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In today’s fast-paced world, time management and productivity are crucial skills for professional success. However, many of us find ourselves caught in the grip of procrastination. We may delay tasks or miss deadlines – often beating ourselves up as a result and reinforcing negative self-talk …. which then just makes things worse!

Procrastination has long been attributed to laziness, poor self-discipline or inefficiency. Research suggests however that procrastination often stems from a more complex underlying issue: anxiety.

I originally trained in psychology and psychotherapy and have found over the years that many of those frustrating things that we consider negative traits in ourselves are housed more in anxiety than in thoughtlessness, inefficiency or laziness.

I thought it might be good to explore the connection between procrastination and anxiety, delve into the various forms and symptoms of anxiety, and offer some practical strategies to overcome performance-related anxiety. In the spirit that understanding something better helps us manage it – hopefully this might be useful in helping you combat procrastination.

The Anxiety-Procrastination Connection

Procrastination can be seen as a coping mechanism employed to manage anxiety and stress. When faced with a challenging task, anxiety can emerge, triggering a series of cognitive and emotional responses that hinder our ability to act. The fear of failure, perfectionism, overwhelming workload, or self-doubt can intensify these anxious feelings, creating a cycle of procrastination that further perpetuates anxiety.

Forms and Symptoms of Anxiety

Anxiety manifests in numerous forms, affecting all of us differently. Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) involves excessive worry about everyday activities, whilst Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) causes a fear of judgment or embarrassment around other people. Other anxiety disorders include Panic Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Anxiety can also manifest through a variety of physical symptoms such as restlessness, rapid heartbeat, fatigue, irritability, and difficulty concentrating. Recognising the way anxiety might manifest is an important pathway toward addressing the root causes of those negative behaviours you may beat yourself up about, such as procrastination.

Strategies to Reduce Performance-Related Anxiety and Combat Procrastination

• Break down large tasks into smaller, more manageable tasks. This will make the task seem less daunting and less anxiety-provoking.
• Set realistic deadlines for yourself. This will help you avoid feeling overwhelmed and stressed.
• Take breaks when you need them. Don’t try to power through a task if you’re feeling overwhelmed. Take a break, clear your head and come back to the task when you’re feeling refreshed.
• Reward yourself for your accomplishments. This will help you stay motivated and on track (although try not to reward yourself with wine – trust me on this one!).
• Identify and challenge negative thoughts: Procrastination often arises from irrational beliefs and negative self-talk. Challenge these thoughts by examining the evidence supporting them and replacing them with more rational and positive alternatives. Encourage yourself to develop a growth mindset that embraces mistakes as learning opportunities, rather than viewing them as personal failures.
• Talk to someone you trust about your anxiety. If your anxiety is more severe or debilitating or even just causing you to worry, don’t be afraid to seek support – it really is nothing to be ashamed of. Talking about your anxiety can help you to feel less alone and more supported.

Remember – procrastination is not necessarily a character flaw but often a symptom of anxiety. By understanding this link, we are more likely to be able to overcome the inertia of procrastination and unlock our true potential for enhanced productivity.

Let’s empower ourselves and others to break free from the clutches of procrastination, harness our strengths, and achieve our goals with confidence and purpose.

Go well.

Rob Bishop

My view is that culture is generated and maintained from the pointy end of an org chart and based on sound and authentic values that are lived at every level of an organisation.

New Zealand is a country where we believe anything is possible – including the potential for each of us to form and build a company based on our ideas, skills and capability. In forging a new company, we create a living entity with its own flavour, personality and unique attributes…what we also call culture. Culture must be modelled from the top and allowed to flow throughout the organisation. This doesn’t always happen.

I have worked over the years with a lot of SME’s built by technical experts with a great idea. Whether the idea was a machine that shells peas or a piece of software that helps people manage investment properties; businesses are often built on the merits of the product or service by smart, technical people, passionate about what they’ve created.

