Op-Trans week five diary
This week was a fun one, with the leaders challenged to run the Seamus Ennis Arts Café in Naul Co Dublin. The experts and Kathryn were the surprised guests. It may look like I am being fussy about my poached eggs; I was! There was skin and hair flying in the kitchen as Pam and Siobhán’s different styles of organisation caused friction, while front of house were Cathal, Jean and Paul
Innovators, doers, & finishers
Within an organisation, you will find innovators, doers, and finishers. Few people are all three. At times, I am a good innovator and doer but have to work hard on finishing. I bet you know a lot of people who start jobs but don’t get around to finishing them. I suspect you know if you want something done, you turn to the same pool of people every time.
Jean Tierney Bruff, Co Limerick
I was down in Limerick to see Jean who wanted to discuss her sleep patterns. Coming home from work and jumping into her PJs immediately has been giving Jean’s brain the wrong message. We all need a definite shift between relaxing in the evening and then going to bed. Putting on the PJs when going to bed signals it’s bedtime.
Pamela Swayne Youghal, Co Cork
Pamela dropped a plate on her foot which stopped her hitting her target. Karl thinks Pam is chaotic, but I disagree. To me, Pam is too often distracted and distraction is a key risk in her not achieving her goals. Not giving full attention to what we are doing makes us miss deadlines, not get things done and have accidents. Clearly, there are benefits to distractions as shown by the fact that everyone seeks them out. The challenge is to ensure distractions don’t pull us away from our goals.
Cathal Gallagher Ballyshannon, Co Donegal
I think Cathal is more accepting of himself in a way that is non-judgemental. This is a big step. I don’t hear the critical voice that he used at the start. When we replace the harsh internal critic with one that is supportive and nurturing then we are on the way to a more positive outcome. I will be up to Donegal to explore with Cathal why his weight has fluctuated over the years.
Siobhán O’Brien Clonsilla, Dublin 15
Siobhán hit her 3lbs target loss. However this was not the biggest news in Siobhán’s week. She went to a wedding and while putting on her dress, she noted that normally she would find fault with her appearance. When it comes to body confidence, Siobhán needs some psychological support, which I will be exploring with her.
Paul Murphy Tubbercurry, Co Sligo
I genuinely feared that Paul would hit all his weight targets in OT but miss the bigger picture. Paul is a new man, lighter in body and more importantly, in spirit. His experience of stress is shared by many small business owners, but he felt that talking about it would be a sign of weakness. The people around Paul all describe him as “strong”. Too often, men in particular associate vulnerability with weakness and don’t open up, leaving them with just harmful ways to relieve stress. Vulnerability and true strength are not exclusives.