GLOSS | MAY 2017

BUSINESS | MONEY | LIFE | REVIEWS | YOU

MAY 2017

feature Editor

From the

editor

What impact are you really making?

W

e spend every day connecting – at work, at home, at leisure. Whether on or offline the reality is that every single day we are coming in to contact with someone. But are you really connecting or are you simply going about your day to day focused on what it is that you have to achieve at that moment in time. Are you aware of how your every day actions and words influence others, or are you going about your day oblivious to the moments of magic that you, yourself, have the ability to create or even the dreams that you quite possibly could be destroying?

Every single thing we say or do makes an impact. How we answer the phone, how we order our coffee, how we walk in to the office, take a seat on a bus or respond to emails, how we speak to each other and also how we challenge each other. Our tone, our manner, our behaviour, how we are being always impacts someone else.

And everyone is watching.

The question is are you making the impact you want to make?

We seem to be so busy these days rushing from one thing to another, trying to clear emails, answer phonecalls, get through the endless to do list trying our hardest to keep up with the endless demands on our time. Are we so out of control of our time that this is impacting our behaviour too?

You see the power rests in each of us to create change and momentum for another.

I’m reminded of the Everyday Leadership Ted talk by Drew Dudley. Drew argues rather than viewing leadership in such traditional and static terms, that the impact that we can unknowingly have on another means we are all leaders – spot on I say!

Everyday leadership is a must have. It’s about making a conscious decision to walk the talk.

And one woman who does just this is Mel Thomas. I had the honour of interviewing Mel for this month’s feature issue. With a life history of violence this woman is now empowering women and girls to have a fighting spirit, to raise their standards and to value and champion their safety and wellbeing. Her story is dark but her future for herself and so many others is shining very brightly.

Mel Thomas lives and breathes the concept of creating the positive impact you want to make. She is all about making every connection matter.

It is a pleasure to share with you this month’s issue of GLOSS. Enjoy the learning and insights from business leaders and experts from around Australia and the stories of our LBDGroup members in their own words.

We are all leaders and your leadership matters every day.

As always, remember to Connect. Inspire. Succeed.

Janine Garner | Publisher & Editor

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The people we connect with can make or break our ideas and future success – Lisa Messenger Networking genius – Kieran Flanagan

Networking matters but it’s YOUR personal network that matters more.

Learn to network the right way www.janinegarner.com.au

17-279908

Finally — a fresh alternative to networking that makes sense – Dr Jason Fox

CONTENTS MAY 2017

BUSINESS 15

MARGOT ANDERSEN

Working to align careers with talents; and ambitions with opportunities she and her team provide mentoring, training and talent advisory services.

18

RACHEL KELLY

20

COLIN ELLIS

22

KIERAN FLANAGAN

I am definitely pro-collaboration, and yet, if I’m honest, the word somehow makes me vomit in my mouth a little.

26

GABRIELLE DOLAN

28

OSCAR TRIMBOLI

We are all taught to speak. Yet none of us are taught how to listen.

FEATURE

30

EMMA BANNISTER

34

CAROL YANG

06 06 MEL THOMAS An interview with Mel Thomas, founder of KYUP Project on never giving up.

KIERAN FLANAGAN I am definitely pro-collaboration, and yet, if I’m honest, the word somehow makes me vomit in my mouth a little.

28 OSCAR TRIMBOLI We are all taught to speak. Yet none of us are taught how to listen.

22

GLOSS

MONEY 38

MELISSA BROWNE

42

MILLY BRIGDEN

PUBLISHER Janine Garner

MY WAY 44

DESIGN Magazines byDesign P: 02 8883 5890 www.bydesigngraphics.com.au

KELLY IRVING

YOU 48

NIKKI FOGDEN MOORE

There may be something more valuable than money to some people right now – SLEEP!

52

JENNY BROCKIS

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Margot Anderson Nikki Fogden-Moore Dr Jenny Brockis Melissa Browne

MONEY noun 1. a current medium of exchange in the form of coins and banknotes 2. coins and banknotes collectively

EDITORIAL / ADVERTISING support@thelbdgroup.com.au

38

MEMBERSHIP / FEEDBACK support@thelbdgroup.com.au PUBLISHED BY LBD GROUP

48 NIKKI FOGDEN MOORE There may be something more valuable than money to some people right now – SLEEP!

All content in this newsletter is protected under Australian and International Copyright laws.

Reproduction in whole or in part without the written permission of The LBDGroup is strictly forbidden.

The greatest care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of information in this online magazine at time of going to press, and we accept no responsibility for omissions or errors. All rights reserved.

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NEVER. EVER. GIVE. UP. AN INTERVIEW WITH MEL THOMAS, FOUNDER KYUP PROJECT

I

first met Mel Thomas in 2013. I was a guest at Layne Beachley’s Aim For The Stars Gala Dinner and Mel was receiving a grant from the Foundation.

I remember distinctly her engaging smile, her vivacious personality and her desire to learn and absorb everything around her. Little did I know at the time the darkness of her past or truly understand the depth of her drive to do and change so much. Over the years, I have heard Mel’s story, witnessed first hand her growth as someone taking action - and massive

action – and that engaging smile? Well it’s still the first thing you see. Words I’d use to describe Mel – resilient, determined, inspiring, kind-hearted, big-spirited, empowering, giving.

You see, Mel is one of those stats – one of the too many victims of domestic violence and now she is a woman on a mission. As the KYUP website states, she ‘believes every girl has a fighting spirit, and that she doesn’t need to be a ninja to raise her standards or to value and champion her safety and wellbeing.’

In 2016 Mel was a proud Commonwealth Bank Australian of the Day and an Australian of the Year Awards nominee in 2017. Most recently, InStyle Magazine announced Mel as a Finalist, Woman of Style, 2017.

Here is why Mel Thomas is a woman that will Never Ever Give Up! JG: Mel, I’d love you to share more with our readers about what you do.

MT: I am on a woman on a mission to empower girls and women with self worth and self protection skills. I am a mother and a martial artist, writer and presenter.

I coach teen girls to tune into their intuition and use the power of their voice. Whether it’s taking a stand for herself or others, turning around negative self talk or shouting out in self defence. I believe every girl has a fighting spirit and she doesn’t need to be a black belt to use her voice, know her worth, raise her standards and physically protect herself.

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intuition and the power of the voice, to not only shout in self protection but to take a stand and speak up for herself and others. Girls learn they are stronger than they think and capable of powerfully dealing with a situation that doesn’t feel right.

I deliver my unique violence prevention education in schools, universities and in local communities. My workshops are based on more than 20 years of specialist self defence training in Hapkido and leading expert insights.

Since 2013 I have collaborated and worked with premier educators and experts in psychology, sport, wellbeing and research.

I have learned self protection and self worth go hand in hand. As a girl I didn’t know I was worth protecting, I didn’t stand up for myself and I didn’t stand up for others and I perpetuated the cycle of violence with abusive and controlling partners.

In 2012 I met a young girl who had been assaulted by a group of boys. She had been at the local park after school with her little brother when a group of older boys came along and started making comments about her looks.

The remarks escalated and she told me she was hoping someone would come along to make the boys leave her alone. She became so afraid she found the courage to stand up and go. That’s when one of the boys reached out and grabbed her by the arm.

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He pulled her onto his lap and the girl ‘froze’. Taking her silence as consent the boys physically and mentally assaulted her.

When she finished telling me her story she asked “what had she done wrong?” I told her what I have since gone on to tell more 10,000 students you do the best you can with the life experience you have and when you know better you can do better.

Having lived through domestic violence, teen bullying, both as victim and instigator and street violence I know from personal experience the powerlessness of not having a voice. Today, I help girls understand their body’s crisis response mechanisms and give them the tools to deal with past violence. I talk to girls about

JG: What do you love about your work?

MT: In 1974, the year my father kicked my heavily pregnant mother in the stomach and the year I was born, NSW had 1 women’s shelter. Domestic violence campaigns were non-existent and AVO’s would not be introduced until 1982. It would be another 14 years before courts appointed Domestic Violence Liaison Officers.

Fast forward to today: • Intimate partner violence is the leading cause of preventable death for girls and women aged 15 - 44.

• A woman is killed each week by her partner in Australia • Indigenous women in SA are 80 times more likely to be hospitalised from an assault than non indigenous women.

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In 20 years time will my daughters read the same statistics?

I am passionate about connecting the dots and shining a light on the family violence problem that is as the same as it was 30 years ago.

20 years ago I walked into a self defence class with zero intention of ending the cycle of violence. I didn’t even know I was in it!

It’s an honour to pay forward the skills I have learned to protect myself and help others and I am proud to be a real role model for girls in a real life world.

JG: Can you tell us a little about your childhood/early years and how that influenced what you do now?

MT: As a child of the 80’s, domestic violence campaigns simply didn’t exist. No kid ever came to school and said they were living with family violence. We didn’t talk about it in schools, we didn’t talk about it with friends or neighbours and if things were bad enough and you needed to call the Police you didn’t talk about it with them either.

In a story I wrote for the Herald Sun I interviewed a Senior Police Officer and he told me “cops were told to not clog up the courts with domestics!” I believe it, my father was a violent misogynist with alcohol and gambling addictions. I called the Police to stop my dad from assaulting and nearly killing my mother and my sister countless times.

The Police came and went. Only the colours of my mother’s blood soaked blouses changed.

Growing up with domestic violence was normal, not just for me but for countless kids across the country. The ASCA reported children who silently suffer alongside their mother’s beatings, abuse and belittling grow into adults with heightened anxiety, grief, shame, self-blame and alienation. One third of kids from my generation, repeated the patterns of abuse.

Possibly never knowing another ‘normal’.

Domestic violence shaped and impacted my choices and decisions and I am not alone. I am one of a third of Australians who grew up with family violence. If we are serious about ending the cycle of violence and saving lives then we need to tell the whole story.

I work with teens who put on a brave face and deal with the emotional and legal complexities of family violence.

These kids need to know they are not alone, there is another ‘normal’ and as a community it is our responsibility to get them there.

JG: Who or what inspires you in life and your career?

