Are you a guilt-freeSuperwomanactioncoach.co.za › wp-content › uploads › 2018 › 10 ›...
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The copyright act of 1978 (as amended) prohibits the reproduction of this copy IN ANY FORMAT, (See Clause 4 Terms and Conditions) without prior permission of the original publisher. Publication BLACK BUSINESS QUARTERLY Page 18 Date Fri 01 June 2018 AVE (ZAR) 20935.74 Areyoua guilt-freeSuperwoman entrepreneur? veryyear,when| handouttheaward in the 'FemaleEntrepreneurof the Year'category, | raisethesameques- tion.In 2018,isit reallynecessary thatwe stillawarda separate trophy,ina separate category, for'womenonly'finalists? Asa society,surelywe've evolvedbeyond thisandwe bothseeandregardwomenas our equalsand us(men)astheirs? Dowe notdiminishtheperformance of thefemaleentrepreneurs in the sameway one can arguethat the performances of playersofcolourarediminished becauseof sportsquotas?Doesthefactthattheother categories like'EntrepreneuroftheYear', 'Best Overall Business', 'Fastest-Growing Company'and'CEO ofthe Year', where we alwayshavea plethoraoffemalefinal- ists, not argue that exact point. Women alreadycompeteheadto headwith their malecounterpartsin the entrepreneurial spaceand, therefore, don't have to stand backatall. While| raisethequestion everyyearatthe awardsnight,| stillbelieveemphatically that a 'FemaleEntrepreneur oftheYear' award is valid, relevant and necessary.Women aregenerallyquiteimpressive buta woman that is also an entrepreneuris, in fact, the Superwomansuperhero.Notonlydothey havethe usualstrainsandstressesofthe entrepreneurial journeybutthey're often doingsowith littleand, sometimes, even no support at home. They'reconstantly juggling beingthe mother,homemaker,nurturerand theentrepreneur...andeverythingelsethat goeswiththoseroles. Yetmost womenentrepreneurs walkwith thisconstant feelingofguiltthatthey'rejust notenoughforeveryone. They'reconstantly remindedoftheirshort-comings, oftenby their own inner voice, and experiencethe needtojustrunawayandhide. Tofixthis,startwiththeseeasysteps: 18 | www.bbgonline.co.za Ask around; don't trust yourself Icanguarantee thatyourreality,theonecre- atedbythevoicesin yourhead,is notthe reality.Askaroundandgetfeedback from thoseverypeopleyouthinkyou'refailing. Askthemthis:"Whataboutmeareyoumost grateful for?"Givethemtimetothinkabout it andaskthemto actuallywriteit down foryou.Theyneedto puttheirgratitudeon papersothatyoucanreference itagainand, possibly,againandagain.Makesureyou includeyourspouse,children,parents,staff, shareholders,clientsand friends.Theirtrue realitymayshockyouandwillmostcertainly bringtearsofjoytoyoureyes. Schedulebalance Thereisnosuchthingasawork-lifebalance. It's a fantasywe're tryingto achievebutit doesn'texist-atleastnotintheshortterm we'retryingtofocuson.A work-lifebalance cannotbeattainedoverthecourseofaday, a weekorevena month. Useaquarterly focus andmakesureyou schedulebalance(i.e. witha diaryentryandreminder) acrossall thecritical areasinyourlife.Ifit'sscheduled in advance, you'remorelikelyto stickto it. Includetheimportanthings-not urgent things-you needto getto andmakesure itspansbothyourbusiness andpersonal life. A monthlydatenightwithyourspousevery secondThursdayevening, forexample, isa greatstart.Oneplaydatewitheachchildper quarter,rollingaroundonthefloorlaughing, isperhaps another.Froma business perspec- tive, you couldschedulemonthlyfinance review meetings,and so on. Make sure to include,at leastonceperquarter,some"me" time.Schedulesometimeforyourselfto simply takea breather. Younotonlydeserve it, you needit. Ask for help Noonewins ifyoudonot.Whilstthosewho dependonyou loveallyoursuperpowers, W. (7 Harry Welby-Cooke ActionCOACH businesscoaching I'm suretheyloveyouevenmore.Without you around, there would be even more chaos,sostoptryingto do everythingfor everyone. Askforhelp.EvenSuperwoman sometimes needshelp.Askforit andthen accepthehelpgraciously. Repeat after me... "NO" Everytimewesayyes,atthesametime,we areeffectively sayingnoto something else. Youcannotsayyesandkeeppleasingeve- ryoneelse. Whileyoumaynotlikeconflict or evenmildlydisappointing someone, it'spart of life.Getusedto it. Youneedto sayno moreoftenandindoingso,you'refocussed onyourprioritiesandnoteveryoneelse's. Theentrepreneurial journeyis difficult enoughbutwhenyou addthe additional joys of being a woman, it becomesa superheroeffort.Makeyourselfa cupof teaandspendsometimeimplementing the abovementioned. It will revolutionise your business andyourlife.E Take our BusinessHealth Check and make sure you're looking after your businessas much as it is expected to look after you. Go to www.busi- nesshealthcheck.co.zaand assess your business'health today.
Transcript of Are you a guilt-freeSuperwomanactioncoach.co.za › wp-content › uploads › 2018 › 10 ›...
