THE BOOT ROOM

The marquee event at the Olympics is the 100m sprint. But, traditionally it is the marathon which headlines the games as the last event.

Just like any concert or performance it is the last act that creates the climax and therefore is considered the main event. In F1, there is the Sprint Race but the Grand Prix is worth a lot more in terms of points and prestige. Staying with racing, the 24 hour Le Mans to this day is the crowning achievement for any manufacturer as the ultimate endurance test of man and machine. In cycling, the Tour De France is held over 23 days and is the one and only event any non-cycling enthusiasts care about and once again is the most prestigious event in the sport.

Over the past few years I have led a few boards and exec teams through my Strategic Facilitation process to deliver a three or five year Strategic Plan for their respective organisations.

The ostentatious and deliciously funny Kieran Flannagan is one of Australia's most renowned and sort after Professional Speakers in Australia. So, it was more than exciting to be mentored by her in my own Professional Speaking journey late last year.

Mud.

I live in a bizarro world.

I deliver strategic workshops to Executives using frameworks and tools I taught first year students at University over ten years ago. I work through my own systems and frameworks with junior, middle, and senior managers of all descriptions. It is the same stuff, but the context, language, and lens delivered through is tweaked for these various audiences.

Why would they listen to me?

Because I am their boss...? Because of the school I went to...? Because I am well groomed and have nice shoes...? Because I am charismatic?

What does a CFO of an education facility, a COO of a childcare business, a Sales Manager at a national utilities company, and a Manufacturing Department Head at an auto-motor company all have in common?

In the mid-naughties, I found myself somehow working as a floor manager in a high-end-big-box Salon Spa for Aveda (the American natural ingredients salon brand) in Covent Garden, London. It housed over 80 staff from more than 20 countries spanning three floors offering spa, salon, and education services. It was (and still is) a global centre of excellence.

It struck me in a workshop I was a participant in late last year.

As a presenter, I was going deeper into the importance of message, clarity of message, and finding ways to articulate this better in my speaking work. I filled notebooks with thinking, discussed my ideas one to one with colleagues, talked it out with instructors and practiced in front of the group. It was difficult, awkward, embarrassing and draining. But, then it popped.

It is contagious.

One person acts in a significant way. Another listens, joins and follows. Then another walks past and thinks, 'whats going on over there?' They check it out and get wrapped up in the vibe. Then before you know it a crowd forms and a movement has begun.

It is weird how the biggest contest in world cricket is the Ashes - a series played between Australia and England. This means if you are born in Jamaica or South Africa or India you will never play in this event. The Ashes simply represents history, and a deep rivalry more meaningful than a sporting contest the whole world of cricket pays attention to.

Julia Gutman is a young Australian artist. So young that last year she was the youngest ever Archibald Prize winner. Gutman creates collages from people's clothes. She says a person's clothes represents them and even the smell and feel can be the closest thing to representing a person. The clothes become her paint as she rips, sows, double-stitches and embroiders the textiles to make a work of art.

In my workshops I always strive to make people feel comfortable, relaxed, and familiar with the people around them. I run a few exercises to get people up and about talking with each other to warm them up before tackling the heavier content of any session.

Over recent years I have become an early riser. Up at five or five-thirty AM, a little exercise, breakfast and into work. A couple of weeks ago, I was eating my usual over-night oats as a part of my morning routine and my phone rang without me seeing it - a friend. 'Not to worry, I'll call them back later'. Then, a few whatsApp messages came through. Then, my phone lit up.

My little cousin, Nicola, is twenty-five and got back from a round-the-world trip late last year. We saw her on the weekend and it turns out she has got the bug and is planning try her hand at living and working in London for the next few years.