Blog

Opportunities

Sat, 21 Aug 2010 06:50:00 GMT

What you want today is not necessarily going to be the same thing that you want tomorrow. What you would ‘die for’ as a teenager, is going to be quite different to what you would literally die for when you have children. The opportunities you would move heaven and earth to seize right now might be ones you would walk away from in another phase of your life. So how do you know which ones to seize?

If something keeps you awake at night, and bugs you every time you think about it, then consider all the possibilities that it might offer you if you were to fully explore it. The way you think about something and the positive attitude you bring to an opportunity will be quite transforming. Glass half full is always better than glass half empty, and sometimes it takes practice to really look clearly at what golden opportunities are inside an offer. So start practicing that. You’ll be surprised at the way you view things when you start regularly thinking in terms of: why not?, how can I?, what if?

When you've got to the point of being able to say I am ready to do something about this opportunity, then create a plan and see if this is aligned to what you believe is your purpose. If it is, and you feel strongly about it, then move forward.

Why Innovation Bonuses Won't Work!

Fri, 06 Aug 2010 01:08:00 GMT

Why Innovation Bonuses Won’t Work!

Studies have shown that the three things leading us to find significantly better job satisfaction and improved personal performance are Autonomy, Mastery and having Purpose. Let’s face it, managers are missing the point if they think that just offering a bonus is going to get more creativity and better results out of their employees – when psychologists, economists and sociologists have already worked out that money is only a motivator when the tasks are basic and require relatively less creative input. In fact – if you pay someone for doing more, there’s a point where you can either pay them too much or not enough, and it will affect the outcomes.

If you took money off the table as an incentive (beyond taking the stress factor out of not having enough in the first place) but offered more scope for employees to be self directing, able to step up on their own terms to being able to operate at a satisfactory level of excellence, and ensured they had a great reason for doing something then people will focus on the outcomes in an entirely different way.

Atlassian, an Australian software development company gives their staff one day every quarter to work on anything at all they wish to – no restrictions, but they have to share their results and findings. On this one day, they solve more problems, get more creative and innovative ideas flowing and staff are more highly motivated than at any other time each year.

So – if you were going to create a company with the best ideas, happiest workers, and a reputation for both these things, would you do it based on how much you pay them and the size of the Christmas bonuses, or on giving people the space and place to play and develop in interesting fresh ways that is ‘out of the box’ thinking at its best.

The Link Between Profit and Purose

Fri, 06 Aug 2010 02:26:00 GMT

Profit and Purpose – The Link!

Essentially we like to get good as stuff we do – just because most of us are wired that way. If we have a talent or skill, and we get enjoyment (not necessarily money) from doing it well, we will work on getting good or even great for personal satisfaction that is not always commensurate with our actual return or rewards for doing so.

We also like to contribute – well most of us do. The exception confirms the rule in this case I’m sure. I like to believe and many others do too, that if we are able to we’ll give and give for the satisfaction it gives us to do so, not because there is necessarily the guarantee of reward, recognition or even maybe awareness of our having done so. Because it just feels good to help others when and if we can.

Many companies are starting to realize that profit and recognition are not the be-all and end-all in terms of profitability and creating good companies. Instead there is a movement in the world towards ensuring that purpose is placed higher on the list of importance than profit. Perhaps the world is finally coming of age in the realization that a disconnection between profit and purpose leads to such things as less than ideal customer service, low quality products, and decreased job satisfaction. Maybe we as a society are getting better at understanding the value of having a powerful purpose in our organizations and seeing our customers voting with their wallets and supporting those who stand of for something good, vs turning away from companies who do bad things. Take a look at BP’s share price following the Gulf oil spill?

If you get up to work every day and go to work feeling like just a number, you’ll struggle to maintain your enthusiasm for long. This will affect every part of your working day and then spill over to your personal life if you don’t have something driving you and moving you forward. Managers need to ensure that staff are engaged, motivated and really feeling a sense of purpose in their work. Simply managing by ticking the boxes is not enough anymore.

Here is a great animated explanation by Dan Pink about the powerful reasons we need purpose in our work and our lives.

Some people’s purpose is to serve as a warning to others.

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 05:53:00 GMT

Some people’s purpose is to serve as a warning to others.

by business speaker Andrew Darbyshire

Telstra must take note of the demise of AT&T as the dominant player in telecommunications throughout the United States. Beginning in 1984 when it was forced by the government’s antitrust laws into the breakup of the Bell System.

At the core of the company’s troubles had everything to do with people and managements failure to understand that.

The CEO at the time took the stance of instigating layoffs and cost cutting. But what AT&T needed more than financial measures, was a reason to exist, it had lost its purpose.

What gave employees of AT&T reason to go to work everyday was that they were delivering a telephone service for all, rich or poor, suburban or country. When that purpose was lost to competitors, the company’s employees lost there reason to come to work everyday and the rot set in.

Instead of trying to reestablish its purpose, AT&T’s CEO focused on charismatic leadership as the solution to the problems, which only made matters worse.

If Telstra isn’t careful, history will repeat itself through the forced shift in its reason for been, that been to provide basic telephone access for all Australians.

How do you create your ON PURPOSE statement?

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 11:49:00 GMT

How do you create your ON PURPOSE statement?

by Inspirational Speaker Andrew Darbyshire

Follow these simple steps.
It should be kept as small as possible, preferably three words.
For instance, Disney's purpose statement is "Make People Happy"

The first word, the action word, should be a verb such as; Make, Move, Be.

The second word, the about word, should be a noun or pronoun, such as; Children, Myself, People.

