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Archive For: Leadership
Powerful People Plan to Power Down. Do You?
What is the Most Important Part of Your Online Event (and 2021)?
Why Donut Day can Reconnect Us
In Melbourne yesterday (and again today), it was Donut Day. That is 0 new cases of COVID and 0 deaths due to COVID. To celebrate, our neighbour bought us these sensational donuts (the dog didn’t get any!)
One of the biggest tragedies of this pandemic is the separation of communities that were once previously connected. From “Australia – we’re all in this together” we quickly transitioned to “Every state is on their own”. This worsened to Metropolitan vs Regional.
It didn’t stop there though. There seemed to be a separation along political lines as well, and not just from the leaders of each party. There was also separation between employees and self employed. Worse still, everyone in the arts community just seemed to be abandoned, yet national sporting teams got special permissions.
So now, with a reduction in restrictions we can start to reconnect. We can rebuild our great community.
We can realise we ARE in this together. We are on the same ocean but we are in different boats. We have different levels of impact. Different levels of suffering. Different perspective on next steps.
But with empathy and understanding of what others are going though, we can reconnect and continue to face this pandemic stronger than ever.
Yay for Donut Day!
What’s the Best Way to Say Thank You?
I am very fortunate. Over the years I have received some lovely gifts to say thank you.
As a speaker it is very common to receive a bottle of wine (or two!) But as a non-drinker it was always a little disappointing (my wife and friends loved it though.) I have also received different vouchers from books stores, music stores and even cafes. And every time I was grateful for the gift.
But last week I was blown away!
I was given a thank you gift of 2.5kg of gourmet bacon! It was astounding.
Now I am not saying you should give bacon to say thank you. In fact for many, their religious/personal beliefs and lifestyle habits would mean they would be more offended than appreciated. What I am saying is match the gift to the person.
The person who gave me the gift knows I do go on a lot about bacon and I am a big fan. She also knows that I don’t drink and that chocolate is not really my friend. So when she wanted to thank me, she knew that for the same price as a really nice bottle of champagne, she could get 2.5kg of gourmet bacon delivered to my door.
So the best way to say thank you is with something that the recipient loves. Maybe they knit so would appreciate some special wool. Maybe they paint and some awesome coloured oils/water paints would be appreciated. Maybe they are into woodwork and so would appreciate a specific chisel.
A little bit of investigating, like their Facebook page, a conversation with their partner or even asking them directly, will give you some strong direction on what would be appreciated.
A general thank you is awesome but a targeted, specific thank you will make them feel extra special.
How will you be saying thank you?
One Simple Thing to Becoming an Expert
I spent the weekend working with some old hardwood timber I got from pulling down an old picket fence. My gorgeous wife wanted a narrow table to go behind one of the couches at the shed and who am I to not give her what she wants!! (Plus it was awesome to spend time away from the computer).
As with all things, if it isn’t on social media then it hasn’t happened. So I popped a couple of images there once I finished building it. (The oiling happens next weekend.)
Many people commented on how talented I am. Let me be frank, I am not a talented woodworker! I am a “competent” woodworker and I have spent a bit of money on some tools to help make things easier (thicknesser, table saw, electric sander and so on). Nearly everything I have learnt has come from YouTube and conversations with others who are more skilled than I.
The one simple thing to becoming an expert (or at the very least getting better) is to have a go at it. Step out with confidence and give it a try. At nearly every stage along the way as I was building this I was thinking, “I hope I don’t stuff this next bit up!” But I didn’t let it stop me.
Oh and there were some stuff ups along the way. But that is how you learn. It is part of the “Fail Faster” approach. At the end I have a nice bit of furniture my wife loves, made from upcycled materials and that I can be proud of (plus I have had 2 people ask me to make them one!)
So what do you want to be an expert at?
What are you doing to build those skills?
How can you “Fail Faster?”
Why Strong Leadership is All About Focus
I am a big fan of The West Wing (the TV show not the present occupant). In particular, I loved how Jed Bartlet would always ask the question, “What’s Next?” He did what had to be done. Made tricky decisions and then moved on. What’s next?
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has just made a very big decision that has put the majority of our states population under curfew. It will also significantly impact our economy and more than likely people and businesses will suffer financially. It would have been a tough call to make.
To me it represents strong leadership. He and his team have looked at what is in the best interest of all of our people? Their decision means that we will all suffer a little bit so that a few don’t have to suffer a lot.
His focus is on a healthy, functioning Victoria and what is the safest, quickest and most cost effective way to get us there.
Not the most popular, the one that makes the most money, but the one that is in the best interest for us all.
To me, that is strong leadership.
Where is your focus?
What tough decisions do you need to act on?