The copyright act of 1978 (as amended) prohibits the reproduction of this copy IN ANY FORMAT, (See Clause 4 Terms andConditions) without prior permission of the original publisher.
Publication
BLACK BUSINESS QUARTERLY
Page
18
Date
Fri 01 June 2018
AVE (ZAR)
20935.74
Areyouaguilt-freeSuperwomanentrepreneur?
veryyear,when| handouttheawardin the 'FemaleEntrepreneurof theYear'category,| raisethesameques-
tion.In 2018,isit reallynecessarythatwestillawarda separatetrophy,ina separatecategory,for'womenonly'finalists?
Asa society,surelywe've evolvedbeyondthisandwebothseeandregardwomenasourequalsandus(men)astheirs?Dowe notdiminishtheperformanceof
thefemaleentrepreneursin thesamewayonecanarguethat the performancesofplayersofcolourarediminishedbecauseofsportsquotas?Doesthefactthattheothercategorieslike 'EntrepreneuroftheYear','Best Overall Business', 'Fastest-GrowingCompany'and 'CEO of the Year', wherewealwayshavea plethoraoffemalefinal-ists, not argue that exactpoint. Womenalreadycompeteheadto headwith theirmalecounterpartsin the entrepreneurialspaceand, therefore, don't have to standbackatall.While| raisethequestioneveryyearatthe
awardsnight,| stillbelieveemphaticallythata 'FemaleEntrepreneuroftheYear' awardis valid, relevant and necessary.Womenaregenerallyquiteimpressivebutawomanthat is alsoan entrepreneur is, in fact, theSuperwomansuperhero.Notonlydotheyhavethe usualstrainsandstressesoftheentrepreneurialjourneybut they're oftendoingsowith littleand, sometimes,evennosupportathome.They'reconstantlyjugglingbeingthe mother, homemaker,nurturerandtheentrepreneur...andeverythingelsethatgoeswiththoseroles.Yetmostwomenentrepreneurswalkwith
thisconstantfeelingofguiltthatthey'rejustnotenoughforeveryone.They'reconstantlyremindedoftheirshort-comings,oftenbytheir own inner voice, and experiencetheneedtojustrunawayandhide.Tofixthis,startwiththeseeasysteps:
18 | www.bbgonline.co.za
Ask around; don't trust yourselfIcanguaranteethatyourreality,theonecre-atedbythevoicesinyourhead,isnotthereality.Askaroundandgetfeedbackfromthoseverypeopleyouthinkyou're failing.Askthemthis:"Whataboutmeareyoumostgratefulfor?"Givethemtimetothinkaboutit andaskthemto actuallywrite it downforyou.Theyneedto puttheirgratitudeonpapersothatyoucanreferenceitagainand,possibly,againandagain.Makesureyouincludeyour spouse,children,parents,staff,shareholders,clientsand friends.Theirtruerealitymayshockyouandwillmostcertainlybringtearsofjoytoyoureyes.
SchedulebalanceThereisnosuchthingasawork-lifebalance.It's a fantasywe're tryingto achievebutitdoesn'texist-at leastnotintheshorttermwe'retryingtofocuson.Awork-lifebalancecannotbeattainedoverthecourseofaday, aweekorevenamonth.Useaquarterlyfocusandmakesureyouschedulebalance(i.e.witha diaryentryandreminder)acrossallthecriticalareasinyourlife.If it'sscheduledinadvance,you'remorelikelyto stickto it.Includethe importantthings-not urgentthings-you needto getto andmakesureitspansbothyourbusinessandpersonallife.AmonthlydatenightwithyourspouseeverysecondThursdayevening,forexample,isagreatstart.Oneplaydatewitheachchildperquarter,rollingaroundonthefloorlaughing,isperhapsanother.Fromabusinessperspec-tive, you couldschedulemonthlyfinancereviewmeetings,and so on. Make sure toinclude,at leastonceperquarter,some"me"time.Schedulesometimefor yourselftosimplytakea breather.Younotonlydeserveit, you needit.
Ask for helpNoonewinsif youdonot.Whilstthosewhodependonyou loveall yoursuperpowers,
W. (7Harry Welby-CookeActionCOACH businesscoaching
I'msuretheyloveyouevenmore.Withoutyou around, there would be even morechaos,sostoptryingto doeverythingforeveryone.Askforhelp.EvenSuperwomansometimesneedshelp.Askfor it andthenacceptthehelpgraciously.
Repeatafter me... "NO"Everytimewesayyes,atthesametime,weareeffectivelysayingnoto somethingelse.Youcannotsayyesandkeeppleasingeve-ryoneelse.Whileyoumaynotlikeconflictorevenmildlydisappointingsomeone,it'spartof life.Getusedto it. Youneedto saynomoreoftenandindoingso,you'refocussedonyourprioritiesandnoteveryoneelse's.Theentrepreneurialjourney is difficult
enoughbutwhenyou addthe additionaljoys of being a woman, it becomesasuperheroeffort.Makeyourselfa cupofteaandspendsometimeimplementingtheabovementioned.Itwill revolutioniseyourbusinessandyourlife.E
Take our BusinessHealth Check andmake sure you're looking after yourbusinessasmuch as it is expectedto look after you. Go to www.busi-nesshealthcheck.co.zaand assessyour business'health today.