MT: Oprah! Love her or hate her, and seriously how could anyone possibly not love Oprah, no one can deny she is a powerful and unstoppable human being.

Oprah is a woman who overcame poverty, abuse,

racism, sexism, body image issues and access to education to take on the world and win. Oprah’s triumph over adversity is not just for her it’s for all of us. She speaks out on every issue that impacts the human race and Oprah is irrefutable proof, one woman can make a difference.

Closer to home I am hugely inspired by Layne Beachley.

As a recipient of a scholarship though her Foundation in 2013, I know first hand the significance of her charity.

Frankly, I wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for Layne and the ongoing support of Aim For The Stars and her network. I admire Layne’s dedication to helping girls and women realise their dreams and fulfill their potential. I love Layne’s huge compassionate heart and I have come to learn we have travelled many different paths but we are working to the same destination - empowering girls and women.

Finally my mumma is a continuous source of inspiration. Mum has overcome adversity with grace and dignity. I don’t know anyone who has had as many curveballs in life and she doesn’t just play on, she charges on with courage and resilience. My Mum is made of strong stuff. Loss, heartbreak and abuse are not an uncommon story in families but to suffer so much for so long in abusive relationships I think it would dim the inner light of most. Not mum, she’s

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deep of heart and mind and light of spirit. Mum’s my hero.

JG: What has been your career highlight to date?

MT: Every time I have the good fortune of working with a group of girls is a highlight.

Watching the girls shout at the top of their voices and write words of affirmation on their skin is AH-mazing and all the motivation I need to do what I do.

In the early days I ran a workshop for Kings Cross police and at risk youth. I began the course by telling the students and the Police about what we would be doing. I explained at the end of the course we would hold a graduation ceremony and present a demonstration to

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showcase all the kids had learned in the course.

A 15 year old boy interrupted and said to me matter of factly, “No, not me. I can’t do this Mel”.

I learned the kid had cause for self doubt. He was living with an abusive father, he was smoking meth and he had been kicked out of his last school. I turned on the boy and said, “Not only do I think you will participate in the demonstration you will be SO GREAT you will demonstrate for the entire community!”

Perhaps this was the first time he had to step up, or maybe it was the first time someone truly believed in him. I don’t know and I never asked him but 8 weeks later the same boy and his class

demonstrated all the skills I had shown them. More than a dzoen uniformed officers as well as a bunch of people came along from the local community and it was amazing to see this rag-tag group of kids transformed into a group of energised and enthusiastic teens.

Later, an Officer told me the boy has asked about joining the Police force. We were able to set him up with additional training and he went back in school.

Throughout my career I have been blessed with many memorable highlights but as I sat in my car after that little graduation ceremony I knew I had experienced a moment that would always be hard to top.

feature JG: Are there any mottos that resonate with you, or that you live by?

MT: I share a quote by Maya Angelou with teen girls to help them deal with past violence.

When you know better, you do better.

This quote resonates with me - I particularly love the wisdom of experience and education behind these words. We do the best we can with experience and skills we have. Understanding that sometimes we don’t have a choice in our life experience or how we will respond in a crisis. I tell girls all the time you are not trained emergency services personnel! Its ok. It’s ok if you didn’t deal with a situation the way you wanted to. Let’s focus on what you can do.

You can choose to learn from misfortune, you can choose to forgive yourself and you can choose to be awesome.

Mostly you can choose to grow into the best woman we can be because - when you know better, you do better.

JG: What is the best piece of advice you’ve been given – either in life or regards to your career (or both)?

MT: I’ll never forget when I wrote a deeply personal story about the history of family violence in this country for a leading Australian newspaper.

The Editor called to say my story would run the next day as a lead opinion piece.

Instead of feeling elated to see a story I had worked so hard on go to print I was afraid.

I called my mother immediately, worried about what she would think. In that moment, seeing my story in black and white ithit really home, our stories are entwined.

After leaving my dad, my mum made a new life in another state. Her experience of living with domestic violence was not common knowledge. I knew mum was a survivor but did I have the right to ‘out’ her?

Mum was proud of the work I did with women in domestic violence crisis behind the scenes but this was different and I wanted her blessing.

Her response will stay with me always, “be brave darling, own your story.”

When people ask, “where do I get the strength to talk about a difficult past?” I tell them about my mum. I am the daughter of a warrior. I speak for every girl who grows up with family violence and comes out the other side.

Own your story.

Dr Brene Brown said, “Owing your story can be hard but not nearly as hard as spending the rest of your life running from it. Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light.”

I’m not running anymore.

JG: What would you like to achieve in the future?

MT: I have big dreams of making self worth and self protection skills part of the Australian high school curriculum. I am a firm believer in collaboration! I am excited about upcoming

projects that will see me and KYUP! Project working with NGO’s, Government and leading experts to bring about vital violence prevention education.

By the time a girl starts high school in my home state of NSW she will know how to swim between the flags, protect her skin from the sun and even dial emergency services. But what about when a situation doesn’t feel right?

Wouldn’t it be great if girls could protect themselves as easily as the Cancer Council ‘slip,slop,slap’ campaign? I believe it’s possible.

I draw inspiration from Surf Life Saving Australia , just like you don’t need to be a life saver to be safe on the street, you don’t need to be a ninja to be safe on the street.

Through KYUP! Project I am involved with youth projects in regional indigenous communities.

I have seen first hand the difference to indigenous culture and the community at large when aboriginal teen girls are given a voice. I’m passionate and committed to breaking the cycle of violence in our indigenous communities where girls are women experience higher incidences of hospitalisation from assault.

JG: Richard Branson said, “No-one can be successful alone.” Who has been in your corner driving your success and pushing you to do more?

My long-suffering hubby Craig is a tower of strength. Craig has been encouraging and

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Seek and Design, Alicia Beachley and her award winning Agency, April 5 is on board to manage our Dads and Daughters event this year and Heather Jones, PR Queen from Filtered Media and also on the Advisory Committee. supports me every step of the way for the past 18 years.

My mentoring relationships are absolutely essential. Not only to grow KYUP! Project but also to keep my sanity.

Layne Beachley kept the faith in KYUP! long after I won the scholarship in 2013.

Layne keeps me honest and supports my personal growth and purpose and I am nothing short of blessed to have a world champion in my corner.

Nikki Fogden Moore, the vitality coach, has helped to steer me through the start-up stage with energy and focus, Nikki introduced me to LBD at a retreat - a life-changing presentation that connected me with to the incredible network of LBD women.

Julia Van Graas, Alicia Beachley, Sophie Waterhouse, Victoria Butt, Emily Vestige, Alison Fleming, and of course Janine Garner - wow, each to these women have donated time and talent to the cause. Julia is my secret weapon, she’s so experienced and humble. I am thrilled beyond words to have Julia’s experience on the KYUP! Project Advisory Committee.

There is an incredible team behind KYUP! Project. Brand guru, Glenn Chandler from

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JG: What advice would you tell your 21 year old self?

MT: Lighten up Miss 21 and have a little faith. You have boundless love and appreciation for people, you just don’t know it yet.

Date honourable men your own age. Give your heart away and love freely in relationships because it’s better to have a broken heart than to not feel a thing. A stable, kind, loving husband is on the way and he will teach you that two wrongs don’t make a right but just a little heads up - romance will be whole lot less rocky and a tonne more enjoyable if you open up from the get-go.

Knock off the gossip and trust other women. Extend your friendship wholeheartedly and if it’s not returned learn from it - what was your part in the breakdown? Accept closure and not every friendship will endure. Trust you’re a good person, worthy of love and move on. You are not pizza - you can’t make everyone happy!

Call mum more often and be kinder to her. She worries about you! While you’re at it, don’t forget to say thank you for the thoughtful gifts and sweet little notes she sends.

It really doesn’t take a lot to make her day.

Spend more time with your Nan. She is wise and no other human being on the planet could possibly adore you more. Ask Nanna more questions and believe her when she tells you family is everything and her girlfriends are a lifeline.

Miss 21, lets talk about your self esteem. People genuinely love and care for you but it is not their job to bolster your confidence. You will have to get real all by yourself. The good news - the great things in life never run out and I promise there is enough success to go around.

Own your story, embrace your vulnerability and seek adventure. Don’t be afraid of travel and other races. Pauline Hanson is an idiot, your vote counts and for the love of god please wrap your head around superannuation… future Mel would certainly appreciate it.

Above all, stay curious and ask more questions. It’ ok, you don’t need to know all the answers and everything works out in the end.

Well Mel – I reckon everything is working out well and in the end and I thank you for never, ever giving up.

You are definitely not running any more and teaching all of us and so many young girls to own our stories.

If you want to contact Mel directly or find out more about the KYUP! Project drop Mel a line at https://kyupproject.com.au/

MY LIFE TOOK SHAPE WHEN I REALISED I COULDN'T CONFORM

{business}

noun 1. a person’s regular occupation, profession, or trade 2. commercial activity

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business section

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business

THE POWER OF BEING A

CONNECTOR Our ability to not just connect but facilitate connection is critical to success.

T

here is something quite magical about meeting or knowing a ‘connector’. Those unique people who always seem to know how to help, or if they can’t, know someone who can and who quickly and freely put you in touch with them. More often than not they are the ones that make you feel at ease almost immediately, seem to understand situations even before you describe them and ooze warmth, energy and genuine interest in everything!

Somehow they seem to be able to make things happen quickly. Whilst they don’t profess to know everything, often they know how to make almost anything happen. They are able to tap into well-known networks to help expedite information flow, gain access to resources and help with the expansion of ideas and opportunities. As collaborators they bring not just ideas to the table and new ways of working but also other people. Connectors build bridges between ideas and actions by knowing who to ask to help get things done.

Malcolm Gladwell, author of The Tipping Point and who coined the term ‘Connectors’

describes them as ‘those handful of people with a truly extraordinary knack of making friends and acquaintances. They are able to span many different worlds, subcultures and niches’. Traits common to connectors are energy, insatiable curiosity and a willingness to take chances – as well as an absolute insistence that connecting is not the same as what many refer to as networking. Where as networking is often viewed as a means to an end, connecting is driven by a genuine interest in people and purposeful engagement to better support and assist others.

