The pandemic made things hard for most businesses, you might’ve even started thinking about selling your business, but some industries witnessed an uptick during this phase.
Cannabis is one of the winners, with sales and trust skyrocketing amid the downturn.
Everything went in favor of sellers as retail sales grew despite the lockdowns. The consumer base also became broader, with more new users joining the wellness bandwagon.
The uptick continues in the new normal, and retailers have massive opportunities to capitalize on the pandemic boom.
But everything boils down to implementing the right strategies, in any business and especially if you are an entrepreneur.
Here are the ones you can rely on to take your business to the next level. No matter what kind of business you have.
3 Ways How to Take Your Business On a Higher Level:
1. Consolidate the digital advantage.
When retail stores closed at the start of the pandemic, physical businesses that were quick to embrace the digital opportunity were the ones who survived better.
It was much safer for buyers to order online and get their supplies delivered to the doorstep. The situation has improved, but buyers are in love with the sheer convenience of the doorstep delivery model.
Just because you can expect shoppers to return does not mean you can go slack with online selling. The world is getting more digital like it or not.
You can either embrace it and use it as an opportunity, or watch how the physical businesses are left behind and overtaken by the online stores.
If you want to make the best of the opportunity, consolidate the digital advantage in the new normal. Ramp up your services and website, and you are good to go.
2. Expand your offerings.
At this stage, consumer expectations are driving cannabis retail. If you want them to stay, matching their expectations is the key.
The best way to do it is by expanding your product offering.
Ensure you have all the trending products in your catalog, from edibles to concentrates, tinctures, herbs, and topical products.
Keep track of the products in demand, and refresh your menu frequently.
Inventory tracking can be a challenge when you have a larger catalog, but the effort is worthwhile.
You can explore https://parsl.co/ for a simplified solution for inventory tracking and compliance.
If you have a versatile menu and the right system to handle it, your business can easily move ahead on the growth route.
3. Improve in store experiences.
If you want to stick to the physical way of doing business than you can still make some adjustments to get ahead of your competition.
Another step you can implement to ride on the growth wave is to improve the in store experiences you offer.
Your customers will be back for retail shopping sooner or later, but they may be apprehensive about safety.
Assuring them about the best safety measures in your store can clear their apprehensions and bring them back.
Implement steps like social distancing, mask wearing, and contactless payments to ensure safety from the virus.
While having these measures in place is vital, you must also convey them to the buyers. Mention the initiatives on your website, business listings, and social media pages.
Your environment says a lot about you. This is true because our environment is a reflection of our inner state, and our inner state filters our environment.
This being said, we decided to create series that will speak about sorting out your closest environment, your home. Here is how to clean your home so you can get rid of negativity.
The first thing we start with is the smell. If your home smells bad, that’s not just people repeller but it’s also unhealthy. Psychologically it might mean that you carry emotional garbage you haven’t faced and it’s making you toxic.
In this article we will focus on how to fix the smell at the one place where most people struggle. The dishwasher.
Obviously, the dishwasher is the last place where you want disgusting smells, but to be honest, it happens.
Bad odors are produced in dishwashers very commonly.
When particles of food stay for a long time in the dishwasher, the bacteria start decomposing them.
This process produces unpleasant smells.
Sometimes, it becomes difficult for us to remove this odor from the dishwasher.
So, in this article, we are going to discuss some ways in which you can remove that smell from your dishwasher.
3 Methods How to Stop The Dishwasher from Smelling:
All of these methods can be carried out by household items.
1. Wash it.
This is the most common way to stop the smell of dishwashers. As we already discussed, the decomposition of food particles in the dishwasher produces these smells, so washing it would make a lot of sense.
You should perfectly clean the walls, the filter, the racks, and the door of the dishwasher.
Also, you should do this thorough cleaning at least 4 to 6 times a year to prevent any kind of smell and production of bacteria.
2. Baking soda and vinegar.
This process will be carried out with vinegar and baking soda.
Vinegar has a pH value smaller than 7, and it is an acidic solution in nature.
Acetic acid, which is found in vinegar, is also used in household cleaners because acetic acid, vinegar dissolved dirt, grease, and dust.
So, you would have to put a cup of vinegar on the rack of the dishwasher and start it.
After it, leave the door open for some time. In this way, your dishwasher will become odorless.
3. Check it.
Check the troubleshooting part of your dishwasher.
It may not be the common reason for the production of smell in the dishwasher, but in some rare cases, troubleshooting may cause a bad odor in the dishwasher.
