Quantum Coaching Group

The Apprentice UK - A Coaching Perspective On The Latest BBC Episode

2009-04-18T17:06:00.004+01:00

THE APPRENTICE - BLOG RE EPISODE 4 (UK)

Episode 4 of the Apprentice was good entertainment and with a few fireworks going off too!
The task was to design and produce 2 original, natural products in the crowded beauty market.
Paula Jones, a Human Resources manager in the public sector, was appointed Team Leader or Project Manager of Empire and was joined by Debra / Debbie Barr and Yasmina Siadatan.

As we noted last week, Noorul Choudhury has been fairly quiet and sure enough, this week, Sir Alan Sugar appointed him Project Manager of Ignite, joined in the team by Kimberley Davis and Howard Ebison.

The commentator noted that Alan Sugar's key point has consistently been keep costs down. James McQuillan encouraged Paula to place emphasis on this area too….. Hmmm. Didn't quite go to plan!

Paula's approach as a Project Manager was very positive, praising and encouraging the team members at the outset. A good start to begin building camaraderie and esprit de corps.

Noorul's background as a science teacher was initially encouraging from a product creation viewpoint, but he appeared to be very indecisive, frustrating the rest of the team. Philip especially reacted badly, giving Kimberley a hard time due to his innate frustrations with the lack of direction, decision-making, etc., although he said he was stressed working with her as she also couldn't make decisions, but the details of this weren't clear on the edited version.

In step 1 on The Apprentice week 4, choosing a product, Noorul's indecisiveness first showed itself, whereas Paula seemed to take to the task with enthusiasm and confidence, being proactive and decisive. Noorul's team pitched in with ideas but he didn't react, seeming that the lights were on but on this occasion, no-one was home, or they'd gone a short break!

Philip, Lorraine and Kimberley were all dressed up in bee-keepers' outfits to collect the honey for their team's product but couldn't get Noorul to decide how much they needed by finalising a recipe. Lorraine spent most of the task shrieking as she was afraid of bees! This begs the question of why send her or why didn't she admit this beforehand? Improved communications would help both teams each week.

Paula asked that Ben Clarke and Yasmina keep an eye on costs as she confessed that she was hopeless with numbers. During recipe concoction, Yasmina and Paula got confused in 2 critical areas: which oil to use, Cedarwood or Sandalwood, with one costing around £28 / kg while the other cost over £1,200 / kg! A fundamental difference methinks…

They worsened the situation by mixing up percentages and grams, using 450g of the expensive oil vs. the 3% they should have used! The effect was to send their total fragrance costs to over £700, which Nick Hewer coolly pointed out to them, chuckling on the inside I suspect…. Yasmina had assured Paula that costs were very low, so 'around a fiver?' was Paula's conclusion to which Yasmina agreed. Where was Ben? Washing pots and pans or mixing up ingredients! So the stockbroker played little part in the figures, despite being asked to and he also sidestepped anything to do with design and product selection. A very slippery character (and set of shoulders!) it seems to us.

Kimberley's background is as a marketing consultant but Philip the estate agent shouted her down several times during the label design process, snatching the phone from her at one stage. His retort to her of 'get some balls' was uncalled for and exhibited lack of being a team-player we felt. It was left to Lorraine to apologise for the unprofessionalism of arguing on front of the label designer….
She said it!

Once the teams found themselves doing poorly sales-wise in a tube station (Bond Street), they should have moved elsewhere (e.g. going back to the market sooner) as, by the nature of tube stations, as they sadly discovered, folks are inherently pretty busy en route to their destinations and in the main aren't interested in stopping there to sample products. The markets were much better locations as people are generally there to buy! Noorul's team being dressed as bee-keepers in a tube station where people might view them as bio-chemical hazard suits wasn't the brightest of ideas, although it was more eye-catching in the markets.

Noorul seemed to struggle with his sales pitch and didn't look to have sold anything. Philip was keen to get him lower prices to shift their stock (they still had 120 bottles and the crowd was thinning out) but again Noorul was indecisive. It was quick-thinking of Paula's team to get rid of their remaining stock to a fellow stall-holder for £400. Again, Paula praised her team at the end of the task. Overall, a good Project Manager; just let down by the team-members who should have checked the figures as she asked. I suppose she also plays a part in the blame for not firmly requesting Ben to check them, but as prospective leaders, they should be proactive and as fellow team-members, helpful, unless they're scheming to get rid of others and hoping that they get the blame of course!

When Alan Sugar asked Noorul's team what they thought of him, Philip went unusually quiet. Several said that they enjoyed working with him. Margaret Mountford pointed out that that wasn't the same as him being a good leader!

Sir Alan didn’t like Ignite's liquid-looking honey soap. He much preferred the professionalism of the appearance of Empire's products. However, Ignite made a profit of almost £494 while Empire lost £68 due to the massive cost overrun! Nick pointed out that if they hadn't got confused about the products and percentages vs. grams, they would have made a profit of £598 and won! In which case, we feel Noorul, who as a very weak Project Manager, would have been fired.

