Future Proof Yourself

It is a great question to ask yourself on a regular basis, ‘So What’s Next?’ It is naturally important to enjoy the moment in terms of what you have done and achieved, celebrate the success, review what have your learnt and what you could have done better. Always be improving and delivering great value. Then If you want to stay up to date and ahead of the game Ask yourself the question, ‘So What’s Next?’, we can’t stand still too long. Procrastination isn’t ever answer,  ‘So, What’s Next?’ Try it on yourself, in meetings at work, with your clients. Get people thinking, generating ideas, bouncing thoughts around. You cannot stand still. ‘So, What’s Next?’ Enjoy the Journey.  

FUTURE PROOF YOURSELF
BOOK: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/FutureProofYourself
BOOK 2: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/DontJustRelyOnYourCV
WEBSITE: https://davidyeabsley.co.uk/
PODCAST SUPPORT: https://anchor.fm/future-proof-yourself/support

What other niceties or luxuries do you like to invest in? or perhaps you class them as essentials? So, what would happen in the future if you couldn’t earn enough money to have these things? So how do you pay for them now? I guess your salary.  How do you earn money? By being of value to the company that you work for or to your clients if you run your own business or that you are self-employed. So the challenge is in this every changing world is how do we stay one step ahead of the game with our skills and knowledge so people want to continue to pay us. Welcome to Future Proofing Yourself which will help you to stay relevant and value for the rest of your working career, so people want to employ you and benefit from your skills. By being confident and competent in your abilities you can continue to enjoy those important things in life and keep watching your favourite programmes. Contact and join me on the Future Proofing Journey  

FUTURE PROOF YOURSELF
BOOK: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/FutureProofYourself
BOOK 2: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/DontJustRelyOnYourCV
WEBSITE: https://davidyeabsley.co.uk/
PODCAST SUPPORT: https://anchor.fm/future-proof-yourself/support

How To Set a Contact with Yourself Future Proof Yourself by Setting a Contract with Yourself Since the early age of 15 I decided to set a contract with myself in terms of my future career. I was still at school but started playing men’s football on Saturday’s afternoons and Sunday Mornings. I loved it so much that I promised I would never work weekends because of my love of playing football So for money I did a paper round and cut grass in the evening in the summer, so I could free up my weekends. Today is no different, I have been running my own business for over 21 years and I very, very rarely work weekends as I love my cycling and golf and walking with my wife. Yes I work long hours at the start of the week, early mornings and some late evenings but my contract is to keep David fit and fresh so no work at the weekends and no emails or messaging at silly hours. So what is your contract with yourself? Answering message and emails late at night and weekends? Saying yes to everything even if you know its going to eat into all you own time? Now if you are on a career bender and happy to work all hours and you love it and you are on a mission, well crack on, other wise thing about setting a contract with yourself. My wife was very naughtily doing some emails on a Sunday afternoon. She said, look at this, an email had been sent to over 200 people in her business, and with-in one hour 40 people had replied to the email and CC everyone else saying ‘this doesn’t apply to us’ has the world gone mad. Emails and messaging on holiday set yourself a contract one hour every two days if you really can’t not be contactable. Think when you get to your retirement age do you want to look back and say I am glad I spent so much time at work and not take all my holiday entitlement.  

FUTURE PROOF YOURSELF
BOOK: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/FutureProofYourself
BOOK 2: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/DontJustRelyOnYourCV
WEBSITE: https://davidyeabsley.co.uk/  
PODCAST SUPPORT: https://anchor.fm/future-proof-yourself/support

How to Demonstrate Managerial Courage – Have You Got What it Takes  There comes a time as you take on management responsibility that you have to stop looking at others to provide the answer and others to be the leader. It is now down to you. Yes you, you have the title now for some action and leadership.  Two very important questions to ask yourself are; If it were your business, what would you do? If it were your business and money, would you employ the people that work for you?  You now need to think about making key decisions, think about if your area of the business was outsourced and you won the contract with your current team what would you do to keep your new business going to be profitable and effective and a good ROI.  Start to think about treating your directors as clients and showing real value by understanding the future needs of the business plus the commercials and how you and your team will contribute and be an excellent ROI. Now’s the time to step up and show Managerial Courage, come out of your comfort zone and contribute not just passive participation. Build a good network to support you, get a mentor / coach and accept any offer of the business to develop you with training and coaching.  

FUTURE PROOF YOURSELF
BOOK: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/FutureProofYourself
BOOK 2: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/DontJustRelyOnYourCV
WEBSITE: https://davidyeabsley.co.uk/
PODCAST SUPPORT: https://anchor.fm/future-proof-yourself/support

How to Ask Really Great Questions. I have always used the phrase in Business ‘Ask Great Questions and then do something Equally Great with the Answers’. Whether you are in sales, A Manager, A consultancy, Architect, Production or Finance or, any other roles ask great questions and be inquisitive.  

The people who ask the best questions, get the best information and there for can create the best ideas and solutions . It’s a Win /Win as people always love it when you show an interest in them by asking questions and being inquisitive.  

So what questions should we ask well there are six simple words: What, Why, When, Where, Who, How  You just need to put these on your vocabulary and off you go, practice them and use them well. You find out so much more and people love it as it shows you are interested in them, as I say Win / Win.  

So what great questions should you be asking?  

FUTURE PROOF YOURSELF
BOOK: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/FutureProofYourself
BOOK 2: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/DontJustRelyOnYourCV
WEBSITE: https://davidyeabsley.co.uk/
PODCAST SUPPORT: https://anchor.fm/future-proof-yourself/support

Ever have that feeling that you are being left behind? The business environment is moving quicker than ever before. There is hardly a concept that can’t be turned into a business just look at the sponsored adds on social media. I noticed one to turn young children’s nursery paintings in to framed master pieces. Plus, there is hardly a business that isn’t looking over its shoulder and thinking what will our market look like in the next few years and what will our jobs and business look like.  So, if you are feeling a little out of your depth and insecure about your future. Now is the time to act to Future Proof Yourself so you can stay relevant and of value for the rest of your career. No time to wait just look at what has happened in the last twelve months.  