Check the drain hose and the electrical wiring of the dishwasher. If the drain hose is installed at the wrong point, this may be the cause of the smell.
Also, check if the electrical connection is poor. You should only touch any wiring or other things in the troubleshooting area after carefully reading the manual provided by the company.
You can find this manual on the website of the company.
What You Should Remember?
The above mentioned methods to remove the smell from the dishwasher are very effective and can help you a lot in this regard.
These methods are listed in order. You should try the first method if the smell is not very serious, but in case of an extremely unpleasant smell, you should adopt the second or third method. They will be very helpful for you.
Make sure your dishwasher doesn’t smell. Then, make sure your garbage is clean, brush off the dust from your furniture and give your home a fresh natural scent.
This will help you release the toxic emotional garbage you have within, just like when you clean your desk your thoughts become more organized.
We will talk about that in some of the other articles.
There are 3 business skills you can train and develop that will not just help you move forward in your career but they will also make you a better human being.
We don’t often think of business and self help as one and the same, yet, from my experience, and almost anyone who went through a real work with their coach, developing your business skills makes you a better human being.
And the other way around, working on your self helps you to grow your business and reach higher levels.
There are certain business skills, 3 to be specific, that if you work on yourself to develop the results will show benefits in almost every aspect of your life.
What are those?
3 Business Skills to Become a Better Human:
1. Leadership.
When we talk about leadership people often associate it as a skill only for those who are at the top of the hierarchy.
But that’s far from the truth as leadership is something we all posses. It’s a skill that remains dormant in all of us, we just need to train it like a muscle and develop it.
You might not be a leader at your cubicle, you have a boss and that’s completely ok, you should follow them if their journey resonates with you. A big rule of leadership is that we first need to learn how to follow so we are able to lead. Every great leader is also a great follower.
But even though you are not the leader there, you might need to be a leader in your relationship, in your family, or with your friends…
When you develop your leadership skills it will benefit almost any aspect of your life as you will know when to follow, but also how to take the lead when necessary.
One of our coaches and leadership experts here at Life Coach Code is giving FREE workshop just for you. If you are interested in developing this skill, you can hop on this Free All Personal Workshop Series for emerging leaders who lead their teams through this transition to hybrid work.
See what data, tools and strategies are there to help you get in the driver seat and make it a smooth and successful transition long term.
Unlock solutions to move forward successfully as a team throughout the ‘great reset, resignation and reshuffle’. Take this opportunity while it’s free. Develop your leadership. Surprise the people who know you.
2. Sales.
No matter what kind of business you have, sales is a skill that every business owner must know.
But sales is not just about learning how to close clients, it’s not just about making profit by selling a product or a service. It’s much more.
The core of sales is to understand the core needs of the other person and to help them realize how your product or service can help them solve those problems. It’s about empathy, it’s about learning how to listen and how to guide people to make better choices.
It’s the art of helping others overcome their mental obstacles that prevent them from making any change.
You don’t force people to buy, you help them realize why what you are offering can help or even save their life. It’s about learning to present your value in an honest and direct way so others would want to reciprocate.
And if they don’t, if your product or service is not a good fit for them, it’s you who first sets the boundary and stops the transaction from happening. Because you don’t just want to sell you want the customer’s problem to be solved.
Developing your sales skill will overlay in every aspect of your life. You will be more confident, assertive and empathetic to other people. You will have no shame to stand by your value and it will make other people to notice you more.
3. Networking.
If somebody asks you “what is business?” what will be your answer?
The answer to the question is that business are the structure of connections between people, the system, the network behind the operations.
Things in the world change. There are new technologies showing up, old ways of operating being replaced, whole tasks being automated, physical business are moving online and online businesses are expannding.
The products are evolving, the services are upgrading, there is new software making things easier, the algorithm is continuously updating and social media’s reach fluctuates.
But the one thing that stays the same, the core of each business is the value it provides and the systems, the network behind it. The relationships of people contributing to reach the same goals.
That core adapts to every change.
But in order to develop a solid foundation of your business you have to develop your networking skill.
You have to know where to find the right people, how to approach them, how to build a relationship with them, how to offer value and how to help each other benefit.
Developing your networking skill will help you in your life to expand your circle of friends, to strengthen your relationships, to climb your social circle and to live a more epic life.
What you should remember?
Business skills are the same self improvement skills just targeted for a specific cause.
