Blog
Stick to Your Vision (WT456)
Yesterday we went to The National Arboretum in Canberra (a mosaic of 94 living forests of rare, endangered and symbolic trees from Australia and around the world) to see the National Bonsai and Penjing Collection. We were lucky enough to have a guide explain the history of the Aboretum and a curator show us the difference between plants styled by the Chinese Penjing and Japanese Bonsai methods. According to the Arboretum website, “Prior to the 2001 and 2003 Canberra bushfires, the Arboretum site was mostly covered in pine plantations (Pinus radiata).” Our guide further explained that the...
So Much to Learn (WT455)
Do you remember a time when you were first learning something new? Do you recall how frustrated you felt when you didn’t know something? Do you remember feeling useless, incompetent and stupid when you made mistakes? Well that’s exactly how Ross and I have felt this past week, as we learned to how live in an RV. We left a hose fitting on a tap in a caravan park which meant we couldn’t hook up to water in the next one. The water tap blew off a few times sending water everywhere. We didn’t realise we had to turn our water pump off when we were hooked up to water...
She’s Here (WT454)
My goodness, what a difference 7 days can make. Our beloved motorhome, Contessa finally arrived 2 days ago. She’s here. We placed our order about 10 months ago and for Ross and I, not having children, taking delivery of Contessa was like celebrating the arrival of a baby. And like giving birth, it didn’t all go to plan. The dealership promised us we would be on the road by 10am. We arrived at the dealership at 11:30am, expecting to have a quick run through and be on our way. Three hours later, we were nearly crying. We had no idea the induction or handover would take this long and ours was...
First World Problems (WT453)
This week I had to catch myself. I found myself whinging and complaining because I had to organise to pack and move out of where we were living and wait for a week before taking delivery of our motorhome. “This is placing so much pressure on me,” I complained to Ross. “I was expecting to carry food from the fridge in the home to the fridge in the motorhome. I was expecting to take my clothes out of the wardrobe and hang them up in the motorhome, not to have to organise and pack for the motorhome, storage and the leadership program we’re running in Canberra during March.” I was feeling...
Give Them a Project (WT452)
Many workplaces use the word “team” to describe their employees or various divisions within their companies and yet what they really have is a group of individuals. A team works together to achieve a common goal. Individuals within a group work towards achieving their own results. This week in our leadership experience, the participants experienced what it is like to become a team. At the end of each session, participants are given homework to do; some complete the homework and some do not. Those who don’t complete the homework cause the group to “fail”. In the initial stages, participants...
Information or Transformation (WT451)
This week I contracted to another training company to deliver a course on Business Etiquette. The course was written by the training company and was to be delivered to government employees. It was a fantastic opportunity for me because it helped me to understand that my calling in life, my passion, is to help those who want transformation, not simply information. My leadership experience, Leading Yourself and Leading Others, provides numerous opportunities for participants to become more self aware as well as gain skills to improve communication and...
Is it Lack of Care or Lack of Training (WT450)
How we communicate in business and in life determines the results we get. As leaders, it’s our job to ensure that we train our teams to support them to do their work. This week I found myself reflecting on some communication I experienced with a property officer. As we prepare to move out, ready for our next big adventure in our motorhome, I asked if we needed to do anything to apply for our bond. We had been leasing premises in Newcastle since our return from the USA because we still had a goal of travelling. I was stunned at the response I received. “No, we will release the bond to...
It’s All in the Asking (WT449)
I’m embarrassed to admit that I’m not the best negotiator when it comes to getting a “good deal”. I tend to accept the price that I’ve been given when I want to purchase or sell something. I expect and believe that the person I am buying from or selling to, has the same values as me, which tends to make me quite naïve at times. At the end of February we will be taking possession of our Motorhome, affectionately named Contessa, to start our journey to live and work around Australia for the next few years. This meant we had to say goodbye to Connie,...
You Gotta Name the Baby (WT448)
Years ago, I remember watching an episode of Jerry Seinfeld. One of his friends had just had a baby and in that strong New York accent she kept nagging at him, “You gotta see the baby”. In a similar vein, a mentor of mine, Lisa Sasevich used to nag us, “You gotta name the baby”. What Lisa was referring to was our products and services and this week I found myself encouraging one of my clients to “Name the Baby”. In his case it was a project rather than a product or service. When you name something, it makes it easy for everyone to be on the same page....
You Are Allowed to Change (WT447)
Today I interviewed Susan Hart and Kerrie Hourigan for our TV show. The topic was really interesting, and yet for some it might be considered taboo to talk about. Susan and Kerrie have a podcast called “The Moon in You” where they talk about two subjects: The New Moon and the Full Moon Energies together with their associated zodiac signs, and The Menstrual Cycle, in particular the psychological aspect of the female cycle and how this affects EVERYONE, especially if you live and work with women. Why am I mentioning this? I want you to know you are allowed to change what you do. Susan has...