Powering your potential

For the 12th day of PYP's Xmas, we have set one task or focus area for each month of 2023... why not add them to your calendar today & keep yourself accountable?

January - Set your intentions and goals for the year ahead. Keep them somewhere you can see them to help you drive towards your goals.

February - Get personal - make a conscious effort to focus on people's names in conversations.

March - Set your alarm 15 minutes earlier. The early bird does catch the worm!

April - Review your LinkedIn profile. Make sure it is up to date with your skills and showcasing your true potential.

May - Try a new hobby, skill or project. Make it something that will help you meet new people, face new challenges or commit to learning new things.

June - Change things up - Instead of visiting your favourite coffee shop, why not head to a different one? It will shake up your routine, and you know what they say, "A change is as good as a rest!"

July - Holiday time! When choosing something to read, make sure it is something that will develop or inspire you.

August - Swap the car for a bike for the day!

September - Write a handwritten note and send it to someone you haven't seen in a while; it will make their day.

October - We encourage our clients to expand their vocabulary as part of their development. For October, why not pick out a new or alternative word and try using in conversation?

November - Why not visit a museum, the cinema or a restaurant alone? Enjoy your own company; it's a great time to reflect.

December - Make a list of everything you have achieved over the past year and recognise the growth you have made as an individual. You've had a great year. It is time to celebrate it!

Need an accountability partner? Sign up for our newsletter to receive tips, tricks and that all-important support.
https://poweringyourpotential.co.uk/contact/

On the 11th day of Xmas, we bring you... 11 Leaders Leading!

There are lots of qualities that inspirational leaders embody.
Behavioural theories suggest that leadership skills can all be taught.

That's where PYP can help. Get in touch today if you need support growing your skillset in the following areas...

1. Effective Communication & Active Listening - Engage and make people feel genuinely heard and valued.

2. Integrity - Doing the right thing, even though no one is watching.

3. Accountability - A great leader takes a little more than their share of the blame and a little less than their share of the credit.

4. Empathy - Having an open mind to understand the team's motivations, hopes, dreams and problems to form a deeper connection.

5. Humility - Pride makes us artificial, and humility makes us real.

6. Resilience - The true mark of any leader is not how they perform when things are great but how they roll their sleeves up when times get really tough.

7. Vision - Good business leaders create and articulate a vision, passionately own it, and relentlessly drive it to completion. It is important to note that the team will only buy into the vision, if they buy into the leader.

8. Influence - Leadership and Influence are not interchangeable - Mutual respect has to be earned and not given.

9. Positivity - Inspire based on exhibited behaviour, outlook on life and attitude.

10. Delegation - Great leaders must elevate their team - they must be more essential, but less involved.

11. Confidence - In any situation, even where you may be feeling fear.

On the 10th day of PYP's Xmas, we bring you the ten small things that make a big difference.

Why not try a couple of these today? If you need support, get in touch today to find out how PYP can set you up on the road to success.

1. Be on time
This shows you can organise yourself and be focused and committed to whatever you do. Remember to plan, and give yourself enough time to cater for things not going to plan.

2. Work ethic
Having a good work ethic means committing yourself to do the best job you can. It means you show dedication, responsibility and a positive attitude toward everything your work requires.

3. Body language
Don’t underestimate how your body reinforces your verbal message. Smiling, making eye contact and mirroring others will build rapport.

4. Effort
If you have chosen to do something, then give it your all!

5. Energy
Positive energy is infectious; it lifts the people around you. Be the one who encourages others and watch the big impact your energy has.

6. Attitude
Adopting a positive attitude means being optimistic about situations and interactions. It is the difference between the glass being half full rather than half empty.

7. Passion
If you are passionate about what you do, you will never do a day's work in your life. Like energy, passion is infectious; find what you love and hold onto it with both hands.

8. Being coachable
Be open to new ways of thinking and be prepared to reflect, learn and adapt. Show the person coaching you the respect they deserve for their experience and willingness and desire to pass it on.

9. Being prepared
Do your research; when you find your passion and it requires an interview, meeting or call to pursue, go above and beyond to prepare to do what you love.

10. Going the extra mile
Keep pushing forward... don't settle, and keep working towards your goals.

On the 9th day of Xmas, we bring you...
9 positive body language techniques to adopt when interviewing.

Is there anything you would add to the list?

Productivity is all about priorities. Every time you say “no” to something, you’re saying “yes” to something else – and that something will either move you toward your goal or away from it.

Train yourself not to see every item on your to-list as equal. Protect your time and resist falling back into the “I’ll just do this real quick” habit. Our productivity – and our lives – are defined by the habits we do every day.

Why not check out these PYP tips for how to ensure you are operating as your most productive self:

1. Evaluate your to-do list to prevent overwhelm.
Try using the urgent-important matrix to help you evaluate what will really turn the dial for your business.

2. Be disciplined.
Identify your goals and what is important. Schedule your day to ensure these are the things that are being worked on - and stick to it!

3. Be selfish.
We like to help others. We like to give away our time and knowledge. We like to feel valued and appreciated. But the truth is, if we always put people ahead of ourselves, we will never accomplish our goals.

Want to become your most productive self? We can help. Speak to one of our team members today.

On the 7th day of Xmas, you have 7 seconds - Make it count!

Everyone knows that first impressions are important, but you may not know just how little time you have to make one. Within the first seven seconds of meeting, people will have a solid impression of who you are — and some research suggests a tenth of a second is all it takes to start determining traits like trustworthiness.

