DL Live Training Transcription People

Live Training Transcript ESIP Model - People

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D2 – P1 ESIP Model – People

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How’s everyone doing this morning?

Lots of cheering!!!

Yay good to have you. So did you guys do lot’s of thinking last night?

Lots of yesssssss Little bit.

Laughter I think my work here is done. How about it? so what came up for you guys?

Let’s get this conversation going so I know where you guys are at. Yes? One quote that you said yesterday, hit me pretty hard which was cool which was ‘the blind spots in you, are where you are suffering .

Yeah Thought that was pretty awesome, just thinking about my blind spots, and where my companies suffering Yeah good, that’s why it’s so important to just keep getting educated as you are, just keep asking the questions, never be afraid of getting a view or imput that’s counted to what you thought was the thing to do. That’s ridiculous fear to have.

Cos that’s what your team will start doing, they’ll start blocking outside voices, and become very insular and that becomes the mass, so, that’s great. And I know you’re doing that which is terrific. What else? What else went on? Yes? I like the bit about the Avatar being totally focused on who the avatar is, in particular that target, cos when you get other people around and you think well maybe my avatar is not as defined and there a little bit of craziness there, that avatar, and eventually it will come down down down to that …

Yeah, and it takes, it actually does, this isn’t a sexy message at all. It takes years to get, to refine that. And in the beginning you’ll say I’ve got a number of avatars, as we heard a few people say yesterday and, I think that we’ve got two avatars you can have a guy and a girl and people start negotiating with me?

Laughter Like I’m the keeper of the knowledge of the avatars?

Laughter Sharon what if you have two? I don’t know! But eventually you land on one.

And that’s who you 1.56 all the time, and it works. It Just does, so do it this way yah?

I share this, a big discovery this morning, on everything you talked about, from let’s start with avatar, an avatar is actually me as a leader in the company. So, if I mirror what avatar I want, I have to be the leader That’s it. yeah. You must mirror what the avatar desires.

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And then, I will attract the right team to work for me, which means they are also me.

Guess what one thing this morning, was my supplier, um people that supply me things, they are also me. Cos if I don’t insist what I have, I am rubbish.

Yes you do. Suppliers must be, ESIP managers. to me.

Yes, good. And you must all must be ESIP managers. Otherwise the conversations a counter and pushing different directions.

And then it went into a structure.

That’s ok… as long as you stay with E, put a little bounce into S at this points cool, What the E needs and put my structure to the E. Perfect. All structure should be dictated by E, and all implantation should be dictated by the structure in the E, and so on.

And that will create the profit I need.

Oh good. Congratulations. Great. I’m looking forward to see what you do in the next year. We should stay in touch. Yah. I can tell you’re pumped ….I’m loving it. did you get any sleep?

Yes, I am disciplined in that area. I must have some sleep. And I get up early Yeah. Ok. Yeah I was up early this morning thinking of what we’ve been doing, it’s been fun. What else? What else came up? Yeah?

Graceful arrival, Lots of agreement Yeah that really hit home for people.

The benchmark and then thinking about ESIP map, so achieving graceful arrival what it is, the structure for that.

It raises the bar early in terms of project planning.

Lots of agreement.

Yup. Cos you can’t just go into it and give it a burl, a lot of things we do look spontaneous, but there’s a lot of work that went before that, to pull off spontaneity, which is experience. Yah? We were thinking about graceful arrival in terms of implementing everything that we learnt yesterday, so how can we make that happen? And um, Yeah. Absolutely, it’s got to be paced, you gotta pace it to your team. You can’t be evangelistic about it, I know, I want it now. Yah. Anybody who isn’t in this

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room. Can’t possibly connect with where you’ve arrived at. Does that make any sense?

Agreement It just, it can’t happen, that’s why one of the reasons I used to get hired a lot, I was brought in by a team leader to say to the team we need the team together and I give the message the team leader needed them to hear. But from an outside voice which raises the credibility, cos of the team leader says it’s only part of truth but if someone else says it is true. Does that make sense?

