Thank you for the good times 2018 and for the

lessons

Today as I am writing my blog, the world population sits at 7,632,819,325. What if 7,632,819,325 people could thank you? How would that make you feel? How many people have actually thanked you in your life? What do people thank you for most often?

Saying thank you is free. It does not cost anything other than a few seconds of our lives. It shows we are paying attention to others. Appreciation changes everything.

What do people around you do well everyday that you might be taking for granted? Make space in your daily life to wish someone well, to say thank you, to praise. Give and be generous. Be caring and compassionate. Be kind. Be respectful. Authenticity is magnetic.

Listening is giving the other person the experience of being heard. It becomes a giving. Make a choice about how you are going to say thank you. Celebrate others. Celebrate how they have shifted, their creativity, their success, their risk, the difference that they are making. Of course you are busy! We are all busy but we give what we can, when we can. A very simple story. Give. Simple.

One of my clients told me recently that he would leave thank you post it notes on his colleagues? computers prior to them arriving to work. One of my routines when I was a Headteacher was weekly to identify staff who had made a real difference. I would write them each a personalised letter. Yes it took time but I took pleasure out of it because I felt that this was the least I could do to express my gratitude to them.

Building a culture of workplace gratitude could be the best thing you ever do for your organisation. In fact, author and speaker Toni Powell calls gratitude at work the key to success in Why Gratitude in the Workplace? In her TEDx Talk, A Love Story, she says her husband used gratitude to transform her life.

When you practise workplace gratitude you transform relationships, minimize complaints, and see satisfaction levels skyrocket. The effect is profound and long-lasting, Powell says, because gratitude rewires the brain to see and process the world differently. It works like this, she explains. Gratitude:

• Increases resilience
• Reduces stress
• Facilitates positive relationships
• Makes people happier
• Reduces turn over
• And happy people work harder!

I love TED Talks! In his TED Talk, The Happy Secret to Better Work, former Harvard professor Shawn Achor says happiness improves every aspect of business: ‘Happy brains are 31% more productive than negative, stressed or neutral brains, and dopamine released when we’re happy turns on the brain’s learning centers.’

You and your employees can train your brains to look for positivity and happiness by, among other things, writing down three things you’re grateful for everyday for 30 days. When will you start?

My favorite TED Talks on building workplace gratitude are:

1. Want to Be Happy and Grateful by monk and interfaith scholar Brother David Steindl-Rast

2. Remember to Say Thank You by Counselor and life coach Dr. Laura Trice

3. Your Happiest Days are Behind You by Happiness researcher Robert Biswas-Diener

4. The Epidemic of Smiles and the Science of Gratitude by Jennifer Moss, co-founder of Plasticity, enterprise software for culture performance

5. How Thanking Awakens our Thinking by Dr. Kerry Howells, an educator of teachers

6. What Makes Us Feel Good About Our Work? by behavioural economist Dan Ariely

7. Make Stress Your Friend by psychologist Kelly McGonigal

As 2018 draws to a close in a few hours, I want to celebrate my wins for 2018, share them with you and say thank you.

#Ongoingreading2018 – Thank you to all those authors who have made me think differently

Reading is part of my daily habit. I read to relax, to dream, to learn, to think, to be challenged, to inform case studies from my leadership presentations and workshops, to grow my executive and leadership questioning techniques.

My 6 favourite books this year so far are:

• Nancy Kline Time to Think: Listening to Ignite the Human Mind
• Adam Grant Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success
• Chris Widener Leadership Rules: How to Become the Leader You Want to Be
• Chris Widener The Art of Influence: Persuading Others Begins With You
• Jim Rohn Twelve Pillars
• Susan Scott Fierce Conversations: Achieving success in work and in life, one conversation at a time

Read here about a few top business leaders and entrepreneurs who make reading a major part of their daily lifestyle:

Here are some books that extremely successful people read around the world.

#UKICF2018 – Thank you to ICF for making me a better coach

I am an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) and so I continue to train on a regular basis by attending online webinars and ICF conferences. This year, the ICF conference was about people who wanted to question further, survive and thrive, which sums me up very well.

My key takeaways were:

• Prepare my application to be PCC.
• Explore Youtube videos.
• How can I use the work from Simon Hayward on The Agile Leader: how to create an agile business in the digital age in my own coaching practice and questioning techniques.

#JulieHall2018 – Thank you to Julie Hall for giving me an insight into writing marketing messages.

I booked Julie Hall for a VIP day on 11^th May 2018. Rachel Miller recommended Julie Hall to me. My focus was to work with Julie on my offers and marketing messages. We met at the British Library. We worked from 10am to 4pm. I really like the way Julie used my background to link the past, the present and the future.

My key takeaway was very simple: a 4-page action plan inserted in my strategic business model that had to be implemented. I am pleased to say that to day, everything is now green.