Was the right person fired? We concede that the Project Manager has to take responsibility but Paula's leadership, design and marketing efforts were very good. She delegated figures to Yasmina and Ben, who let the team down badly. Ben should have got involved but was seeming to 'hide'. Yasmina was actively involved in the figures so she should have gone in our opinion.

What do you think? Write your comments here and let us know….

Eve Grace-Kelly and Vinden Grace

MD and Director respectively

QCC

http://www.qccgroup.com
Business and Personal Coaching by Qualified Coaches

The Apprentice UK - A Coaching Perspective On The Latest BBC Episode

2009-04-09T10:35:00.000+01:00

Episode 3 of The Apprentice on the BBC - The Fitness Contraption

The task this week on the UK show The Apprentice on BBC TV centred around finding unique product for the fitness market. The teams had to come up with the design concept; get a prototype made by a designated manufacturer; then market it to pre-assigned potential outlets.

The same retail prices were allocated by Sir Alan Sugar and his team of Nick Hewer and Margaret Mountford and, we believe, identical manufacturing, transportation and packaging costs assumed. Therefore, the task's aim was to gain the biggest number of orders rather than the usual maximisation of profits.

Debbie (Debra Barr) was manager for Ignite team while James McQuillan took that role for the other team, Empire. The latter has Product Management experience so we expected him to rise to the challenge well. Ben Clarke was in charge of design for Empire and initially mentioned a sex-related device, which James quickly pooh-poohed! They came up with a device to reduce women's 'bingo wings' with names such as Bingo-Buster and Wing-Worker. James' advice was sound: keep it simple. This was especially good advice given the incredibly tight timescale! They went to a sports store to get product ideas, which they perhaps should have done first?!

Majid Nagra was all for adding product extras, which overcomplicated was meant to be an inexpensive product. The end-result, the 'Home Multi Tone', was rather a Heath Robinson-looking product that Ben embarrassingly had a struggle packing away in front of a sports shop Buyer. The team admitted some aspects were 'just for show'! They called it a home multi-gym but failed to research the market to see that their potential buyer in the sports shop would not be interested in this sort of product when he was more interested in selling shop visitors multi-gyms costing hundreds if not thousands of pounds!

In terms of picking the leader, the team seemed uncertain about Debbie, one member, Lorraine Tighe, asking her could she manage all the big personalities in the team, while another, Paula Jones, said the biggest challenge would be managing her own (Debbie's)! Clearly she's seen as a bit of a handful and is rude when it really doesn't seem to be justified. Her put-down of Lorraine below didn't help in portraying her as a good manager and she doesn't seem to be a team-player. This was evidenced by her comment to Kimberley Davis back at the penthouse while awaiting the boys from the boardroom with 'Your failure is my success. I don't really care if you lose! I know that might be harsh…' Kimberley said she felt it was indeed harsh! If Sir Alan Sugar is reviewing the tapes of the discussions back at the house, and he would certainly get the highlights, is this really the way Debbie thinks she should portray herself in order to get a job with him?! Today's managers are generally deemed superior if they lead from the front and build a consensus where that is possible we feel, not be autocrats as (perhaps) in days gone by. In truth, we wonder if Debbie's strategy is to be tough on others and gain notoriety that way, earning herself nasty soubriquets in the papers and so get a reputation that boosts a TV or other independent career outside Sir Alan Sugar's empire… (See Jenny Celerier's and Kristina Grimes' - 2008 contestant and 2007 runner-up respectively - new training company as just one example: www.kgjcp.com)

Ignite came up with a variation on the Swiss ball, a body rocker on which one sits to do exercises. Lorraine put herself forward to do the pitch, although Debbie gave her little encouragement, saying that if, on 'inspection', she was not up to it, they would assign someone else. Not a great morale boost prior to the task! Project Managers need to boost their team-members' confidence not undermine it. Undoubtedly they are all there to win, but Sir Alan, Nick & Margaret are surely also looking for team-players and leaders of the future for their organisation.

Debbie was deemed to bark at people (who said). She allocated Yasmina Siadatan to shoot the photographs and then wouldn’t leave her to undertake that task on her own. If Debbie's team had lost, she would definitely have been in the firing line as she micro-managed everyone.

Debbie's team apparently had no discussion re financials so when John Lewis's buyers asked them for an exclusivity contract, they had no idea of what to ask for. Debbie said they'd chat about it and come back to John Lewis, but one team member blurted out that 20,000 units for 6 months would seal the deal, to which John Lewis replied that it was too much.

Sir Alan Sugar felt James' team's prototype was very poor. James seemed to backtrack at this point, agreeing that Ben's concept was good but the prototype was poor, earning Ben's enmity. Ben was extremely miffed, pointing out that James hadn't voiced many reservations when the prototype turned up, but to be fair, by that stage, given the tight timescales, what other choice was there? James waffled too much trying to defend himself, stating that he was a bit fuzzy (he certainly issued lots of fluff!) at times and didn't want to 'stifle Ben's creativity' and also dumped on several team members. Seemed like a poor attempt at offloading blame for failure onto Ben and generally sidestepping responsibility as Project Manager. His boardroom manner clearly exasperated Sir Alan Sugar. James, and all boardroom 'defendants', especially Debbie given her comments above, need to consider that he may have to work with these people on other tasks. E.g. Philip Taylor received good feedback in the boardroom for having defended Lorraine. Margaret had made complimentary remarks about James to Sir Alan Sugar, saying that despite his poor boardroom puff and bluster, in the field he was actually quite good, geeing up his team, etc.

