine yourself choosing a calmer, most effective response. Our emotional brains are slow to learn, but practice, whether it is an actual or mental rehearsal, is the best way to train ourselves to change an habitual response.In a Support Center, the manager’s self-management skills will not only set the tone for the whole department, but also for all your employee’s interactions with customers. Remember that we said the leader casts a long shadow? If you, as the manager, lose control of your emotions and raise your voice, employees might consider that acceptable behavior and use a raised voice in dealing with customers. How you treat your employees will be reflected in how they, in turn, treat your customers.In the third step, we are attuning to other’s emotions and acting accordingly. The competencies of Social Awareness include awareness of the mood of your group, empathy toward both your customers and your employees, political awareness of your organization as a whole, and an attitude of service. Support Managers must be aware of how the Support Center is viewed in the overall political landscape of the organization. Is your support function viewed as ancillary to your business, or are you seen as a primary contributor to the company’s strategic direction? Most Support Managers today are concerned about their function being outsourced. Managers who exercise mature Social Awareness competencies are actively engaged in aligning their center with business goals, are marketing the value of their Support Center to upper management, and are seeking cost-cutting measures before being asked to. Social Awareness leads to action when a need is identified.The last step in developing Emotional Intelligence is Relationship Management. This cluster of competencies revolves around teamwork: how we get along with others, how we handle conflict, how we influence and persuade others, how we consider the feelings of others as we interact with them. It includes how effectively we get things done in organizations. Support Managers are constantly managing both up and down the organization – managing their boss and managing their team. In decision making, it is very important to consider the people and relationships, both up and down the org chart, that are affected by your decision. Here is a checklist of questions to consider that will increase your Emotional Intelligence in making a politically loaded decision or planning a change:

· Who is affected by this?
· Who needs to know about this and who doesn’t? Do I need to communicate more often? Do I need to involve them?

· How are the organization’s political insiders going to be affected by this? What will they think, feel and do? Is there a way that I can gain one as an ally in this situation? Could I ask them to help communicate?

· Who has some ego involved in this, and what might their goal be?
· How can I be aware of their emotional needs but get what I want, too?
· What don’t I know about this situation? What might surprise me?
· What are some possible actions to take?

· After creating a plan of action, consider the possible consequences of that plan. How would others react to this plan? What are the ramifications of this action?
Increasing your Emotional Intelligence will increase your effectiveness as a Support Center manager. Be easy on yourself – change comes slowly with emotional habits, but persistence and practice will create results in time. The benefits you reap from your efforts will improve your support center’s efficiencies and your career path.

Successful Delegation

Using the Power of Other People's Help
Even "Super-You" needs help and support. There is no shame in asking for assistance. Push aside the pride and show respect for the talent others can bring to the table.And, remember that there is no such thing as a single-handed success: When you include and acknowledge all those in your corner, you propel yourself, your teammates and your supporters to greater heights. - Author Unknown.

Do you feel stressed and overloaded? Or that your career seems stalled? If so, then you may need to brush up your delegation skills!

If you work on your own, there’s only a limited amount that you can do, however hard you work. You can only work so many hours in a day. There are only so many tasks you can complete in these hours. There are only so many people you can help by doing these tasks. And, because the number of people you can help is limited, your success is limited.

However, if you’re good at your job, people will want much more than this from you.
This can lead to a real sense of pressure and work overload: You can’t do everything that everyone wants, and this can leave you stressed, unhappy, and feeling that you’re letting people down.

On the positive side, however, you’re being given a tremendous opportunity if you can find a way around this limitation. If you can realize this opportunity, you can be genuinely successful!

One of the most common ways of overcoming this limitation is to learn how to delegate your work to other people. If you do this well, you can quickly build a strong and successful team of people, well able to meet the demands that others place.

This is why delegation is such an important skill, and is one that you absolutely have to learn!

Why People Don’t Delegate
To figure out how to delegate properly, it’s important to understand why people avoid it. Quite simply, people don’t delegate because it takes a lot of up-front effort.
After all, which is easier: designing and writing content for a brochure that promotes a new service you helped spearhead, or having other members of your team do it?
You know the content inside and out. You can spew benefit statements in your sleep. It would be relatively straightforward for you to sit down and write it. It would even be fun! The question is, “Would it be a good use of your time?”
While on the surface it’s easier to do it yourself than explain the strategy behind the brochure to someone else, there are two key reasons that mean that it’s probably better to delegate the task to someone else:

First, if you have the ability to spearhead a new campaign, the chances are that your skills are better used further developing the strategy, and perhaps coming up with other new ideas. By doing the work yourself, you’re failing to make best use of your time.

Second, by meaningfully involving other people in the project, you develop those people’s skills and abilities. This means that next time a similar project comes along, you can delegate the task with a high degree of confidence that it will be done well, with much less involvement from you.

Delegation allows you to make the best use of your time and skills, and it helps other people in the team grow and develop to reach their full potential in the organization.

When to Delegate
Delegation is a win-win when done appropriately, however that does not mean that you can delegate just anything. To determine when delegation is most appropriate there are five key questions you need to ask yourself:

Is there someone else who has (or can be given) the necessary information or expertise to complete the task? Essentially is this a task that someone else can do, or is it critical that you do it yourself?

Does the task provide an opportunity to grow and develop another person’s skills?
Is this a task that will recur, in a similar form, in the future?

Do you have enough time to delegate the job effectively? Time must be available for adequate training, for questions and answers, for opportunities to check progress, and for rework if that is necessary.

Is this a task that I should delegate? Tasks critical for long-term success (for example, recruiting the right people for your team) genuinely do need your attention.

If you can answer “yes” to at least some of the above questions, then it could well be worth delegating this job.

