Leading above the noise

1. Leading above the noise Marvynne Ashley Leadership and Training Chair District Fifteen Conference – Hawera 2016

2. Workshop overview • Identify the noise • Know your roles and responsibilities as a leader in Altrusa • Plan, prioritise and delegate, plan, prioritise and delegate • Take care of yourself – Mindfulness and Wellbeing

3. Identifying the noise in our lives Filtering out the whaa whaa blah blah? Think about: • What do I mean by that? – your thoughts? • Who wants what from you? • Family, work, service club, friends, ………and so on • Know the gender difference in leadership…men do not sweat the little stuff. Women make little things priorities and big things; important vs critical; nice to do vs must do, want to know vs need to know • Watch out for the passive aggressive. They make the comment that has you reacting • Watch out for other peoples agendas. Focus on what people are saying to you

4. Know your role and responsibilities • President – role and responsibilities, policy, By laws, authority, decision-making process, international vs district vs Club (reporting, guidelines, rules) • Committee Chair – roles and responsibilities, Club decisions, international and district (reporting, guidelines and rules) • Board – roles and responsibilities, decision making, international and district and club (reporting, guidelines and rules)’ • Shit happens. Have a plan B • Use your support crew – Your Board, District Board, Governor, District Chairs, for advice and support

5. Focus on what is important • Plan, prioritise and delegate, plan, prioritise and delegate • The key is not to prioritise what’s on your schedule but to schedule your priorities • Think about what you can influence, change, where you can make a difference • If you cannot influence it, change it, then do not waste your time worrying about it or thinking you can re-litigate it

6. Prioritising – hand out Identify which things need to be done first • Make your to-do list • Rank your to-do list • Post your to-do list • Note your responsibilities • Avoid unnecessary tasks • Set realistic deadlines • Set your break time • Put away distractions

7. Taking care of yourself • Breathe – Deep breathing • Exercise – move those arms at least • Mentor/coach – someone you trust who will not judge, or necessarily give advice, but will coach you to make your own decisions • Stay true to your principles…. Keep testing those • Be humble, listen, learn, change. Who are you to change others when you are not prepared to change yourself • Delegate, delegate, delegate • Try to eliminate the word ‘stress’ from your vocabulary for a few days – substitute words like stretched or challenged – see if you notice a change in your emotions • Be confident in yourself and your ability

8. Be More Mindful During Your Work Day Many of us operate on autopilot at work, but the ability to maintain focus and concentration is a crucial skill. The good news is you can build this skill by incorporating mindfulness exercises into your day. When you wake up, spend two minutes in bed simply noticing your breath. Resist the urge to check email first thing in the morning, which leads to an onslaught of distractions. When you get to the office, take 10 minutes at your desk or in your car to close your eyes, relax, sit upright, and focus on your breath. Set a timer to remind yourself to do a one-minute mindfulness exercise every hour, which will keep you from resorting to autopilot. On your way to meetings, remember to return to your breath. Finally, on your commute home, turn off your phone, shut off the radio, and simply be, so you arrive home fully present. Adapted from “How to Practice Mindfulness Throughout Your Work Day,” by RasmusHougaard and Jacqueline Carter