Let’s set up a call and discuss your next steps of your Future Proofing Journey. Details of my New Future Proofing Coaching programme can be found on my website 

FUTURE PROOF YOURSELF
BOOK: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/FutureProofYourself
BOOK 2: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/DontJustRelyOnYourCV
WEBSITE: https://davidyeabsley.co.uk/
PODCAST: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/FutureProofPodcast  
PODCAST SUPPORT: https://anchor.fm/future-proof-yourself/support

I know it is obvious, but it is really good advice. Whatever your chosen route is be very good at it.  What do you need to learn, study, get advice on or practice. Now there is a word ‘practice’. There is a great saying in sport. Why do amateurs play more than they practice and why do professional’s practice more than they play? It’s a really interesting concept that we all need to think about, could I be better at what I do if I practiced my talents more often?   If you have to negotiate a lot in your work: Practice; 1. Asking great questions 2. Listening 3. Being present 4. The art of silence 5. Keeping calm 6. reading body language and being aware of your own 7. your product/ industry knowledge 8. packaging deals 9. reaching agreement  So, what do you need to practice? Need any help please get in touch.  

FUTURE PROOF YOURSELF
BOOK: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/FutureProofYourself
BOOK 2: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/DontJustRelyOnYourCV
WEBSITE: https://davidyeabsley.co.uk/
PODCAST SUPPORT: https://anchor.fm/future-proof-yourself/support

It’s Tough Out There - You don’t say David! But, and it’s a big but, I have a plan, I am organised, Self - motivated, Thinking differently, Working hard to make it happen, Focused on what i can control. I love these words and have used them for many years in running my business.  

This video I will look at what these words really mean and how to enable you to Future Proof Yourself  

FUTURE PROOF YOURSELF
BOOK: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/FutureProofYourself
BOOK 2: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/DontJustRelyOnYourCV
WEBSITE: https://davidyeabsley.co.uk/
PODCAST SUPPORT: https://anchor.fm/future-proof-yourself/support

How to find your niche, this is a hot topic in deciding what you want to do in your career or if you are thinking about setting up a business.  Well I would encourage you not to go to narrow and worry about your niche at the start unless it’s completely obvious, Your Niche will find you if;  But how will my niche find me? And how will I find my niche?  Well I think there are four questions to explore. 

1. Catch yourself talking with enthusiasm and passion that makes you excited and energies you. What are you naturally good at
2. What can you help people solve, overcome and value you can give them
3. What makes you different  
4. Will people pay money for your service / time  Create some reflection time with yourself and with people you really trust to discuss your ideas and get some honest feedback.   

Then you can decide is your niche right for you and are you right for your niche?  

FUTURE PROOF YOURSELF
BOOK: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/FutureProofYourself
BOOK 2: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/DontJustRelyOnYourCV
WEBSITE: https://davidyeabsley.co.uk/
PODCAST SUPPORT: https://anchor.fm/future-proof-yourself/support

Rocks in a Jar – Focus on the important things in life. This jar resembles your life – what can you get into the jar what can you get into your life? This is my adaptation of the famous rocks in a jar attributed to a unknown university lecturer.  Now lets look at this jar and these golf balls – the golf balls represent what is really important to you? Your family  Your friends Your Health and well-being Your faith and beliefs Your life passions  Plan into your life the things that are really important to you first otherwise they will get left out as we put small things into our life.  The small jar or stones represent all the daily hustle and bustle that can just fill up our time, these are still important but not as important as the big stuff, housework, chores, our work, shopping, materialistic things.  Now the sand represents everything else that can steal our time Social media, interruptions from others, poor planning, sat in traffic, emails, pointless conversations or badly directed energy on something you can’t control.  As you can see the jar is now very full, but if you put things into your life the right way round you can fit more in, what would have happened if you had put the sand in first, then the small stones, there would have been no room for the golf balls that represent the really important things?  But remember when you do have a very full life you always need to find time to have a drink with people who are really important to you.  

FUTURE PROOF YOURSELF
BOOK: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/FutureProofYourself
BOOK 2: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/DontJustRelyOnYourCV
WEBSITE: https://davidyeabsley.co.uk/
PODCAST SUPPORT: https://anchor.fm/future-proof-yourself/support

How to stay calm under pressure - Calmness always wins the day. Being calm doesn’t mean that we can’t be passionate and express ourselves to others, its just the style in which you do it. I have always admired people for their calmness. These are people who focus on what they control and block all the other distractions from their mind, like everything it takes practice.   

Calm people normally have great self-awareness of their abilities and confidence in their own competence to make the right decisions. Medical professionals are great examples of this when faced with decisions and choices to be made along with prioritising where their time is best spent.   Remember it takes practice.  For me the art of calmness is knowing that you have to take responsibility and you are prepared to make decisions and be accountable for them. There is no ‘them’ and ‘they’ to blame. So where to start?  

1. Practice not making judgement and assumptions to quickly, take time to establish and weigh up the facts.
2. Know your own abilities and develop your self-esteem and confidence.
3. Always be prepared to reflect and learn from your experiences.
4. Relish the pressure in the knowledge this is going to make you better at what you do.  

Future Proofing Yourself is about being confident and in control so you can stay relevant and of value for the rest of your career. Calmness is a very essential ingredient, as who knows what is coming next.  