But no matter what you work on, developing your character or your business skills, both will mutually benefit.
No matter if it’s leadership, sales, or networking, whatever of these 3 most important business skills you develop, almost every aspect of your life will benefit.
The pandemic has changed almost every landscape entirely and has shown us the immense global importance of frontline workers.
While most of us have spent the larger portion of these past two years in quarantine, frontline workers have risked their lives daily to ensure the rest of us don’t have to.
In different sectors, officials working in customer service are constantly risked exposure to ensure we maintain some level of productivity in our lives.
However, healthcare officials had played the biggest role, who had worked directly with the virus, even when inadequate information was surrounding it.
Healthcare officials have continually been exposed to the virus as they tried to learn more about it to help develop better modes of treatment.
While the job comes with a great deal of risk, it’s essential to protect these workers the most. Below, we’ll talk about some of the best ways to protect healthcare workers.
5 Ways How to Protect Healthcare Professionals:
1. Follow all the Precautions.
It might seem like a no brainer, but the biggest risk factor for healthcare workers comes from not properly following all the precautions.
Following simple procedures like wearing proper equipment, including masks and gloves, can make a huge difference in helping to protect healthcare professionals.
In the earlier stages of the outbreak, most of the cases transmitted to healthcare professionals were due to insufficient information about how contagious the disease is.
However, now we fully understand that the virus is highly contagious, and public health workers can help other healthcare workers understand this information.
A master’s in public health can prepare you to research better protection protocols and help healthcare institutions take them onboard.
Furthermore, this program can be incredibly easy to complete.
Not only can you complete all your coursework online, but choosing an online MPH no GRE saves you the trouble of preparing for unnecessary testing.
In addition, online education allows you to complete your course from the comfort of your home.
Public health workers can help drive home the importance of following protocols like frequent handwashing, maintaining distance when possible, and donning protective equipment properly.
2. Monitor Healthcare Workers Closely.
It’s now apparent that the coronavirus is one of the most easily transmittable viruses around.
We also know that it manifests differently in everyone, which can make it hard to keep track.
While some people can experience breathing issues, others can experience fatigue or loss of taste and smell.
Others still can be completely non symptomatic, making it very easy for them to spread the virus.
Therefore, it’s essential to monitor healthcare workers carefully, especially those working with coronavirus patients directly.
Anyone who may have been exposed needs instant sick leaves to ensure they get time to recuperate.
Furthermore, this can ensure that they don’t spread the virus to other workers unknowingly.
It’s also vital to ensure regular, random testing to identify if there’s been an outbreak amongst the healthcare workers.
If even a single worker exhibits signs of infection, anyone working close to them must also be tested.
3. Keep Visitors to a Minimum.
Healthcare professionals are well accustomed to handling terminal cases, and while those are normally hard to handle, the coronavirus cases are exceptionally challenging.
Most coronavirus patients often have to spend their last or most challenging moments all alone.
Preventive measures are vital to ensure that the virus doesn’t spread to more people through visitors.
If any visitors are allowed, they can contract the virus through airborne transmission or touch an infected surface.
Although this practice can be incredibly challenging to implement, it is essential.
Having even a single family member there can lead to a dangerous super spreader event, which can endanger many lives.
However, there are various alternative ways family members can keep in touch with their loved ones.
Video calls are an excellent way to keep family members in the loop, as they allow them to monitor their loved one’s condition.
Furthermore, live calls can help healthcare professionals keep family members updated without any risk of infection.
4. Ensure Regulatory Protection.
While healthcare workers need to follow protection protocols independently, it’s also crucial for healthcare institutions and governments to ensure they get the protection they deserve.
Over these past two years, we’ve developed an in depth understanding of the virus and what conditions make it likelier to spread.
Formal rules and regulations based on this understanding can help limit occupational exposure to the coronavirus and protect healthcare workers.
State and national laws can help ensure that all healthcare institutions provide their staff with certified, high quality protective equipment to limit exposure.
Furthermore, they need to ensure that healthcare staff gets the opportunity to have enough time to quarantine if they’ve been exposed.
Such measures can keep the virus from spreading within all healthcare institutions. Anyone who doesn’t comply will face legal action.
5. Create a Sterile Environment.
Few changes can make a huge difference. Various methods can help healthcare officials limit airborne and contact based transmission.
A vital factor can be ensuring that all equipment used in places where coronavirus patients are treated is dedicated strictly for that purpose.