Howard seemed to play a silent game, at which Sir Alan Sugar accused him of sitting on the fence so much that he was in danger of getting a sore a**e! Definitely quote of the week! Noorul Choudhury seems to be playing a quiet game too. Not sure what he's contributed yet….

Philip didn't look best pleased when James returned to the house and Majid had been kicked out. Will Philip try to get rid of James as revenge?!

Ignite team's spokesperson Kate Walsh tended to just list the features of the equipment, whereas the art of selling requires extolling the virtues or benefits of the product. What it simply does is not sufficient: how does the product or service help the buyer or solve a problem? That's the key to selling.

Majid was deemed by James, Nick and Sir Alan Sugar to have been a passenger rather than have played a constructive part in the proceedings. Nick's eyebrow and stern look were working overtime with Majid at this point in the boardroom! Sir Alan Sugar pointed out that there was no room to hide behind the filing cabinets in his organisation…. Majid didn't really stand up for himself in the boardroom and agreed in The Apprentice - You're fired! that he was very laid-back. So was his just a bid to get TV exposure for the various businesses that he runs?

The contestants need a strategy in the boardroom - not just trying to drop others in it, which is seen straight through by Sir Alan, Nick and Margaret and certainly doesn’t win them any helpful colleagues for the next task!

Sir Alan deemed that the Empire team had not targeted the audience well (at that price) and given them what they wanted. As business coaches though, we generally feel that Sir Alan Sugar's team don't give sufficient feedback on what they would have done. It's easy to criticise the teams and no doubt makes for a more interesting show in terms of entertainment, but as a business-focused show, we were surprised not to hear more constructive feedback on what very experienced business people such as Sir Alan, Margaret and Nick would have done in the circumstances. No doubt editing of the show plays a large part! So we're not sure whether The Apprentice is intended to be a business show with entertainment thrown in or an entertainment show with a dash of business?! One thing is certain: it's highly watchable… Looking forward to episode 4!

Vinden Grace and Eve Grace-Kelly
Director and MD respectively
QCC

A UK opportunity to claim up to £1,000 worth of FREE personal development coaching

2009-03-26T12:27:00.000Z

Leading Coaching company offers free coaching, consultancy and training to selected UK companies

The UK-government is funding this great opportunity.

The Train to Gain Scheme is offering you the chance to get more from your training budget, e.g. to:

Maximise Productivity, especially important in the current climate
Improve Management Performance and your Organisation’s Efficiency
Improve Team Performance
Improve Team Self-Worth and Inspire Creative Thinking

See the following document for more information: free coaching.

Or contact us to assess your eligibility. You've nothing to lose and much to gain!

A UK opportunity to claim up to £1,000 worth of FREE personal development coaching

2009-03-25T19:02:00.003Z

Leading Coaching company offers free coaching, consultancy and training to selected UK companies

The UK-government is funding this great opportunity. The Train to Gain Scheme is offering you the chance to get more from your training budget, e.g. to:

Maximise Productivity, especially important in the current climate
Improve Management Performance and your Organisation’s Efficiency
Improve Team Performance
Improve Team Self-Worth and Inspire Creative Thinking

See the following document for more information: free coaching.

Or contact us to assess your eligility. You've nothing to lose and much to gain!

CAMPAIGN FOR LEARNING: UK NATIONAL LEARNING AT WORK DAY 14 MAY 2009-FREE COACHING BY QCC

2009-03-25T15:31:00.003Z

Our company,Quantum Coaching & Consulting (QCC Group), is supporting this day in the UK by offering free coaching & workshops in organisations throughout the week of 11 - 15 May!

Venue: Your training facility or an external one if your organisation funds it.
Location: London, UK & within M25 (or outside + travel & accommodation expenses)

Develop & motivate your talent… Without spending a penny!
Free coaching and workshops!

*This Very Limited Offer must be booked by the 4th of April, 2009.*

Examples of offer include:

one-to-one coaching;
coaching bites;
career progression coaching;
stress management;
work-life balance, etc.

For more details, see this PDF document

What is procrastination and why do I have it?

2009-03-05T14:55:00.004Z

Maybe you’ve heard people say “I’ll get to it tomorrow,” or “It can wait,” or I’m not in the mood right now.” If you’ve heard these statements or perhaps said them yourself, you are affected by procrastination, which affects a lot of people. It can drive you absolutely crazy and/or upset the people around you.

Procrastination is a complex psychological behaviour that affects many people. Some people deal with it to some degree, while others have a hard time with it. It can go hand in hand with perfectionism. It is a means of avoiding some type of action or task.People who suffer from procrastination can suffer from stress, a sense of guilt, loss of productivity, and a lot of yelling at and from others!

If you suffer from procrastination, you know your responsibilities, but you don’t want to act on them. You just don’t want to commit. Procrastination can be normal if is kept at in balance, but when you allow it to interfere in your life, it becomes a problem. In order to be able to escape from the grip of this unwelcome condition, people need to understand the whole concept of procrastination, including where it came from and why people get it.

