Blog
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...
We’ll Talk About That Later (WT446)
It took me a long time to figure out that when I made a request of my mother and her reply was, “We’ll talk about that later,” it was code for “No, that’s not happening. Definitely not.” Why she couldn’t just say “No”, always intrigued me and then I found out that she wasn’t the only one who used codes. One of my former boss used to say, “I’ll consider it”. My friend’s mum says, “I’ll have a little think”. What does your boss or mother or father or partner say? Why do we seem to find it so hard to say, “No”? Gordon Training International answers with the following: Desire to please. “What...
You, Me and the Trojan Horse (WT445)
Every now and then we get a wake up call. As we step into 2019, I was fortunate enough to connect with a fabulous guide on LinkedIn and received such a wake up call. Here’s the back story: All year I have been connecting with people all over the world on LinkedIn. One lady in particular, Kay Sanders, wrote to me and said she was making an effort to actually connect with people she had “met” via LinkedIn. This sounded good to me, and you know I am always up for a chat and to meet people. It turns out she’s a business intuitive in Texas and reads the Akashic Records. According to Kay, the...
If You Want More (WT444)
As we celebrate the festive season, I find myself reflecting on Christmas and how it is often thought of as a time of giving. Many of us were taught “It’s better to give than to receive”. BNI (Business Networking International), teaches its members that “Givers Gain”. This year, I truly understood what it means to be grateful and to express that appreciation. As a child, my mother used to admonish me and call me an “ungrateful wretch”. I was deeply hurt by this, yet as I got older, I understood what she was trying to teach me, that being grateful and expressing appreciation is so...
Find Another Way (WT443)
One of the things I love most about working with business owners and leaders is their ability to problem solve and innovate. I remember feeling so constricted when I worked for the government. It seemed like everything needed a committee and no-one on the committee would commit to a decision, just in case they would be held responsible. In private enterprise it is just the opposite. I remember my former boss telling me to “Lose that piece of paper that you cover your arse with; you’re not in the Government now”. Today we might question the political correctness of the statement,...