If we allow this to happen, it could mean that by March or April we're right back where we were, desperate for a holiday and for something to change so that we can get some sort of break.
But what if you could live most of your days in this fashion? As if you're on holiday that is… What if you could achieve as much as normal with much less effort, and what if you could understand your own behaviour in a way that allows you to interact more comfortably with society and daily demands? What would you strive to accomplish if this were the case? Or to rephrase the question, if you could bring 100% of your gift and passion to the world, how much could that mean to you?
I am one of the fortunate people in life. I have a job that I love - it keeps me engaged and when I don't like what I have to do, I think of ways to change the process so that I can achieve the same outcome in a different way. This has been the case for at least 14 years. Much to my surprise then, I was introduced to a new leadership and management tool about two years ago that enhanced that enjoyment even more and helped me accomplish certain tasks even faster and more effectively than was previously the case. The Enneagram.
This tool has helped me understand even more clearly why certain team members enjoy stepping up at certain times and others do not. Specifically how and why I had been procrastinating on some tasks. How I was not harnessing the energy of the team to its fullest potential and why I would work myself into a semi-coma feeling resentful and used, whilst others would calmly walk away. And just to be clear, I had always considered myself as competent and certainly very experienced as a manager, after all I teach these skills! (1989-2014)
Upon my return from the Enneagram workshop and as part of completing my portfolio for accreditation, I immediately introduced our own team to the possibility of using this tool to improve and enhance our offerings, but mostly as a tool to self-mastery. Huge buy-in was achieved and it is now 14 months later. It has been a phenomenal time to say the least.
Being analytical of nature I have quantified the number of "bonus category" achievements our small team of seven has accomplished. I am speaking of achievements over and above what we originally would have thought possible and I am proud to say that without exception each and every individual on the team has cognitively made huge behavioural breakthroughs and with these have come achievements not before considered possible, or at the least considered extremely tough to accomplish and therefore more long term.
I tell you this not only to brag, no just kidding on that one, I tell you this simply to illustrate exactly why you should do yourself this one favour in 2014. Enrol for a course that introduces you to the Enneagram; do it through our company or through any other, you can even do it through self-study on the web and through various reference books, but do it. It is totally worth it.
Debbie is the CEO of Staff Training, a soft skills and leadership training organisation that provides tutoring on courses such as Emotional Intelligence, Leadership Training and many more. Established 2000.