FUTURE PROOF YOURSELF
BOOK: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/FutureProofYourself
BOOK 2: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/DontJustRelyOnYourCV
WEBSITE: https://davidyeabsley.co.uk/
PODCAST SUPPORT: https://anchor.fm/future-proof-yourself/support

Welcome - Future Proof Yourself - Coaching. If you don’t look after yourself who is going to do it for you? This is an investment in yourself that you cannot ignore. Programme details: https://davidyeabsley.co.uk/coaching/ I am now able to offer coaching programmes tailored to your needs to help you stay relevant and of value for the rest of your working career no matter where you are in your career.  The Future Proofing Challenge is how are we going to keep ourselves employable and of value for the rest of your career?  ‘Are you protecting your future income to safeguard your lifestyle?’  Each coaching session will be designed for your specific needs.  Book a complimentary clarity discovery call to plan your Future Proofing Journey  Example of a six-month programme     1. Learn how to be one step ahead of the competition -Your Business / industry the future 2. Learn how to stay relevant and of value for the rest of your working career 3. Creating the skills you need for the future - You as a limited company 4. Understand your key strengths / What future skills / knowledge will be needed? 5. How to manage your learning experiences 6. How to Future Proof your self-esteem and confidence 7. The art of networking to a prosperous future 8. How to confidently sell and promote yourself  9. Being a person of influence so others want to deal with you 10. Proactive goal setting – making things happen for you 11. Core strengths profiling to help you communicate effectively with everyone 12. Your next career moves / opportunities 13. Personal resilience/ controlling the controllable  Additional topics available  1. Finding new job opportunities 2. Invest in yourself to have a prosperous career 3. Don’t just rely on your CV – Alternative ways to job search 4. Enjoying what you do – Finding the passion 5. Don’t feel left behind in your career 6. Changing career at any age 7. Getting back into work  Book a complimentary clarity discovery call to plan your Future Proofing Journey I look forward to hearing from you and working with you on your Future Proofing Journey  FUTURE PROOF YOURSELF BOOK: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/FutureProofYourselfBOOK 2: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/DontJustRelyOnYourCVWEBSITE: https://davidyeabsley.co.uk/PODCAST: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/FutureProofPodcast  PODCAST SUPPORT: https://anchor.fm/future-proof-yourself/support

Does Job Security Really Exist? Well in a nut shell yes, But...! There are obviously types of careers that can give more security and will be required for a very long time. Take, computer programming for one might be a very good choice for anyone starting out or looking to change careers. But there is a danger, that if you work for an organisation that doesn’t regularly update its ways of working and its computer systems and software solutions to tackle real-world industry problems you can become out of date very easily. This could the same for any career choices from finance to lawyers to medical research to retail. If you stand still for to long you could be at a real disadvantage  

So what’s the answer?  

Proactively managing yourself and your Future Proofing Journey. How can you constantly  

1. Reflect on what skills you have and what your chosen industry requires. 

2. Constantly learn new skills and ways of working 

3. Gain experiences and network with great people 

4. Apply the above so people want to employ you and pay you money 

5. Never take anything for granted and enjoy what you do  

If you don’t look after yourself who is going to do it for you. It’s your professional responsibility to yourself. Stay relevant and of value for the rest of your career. If you would like any help, please get in touch.  

FUTURE PROOF YOURSELF
BOOK: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/FutureProofYourself
BOOK 2: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/DontJustRelyOnYourCV
WEBSITE: https://davidyeabsley.co.uk/
PODCAST SUPPORT: https://anchor.fm/future-proof-yourself/support

Why Are We Working Longer Hours? The vast majority of people who are working for organisations that I am speaking to are telling me that they are working longer hours and harder than ever before. But why are people working longer hours?  1. Everyone is happy to work longer hours as what else do we do with our time. 2. Business / markets, clients demand more as market sectors become more competitive and crowded. 3. Team members and middle managers are bad at managing their time and keep saying yes to please their senior managers. 4. Juggling child schooling and living and working in the same environment creates a more extended working day. 5. Senior managers are very driven and as they haven’t got anything else to occupy their spare time they keep working and pass more stuff down.  Are we as a business creating the right culture moving forward in managing working remotely?  What are the expectations in out of hours emails and messages, do people feel scared, worried and feel the need to be available 14/ 7  This video helps address some of the concerns. I would love your thoughts.  

FUTURE PROOF YOURSELF
BOOK: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/FutureProofYourself
BOOK 2: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/DontJustRelyOnYourCV
WEBSITE: https://davidyeabsley.co.uk/
PODCAST SUPPORT: https://anchor.fm/future-proof-yourself/support

How to improve your personal resilience. A dedicated training session on resilience and how to improve over time. There are a lot of things to consider and we cover them all in this video. By taking these small but purposeful steps you will improve your mind and your resilience. 

FUTURE PROOF YOURSELF
BOOK: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/FutureProofYourself
BOOK 2: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/DontJustRelyOnYourCV
WEBSITE: https://davidyeabsley.co.uk/
PODCAST SUPPORT: https://anchor.fm/future-proof-yourself/support

Do you like working from home or prefer the office? Debates are starting and its already a hot topic among HR professionals. The new way of working is here, and its not going to be the same as it was before. But how will it effect you and your business? Will you offer flexibility around homeworking, or will you insist everyone comes back to the office? Lets talk about it!  