Procrastination has both psychological and physiological causes. The psychological causes can depend on the situation or element the person faces. Such conditions can include anxiety, low sense of self-worth, and a mentality where the person gives up easily. Procrastinators have also been known to have a higher level of conscientiousness. However, this high level is based more on what they wish they can do, but can’t because perfectionism holds them back. In many situations the person simply feels out of control, and so may resort to delaying a task, or avoiding it all together.

People who suffer from procrastination are aware of what is happening. It can actually lead some people to depression or even suicide, and it can be involved with other kinds of dysfunction, such as Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD).

Although procrastination can be considered a behavioural problem, any other symptoms that are developed around this condition can be treated with medication. Hopefully, once the indirect conditions are treated, the resulting effect can also lessen the occurrence of procrastination. Certain medications have been known to help a person increase his attention span or evenimprove his overall mood. Therapy can also be considered helpful, especially if the therapy can remove any underlying causes that created the behaviour, like fear or anxiety. The basic premise is that it increases the person’s ability to lead a normal life. This is why procrastinators should see a therapist or psychiatrist to see if there is anything beneath the surface that is causing their problems.

Those who are diagnosed as being procrastinators could find themselves getting addicted to such things as using their computer a lot, or using the Internet quite often. It starts with a compulsion to do something so as to avoid reality. So they take part in some kind of activity like surfing the web or playing a video game. So, watch how much time you spend on Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, etc.

Procrastination is like diabetes – there are different types. One is referred to as the relaxed type the other one is the tense-afraid type. The relaxed type views responsibilities in a negative way and avoids them by doing other kinds of tasks.

An example of this is for a child to avoid doing his homework so he can play his video game. In practical terms, this is known as denial. Basically, the procrastinator does everything to avoid any situation that is not pleasurable. People who see these types think they are avoiding work but, in reality, they are simply trying to evade the issue.

The tense-afraid type is usually overwhelmed with a lot of pressure, and doesn’t have a solid concept of time. They are uncertain about their goals and may even have a lot of negative feelings. They often feel they can’t focus so as to complete their job. So what they do is keep telling themselves they need to unwind and relax. They want to take it easy for the time being and start anew the next day. The only problem is the next day brings the same results. This relaxing they do eventually places more stress on them because they end up getting too close to a deadline and have to rush to get the assigned work done. Then the person feels guilty for having delayed getting it done when they had plenty of time.

Unfortunately, they repeat the same thing over and over again. They go from trying to accomplish a task to failure and delay. They constantly put off plans and goals knowing they can’t complete them. The problem with this arrangement is that they can’t be depended on for anything nor can they be trusted. They become uncertain about their goals and this makes them feel awkward, especially when they are around people who have it together and are goal-oriented.
Procrastinators do have a rough time of it emotionally, mentally, and even physically. But as you can learn in our ebook, this problem can be controlled or even eliminated once you know more about the condition and how to get rid of it. The biggest concern is to acknowledge you have it and take steps to change your behaviour. By following certain procedures and guidelines, you may just find that procrastination can be a thing of the past.

Understanding it and getting clear as to its functions and causes will go a long way toward helping you to deal with it. It is just a matter of knowing where it originates. This is one way you can treat it. By knowing the source of the problem, you can take the correct steps to ensure that this problem will not raise its ugly head again.

If you are one of those less fortunate to have procrastination, you are not alone. Did you know that even children can become procrastinators? It is a behaviour problem, usually a learned behaviour. If you find that procrastination has taken over your life, this book should help you remove the resistance and get back in the flow of your life. It’s for people who truly want to take action in key areas of their lives but, for some reason, they feel unsure, stuck or demotivated (possibly becausethey’ve tried before and it hasn’t worked). And let’s face it, the world of online business is so vast, it can be pretty overwhelming!

There is always a motivating purpose behind everything you choose to do. Master these and get greater control in your life, business and career. When you’re back in the flow, you’ll also have a calm confidence when taking on new activities and an increased feeling of personal freedom and a lot more energy and time.

So, acknowledge the problem, stop procrastinating and act……

read this ebook now!
(or see http://www.beatprocrastinationnow.com/)

Further help can be gained through engaging with a Quantum Coaching and Consulting coach http://www.qccgroup.com. We’ll help you identify how to get back on track with those activities that are in your own best interest. As well as the powerful techniques that we’ve put in this ebook, we’ll help you take self-improvement to another level.
Go for it!

Eve Grace-Kelly

MD
http://www.qccgroup.com/

Are you listening?

2009-02-01T15:41:00.007Z

How long could you survive without your car? Or even worse.... how long could you survive without talking?!?!?

This is what John Francis did following a massive oil spill polluted San Francisco Bay in 1972. He gave up all motorised transportation and for 22 years, he walked everywhere he went hoping to inspire others to drop out of the petroleum economy.

Soon after he stopped riding in cars he also stopped speaking. For 17 years, he communicated only through improvised sign language, notes and his ever-present banjo. The environmental pilgrim says he took his vow of silence as a gift to his community because he just argued all the time.