Those same people with the million-dollar idea do not always possess the leadership attributes to build and maintain culture. High IQ and a single-minded focus to create a product or service doesn’t always lend itself to having the high EQ required to inspire and develop people.

The best of these entrepreneurs recognise their leadership gaps and hire great people around them to achieve cultural goals. Many, however, are more bullish and believe their people should simply be as passionate as they are about the product or service they created. However, you can’t expect the people within a business to model values that the business owner, CEO or MD isn’t able to demonstrate themself.

In today’s competitive business landscape, it’s more important than ever to get the right cultural and values fit when hiring executives. Recent research has shown that having the right values is more important than having specific skills or qualifications for long-term success.

The Harvard Business Review found that companies with strong cultures may outperform their competitors by as much as 125%. The study also found that companies with weak cultures are more likely to underperform their competitors by 75%.

So, what does this mean for hiring executives? It means that you should focus on finding people who share your company’s values, even if they don’t have all the specific skills or qualifications you’re looking for. Many Boards focus on fiscal experience over cultural competence. Whilst you should never neglect core competencies, it is essential to achieve cultural alignment.

Here are a few tips for hiring executives who share your company’s values:

• Start by defining your values – What are the most important things to you as a company? What do you believe in? Once you have a clear understanding of your values, you can start looking for leaders who share them.
• Ask questions about values during the interview process – This could include questions about their past experience, their goals, and their experiences changing or improving company culture. You might also consider asking them to describe a time when they had to make a decision that potentially went against their values.
• Do your research – Look for people who have a history of living their values. This could include looking at their LinkedIn profiles, their volunteer work and their past work experience.

As well as supporting search and selection services, the team at Bishop are well versed in helping our clients develop and refine their ‘secret sauce’, the values and attributes that can really influence team engagement.

It is worth bearing in mind that:

• Values are more difficult to change than skills – Once someone has developed a set of values, it is very difficult for them to change those values. This means that if you hire someone who shares your company’s values, you can be more confident that they will continue to share those values in the future.
• Values help to create a strong company culture – A strong company culture is one that is based on shared values. When employees share the same values, they are more likely to be aligned and work together towards common goals. Values can help to attract and retain top talent.
• Employees are more likely to want to work for a company that shares their values – This means that if you hire executives who share your company’s values, you will be more likely to attract and retain top talent. So at very least a smart business owner should be able to talk about their values and what makes the company a great place to work.

The Bishop values hinge around Collaboration, Quality and Kindness. Each member of the team can speak to what that means to them.

As leaders, we often expect ourselves to exude unwavering confidence and certainty in our abilities. We believe that doubting ourselves may potentially be a sign of weakness or incompetence. Don’t our people after all expect us to confidently lead the way forward without doubt or question?

The reality is that self-doubt is a natural part of being human, and it may even be concerning if we never experience moments of insecurity and uncertainty.

The Dunning-Kruger effect, a cognitive bias where individuals with low ability or knowledge overestimate their skills, sheds light on the importance of self-awareness and humility. As Charles Darwin wrote, ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge. The smarter someone is, the more they tend to recognise the vastness of the world and their own limitations.

Recent research, including articles from sources such as the Harvard Business Review, emphasise the prevalence of insecurity and imposter syndrome among leaders. Even the most accomplished and talented individuals often harbour doubts about their abilities. This is a testament to their awareness of the complexity of their roles and the ever-evolving nature of their industries.

Robert Greenleaf’s theory of Servant Leadership provides an interesting perspective on self-doubt. According to his theory, the most effective leaders are servants of their people. They prioritise the growth and well-being of their team members and, in doing so, they recognise that they do not possess all the answers or expertise. This mindset allows them to be open to learning from others and to embrace their own vulnerabilities.

