By Dr. Daneen Skube
Tribune Media Services
Q. I often hear that timing is critical to workplace success. I do try to analyze the best moment to take action at work but find myself paralyzed by all the possibilities and a lack of complete data. How do I figure out timing as I navigate my complex workplace?
A. I recommend my clients develop their hidden psychic talents. Now that I’ve got your attention, what I mean is this: For real success, intuition is just as important as intellect.
Intuitive capacity is not some weird and wacky notion that goes along with a belief in aliens. Rather, it is a much-researched skill that allows the human brain to instantly analyze a huge amount of data and spit out an action plan.
People wonder what concrete steps they can take to develop this skill. I recommend keeping an intuition journal. Intuition whispers while the intellect screams. To use your intuition, you first have to pay attention to the tiny, subtle waves of guidance that often barely ripple across your conscious mind.
In your journal, record as many whispers of suggestion as you can notice. Use simple decisions – What street should I take? When should I call that client? When will my boss be in her office today? Use your phone, a small note pad, or a piece of paper in your wallet or purse to jot down your impressions.
At the end of each week, make sure you go through the suggestions your intuition made. You will be surprised how many of these flashes of ideas were right on. You’ll also see you are missing the boat of opportunity when you ignore this information because it is quiet and occurs in the periphery of your consciousness.
Be aware that the suggestions of your intuition may be the opposite of your rational analysis. The usual road you take to work may always be the least congested, but tomorrow, if you feel you should take a different road, then try it out. You may find an accident was blocking your typical route. Who knew? Actually, your intuition knew!
As you learn to trust these subtle whispers, you will turn up the volume. After a while, you’ll find it easier and easier to hear these impressions. Eventually, you will let your intuition be your constant copilot as you navigate your day. Everything from when you go to the store to what you say to get a promotion will benefit from your newfound skill.
What my clients and I enjoy is discovering that our timing is exceptional. We tend to pull up to the store just when a parking spot at the door is available, we make important calls exactly when that person is at their desk, and we say precisely the words that influence people whose help we need. One of my clients refers to it as feeling incredibly lucky all day long.
It’s nice to know that your best advisor actually resides inside a place you can never lose and have instant access to – yourself.
The last word(s)
Q. I’ve been trying to change many aspects of my job for years and don’t seem to be making any progress. I hate to be a whiner, but I really feel like I’m stuck because my circumstances have been really unfair. Is there a way to kick-start some real change toward job satisfaction?
A. Yes, stop blaming your external circumstances because you are giving away your power. Instead ask yourself what you can change about your behavior and your reactions and real change will begin to occur.
Daneen Skube, Ph.D., executive coach, trainer, therapist and speaker, also appears as the FOX Channel’s “Workplace Guru” each Monday morning. She’s the author of “Interpersonal Edge: Breakthrough Tools for Talking to Anyone, Anywhere, About Anything” (Hay House, 2006). You can contact Dr. Skube at www.interpersonaledge.com or 1420 NW Gilman Blvd., #2845, Issaquah, WA 98027. Sorry, no personal replies.
This column was printed in the June 29 – July 12, 2014 edition.
