Blog
My First Goal (WT799)
https://vimeo.com/1127004993?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci On Wednesday this week, we celebrated 19 years in business. Woohoo! Reflecting back over the years, I recalled my first goal was to still be in business after 1 year. When I made it to one year, the next goal was to make it to 5 years. Sadly, achieving this goal was against the odds. When 5 years came, I set the goal for 10, then 15 and now at 19 years, my goal is to make 20 years. It all started by working with a friend to help her document her procedures, a bonus was her getting an extra day a month in time. I was hooked. I loved...
The Force of Habit (WT798)
This week I went for my regular mammogram.The instructions were clear — no deodorant. I knew this.I showered, dried myself and then, without a single conscious thought, I reached for the deodorant and applied it. “DOH!”I had to wash it off again. The force of habit took over. It reminded me of something a long-term client said recently: “It’s good to do a refresher with you, Shirley. It’s so easy to slip back into old habits, even though we know a better way.” It’s true. Neuroscience tells us that habits live deep in the brain’s basal ganglia, where automatic routines are stored. Once...
Responsibility and Reward (WT797)
Many many years ago, Ross and I went to the bank with my father to help him consolidate his accounts. He had been dealing with the same bank manager for years and to our surprise, the bank manager had left and been replaced by a young woman. Listening to the way she spoke to the staff and the way she confidently advised us that she would get the team to do the tasks because she was a “manager”, led me to think she hadn’t had a lot of leadership training. Sadly, this situation is quite common. Many people aspire to leadership and management positions but it’s not until they get into the roles...
Yes I Did And I’m Sorry (WT796)
The past few weeks I’ve been training Integrity and Values clients in how to interpret the Integrity and Values profile. This is a profile I use to help my clients with recruitment, coaching and also include as part of the Leading Yourself and Leading Others experience. I’ve been using the profile for about 17 years. As I’ve been doing the training I’ve been reminded of the traits and how they can show up for people. Two of the traits are Truthfulness and Responsibility. Truthfulness refers to whether you will or will not tell the truth regardless of the consequences. There are very few...
Business is Problem Solving (WT795)
The other morning, I heard a huge bang, then a thud and then again and again. As I looked out the window, I could see my neighbour’s house being demolished. A fence around the perimeter proudly displayed the name of the contractor and the services they provided. That same afternoon we had to call our plumber because the handle broke off our tap in the sink in the ensuite. I also received a call from a prospective client asking if I could help them with their systems. I started to contemplate these seemingly random events, as I do. I shared my findings with Ross, “Business is Problem...
Sometimes You Just Need To Escape (WT794)
Sometimes you just need to escape. Last week we went to Coolangatta for a few days. We were celebrating a milestone birthday for Ross. After months of researching different travel destinations, he kept coming back to the Gold Coast in Australia. “That’s where I want to go”, he repeated. “Ok. That’s where we will go.” Flight times didn’t suit our itinerary, so we decided to drive. He had me captive in the car for a full two days, up and back. No work on this trip. It’s amazing how inspired you can become when you get away and escape. Even though it was only a couple of days, it was...
Get The Back Up You Need (WT793)
One of my colleagues reached out to our community recently to ask for support for her to complete some coaching hours to get her advanced advanced coaching certification. Always happy to help my fellow colleagues, I volunteered to be coached by her for a few sessions. Thinking I was the one doing her a favour, I quickly changed my mind. I’ve said it before, when you have a coach, a coach B.A.Q.S. you up. A coach helps you see your BLINDSPOTS. A coach helps keep you ACCOUNTABLE. A coach asks QUALITY QUESTIONS. A coach always SUPPORTS you. The past few weeks I’ve taken more action towards my...
Play With It – The 30 Minute AI Test (WT792)
I was showing a client what can be done with AI. I showed him how easy it is now, compared to 20 years ago when I first started my business helping business owners streamline their operations. Twenty years ago, it would take me 3-4 hours offsite to draft procedures for every hour I spent onsite. These days with the help of AI, I can get a draft procedure is less than 15 minutes. That saves me and the client. A few days later he came back to me and asked if “that thing” I showed him could analyse data. “Let’s find out.” We trialled a pdf which didn’t work so well. We trialled a single tab...
A Coffee Isn’t A Consulting Fee (WT791)
This week a past client messaged, “Got time to pick your brain over coffee?” I felt the familiar tug — I love helping. But I also know unpriced advice often lacks context, commitment, and outcomes. So I tried a new reply and offered for him to book in a professional consultation. I didn’t hear back. I love this quote, from an unknown source, “Boundaries aren’t walls; they’re doors with handles.” Pricing is a promise — when we value our expertise, we show up at our best and invite clients to do the same. Saying “yes” with structure is kinder than a vague “sure” that breeds frustration. A...
When You Expect To Be Perfect (WT790)
This week’s thought is for all the learners who think they have to be perfect when they’re learning something for the first time. Hand on heart, I know this personality well. Years ago, I was learning how to set up a studio with greenscreens and lights for our online TV show. The trainer was in the USA so we were waking up around 3:00am for a 4:00am class. It was winter. We were in the garage and it was cold and uncomfortable. “The lights aren’t right Ross”, I bellowed. “You can see the edge of the greenscreen. It needs to be moved.” On and on I went, getting more and more frustrated...