Here are ten reasons why is it important for leaders to have moments of self-doubt:

• Learning from experts: Leaders who learn from experts in their field often hesitate to place themselves in the same category. They understand that true expertise is a continuous journey, and are humble enough to acknowledge the vastness of knowledge that exists beyond their own.
• Awareness of limitations: Smart and capable leaders are acutely aware of how much they don’t know. Their awareness of their limitations dwarfs their existing knowledge, driving them to seek further growth and development.
• Humility in wisdom: They understand that their expertise and wisdom are just a small part of what defines them. They avoid being overly self-assured about their education or experiences and recognise wisdom can be found in every individual.
• Valuing others’ perspectives: Leaders who doubt themselves will prioritise the wisdom and contributions of others. They strive to create inclusive conversations and avoid making everything about themselves.
• Focus on what they lack: Rather than fixating on their experiences and credentials, leaders may tend to focus on what they don’t have. This mindset fuels their drive to continually improve and acquire new skills. This will also encourage good hiring decisions to improve the depth of their team capability.
• Mission over personal branding: Leaders who care deeply about their work and their mission may feel that personal branding is trivial and cheesy in comparison. They channel their energy into making a meaningful impact rather than showcasing themselves.
• Discomfort with the limelight: Many leaders are uncomfortable being in the spotlight. They prefer to lead from behind the scenes and derive satisfaction from helping others and ultimately their organisation succeed.
• Finding fulfilment in helping others: Instead of seeking validation through self-promotion, leaders gain satisfaction by supporting and uplifting their team members. Their focus is on the success of those they lead rather than on personal accolades.
• Setbacks and challenges: Self-doubt can emerge from setbacks or challenging experiences in a leader’s career or personal life. These moments can shake confidence, but they also offer opportunities for growth and resilience.
• Lack of support: Some leaders may lack role models, mentors, or supporters who provide the encouragement and affirmation they need. Building a network of people who believe in their abilities is crucial for developing and maintaining confidence. Having a good coach is also important for leadership development.

It’s important to remember:

Almost everyone struggles with self-confidence at times. The fluctuation of confidence is normal and does not diminish a leader’s capabilities. If you find yourself experiencing self-doubt, here are a few suggestions:

• Engage in physical activities: Take a break from the demands of leadership and engage in physical activities, preferably in nature. Exercise and time spent outdoors can help clear your mind and provide a fresh perspective.
• Seek support from friends and mentors: Surround yourself with people who believe in you and can offer guidance and support. Lean on your network for encouragement and advice during moments of self-doubt.
• Reflect through journaling: Consider starting a journal where you can express your hopes, concerns, and thoughts. Writing (and perhaps researching a LinkedIn article on the topic!) can be a therapeutic outlet for processing emotions and gaining clarity.
• Create a vision for yourself: Visualise the leader you aspire to be and explore that vision both inside and outside your working life. This process can help you reconnect with your passions and reinforce your sense of purpose.

Remember, you are more powerful and capable than you can imagine. Confidence is not about proclaiming yourself an expert or visionary; it’s about embracing your strengths and continuously growing. Embrace the ebb and flow of self-confidence, and trust that your talents will shine appropriately and with humility when the time is right.

During times of stress we all have low moments and our thoughts can go to dark places. In these times of mindfulness and gratitude, is it ever okay to not be okay?

As a member of Kiwi society I am proud of the fast action taken by our government to slow the spread of Corvid-19 and I totally support the lockdown and appreciate the fact that we can come together as a nation and follow some basic, if at times challenging, rules that will ultimately serve the health of our country well.

However, as the owner of a small business I must also confess to having days of worry and concern about the future.  There is still work being done.  The lockdown has been a strong reminder that great, high quality work can be achieved remotely.  Oddly I’ve done more work in Auckland this month than in the last year – remote works.  There is however a lot less workflow than usual and, whilst cost savings can be found, the fixed costs of our lives and of running a business remain.  There are no shortage of people in my immediate network who are uncertain about the impact the coming months might have on their livelihood.  Like me, many have mortgages to pay, costs to cover, family to support and colleagues they care about also impacted by the slow down.