Furthermore, healthcare professionals need to ensure everything is disinfected before use.
Additionally, there are different ways to ensure that healthcare officials limit exposure to patients.
Adding physical barriers can help keep interaction and contact at a bare minimum and keep healthcare workers safe.
Wearing gloves and sanitized, sterile protective equipment can keep healthcare workers safe, even as they work with infected clients.
Throughout the course of their shift, healthcare professionals will have to change their protective equipment a few times.
Hence, medical institutions must provide their staff with an ample supply of medical-grade nitrile gloves, masks, face shields, and protective gear so they follow health protocols to the letter and maintain a sterile environment at all times.
What You Should Remember?
It can seem incredibly challenging to keep healthcare workers protected as they interact closely with the virus.
However, implementing the protocols mentioned above can keep the virus from spreading further.
Protecting our healthcare workers is an incredibly vital step in fighting this pandemic because, without them, there would be no one to help patients through their hardest times.
Continued collaboration across the board can help healthcare institutions and governmental agencies ensure that our frontline workers stay protected despite the circumstances.
Societal progression comes from a fair deal of trial and error.
Without learning from our mistakes, we might never have made it this far.
If Joseph Lister hadn’t run tests on what would eventually become modern day anti septic, millions of people over the last 150 years would have died of infection and Gangrene.
Sometimes we forget that things we take for granted in society are products of years of research and development.
From the toothpaste you use to the processed food you eat, research has made it all possible.
However, there is one industry that has benefitted the most from research, the healthcare industry.
The healthcare industry would not have progressed to its current level without testing the latest drugs, therapeutic practices, and new diseases, viruses tests.
With the pandemic still looming over our heads, we need research now more than ever.
This article will talk about research in general and why it is so crucial in modern times.
5 Big Reasons Why Clinical Research is Important:
1. Without clinical research, we wouldn’t have learned about the coronavirus.
The pandemic has left a bitter taste in everyone’s mouth.
However, things would be considerably worse if clinicians and researchers didn’t act fast to understand the virus.
Clinicians worked tirelessly to understand the biology of the Coronavirus and educate the public on their findings.
Moreover, millions of people saw the dire need for research and chose to opt for a career in clinical research after the recent pandemic.
With the prevalence of remote education, thousands of people were seen pursuing a masters in clinical research degree to lend a helping hand and contribute towards reducing the effects of the coronavirus.
Findings suggest that since the pandemic is likely to linger for a few years, researchers can start their masters, finish it and join the force to learn more about this virus and prevent something like this from ever happening again.
2. Research helps find gaps in the literature.
One of the first research steps is to review past literature and see what it says on your topic.
There are millions of published research articles that document various clinical findings.
It’s rare to find a gap in the literature.
However, when you do, you can capitalize on the opportunity and do a deeper research on that subject.
The implications of a research gap can be monumental for society.
Depending on what you study, you can set the pace of your entire career on this one finding.
With empirical testing through reliability and validity analysis, you will ensure that the research is accurate, retestable, and generalizable to the general population.
Research is essential in modern times as it allows us to use technology to our advantage and look into areas that hadn’t been traversed before.
You can see Research as a magnifying lens through what you can observe the world around you and find potential errors in our way of thinking about it.
3. Settle the debate.
One of the most significant issues after the release of the vaccine is that people aren’t ready to accept the jab.
A fair number of people refuse to get vaccinated as they consider it an unnatural way of injecting foreign substances into their bodies.
The freedom of choice gives them the right to refuse the vaccine, however, the implications of an unvaccinated population in a global pandemic can be dire.
As long as there are people who refuse to look at scientific research the debate is going to remain. With the help of clinical research, you can prove to people that vaccinations are safe.
They have been saving lives for decades.
It’s nothing more than your antibodies fighting the foreign virus
The more you educate the public, the better the chances of becoming receptive to the preventive jab.
Human beings are reasonably susceptible to a phenomenon known as groupthink. If a person they trust rejects the vaccine, they are likely to hop on the bandwagon and reject it as well.
If you change the entire paradigm through clinical research, you may stand a chance at swaying their opinions and encouraging them to take the vaccine.
4. It helps to find potentially life saving treatment.
Without research the way we have it today, people would still die of extremely treatable conditions like TB and Pneumonia.
Clinical research has helped us learn more about treatment and administering the best therapeutic measures to help sick and injured patients.
Without research the way we know it today, there would be no cure for cancer, and the global death rate would skyrocket.