What’s Next?
Take the Time to Take the Time
What a strange world we now live in.
There are a lot of people in pain. Financial pain, pain from kids needing home school, pain from elderly parents who just won’t stay home, pain from spending as much time as you have been with all of your immediate family, pain of not having enough alone time, pain from not seeing or spending time with friends, pain of illness or even death of key people in your life… all sorts of pain.
The world has irrevocably changed for us.
We will never go back to how it was and I suspect we will horde toilet rolls for a long time to come!
So make sure you take the time to take the time.
Your kids won’t be schooled like they used to. Home schooling is different. Home schooling under lockdown is even more different. So teach them lessons they won’t get at school. Have fun with them. Play stupid games. Take the time to show them how important they are to you.
Take the time to look after yourself. Take time out in the bath. Sit on the balcony with a book. Put a do not disturb sign on your door and just spend some time with yourself.
Take the time to connect. My gorgeous wife and I are having quite a few Digital Drinks Parties. My friends 13 year old sent me a message the other day saying she missed seeing us. So tonight we are having a Digital Drinks Party. We have the technology so why wouldn’t we use it.
Take the time to potter around the place. Maybe you have a few odd jobs on the To Do list. It may be a good time to do that. Or not!
Whatever you do, you know as well as I “Life as Usual” has changed. It is more “Life as Unusual”. So take the time to consider your life. What do you want to change, what will you keep, what will you tweak.
I don’t think you need to be massively productive. I think it is important to process what is happening for you. To reach out to friends. To ask for help if you need it. To offer help if you can.
Whatever you choose to do, take the time to take the time. It’s important!
PS If you need some help taking time out, head over to Wednesday with Warwick and check out the free sessions where you can focus on you and connect with others.
Exile for the Good of the Realm
We live in interesting times.
For all my gregariousness and enthusiasm, I am conservative by nature. Not one for fads but open to scientific method, new ideas, and decisions made on facts.
In the last few weeks, most of my conference bookings have been cancelled, postponed or deferred to an online event (where I tend to excel!) And the more I read about COVID-19, the more seriously I take the recommendations from the health experts.
My focus is to stay alert but not alarmed. Not to panic but to be prepared.
Here is an excellent piece by one of Australia’s most eminent doctors, Doctor Norman Swan, broadcast the ABC. It is only 8 minutes and I recommend you watch it.
So my gorgeous wife and I have made the decision to send ourselves into exile, for the good of the realm. Some call it social distancing, but going into exile sounds more exotic.
It means we are cancelling a lot of our social engagements, minimising our contact with others and doing what we can to keep everyone safe.
One of the pieces I saw said to not approach our situation to prevent ourselves from catching this virus, but to assume we already have it and to act so that we don’t spread it to others.
There have been so many great stories of people and communities supporting each other and working together to get through a messy time in our lives. Let’s be part of that. Let’s focus on the WE and not the ME.
Just know, I am here for you. If you are also going into exile and get lonely, give me a call. Let’s chat. Let’s sing songs. Let’s have group calls with others. Let’s share ideas on cleaning our bums without toilet paper (oh so many ideas on that one!)
There is so much we can do. So let’s do it together.
See you in Exile!
It’s Not You. It’s How You Do It!
“How can I get them to do what I want?”
“Why won’t they listen?
“But I already told them!”
I have heard managers and team leaders (and parents) say this on many occasions. Also Presidents of Associations, chairs of committee and sales people just trying to get across the message. Often the message is a good one (even a great one) but you just can’t get the response, excitement or engagement you want.
Usually this means it is not the message, but how you choose to get it across.
Years ago when I worked at the now defunct EDS, on several different occasions I got my annual pay rise by being stopped in the hallway by my manager and having them hand me a post it note with the new amount and percentage increase written on it.
Yeeeeaaaah…. that’s not the best way to do it.
So often people send emails or texts rather than having a conversation with the person. Phil Collins famously broke up with his ex-wife by sending her a fax. People tell their boss they can’t come into work because they are sick using some kind of messaging app.
THE MODALITY COUNTS!
Face to Face, Video Call, Phone Call, Text Message, Email or via a third party. Whatever your modality, it makes a difference.
If you are not getting your message across, if you are not inspiring the troops, if you are not connecting with others, if the kids seem out of control, maybe you should consider your modality as well as your message?
It’s not you, it is how you do it that makes all the difference.
Hope Is Not Enough. Success Needs Action.
It’s been a hell of a week.
A good friend has lost one of his best friends (who simply didn’t wake up), and then one of his daughters friends committed suicide. Someone close to me went into hospital for a few days and still needs more tests. Another freind got retrenched after working at a job and company he loves for 10 years due to a “restructure.” It seems like half of Australia is on fire and as a consequence, Koalas are in more danger of dying out. We are heading into Summer and most of Australia needs rain.
