Successful Steps Blog
The Successful Steps blog is run by Anne McGhee and focusses on Personal and Professional Development and a whole bunch of related subjects. You are encouraged to comment if you have a viewpoint on anything you read about.
Grow! Networking - Events for Businesses in Glasgow / 4th Jun 2009
Grow Networking is a division of Successful Steps. It's a popular non membership network which provides unique opportunities for business people to make connections in a relaxed and informal manner. We also provide networking skills training, consultation and facilitation of in-house networking events for public sector and corporate clients. Our Dinner? Ladies event recently featured in an article in The Guardian Online and tomorrow we celebrate our second anniversary. As formal networking slows down slightly for the summer I'll be providing some Networking CPD on this blog to help you develop and fine tune your networking skills in preparation for the start of the new networking season.
by Anne McGhee in the category of Networking
successful steps to networking, Networking skills training, Networking, Networking tips, Networking in Glasgow, Networking in West End
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Curiouser and Curiouser / 19th Mar 2009
I was recently reminded of the old saying 'curiosity killed the cat'. I've decided I don't particularly like that saying as it imples curiosity is a negative thing, personally speaking I prefer to see it in a positive light. Curiosity about one's potential leads us to taking the big leap from employee to entrepreneur or perhaps to becoming an intrepid traveller. From becoming a couch potatoe to running a 10K or taking up some other sporting challenge. From become a reader of books to authoring one. Whatever the change or challenge it's curiosity about our potential that kick starts the journey of personal and professional development. So I'd like to say cheers to curiosity and rather than killing it in yourself and others cultivate it!
by Anne McGhee in the category of Personal Development
curiousity, potential, big leap, change
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Building windmills / 1st Feb 2009
When the winds of change blow there are those who build shelters and those who build wind mills - Chinese Proverb
Given the current economic climate what's your attitude to business and networking? Are you a windmill builder?
by Anne McGhee in the category of Networking
networking, networking strategy
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A Successful Step to Change Managment / 14th Jan 2009
"Human conversation is the most ancient and easiest way to cultivate conditions for change - personal change, community and organisational change, planetary change"
M Wheatley
It's good talk, it's all relational. So what conversation do you need to have?
by Anne McGhee in the category of Wise Words
Change Management, personal change, organisational change
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Small Talk / 13th Jan 2009
Looking for an opportunity to get to know your colleagues and staff?
"Small talk matters - never eat lunch alone"
Unknown
by Anne McGhee in the category of Wise Words
Networking, leadership, working relationships
Comments are open... be the first to have your say.
Va, va, va, voom / 12th Jan 2009
In her book 'A little light on the Spiritual Laws' Diana Cooper talks about the Law of Reflection and how every part of your car represents some aspect of you. Diana provides a couple of examples such as the brakes failing may be a warning for you to stop something your doing, the horn refuses to make a sound - is it time to speak up for yourself?
Last year I drove about in a car that was a magnet for disaster. I mean I had the lot; indicators not working, a couple of flat tires, a flat battery and living in the west end of Glasgow I got more than my fair share of dents and scratches. On reflection my beloved little car was reflecting exactly how I was feeling; a little unsure of where I was going in life, let down by some people, lacking in energy generally speaking I was feeling a bit battered and bruised by life.
Even though I had a really hectic festive season I'm feeling 'brand spanking' as they say in Glasgow - just like my new car!
Food for thought don't you think?
by Anne McGhee in the category of Personal Development
spirituality, the law of reflection,
Comments are open. There's been 2 comments so far.
Compliments of the Season / 12th Dec 2008
Interesting things compliments don't you think? Often treated with suspicion and regularly contradicted or rebuked by the recipient. That kind of response says more about you and yourself esteem than you know.
Whilst I appreciate that not all compliments are sincere; if you've been shopping for a party dress recently I'm sure you'll have come across a few. But those that are genuinely given shouldn't be thrown back with put downs but acknowledged with 2 little words 'thank you'. Please note the full stop!
Think of a compliment as a gift and learn to accept it with grace. From another perspective the joy is in the giving so don't take that away from someone.
Here's one of the Successful Steps Teams favourite quotes for your consideration
'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be?'
Nelson Mandela
by Anne McGhee in the category of Personal Development
receiving compliments, self esteem
Comments are open. There's been 2 comments so far.
E + R = O / 10th Dec 2008
A prinicpal developed by Jack Canfield author of Chicken Soup for the Soul.
E + R = O
'It's not the Event but how you Respond that determines the Outcome'
So outcomes are shaped and influenced by our attitude and behaviour.
Mmm..........interesting don't you think?
Think about a recent situation which didn't provide the desired outcome
- How did you react in this situation?
- What outcome did it give you?
- On reflection could your response have been different?
- What might the outcome have been if you had responded differently?
- What understanding have you gained about your own and another's behaviour and attitude?
- How will this learning influence how you react in the future?
by Anne McGhee in the category of Personal Development
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Flawed, fraud or faithful? / 3rd Dec 2008
Consider some of your key relationships they can be either personal or professional. Think about your behaviour and attitude in each are you flawed, fraud or faithful?
We can sometimes be too keen to highlight our flaws to ourselves as well as others. I'm not really sure where the value in this lies, I suppose it's different for everyone. What is valuable is getting the right measure of the flaw rather than blowing it out of proportion. It can also be helpful to correctly place and acknowledge a flaw. Have you ever considered that what irritates you most about others is something you are guilty of yourself?
Fraud - well we can all be guilty of not practicing what we preach can't we?
As for being faithful, well there's a real feel good feeling attached to being true to yourself, standing by your values and your principles.
I suppose my question for you is with whom and when might you be flawed, fraud or faithful?
by Anne McGhee in the category of Personal Development
questions for your reflection, flawed, fraud or faithful, relationships, working relationships, improving your relationships
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Education, Education, Education / 30th Nov 2008
It's funny how education makes us feel about ourselves. Those of us not educated to degree level can often feel we are lacking or inferior in some way to friends and colleagues who have those qualifications. Those of us who have invested a lot time in FE and Higher education can often feel the need for more bits of paper before feeling able to take on a certain role or task.
Training and Development comes in various forms
- Formal qualifications in the form of diploma, degrees, PHd's
- Professional certification
- Seminars and workshops
- Conferences and conversations
- Shelf Education - books and articles
- Mentors and coaches
- Doing Leaderly things
Education isn't about information collection but about personal and professional transformation. The only way you really transform is when you take time to reflect on where you are, who you are and how you are, to identify where change is desirable and make the appropriate learning investment. Whether this learning comes with a bit of paper or not isn't the big issue, how you implement what you've learned and the impact that it has on you and others is the real success criteria. In my experience professional development affects the person and personal development has a huge effect on the professional.
Here are some questions for your reflection;
- When was the last time you made a learning investment?
- If you were to make a learning investment either personal or professional what might it be?
- What transformation might you expect?
- How will that improve your current situation?
by Anne McGhee in the category of Personal Development
Professional Development, Professional Development, questions for your reflection
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