Whilst I read and appreciate all the messages about gratitude, learning and mindfulness, my own mind is not always in that mode.  I worry sometimes.  I fret about the future.  I feel concern about meeting my various obligations.  I’m certain I’m not the only one having those moments.

I trained as a psychotherapist and am generally a together sort of person.  There are moments however that I don’t feel okay and my message is this.

It is okay not to be okay all the time.  It is okay to reach out and share the fact that some days are a struggle and that sometimes our minds will go to those dark places of worry. Having low times does not make you a professional victim, a broken human being or a bad person.

Many of my network are the leaders, the carers, the HR professionals, coaches and business owners who are often relied upon to be the providers of support to others. It is important for us not to only live in the role of carers but to also be cared for.  Don’t be afraid to reach out to your own people, support network and significant others.  Talk about your worries, fears and concerns.  As the adage goes, bravery isn’t the absence of fear or uncertainty – bravery is facing the fear and still finding ways to move forward.  You may not find all the answers – but you will likely be better off as a result of sharing how you feel.

Kia Kaha?  Absolutely.  Be strong.  Be confident.  Stand tall.  But also, don’t be afraid to be vulnerable.  Be honest with yourself.  Be okay needing to hug and be hugged in return.  Allow yourself to feel those moments of sadness and loss.  It’s okay.

I like all the messages we are seeing on LinkedIn and other social media about being kind to people.  We should always be kind – no matter what.  You don’t know what other may be experiencing.  Kindness shouldn’t be conditional or only reserved for others so remember to also be kind to yourself.

Sometimes, not being okay is okay too.

Who’s bad…?

Engaging in appropriate challenging conversations remains difficult and dangerous territory for many managers. Too often our concerns about the bad behaviour of certain staff members, particularly those who are good at their job or have specific expertise, go unaddressed. As managers we strive to be quick to praise and promote positive results and outputs but we’re not always as keen to challenge negative behaviours and poor attitude. We want the results and sometimes make allowances for people because they get us those results….

Human nature…

But what is the potential cost of putting up with bad behaviour to the culture and engagement of the wider workforce? It is often the lowest common denominators who seem to spread their influence the furthest. There seems to be a certain truth in the adage that “misery loves company” and negativity can spread insidiously if not nipped in the bud. Even those who hold themselves to the highest standards can sometimes feel disengaged when they see people working under similar conditions – yet getting away with behaving in a negative or disruptive way.

You are not alone…

A few years ago I came across a four box skills and values grid (I have no idea who to credit this to, so let me know and I’ll update the blog). It resonated with me at the time and made me realise that I wasn’t alone in focussing on results sometimes at the cost of attitude. I have used it often ever since, I’m not sure how closely it relates to the original but here is what I sketch out for clients’ now…

They don’t care about us….

What I took from this is that it is relatively straightforward to know what to do with most of our top performers, we invest in them, continue training and development and strive to keep them engaged, motivated and evolving. With our worker bees, we also offer training and development to encourage growth or alternatively we settle them into a role they enjoy at a level they are happy with and support them with long-term security. Our bad hires, those who don’t perform and can’t be bothered, they are easy; performance-manage them out of the business! It’s the terrorists who often get the free pass and what we need to realise is that “they do not care about us or our company” or they would behave better. Their influence is negative and, unless we can shut them in a sealed box, we are generally better off without them. If you think someone has skills that are not replaceable then you need to look seriously at your attraction, retention and development strategies. It’s time for your terrorists to shape up or ship out!

Beat it…

Once you are freed from the mental chains that have prevented you from challenging your terrorists it’s time for a serious and challenging conversation. When you see or hear reports of bad behaviour or negative attitude it is time to beat it! The terrorists must be held accountable for behaving in a way that reflects the vision and values of the organisation. They should be measured and rated on values, engagement and conduct and, unless they mend their ways, it’s time to say goodbye.