Don’t even get me started on politics. No matter where you are in the world, it seems like either the wrong people are in power or that their focus is not on the people or issues that need it.
In my conversations with people, there is a lot of talk about Hope. Hope is something powerful. It is something that keeps you sane because you can look towards better days, better circumstance, a better life.
But Hope is not enough. Success need Action.
Now I don’t mean financial success or material success (even though this is still true). What I mean is, however you define success. In terms of the country you want, the environment you want, the future you want, or more importantly, the NOW that you want.
What can you do? Is it:
- Educate you kids, friends, family?
- Use less plastic
- Give more hugs
- Plant more trees
- Speak positively about others
- Use a journal to deal with your feelings and concerns
- Get a coach or a counsellor
- Bake a meal for a friend
- Invite a friend over for Netflix and Chill (however you interpret it)
- Pick up a hobby
- Write a letter to a politician
- Be a tourist in your own town
- Vote for the interest of the Future not for yourself
Whatever your concerns, whatever you HOPE, what can you do?
Thoughts and Prayers are nice but they are more to make you feel good than they are to solve a problem.
What tangible action can you take that will bring your hope to life?
Beware the Power of Your Words
Mark Twain said that the difference between the nearly right word and the right word is the difference between lightning and lightning-bug.
As you see from the image text, the framing of your words (even though they may be correct) also makes a huge difference.
All you need to do is visit the social media channel of your choice and you will see words being misused, misunderstood and mistaken.
Words can raise a person up to the greatest heights and can bring them crashing down just as easily.
There is power in words. Use your power wisely. I implore you to use this power for good and not evil.
How To Open Up And Reap The Rewards
Why does it feel like we are shutting down?
We seem to pay more attention to our phones than the people around us. Admit it, who do you connect with first thing in the morning? Is it your phone or your partner or your pet?
Countries are shutting down. The debacle that is Brexit, Trade wars between USA and the rest of the world, rising nationalism that seems to echo to the chant of “mine, mine, mine”, even today when I offered to contribute to a white paper being put together by a sister association, when they discovered I was from a different country, I was un-invited.
How did we get it so wrong?
At a time when we have less wars than ever before, more global trading than ever before, more immigration and global citizens than ever before, more global problems than ever before, why are we not connecting more?
It seems we have forgotten how to connect and maybe even play nicely with others.
On a recent power session I ran on How to Connect with People, some of the participants were amazed at the simplicity of how to connect. Basic things that they don’t do that they used to do.
To re-connect on a global level, why not connect more on a personal level. Look up from your phone, your desk, your immediate concerns and go and connect with others. Prospects, customers, colleagues, friends, family and also your pets.
You will be better for it!
If you want to get access to the How to Connect session, head here.
Preventative Maintenance
I am just back from the dentist. I go every six months. Usually it is quite uneventful. I get told I don’t floss enough (it’s now at the point I tell my dentist I am not flossing enough so she doesn’t have to tell me). She scrapes, cleans, polishes my teeth and says, “see you in 6 months”.
Easy!
Every now and again there is something new. This time she told me to get a specific tooth brush as it will protect my gums more. Sometimes I have an x-ray. Every couple of years there maybe a filling or an extraction (I miss my wisdom teeth!) It doesn’t take much and it minimises the chance of something major going wrong.
Leadership and Management are the same, particularly with the level of change that currently exists.
So often supervisors and leaders get promoted to the position but “forget” the regular check up. Decay in the form of poor behaviours or old techniques can settle in and end up undermining you completely.
People join a company but leave a manager.
You owe it to your team and yourself to get your six month check up. It could be a conversation with a coach or mentor. It may be formal study or a short course. It may be continual reading of articles and books. It could be active involvement in your professional association and their activities.
How are you giving yourself a check up? Let me know if you need help.
Plus don’t forget to have a regular dental check up. Got to love a big smile!
Engage by Being Bolder
Too often people play it safe and communicate using “corporate speak” or what others actually refer to as “bulls#!t bingo.”
If this is you, STOP IT!
We have retreated to the safety of the comfort zone. Too many leaders forgot how to lead and are merely managing and in the process, losing great people.
It is time to get real. This include being respectful in your language, but let go of the flowery things you “should say” as say what you need to in your own language.
Be Bolder. Stand up for yourself and let go of the fear of saying the wrong thing. If you say the wrong thing, apologise and learn from it. People will understand.
Don’t let the fear of saying the wrong thing stop you from saying anything.
So… now … what was that you were saying?
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