Through his action of not talking, for the first time, he found he was able to truly listen to other people and the larger world around him, transforming his approach to both personal communication and environmental activism.

He realised that when listening beforehand, he listened to a point where he received confirmation that the person agreed with him. If the speaker didn't agree, he would stop listening and his mind would race ahead to compose an argument against what he believed the speaker's idea of position to be.

And so he wasn't really listening at all. When he realised this he felt as if he had been locked away half of his life.

"Silence is not just not talking" he said. "It's a void. It's a place where all things come from. All voices, all creation comes out of this silence. So when you're standing on the edge of silence, you hear things you've never heard before, and you hear things in ways you've never heard them before. And what I would disagree with one time, I might now agree with in another way, with another understanding. "

We can all relate to John's experience of 'listening' to some degree. I can certainly remember times when I have been guilty of nodding when someone has been speaking to me so that they will hurry up and finish what they're saying, so that I can put my 'twopenneth' in!

One of the gifts of coaching is that we learn how to truly listen and the richness that this has brought into my life has been enormous! I've always felt that I've been a good listener, but this has been heightened through the coaching skills. I now have conversations with people and recall not just the words, but the emotion in their voice and the body language they used. And this package provides me with so much information about the message the person I'm having that conversation with is trying to convey.

John Francis has given up his silence so that he can get his message across with regard to his environmental work. He silence certainly bore a message in itself and there is much on the internet about his life. But, on Earthday 1990, he realised that speaking again would enable him to further his quest in improving our environment.

He's now in the speaking arena and gives great motivational speeches. Click on the link below to find out more about his life and message.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlYJQ0psZYA

The Ending, Middle and Beginning of Change

2009-01-03T12:59:00.007Z

Change has a particular lifecycle of phases that shouldn't be skipped.

One change model that many people use is William Bridges' three phases of change: this says every change has an ending, a middle, and a beginning.

Ending: this is the first phase in the process, i.e. it's the ending of whatever came before the change. It's the process of moving away from what the situation was before the change was needed. Whatever the new change is and no matter how good it is expected to be, or how much it is anticipated, there were always good things in the old and people like to hang on to what they know and love (even if it has a lot of flaws! It's the familiarity that they love. To some extent, every ending is seen as a little death, and requires the same process as Big Death. Time must be taken to grieve, and to go through the stages of grieving.

Beginning: This is the start of the new. It is the integration of the new into our way of being, and ourselves into the new order.

Middle: Before you can get to the new, you have to go through a the transition - the middle phase, or, as William Bridges calls it, ' The Neutral Zone.' This is a place of healing, a place of taking stock and being sure you know what your place is in the new order before you march off. It's where we learn about the new way, and about ourselves in relation to the new way. In this zone, people find their new path in the changed landscape of the organisation. They are finding what works and what doesn't, what they care about, what they have energy for and where they can best apply that energy. The Neutral Zone isn't easy. There are many challenges to overcome and a lot of doubt or resistance. I've also heard it called 'the swamp', a place where you don't want to get stuck - you want to get through it as quickly as possible.

However, what is important is that you work at the pace that fits the place and your place in it, to know the work that needs to be done and to do it steadily but not in a rush, to keep moving but at a pace that lets you learn from what you pass. It's about finding the right balance of needs.

There is a teaching poem from the Northwest Native American tradition that can be related to the 'Neutral Zone, which was used to answer the question, "What do I do when I am lost in the forest?" - as the cedar forests of the Pacific Northwest of North America are so thick that, 200 yards into the forest, there is nothing to see but green, not even the sky above.

The poem was used to teach children how to act when lost in the forest. However, it can also be applied to anyone who is in a place where we have never been before and must find our way.

The poem says that if you are lost in the forest the best thing you can do is ' stand still'. The trees ahead and the bushes beside you are not lost. Wherever you are is 'here', and you must treat it as a powerful stranger. You must ask permission to know it and be known. The peom says to listen to the forest whispering:

"I have made this place around you that, leaving it, you may come back, saying 'here.'

Are any two trees are the same to raven?

Are any two branches are the same to wren?

If what trees do and branches do is lost on you then you are truly lost.

Stand still.

The forest knows where you are.

You must let it find you."

And this is likened to the Neutral Zone, but it isn't a place of total inactivity because you are listening to the forest breathe, you are coming to know the place around you, you are observing what trees and bushes and branches and ravens and wrens are doing. But you are not running off blindly in a show of conspicuous activity. You are waiting, in the moment, with beginner's mind, until wisdom comes.

Only when we have completed this process are we ready for the beginning phase of the change: the integration of what we have learned in the Neutral Zone into what we do and what we are.

At Quantum Coaching and Consulting Limited we facilitate change by working with people to help them first identify the change they want and then to help them through the change process.

http://www.qccgroup.com/

How have you made someone feel today?

2009-01-02T09:25:00.006Z

Saw this today & certainly paused for thought…

It’s always good for the soul to reflect on helping others…

“I pulled my cab up to the curb and sounded the horn. No one came to the door.

So I walked to the door and knocked. ‘Just a minute’, answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor.

After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 90’s stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it like somebody out of a 1940s movie.

