06.04.2022

Curse of Capability | Seize | Have A Break

Hello there! Welcome to my weekly LEAPS. 

You’re receiving this email because you subscribed to my weekly Wednesday feature or our mailing list. Every Wednesday, I share 5 things using our LEAPS approach: 

Learn: something new or an idea
Energy: something that’s creating an energy and positive impact
Action: something to do
Processing: a question to consider
Shout out: something or someone that I want to celebrate or acknowledge

Have you taken the GLAS Understanding Assessment
and received your free report?

LEARN
Something Worth Sharing

The Curse of Capability

When I was little - and at school - I was never the star or top of the class, but I was usually in the top 2 or 3. This was true for all subjects, from maths to field hockey, and physics to art. I was ‘pretty good’ at most subjects - mainly through hard work and determination. In other words, I was the ‘capable’ one.

As I progressed through secondary and higher education, I began to realise that this can be a curse. Here are three particular areas of the capability curse:

1. When you are able to develop skills across multiple disciplines, there isn’t a clear focus for you. You almost have too many options available to you.

2. People observe your capability and assume you can - and will - do anything and everything.

3. You buy into the idea of point 2 - and find delegation tough because you are so capable, you may as well do everything yourself.

My learn over the years stems from firstly understanding what the word capable means. It is from Latin CAPERE meaning "to grasp, lay hold, take, catch; undertake; take in, hold; be large enough for; comprehend". When I am struggling with the curse of capability, I remind myself:

1. Stacking capabilities has a compound impact - skills can more than multiply (especially when you bring in other capable people).

2. An ability to do everything isn’t the same as loving what you do - be selective.

3. Capability means ‘to grasp and hold’- learning to relax that grip and find the right people to pass things too is a skill - you can be a capable delegator!

To sum up my learning about the Curse of Capability is in two parts - a) perspective and b) management

ENERGY
Focusing on an emotion or positive energy; a stand-out word / s

Seize

This is a word that came from a conversation with a client as we chatted about their future and sustainable success. He used the word several time - the desire to seize opportunities.

‘Seize’ is from Late Latin SACIRE, but thought to originate from Frankish SAKJAN which means "lay claim to". It is also thought to be connected to Gothic word SOKJAN and Old English SECAN meaning "to seek". To seize anything, we need to open and connected to the external world - and have the energy, inclination and skill to ‘lay claim’. In other words, be ready to be brave and go out there, seek and lay claim to opportunities, learning, growth and improvement.

ACTION
Something small that you can do that might make a big difference

Have A Break

The words ‘have a break” remind me immediately of the well used and known advertising campaign from Nestle’s snack bar - Kit Kat. The slogan was created by advertising agency, J Walter Thompson in May 1957. Initially the line reflected the welcome 11am tea break – ‘elevenses’ – common to British factories, but as it became more widely used, particularly on television, the flexibility of the phrase became the key to its longevity.

The action for you (and me) this week is to follow the advice and ‘have a break’. Pick a time, stop what you’re doing and take a break. You can choose what that means for you, but just stop and change scenery or situation for 15 mins - at least. You might even grab yourself a biscuit or Kit Kat to enjoy!

For more convincing, research shows that having a break:

1. Improves the memory

2. Provides energy boosts

3. Reduces stress

4. Improves health (especially longer breaks and sleep)

5. Boosts performance and creativity

PROCESSING
A question to think about and consider (you can discuss this with someone or write your thoughts down)

“When have you felt unheard or invisible?”

Inspired by the book I recommend at the end of this LEAPS, the question for you to process this week is when - and how - you have felt unheard or unseen. It’s surprisingly more common than you’d think. Having done some work recently about discrimination as well as bullying, there are certainly pockets of society that experience this more than others do. At some point in our lives, we all feel overlooked, ignored, that we don’t belong and so on.

I know that when I was bullied once - many years ago - I didn’t want to be seen, certainly not by the person bullying me. It was only in later life you learn what can cause someone to bully others - and that perhaps they too have felt unseen or unheard in an area of their life. We all want to feel we have a safe space to hold an opinion, and that our opinion is important. The workplace continues to be somewhere that needs to offer that safe space - for people to be seen and heard regardless of status or position.

SHOUT OUT
Who / what I think deserves recognition, my gratitude or to be celebrated.

Great Professional Relationships

In the past couple of weeks - as restrictions continue to gently lift - I’ve reached out to a few “past” professional connections. Some of them have been to catch up in general while others have been for a particular requirement. In all cases, I have been reminded of the value of people and relationships. For almost two years, most of us have been unable to sit across or next to people we’ve done business with for years. The incredible joy I’ve felt being back alongside these wonderful people can barely be put into words. As the world wakes more from its Pandemic sleep, I hope we can continue to build and develop real human connections - live and in person, with energy and spark new ideas and opportunities.

BONUS GIFT FOR YOU
This week’s little extra for you - from me

This week, my recommended book is a book released last year by Oprah Winfrey and Dr Bruce Perry - What Happened To You?. It is a wonderful book for leaders - as well as teachers and parents. My visual synopsis is below and can be downloaded free of charge.

If you’d like to discuss having your ideas, business or culture captured visually - you can also let me know via email.

*** ORDER YOURS NOW ***

Order Your Deliberate Year Calendar & Logbook Set

LEAPS is a process used by our team and clients all the time - and even my own family on a daily basis. 

I’ll be sharing a set of LEAPS each week with you and encourage you to do your own version:

• L: what have you learned?

• E: what’s your energy / feeling word

• A: what’s one thing you need to do?

• P: what are you thinking / processing?

• S: who or what can you shout out?