‘Millennial workers rate the ability to learn and progress as the most important aspect of an employer brand’ (Deloitte 2017). I might not be a Millennial worker but it still works for me!

#MIL2018 – Thank you to Janet Murray for?educating me on marketing and PR strategies

My decision to attend the Janet Murray Media Live Event 2018 was more organic than what I had imagined. My work with Janet Murray started on 1^stJanuary 2018 when I subscribed to her online membership. My main goals were to have access to her resources (webinars and podcasts that could help me in my business) and become part of her online community, allowing me to have business conversations with other members whose circumstances are similar to mine. I have become a great student at attending the Wednesday 2pm call (no matter where I am in the world) and I frequently ask questions online when I am stuck!

So when she started talking about this event and meeting journalists, I felt excited. I have some experience with journalists as I have been interviewed on TV (the BBC and its French equivalent, TF1) and in the press (Times Educational Supplement) while I was a Headteacher. I had done one radio programme since I started my business Nadine Powrie Consultancy Limited until 2018. I was immediately attracted to meeting marketing and social media professionals.

I have a media strategy but of course I can improve it. I like meeting new people who are bringing me out of my comfort zone. They make me grow. They offer new and different perspectives that are always valuable.

#NPYear3 – Thank you to me

On 15^th July 2018, I started my third year of business. I have a clear business model and targets that I want to achieve. Peter Drucker once said ‘the number-one trait of an effective leader is that they do one thing at a time. Today’s technology tools give you great opportunities to do 73 things at a time or to at least delude yourself that you are’. Here is a breakdown of the main personal development activities I have engaged so far in during my third year:

This year has been pivotal for me in that I have become an international speaker as an Executive and Leadership Coach. I travelled to Australia, the Middle East, Europe and Asia. International reach is at the core of my business model and I have always wanted to work with people from around the globe. In a previous career, I visited many schools in different countries (China, Australia, New Zealand, America, Middle East, Africa) and realised how important it is to have exposure to different ways of thinking. In my current career as an Executive and Leadership Coach, I think it is important to work with people from different cultures, which is why I am working more with companies where I can use my languages (French/English) around the world. Coaching is all about communication and there is no more important communication than cross-cultural communication, particularly at a time when many countries seemed intent on closing borders. Working internationally across cultures has given me insight into how differently people can be thinking about themselves. I find that this can give me unique skills when I am in coaching conversations with my clients. Coaching is often about helping people to see things differently, particularly when those things constitute a challenge for them.

My first ever online webinar took place on 10^th September on ‘How to have a difficult conversation’. 45 people had booked to attend so it became a big project. The feedback was great and as a result, I will do more in 2019. Watch this space!

I became a Twitter chat host Twitter Chat #ManagingTeams on Wednesdays between 9pm and 10pm (BST) to offer Leaders another layer of support. I do not know yet if I will continue the Twitter Chat. What do you think?

I have continued to add to my library (over 47 blogs/vlogs online), all practical and ‘how to’ advice that relate to my clients’ questions. My latest blog on How to have a difficult conversation ranked 5^th on Google search. I have also started to guest blog. My latest guest blog was published by Rachel Miller. Thank you Rachel for giving me this opportunity.

I have just launched my first Podcast which will be on Itunes next week. Thank you Jessica Lorimer and Scott Doucet for providing an awesome online course to enable me to deliver a podcast (from start to finish).

Here are my 7 favourite questions to continue to get clarity on professional development in 2019:

• What would it look like if you were entirely successful?
• In six months, if things were going exactly the way you want, what would you see?
• What would you do if you had unlimited resources?
• What is your current biggest problem or challenge?
• How do you plan to approach them?
• What resources do you have access to?
• What is one step you could take right now that would indicate you were moving forward?

Your thank you note may feel like sunrise for some. Relationships are everything in life. Attention is energy. You are choosing all the time so make it happen. Make generosity part of your growth strategy. Gratitude is medicine.

Thank you to all of my friends around the world and finally, thank you to my husband and our wonderful children for their constant encouragement.

This blog on How far are you from still completing your review of the Year 2018? gives you an opportunity to read my achievements for 2018 and to make you reflect on yours. Thank you as ever for stopping by. What do you think of what you’ve read? Feel free to comment below or Tweet me @NadinePowrie with any comments or email me at npowrie@nadinepowrie.com.

In 2019, I will be delivering 6 Masterclasses in London. If you are interested in working with me, sign up for your place now. There are only 10 places available.

23rd January 2019 or 12th June 2019: Coaching for effective change communication

28th March 2019 or 26th June 2019: Coaching for managing difficult conversations

25th April 2019: Coaching for better feedback

15th May 2019: Coaching for effective performance conversations

Click here for more details

Any questions? Let?s talk. Book a slot on my online calendar

Thank you for reading my blog .

Happy New Year 2019.