Agreement It’s the reporter model. You bring a reporter in to say which is ridiculous, it’s more likely to be true, so you can get away with, raising the standards faster.

But when it’s just you, you need to take it steady. And it needs to be the consistency will pay off, and discipline will pay off, more than aaaaahhahahah in the beginning.

The raaaaa will backfire. Cos there’s no way, cos you’re hearing your knowledge and you’re raaing at this level but their knowledge is here. They have no idea what this is, they can’t see it. and anything we don’t understand what do we tend to do? We fear it and we then reject it. and then they say things like, what’s she on?

I’m lucky that I’ve been on the receiving end of that, one of my first ever jobs, my employer went away, she discovered personal development and it was amazing, but came home, we called the enlightened wake up.

Oh my god there we go!!

Laughter You have a contrast. What else? Yah? Two things, the market that we want, the high quality clients, attracted to yes the new difficult but only when that is has it’s standards in place, to maintain expectations around behaviour, and we do what we do.

Say it again.

So the high quality clients that that we want to attract, are those that are interested in the new the innovating the different, not only that, but to have the structure the standards in place with that, that’s where you get the reality.

Yes. Yep. Good operators will only take calculated risks not ridiculous risks. It’s not punts to them, it’s not gambling, it’s a calculated risk. And that’s the client you want. The calculated risk taker, not the punter. The punter tends to be the very early in business low profits, so there’s nothing to lose but time. Yeah?

The other thing was what Matt said, um, when he was talking about putting the structures in place and how it clicked for him was to ask himself, what do I need to have setup so that someone else can come in and do this role and do this job just as well or better than what I can. And I went ahhh.

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Yes. Yep. Yep. And your weak links are where that attitude isn’t there. I truly believe particularly in our business, you rise as much as you can backfill. Haha.

Does that make sense? So as much as you can backfill you can rise, cos you stand on the foundations you built, so there’s an inevitably in your progress. yep. But if you can’t’ backfill, you’ve left weakness which is the same as the what you said about operators, good operators want to reach for more but they want all of this in place to support the more. Yeah? It’s the same with good people in your business they will reach for more but they will ensure the business is not as risk cos they will backfill., what had to happen to get it out there. That’s the type of team you want, that’s the attitude you want, you know anyone who comes to you and says which has never happened I would say in the eleven years I have never ever had this, because who I am, enables people to get on with being wherever they want whoever they want be successful as they want. So I’ve never had this conversation but I’ve heard it happen, if anyone ever comes to you and says ‘I think I’m due for a pay rise,’ I’ve never had this in eleven years, or ‘I’m due for more responsibility’ if that happens, two things have occurred. You either didn’t notice their potential and you let them down, or the second thing is, they are reaching for potential, they have backfilled yet. So in the first scenario they are reaching, sorry I can’t remember which way round I am doing it, you didn’t see their potential, they have been backfilling and you didn’t notice they are ready for more. You should be ahead of that curve all the time, the moment someone’s backfilled, you give them the next stretch.

If they wanna go, if they wanna get ahead. I mean that’s part of your conversation with them, you still keen to keep going, is this too hard, is it harder than you thought it would be, are you ready for more? Are you sorry you ever asked for more responsibility, you know all those conversations that can happen.

You get interesting answers. But the second scenario is, um, they think they’re ready because of ego, and they haven’t understood the importance of the backfill. So their out here when to reach, not realising that that’s a very weak limb for the company to depend on, cos the moment they turn their back on that, cos this is not structurised, that’s such a word, it collapses. And they’ve left the mess behind them, and I hear stories of this all the time in companies, and it quite staggers me, cos I’ve actually never had that conversation ever.