As our world becomes more interconnected and our businesses move to flatter more matrixed structures our ability to not just connect but facilitate connection is critical to our success. We are expected to take more active, collaborative roles in all that we do. Adam Grant, Wharton Business leader and author of Give and Take explores how our success has become increasingly dependent on the interactions we have with others rather than on the individual drivers of success such as commitment, hard work

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and passion. Rather it is our ability to actively and purposefully engage with new people or reconnect with what he terms ‘dormant ties’ that will most likely be the source of new ideas, ways of thinking and new networks that will contribute to our success. In essence the ROI on becoming a connector is much higher.

‘Connect, create meaning, make a difference, matter, be missed’ – Seth Godin

I would encourage you to consider the following 5 tips to help you become a connector: Quality Connections Not Quantity: Focus your energy and efforts on building a limited number of quality relationships rather than just a million social followers. To be able to purposefully connect with others in a way that offers real value, you need to engage: get to know them, what they do, how they like to operate and what their thoughts and ideas are.

Manage Your Time: Given that we all have only a limited amount of time we need to ensure that we are investing it in the right way.

Spend time with your top relationships and stakeholders – maintaining and deepening them. Take off the transactional networker hat and put on your ‘connector’ hat.

Get Curious: Ask lots of questions. Great connectors know the value of quality questions.

They recognise the power of asking the right ones to unlock new ideas, build rapport, offer new perspectives and introduce new networks.

Give First: As a connector you are often well positioned to give first, which removes what is so often a genuine fear with networking: appearing disingenuous or being considered a ‘taker’. As a connector, who has invested both time and efforts in building quality relationships, your ability to share knowledge, ideas and connections with genuine purpose and value is greatly enhanced. Subsequently so too is their own personal influence.

Step Out: Connectors are willing to step out of their comfort zone and reach out to people they don’t know. All too often we miss opportunities because we go to the same type of events, sit with the same people at meetings and have the same old conversations.

Or worse still we bury ourselves in our phones and laptops so as to avoid the uncomfortable feeling of having to step out and start a conversation with someone we don’t know.

Stepping out brings ideas, opportunities and new networks.

We all know that people are the conduit to success – or failure. How we build and leverage our connections, ultimately determines our ability to influence successfully. Influence our careers, influence our teams and influence our results. What can you do today to build your power as a connector?

MARGOT ANDERSEN Margot Andersen is a global careers and leadership expert.

She is the owner of talentinsight – a management consultancy specialising in the optimisation of careers, performance and business workforce planning solutions. margot@talentinsight.com.au | www.talentinsight.com.au 0400 336 318

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. s e l u r e h t k a e r B . m o d ee r f r u o y d n i F

. e f i l r u o y e v i L

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MY COLLABORATION POWER EQUATION:

1+1=10

One of best lessons I have learned is the powerful impact collaboration has on success, both the collaboration that comes from working well internally but also with customers.

I

want to talk about internal collaboration first because we know that when people work together with trust and respect they are more creative, productive and take more risks.

In other words, collaboration is the lifeblood of a healthy organisation.

Collaboration is not a synonym for cooperation.

In my experience people use the word collaboration without having a shared understanding of what it means.

One person may think collaborating means asking a peer for input, for another, it means ensuring there’s a representative from every area of the business on every project. While that sounds good in theory it can be clunky and unproductive. Just because good things come from working across silos it doesn’t mean that every project requires a multidisciplinary team.

Many people confuse collaboration with cooperation, believing that if they’re nice to

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one another and share information openly they are collaborating.

But collaborating is something different.

It’s when you share a common goal, underpinned by a clear sense of purpose and set up teams and mechanisms to harness it.

Importantly you also need to be working on an issue that requires collaboration and usually that’s when you’re trying to solve a problem or generate options that necessitate the integration of expertise that no single person can provide.

Once everyone can nod their heads and agree on what it means you must provide ways to create and maintain it. If you don’t then you create a culture in which collaboration is just an abstract.

Start with why, move to how.

To start you must be clear about your why, often called your brand purpose. Everyone should be clear about your place in the market, who your customers are and why they

overhead business

would be devastated if you fell off the map.

Then you can ‘operationalise’ it.

• Set the collective agenda – when everyone knows what you’re aiming for, all energies can be clearly directed at the goal.

• Map the plan – once you’ve decided on an approach you need a clear plan with responsibilities and timeframes that everyone in the team sticks to.

• Measure true outcomes – it is important to value and reward behaviour and not just output. How the team functions contributes to the culture and willingness to be part of future teams. It’s also important to remember that the journey is just as important as the destination.

• Communication – I’m a fan of encouraging healthy disagreement to check group think and identify difficulties early on. I found getting people to adopt an alternative position to their own helps them see that there is never just one right answer.

Nothing undermines collaboration more than not being heard or a festering resentment. If something is frustrating you, let the appropriate people know. Manage it respectfully, quickly and transparently.

When disagreements are dealt with openly, they usually disappear quickly. An honest disagreement can build trust because the aggrieved parties end up with increased respect for each other.

Collaborating with customers.

Companies that collaborate with customers smash traditional boundaries. It can be tough to achieve and sustain but technology is making it easier.

One door that’s open is using social media channels. However, social media is more than just a customer service channel. Use it to listen to what people do and don’t like and not just about your own brand, but the industry or environment. If an idea is valuable, let them know, use it if you can. Share the content that customers put out. Draw them into the organisation.

Social media can be particularly powerful for executives if it’s done well – that is – with genuine engagement and personality. Two thirds of customer’s trust companies more if the CEO is social.

Being part of creating something larger than ourselves that connects us to people and purpose brings a sense of career satisfaction and strong culture.

Be yourself, don’t fake it.

Finally, be yourself. That’s my mantra. And it’s the mantra of every successful person I know.

Why? Because we see the disconnect when people aren’t themselves. I know myself that if I am not being authentic I don’t deliver to the same level. Sustained, collaborative success can’t be manufactured, it comes from being true to yourself. If you have weakness in one element of your project, or are intimidated by another part, just say it. Know your personal blind spots. Pretending you know more than you do is a sure recipe for failure.

Collaboration depends on you bringing your best self to the effort every day in every way. In my experience, when people are true to themselves and true to the team, amazing things happen.

RACHEL KELLY Rachel is founder of The Retail Collective, an expert at building global retail brands and organisational transformation and integration. Passionate about shaping and empowering the next generation of retail leaders and entrepreneurs to realise and unlock sustained value. rachel@theretailcollective.com.au | theretailcollective.com.au

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THE IMPORTANCE

OF TRUST ‘The secret of life is honesty and fair dealing.

If you can fake that, you’ve got it made.’

– Groucho Marx

O

f course, it’s very hard to do that all the time, trust me, I’ve tried!

What makes you trust the statement above? Was it because I asked you to trust me? Or maybe you’ve met me!?

Trust is a word we use a lot and for most of us it’s a core value that we uphold in our personal and working lives.

In an Atlassian survey released last week on the impact of Artificial Intelligence on teamwork, the statistic that caught my eye was on trust. According to the survey, 78% of people who were interviewed said that they didn’t trust their teammates. Whilst an even larger 86% don’t fully trust a teammate to adapt to changing situations.

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The PwC CEO survey released earlier this year also mentioned trust. Of those surveyed, 58% were worried that a lack of trust in their business would harm their chance of success.

This statistic is up by 21% since the last survey.

These are pretty startling statistics when you consider that our workplaces, projects and relationships depend on shared trust.

So where did all the trust go?

Too often, we think that trust is a given. ‘I’ve been in this role for 15 years, so they should trust my judgement.’ ‘The plan says it will be delivered by next Friday, so they should just trust me on that.’ And so on. As Simon Sinek said: ‘A completed checklist doesn’t guarantee trust.’

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Trust is earned.

It’s the result of confidence in the person who’s delivering and is a product of history, experience, honesty and the relationship we have with the person. If you want to earn someone’s trust you have to work hard for it.

You have to behave consistently well and do things when you say you will.

Back in the early 1990s, Ratners Jewellers were a dominant force on the English high street. They sold good quality products at great prices. We believed their marketing and trusted their guarantees on quality.

Then in 1991, owner Gerald Ratner stood up on stage in front of other business leaders and told the audience: “People say, ‘how can you sell this [decanter] for such a low price?’ and I say ‘because it’s total crap’.” As if that wasn’t bad enough, he went on to add that his stores’ earrings were cheaper than a Marks and Spencer prawn sandwich, but ‘wouldn’t last as long’.

For the reward of a few cheap laughs, Ratner completely eroded the trust customers had invested in his brand and almost overnight wiped $500m off the value of the company. It eventually went into receivership and ‘doing a Ratner’ became a saying for people who made fatal communication gaffes.

Each organisation has a duty to act honestly, ethically and responsibly in order to gain the trust of its employees.

By doing this, they create the right kind of environment for staff to be the best version of themselves and work collectively to achieve their goals.

In her book The Creativity Formula, Dr Amantha Imber says: ‘Employees who trust their employers are looking after their best interests are much more inclined to offer ideas and engage in other innovative behaviours.’

Jules Goddard and Troy Eccles in their book Uncommon Sense, Common Nonsense went one step further and said ‘If senior executives put their career on the line – for example – by making jobs and rewards contingent upon the success of a change program, they will earn the trust of their people. Otherwise it’s just posturing.’

One organisation that I worked for insisted on keeping certain projects a secret, citing ‘sensitivities’ and ‘delicacies’.

In reality, what they were saying by doing this was ‘I don’t trust you with this information’. I was able to get them to change their approach as everyone was talking about the projects anyway!

In order to collaborate successfully to achieve project or organisation goals, trust is critical.

Trust that you’ll all uphold the behaviours you’ve agreed on. Trust that you’ll deliver on your promises. Trust that you’ll listen to and respect new ideas. Trust that you’ll be honest at all times. Trust that you’ll help each other and say only nice things behind people’s backs.

When you act in this way, collaboration is high and so is performance. When you don’t, targets are missed, great employees leave and customer confidence dissipates.