Here are a few tips to help you make a positive first impression today:

- Be conscious of the attitude you want to embody when meeting a new person, and your body language will naturally follow.

- Raise your shoulders towards your ears, roll them back and then drop them down. Standing straight in this posture projects confidence and helps you feel more confident.

- Start with a small smile when entering the space, then widen the smile as you look at the person. Our brains are hardwired to respond positively to smiley folk :)

- Make eye contact for the right amount of time (tip: try noting their eye colour when looking at them, this should help with the timing). This makes people feel like you are genuinely interested in what they have to say. Try raising your eyebrows briefly to widen your eyes too - this is a sign of friendly recognition and makes people feel welcome.

- Lean in when speaking to a person - this makes people feel that you are fully engaged in what they have to say.

Try putting these into practice today & let us know how you get on!

On the 6th day of Xmas, let's talk about building rapport.

Rapport is a skill you can use in everyday life and every situation. Our graphic shows the key elements of building rapport, when meeting new people and growing relationships.

Why not focus on one of these today? If you would like to learn more, we'd love to hear from you.

On the 5th day of Xmas... We don't have the golden rings, but we do have a special freebie for you.

Think about 5 words you would use to describe yourself.

Now, which five words would your family, friends and colleagues use to describe you?

This free exercise is designed to give you insight into your personality and an awareness of your personal brand. The ability to ask five different people, who know you, perhaps in different ways, can be both a powerful and emotional exercise.
Soon you will have five words that you think describe you, along with up to twenty-five that others would use about you.

What are you waiting for? Give it a go today by following the below link:
https://poweringyourpotential.co.uk/resource/5-words-to-describe-you/

On the 4th day of Xmas, PYP brings you the four stages of team development, developed by psychologist Dr. Bruce W. Tuckman.
The four stages model was designed to present a simple explanation of how a team develops. It is commonly used to help people achieve their potential within a high-performing team.

Forming:
In this stage, the team feels excited, anxious, and curious about what lies ahead. The team looks to their leader for information and to provide clarity, alignment and motivation.

Storming:
Problems and roadblocks start to appear. At this stage, the team must communicate clearly & support each other. This is a crucial point for team development - Leaders can pinpoint bottlenecks, areas of improvement and use individuals' key strengths to help build up momentum. This is the perfect time to reflect on what makes a high-performing team and align everyone to the same goals...

Norming:
The norming stage is more harmonious. Teams understand why it’s essential to ask for help and how to address the team when they need guidance. This is the perfect development stage to learn how your team overcomes obstacles and strengthens their bonds through shared experiences.

Performing:
The performing stage clearly indicates that your team is in a state of alignment. They understand how to ask for help and when is the right time to escalate issues. In this stage, you will notice fluidity of communication. This is demonstrated through high morale, productivity, and engagement within the team. From this place, the team will also be able to reflect and outline what worked well and what didn't and clearly plan for what is needed in the future.

To find out how PYP can help your team to reach its full potential, get in touch today.

On the 3rd day of PYP's Xmas, we bring you, the Triangle of Potential.

Many of us have had times of feeling lost and overwhelmed, unhappy in our situation and unclear how to move forward.

At PYP, we use our own methodology – the Triangle of Potential – to uncover your full potential, working with your communication skills, personal development and personal brand to help you see a future that you truly want.

We help people gain the confidence they need by guiding them to understand themselves better – and the Triangle of Potential is the system which will help them do just that.

Pick up the phone today to take the first step in reaching your full potential.

On the 2nd day of PYP's Xmas...
We'd love you to try TWO things today that broaden or push you out of your comfort zone. These can be simple, small things that make a big impact.

A few ideas include using the names of others in conversation - this shows a level of engagement and personalisation that people remember. Alternatively, perhaps you could start a conversation with a colleague you don't usually speak to. Take the time to ask them a question or find out something about them.

On the 1st day of Xmas... let us give you an overview of PYP, what we do and how we could help you.

PYP and our programmes are proven to deliver increased confidence and self-belief. We work closely with our clients to help improve communication skills, pinpoint a clear and representative personal brand and create a personal development plan, all designed to make people more aware and effective in different environments.

We support our clients in developing increased self-awareness and a greater understanding of the impact that they have on others. This enables our clients to feel more positive about themselves, which in turn, comes with its own unique set of benefits.

Working with individuals, teams and businesses, PYP provides knowledge so people can develop their skills and optimise their behaviours. This is a gift that Andy, Steve and PYP enjoy giving - and not just at Xmas time!

Years of very diverse experience make Andy and Steve a unique and highly effective combination that has to be experienced to be believed - we can't wait to tell you more over the next 11 days!

Introducing... the PYP 12 Days of Christmas.

Over the next 12 days, we will bring you our top tips on everything from improving your confidence and how to be a great leader, through to tasks to get you motivated for 2023.

PLUS there will be lots of free resources to try...
Watch. This. Space.

There is a wonderful quote from Douglas Stone on the point of feedback:

“Receiving feedback sits at the intersection of these two needs: our drive to learn and our longing for acceptance.”

Productive feedback leaves room for both.
Remember these principles when giving feedback to your team:

Do:
- Give both positive and constructive feedback to your team regularly.
- Identify development areas, even if there are only a few.
- Focus on the future and ask about motivations and goals.

Don’t:
- Presume a team member has reached the limits of their performance.
- Ignore your top performers.
- Assume your team know how appreciated they are.

Want to find out more about how you can support and develop your team? We're here to help.