FUTURE PROOF YOURSELF
BOOK: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/FutureProofYourself
BOOK 2: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/DontJustRelyOnYourCV
WEBSITE: https://davidyeabsley.co.uk/
PODCAST SUPPORT: https://anchor.fm/future-proof-yourself/support

What is your definition of success? This is a follow on Video to ‘ How do people get lucky’  You get comments like they have been lucky they are more successful than me.  Well perhaps they designed it that way Before making assumptions on others and comparing ourselves with others it might be an idea to define what is your definition of success.  Is it materialist things – houses, cars, plasma screen televisions How much you earn Job title and positions in organisations. Career success  Awards and accolades Work life balance Or just enjoying yourself The most successful person I met was my uncle. He worked as an accountant for a local council and when he retired, he watch every film going and read every book his library had to offer but he was the most contented person I ever met and was always ready to just enjoy the moment. So before comparing yourself to others, and I guess we all do it, just spend time thinking what contentment really looks like. Then create a plan to get it.  Enjoy the journey  

FUTURE PROOF YOURSELF
BOOK: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/FutureProofYourself
BOOK 2: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/DontJustRelyOnYourCV
WEBSITE: https://davidyeabsley.co.uk/
PODCAST SUPPORT: https://anchor.fm/future-proof-yourself/support

I love the word Facilitator or Facilitation  

What does it mean, it’s a Latin word to make things easy.  I much prefer facilitator  to the word Manager or Management, which seems to be about control and processes So try facilitation to engage, empower and to get people to step up and take responsibility and perform to the best of their abilities, and a bit more.  What can you facilitate in your work to make things easier for others to perform well.  

Ask great questions
Give some feedback
Challenge people
Get others thinking and looking at solutions
Develop and train someone
Set them a vision

Explain the WHY really well along with the who, what, when, where and how  So less control and processes. Go and facilitate people if you have responsibilities in getting the best out of other people  

What can you facilitate this week?  

FUTURE PROOF YOURSELF
BOOK: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/FutureProofYourself
BOOK 2: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/DontJustRelyOnYourCV
WEBSITE: https://davidyeabsley.co.uk/
PODCAST SUPPORT: https://anchor.fm/future-proof-yourself/support

I have this lovely saying ‘If in doubt give it ago’ and have developed my career using this concept Often people I speak to about it this concept say ‘What happens if things go wrong’ Well of course things can go wrong but you will still benefit from the experience, why because you will learn from the experience and that’s the key concept of the saying ‘If in doubt give it ago’ Learning from your experiences.  

When I started up my business in providing training courses for businesses, I had to do some work as an associate trainer for a very well-known training company. I built a very good relationship with all of the account managers who would call up me up and ask if I could run some courses for their clients. More times than not I would say yes even if it was a subject, I wasn’t necessarily totally familiar with, I just thought well ‘if in doubt give it a go’ and I did. I carried out the research wrote the course and materials along with some practice I was good to go and yes learnt from the experiences and I would say 97% of the time all went well. After a period of time I then had a totally new portfolio of courses I could now deliver with all the materials. Bingo.  

Naturally, I didn’t accept topics I knew I could not deliver or wasn’t interested in the subject matter. Since those days and I built up my own client base with good relationships with my contacts and often they would challenge me with requests to give talks to groups, facilitation of   challenge groups and my answer would always be yes.  What can you say yes to more often?   

FUTURE PROOF YOURSELF
BOOK: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/FutureProofYourself
BOOK 2: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/DontJustRelyOnYourCV
WEBSITE: https://davidyeabsley.co.uk/  
PODCAST SUPPORT: https://anchor.fm/future-proof-yourself/support

How do people get lucky? Do other people get luckier than me? Does luck exist? Why am I so unlucky? I could go on with lots of other statements and questions and everyone has their own view point, having good luck or bad luck. I do believe you can improve your chances of luck

FUTURE PROOF YOURSELF
BOOK: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/FutureProofYourself
BOOK 2: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/DontJustRelyOnYourCV
WEBSITE: https://davidyeabsley.co.uk/
PODCAST SUPPORT: https://anchor.fm/future-proof-yourself/support

How to Write a Great CV so Recruiters say Yes 

Your CV will not get you a job, but it will get you a interview for the job

So how can you entice the interviewers to Interview you? 

How do you get the recruiter to say YES ?  That’s the challenge  Your CV is a summary of your career and a glimpse into who you really are. It’s not meant to be a full autobiography of your life. The idea is to give enough information on yourself to be of interest to a prospective employer and make them want to know more and invite you to an interview

FUTURE PROOF YOURSELF
BOOK: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/FutureProofYourself
BOOK 2: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/DontJustRelyOnYourCV
WEBSITE: https://davidyeabsley.co.uk/  
PODCAST SUPPORT: https://anchor.fm/future-proof-yourself/support

Well Being v Work What to Talk About First Managers feedback from my Remote Management Courses are saying that they all fee they have become better managers in terms of communication; 1. More regular team meetings. 2. Certainly more one to ones. 3. Trusting and empowering their team members has improved. 4. Delegation and being less of a control freak. 5. Trying not to send emails out of hours 6. Being more emotionally aware and really getting to know and understand team members All these are good news but one conversation we always have is about one to ones.  What do we discuss first - Work or Well Being? Well now we have everyone doing one to ones via video with the cameras on it is easier to gauge the mood of team members. The best question to ask is ‘What would you like to discuss first?’ just be human and ask  Make sure the team members know the structure of your one to ones and you are going to cover both subjects and they will continue to become more open. A manager did comment on one session ‘I ask are they waving to say hello or because they are drowning’ which breaks the ice with her team. Just be human and ask, ‘What would you like to discuss first, Work tasks or how you are doing?’ Remember you can’t solve everyone’s problems, but you can listen and understand and provide support. Have great conversations, your people will respect you for it  

FUTURE PROOF YOURSELF
BOOK: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/FutureProofYourself
BOOK 2: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/DontJustRelyOnYourCV
WEBSITE: https://davidyeabsley.co.uk/
PODCAST SUPPORT: https://anchor.fm/future-proof-yourself/support

Three Great Tips for PDRs and Appraisals A lot had been written in the HR press about how we should scrape PDRs and appraisals and most of our managers would cheer and their team members wouldn’t be far behind them. The concept is that they should be replaced by ongoing coaching. If only that would become a reality, we all know that will never happen. (This isn’t to say that some managers aren’t excellent at ongoing coaching) Plus organisations have spent millions putting their PDR and appraisal systems online so they are all automated and can generate loads of great management information. 