By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets.

There were no clocks on the walls, no knick-knacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware.

‘Would you carry my bag out to the car?’ she said. I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman.

She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb.

She kept thanking me for my kindness. ‘It’s nothing’, I told her. ‘I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated’.

‘Oh, you’re such a good boy’, she said. When we got in the cab, she gave me an address, and then asked, ‘Could you drive through town?’

‘It’s not the shortest way,’ I answered quickly.

‘Oh, I don’t mind,’ she said. ‘I’m in no hurry. I’m on my way to a hospice’.

I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. ‘I don’t have any family left,’ she continued. ‘The doctor says I don’t have very long.’

I quietly reached over and shut off the meter.

‘What route would you like me to take?’ I asked.

For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator.

We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newly-weds. She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.

Sometimes she’d ask me to slow down in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.

As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, ‘I’m tired. Let’s go now.’

We drove in silence to the address she had given me.It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico.

Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move. They must have been expecting her.

I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair.

‘How much do I owe you?’ she asked, reaching into her purse.

‘Nothing,’ I said.

‘You have to make a living,’ she answered.

‘There are other passengers,’ I responded.

Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly. ‘You gave an old woman a little moment of joy,’ she said. ‘Thank you.’

I squeezed her hand, and then walked into the dim morning light. Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life.

I didn’t pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly, lost in thought. For the rest of that day, I could hardly talk. What if that woman had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his shift?

What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away?

On a quick review, I don’t think that I have done anything more important in my life.

We’re conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments.

But great moments often catch us unaware-beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.

PEOPLE MAY NOT REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT YOU DID, OR WHAT YOU SAID,

~BUT~

THEY WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER HOW YOU MADE THEM FEEL.

Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here we might as well dance."

Live each day as if it was your last.....

2008-12-28T11:05:00.001Z

When I was young, I came across the following quote: "If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right."

It certainly made an impression on me and, since then, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?"

Whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something……

Why not try this yourself - you may be surprised at the results....!

What if your website could talk and help you convert prospects to sales?

2008-12-27T11:17:00.003Z

Businesses spend thousands and thousands of ££s every year on advertising and marketing their business. In a business start-up phase though, not many of us have unlimited resources to throw at this expensive, but necessary, activity.

However, you can increase your online sales and profits with a very simple tool. AudioGenerator. This is a really fast, easy and economical way to increase your online sales and profits without additional spending on advertising costs.

The reason it's so effective is that it automatically builds solid rapport with even your more sceptical prospects by expressing trust, credibility and authority of the human voice.

That's because the human voice has the power to influence, motivate and persuade prospects to click 'Order Now' buttons faster and with less resistance.

And the good thing is, you don’t need to be a technie to learn how to use AudioGenerator – there’s no HTML programming!! It really is simple enough for a child to use.

So why not break the silence of your eMarketing campaign and add pulling power to your Website, auto responders, email, pop-ups, shopping carts and other online tools you may use.

Click here to find out more http://members.audiogenerator.com/specialinfo.asp?x=2003980

It’s a tool we at Quantum Coaching and Consulting recommend to all our coaching clients.

Here's a snapshot of what AudioGeneratorTM can do for your business:

Talking emails – liven up your emails be making them talk to your prospects, subscribers and customers.

Homepage Voice Messages – Welcome your first-time visitors to your website with your own voice. This makes you stand out from the crowd.

Talking E-Zines – put e-zines on marketing steroids!

Voice updates – Let your site visitors or subscribers hear your updates in your own words. The written word is limited, but prospects are more likely to make a purchase when they are exposed to the human voice.

Audio learning – Let people learn through your voice, or the voice of a professional speaker. Instead of them reading your lessons, let them hear the lessons. That’s how most people like to learn most. And that’s why ‘distance learning’ companies like Nightingale-Conant are successful in building multi-million business with the power of the human voice!

Audio postcards – Reach out to your customers and prospects during holidays, or the big moments – like birthdays – by adding sound to your email postcards. This functionality is NEW.

Beat your competitors – Competition on the website is getting fierce with over 37 million Websites online and 50,000 new Websites that go live each week. ‘Voice Marketing’ instantly adds value to your Website and gives you a first-mover advantage over your competitors.

Audio testimonials – this is one of the top benefits of how AudioGeneratorTM gives you an advantage over your competitors. Your customers simply call into a free toll-free testimonial Hotline and for a small cost you can have captivating voice testimonials uploaded to your Websites within seconds!

Voice-activates sales messages – give that extra touch to your Website’s sales copy, FAQs, About Us pages (in fact any page you can think of) and have your prospects hear about your product or service through the power of your own voice.

Instant rapport – Social psychologists tell us that humans are more likely to trust you if they can year you AND see you because you bring more ‘communication modalities’ into the mix.

Give it a try - click here to find out more: http://members.audiogenerator.com/specialinfo.asp?x=2003980

Eve Grace-Kelly
Managing Director
Quantum Coaching and Consulting Limited http://www.qccgroup.com/

Be MORE – Do MORE – Achieve MORE

Golf balls, pebbles, sand and coffee

2008-10-25T20:51:00.004+01:00

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 cups of coffee !!