We need clinical research now more than ever because many illnesses and viruses continue to plague humanity with no cure.
Perhaps over time, if people start taking clinical research seriously, we might find a cure to HIV or AIDS. With more research, we might be able to develop the treatment for all disease as well. At least that’s the big goal.
5. Clinical Research is probably the most reliable piece of information.
If you think that research is a one dimensional approach that looks at a few things and then moves on, you might be in for a shocker.
Clinical research is one of the most demanding, time consuming, and attention demanding careers you can find.
It’s important to realize that researchers cover all their bases when putting a finding forward.
When conducting clinical research, every possible variable that could factor in a change is looked at, scrutinized, and then considered.
Trials are conducted on men, women, children, elderly, overweight, underweight, etc.
The slightest change in variables could result in a completely different outcome compared to the last one.
If you think factors have been left out in research, the research would never have been published.
So if you are trying to find serious information about anything, going through clinical research papers is probably your most reliable option.
What You Should Remember?
Research can be considered boring, dry, and somewhat dreary, but some studies have such far reaching implications that they could change society as we know it.
We need to acknowledge the role of clinical research in our time and give it the respect that it deserves.
The factors above give us a clear idea of why research is so essential in modern times and the roles which it might play in the future.
From factors related to the pandemic debates and variable control, we have talked about why research is so crucial in today’s time.
We hope you have developed a newfound appreciation for research and are considering pursuing it as a career.
Bill A. Pitka is one of the coaches we found and we did a little interview with him. He impressed us with his modesty, and also, his deep understanding about our psyche it was almost like he could see a map of it. Here is what he said.
Meet Life Coach Bill A. Pitka:
Name: Bill A. Pitka Pillar: The Spirit Who is this coach for: Anyone who wants to become more of their True Self. How they can help: Following a certain set of guidelines that adapt to each person, asking questions, and using various tools that are customized to each individual.
First of all, how are you and your family doing in these Pandemic times?
The pandemic has been amazingly tough for my family, just as I’m sure has been for all families.
My 14 year old son, Leif, had to endure school online for about a year and a half.
He became unwilling to participate for the last year because he didn’t have any support from teachers, and he really missed his friends.
We have been very lucky to not lose anyone to Covid and continue to work this whole time as well.
My heart goes out to all of the dead and their family who have had to watch loved one’s pass.
This is one of the many reasons I became a life coach, I could see the incredible suffering in our world today and feel compelled to do my part however possible.
How does the coronavirus pandemic affect your clients? Did it affect you at all?
I have to assume how the pandemic is affecting clients, until I have some, but I know for sure it has had a profound impact on all people.
It has changed all of us down to our DNA.
This pandemic has and will change how we live as a species for the foreseeable future. I am extremely humbled and grateful to be in the profession I chose to be… of service to others.
What are the biggest lessons that you learned in this pandemic?
The biggest lesson I have learned in this pandemic is that we are not dealing with just another simple virus and that we really have to take precautions like most of us have never had to in our entire lives.
It’s been the first time in a while when I have thought about my mortality and my family’s mortality.
It has also been a time of revealing about the human psyche.
We are seeing a great reemergence of something similar to what I noticed happening in religion.
There is one side of the argument saying we need to follow science, because science has empirical evidence and data to back up the CDC guidelines of wearing masks, distancing, and vaccines.
The other side of the argument is crying religious freedom or personal choice against being told what to do.
People are using Jesus Christ as a shield like they are being held hostage in a fear bubble.
It’s really a strange time.
The Origin:
Tell us about you, your career, how you started with your coaching career?
I had a very troubling start in my life.
I suffered so much I almost took my own life at the age of 13.
I won’t get into details, but I deeply understand what it means to suffer.
When I was 20, I started seeing the world differently.
I started to see patterns of behavior throughout my interactions with people.
I noticed repetitions and started to memorize them for future research.
I don’t have a degree in psychology or social science, but I have been studying our human behavior for the last 30 years of my life.
This studying has given me a deep instinct into how we tick.
Since I was young, I have wanted to help others out of their suffering.
Now today, I am a professionally trained and certified life coach with a strong connection to intuition and I’m here to help as many people as I can.
What was your biggest obstacle that you had to overcome in your life that made you who you are today?
The biggest obstacle I have had to overcome in order to be here today is taking responsibility for my part in the suffering I caused myself, and others, while at the same time forgiving myself for my actions.
It’s taken about a decade to get through that debilitating wall in my path.