One problem! The conversations in these reviews are still very poor so they generate very poor outcomes and data 

Have some great conversations and don’t just do them once a year You wouldn’t coach a tennis player to the same frequency. 

So this covers three great tips:
Ask great questions
Make the review your team members responsibility
Make PDRS and Appraisals on going  

Ask great questions
a) What have you learnt about yourself recently?
b) How have you got more involved and developed your comfort zone
c) How will you continue to add value to the team and the business?
d) What do you think of me as your Manager (how can you possibly manage someone and not know)?
There are naturally infinite more questions, be creative remember, if a question isn’t on the form it doesn’t mean you can ask it.  
The art of management is asking brilliant questions and doing something equally brilliant with the answers.  Make the review your team members responsibility 

Remember it is your team members review. Ensure that they are well briefed with the process and the expectations of their involvement. They are expected to plan You may want to give them additional questions to prepare for and present on.  Challenge them to think, create, present ideas for their contribution for the future. Build responsibility and self-awareness of their abilities and how they will contribute to the future of the team and the business. NO SPOON FEEDING  

Make PDRS and Appraisals on going Why do we do this process only once a year sometimes twice a year? You wouldn’t coach a tennis player to the same frequency. Giving feedback once a year, great stuff, that’s not managing that’s abdication If you want to have a great relationship with any one in life you need to communicate, share, discuss and plan. Take a effective coaching style to your management by asking questions all the time to build awareness and responsibility  If you would like more ideas on making Coaching conversations, One to Ones PDRS, Appraisals a success and a worthwhile event please do get in touch Otherwise if you are just doing them once a year, give up and go and do something else instead  

FUTURE PROOF YOURSELF
BOOK: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/FutureProofYourself
BOOK 2: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/DontJustRelyOnYourCV
WEBSITE: https://davidyeabsley.co.uk/
PODCAST SUPPORT: https://anchor.fm/future-proof-yourself/support

Reality v Perception. Is the reality of a situation ever as bad as your perception? 

Think about all the things that we worry about or that we get nervous about or even not looking forward to doing. 

A meeting with clients or senior managers
A presentation to the board
A review with our boss
A proposal that will win business
A project that we keep putting off  

They all play on our minds But remember back to the last time you were in a similar situation. Was the reality really as bad as the perception that you had of the event in the first place. Very often the answer is no So learn to remember and think this through next time you are not looking forward to an event. 

I have done it before and get through ok and survived I can do it again so let’s bring it on and see the challenge as a wonderful opportunity 

If you would like any further help in managing your perception thinking please get in touch  

How to manage your comfort zone Challenges: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVwgNGZ6dg0 

How to deal with imposter Syndrome: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-yLqofP910 

FUTURE PROOF YOURSELF
BOOK: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/FutureProofYourself
BOOK 2: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/DontJustRelyOnYourCV
WEBSITE: https://davidyeabsley.co.uk/
PODCAST SUPPORT: https://anchor.fm/future-proof-yourself/support

How to make appraisals effective and engaging for your staff members. Take time and ask these important questions to get your employees thinking. Prepare in advance and share your questions to them, so you do not get one-word responses. And ask those questions that might seem hard. A performance review doesn't have to be a box-ticking exercise. Don't shy away from a difficult conversation because bringing it out into conversation will generally harness better relationships and motive your team. Use this time to make an effective PDR and motivate your team.  

FUTURE PROOF YOURSELF
BOOK: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/FutureProofYourself
BOOK 2: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/DontJustRelyOnYourCV
WEBSITE: https://davidyeabsley.co.uk/
PODCAST SUPPORT: https://anchor.fm/future-proof-yourself/support

Today I talk about why people in management, or leaders of a business, should develop their people. 

FUTURE PROOF YOURSELF
BOOK: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/FutureProofYourself
BOOK 2: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/DontJustRelyOnYourCV
WEBSITE: https://davidyeabsley.co.uk/
PODCAST: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/FutureProofPodcast

PODCAST SUPPORT: https://anchor.fm/future-proof-yourself/support

FUTURE PROOF YOURSELF 

BOOK: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/FutureProofYourself 

BOOK 2: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/DontJustRelyOnYourCV 

WEBSITE: https://davidyeabsley.co.uk/ 

PODCAST: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/FutureProofPodcast

PODCAST SUPPORT: https://anchor.fm/future-proof-yourself/support

In this episode I talk about how to focus your team so they can achieve more, and work towards their personal development and company goals inline with the business.

FUTURE PROOF YOURSELF
BOOK: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/FutureProofYourself
BOOK 2: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/DontJustRelyOnYourCV
WEBSITE: https://davidyeabsley.co.uk/
PODCAST: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/FutureProofPodcast

PODCAST SUPPORT: https://anchor.fm/future-proof-yourself/support

In this episode I launch my new book 'Dont Just Rely On Your CV'. It talks about all the things you need to do in order to successfully get a job and future proof yourself. Buy it today! https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/DontJustRelyOnYourCV 

FUTURE PROOF YOURSELF
BOOK: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/FutureProofYourself
BOOK 2: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/DontJustRelyOnYourCV
WEBSITE: https://davidyeabsley.co.uk/
PODCAST: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/FutureProofPodcast

PODCAST SUPPORT: https://anchor.fm/future-proof-yourself/support

How to apply for jobs online and get noticed this year. In this episode I talk to you about applying for jobs online. How to successfully apply and get noticed for jobs online and best ways to approach the online job search. I cover everything you need to successfully get a job from an online application.