What do you guys think about that, I think that’s …I think that’s phenomenal that I’ve never heard that conversation? Because I’m always thinking, I’m always assessing the person not how well they are doing their job but their potential. Are they ready for the next, or are they limiting themselves, so I’m always ahead of the curve with my team in terms of mentoring, and if I’m ever behind, they just take on more anyway. Does that make sense? Like sometimes I think I’m behind with Tish, and you go and interesting ways, and I’m like rock on, you’re much more of an expert in that than I am, and I trust her completely, so she’ll go in a new direction. And I need sometimes tell me what she’s doing, cos the trust is no need to manage. Not even manage; let alone micro manage. Does that make any sense? That’s, that’s the atmosphere you are looking to create. Where there’s a playfulness of the journey in your team, and their not feeling they gotta check in with the boss if this is ok. When people build their confidence the most you get is, you might wanna know we are doing such and such. Do you wanna know anything about that? No. rock on. That

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tends to be my answer isn’t it? no you got it. Go. I think all three of you have had that from me. Diego?

Yes absolutely Yep just rock on. Do it. you rocking. Now it isn’t that I’m not interested it’s me saying to them, you got this. And if you need reassurance from me, you haven’t got it. Does that make any sense?

Agreement Yeah. I don’t know how we got there; I think it was response to a comment? I trust the answer rocked. Ok what else? What else did you talk about? What else did you think about? Yeah?

The smoothness like let me understand how the mould works.

You’re not managing your layers well for this room. You go from t-shirt to jacket, gonna pull a jumper on every time you’re cold?

I was thinking more the …..

You need a blanket.

Laughter Cos the effort it takes to put a jumper on, cos yesterday it was on and off like a bloody yoyo Laughter Now you’re doing your jumper, I’m thinking you not thought it through.

Laughter Go Jacob, go. This is an important conversation. How to manage your structure!

It makes such sense. The order that it works and it has to be through that order. And smoothness of one against the other.

Yessssss. Good! We did good yesterday, you guys are getting it. Yup…so the idea, who’s seeing the potential in their own businesses already or with their clients? Who’s just saying yep?

Agreement And it’s, don’t get hung up that you can’t do all or you don’t get all of it straight away. It’s, that is not the point, this is a journey of discovery, you gotta dig the journey. You can’t be annoyed if you haven’t arrived yet, I haven’t arrived yet no one has, the point is the journey and getting a team who digs that journey.

We have a team who all talk in ESIP. That didn’t happen straight away, I was the only one talking about ESIP for how long? awhile

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Thank you that’s very kind Laughter I reckon Glam, you got it the fastest. You actually demanded a mentoring session with me, where I taught you a project planning by using ESIP. Yeah, and then I thought I was just buffing along, so now So now you ESIP everything. She interviews in ESIP, everything, it’s the company culture is an ESIP culture, it’s that culture all the time. And if everyone is talking the same values, it everyone’s talking the same language, you immediately have shortcut in all your conversations, you getting that?

Agreement Cos then you don’t have to have a conversation about someone’s belief, you say that’s an E challenge, and everyone knows what you mean. And you’re done.

You don’t have to decode everything you say and explain it all. It’s like you’re not focusing on the E everyone gets what you mean. Instead of having to redefine what you mean by the content. Does everyone get the difference between content and structure? The content is what happened, the structure of it is how you define it, it’s the symbol of it, so you people might have really crappy conversation and you could say ‘you’re really stuck in P’ and we’ll all know what we mean. So we immediately know that the E the S and the I was missing. Yeah? Or you get two people -thanks Diego- who are um, this used to happen, it doesn’t happen nearly as much now, one of the most annoying things can happen for me as a leader, I go to someone ‘how you’re going with that?’

‘Oh we had a great conversation’ well how P of you. Nothing happened, you didn’t structure anything, you haven’t planned anything, there was no E, but you had a great conversation? How lovely. How useless. And I don’t get that so much anymore but in the beginning, when you’re training a team if they say to you ‘oh we had a great conversation’ and your point?’

I get that all the time Well Laughter Your response is ‘and your point?’ I’m so pleased you guys are getting on, how lovely, could you have done that at lunch time that tell me what fucking happened.’