Make it a better place…

When employees across an organisation understand that staff are held accountable not just for their outputs, but for the attitude, behaviours and values they display in achieving those results, the chances for a healthier and happier workplace are greatly improved. Cultural values, engagement and a positive, enthusiastic workplace don’t come easy. As managers we are not just responsible for accentuating the positive….we must also hold ourselves accountable for eliminating the negative, let’s not mess with Mr In-between!

Some time ago I started talking to a number of my clients about ‘charging’ behaviours. We live in a world of high drain devices, mobile phones, cameras, laptops and tablets and it seems we end up spending a lot of time looking for the right USB or power adaptor to keep our devices ‘fully charged and ready to perform’! I had the passing thought that with all the different plugs and connections, I’m just glad I don’t then also have to worry about what flavour ‘fuel’ all my devices need to perform effectively. If I had to worry about putting the electrical equivalent of ’91 in my phone, ’98 in my laptop and diesel in my camera – I think I would probably have some form of technological meltdown!

Finding what motivates you

I got to thinking about human analogies and what things ‘charge’ or ‘drain’ us as people. What do we need, beyond the basics of food and sleep, to keep us energised and performing optimally?

As well as my recruitment work, HR and team development consulting, I also do some leadership and development coaching. In November, over the course of a single week, I found myself giving exactly the opposite advice to two different coaching clients. This made me worry the suspicion aired by my wife that, ‘Rob just makes it all up as he goes along!’ may have more truth to it than I had credited….!

Both clients were feeling drained and low in energy. The first is a natural introvert who was managing a large scale organisational change project involving almost constant meetings. The other, a natural extrovert, was buried in a complex reporting project and spending hours on end alone in their office alone putting together a high level written strategic plan.

My advice to both was similar but different – both are capable leaders who are socially confident communicators. The introvert had simply forgotten than they weren’t naturally ‘charged’ by people contact. This person is great at being with people and highly effective, yet gradually was feeling more and more drained by not taking enough time to ‘find space in their own head’. My advice to this person was to take time out alone. Make a couple of times in the day for reflection and cognitive processing and ensure that ‘free’ time gave opportunities to be quiet, walk, read, listen to music or whatever worked to allow her the peace needed to re-charge.

The extrovert on the other hand was having way too much time alone and was being ‘drained’ by the lack of people contact. They were attending to health needs by heading out on long bike rides and heading to the gym with their favourite workout playlist, both very healthy, yet solo activities. My advice was to get social, do team sports, invite friends around, go party or hit the gym with a friend rather than headphones.

Finding ‘me’ time

By the following session both of my clients had taken the time to make a few modest changes to their routines and were feeling better, more energised and more able to commit to the demands of their roles. They had quite simply reminded themselves what ‘me time’ meant for them. They had remembered the activities in their lives that plugged them in and charged them up!

The key learning for me from this was a reminder that often our advice to people and the way we treat them is based on an assumption that; whatever we like, whatever charges us up and keeps us performing optimally, will also work for everyone else. We then blithely tell people that they should be doing the same things we do in order to feel good about themselves…forgetting that they may need something completely different than us to re-energise.

In the workplace we can do the same and forget that our people need different things from us as in order to perform optimally.

There are likely certain people in your world who come to life when in the spotlight, who thrive under attention and positively glow with energy the more they are around people. They enjoy the rewards, the accolades, speeches on their behalf, whoops and cheers whenever they walk past…..extroverts! Conversely the opposite applies and we also know those quiet achievers who shun the limelight and who spend more time thinking than talking and who find their happy place in a walk in the park or a good book….

Finding the right rewards and recognition

This is also a reminder from a leadership and management perspective that the people in our business may be motivated and charged by a wide variety of things. There are no ‘one size fits all’ reward and recognition programs that will guarantee engagement, vitality and success and it is well worth considering what the individual differences might be within your business.

On a more personal level though, why not take a little time to think about what charges you – perhaps part of our commitment to ourselves could be to recognise what charges us up and make sure we gift ourselves the time for those things, activities or people that keep us humming happily along…..