Susan Brown on LinkedIn: Imagine feeling like you’re drowning in responsibilities. You struggle to… (2024)

Sometimes, things just don't go as planned right? And that's totally fine! But this is when you need the people that have made all those promises and commitments to follow up.We've heard it way too many times lately about people going missing when it gets tough or doing a runner as soon as they're in the clear "because that's what the terms say". It's not on and it's not us. So yesterday morning, Monday morning of all days, when I get my first call of the day at 8.45am to talk about a temp that wasn't working out; it's those moments you really show your worth. Now in this situation, both sides needed help, our client had realised they had gone down the wrong route and needed someone with specialist skills and experience, not someone with generalist experience. But that temp, also very carefully needed to be handled, I've been there in the past on the other side, it's not nice, but they need to know the right jobs out there for them and I'm positive within the next week or 2, I'll help them get that. With the client though, I'm able to get straight into talking about what went wrong and how we can make it right now. So, we got to the bottom of exactly what they needed, experience, systems, availability, absolutely everything to be a success in this. It took me 6 hours from the point of that phone call to come up with 3 options for them, interview one and offer them the job. In that time, I managed to brief candidates on this role fully, get everything else done in the day I needed to and enjoy my tuna wrap while I checked my fantasy football team at lunch. How?!?!Because we're proactive and reactive in all the best ways.I reacted exactly as I should and needed to, I followed up on what I promise and preach and did it at pace, no shying away.But proactively, all 3 options I gave them were candidates we've been speaking to for weeks and know of, we're ready for this kind of thing and won't shy away from helping. And I'm chuffed to say that after a quick call to both the client and new temp, they're both ready for each other, they meet up to get going at 10am today. Happy days!

15

"I'm sorry, but I'm already feeling overwhelmed, and saying yes to this would just add to that.""No, thank you.""I don't think I'm the best person for this task.”Saying no can be challenging, but it's an important skill to cultivate if you want to protect your time, energy, and well-being.This week on Deep Work Fast I'm going to share a script for appropriately and professionally establishing boundaries and saying no to people and things that are distracting you from your goals and priorities. Meanwhile check out this week's blog on the topic https://lnkd.in/gnE7PejG

12

Feeling overwhelmed? Not sure where to start?Try this - Write out a list of the top 3 to 5 things that matter to you right now that you know need to get done. Then, write out a few actionable items for each of those things over which you have control.I used to be really bad at getting worked up over things outside of my control. Ultimately, I was letting things OUTSIDE of my control CONTROL me. What a mess!Now, I sometimes get to the point of being too laid back about something. It drives my wife crazy. "How are you not stressing out about this?" Well, I ask myself "Is this important? Have I done everything I can within my control to influence the outcome?" If I have, then now it is out of my control so I can wait for the result.I might still need to re-evaluate or follow up on items later. Maybe I missed something or overlooked a connection I could have made, but this easy process at least keeps me moving forward instead of being frozen from fear or analysis.Do you struggle with control? If so, what helps you?#motivationalmonday

9

1 Comment

I recently came back from my first vacations in 7 years!I didn't travel or did any "vacation-like" activities. But, it's the first time I took an extended amount of paid time off knowing I'd go back to my job.During this week I felt the urge to do everything whilst restoring my sleep debt at the same time. I obviously couldn't fulfill those insane expectations. Still, the week was incredibly fruitful.Here are 4 things I learned taking time off:1. You can't be creative 24/7 365 days a year. Some ideas will flop, others will go viral.2. Sometimes doing your best will not be the best. It's okay, now it might be the moment to get more uncomfortable.3. Dumb movies are great! Have you seen Bottoms? Did it leave me an important lesson? No. Did I laugh until my belly hurt? Yes. Worth it.4. The hardest part is hitting post. I recorded 13 pieces of content. Which I'm still organizing in the perfect way to post. Crazy, right?I think I could write posts everyday for 2 months about everything I had clarity on this past week. ( I might do that actually) 🤔If you haven't scheduled your time off this was definetely your sign!!!P.S What do you think about my office view??

