Allison Tibbs

While it can be intimidating to initiate the dialogue, being proactive is one of the best ways to manage stress & the relationship with the client. My rule of thumb is to communicate as soon as possible, BUT...it is also important that you are in a good headspace to have the conversation. This may require taking time to step away from your laptop and take a short walk to clear your head and get grounded before you contact the client. It also may help to spend some time to get clear on the outcome you are hoping for and jot down the fact that you want to convey, so you can stay on track and not let your emotions, beliefs, or stories throw you off track. The moment right before you contact the client, take a deep breath -You got this!

I always ask myself 3 questions before I start working on any task or project: - What can I delegate? - What can I automate? - What can I eliminate? By building this habit, it allows me to get clear on the items that are a true priority and only things that I can do. I spend most of my time on these tasks/items because they require my skill set and are 100% appropriate for me to do and usually these are things that only I can do. Delegation doesn't just mean offloading something to a person, we now live in a world where we can utilize apps, software, tools, and AI to help take care of lower priority or low touch tasks, so you can focus on the high impact tasks. It truly is about working smarter, not harder.

I like to think of embracing flexibility as giving myself permission to shift at any given moment. This permission to pivot requires me to pay attention to what is my capacity for a certain task or project in that given moment. I may be working on a writing project, but after an hour I feel that my brain is turning into mush and words become hard to come by. Instead of "sticking it out" to finish the writing task, I will shift gears and work on another top priority, that doesn't require the mental capacity that is needed for writing. This is also allows me to show up for each task or project that I am juggling with fresh energy.

I schedule time daily for self reflection through my journaling practice. This allows me to process my thoughts and emotions around decisions that I have to make. Creating a container for self reflection provides me with greater clarity and even new ideas, creative solutions, and innovative approaches that I may not have considered.

I often find that taking the time to do a survey or a listening session can be helpful to get an idea of the true pain points, challenges, and needs that your team or clients are facing. Using retreats to address and support a specific challenge makes the retreat feel more intentional, relevant, and purposeful. It can be easy to fall into the trap of having a retreat for the sake of relaxing, instead you can have your clients or team leave the retreat feeling relaxed AND having their problem solves or have tools/resources to better support them as they navigate the challenges they are facing.

Our breath is a powerful tool to help us remain calm. When I am speaking with someone or in a large group and I can feel myself start to get anxious take slow controlled breaths (nothing too intense) just enough to help ground me in the moment. I also find that it helps me to listen better, because my nervous system is in a resourced state so I am open to receive and hear what is being said to me. Networking events can be stressful, but remember your breath can be your ally in these moments. Don't forget to breathe!