Honesty and fair dealing should never be faked. You can trust me on that.

COLIN ELLIS Colin Ellis is the author of The Conscious Project Leader and works with organisations around the world to transform their project cultures and help them deliver projects successfully every time. You can find out more about him and his work at www. colindellis.com hello@colindellis.com | www.colindellis.com 0474 206 151

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business

LEARN TO COLLABORATE…

FOR SELFISH REASONS

I am definitely pro-collaboration, and yet, if I’m honest, the word somehow makes me vomit in my mouth a little.

I

rail against corporate jargon, and it seems, quite tragically, collaboration has become one of those words that has earned its place on the corporate buzzword bingo list.

Today in business, collaboration has become a generic value that is commonly espoused yet seldom delivered. Business, after business, plaster their websites, annual reports and resumes with their ‘collaborative approach’.

‘We’re very collaborative’, ‘We have a very collaborative culture’, ‘It’s one team, one dream around here!’

Yet most aren’t truly collaborative.

The definition of collaboration seems to have be a little mixed up and modified for the sake of political correctness. It is used as a demonstration of a positive, amicable culture. We frequently use the word to mean ‘play nicely with each other or else HR will send you on a course’.

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The infuriating process of ‘decision by committee’ has cleverly renamed itself collaboration. It is now a badge that says, ‘above all, we get along’. It shouldn’t be.

Instead we should embrace collaboration as something we do for our own gain.

Here’s how: 1. Chase progress not harmony.

Collaboration doesn’t have to be kind all of the time. Working towards a common purpose doesn’t mean you have to be best friends, share all your secrets and braid each others hair.

Disagreement is a powerful collaborative tool.

Debating, arguing, challenging and disagreeing breeds change. Sometimes to change perspective you have to get a few scratches climbing up to a higher vantage point. Often you need to be called out for

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Collaboration is defined as the act of working with someone to produce something. No mention of sharing every little part equally and fairly. Yet somehow the notion of fairness pervades our current take on it. We seem to have decided that in true collaborations everyone gets equal credit and a say in everything.

But that just makes for more work and further decisions for everyone.

Collaborating should make you better; it should fill in your weaknesses and blind spots.

It’s like having a side mirror that allows you to see what’s coming your way and what you could collide with. It should give you a role and a place to contribute that isn’t like anyone else’s. So seek difference and different roles.

Share what you need to and run with your own stuff where you can.

It is about contribution not conformity.

True collaboration is about creating what would not be possible until all are in the room together. your blinkered approach, teased for your old fashioned views, prodded for your slow thinking and challenged for your safe and certain strategy.

Some of the greatest collaborations have been tumultuous, rocky and far from non-stop smiley faces and group hugs.

When you consider collaborative partnerships such as Abbott and Costello, Lennon and McCartney, Fred and Ginger, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis or Johnny and Baby you realise that no one should put collaboration in the let’s be nice to each other corner.

Tension often is where the magic is. When you truly value what collaboration can do you focus on the outcome not just the process.

2. Don’t share everything If you had siblings growing up you probably did what my sisters and I did and on the rare occasion you were allowed soft drink you carefully poured it and measured it to the millilitre. That is sharing. It is not collaborating.

3. Have a goal bigger than your differences The Euro tunnel is one of my favourite examples of the power of collaboration. It is one of the seven wonders of the modern world and an engineering marvel.

Yet for me what makes it extraordinary is the fact the French and English collaborated on it. The common goal was bigger than their differences (and dislike of each other).

If they can work together you can work with those you don’t like but who can help you achieve something bigger than what you could alone. That is what great collaboration is. Creating something worth being uncomfortable for.

If you are collaborating make sure the why is clearly defined. Know what you personally will get out of it and what you get out of it together.

4. Seek growth not love Having people who love us is vital but not necessarily to collaborate. Those who love us are meant to love us unconditionally. Whereas

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those who collaborate with us should love what we can create with them.

If we want to be challenged, if we want to be greater, if we want to be more, we need to see collaborative people as more than those who give us a hug and tell us what we are doing is amazing.

5. Embrace irritation I once bumped into someone who had worked for me some years earlier. She was doing well, her career had progressed to a leadership position and she seemed happy.

She proceeded to tell me she never really liked me when she worked for me (she used the word almost hated) but that she was so very grateful.

She told me that of all the jobs she had had and all the people she had worked for, working

for and with me had irritated her the most, but I had made her better. I was the only person who wasn’t a ‘friend’ but was a stand for her brilliance and ability to do more.

Apparently I irritated the greatness out of her.

That is collaboration to me. People who push, prod, poke, cajole and irritate us into greatness. Those who refuse to smile and pretend that our current view of the world and importantly ourselves is enough. Those who see more for us than smiling compliance to the status quo. Those who stretch us into a different shape, alter our current views, processes or preferences and move us forward.

Sure it’s not always nice or pretty or full of high fives. But it is wonderful.

Don’t do it to be nice; do it to be smarter, better and greater than you would be all by yourself.

KIERAN FLANAGAN Kieran Flanagan is an in demand speaker, trainer and author who teaches individuals, entrepreneurs and companies how to develop their critical and creative thinking to gain a competitive edge. Her mission is to champion the forever skills we all need in this coming age of automation. kieran@theimpossibleinstitute.com | www.theimpossibleinstitute.com 0419 498 772

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Your life does not get better by chance, it gets better by change.

Jim Rohn

feature business USING STORIES TO BUILD AND STRENGTHEN

CONNECTIONS

At the core of all human interaction lies emotion. It is therefore not surprising that we prefer to do business with people we like as we thrive on relationships and connections.

T

his holds true in both our personal and professional lives. Consequently, business people are looking for a way to fast track deeper connections within the workplace and storytelling has emerged as a natural and authentic way to do this.

Storytelling has been around since the dawn of time, however it’s only recently that modern business has started to realise the power and potential of this ancient art.

You might already be aware that telling a story makes good sense, but it is more than that. It is actually based on good science and how our brain operates.

Our brain has different parts, and each part has a different job. The left side of our brain, for example, helps us think logically and organise our thoughts, while the right side helps us experience emotions and recall personal memories. We also have a ‘reptile brain’ that makes us act instinctively and a ‘mammal brain’ that helps us connect in relationships. And our brains have a neocortex, which is connected to a complex series of nerves and networks called the ‘limbic system’. This is responsible for the development of the bond and connection we feel between ourselves and another (like the mother–child bond).

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When we tell stories different areas of our brain are stimulated and start to work together, combining words, logic, emotions and sensory images. Accordingly, we see the whole picture and communicate our experience. With all this activity going on, our emotions go into overdrive.

Essentially, this means that stories provoke an emotional response. Good stories make us feel something as we listen to them — excitement, anger, sadness, empathy or enthusiasm. Our emotional reaction can mean we feel something towards the person telling the story, which helps create connection — similar to the bond our neocortex helps develop.

In the 2014 Harvard Business Review article ‘Why your brain loves good storytelling’, neuroeconomist Paul Zak revealed the powerful impact the love hormone oxytocin has on the brain when we tell stories.

Oxytocin is also often referred to as the ‘trust hormone’. Our bodies release it when we are with people we love and trust, when we hug, or even when we shake hands in a business meeting. And it’s released when we listen to stories. Oxytocin being released signals to the brain that everything is okay and it is safe to approach others — essentially, that we won’t be attacked or eaten, as would have been the case back in the day.

So not only does a good story make us feel different emotions and a connection to the storyteller but, at the same time, the love hormone oxytocin is also signalling that we can be trusted and therefore strengthens the connection.

This emotion is important because emotion impacts our decisions. Decisions such as: • Do I buy from you?

• Do I get behind this change?

• Do I accept the role with you?

• Do I trust and respect you?

overhead business Our audience will be forming these types of questions whether we’re trying to get them to buy-in to an organisational change or motivating them towards next year’s goals ...or simply trying to connect with them.

Research by neuroscientist Antonio Damasio also shows emotion plays a significant role in our ability to make decisions. While many of us believe logic drives our choices, the reality is that we have already made an emotional decision and we then use logic to justify the choice — to ourselves and to others.

Damasio’s research involved examining people with damage to their frontal lobe, which is the area of the brain where emotions are generated and that helps to regulate personality. Except for their inability to feel or express emotions, the participants had normal intellectual capacity in terms of working memory, attention, language comprehension and expression. However, they were unable to make decisions.

The vast majority of participants could describe in logical terms what they thought they should be doing, but they found it difficult to actually make a decision, including making a simple choice like deciding what to eat. This indecision came from them going over the pros and cons for each option again and again. Presented with a choice to make, we struggle to make a decision without some form of emotion influencing it.

Damasio’s research does not stand alone. According to Christine Comaford, neuroscience expert and author of the New York Times bestseller Smart Tribes: How Teams Become Brilliant Together, 90 per cent of human behaviour and decision-making is driven by our emotions.

Not fully understanding this is often why we get incredibly frustrated when our team members do not do what we want them to do.

In our mind, our request makes logical sense!

But as best selling author Dale Carnegie put it, ‘When dealing with people, let us remember we are not dealing with creatures of logic. We are dealing with creatures of emotion.’

Marketing executives and advertisers are acutely aware of the power of using storytelling and emotion in business to drive purchasing decisions. You only have to look at the latest car advert for proof!

A study of over 1400 marketing campaigns submitted to the UK-based Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) rated how effective marketing campaigns were, based on profit gains. The results showed: • campaigns based purely on emotion rated as 31 per cent effective • campaigns based purely on logic rated as only 16 per cent effective • campaigns that combined emotion and logic rated as 26 per cent effective.

This research indicates that using logic alone has the least impact and using emotion has almost double the impact. (For more on this research, go to www.neurosciencemarketing. com/blog and search ‘emotional ads’.)

Suffice to say storytelling is a powerful tool when making a connection with another person. Essentially, well told and purposeful stories initiate an emotional response and lead to greater levels of trust between you and the listener. That’s why if you’re looking to make a connection with someone in your workplace, it makes scientific sense to use a story.