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar were full. The students responded with an unanimous 'yes.'

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

'Now,' said the professor as the laughter subsided, 'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things---your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favourite passions - and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car. The sand is everything else---the small stuff. If you put the sand into the jar first,' he continued, 'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

'Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Spend time with your children. Spend time with your parents. Visit with grandparents. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first---the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.'

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled and said, 'I'm glad you asked.'

The coffee just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.'

How true!

Knowing Yourself to Understand Others

2008-08-26T19:34:00.004+01:00

Have you ever heard the saying 'to understand another person, first you have to walk a long way in their shoes'.

Well, yes, to a certain extent there is something in this. It means that you need to feel what being the other person is like to be able to relate to their experiences and feelings.

Beware, however! You may find that walking a few miles in someone else's shoes will damage his shoes and also hurt your own feet.

So, before walking in another person's shoes - look at your own feet first.......

Eve

Energy Reach

2008-08-17T17:59:00.001+01:00

Well, it's Sunday night and it's been a pretty packed weekend. We've finally caught up on a lot of gardening and it feels so satisfying to see the results!

I know the weeds will come rushing through again, especially with the changeable weather we're having, but it was great being outside soaking up the sun while doing the gardening.

The only problem is that I know feel exhausted after so much physical work (while not being very fit!). At times like this I use a NLP techniques to re-energise myself and thought I would share this with you.

It only takes about 3-5 minutes and is a great exercise to do every morning to ensure that you've got bags of energy to carry you through the day.

Here goes:

Stand tall and stretch your arms out above your head. Reach as far as you can.

Imagine that your body is being pulled up from the top of your spine by a very strong silken cord.

When you feel that you have stretched as far as you can, stretch just a little bit more - you always can! Feel your body strengthen and lengthen. While you're doing this, remind yourself of all the great goals you're reaching for. Maybe it's the promotion you want; the new job; the improved relationship; a great physique - you name it!

Hold the position for about 20 seconds and then release. As you release breath out looooonnnnnng and slow.

Repeat two more times or for as many times as you like.

I find this exercise really energising - I hope you do too!

Have a great week.

Eve

Take Action..........

2008-08-10T20:31:00.000+01:00

A wise person once told me that, in every person's life, there is a moment when the awareness of their destiny bursts, like a bubble, onto the surface of their conscious mind.

At this moment, people who are weak tend to make themselves busy with the day to day mundane tasks of their lives. They avoid the realisation of what has happened.

Conversely, when this happens to a strong person, they awaken! They decide to take what action is needed to change the world for the better. After all it's their world as well! By doing so, they secure for themselves their rightful and valued place in the history of humankind............

Take action now!

Be MORE - Do MORE - Achieve MORE!

Ring us at Quantum Coaching and Consulting and find out how we can help you achieve your destiny.

Email: enquiries@qccgroup.com

Tel: 0044 207 193 1055

Powerful Possessions

2008-07-23T15:29:00.000+01:00

Have you ever been amazed at how a simple thought or idea can change the way we think? Or how it can change the way we look at the world?

Being open to these two precious, powerful possessions of ours can improve every area of our life, from self-confidence, to improved relationships, better personal wealth, health, career ..... you name it! But, unfortunately, we are sometimes afraid of embracing their power and potential.

At QCC Group, we believe that these are at the very heart of your success. Contact us now to talk about how we can help you tap into your hidden potential.

Eve

Be MORE - Do MORE - Achieve MORE

Moving away from the Conditioned Mind

2008-04-14T20:00:00.000+01:00

Have you ever heard (or even said) something like ‘he’s in his own little world!’. I heard this the other day while sitting on a train on a business trip to Paris….. not a bad place to do business!

I’ve heard it myself dozens of time and even said it. But this time, it got me thinking that each one of us lives in our own unique world, really. The way we perceive and experience things are unique to us and no-one else. We are conditioned by the way we grew up, by the values and beliefs we develop as part of our environment (people and things), by the limitations we were given or adopted, by the emotions we experience, by the attitudes, and opinions we experience. So you see, this conditioning affects everything we do and our every outlook on life. It’s a kind of distortion, similar to looking through a curved window.

With over 6 billion people in the world, that’s a lot of individual worlds and a lot of curved windows!

The effect on our Potential

This conditioning, the way in which we see things, makes us believe that that’s the way things are, and has an effect on how we perceive ourselves. As you can imagine, this distortion can have a huge impact on whether we are able to reach our maximum potential.

Recognising this effect is a huge first step to being able to make any changes necessary to break through any barriers (or distortions). We can now start to see things in a different light. We start to understand the impact these beliefs, values, emotion, attitudes and opinions have had on our own decisions and why they have often felt incongruent to us. When this happens a phenomenal thing happens. Things click into place. Any anger that we experience starts to drift away because we now understand why we feel angry – we understand that the conditioning has distorted our views. Our experience of life improves, and keeps on improving!

We are able to shake off the shackles of our conditioning and continue to grow and improve – to reach our maximum potential. It might seem a bit frightening at first because it’s sometimes easier to stay as we are, to continue to accept our conditioning and all of the limitations that it holds for us. There’s an element of security in that conditioning.