I feel this experience has made me the strong, compassionate, loving, empathetic father and life coach today.
I feel blessed for all of the suffering I had to go through, mostly because I have not passed it down to my son.
I chose to stop the legacy of family suffering with me and create a loving and accepting future for my son to live in.
It will also be a powerful tool for me to help others find the light in their darkness.
The Coaching Style:
How do you innovate with coaching your clients?
I just started my career as a life coach and have not had any paid clients yet. I have had around 50 hours of working with volunteers during my training and feel completely confident in my skills.
I have been waiting for someone to give me a chance to prove what I can do.
The way my coaching is innovative and unique different from others is the that I start with a clean slate with each person, I listen, and then let the person show me where they are.
I then can use my tools and intuition to ask questions which allow the person to see their own answers.
I believe we get in the way of ourselves while simultaneously house all of the answers we are searching for.
I believe a fundamental part of why we are here in this life is to rediscover who we are and how amazing we will be once we find our path.
What’s unique about your coaching approach?
I think the most unique approach of my coaching is working with a client to show them the difference between their “Ego” mind and what I call their “True Self.”
Carl Jung expanded where Frued left off at the “Subconscious” or “Unconscious” and created many more layers to our psyche map.
He believed we are born with the Ego part of our psyche driving the bus.
In other words, we see and interpret our reality through the 5 senses and the ego.
The ego then filters all of the information and gives us the data it collected and a set of choices.
We then make a choice believing that is all there is to choose from.
What my coaching does is help to set aside the Ego mind for a minute and see the reality for what it really is.
I help navigate the Ego stories it tells us and then make a choice based on ALL of what is happening, not just for them but what might be happening for all other beings involved in each situation.
I show them the power of the mind and the freedom which can be taken back by living in their true self.
Living in our true selves, I believe, is the beginning of real “Free Will.”
What benefits do your clients get after working with you?
The benefits of working with me are continuous throughout the client’s lifetime.
The learning of separation of Ego mind and True Self is just the beginning of the learning process.
The client can take the new approach and use it in their daily lives to open themselves up more and more.
I give them the tools I have used in my life which helped me to navigate through great suffering.
I’m available by email or text in between sessions when questions or concerns may come up.
Learning in the moment has been the most influential for me and I teach my clients how to do the same for themselves.
Clients will find freedom to choose for themselves where they didn’t see that opportunity before.
They will learn that loving themselves comes from the inside, not from others, which in turn shows them they can support themselves through times of struggle knowing they won’t need approval from others in order to feel like they deserve to be.
Do you use any specific tools to be efficient with your clients?
In each session with a client there is a set of guidelines I follow which change and adapt to the individual.
Every client will be asked the same questions in the beginning of our journey together, but I will adapt the tools I use depending on where each individual client wants to go.
As I said previously, I am also available to clients in between sessions in order to maintain a good understanding of how they are progressing and keep up to date with where they are in the process.
The Impact:
If you had a super megaphone that, when you speak into, the whole world will hear your message, what would you say?
If I had a megaphone, the message I would scream to the world is every one of you matter, every one of you belong, every one of you are amazing, special, loving beings in the game together.
Yes, we may all look different on the outside but we are internally connected by our “Humanness.”
We can let go of the fear which cripples us in time of crisis.
We all come with our own journey, our own story and every story matters.
Every story is our truth, our conditioning and we all deserve to be loved and cared for no matter where or when you arrived on this planet.
What is the greatest lesson you have learned in your life?
The greatest lesson I have learned so far is the opening of my heart so wide that I see all other living beings on this earth as my friends, brothers and sisters.
I don’t see skin color, race, sexuality or any other differences which makes me better or worse than anyone else.
I see the division between what we do and who we really are.
We are amazing, beautiful, compassionate beings who make decisions based on the ego minds interpretation of conditioning.
Yes, we must be accountable for our actions which bring suffering to others or animals, but we are also capable to learn from our mistakes and grow deeper in our understanding empathy.
Your final thoughts?
I want to say thank you for this opportunity and how grateful I am to be in service for others.
I know what it means to live in fear, to suffer inside and think that no one will ever understand what I’m going through, to feel like a stranger in this world.
I cannot say it enough, you are not alone.
I am here to help all people, no matter what you might think about yourself or the stories in your mind, I want to help show you the amazing and beautiful person you really are.
Thank you.
Where Can You Find Bill A. Pitka?