This article is an edited extract from, Stories for Work: The essential guide to storytelling, by Gabrielle Dolan.

Published by Wiley in February 2017.

GABRIELLE DOLAN Gabrielle Dolan is a trainer, mentor and keynote speaker specialising in storytelling, thought leadership and women in leadership. She is considered a global thought leader in storytelling and an expert in business communications. She is the founder of Jargon Free Fridays and her latest book Stories for Work: The Essential Guide to Business Storytelling is available now. www.gabrielledolan.com | 03 8383 2128.

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THE 4 HABITS THAT DERAIL YOU FROM BEING A

GREAT LISTENER We are all taught to speak. Yet none of us are taught how to listen.

W

e can instinctively identify when the person we are speaking to isn’t listening. It’s a natural human instinct to detect when someone isn’t listening. We don’t need training to understand when someone isn’t listening.

You learned to listen before you were born – 20 weeks after conception. It was the first skill you ever developed – you learned to listen before you learned to breathe or speak.

Did you forget something about listening after you learned to speak? So why are so many people so bad at listening?

Poor listening is individual and situational.

Poor listening habits are a function of who you are speaking to, as well as the nature of the dialogue. Each of us, when we are not conscious of deep listening, can fall into four listening types. These aren’t productive listening habits for you, or the person you are in dialogue with.

As you explore the 4 habits of poor listeners, see what people and situations that you fall into with any of these styles. Sometimes you will fall into these habits with people you know well or those you meet for the first time.

The cost of not listening for leaders is significant especially as you try to bring about change and impact inside and outside your organisation. The lost potential is massive and the frustration it creates brings chaos, confusion and conflict in the workplace.

As leaders, when we understand that our staff and customers don’t just want you to listen, they want to be understood and heard.

The challenge is like a simultaneous equation – two independent variables engaged in the same place and time. This means when you are speaking you need to be conscious if your speaking style matches their listening style and conversely how can you as a leader help a speaker to be more flexible in

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their speaking style through deeper listening.

To help hone your listening capability, see who you can think of when you listen in each of the 4 ways. You might notice which one or more of these you are guilty doing.

1. Lost Listener You are in your mind rather than in the conversation. The lost listener is so absorbed with your self-talk you don’t create enough space in your mind for the dialogue to land because you are so busy thinking about your last thought or your next thought that you can’t focus on the discussion. You are lost before you turn up to the discussion.

TIP: When you become lost, focus on the speakers breathing.

2. Shrewd Listener You are too busy trying to solve the issue before listening to their explanation. This is the affliction of a quick mind. You are so brilliant that you think you can fix the issue you are

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discussing before they have explained it. Not only are you so brilliant at fixing the issue they are explaining, you are anticipating and fixing 3 to 4 issues you think you should be really discussing. You are shrewd enough to wait patiently and not interrupt, yet you are not present or involved in the dialogue. You are so far into the future that you have forgotten the dialogue is happening in the present.

TIP: Listen beyond the words and content and focus on the context of the dialogue 3. Interrupting Listener You are too focused on finding a solution that that you are finishing their sentences for them because you feel they are moving too slowly in describing the issue. You listen with the intent of solving, rather than an intent of listening curiously and completely. You interrupt and interject before they can fully explain. The speaker feels frustrated and rushed because although you are listening to the content, they can’t completely explain their thoughts.

TIP: Listen for what is unsaid – what is speaker not saying?

4. Dramatic Listener You love drama and you explore and over explore every element of the discussion. Rather than help the speaker progress the dialogue you are stuck in understanding the historical events that have led to the discussion. The dialogue feels frustrating for them because your well meaning and constant questions are distracting.

You not only love listening to their drama, you also enjoy creating a bit yourself. You are so engrossed and engaged in the drama of their story that you get lost in the speaker, rather than being focused on the dialogue.

TIP: Focus on the patterns in the dialogue, not the actors and the storyline.

Do you notice yourself or someone you know in these 4 habits of poor listening?

Deep Listeners are focused on impact through dialogue.

They listen beyond the words. They are focused at all 5 levels of listening. Yet most of you focus listening on the content and the speaker. Deep Listening is a skill, it’s a discipline and a practice. Awareness of deeper levels of listening is the starting place of improvement.

As leaders, you play a dual role in listening.

You need to be conscious of how you listen and adapt to the dialogue you are participating in. You also need to create a space to listen and hear for the speaker, the result is greater trust, better communication and transformational impact.

OSCAR TRIMBOLI “Oscar’s like Yoda, he asks powerful and transformational questions” An expert in assumptions and listening to what matters. He helps leaders go beyond the obvious and explore alternatives that makes continuous change practical. The result for teams and organisations is faster progress, more impact with less effort.

Sign up for an advanced copy of my book “Deep Listening - Impact Beyond Words” (to be linked http://www.oscartrimboli.com/deep-listening-preview/) www.oscartrimboli.com | Linkedin https://au.linkedin.com/in/oscartrimboli Twitter https://twitter.com/oscartrimboli

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KICK-START YOUR

INNER CREATIVE

‘Are you creative?’

I recently attended a conference where the speaker asked us this very question. A few hands went up around the room, but not many. The speaker then went on to explain the definition of ‘creativity’ – namely, that it does not translate to how ‘artistic’ you are, as many people wrongly assume.

creativity - the use of imagination or original ideas to create something; inventiveness.

Being creative is about having an imagination – and each and every one of us, has one of these. Unfortunately, it’s just been drummed out of us at an early age that creativity, curiosity,

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experimentation and expression of ideas are all things that are not associated with work, a job, a business or a career.

Creativity is actually about problem solving, thinking laterally, about generating and brainstorming new ideas and coming up with different ways of presenting those ideas.

That’s why in the 2016 World Economic Forum report, The Future of Jobs, chief human resources and strategy officers from leading global organisations revealed that the skill of creativity, in particular, will be needed in the workforce of 2020.

It is thought that as we begin to rely more on machines to make decisions, then humans will need to supply what machines cannot: creativity.

“The good news is that you do not need to ‘be artistic’ to ‘be creative’ with your presentation.”

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There are far too many unnatural, text heavy and overcomplicated messages being communicated today, especially in the PowerPoint heavy world of presentations.

That’s why you need to get creative.

You need to brainstorm ideas on how to best communicate your main messages in a compelling story that will have your audience on the very edge of their seat (or screen).

How could you use a mix of words and images, infographics and diagrams, to create emotion, to connect with your audience and sell them your main points in a way that hasn’t been done before?

There’s a really simple four step process that I use to kick start my own inner creative when I’m coming up with ideas for a new presentation: 1. Brainstorm Write down all your thoughts and explore multiple ideas for your presentation. What is you main message? What are the key points you need to make? How best could you present these? This is about quantity not quality – a brain dump. Silence your inner voice and set your mind free.

beginning and end of your presentation and at key points while you present.

The hardest part in the creativity process is extracting information out of your brain and explaining it in a way that others can understand.

Put the heart in art To see how easy it is to come up with visual images (with minimal artistic talent) just look at Visual Storyteller Christoph Niemann’s work.

The below visual helps us to see when a picture is either too abstract or too real to understand it, or associate with it.

Somewhere in between the two opposing ends is an icon that works perfectly and simply to convey your message.

2. Think visual Sketch your ideas onto paper. This is about visualising your key messages, main points, data and information that will make sense to you and to others. Draw diagrams and mind maps to connect the dots and your thinking.

Remember, this is not about ‘being artistic’; it is about being open to explore.

3. Sense make Turn chaos into calm. Get rid of everything that isn’t essential to your main points. This is your ‘aha’ moment where you start to make sense of everything you have brainstormed or sketched out. Begin to cut out the unnecessary clutter.

4. Action Pull out one clear message that sums up your presentation. This might be one sentence that communicates your purpose, or a visual that is easily understood and connects with your audience. This is what you will use at the

Using strong visual references (like the above) helps create clarity and a much stronger emotional connection with whomever you’re presenting to. It’s these kinds of emotions and visuals that are what your audience will remember long after you’ve presented to them.

So just remember that creativity comes in many forms and is actually a really enjoyable experience!

You need to cultivate positive emotions about the experience to reduce fear and anxiety that will chew up all your creativity (this is what authors call ‘writer’s block).

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Remember, you don’t need to be a winner of the Archibald Prize to be a creative genius.

Look around for ideas from other (good) presentations and visuals. And don’t just stop there – inspiration comes from everyday stuff and situations like books, magazines, and when you’re walking the dog.

Just try it and see!

Top 5 creativity kick-starts

Creative resources to help Videos • https://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_ says_schools_kill_creativity • https://www.ted.com/talks/adam_grant_ the_surprising_habits_of_original_thinkers • https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=DYaq2sWTWAA Websites • http://www.designfaves.com/category/ creativity • https://www.behance.net/ • https://dribbble.com/ Books • The War of Art – Steven Pressfield • Creativity, INC – Ed Catmull

• Search for inspiration in books, magazines or websites • Gather ideas and take photos from everyday events • Take regular breaks from sitting at your desk • Work in blocks of time to give your brain a break • Get outside – fresh air and walking is best

EMMA BANNISTER Emma Bannister is the Founder & CEO, Presentation Studio.

A presentation expert with over 20 years’ experience and Telstra Business Women Award 2015 + 2016 finalist. Having built APACs largest presentation communication agency Emma is passionate about changing presentation culture. Emma’s first book, a guide on Visual Thinking in Presentations will be out later in 2017. emmab@presentationstudio.com | www.presentationstudio.com 0404 230 212

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SHE WAS POWERFUL NOT BECAUSE SHE WASN’T SCARED BUT BECAUSE S H E W E N T O N S T R O N G LY

despite the fear.

- AT T I C U S

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CONNECTION PRECEDES

COLLABORATION “People buy into the leader, before they buy into the vision” – John C. Maxwell

R

ecently as I was digging through a stack of business information, I was struck by the amount of business lingo we use to describe the leadership and business challenges we face. I was swimming through a sea of EVPs, EAPs, HCMs, KPIs and virtually any other acronym you can think of.