But if you want to make changes in your life, take advantage of this learning. Recognise that you have the power within you to Be MORE – Do MORE – Achieve MORE.

We all have within us the potential to be our very, very best. We just need to take a little bit of a risk now and then to step outside of our comfort zone and to experience the freedom it can give us.

Take Action

1. Look at areas in your life where your perception may be distorted by your conditioning and make a list.
2. What one thing can you do today to change the effect the conditioning has had on you?
3. Be bold – be adventurous! Make the change today, and tomorrow, and every day after that. It only takes approximately 21 days to change a habit.
4. Then come back to this blog and share your experience with us.

At Quantum Coaching and Consulting we work with people to help them understand and re-evaluate their conditioning, so that they are able to make lasting changes. If there’s anything that’s holding you back, give us a call to see how we can help you help yourself!

Email: enquiries@qccgroup.com
Tel: 0044 207 193 1055

Breaking Our Own Personal Barriers

2008-04-06T02:00:00.000+01:00

All great achievements were at one time or another thought to be impossible. E.g. landing on the moon (Neil Armstrong); breaking the sound barrier (Chuck Yeager); running a mile in under 4 minutes (Roger Bannister) etc.

Since these great people first accomplished their dreams, many more followed in their exact same footsteps and others have since gone on to even exceeding these original 'barriers'.

These barriers are ony barriers while we perceive them as such.

What's your own personal barrier? What do you perceive to be impossible today? Based on the opening thoughts in this blog, are your perceptions rational?

The only difference between Neil, Chuck, Roger and yourself, is perception.

We're all writing our own history in all our own individual thoughts and deeds. How will your write your future? What barriers will you have conquered?

It's all in the mind......

2008-03-30T17:18:00.000+01:00

"If you think you are beaten, you are.
If you think you dare not, you won't.
If you like to win, but don't think you can,
It's almost a cinch that you won't.
If you think you'll lose, you've lost,
For in our world you'll find
Success begins with a person's will.
It's all in the state of mind.

If you think you're out-classed, you are;
You've got to think high to rise.
You've got to be very sure of yourself
Before you can win the prize.
Life's battles don't always go
To the strongest or fastest man.
But sooner or later the person who wins
Is the person who thinks she can."

Walter D. Wintle

Welcome to the Quantum Coaching Group

2008-03-25T16:08:00.001Z

Hello everyone!

This is the first post in the new Quantum Coaching Group blog.

In this blog, we aim to share the wealth of benefits that you can gain from accessing your own personal lifeskills, and open your eyes to other lifeskills that you can learn. We totally believe that, within each and every one of us, we have our own personal armoury of lifeskills with which we can make whatever change we want to happen, actually happen.

We will talk about the tools and techniques we use in our coaching business, Quantum Coaching and Consulting Limited, and share insights into the world of coaching – both personal and executive coaching.

We offer a range of services including:

Executive/Business Coaching

Personal Coaching

Careers Coaching

Retirement Coaching

NLP Coaching

Team Coaching

Personal and Professional Develoment

Goal Setting and Motivation

Stress Management

Creating Work/Life Balance

Workshop

Meeting Facilitation

New Business Startup

Mediation

Consultancy

To start with, however, we’d like to introduce ourselves so that you can get to know us:

My name is Eve Grace-Kelly, and I’m the Managing Director of Quantum Coaching and Consulting Limited. The other founding member is Vinden Grace.

We are qualified Life/Personal and Business Coaches.

Eve: In my career to date, I’ve worked for some of the leading blue-chip companies in the world (Fidelity Investments, NatWest Life, Legal and General, National Power, Lloyds Bank, Glaxo SmithKline, Northrop Grummon, EUROCONTROL, Sainsburys, KPMG).

I’m told I’m a natural entrepreneur (my mind’s always brimming with new ideas – I sleep with a notebook and pen beside my bed for those moments when I wake up with more ideas!), and together with my husband, Vinden, we set up and ran our own IT recruitment company and management consultancy. As such, we’ve got first-hand experience of the types of challenges faced by small and growing businesses.

I’m truly passionate about the benefits that coaching can bring to people from all walks of life. Having a 'can-do' attitude, I like to inject enthusiasm into my clients and give them the confidence needed to achieve what they want out of life or their career. I definitely 'walk the talk' and believe that we all have the ability to unlock our true potential.

Vinden: Vinden is a keen academic, successfully graduating with a degree in business studies (from Warwick University) and a master's degree in computer information systems (Boston University). He definitely shares my entrepreneurial spirit! He has great empathy with small business owners and the types of challenges they face. Having recently developed an online membership site, he is at the cutting edge of internet business development.

Vinden is a strong communicator and his unique ability to adapt has helped him build strong relationships within diverse teams across various organisations.

We also have a number of associates in various specialisations that we call upon depending on the needs of our clients.

We all look forward to blogging for you about personal and corporate coaching, and giving you great tips and techniques in how to get what you want out of your life.

If you have any specific requests, let us know by emailing us at mailto:enquiries@qccgroup.com?subject=QCC

Have a great day,

Eve Grace-Kelly
Managing Director

Visit our website at www.qccgroup.com