machiavelli

Been keeping the running going. Been trying ton stick to my eating plan, but been a bit tricky recently due to Birthday parties and Rugby matches. Tried my best will find out tomorrow how good that has been!!!!!!

Decided to start work on some new web site ideas and think of new marketing strategies for my existing web sites.

Not much to report on the NLP or strategy front. As I said been busy not had the time really.

I have started to get in politics as well. I think its the missing piece of the jigsaw I have been looking for in my Grand Unified Theory of career development. recently read a book "21 dirty tricks at work". It really opened up my eyes to what is happening at work and showed my some great ways to combat being the victim of work place politics. Have previously read the "Prince", by Machiavelli and now reading the "Discourses" to gain great insight into politics of the work place. Will try and combine this with the knowledge from my strategy books and NLP into a definitive guide of how to Survive and progress in todays work place.

Weight loss on target

Hi there, Been a few days since I had a chance to blog. Was off ill on Wednesday, back to work Thursday and went running Thursday night. Weighed my self Thursday and lost 3 pounds so down to 15 stone 3 pounds. that makes up for putting a some on the other week. So far 3 weeks 3 pounds, 1 pound a week is my target so all going okay now. Been to a few lunch with work recently but have managed to stick to the salads, so pleased my will power and the mind strategies are working.


NLP.

Watch a couple people with regards to NLP sensory information. My boss ia definite feelings person when he talks, lots of "lets wrap this up tight" and "need to take a hold of the situation". The other guy was very visual "lets make this clear" and "so far its been very unclear of the way forward". The discussion took a long time and were basically agreeing for most of it but were unaware due to the different language patterns.

Went running again over the weekend. Also had friends round for Friday nights opening game to the rugby world cup. So we had a few beers and Chinese again.

Watched the France vs Argentina game. Very interesting game in terms of strategy. Arg put France under constant pressure by doing up and unders and pinning them in their own half. The French as host, with the weight of expectation on them, found the pressure too much to handle and produce an number of un-forced errors. In the book Art of War it is said that you cannot force opportunities but must be ready to take them when they happen. This is exactly what Arg did and France didn't when they tried to force the game through the Arg defence and was intercepted.

England against the USA was a very dismal affair. Are they saving them selves and they to worried about Fridays game, I don't know but it was poor. The should have used the game to practice their running lines etc. In the Art of War he discusses ruthless destroy your opponents as a way of sending out a message of intent.

Talking to my Uncle this weekend and I noticed he looks the opposite way than you would expect for the eye accessing cues. Interestign I will have to remember that next time I see him and test it out again.

Walk then run

Still feel like I should off lost weight, but haven't.

Had friend round last night and we got a Chinese take way. I had the sizzling beef and steamed rice in an attempt to curb the calories.

Ran my first new regime of informal team meetings today and it all seemed to go okay. Ran the exercise of who we all thought the most powerful people in the company were. Very interesting results and a big variance in the types of people picked. We had the obvious board members and team singled out as they have power as they can stop everything from happening as their processes are so complicated and time consuming.

Decided on my NLP training to go back to basics. Been trying to get into the complex things to eraly on and have l;ost my way. Think I need to learn to do the NLP walk before I do the NLP run. So back to basics, eye accessing cue, frames of reference - visual/feelings/audio etc. Matching their preferences and build rapport.

Got a book about metaphors and NLP the other day. I think this is an example of me getting ahead of myself, will have to read in in the next few weeks as its a loan.

Good and Bad day

Weighed my self this morning and seemed to have put 2 pounds back on. Hmmmmm. Noticed before that on a new diet and execrise routine that things tend to rebound and level out on the 2nd to 3rd weeks. I think its my body getting use to less food and more execrise. Muscles have increased. So using NLP to model myself I will try and keep going for another 3 weeks before I panic and loss heart. Hopefully this is just an adjustment period.

Went running last night. As part of my new routine I am trying to go running 2-3 times a week, previously finding the time was difficult as I have a new baby. I am get my run in at 9pm now to fit it in, where as before I use to run at 6pm back couldn't anymore due to our new arrival.


Organised an informal team meeting for every Friday in the canteen. Like a coffee morning or mothers meeting!!!!
This week I have though of an interesting exercise in the meeting. I going to ask everyone to write down the 5 most powerful people we work with, not necessarily the one with the title but the people that can make things happen. Why? I have been reading a book on office politics and it suggest the power vacuum cause large amount of politics and team disharmony. Interested to know who we think from our different perspectives in the company has the real power.

Finished the changes to my web site yesterday http://prepay.pretendafriend.co.uk. Finished much quicker than I thought I would. My PHP is that bad plus I used only parts of only programs and code off the web to get it done. NLP would say I modeled my own and other people. They say there is nothing new under the Sun, therefore the road to success is to model the successful. Why waste your time going through that discovery period if someone else has done it for you.

Over the weekend

The diet has been going well I have managed to stick to my mission statement. This is basically to eat my set meals and cut out snacking. I have also managed to go running on Saturday and went for a couple of walks as well into town and round a friends(about 30mins in each direction). Did have a takeway Saturday, but didn't over order and didn't over eat. I will see on Wednesday how well its gone once I weigh in.

Cleaned up and organised some rooms in the house over the weekend. The house looks a lot better and has encouraged me to finish it off in the couple of months.

Started some changes as well to my web site as well. Hasn't taken as long as I thought it would.

I mention all this as part of strategy NLP as I have set myself some goals for the end of the year. Goal setting is an important part of NLP and Strategy, so I am going to use it in my life out side business as well.

Goals
- Lose 14 pounds by 1st Jan 2008
- Get offered a new Job by 1st Jan 2008
- Organise house, get rooms used for their function rather than a dumping ground. 1st Jan 2008
- make changes to website, new look and functions by 1st Jan 2008.

Was thinking about how to build the team at work over the weekend. After discussing with a success relative I have thought about a few ideas. This all comes under Character based leadership from Art of War and is an important part of strategy.

- Creating a team identity
- Showing them how the contribute to the profit of the company. Get this published.

Going to get team t-shirts for everyone. Organise a weekly Friday morning informal meeting over a cup of coffee in the canteen. This instead of the formal boring monthly meetings, which are difficult to get the whole team to attend due to project commitments and holidays.

Going to work out the monetary value of the work they do on projects and discuss this in the team meetings. Plus get it published to a wide audience to help promote team and positively reinforcement job role in the company.