Take Advantage of Bad Situations at WorkFor example, back in the day when I started working in customer service, I used to handle very problematic calls. These were situations that couldn’t be resolved on the same call or lasted for hours.But these challenges gave me invaluable experience. When someone else encountered a similar issue, I already knew what needed to be done to resolve the problem.Because of these big problems, I gained a lot of knowledge. Whenever a tough situation arose, I became the go-to person to solve it, which felt great.So, going back to the title of this post: whenever you find yourself in a tough situation and have no idea how to solve it, take a deep breath and figure out how to overcome it instead of letting the situation control your emotions. This could involve dealing with a difficult person, a customer, or even a coworker.Troubling situations are everywhere, no matter the field you work in. It's how you react to them that matters. Always take advantage of these moments because they will help you in the future and enable you to help others as well.As always, we've got this! 🚀

7

Alex: “One of the best decisions I’ve made in my life.”Let’s break down what we worked on together:When we first spoke, Alex was miserable (his own words).Highly successful.But miserable.I truly understood how he felt, because back in 2017 when I worked in banking, this is how I felt, too.So I knew how we could change it.Alex was struggling with:- No direction- Stubborn belly fat- No idea about nutrition- Complete lack of energy.- Feeling of perpetual procrastination- Failing to balance 60-70 hour working weeks with a wife and two small children.If you’re working all the hours under the sun, and have a young family, this will all sound familiar.So we got to work, and 4 months later, Alex told me:“I lost all the weight I wanted, I am lean, feel in shape, have high levels of energy and a clear mindset. I have gained perspective and have the confidence that I am capable of achieving long lasting positive changes in my life.”The impact has been profound. And we’re not even done yet.If Alex’s story sounds familiar, and you’ve been sitting on the fence about getting in touch, see this as a sign.In 90-120 days time, you could be reflecting on one of the best decisions you’ve ever made.Just send me a DM with “Alex” and I’ll take it from there.

46

3 Comments

Take the time to ask how your employees are feeling about things you know they’ve experienced recently in the workplace or even at home. An example might be: “Sally, I know you had to work late three evenings in a row in order to get that customer report completed on time. How did that affect you? Were there things you had to drop in your personal life in order to be able to do that? If so, how did that affect your family?” Then, the manager needs to be quiet and listen. Even if they can’t change the outcome of how the week went, they can offer reassurance. They could say, “I hope you know I really appreciate how you went the extra mile to make sure that work got done. I don’t expect us to have another week like that this month. By the way, is there anything I could have done to help you out or make your experience a better one?”#emotionalintelligence

11

2 Comments

As an accountant, you're a vital part of any business or organization. You're the one who helps keep everything running smoothly and helps the company use their financial resources to their fullest potential. But we all know that some Mondays can be tough to get going, especially when you're facing a busy week with piles of paperwork and deadlines looming over your head.So here's your Monday motivation: take a deep breath, put on some energizing music, and remind yourself of the importance of the work you do. You have the power to make a difference in the success of your company, and that is something to be proud of.Remember that every number, every spreadsheet, and every financial report you create has the potential to help your company grow and thrive. You have the skills and knowledge to help your business make informed decisions and make the most of every dollar. That's a lot of power!So let's tackle this week with enthusiasm and positivity. Take on each task with confidence and purpose, and know that you are making an impact in your workplace. And who knows - you might even surprise yourself with how much you can accomplish when you're focused and motivated. Let's make this a great week!#mondaymotivation

4

My dad is a perfectionist. Making a bed in the morning was a huge deal in our house previously.He notices every little thing, whether it's how I make my bed or the way I put on my shoes. At first, I used to think it was strange to care so much about these small details. I couldn't understand why he would get upset if my bed wasn't perfectly made.But as I got older and started working, I began tosee things differently. I realized that my dad's attitude towards these smalltasks wasn't just about being nitpicky. It was about something bigger.He believes that if you can't be trusted to do simplethings well, like making your bed neatly or dressing properly, then how cananyone trust you with bigger responsibilities? It's like building a foundationof trust. If you can't be relied upon to get the small things right, why wouldanyone trust you with important tasks at work or in a group setting?Starting out in your career, you might not have the most glamorous job. You might even find some tasks boring or mundane. But my dad always said, 'It's not about the task itself; it's about what it says about you.' By doing even the smallest tasks well, you're showing your bosses and colleagues that you're reliable and can be trusted with more important work in the future.

26

8 Comments

The importance of a “not” to do list😅We focus more of our attention on writing a to do list. And while it is true that we have so much to do, the list is often times inexhaustible and which makes us get exhausted or overwhelmed. How about we try a different approach when planning for this new week. Let us write a not to do list. When we eliminate things we don’t want to do, it might give us more time to do what we actually want.You can take a cue from me, I have in my not to do list the following;1. Scroll through social media aimlessly2. Spend productive hours gossiping or engaging in unproductive conversations3. Pick calls or talk to people that drain my energy4. Sleep after my bed time5. Work for others without working on myself.➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖You can also take this a little higher and write down profession or jobs you don’t want to do.Heavy on my list is Tech😅I feel pressured to do it but I don’t see myself getting excited about coding for hours or what not!Eliminate from your life things that don’t spark Joy in your heart or life🙃

34

16 Comments