In Episode #9 of Inspiring Careers, Allan talks to us about his secrets for a successful career. He begins by telling us about the importance of listening with intent when engaging with those around us. This is true skill which is often overlooked but it is so vital in order to understand our teams and our customers. Many people hearing or reading that might think “well I have 15+ years experience and I already know that!”, and this is where Allan took his advice one step further by challenging us with the question “if you already know that, then what stops you from doing it?”. This is where it’s important to start finding out what the barriers are that prevent us from performing our work as successfully as we know we can, and finding out why we put those barriers up in the first place.
Want to know the difference between a good performance coach and a great performance coach? Check out the videos below where Allan answers this very question!
Full Interview
Highlights Episode
I asked Allan what he thought the number reason is as to what holds someone back from being truly successful. Without hesitation he tells us that resistance to change is how we prevent ourselves from reaching our full potential. He tells us that too many people cling on to their methods and strategies which worked in the past, but are not entirely relevant to today. Try not to go back to your old habits, but instead try and challenge yourself by being entrepreneurial and adapting to the situation by using your imagination and creativity.
“Measure your success and shout about it.
A lot of the good work coaches do is not recognised in the end results. You need to shout about your success.”
Allan Mackintosh – Regional and Strategic Account Manager
Allan’s Top 13 Career Tips
#1 Listen intently
#2 Understand your teams and customers
#3 Create change
#4 Adapt your messages to the needs and motivations of your customers
#5 Find out what is holding you back
#6 Always have a vision and set goals
#7 Don’t resist change
#8 Grasp the opportunity to be entrepreneurial
#9 Don’t give up and use your imagination
#10 Use your budgets creatively
#11 Talk to who you can access and provide value – ripple effect
#12 Get senior management and other functions involved
#13 Great coaches listen, inspire and direct at the right time
Thanks for watching! Check back soon for our next episode of Inspiring Careers!