Over the past 18 months, Lisa McFarland has been hired to deliver webinars to businesses to motivate, help workforces regain positivity, help build better workplace relationships and improve productivity. She is also a regular speaker at high-profile events.
Innovative companies like Apple understand that human relationships are at the core of every business. They are leading the way in this area by providing relationship coaching into their corporate training programs
Lisa is on a one-woman mission to educate the world on how to improve their relationships from the inside out.
Her new workshop launches this month and is already getting a lot of interest.
In her own words, Lisa said:
“Success in any aspect of your life is based on effective relationships, whether that is at home, in the office, among your friends or even with yourself,” she said.
“They are always changing and shifting and therefore difficult to navigate and manage. Relationships are complex, yet we are always expected to know what to do without any advice or support. Through coaching, I want to help people take control of their lives and get the best out of their interactions with others.”
A former HR consultant from Antrim, Lisa is basing her in-demand advice on passion, training and lived experience. After experiencing personal and professional challenges, she sought a new way to get through a work-related challenge she faced with her business partner, who was also her husband, with a relationship coach.
It was a moment of epiphany for her that changed the course of her life.
“We went a total of 3 times to see the relationship coach, and I was blown away by all the information and wondered how on earth we didn’t know this stuff. I was more certain than anything in my life that I wanted a career in this area. I made it my mission to learn everything I could about relationship coaching. I did courses, listened to podcasts, webinars and educated myself through the knowledge of global experts. It felt like my mission to tell everyone about what I had found out.”
Empowered by her knowledge and feeling confident in the results due to her own relationship coaching experience, Lisa pivoted her life in a completely different direction. Lisa stepped into fear and started classes in her local area. And what she thought would be just a side-line has very much become a full-time passion and is capturing the attention of some major players in the business, wellbeing and mentorship world.
“I started to run workshops, courses and events in my local area. The interest was phenomenal. People from all ages, all walks of life, and challenges came along and opened up about their deepest feelings and struggles. They were hungry to learn more about building better relationships. So, I started to build my new business.”
Starting small in March 2020 with an Instagram account under Relationship Coaching NI and a website at www.justathought.co.uk, Lisa’s popularity grew phenomenally quickly thanks to her passion and engaging, accessible style
“I had people join from all over the world. Northern Ireland, ROI, Scotland and even as far as Australia and Canada. My Instagram page grew and grew, and I have now well over 15,000 followers from all over the world.”
Lisa’s excellent reputation means her audience base continues to grow. She now hosts regular webinars, speaks on podcasts and her expert opinion is sought for media interviews. She is also an in-demand speaker for events and has recently recorded a Ted Talk. In response to her followers’ demand for knowledge and guidance, she is also currently writing her first E-Book.
But it’s not just our interpersonal relationships that need a bit of work as many points of conflict happen in the workplace. New trends indicate forward-thinking companies are implementing solutions before any crisis arises.
Lisa said: “A new market is fast emerging in the corporate world. I have delivered online seminars for businesses to motivate, help workforces regain positivity, help build better workplace relationships and improve productivity.
I am helping to bolster people’s confidence, especially as we emerge back into the office in a post-pandemic world. I share communication skills and can help give advice and strategies for conflict resolution.
So, whether you want a much-improved relationship with your significant other or feel your corporate interactions could be more productive, Lisa is here to guide, empower and inspire.
“I want to help share my knowledge with the world and believe we almost all need to relearn how to manage all of our relationships,” she concludes.
Lisa shares her top three things we can all do to improve our confidence, communication and conflict.
Confidence
I believe there is a huge issue with confidence at the moment – at all levels of business from the CEOs to the new recruits, and it is having a very damaging effect on productivity.
When we are pushed out of our comfort zones we can start to feel a little re-railed and have a confidence crisis.
But, the cold hard reality is that the only way to boost our confidence is to step into fear and to do things that make us feel a little uncomfortable.
We all need to meet that fear head-on – with action – and pushing yourself to do tasks that you’ve procrastinated on or fill you with dread.
It is never going to be as bad as the fear-based story you are playing in your head.
Remember, Fear stands for – F-antasized E-vents A-ppearing R-eal.
For example, it may be making that phone-call you have been putting off for weeks.
What’s the worst can happen?
The person can say no.
Big deal, they might point you in the direction of someone who can help you.
Or it is having that difficult conversation with your boss or co-worker about something that is having a negative impact on your life.
Just do it.
Lisa’s new workshop offering shares tools, tips and advice for individuals and entire teams on how to help boost confidence in real-life work-based scenarios.
2. Communication
Building your confidence leads to you becoming a better communicator, which can have a ripple effect across all areas of your life and career.
It gives you confidence to speak your truth, to voice your issues, ideas, and any problems or solutions you may have.
To have your own needs met is very important both in the workplace and at home and I share strategies for people to be better communicators in all areas of their life.
One thing I suggest is to step into fear and give yourself one activity each day to complete – for example, it might be saying one thing in the meeting where you are previously silent. That one nugget of information or idea that you previously were to scared to voice for fear of rejection.
3. Healthy Conflict Style
That brings us nicely on to healthy conflict style in the workplace – and having tips and tools to manage it in a way that has a positive outcome for both parties.
There are tips and tools that I teach to help us live better, more fulfilling relationships in work and at home.
It is all about taking a cold hard look at yourself and identifying what your conflict style is and then reprogramming it to make it more positive.
For example, are you someone who flies off the handle, makes a big show of things, becomes defensive and ends up making the situation worse?
I help people to identify what their style is, accept responsibility and give them tools to reprogram this pattern and to handle conflict and confrontation better.
You can view Lisa’s work, here, sign-up to her webinars, or book her for a Confidence, Communication and Conflict workshop for your organisation, here: www.justathought.uk
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