Jann’s Jottings #21
“The most practical pages for perusal on the web”
Jotting (defn): short details of significant events, behaviours and conversations about wellbeing, growth and education/career.
Wellbeing Jot: Passion or Pay check?
Thinking about your current job, which of these words resonates most with you: passion or pay check?
Recent estimates suggest that more than 40% of employees are thinking of a job move (HBR, 2025). Many more are passively open to other opportunities. We spend so much time at work and the quality of the work, relationships, renumeration, and culture affect our wellbeing. Taking some time to journal about what drives you and how you would like that to be different can go a long way to helping you discern your ‘why’, order your priorities and improve your wellbeing. For me, I need a job that serves others, sparks my curiosity, aligns with my core values and gives me fulfillment even when it is hard and hectic.
Ponder this: What do you need? Coaching can help with that.
Growth Jot: Delegate discerningly yet decisively
Legendary American football coach Vince Lombardi once said, “Leaders aren’t born, they are made.” A key aspect of leadership at any level is learning to delegate and develop your aspiring/emerging leaders. The fear of losing control often holds us back from delegating tasks. We worry the task might not meet our perfectionist standards or be completed within our preferred timeframe. Notice how these concerns focus solely on negative outcomes. Next time you have an opportunity to delegate, try asking yourself:
"If I delegate this task to that person, what is the likelihood of it going well?"
If you believe there’s a 50% or greater chance the task will be completed well and on time, then give the opportunity to an aspiring leader. You’ll need to provide support and set check-ins initially, but over time, this will become less necessary.
If you think there’s less than a 50% chance of success, consider either choosing another aspiring leader or adjusting the task's parameters. Yes, you can probably do the task yourself, but working harder for longer won’t help you grow aspiring leaders or improve your quality of life. Knowing how to leverage the right people for the right tasks helps you manage your energy and expand your team’s capabilities—a true win-win.
Opportunity: Contact me to book your aspiring leaders into the Emerging Middle Leaders course that starts in May.
Career Jot: When a problem is defined it is half solved - Einstein
This month Simon Sinek’s transformative book “Start with Why” comes highly recommended. It is an inspiring and practical read, filled with engaging stories and actionable concepts – like the famous “celery test”. When our ‘why’ is fuzzy our decisions become difficult, team enthusiasm wanes, and everything feels like an uphill battle.
A simple three-step process for defining your problem and creating inclusive solutions includes:
Clearly stating ‘what’
Clearly identifying the ‘why’
Including the ‘who’ to collaboratively work out the ‘how’.
Remember:
When people help build the plan, they don’t fight the plan.
Don’t make decisions about me, without me.
Wishing you and your precious ones a joyful Easter break! In our family, we celebrate with an Easter book instead of excessive chocolate, a tradition that aligns beautifully with our "why." What’s yours?
“You are loved, valued and worthy. Keep up the great work!”
— Jann Carroll