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It made me wonder if in our focus on the work, that we’ve lost sight of the forest for the trees. We’ve lost sight of one simple fact – what drives the beating heart of every organisation are the people. We also forget that as humans, we come fully loaded with emotional baggage and needs. We bring all this to work every day, and subconsciously it

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affects our performance, and how we interact with our teams and colleagues.

One of our most fundamental needs is our desire for connection. We’re hardwired to connect. Socially, we seek out other likeminded people to fulfil our innate desire to be part of a ‘tribe’ that accepts us and has our back when we need help and support.

Social connectedness helps improve overall emotional and physical wellbeing, and studies have shown that people who are more connected to others have lower anxiety and depression. In fact, the pain of social rejection is real. A brain imaging study by Ethan Kross at the University of Michigan suggests that the parts of the brain that are activated during social rejection are the same as when we experience physical pain.

We bring our desire for connection with us to work as well. Throughout my corporate career, the leaders who have most inspired and influenced my leadership journey were the ones who weren’t afraid to share a little bit about themselves – what they stood for, who they were outside work – and who showed a genuine interest in me as a person, not just their employee.

When you can relate to your colleagues and connect with the company mission, an invisible thread forms creating a feeling of ‘we’re in this together’ infusing us with a sense of belonging and a greater sense of purpose. As such, you’re more likely to go above and beyond. Conversely, if you feel no sense of connection to your manager and to your company’s purpose, then chances are you’ve mentally checked out and are doing more clockwatching instead of value adding.

Connection also builds trust. Leaders who cannot build trust lose their power to influence. Anyone who’s ever tried to secure buy in from others know first hand that relationships grounded in trust are an essential prerequisite to smooth the way to greater influence and commitment.

Connection precedes collaboration.

Clearly, forging stronger connections at work is good for us, and for the business.

So, as leaders, what are we doing to connect better with our people? How can we help them connect their contribution to the wider company goals?

Are we doing enough with our leadership development programs to develop the people management and interpersonal skills that are so crucial for getting the best from our teams?

What are you doing personally to build a stronger sense of connection so that work becomes more energising and meaningful?

Let’s first clarify what ‘connecting’ is really about.

Connecting is about: • Relating to and making the connection one-on-one.

• Showing respect for the individual. This means eye contact and putting down whatever you’re doing to pay attention to what they’re saying. As in really listen, not pretending to listen.

• Having a genuine interest in the other person. Hearing their stories to get to know who they are and understanding what’s important to them in and outside of work.

• Having empathy when managing multiple conflicting points of view and when you have to make important people decisions.

• Building mutual trust and respect to pave the way for collaboration.

Connecting is not about: • Making friends and being ‘besties’ with everyone.

• Avoiding tough conversations when needed to address performance issues.

• Finding ways to manipulate the other person into doing what you want.

To develop leaders who can handle the complexities of globalisation and diversity, organisations need to help their leaders build their interpersonal and people management skills. Research conducted by the Center for Creative Leadership shows that about one third of senior executives derail or plateau at some point, often due to their inability to build cohesive, high performing teams or

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regulate their own emotions when stressed.

Without an increased focus on these skills, organisations risk building a strong talent pipeline for the future.

But there is more that each of us can do as well, as leaders of our organisation and as employees ourselves, to build stronger connections at work.

As a leader, you can: • Have the courage to show up authentically.

Let your team get to know you as a person, not just as a boss.

• Get out from behind your computer and interact with your direct reports. Consider a walkabout during the day and stop to speak to 1-2 people.

• Show genuine interest in your people.

Understand what they value and be concerned about their overall wellbeing.

• Help your direct reports see how their work connects to the larger company purpose.

• Facilitate building connections among your team members to form more cohesive teams, and help them build stronger relationships with other groups and stakeholders.

A great way to begin relating to your boss is by understanding what keeps them up at night, and supporting them to succeed. Not every manager is comfortable getting up close and personal. Pay attention to how they prefer to communicate and work, and adjust your style to suit theirs. Remember connecting is not about making friends necessarily. It’s about being able to relate to each other to find common ground for collaboration.

If all this sounds like it takes time and effort, you’re right. It does require an investment of your time and effort on your part. But if you care about results, then you should care about building stronger connections.

As an employee, remember that your manager is human too. As such, they also have an innate desire to connect with others, though sometimes their behavior may not indicate that on the surface. For some managers, the fear of looking like they don’t know what they’re doing gets in the way of forming real connections with their people.

CAROL YANG Carol Yang loves working with leaders to bring out the best in themselves to achieve success on their own terms. As the Founder of Spring Forward, she helps leaders improve their leadership influence and confidence as they navigate the complexities of globalisation and diversity, and works with organisations to improve performance and develop a strong talent pipeline for the future. carol@springforward.com.au | www.springforward.com.au

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BE LIGHT. BE LOVE. BE PRESENT.

. u o y Be

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{money}

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money section

noun 1. a current medium of exchange in the form of coins and banknotes 2. coins and banknotes collectively

money

THE IMPORTANCE OF FEMALE

FINANCIAL WELLBEING

I

’ve been described many times by people who know me well as resilient. I expect it’s meant as a compliment and of course I accept it as that. After all, the definition of resilience is the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties and stress. Toughness is another way of describing resilience or the ability to successfully rise from the ashes and come back stronger than ever.

It’s phoenix-like and brings visions of durability and determination.

I see resilience as a gritty thing. It’s a teeth clenched, steely-determined, finger-tip gripping, push through to the end kind of word. And it’s what many of us aspire to – it’s what we want for our lives, for our finances, for our children. The ability to bounce back. The ability to be resilient.

Personally, I don’t ever want resilience to be my end game.

I’m incredibly happy to have the qualities of resilience: toughness, determination, durability. But I don’t want to simply be recovering from aftershocks in life. Instead, I think resilience needs to be something we pass through or perhaps have in our toolkit on our way to the end game of wellness.

After all, if I asked you, when it comes to your health, do you want to be resilient or do you want to have wellness I’m sure you’d say both.

But we don’t aim for resilience. Instead we aim for wellness.

Resilience is something we draw upon when we’re going through illness or suffering but it’s not somewhere we want to live. Rather, wellness or the healthy balance of mind, body and spirit which results in an overall feeling of

well-being is more likely to be our goal. To live in harmony, to be vibrant and able to live our lives fully and completely. To be strong, fit, flexible and dynamic.

When it comes to our finances and our businesses we’re often told to be resilient.

This is a good thing because we want to be able to weather storms. But is simply weathering storms truly living?

That’s why I believe when it comes to our finances, our businesses (let’s be honest, all of our lives) we should be aiming for wellness. To not simply grit our teeth and bear our financial situation or wait for prince charming, a fairy godmother or a fantasy lotto ticket to come rescue us but instead to become the author of our own financial story.

A story we’re actually excited about. A story which not only protects us but allows us to live out our goals and aspirations. The same goes for our businesses.

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We need to embrace business wellness not simply resilience. To not simply resolve to sit down and look at our numbers like we’re ingesting brussel sprouts, but rather to embrace all parts of business ownership with the understanding that when we do, we’ll not only weather the storms but we’ll also be able to enjoy the sunshine.

While I’ve always been an advocate of financial wellness, up to now it’s been something I’ve thought was an obvious thing to aim for. Up to now this was purely based on gut. But I was pleasantly surprised to see this was one of the findings from research conducted in the UK recently. At the Good Shepherd Microfinance Resilient Women Summit last year, Professor Elaine Kempson, an Emeritus Professor at the University of Bristol presented her research which concluded that policy should concentrate on financial resilience as well as the end goal of financial wellness. Her research found that women’s financial education and financial capability programs particularly needed to have financial well being as their primary goal.

Dr Kempson’s research showed these programs particularly need to focus on modifying behaviour, not simply imparting knowledge and developing skills which will only have a very limited effect on the financial wellbeing of adults. Of course, she also highlighted we need to recognise that lower incomes and other environmental factors can have a much bigger effect. Women can’t achieve financial wellbeing against the odds however capable they are. But the end game

once we push through resilience should be to open the door of wellness.

Interestingly, her research also discovered that budgets don’t work, which she’s going back to look at further this year. I think this is an obvious finding. After all, we know that diets don’t work long term. Instead, we need to discover great life long habits and a better relationship with food. So why would we think it’s any different with our finances? When something is restricted we immediately want more of it so it makes sense that the same is true of budgets and money. Budgeting falls under financial resilience. It’s restrictive but sometimes it’s a necessary first step. Instead, mindful spending and becoming a conscious consumer who lives according to their values, goals and healthy money messages falls firmly instead under financial wellness. Will you still track your spending? Sure but you may not need a restrictive budget because you have your eyes on the goal of wellness and are tracking your spending mindfully.

If better money management or financial resilience was a goal this year but you’re already struggling this is a great message to convert to instead. Yes, financial resilience is important. We need to have a certain measure of toughness, grit, gumption and the ability to push through. But we don’t want to sit down and dwell amongst resilience but rather head towards the far sunnier shores of financial, business and let’s face it, whole of life wellness. Now that seems like a 2017 goal worth aiming for.

MELISSA BROWNE Melissa is CEO of A&TA (www.byata.com.au) and The Money Barre (www.themoneybarre.com.au) as well as co-founder of Thinkers.inq (www.thinkersinq.com). She is also author of More Money for Shoes and Fabulous but Broke. melissa@byata.com.au | www.byata.com.au | 0407 720 803

40 GLOSS | MAY 2017

THERE’S NO SHORTCUT TO

success.

YOU NEED TO WORK

hard for it.

feature money

SURROUND YOURSELF WITH

EXPERTS

To achieve genuine success in property investment and grow your personal wealth, buyer’s agent and property investment professional, Milly Brigden, strongly recommends following the processes we use to grow our businesses - connect and collaborate.

H

ow many times have you been at a dinner party, a business event or just catching up with friends and been given a ‘hot tip’ for a property investment opportunity? Seems like everyone is an expert when it comes to sharing information, whether or not it’s backed with facts and stats or just a comment overheard at the bar or on the train to work. In the current environment it could be fake news or alternate facts!

