Archive For: Leadership

Innovation is Alive and Well

Waiting for #Adele #melbourne #etihad

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You may be aware that Adele is touring Australia and performing to sellout stadiums of over 60,000 people. Tickets sold out super quick and many have been left wanting (even with ticket prices from $200 and up).

But some people have been innovative and got to see and hear the concert for a lot less.

A friend of mine in Perth used the natural acoustics of the Perth Arena and the fact that he lives near it to simply sit on his back veranda with a pleasant beverage and enjoy the concert without having to pay a thing.

My favourite story (and one that makes me think, “Why didn’t I do that?”) is one of my gorgeous wife’s friends took their daughter to a hotel complex right next to Etihad Stadium in Melbourne. They paid $99 for the nights accomodation and could then sit on the pool deck, see the huge Adele monitor down inside the arena as well as hear every song, every Adele comment and every joyous moment of the concert.

Innovation does not have to be complicated. Innovation can simply be taking advantage of existing conditions.

Innovation is far from dead in this country. It does not take massive resources, you don’t have to be a huge company, it can be simple things you do daily.

So how do you show that innovation is alive and well?

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Spending Time With the Future

Image: ShutterStock

I spent time with the future this weekend.

Friday night, I hung out with my nephew chatting about all things that a young fella talks about. Watching movies, eating burgers and having a bit of fun.

Sunday morning I caught up with my friend’s son who wants to be a professional speaker when he grows up. I talked a fair bit but he shared some of his thoughts, asked some great questions and told me of his plans.

The future is in pretty good hands.

Both boys were a huge credit to their parents. They were respectful, polite and had a great sense of energy.

Too often we hear people talking about how the “younger generation” has it easier, are rude, have no respect, put whatever your thoughts are here. But maybe those ones are the exception to the rule.

What I heard was all about possibility, ideas, energy, enthusiasm, all without the heavy cynicism that many of us older people have.

From where I stand, the future is in good hands. It is up to us to make sure we operate in the best interest of ALL of our planet’s future inhabitants and not focus on a profit for the old farts who will soon be gone from this world.

So what are you doing today to make our world a better place for our future? It may even make things better for you too!

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Sometimes You Have to Say “NO”

Facebook Phone No

Image: ShutterStock

I have deleted the Facebook app off my phone. It is a huge relief.

Over the past few months I have become more and more disillusioned with Facebook.

It sucks up huge chunks of my day and I let it. I seem to pay more attention to it than I do my gorgeous wife. I will spend large amounts of time looking at it and then feel worse afterwards. My comparing and competing is at an all time high (that is, I look at what others are doing and think, “why aren’t I doing that”) and all the political rubbish was syphoning all the hope and positivity out of my life.

Something had to be done.

I deleted it off my phone and only access it for limited amounts of time during the day on my computer.

I feel so much better.

My hope has lifted, I am less concerned with other peoples business, my focus has returned to the actions I need to take, I engage more with my wife and my dog and I am continuing to look at what counts.

What you say No to determines your success far more than what you say Yes to.

I am slowly saying No to more social media and it is helping me get a clearer and healthier perspective on my world and the world around me.

Sometimes you have to say “NO”. What will you say NO to?

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What’s Your Hobby?

This week is a special week.

It is a special week because both of my hobbies start again. 

As I have commented before, I study with Impro Melbourne and sing with Mood Swing and this week we are back into rehearsals to get ready for some upcoming performances.

I have always been a fan of having a hobby. There are many different research papers showing that early retirement can lead to an early death and I believe that some of that is due to retiree’s not knowing who they are outside the work environment. I have seen this frequently for men in business. 

Their identity is wrapped up in what they do rather than who they are.

Having a hobby can help combat this. Hobbies also tap into your passion and can energise and stabilise your emotive state while dealing with the other situations life throws at you.

By the way, a family is not a hobby! A hobby has to be something you do for YOU. Something that inspires YOU, challenges YOU, pushes YOU and delights YOU.
Like my hobbies, they can also contribute to your professional life but that is not the primary reason to choose a particular hobby.

So, what’s your hobby? When do you start?

 

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Do You Rock?