“Please visit my website livingintrueself.net and set up a free consultation so I can answer any questions or concerns you have.
Please feel free to email me at [email protected] if you are not ready to speak in person.
I don’t have a video to share but my website has a ton of information for all who want to better understand what I do and who Carl Jung was. Thank you.” It was an honor having this interview with him.
So far, we’ve talked about 2 ingredients that help you build strong Leadership skills muscles.
[If you haven’t read about them go and get up to date with this one: Part 1, Part 2.]
In this third part of our series, we talk about one of the tools we use – almost all the time – to express ourselves, our likes and dislikes, wants and needs: feedback.
More specifically, giving feedback. We’ll talk about receiving feedback in our next episode. This time, let’s see how we express it.
The 5 Ingredients for Leadership: Ingredient 3 – Give Feedback: How to Do It Right?
Feedback is a powerful leadership communication tool if it’s used regularly, on time and done properly.
It encourages open communication within teams, increases accountability and trust among team members, and leads to good and healthy relationships.
‘Let me give you some feedback.’
‘I don’t like how they managed this project, but I don’t know how to tell them.’
‘I’m afraid I’ll hurt their feelings if I give them negative feedback.’
Situations of all sorts, where we’d rather avoid telling people around us how we stand, for fear we’d hurt them, or jeopardize the relationship, or demotivate them.
We tend to associate feedback with criticism and tend to avoid giving it as much as possible.
In doing that, we, in fact, delay communication from happening when it needs to happen, the result being that, when we finally can’t deal with the situation anymore and decide to give our feedback, it’s often too late and irrelevant!
What Makes Good Feedback:
1. Good feedback can be either positive or negative.
What makes it ‘good’ is the fact that it serves a good purpose, it helps us grow, learn or understand things from a different perspective.
It is also the fact that we feel good about it, even when it’s negative, because it opens up a dialogue.
Good feedback is a productive dialogue!
2. The Focus.
Good feedback focuses on behaviour, not personality.
Behaviour is what a person does or says, actions you can photograph or words you can record.
When we focus on behaviour, what we are saying is similar to listening to a story or watching a movie.
When we focus on behaviour, we don’t tell people who or what theyare or aren’t. We tell them:
1. what they said or didn’t say.
2. what they did or didn’t do.
Good feedback makes the other see things from a different stand-point.
This is why it’s important to use ‘I’ messages, where the focus is on how I view things, not on how you are or are not. You will know better than me how you are.
Therefore, when I say something like: ‘you are wrong’ the immediate reply will be ‘no, I’m not’.
Saying something like “I didn’t like it that you assumed I wanted to leave earlier” is more specific and leaves room for us to clarify both our stand points.
3. How to Give Positive Feedback?
We talked about ‘I’ messages. They are called this way because they help us start the discussion with ourselves in the spotlight, not the other.
So, we start the sentence with ‘I’ instead of ‘You’.
I [action] + when / how you [action] + result / effect
Instead of ‘You’…
Start with ‘I’…
You handled the complaint well.
I appreciatehow you kept your cool and maintained an assertive stance when our client complained; it looked professional.
Starting with ‘I’ helps me be more specific and give you valuable input.
It helps me ‘make the movie’ of what happened and give my definition of a ‘professional’ outlook. It is specific, clear, and it helps you know what you did well.
Note:
‘You are great!’ – is not feedback.
It’s an appreciation, nothing more.
It leaves you with no clue of why I just said that. And it gives you the possibility to say ‘no, I’m not’.
4. How to Give Negative Feedback?
We also use ‘I’ messages when we give negative feedback (or especially then)!
The difference from positive feedback is that we also include our feelings in the equation and direct the discussion towards a solution that is acceptable to us in the future.
I [action] + when / how you [action] + feelings + result / effect + desired solution
Instead of ‘You’…
Start with ‘I’…
‘You were late, it’s unacceptable!’
‘I was there with the client, waiting for you. I couldn’t reach you and didn’t know what to tell the client.I feltfrustrated and angry and I had to make extra efforts to maintain a composed appearance and reschedule the meeting.I would like tohear what happened, because I want to avoid this from happening in the future.’
Note:
‘You’re so negative’ – is not feedback.
It’s a statement that can be contradicted.
It makes me almost immediately reply ‘No, I’m not’.
It also doesn’t feed me any valuable information as to what makes you say that or what you understand by it.
It is important to address our feelings when we give negative feedback, because that helps the other empathize and relate to our situation easier.