Property ownership dominates both news reports and social conversation. Housing affordability, rising property prices, new developments, overseas investors – seems everyone wants in on the action and everyone has an opinion to share.

So how can we sort the fake news from fact, differentiate personal opinion from research based advice in our quest for success in the thrilling and dynamic arena of property investment?

Answer: surround yourself with a team of experts and take full advantage of the professional resources available. A property investment professional and buyer advocate like myself, a good property lawyer, specialised property tax accountant and a savvy, proactive property manager all have a valuable role to play and contribution to make towards successful property investment.

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Sure, anyone can purchase an investment unit with their own basic sensibilities and some do very well. But my concept of real wealth creation is establishing an income stream to generate enough money to live your aspirations, ideally before you get out of bed in the morning!

But to achieve that level of success in property investment requires collaboration and that works both ways with me. My clients collaborate with me and on the other side, I connect with reliable sources of research data and analytics and collaborate with property developers to bring offmarket opportunities to my clients.

This advice I’ve learned and earned on my own, quite long property investment journey. I bought my first investment property at age 19 and now in my 40s, while wishing I had been smarter and bought a property every year since, I’ve been fortunate to be able to turn my passion into my business and have been assisting and empowering private clients to create wealth through property for over 10 years.

Property investment can be a minefield for both new and seasoned investors. Most successful individuals are busy enough and too time poor to properly assess every aspect of every investment opportunity on their own. They have good intentions and even a plan, but suddenly time passes and before they get around to taking the plunge, the market has boosted another 20% and they’ve missed the opportunity.

overhead money

It makes sense to connect and collaborate with proven experts, take full advantage of their sound strategies to empower and assist you to achieve success in property investment.

Collaborative Strategies I’ve seen and still see, many people approach property investment in an ad hoc fashion – I have some surplus funds so I’ll buy an investment property and they start scouring the real estate listings.

To achieve success in property investment over the long-term, I advise following a very strategic approach - planning, research, due diligence and buying and selling decisions. I work with clients to establish their personalised strategy, based on what they want to achieve while providing an objective voice to remove subjective and personal matters and assist them to focus on the real issues at stake. It’s a totally collaborative process.

Sharing the Research We’re all intelligent business people so of course we know that astute business decisions are based on thorough research and due diligence. But when it comes to our personal investments, do we follow the same strict rules? Sadly, not everyone does.

Research is key and by research I don’t mean investigating an individual property at the conveyancing stage or just prior to auction with all the usual reports, surveys and title searches.

Even in today’s sophisticated investment scene, I still come across investors who want to buy a property because they love the place or they’ve heard it’s the next suburb to take-off, rather than undertaking proper market research and making buying decisions objectively.

When it comes to research, I analyse the markets across Australia for both macro and micro market

indicators with my connections and access to key industry data. Sharing this in depth knowledge and data is a fundamental part of my service and savvy investors realise the value of this level of collaboration. When it comes to property investment the smart investor does not rely on the advertising hype and features extolled by the seller.

Different areas of the Australian property market are performing at different stages of the property cycle and you need to have a complete perspective. If you confine your investment decisions to your own backyard, you’re doing yourself a disservice.

Taking Advantage of the Connection This high level research and planning forms the basis of my due diligence process, which in turn determines ‘buy’ and ‘sell’ decisions. I collaborate, connect and engage with property market research professionals. Even the most astute investors fail to capitalise on certain investments by buying or selling at the wrong time of the property cycle.

It’s like knowing the meaning of life. There is no definitive timeline on buy/sell decisions, it’s all based on analysing the economic indicators and assessing them in relation to your individual investment strategy.

My business is based on connections and relationships. They keep me in my authentic space and collaboration is the key to my business growth - partnering with likeminded individuals that have the skills and values that will add value for me and for my clients.

In a nutshell, surround yourself with lots of relevant experts and coaches to support your field and most importantly will provide your clients with top end service and values. Now that’s not fake news!

MILLY BRIGDEN Milly Brigden, is CEO and Founder, MB Property Advantage.

Milly Brigden is a buyer’s advocate and property investment professional, who empowers and assists clients through her sound strategies and grounded approach. This 40-something mother of three began investing in property at age 19, had successful careers in real estate and investment banking, before turning her passion into her business. m@millybrigden.com.au | www.millybrigden.com.au | 0418 522 422

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my way

44 GLOSS | MAY 2017

my way

CON NECTION IS

Q&A

KELLY IRVING 1. Where were you born and where did you spend your childhood?

I was born in the UK, but I grew up in Perth, WA. Much of my childhood was spent rolling around England in a kombi van with my mum, dad, brother, and family dog.

We moved to Australia when I was 12, but my brother stayed in the UK, so I’ve spent a lot of time between the two.

2. Where did your professional dream begin?

I can’t say I’ve had one pivotal moment when my dream began because, like most, my progression hasn’t been an A to B journey. I’ve been a graphic designer, a travel

writer and an editor in the corporate space, for example.

I can say that each of these got me to where I am today, and they all involved being brave and taking initiative. From knocking on a magazine’s door saying I wanted to be their editor (which I was, for four years) to sticking my hand up to help edit my first client’s book (which got accepted by a major publisher and has spawned many more books with the same client, and many publishing contracts for other clients). My real dream is to keep my mind open to what will happen next.

Unlike most editors, you don’t need a finished manuscript to start working with me – in fact, it’s better if you come to me before you start writing, otherwise you’ll waste time backtracking.

It’s a very intimate process – part thinking, part editing, part mentoring and part ghostwriting – where I get to know who you are, what you do and what the right persona is for your book. Then, together, we work out the best way to convey that with the right strategy, structure and story in place to strengthen your positioning and IP or break into the right market.

3. Tell us more about what you do?

I help thought leaders and business experts write and publish books – either self published or through a major publisher like John Wiley. I have a five-stage process that starts with the initial idea or a publisher proposal, and ends with design and publishing.

4. What have you learnt about yourself during your career?

That I am capable of anything – I just have to believe it.

(Ditto for everyone else.)

5. What 3 key gems of advice would you share?

1. Ask: ‘what is the purpose of your book?’

GLOSS | MAY 2017 45

Too many people debate over ‘self published versus traditional publishing’, but the choice comes down to who you’re trying to connect with, why and how you intend to reach them. Just what is it you’re trying to achieve?

Saying you want to ‘position yourself as an authority in your field’ is vague and, hence, unattainable.

2. Keep it simple.

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A book is a two-way conversation that must lead a reader through simply and elegantly with a story. Most authors try and cram way too much content, models or ideas into one book. Really it’s about introducing your audience to an overarching concept and answering any questions they might ask along the way – who, what, why, when, where, how?

3. Learn, leverage and laugh.

Writing a book is a big achievement, a legacy. It’s never easy, but it shouldn’t break you. Your thinking will evolve as you’re writing, so embrace what you learn and apply it to your positioning and everything else you do. Think about what you’re leaving in this world. It’s serious, but it’s not so serious you shouldn’t smile along the way.

my way

6. What are some of the mistakes you made and learnings from them?

Learning to ‘let go’. I am a perfectionist and it has taken concentrated effort to accept that ideal doesn’t exist. In the past, I would waste hours toiling over single ideas, words or paragraphs. All this ever did was create anxiety and angst. When I learned to let go and stop judging myself, ironically, I became more productive. Now I like much more of what I write or work on – even though I wouldn’t say it’s perfect.

7. What keeps you going?

I am constantly learning and being inspired by some of the best thinkers around. It’s a privilege to be trusted to better and strengthen my client’s intellectual property – this is their entire life’s work!

I’ve always struggled with how solitary writing is because I am motivated by being around people, so I have flipped the experience to be very collaborative. Each

and every book I work on gets treated like it is ‘mine’.

I see my clients as partners, and I will push them to put out the best content they can.

That is pretty awesome!

8. What’s next in the journey of BRAND YOU? I’d like to be known as someone who works with the world’s best thinkers.

I’m not putting out ordinary books; I’m publishing the best books. I would also like to share my knowledge and learnings with more people who are planning a book, whether it’s their first or fortieth. The early stage of a book is where the real value is, that’s where I can help.

9. Your favourite things: Destination: Surfcoast, VIC (It’s my home; I love it) Drink: Water (boring, but essential) App: Buddhify (or anything else for meditation) 10. If you were a hashtag what would it be? #writefirsttime

KELLY IRVING KELLY IRVING helps thought leaders and business experts write and publish books and whitepapers. She distils your thinking, strengthens your IP and perfects your positioning. Her clients include self published and Wiley authors: Janine Garner, Gabrielle Dolan, Simon Dowling and Paul Broadfoot, to name but a few. www.kellyirving.com

GLOSS | MAY 2017 47

{you}

pronoun 1. used to refer to the person or people that the speaker is addressing

48 GLOSS | MAY 2017

you section

feature

you

More ZZZs please!

There may be something more valuable than money to some people right now – SLEEP!

W

e’re already well into the new year, and the best laid plans have seemingly become a distant memory for many people already suffering from “too busy” syndrome and not enough sleep.

A dangerous cocktail.

For some of you it may be a new baby … or that new baby may be a new role, merger or a new business. But here’s the thing - if there’s something keeping you awake at night, it could end up keeping you further away from sustainable success.

Significant emphasis is placed on exercise and diet for general health and wellbeing, but a big part of this wellness and vitality picture is actually often left out. The sleep element.

Sleep is the most important thing that our body needs to act well, be well, think well and do well - yet so many of us just aren’t getting enough of it. All the training, incredible work effort and great deal making won’t help you if you’re starved of sleep.

Whether you’re suffering from insomnia already - or scratching the surface – learning how to use sleep to reboot your mental, physical and emotional hard drive so you can go kick some serious goals the next day is key to your success.

Why Do We Need Quality Sleep According to the Harvard Medical School sleep study program the following can happen as a result of a lack of sleep:

• I ncreased risk of disease and health problems - study after study has revealed that people who sleep poorly are at greater risk for a number of diseases and health problems.

• Lack of sleep exacts a toll on perception and judgment - in the workplace, its effects can be seen in reduced efficiency and productivity, errors, and accidents and sometimes the effects can even be deadly, as in the case of drowsy driving fatalities.