2017-01-22 Chris Wilson

Over the weekend my vocal coach, Zerafina Zara, and I went to see one of Australia’s music legends, Chris Wilson.

Musically, he was amazing. I am yet to see anyone play harmonica better than he does and his raspy vocals inject such soul into his music. To be honest, the drummer and the guitarist were also fantastic.

But here’s the thing. Being a great muso is not enough!

Many may argue that is “should” be enough but the reality is, being a muso alone is not enough. When I put my event professional hat on and consider a performance as a Master MC, I think you need to be more.

My personal philosophy is that ANYONE who steps on stage to be in front of an audience, regardless of whether you are a rock star, a CEO, a speaker or a bride giving a speech, you must be Yourself, Amplified.

You have to be yourself because authenticity is essential to connecting to you audience and you have to be amplified as your work has to come across strongly and be able to break through any resistance. Your amplification of energy and confidence will do this.

Chris’ first bracket was fine. Good music performed will but he didn’t connect to the audience. This was contrasted with his second bracket. He chatted to us, made some jokes and told a story. The difference in energy in the room was noticeable. 

The key element of success in any presentation or performance is to remember that “It is all about the audience.” They have to be connected with you, emotionally and energetically. You can do this via a good great introduction, looking at the audience, playing with the audience, acknowledging they are here and what it took for them to get here, or including them in your story.

When you connect with the audience, the whole place ROCKS! Your music and your message gets across easier, your fan base love you a little bit more and your event raises the bar that little bit higher.

So when you present, do you engage with your audience? Do you make them want to see you again?

Do you rock?

PS Here is a bit more of Chris for your enjoyment!

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Are They Accredited?


January is Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) month and I am thrilled to say that I have held this level of Accreditation for the last two years.

But what does that mean?

Like many professionals in our lives, accountants, lawyers, plumbers, electricians, mechanics, IT professionals and speakers, their professional bodies set a minimum required skill set as well as significant professional and ethical standards that must be met to receive a level of accreditation.

From personal experience, achieving CSP was incredibly difficult. It is a global designation and it is a top level of accreditation awarded by member bodies of the Global Speaker Federation.

As with many industries, there are a handful of people who don’t have the accreditation but they are still excellent at what they do. The accreditation is the guarantee that someone else has done the due diligence and that the professional you are considering has the skill for the job.

So do you do the due diligence on all of your suppliers? Whether they are fixing your house, compiling your accounts or hosting your next client event, do you minimise the risk of drama and maximise the chance of success.

Do you ask yourself, “Are they accredited?”

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New Year – So What!

2017-target-small

Image: ShutterStock

By now you will have seen all the “New Year, New Goals”, “Make 2017 Your Own”, “Get Things Done in 2017” kind of posts.
January is the time of year that Gym business make their money and in a couple of weeks people stop coming and it all goes back to normal.

Don’t get me wrong, I am a big fan of goal setting and creating a vision for yourself, your business and your family. But it also creates a lot of discomfort too. Some people are comparing themselves to the Facebook life of others and thinking “What a crap year I had last year, why will this year be any better”. Others feel like they are impostors and maybe this year they will get found out.

Here is what works for me.

It is nice to have annual goals but chances are they will change well before you get there. My gorgeous wife and I have a THEME for the year. This becomes our focus.

We also examine the year just gone. What are the great things that happened to us, that we did, that we experienced.

Then we focus on the day ahead of us.

The simple adage of “learn from the past, plan from the future but live in today” is a powerful way to live your year and your life, one day at a time.

 

PS My latest edition of the Get More Success show has a great discussion on Impostor Syndrome. You can listen to it here.
PPS You can use this Regular Results Review one pager to capture lessons from last year and plan for 2017.
PPPS I have TWO mentoring spots open. If you are interested in having some Success Mentoring get in touch.

 

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Summer Wonderland

Last week I was lucky enough to give away a holiday for two people, including tickets to the Super Bowl in Houston, worth over $20,000. It was all part of Air New Zealand’s new launch of Dave, the Frequent Flyer (That’s him pictured above – click on him to see him in action).

I like Air NZ. They are very clever but show it with a great sense of humour and humanity.

