Sunday, June 12, 2011

Gaining Clarity in your Professional and Personal Roles

When you become a Business Owner or Founder, there are many factors to consider which may impact on the roles you perform, in all aspects of your life. Examples of these from a professional point of view, could be that of a:

1. Business woman or Entrepreneur
2. Decision-maker
3. Influencer
4. Mediator
5. Colleague
6. Nurse/Carer
7. Professional Wife/Girlfriend (in a partnership)

This list is certainly not exhaustive in that other status will also apply. How many of them do you recognise, let alone carry out, everyday in your working life?

They are all public images or 'masks' that you wear on a daily basis. However, sometimes these personas can weigh heavily, especially in an emotional context.

There is also a more private side that can have an overlapping stance, such as that of wife, mother, sister, aunt and any others with which you may identify. The more overlap there is, the increased likelihood of confusion which, without the right guidance, can have a rippling negative impact.

Have you ever been in an embarrassing situation where you actually called your male colleague 'baby' or 'honey'? It happens, so how do you eliminate this risk?

One of the best ways to counter this, the one I will focus on today, is a very simple method. It is known as 'Gaining Clarity'.

Clarity is a way of being clear in your mind and thoughts, in the present. It is how to understand what you should, could or would do, with minimal ambiguity, to make a situation better or improved in some way.

Life is a flow of synchronizations, related interactions and incidents. When you use this method to it's best advantage, combined with your knowledge and experiences, the 'clarity' is your action pursuits and desired results.

If you have clarity in your oral, written and action communications, that alone will place you in a high percentage leadership position. This typically means that you will be liked, trusted as well as respected.

You'll gain followers who will understand you, they'll value your message and appreciate how you could positively affect them.

You are also less likely to intertwine your personal/love life, with your professional one. As an example, one of the ways in which I gain clarity from my interactions, is to ask quality questions. It's an action I take everyday that works very well. So what do you do? What way or method works best for you?

To help, here's a comparable situation in a table form, for setting the scene. Note what other questions you could ask yourself, to gain more clarity and quality answers.

Gaining Clarity: Comparable Table

������������������������ Founders role���������������������������� vs���������������������� Personal role

BOARD MEMBERS AND COLLEAGUES
? It always makes sense to bring on board
the best people in your team, to help
drive your business in the way it was
originally envisioned.
Question:
? Who are your board members and
colleagues? What hand did you play in
selecting them for their work roles?

FAMILY MEMBERS AND FRIENDS
? With family, it's always great to have
unconditional support. There are also
families where you can't choose your
actual members.
Question:
? How well do get on with your family? In
times of any discord, what do you do to
make the best of a given situation(s)?

ORGANISATIONAL DECISIONS
? The way that your business is formed i.e.
Partnership, Limited Company or other
status, is paramount to how you've
implemented related decisions.
Question:
? Who are your board members and
colleagues? What hand did you play in
selecting them for their work roles?

GROWING YOUR FAMILY
? Your family are growing because the
members are getting older or children
and/or pets are being added in your home.
Question:
? Who are your family members? What
decisions have you made to extend or
increase your family?

SALES AND MARKETING
? When it comes down to building your
business, there are many sales and
marketing routes you can take, that
compliment it holistically.
Question:
? How hands-on are you in building your
business from the ground up? What are
your effective online/offline tactics?

SHOPPING
? Many people view shopping (food,
clothes etc.) as a great social pass-time,
while for others it's therapy or stressrelief
coping mechanism.
Question:
? What strategy do you use i.e. online or
offline? Where do you shop either solo or
with friends/partner?
NETWORKING AND JOINT VENTURES
? Whatever networking or joint venture
strategies you adopt and use, ensure that
it is adaptable and builds sustainability,
with your business growth.
Question:
? How often do you host or attend these
events? What ratio of your business
stems from sales or new contacts?
PARTIES AND WEDDINGS
? When hosting or attending parties or
weddings, they are a great way to come
together and catch-up with long-term
friends and/or family .
Question:
? How often do you host or attend these
events? How many new friends do you
meet that can be long-term partners?

Answer these questions, and you'll be on your way to removing dual role frustrations.

This is a guest post by Valerie Lothian, Author and Creator of Fairy Dust Networking. An accredited Communicator, Valerie helps entrepreneurs in a stress-free way, by removing any challenges from their business development and online marketing.

Source: http://www.thenextwomen.com/2011/06/10/gaining-clarity-your-professional-and-personal-roles

T.A.T.u. Catherine Bell Abbie Cornish Kerry Suseck Isla Fisher

1 comment:

  1. Hello,

    Thank you so much for posting my article about gaining clarity.

    I really enjoyed writing it.

    Please feel free to contact me with any comments or queries?

    Kind regards,

    Valerie Lothian
    Accredited Communicator
    Author and Creator of Fairy Dust Networking
    Valerie [at] internettrafficlistbuilding.co.uk

    ReplyDelete