• What many people do not realise is that a lack of sleep—especially on a regular basis—is associated with long-term health consequences, including chronic medical conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease, and that these conditions may lead to a shortened life expectancy.

Quality sleep is vital to wellbeing. Yet quality, peaceful sleep eludes many high achievers. So here’s my top tips to help you get back into the land of ZZZs without turning your world upside down.

Step 1: Recognise how you got into the habit of bad sleep Stress, over-thinking things, over-training, a bad diet, long work hours, travel schedules, the wrong foods before bedtime are all contributors to sleep deprivation. Other areas include: • Using the laptop, iPad or phone late in the evening, staying on social media too long or watching TV for extended periods before bed.

GLOSS | MAY 2017 49

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• B ad lighting and ventilation in the room or even clutter are also contributing factors, I know for me, I like to have natural light in the room and fresh air not air conditioning wherever possible.

• Unfamiliar surroundings, noise etc.

Step 2: Get Back Into A Quality Sleep Pattern • Avoid digital devices 1 hour before bedtime.

• Create a calm and airy room with good ventilation and limit external noise and distractions.

• Read a book (on paper) and one that is more novel than business so you can relax your mind.

• Use an app like OMVANA to play soothing meditation music and set the scene for your body and mind to wind down.

• Do 3 minutes of slow stretching before bed or try the Child Pose – simply allow your body to relax.

• Leave your phone outside of the bedroom.

• Creating a relaxing environment with a diffuser and essential oils is also a great idea.

• Try to set a regular bedtime and go to sleep time.

Step 3: Know your own sleep requirements • I know that my magic number is 6 hours – for others it may be 8 hours. Get to know your body and what it needs to feel recharged.

• Keep a sleep diary to identify your sleep habits and patterns, so you can share it with

your doctor or specialist. You might find that you start recognising your own patterns, and you can change some habits as well. Include the foods you eat, the time you go to bed, as well when you get up in the morning.

Step 4: Be Mindful Of The Message You Are Giving Yourself • Change your mindset about sleep. It’s crucial to not talk yourself into a bad routine and more stress. Trust in the process of making some small habit changes and channel your thoughts from worrying less to a place of peace. If you keep saying “I can’t sleep” chances are you’ll not sleep well.

• Create a regular bedtime routine and a regular sleep wake routine.

• Keep a diary of the things that are on your mind.

• Make it a priority to focus on getting quality sleep back into your life for it is essential to be healthy, wealthy and wise.

Know that you can get back into control and start trying some practical ways to get sleep back into your life. Take the pressure off and put practical steps in place to run your body like your business. Make sleep a priority not something you fear won’t happen.

Remember, you are in charge of designing the life that you want, so it’s crucial to be the CEO of your personal as well as your commercial vitality.

NIKKI FOGDEN MOORE Nikki Fogden-Moore specialises in working with CEO’s, entrepreneurs and high achievers and fast paced companies in creating the life they want, seamlessly blending business and personal vitality for ultimate success. Founder of The Vitality Road Map, Author of VITALITY and FITPRENEUR she’s known by her clients as The Mojo Maker. She divides her time between private coaching, Corporate Vitality programs, Boardroom Retreats(TM), workshops and presenting on an international level. www.thevitalitycoach.com.au | Twitter @nfogdenmoore

50 GLOSS | MAY 2017

Despite all of your changing, shaping and growing, don’t forget to be true to yourself.

feature you

CONNECTION IS

HUMAN One of the loneliest times of my life was while living in a small bedsit in central London.

Although I worked alongside people during the day, on returning to my single room at night I was miserable, isolated and felt very alone.

L

oneliness is a killer. Social isolation puts us at greater risk of an early death, especially if we are young. Admitting to feeling lonely carries it’s own social stigma, keeping it hidden from view and harder to resolve.

Connection is human.

As a species we are hard wired to connect. We thrive when operating within recognised groups or tribes. Social cognitive neuroscientist Matt Liebermann (now there’s a mouthful for you) believes our need for human connection is as vital to our survival as shelter, food and water.

Today, our ability to connect with each other has never been easier, thanks to the wonders of our new technology that paradoxically is also contributing to a greater sense of disconnect

52 GLOSS | MAY 2017

and loneliness. Social media is a boon and a burden, connecting us to our ‘friends’, and facilitating constant contact over the cyber webs in real time. We share thoughts, ideas, and photos telling the world what we’re doing right now, what’s great, what’s not, anticipating buy-in and a response to feed our need for immediate gratification of knowing we’re part of the connected tribe.

But it’s also contributing to increased levels of anxiety and depression. Because of the lack of context of the shared messages, it’s easy to get a false perspective of what’s really going on.

We are all experts at jumping to conclusions and making massive assumptions of what someone else’s reality is.

When faced with too much information and too little supportive fact we risk taking

overhead you everything at face value rather than thinking more critically. Who is telling us this? Do I believe it? Is it a fact or an opinion? Do I agree with it just because it aligns with my own beliefs?

Safeguarding our need to connect boils down to being selective and taking care who we accept as our social media friends. Quality not quantity is what counts. It’s like how you choose to spend time at a networking event. Do you schmooze the room, speed dating your new contacts and showering them with a confetti of unwanted business cards, or do you take the time to get to know a couple of people, having longer and more meaningful conversations to discover more about them?

In her book Alone Together Sheri Turkle asks the question whether our technology is leading us to expect less from each other.

The answer is yes unless we know how to put certain boundaries in place. While digital technology is fabulous for maintaining those connections that might otherwise be lost, getting down to the nitty-gritty of building relationships and establishing trust and empathy is about real face time.

Connecting with others is not only essential to our health and wellbeing and keeping us in the loop of what’s going on, it’s about greater understanding. Though we can never know exactly what’s going on in someone else’s head even if we have access to an MRI machine!

Connecting and collaborating creates the magic - sharing stories, ideas and knowledge; amplifying who we are. We come together as one.

Forget about engagement, what we really mean is connection.

Connection is about choice, choosing who we want to hang around with, who we can learn from, who we believe will look out for us when everything is turning to s#*t, and keep us accountable.

Getting on well with others is a choice. You may be an introvert or an extrovert, someone who loves sport or someone who is into heavy metal. Knowing who you are with self-awareness of your own imperfections, biases and belief systems helps you to have greater compassion for others we see as different. Choosing to be open to alternative points of view leads to tolerance and acceptance. It reduces our level of reactivity “what did they mean by that remark?” and increases our responsiveness, “I wonder what’s going on with them, they seem upset?”

We find strength in community.

Connection makes us feel accepted and acknowledged for who we are. It keeps us in what is called a “towards” state where the brain feels safe and anticipates potential reward which could be in the form of friendship, sex or chocolate.

Teamwork when done well is hugely empowering, creating a sense of contribution to something bigger than ourselves, and motivates us to kick our goals.

In 2014 Perth based social and business entrepreneur Alicia Curtis set up a giving circle called 100 Women. Her vision was to bring together a collective of women keen to contribute as everyday philanthropists, to enhance access to health, education and economic freedom for girls and women around the world. Three years on the group has gone from strength to strength now celebrating giving over $300,000 to grant recipients. The group’s success can be attributed to the level of connectivity and collaboration. Members each have a voice, using their vote to determine where the money will be spent each year. Networking events allow fellow members to get to know each other better creating a strongly collegial environment.

Collaboration doesn’t have to be hard, but it does have to be worked on, nurtured and maintained, starting with understanding how to create meaningful connections.

JENNY BROCKIS Dr Jenny Brockis is the Brain Fitness Doctor, specialising in brain fitness and mental performance and the author of the best seller Future Brain (Wiley) She works with business leaders to create workplace cultures that enhance and support all brains at work www.drjennybrockis.com jenny@drjennybrockis.com | 0408 092 078

GLOSS | MAY 2017 53

BUCKLE UP, AND KNOW THAT IT’S GOING TO BE A TREMENDOUS

AMOUNT OF WORK,

embrace it.

TONY BURCH

Need to give an influential presentation?

Emma Bannister, Founder & CEO of Presentation Studio shares her experience in creating winning presentations.

Most of us dread giving a presentation – it was my greatest fear. Yet in a hectic world the chance to communicate directly with your audience is a rare opportunity to advance your career and grow your company.

Whether it’s pitching for new business, motivating your sales team or giving a keynote speech, your presentation needs to be engaging, memorable and successful. With ten years’ experience crafting presentations, we’ve uncovered the essential elements of a winning presentation.

#1

Discovery We found a lot of presenters were unclear about what they wanted to say, what they should say and how to say it.

Through a Discovery workshop we help them pull out the essence of their message, then distil it into an engaging story.

#3

Visual Design Would you rather read the words or watch a visual story?

A quarter of Americans didn’t read a single book last year. But they spent an average of 5.5 hours a day watching video content. Visuals stimulate the imagination which leads to faster, more profound understanding of your material.

And they make it memorable.

Words only enter short-term memory: images go straight into long-term. Death by PowerPoint can be avoided by integrating visual design within the presentation.

#2

Content - The Art of Story Do you want to hear a presentation or would you like me to tell you a story?

Numbers, stats and fact-filled slides don’t impact your audience; on the contrary.

For decades Neuroscience has studied the relationship between story and the human mind - and repeatedly found our attitudes, hopes and values are story-driven. When an audience becomes immersed in your story, they drop their barriers, quiet their scepticism and open to your message. Stories engage your audience emotionally. Whether it’s a pitch for new business, sales report or training session, you influence your audience through a compelling story.

#4

Integration Rather than add a few stock images and edgy fonts, story and design need to be integrated for a presentation to be memorable. Our writers collaborate with the visual design team to convey the story concept. The designers interpret, develop and create a stunning visual representation of your insights.

The combination of these four elements creates a presentation that doesn’t just engage, it gives you the power to influence.

Presentation Studio also offers speaker training and on-site event support.

For more information, or if you have a presentation you’d like us to review, visit us at www.presentationstudio.com or call 1300 699 609 (inside Australia) +61 2 9046 7000 (outside Australia)