Other factors that contribute to the delegability of a task include:
The project’s timelines/deadlines.
How much time is there available to do the job?

Is there time to redo the job if it’s not done properly the first time?
What are the consequences of not completing the job on time?
Your expectations or goals for the project or task(s), including:
How important is it that the results are of the highest possible quality?
Is an "adequate" result good enough?
Would a failure be crucial?
How much would failure impact other things?

That being said, having all these conditions present is no guarantee that the delegated task will be completed successfully either. You also need to consider to whom you will delegate the task and how you will do it.

The Who and How of Delegating
To Whom Should You Delegate?
The factors to consider here include:

The experience, knowledge and skills of the individual as they apply to the delegated task.
What knowledge, skills and attitude does the person already have?
Do you have time and resources to provide any training needed?

The individual’s preferred work style.
How independent is the person?
What does he or she want from his or her job?
What are his or her long-term goals and interest, and how do these align with the work proposed?

The current workload of this person.
Does the person have time to take on more work?
Will you delegating this task require reshuffling of other responsibilities and workloads?

When you first start to delegate to someone, you may notice that he or she takes longer than you do to complete tasks. This is because you are an expert in the field and the person you have delegated to is still learning. Be patient: if you have chosen the right person to delegate to, and you are delegating correctly, you will find that he or she quickly becomes competent and reliable.

How Should You Delegate?
Use the following principles to delegate successfully:
Clearly articulate the desired outcome. Begin with the end in mind and specify the desired results.

Clearly identify constraints and boundaries. Where are the lines of authority, responsibility and accountability? Should the person:

Wait to be told what to do?
Ask what to do?
Recommend what should be done, and then act?
Act, and then report results immediately?
Initiate action, and then report periodically?

Where possible, include people in the delegation process. Empower them to decide what tasks are to be delegated to them and when.

Match the amount of responsibility with the amount of authority. Understand that you can delegate some responsibility, however you can’t delegate away ultimate accountability. The buck stops with you!

Delegate to the lowest possible organizational level. The people who are closest to the work are best suited for the task, because they have the most intimate knowledge of the detail of everyday work. This also increases workplace efficiency, and helps to develop people.
Provide adequate support, and be available to answer questions. Ensure the project’s success through ongoing communication and monitoring as well as provision of resources and credit.
Focus on results. Concern yourself with what is accomplished, rather than detailing how the work should be done: Your way is not necessarily the only or even the best way! Allow the person to control his or her own methods and processes. This facilitates success and trust.
Avoid “upward delegation”. If there is a problem, don’t allow the person to shift responsibility for the task back to you: ask for recommended solutions; and don’t simply provide an answer.
Build motivation and commitment. Discuss how success will impact financial rewards, future opportunities, informal recognition, and other desirable consequences. Provide recognition where deserved.

Establish and maintain control.
Discuss timelines and deadlines.
Agree on a schedule of checkpoints at which you’ll review project progress.
Make adjustments as necessary.
Take time to review all submitted work.
In thoroughly considering these key points prior to and during the delegation process you will find that you delegate more successfully.

Keeping Control
Now, once you have worked through the above steps, make sure you brief your team member appropriately. Take time to explain why they were chosen for the job, what’s expected from them during the project, the goals you have for the project, all timelines and deadlines and the resources on which they can draw. And agree a schedule for checking-in with progress updates.

Lastly, make sure that the team member knows that you want to know if any problems occur, and that you are available for any questions or guidance needed as the work progresses.
We all know that as managers, we shouldn’t micro-manage. However, this doesn’t mean we must abdicate control altogether: In delegating effectively, we have to find the sometimes-difficult balance between giving enough space for people to use their abilities to best effect, while still monitoring and supporting closely enough to ensure that the job is done correctly and effectively.

The Importance of Full Acceptance
When delegated work is delivered back to you, set aside enough time to review it thoroughly. If possible, only accept good quality, fully-complete work. If you accept work you are not satisfied with, your team member does not learn to do the job properly. Worse than this, you accept a whole new tranche of work that you will probably need to complete yourself. Not only does this overload you, it means that you don’t have the time to do your own job properly. Of course, when good work is returned to you, make sure to both recognize and reward the effort. As a leader, you should get in the practice of complimenting members of your team every time you are impressed by what they have done. This effort on your part will go a long way toward building team member’s self-confidence and efficiency, both of which will be improved on the next delegated task; hence, you both win.

Key Points:
At first sight, delegation can feel like more hassle than it’s worth, however by delegating effectively, you can hugely expand the amount of work that you can deliver.
When you arrange the workload so that you are working on the tasks that have the highest priority for you, and other people are working on meaningful and challenging assignments, you have a recipe for success.

To delegate effectively, choose the right tasks to delegate, identify the right people to delegate to, and delegate in the right way. There’s a lot to this, but you’ll achieve so much more once you’re delegating effectively!

Procrastination

Procrastination
It is said that things happen by doing and not by dreaming. I am sure whosoever said that was not a man. A man knows the importance of dreams. How careful planning can help him avoid work is an art which only men have perfected . Since due to unexplainable reasons woman failed to develop this ability due to which whenever they have an urge to clean their room ;they have to clean it. Men on the other hand use their ability to plan and decide when the room will be cleaned and when the decided time arrives they have no urge of cleaning the room thereby proving that procrastination isn"t a problem but its the solution .
This attitude of men has played a very important role in development of civilization. Just think about the wars which were never fought because men were too lazy to wear uniform. Also the various accidents which were avoided because men decided to watch wwe instead of buying groceries.
Anyway some people always ask men to act. They believe in the 20th century saying that that Practice makes man perfect. For them here is the 21st century saying "Practice makes man perfect Nobody is perfect. So why practice?"