FUTURE PROOF YOURSELF
BOOK: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/FutureProofYourself
BOOK2: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/DontJustRelyOnYourCV
WEBSITE: https://davidyeabsley.co.uk/

PODCAST SUPPORT: https://anchor.fm/future-proof-yourself/support

How to effectively manage your time as a manager. Often as a manger we feel we must be able to do everything. That is not necessarily the case You might be very good at what you do but you can not do everything, learn to manage or you will suffer.  

Three important questions to ask your self on ever task you do;
1. Should I be doing this?  
2. should I be deleting this?
3. Is this a good use of my time? 

Be careful that you don’t become an expensive team member.  There are only 168 hours a week do you want to spend all of those hours working?  

Remember:
- You are not employed to do your people’s work.
- You are employed to enable them to work.
- You are not employed to do your people’s thinking
- You are employed to get them to think.  

Learn to grow and develop your people and create a strategy of succession planning in your team.  

If you need further help in developing your management skills please get in touch  

FUTURE PROOF YOURSELF
BOOK: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/FutureProofYourself
WEBSITE: https://davidyeabsley.co.uk/  

CONNECT WITH ME:
EMAIL: david@davidyeabsley.co.uk
FACEBOOK: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/Facebook
LINKEDIN: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/LinkedIn

In this episode I help you to manage the first 30 days in a new job. I hope you are listening to this because you have landed a new job, congratulations and I hope all goes well. It can be a bit of a nerve-racking experience starting a new job especially if it is a step up from your previous position. You may get what we call a bit of imposter syndrome, see my video on that subject to help you overcome any of those thoughts and to give you a little bit more confidence: https://youtu.be/w-yLqofP910 

Why did they give you the role?
Spend some time thinking why they gave you the job and if you can ask the right people that question do so, it is a great way to understand their expectations and what they think of you.  

Fully understand the role and the business
Now is the time to be asking all the right questions that you do not want to be asking in six months’ time so people do not say ‘I thought you would know that’. Ask away and fully understand how everything works and especially the financials.  

Be optimistically inquisitive
What I mean by that is ask questions to seek understanding of how things work and how processes have been implemented. So, ask ‘how was it decided that I would suit the business best’. Not ‘why would you do it that way’, which implies they have it all wrong. Take on the role of a business consultant and ask away and fully understand how it all works.  

Network well
Get to know people well and how they like to communicate, just business or more personal conversations. Avoid giving opinions and making assumptions until you know who is and what is in the business. Be mindful of saying the right thing, in the right way and at the right time.  

Big impact
Thank about how you want people to perceive you and act and behave accordingly. What message so you want people to get from you on the way you interact. Is going in guns blazing and the big I am or is a more subtle approach more appropriate.  

Reflect on what you are experiencing
Learn from the experience, absorb what is going on and give the new job, people, and the company time if you suddenly feel ‘is this a good idea?’ Keep in touch and network with previous people and companies you have worked with and always talk positively about them, it is a small world in business sometimes where everyone knows each other.  

Enjoy the experience and your new journey.  

FUTURE PROOF YOURSELF BOOK: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/FutureProofYourself

WEBSITE: https://davidyeabsley.co.uk/

CONNECT WITH ME: EMAIL: david@davidyeabsley.co.uk 

FACEBOOK: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/Facebook

LINKEDIN: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/LinkedIn

How to Manage your Comfort Zone Challenges. 

I have always believed in the saying ‘If in doubt give it a go’ because there is always one benefit in doing something new. You will always learn from the experience. Which to me is a big positive.  In this episode I will explain some of the comfort zone challenges I have taken on in my work and in life in general. Some have gone better than others (my five minutes of stand-up comedy you can see the video on this channel, that first 80 seconds was murder.)  Like all of my other challenges I always learnt something about myself and how to improve and develop.  So before you start thinking of what new comfort zone challenges that you can take on. Take time to think of the challenges in your career and life that you have taken on and how well you dealt with them. Some of the challenges will have been of your choice and others unfortunately might be what were forced on you in life. But what did you learn how you overcome such challenges?  Take time to reflect and then think ok what’s next? What else would I like to take on?  Plus remember my saying from my other videos on self-esteem and confidence;  ‘If you have come outside your comfort zone before, you can do it again.’  ‘So if in doubt give it ago’  

Let me know how you get on.

How to Make Sure Your Skills and Experiences are Up to Date  

Making sure that your skills and experiences are up to date is the essence of Future Proofing Yourself to make sure that you stay relevant and of value in the workplace  

As we have said before in this series of videos you might have gained lots of years of experience, knowledge and great results which you should be rightly proud of and those past experiences are valuable and important to you. But now is the time to be truly honest with yourself.   

What I have done in the past is great but how will that help me in the future. Can I continue to do what I have always done or do I need to now adapt, change, and demonstrate an agile approach for my future career opportunities.  Is it time for some help and advice from your network and perhaps some tough love, who will give it to you straight?  

An important question is to ask yourself is ‘Have I been keeping relevant and what up skilling do I need to undertake to stand still or more to the next level.  Do I have the right people management skills and leadership skills along with the right technical skills to progress my career?  Do I need to work on any of the following areas, I am sure you can add to the list:

Commercial skills  
Finance   
Consulting skills  
Legal and legislation
Creative and entrepreneurial skills  

Reflect on your journey to date, consider the various paths/ opportunities that are potential new options.  Or is it time to say, do you know what I would love to ……………… and go and do something totally different, why not. Perhaps a new direction, vision and very importantly a new work passion is what you need utilising your many strengths.  So here are six top tips to help you plan what’s needed in the future.  

Due diligence on your future career. Don’t just think about it, research, talk, explore and make things happen in terms of ideas. What are my real strengths and skills and passions?  