Dave is great way to show an alternate way for long haul travel.
Their new Christmas message (basically, it’s really hot in the southern hemisphere over summer, so no snow for us) is a fabulous mix up of the cheeky personality of Julian Dennison (the kid from Hunt for the Wilderpeople) and fabulous music from Ronan Keating. Click the image below to see the short film – it’s worth it.

They frequently have fights with other airlines on twitter. Recently it was with Aer Lingus. The best thing is that with their fights, everyone wins!
So much of their work is not a blatant promotion of their airline but generating fun while reminding you of what they do.

So how do you bring humour and humanity to what you do? How do relax and just enjoy the Summer Wonderland?

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What Do You See?

 

future-vision-small

Image: ShutterStock

Having a Vision for the future is so important. It drives your actions and desires and gives you a reason to do what you do. It helps define your “Why.”

Of late, we have seen politicians the world over trying to create a vision of the future (even if that vision is based on useless foundations).
Although, it has been missing in Australia for some years. We lack a vision of what the future Australia will look like and how we should work for it.

It’s not just politicians. We also need a personal vision. What do we want our future to look like? Where will we be, what will we be doing, who will be with us, how will we achieve fulfilment?

Too often people bumble along in their lives and never achieve the fulfilment they crave. Part of this reason is that they have not defined it.

Do you have a vision? Do you work for this vision and know that it is worthwhile?

By the way, it is OK if you don’t have a vision. All you have to do now is create one.

Sometimes it is as simple as taking a check point and reviewing how far you have come and where do you want to go. This Regular Result Review is a great tool for that.

When you look to the future, what do you see?

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And the Winner Is …


Image: Shutterstock.com

It has been said that business is a game. If so, how do you play?
Who is the winner at the end?
Who is the winner as you go?

The arts are a great place for competition. The true artists know that it is not about them or their production, it is all about the audience, their customer. By making their customer the winner, they become winners too. 

As an example, I saw a fabulous piece of improv theatre last night by my favourite improv troupe, Impro Melbourne. It was team against team, both striving for points. Both teams had been magnificent making us laugh, ponder, pause, even cry (almost) and at the end of the final round, the scores were level.

Oh no!

The host then declared a best of three Hat Off to decide the winner. A Hat Off is where the two players act out a scene while wearing a hat. Each player has to try and get the hat off the other player in the context of the scene. If they get it, they win. But if they try for it and miss, then they lose.

The first two out of the best of three competed and played well. But again, at the end of those two rounds the scores were still level. The final round would be the decider.

Two fine players, Rik and Katherine stepped up to the mark and as they started Rik did the unthinkable. He did what no one expected. He took his hat off and threw it on the floor in front of Katherine. He then told her to not pick it up as it symbolised their love and if she did it was over. A bit of toing and froing and finally Katherine succumbed and picked it up making her team the winner.

The real winner was the audience. Rik knew that throwing the hat down had a huuuuge chance of their team losing the match. But what it meant was that the audience got something unexpected. It got a framework of temptation that they had not thought about. Their level of tension and enjoyment was kicked up a notch.

They left with an increased feeling of satisfaction and an increased likelihood of returning and bringing their friends with them.

In great customer service, the focus has to be on the customer. Only by making the experience fantastic and memorable for them will your business continue to thrive. When you start to compete against your customer, you will always lose.

What about your customer? What would they say if you asked, “And the winner is?”

PS Want to make 2017 a Winner of a year?
Be sure to register for the full day planning session to make it happen.
You can get all the details here and take advantage of the early bird pricing.

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Ready for 2017?

“Whaaaat? But it’s only October?”

You are right. It is only October and already I am having discussions with people about next year.
Some of these discussions about holidays, some are about conference hosting and some are clients asking me to contact them next year as they “can’t even think about 2017 yet”.

So let’s talk about this year.

How is it going for you?
Have you achieved your goals?
Are you on track for budget?
What have you done differently?
What new skills have you achieved?
Would you call it a “successful year”?

Too often we waste time, energy and resources because we don’t set ourselves up for success. It may just be some high level considerations for next year.
Maybe it is defining how you will measure success for the year. It could even be a simple Bucketlist Brainstorm for 2017.

Whatever you do, it is time to start thinking about 2017. 