And the third word, the outcome, an adjective, such as; Safe, Happy, Wealthy.

That's it, simple and to the point. Try it and see what you come up with for your business. Then focus yourself and your team on being ON PURPOSE, and watch what happens.

The Modern Little Red Hen

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 11:33:00 GMT

The Modern Little Red Hen

By Business Speaker Andrew Darbyshire

A modern-day little red may not appear to be quotable authority on economics, but then some authorities on economics aren’t worth quoting. I’ll be right back. About a year ago I imposed a little poetry on you. It was called the Incredible Bread Machine and it made a lot of sense with reference to matters economic. You didn’t object too much so having gotten away it once I’m going to try again. This is little tredis on basic economics called ‘The Modern Little Red Hen’.

Once upon a time there was little red hen who scratched about the barn yard until she uncovered some grains of wheat. She called her neighbours and said, “If we plant this wheat we shall have bread to eat, who will help me plant it?” “Not I” Said the cow, “Not I” said the duck, “Not I” said the pig, “Not I” said the pig, “Not I” said the goose. “Then I will” said the little red hen and she did. The wheat grew tall and ripened into golden grain. “Who will help me reap my wheat?” asked the little red hen. “Not I” said the duck. “Out of my classification” said the pig. “I’d lose my seniority” said the cow. “I’d lose my unemployment compensation” said the goose. “Then I will” said the Little Red Hen and she did. At last it came time to bake the bread. “Who will help me bake bread?” asked the little hen. “Oh that would be overtime for me” said the cow. “I’d lose my welfare benefits” said the duck. “I’m a drop out and never learned how” said the pig. “Well If I’m to be the only helper then that’s discrimination” said the goose. “Then I will” said the little red hen. She baked five loaves and held them up for her neighbours to see – they all wanted some and in fact demanded a share. But the little red hen said “No, I can eat the five loaves myself”. “Excess profits” cried the cow. “Capitalist leech” screamed the duck. “I demand equal rights” yelled the goose and the pig just grunted. And they painted unfair picket signs and marched round and round the hen shouting obscenities. When the government agent came he said to the little red hen “you must not be greedy.” “But I earned the bread” said the little red hen. “Exactly, that’s the wonderful free enterprise system. Anyone in the barn yard can earn as much as he wants but under our modern government regulation the productive workers must divide their products with the idol”. And they lived happily ever after, including the little red hen, who smiled and clucked “I am grateful, I am grateful.” But her neighbours wondered why she never again baked any more bread.
I guess a lot of us have been wondering something like that.

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Belief is the key to success

Thu, 13 May 2010 05:26:00 GMT

It was Henry Ford who said "If you think you can or you think you can't you're right." The real key is believing in yourself. If you believe you can, almost always you will succeed in your quest.

The growth in potential customers and opportunities are enormous

Tue, 13 Apr 2010 01:27:00 GMT

From the dawning of mankind it took several million years for the worlds population to reach one billion people in 1800. In the next 130 years that figure doubled. Thirty years later there was another billion. The next billion (4 billion total) only took another fourteen years. By 1987 the worlds population hit 5 billion people. It is now around 7 billion and forecast to reach 8 billion by 2021. This is why recessions are simply adjustments along the way, not the end of time as often projected from the negative press surrounding them. The facts are your potential pool of customers is always expanding as well as gross domestic product, taxes and revenue in general. So what may seem like a dire debt situation today, will look like small change in years to come. Ignore the negative press and focus on the opportunities that abound us in the future.

Focus on the outcome, not the process

Tue, 13 Apr 2010 01:20:00 GMT

You can have all the fancy foot work in the world, but it is more important to stay focused on the outcome to get the results you want.

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In his book 'Call Me Ted' - Ted Turner describes how to be successful

Wed, 07 Apr 2010 02:32:00 GMT

Like most entrepreneurs, Ted has the view that if a rule prevents him from doing something that seems logical to him, then it is a bad rule and he works to find a way around it. He takes the view that you can find a way to overcome rules that unnecessarily constrain and just get on and do it.

The lessons he has learnt from crushing defeats, have taught him to view defeat as lessons, they are not about losing.

When he launched CNN, many around him were sceptical of it's chances of survival, let alone success. But Ted had the belief it would work and pushed through, despite the sceptics.

Setbacks must be put behind you, as quickly as possible. He uses the example of a golfer who loses his ball in a lake. Golfers don't stop and analyse why the ball went in to the lake, they take out a fresh ball, tee it up, and keep on playing.

The greatest use of life is to spend it for something that outlasts it

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 01:31:00 GMT

"The greatest use of life is to spend it for something that outlasts it" -- William James

For me that is the creation of Caitlin's Retreat. A special place for special families, approximately 15km from the CBD of Melbourne. Caitlin's Retreat opened in 2009 and a number of families have enjoyed the serenity of Caitlin's Retreat.

There is a growing number of families booked in for the early part of the New Year.

We have now, thanks to the support of Variety, built a wonderful playground. The reflection pond which now incorporates a sheltered cabana to relax beneath, has been fenced.

Throughout 2010, we plan to finish a large deck at the front of the main house, add some more livestock to our two friendly sheep and begin some very exciting programs on site for special needs children and their families.

Where is your vision taking you?

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 01:40:00 GMT

How often do you see people turning left but looking right? The other day I almost got run over by a driver doing exactly that. In life we must glance to see what maybe heading our way but always be focused on our purpose and vision of where we are going otherwise we are likely to crash and cause heartache for ourselves and others.