Exposure do I need to get more involved in other parts of the business to help develop my exposure and opportunities.  Recruitment consultants build relationships in your career with consultants who specialise in your field. Get advice and understand current and future trends. Would it be good to find job descriptions of roles that you would like to do  Network with key decision makers in your marketplace what and how the see future trends and the marketplace.  

Invest in conferences to attend, we often sign up and think, I am too busy, they are an excellent  investment in yourself and your future, more you get involved more you get out of them.  Reading the right journals, again it’s an investment in yourself, organise your time to invest in yourself and get disciplined.  

If you need any help, please get in touch.

How to Get Back on Track!

You have worked very hard, been very loyal to the organisations that you have worked for over the years and given it your all, perhaps on hindsight you might of made a move to a new job opportunity  a few years ago. You have worked long hours and perhaps made sacrifices in terms of the well-being of yourself and of your family. You have kept your head down and just got on with it. You have put everyone else first and perhaps been a bit of a Martyr in the working environment.  Now the business you work for and the market that it is in is moving at a very erratic pace. We wish we could get off for a while whilst we catch up or press the reset button and go back in time.  Unfortunately we can’t do that and ‘it is what it is’ but, how are we going to make good of it all.  Now it’s time for action and not head in the sands and wish something will just turn up.  So here are Four Top Tips To help you to get back on track:

Create some breathing space
Set a contract with yourself on how many hours are acceptable for you to work and when you do that work. Is it not time to look after yourself and invest in you? Is there stuff in life and at work you need to let go of and focus on the bigger picture ‘You’. If you want to help others you might need to focus on yourself first.  

Prioritize better   
Focus on work activities that make the biggest impact to your end goal. At home what activities make you and your family most happy. Get rid of stuff at work do you need to get so involved in other people’s work? At home what drains your time, and you would prefer to do something else.  Ask your self at work should I be doing this? And is this a good use of my time?  

Create thinking and networking time
What do you really want to do for the rest of your career? Answer realistically, unfortunately the financial commitments will not go away. Ask for advice from your network, if you have neglected your network time to rebuild it and quickly.  What is the marketability of your talents in the current climate? What health is your current company in and the market in, how will the future look and how will you be part of it?  

Time for action and decisions  
What direction are you going to go in?  Is doing nothing an option? NO. Do you need to create more options and choices for yourself?  New skills, new experiences, big choices, or even some little ones to get going. Get out there and talk to people what is happening and what the future holds and work out where you fit in and make it happen. The first steps are normally talking and doing research.  

If you need any help, please get in touch.

Happy New Year to you!

So here is the most important tip to help you achieve your goals/ dreams and aspirations for the New Year.  Wait for it  Give it absolutely everything  Be totally committed, Be Positive, Work Very Hard, have loads of Energy and enthusiasm and make people want to work with you and do business with you  There are loads of online programmes and videos on how to achieve your goals, but the number one ingredient is ‘Give it absolutely everything’ I have coached people who have wanted to; Become Investment bankers Be a top chef Find New Careers Become a paid actor Leave dead end jobs Run marathons Get rid of her husband!! (let’s not go there) Set up their own company Become a lawyer Earn loads of money (I will come back to that) To be happy Complete their studies The ones have exceeded had one thing in common Yes, they gave it absolutely everything They were positive, invested energy, totally committed, and worked very hard and had great energy and enthusiasm I was given the opportunity to coach someone who was starting out in their career and they loved the idea of working in the city of London earning lots of money and having the lifestyle to match Problem was. They did not want to do the hours They did not want to do the commute into the city They did not want to do the exams  Guess what - it never happened – I might be a good coach, but I am not that good, there needs to be some desire.  So if you have set goals in the past and they didn’t happen ask your self was I fully committed and did I give it absolutely everything So whatever you do this year – Give it absolutely everything 

Happy New Year. Enjoy the journey and let me know how you get on.

Today I talk to Lesley Gold. Lesley started her career delivering training courses and gradually moved in to HR. She now owns her own HR company which is focused on merges, acquisitions and transformations.  Lesley gives some fantastic advise during the interview and talks about making your own path and career, but always keeping focus on personal development and progression.  

LESLEY LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesleygold1/ 

FUTURE PROOF YOURSELF
BOOK: https://amzn.to/30AbeSU
WEBSITE: https://davidyeabsley.co.uk/

Today I talk to Hayley Hockley about her career and how she plans to future proof herself for the future. She describes her journey so far, and how she had the opportunity to travel as part of her job. A fantastic interview. 

FUTURE PROOF YOURSELF
BOOK: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/FutureProofYourself
WEBSITE: https://davidyeabsley.co.uk/

CONNECT WITH ME:
EMAIL: david@davidyeabsley.co.uk
FACEBOOK: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/Facebook
LINKEDIN: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/LinkedIn

Today I look through their eyes with John Timson and listen how he has future proofed himself. He talks to us about his career so far and what is important to him. He suggests keeping relevant and staying current with the business you work for and the clients you support are some of the most important factors when progressing through your career.  

FUTURE PROOF YOURSELF
BOOK: https://link.davidyeabsley.co.uk/FutureProofYourself
WEBSITE: https://davidyeabsley.co.uk/

Today I talk to Jessica Tyrell about future proofing herself and ask her about her journey so far. She talks about her career development and how she moved around a few jobs but ended back up helping people through the company she works for.   

FUTURE PROOF YOURSELF
BOOK: https://amzn.to/30AbeSU
WEBSITE: https://davidyeabsley.co.uk/

Today I talk with Fiona Brennan-Scott about her experiences and journey through her working career. She describes herself building up from the bottom of the ladder in IT and administration roles. Fiona started her career in International Marketing.

She describes how she took on too much being a first time mother and had to re-think her approach for her own well-being. She went onto open her own drama studio, which is now 20 years old. Her focus was on life skills and not being the best actor. Fiona talks about how she moved on from drama and focused her time on communication skills along with cooperate training.