You want to be ready for it.

PS Here is Help to Get Ready
Last year I ran a very successful 2 day retreat to help get ready for this year. I received some excellent feedback about it and wanted to act on that feedback. One of the comments was that it would be more accessible in a one day intensive. Others wanted the event in late December to get their brains started on it over the quiet time.

Here is what I have done. I am now running a one day Success Planning session in late December and another in early February. There are limited to 20 people each and I would love for you to be there. Click this link to discover some of the powerful tools and methods we will be learning about to plan your successful 2017. If you could do me a favour and share it with your friends, that would be awesome too.

Let me know if you have any questions.

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Small is Big

It’s Upside Down

I’m not sure about you, but we seem to have it backwards sometimes.  The BIG things seem to be small and the LITTLE things seem to be big.

I spent the day with my gorgeous wife yesterday visiting family and friends. Just the act of spending time with her means so much to me. I really enjoy her company and the many conversations we have. Some are deep and meaningful and others are ridiculous and nonsensical.

I have some friends that we catch up with every now and again. Nothing spectacular. Just to get together and share what is happening in our lives. How work is, what we are thinking about and what entertainment we may have seen lately.

Don’t get me wrong. It is not that the BIG things don’t count, but the consistent little things truly make my heart sing.

So what little thing will you do today for someone in your life?

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No Image Available

img: wikicommons

How was your week? Did you do some amazing things?

I did. I did some cool things with cool people. I went to some amazing places. I even did some simple things as well as some things I didn’t really want to do.

At no stage did I take a photo of any of it.

We seem to have become the more self focussed than ever. It seems that if there is no photo of it, it didn’t happen. But not only a photo of it, but that photo has to be shared on multiple different social media outlets and then we wait and see how many likes we got.

Eleanor Roosevelt famously said, “What other people think of me is none of my business.”

Now more than ever, we seem to give our power to other people and their opinons. We even go looking for their opinions.

It seems that we have discounted quality in favour of quantity. We want many random strangers to give us approval by clicking a button rather than getting personalised feedback from someone who truly counts in our life.

Maybe it is time we put the phone down, enjoyed the moment for what it is and truly enjoy being there, regardless of who knows we are there or not.

Quite simply, for much of what we do, there should be “No Image Available.”

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Same, Same but Different

Post Modern Jukebox

Humans don’t like change. We love our routine and the sense of control that “same” brings.
Many people have challenged me on that statement. Upon further discussion, the person challenging me has “their spot” on the couch, “their side” of the bed and even “their seat” at the dining table.

Yet in a world of constant change, how can we deal with all the change thrust upon us and the changes we need to make?

The answer is Same, Same but Different.

Let me explain

The image above is of Post Modern Jukebox. I was fortunate enough to be taken to see them perform by a good friend.

If you are not familiar with them, they perform modern songs in a 30’s to 50’s kind of style. Click the image and you will see Guns and Roses Sweet Child of Mine in a way you may never have considered. Google will show you a whole lot more.

The familiarity of the song means we are comfortable with it, but the new and interesting arrangement becomes an enjoyable experience within a known framework.

How much change is happening in your life or workplace? If you can make it Same, Same but Different you will find the change easier to embrace and easier to implement. It is simply Evolution rather than Revolution.

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Upgrading Your Problems

 

wood pile

It’s fantastic when your problems get upgraded.

We had a large gumtree that had been diagnosed with internal rot. It was in danger of dropping a limb on the house or the house next door.
As you would expect, this was a problem for us.

We asked the lumberjacks (and yes, there were ok) to leave some of the wood for firewood. So now we have a better problem.
We have almost 40 cubic metres of huge sized firewood. Click on the image above to see a short video of the firewood. (It’s worth watching!)

The pieces are too big to lift so we need to get a big truck and a front end loader but that is a better problem than the possibility of a falling limb.

So how are your problems? Can you upgrade them? 

UPDATE

So my gorgeous wife and a couple of friends and relatives went crazy on the wood pile and here is the outcome. The tree pieces are now split and stored. There is over 20 cubic metres of firewood (about 12 tonne). Oh, and there are some very sore bodies too as it took a lot of effort. Now for the toasty warm fires!

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