Turning theory into outcomes

My heart is beating, fist and jaw clenched, with shallow breathe and a red mist in my eyes so dense it is almost literal. It has taken decades of learning, practice, reflection, and experience to instill methods to tame feelings of anger and rage over my journey. Yet, on this particular day last week I was fuming. A culmination of events led to this feeling, and I know all too well what the cascade looks like.

Leading towards extinction

As I sit in my home office writing this article, my wife, and next door neighbours on both sides are all doing the same. Not writing an article! They are working from home (WFH). In different industries, capacities, and environments. Statistically, approximately 41% of you reading this article will be too (ABS, 2021). The blended workforce is now a firm part of our current reality and it will be fascinating to see how this unfolds in the coming decade.

The art of not understanding

Every day brings mystery, jeopardy, and surprises. Anyone that has been in business for more than a decade would know that these are the elements we try and reduce. Forecasting, predictability, and steadiness have tremendous equity in a VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous) world. From this acronyms start taking over our world.... KRA's (Key Results Areas), KPI's (Key Performance Indicators), SWOT Analysis (Strength Weakness Opportunity Threat), and so on...

The subtext behind leadership behaviours

What is the point of a captain? How much influence do they have anyway?

In different sports there is a debate over the relevance of a team's captain. When done right, I feel they are the linchpin holding all other factors together. Much like a Project Manager, Team Leader, or Manager of any team in our organisations.

Finding the better metric

There is one thing men in their 40's tend to do. When we catch up with each other our conversations will touch on one subject almost without fail - our health regime. We'll share our latest finding or practice when it comes to food, drink, fitness, or mindfulness. Usually this is driven by the realisation that we are not bulletproof and our bodies are creaking and cracking more than we'd like to admit.

Our default interpretation

As a guest at the SA Budget Briefing Breakfast held at the Adelaide Oval last week, I joined a room of investors and financial experts for the enthusiastic and passionate presentation by Michael Wood, the Head of Institutional Research & Asset Allocation for Ord Minnett. It was a fascinating and insightful look at the Australian Federal Budget (released the night before). In a side discussion I spoke with Alex (the financial planner hosting our table) about the talk and the role he and his team play in the game of personal and private investment.

Where positive intention turns to red mist

"I am not where I should be"

"I should be better than what I am"

"I should be so much further ahead, but I am behind"

Getting there through stoppage

Working hard but not getting anywhere! Working hard and getting there slowly! Working hard and hating it!

These are paraphrases of the main responses from an extensive survey taken in a post-2020 America by The ZigZag Project. An NPR podcast series hosted by Manoush Zomorodi, investigates the front-of-mind need of today's modern professionals. At the heart of it, the responses spoke to this feeling of unfulfillment a directionless, and a feeling of grief.

Being passive is anything but...

It's commonly known as introversion. The act of being passive. The re-emergence of stoicism and even taoism for modern professional performance and leadership tells us that philosophies around stillness and even procrastination can help us be productive, increase our resilience, and create practices for better mental health. Ryan Holiday advocates such principals in many of his books and is a huge fan of Marcus Aurelius' Mediations - a philosophical journey through the mind of an ancient thinker where passages are remarkably relevant to todays fast-paced life.

When strengths work against us

Last week I spent two days in a training room as a student at the Australian Institute of Management. The gloriously brilliant Paul Harrison was on deck as the Corporate Trainer and it was wonderful to learn from my peer and friend. But, it was even better to sit amongst leaders from all sorts of industries and backgrounds. We discussed our experiences and thoughts around topics such as managing people, marketing, strategy, and market trends.

Letting go for progress

Among our daily news cycles we'll see stories around corporate hardship with headlines including the terms 'cut backs', 'jobs axed', and 'mass redundancies'. This is scary stuff. Recently, Evans Cycles in the UK made 300 jobs no longer. Telstra, Australia's major telecommunications company, announced 1400 planned redundancies last month (off the back of 6900 cut pre-pandemic).

The uncomfortable reality facing leaders

Laziness is usually associated with slobbery. A lackadaisical and careless approach to work. Associated imagery or personification of this is probably easy for us to all do. But there is a new laziness emerging. Now I can see it, I cannot un-see it - even when looking at things in my personal life.

The wall between us and the field

No chance! That is the reaction we have when the client, the boss, or the person in front of us gives us a target or a deadline we feel is unachievable. Its been happening since well before any of us existed and is central to the heat many are feeling in a pandemic effected world. There is a despondence in our workforce's driving despair and a sheer lack of belief that targets can be hit or deadlines can be made - sometimes referred to as 'negativity'. Fatigue is contributing to this as workers are working longer hours than pre-2020 (the Economist, Nov 2020).

What to do when people let you down

It wasn't long ago I spent a weekend interstate catching up with a friend of mine. We went out for breakfast, played golf, watched some footy, and went out for a few drinks. In between we each took a little time out to organise a few things for work - me for my practice and he for the business he runs. He was excited to get his managers together to share the strategy he had been working on in the previous few weeks. I was excited for him. He had put a lot of thinking and investment into the process and getting everyone on board was a singular focus for his Monday morning meeting.

The path to misery

You're trying to do the right thing by everyone. You go out of your way to please the people in your team. You even work longer hours to do what is required to give people what they want. The hours they want. The exposure to opportunities they want. The instructions they want. The tools they have asked for. Even less work to do. And at the end of it, someone is still moaning. There may even be a scuffle between team members due to the actions we take to keep them all happy!

Adjusting focus during a challenge makes the world of difference

Two punctures in three bike rides!

When trying to keep the festive inches off my waistline while on holiday I have found it tough to get out and do exercise. But, when I got a 'another blow' out, only this time it was about 45 minutes walk from home, I immediately had a few things come to mind....

Beginning well sees us through to the end

In my keynote speech, Regaining Momentum, I mention the contrary nature of starts. They present the biggest friction while being the biggest opportunity. When we ride a bicycle, the hardest peddle is the first push off. Once we are moving the effort needed to peddle is low.

Retaining essence through growth

There is nothing better than working with people and companies experiencing growth and success. Especially during such difficult times. It has been fascinating to hear and observe of all the problems such growth brings up. It is almost irritating for the management of these businesses. They have over achieved during tough business conditions, yet they are being faced with new challenges they didn't expect. One theme I am hearing is a loss of identity felt by the staff.

Protecting ‘what is yours’ linked to more worry and less belief

It turns out that sharing is more than just caring. In a recent study published in the Journal of Business and Psychology, researchers strengthened the link between workplace knowledge sharing and increased creativity (amongst many other benefits. But what does this mean in real terms?

My 5 top reasons for taking on the hardest job in the world

They say there are two certainties in life - death and taxes. I have a third one to add - managers complain over a drink! Business owners, Department Managers, Executives, and Mid or Lower Level Managers... they are dotted throughout our social circles and when conversation turns to work, the tales of struggle pursue.