Throughout her career Fiona describes how she was always learning, developing and studying to increase her knowledge and understanding. Fiona describes how she likes to be prepared and know 4 times more details than she ever presents, and goes on to explain how this makes her feel in control of the situation and that if she doesn't know an answer its not through lack of trying.

FIONA'S LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fionabrennanscott/
FIONA'S WEBSITE: https://bespoken.org.uk/  

BLACK BELT THINKING: https://rebrand.ly/BlackBeltThinking  

FUTURE PROOF YOURSELF
BOOK: https://amzn.to/30AbeSU
WEBSITE: https://davidyeabsley.co.uk/

Today I talk to Gary Mee, who worked in the civil service before moving to the learning and development sector. He now works as an account director.

Gary explains how he learns and develops and tries to remove bad habits to better himself and suggests that saving earlier would have helped him later on in life.

Being inquisitive is a key part of Gary's approach to talking to people and learning. He keeps one step ahead by learning from others and absorbing information in bite-sized chunks. Gary explains that he is quite disciplined when learning and takes a pragmatic approach to developing himself, but also grabs ad-hoc opportunities where possible.

Gary explains that his company has an extensive learning program which he is part of, and has been lucky enough to be assigned a personalized learning journey, along with a personal coach. Gary goes on to recommend adopting a similar program as it has helped him so much.

One of Gary's favorite sayings is "Plan in Decades, Think in Years, Work in Months but Live in Days"  

FUTURE PROOF YOURSELF
BOOK: https://amzn.to/30AbeSU
WEBSITE: https://davidyeabsley.co.uk/

Jules talks to us about her career and her experiences along the way. She started out as an accountant and moved into sales a few years later. After gaining some valuable real-world experience and thriving as a sales person, she decided to start a family and at the same time, her own business.  Jules goes into detail about how she went onto Dragons Den and grew her business. This part of her career she found very interesting, she enjoyed the entrepreneurship but unfortunately lost everything. She went back into sales and started again from the ground up, now focusing her time on training and mentoring in the sales industry.  

JULES BOOK: https://amzn.to/2NM5rlC
JULES LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juleswhite134/  

FUTURE PROOF YOURSELF
BOOK: https://amzn.to/30AbeSU
WEBSITE: https://davidyeabsley.co.uk/

Today I interview Angus Grady who focuses on LinkedIn Training magnetising profiles to attract inbound sales enquiries which convert to sales and to repeat customers. He does not consider himself a coach, rather a good LinkedIn Trainer which encourages Lead Generation.  

FUTURE PROOF YOURSELF BOOK: https://amzn.to/30AbeSU 

WEBSITE: https://davidyeabsley.co.uk/

Today I interview Rachel Munder who has had some fantastic experiences in her working career. She started as cabin crew then used her social sciences degree with young offenders. Rachel then moved to Thailand for 9-years. She continued to develop and progress whilst abroad and ran training programmes. When returning to the UK she worked as a weight loss advisor and then a life coach. Before starting her own business she also worked in networking, business coaching and developed her public speaking skills. Rachel now owns her own brand and focuses on female equality in the workplace and giving women confidence.

CONTACT RACHEL: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelmaunder/  

FUTURE PROOF YOURSELF BOOK: https://amzn.to/30AbeSU 

FUTURE PROOF YOURSELF WEBSITE: https://davidyeabsley.co.uk/

Today I speak to Paul Debois, a managing and creative director for Apropos Productions Ltd. He talks about his strong connection to theater and how he has progressed by being a 'yes' man. Paul shares some fantastic tips to future proof yourself and develop in your career.  During the interview, Paul mentions a book called Sapiens. If you would like to check it out here is the link: https://amzn.to/2N4DyF7  

PAUL'S LINKS
Website: https://www.aproposltd.net/free
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/padubois1
Email: info@aproposltd.net  

FUTURE PROOF YOURSELF
BOOK: https://amzn.to/30AbeSU
WEBSITE: https://davidyeabsley.co.uk/

Today I interview Nick Forgham on how to future proof yourself. He tells us how he has developed over his working career and shares some of his own personal experiences. He has published his own book and is great in martial arts. An exciting interview full of valuable information on how he has learnt as he has progressed.  

NICK'S LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickforgham/
NICK'S WEBSITE: https://www.nickforgham.com/  

WEBSITE: https://davidyeabsley.co.uk/
BOOK: https://amzn.to/30AbeSU

Mick Docker tells us his story and explains where he is in his career. He describes some of his experiences whilst working and his next steps towards retirement.  

WEBSITE: https://davidyeabsley.co.uk/ 

BOOK: https://amzn.to/30AbeSU

This is one of my live future proof webinars that I host regularly. This webinar is all about looking for future opportunities in your career and always working towards developing yourself.   Visit my website (https://davidyeabsley.co.uk) or email me (david@davidyeabsley.co.uk) for more information or details on how to join.  

Main topics covered in this webinar: 

Create quality reflection time
The art of successful networking
Finding opportunities, is a fully employable position realistic and at what level?
My industry and target companies, what will they be like in 6 – 12 months and beyond
Am I great return on investment?
Do I need to be more adaptable, agile and able to pivot? (More business Jargon is available)
Don’t just rely on your CV  

WEBSITE: https://davidyeabsley.co.uk/
BOOK: https://amzn.to/30AbeSU

Interview with Jane Martin. She explains how taking opportunities have progressed her career and some of the challenges she faced whilst developing herself. Jane made the most of the situation by tackling the challenge head-on but also rising to the challenge. She clearly has future proofed herself and taken advice but made her own choices throughout her career.   

WEBSITE: https://davidyeabsley.co.uk/ 

BOOK: https://amzn.to/35M4UqS