What You Should Remember About Giving Feedback?
Giving feedback, especially when it’s negative, means courage; the courage to be honest, to tell you my truth and how things look from where I stand, while feeling uncomfortable and expecting you will disagree with me.
It’s the courage to start a dialogue on what doesn’t work so we can agree on what will work for both of us from now on.
The courage to address difficult points is the definition of accountability.
We’re holding ourselves accountable, by choosing to address the issue rather than ignore it.
And we’re holding the others accountable, by discussing the issue with them.
Accountability fosters trust, which is the key ingredient in any good relationship. And isn’t that what great leaders build?
Ending this global health crisis is the responsibility of every single person.
It might seem strange to take on such responsibility, we usually tend to think that someone else will come and save us.
But we are all affected by this crisis. And we are all responsible to help the world get out of it, one way or another. Either to do something about it and think of some scientific invention, or work on ourselves during this pandemic, take care of our own safety and health.
With a deadly virus on the loose, people are starting to become more aware of their actions and the consequences of their choices.
As various variants of the coronavirus are continuously surfacing, taking extra precautionary steps can be the simplest way you can help the world recover faster.
With this in mind, here are four simple ways you can ensure your safety and the safety of those around you while helping the world get back to where it was pre pandemic.
4 Steps Even You Can Take to Help the World Recover:
1. Establish mental self care boundaries.
It starts with self discipline.
And it’s not about the discipline to push through your 100th push up.
Before you focus on getting that six pack, you should work on your emotional and mental strengths first.
Taking care of your body can be exhausting, especially if you’re not mentally okay.
Having the discipline to help your mental health is vital to your survival, especially during times with intensified feelings of isolation and anxiety.
Going to work even when you’re sick has been seen as “dedication” for the longest time.
Resting and just watching TV during your days off were usually seen as laziness.
These should all change.
Knowing when to rest and why it’s essential to do so can be very beneficial for your health.
Not going to work when you’re sick should be normalized more, and understanding that showing up in the office with an infectious disease is wrong.
To have a physically fit body, you should first make sure your mind is healthy. And to do that, you have to give yourself permission to focus on yourself.
2. Settle for online social interactions for the time being.
Wanting to go out with your friends is understandable.
Human interaction is a basic need.
Physical interaction can be the anchor that keeps a person stable.
However, going out and partying with your friends can still expose you to dangers that you might take home.
Since this virus is easily transmitted, meeting your friends in person might lead to all of you endangering your lives.
At least until the world goes back to fully being safe, settling for online means of interaction is the best option.
You can still drink with your friends. There are even online study rooms where you can find your study buddies for those who can’t focus on their own.
Yes, not having to actually hug your loved ones is depressing. But isn’t friendship all about sacrifices to ensure the safety of your friends?
3. Maximize online services for your daily needs.
Going to the supermarket might still be worrisome for most people.
Malls might still be a breeding ground for the virus.
The lockdowns are over, but the threat is still present.
For those who are still not comfortable going to public places, you are not alone, and there are solutions to your problems.
This is where online services come in.
Grocery shopping has not only become safer but also more convenient.
You can now stack your pantry with all the food that you need without stepping outside your door.
It’s becoming more popular now but not just because of the pandemic.
By shopping online, you can keep track of your shopping cart and plan your budget wisely.
And speaking budget, with coupons, sale deals, and the possibility of pressure free price comparison, you can even save money.
Plus, with a feature like shopping history, you can easily buy your regular products with just a few swipes.
Clothing, beauty, and skincare needs can also be catered to online.
With the rise of the online delivery industry, almost all products can be bought online and delivered to your doorstep within a few hours.
4. Look for alternative medical help.
Hospitals are usually crowded nowadays.
And since most patients around the world are in hospitals due to the pandemic, going to the hospital itself can be more frightening than the injury you might have had.
This is why finding alternative medical options is important.
Urgent care centers provide services for illnesses and injuries that aren’t life threatening but still need hasty treatment.
There are also specific local clinics for more specific problems.
You don’t have to go to the hospital and expose yourself if you have a terrible toothache.
Having your personal or family doctor’s number is also helpful.
Many professionals are available for house calls.
It varies from place to place.
But the important thing is to know where to go and who to call in case of an emergency.
Ending this global health crisis is the responsibility of every single person.
And becoming more aware of your actions and having more information about the steps you can take to avoid getting infected and infecting others might just be the push the world needs to recover smoothly.