Conversations fine as long it’s about the job.

Yeah, otherwise it’s just chat. Why are you importing your pleasant conversation to me? I’m like your monitor of conversation?

Laughter She’s writing that one down.

Laughter

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I don’t know whether to be scared or pleased. I’ll figure it out. Yeah?

So framework is phenomenal.

14.48 cultures?

Yes, it explains cultures, and you can chunk it right down to I want a long conversation.

Yeah. You just notice when someone is in the conversion. And it immediately tells you where the problem is. Cos their just so focused on the I the I the I did, that I’m doing and I’m doing, and there’s no planning and there’s no linking the task to the vision, and it’s just head down, I’m doing, I’m doing, I’m doing, you immediately get that their so task focused their not seeing the big picture, they’re not linking what they’re doing their potentials limited, mentoring is needed, and if they keep doing it, feedback gets given, and I have given this feedback and a number of times in my company, so you know that thinking means you’re going no further in this company in terms of your advancement.

You cannot as long as that’s your thinking. But now they get that. It’s not my personal view, it’s not me just having a subjective opinion about someone, it’s you’re not doing S and E, you can’t go any further, that’s it, that’s the ceiling on the business. If your just I and P, great conversation and doing lot’s, how could you move? You’re not back filling you.

Talk to me, don’t just stare at me.

Agreement Big part for me yesterday, as well is re-training yourself to work in this light, cos I think a lot in S I realise, hardly in E, and I’m leading the company and so if your gonna arrive anywhere gracefully it’s gotta start with you. And what you’re thinking, so you’ve actually gotta got to start re-training yourself.

Yes. Yeah. Or, you have someone around you who does E well. You don’t have to be great at it all, when you own or lead the business. But you have to know your blind spots, and get someone who’s strong in it. You have to. Or, you are constantly being the blind spot in the business. Does that make sense? So, you’ve got an E, she’s E. So, you’re fine.

Ok Cos you’re not, you don’t have to be everything and trying to be everything is quite exhausting. You just have to recognise where you’re blind spot is though, and know that’s where the company is probably being held back. And its opportunity lost in terms of profit and potential and growth, cos to have the four dimensional view of your company is to me a lot more fulfilling than just we structured and managed really well. I’m not inspired by that as an employee.

We have a well-structured company. You sound like the government. So, does that make sense? Like wow you’re well-structured yayayayaya. You getting that? It’s not exactly heart thumping stuff. To hear that it’s well structured, its heart thumping to hear it’s on a mission and it knows why it’s here. You guys can’t be this quiet. Where trying the make good TV here.

Laughter

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So really, talk ….

Laughter And then, I’m very good at the E side of things, just not very good at S. Ok So that’s where I have let myself down in the past, is not that filling about S So you’re out on weaker limbs? Yeah, that’s what happens when you’re strong in E and you’re weak in S you go out on a weaker limb you don’t backfill. And the backfilling will cost you. You did know, you did know you’re pretty smart.

You just didn’t have awareness around it. again awareness the blind, having awareness of what was a blind spot, immediately you can shine light on it. you know you can do something about it. great. Anything else? Yeah?

Business, because he’s very strong on the structure, and I’m very strong on the environment, and both of us have been thinking about on getting the other thing right. You know..

What a relief Yah, so Rock on Then you say that to Greg…

The best business partnerships have someone strong in E and someone strong in S. There the best. If you have both in E, it’s less effective cos now you need to get someone else who gets all of what you mean. What causes you heart to thump about what you do, and to get all that and, they have to be able to structure.

No. don’t appreciate and understand this importance, and the best business partnerships – the only ones that work, have demarcation around ESI and P. so, rock on with being the figure head and rock on with structurising the crap out of everything. Cos groovy. Whatever. Ha ha Laughter Isn’t it though? Yeah, the danger is when business partnerships are both fighting for the same space and voice, in the business, there’s no point, I’ve got the voice, shut up, just do something else. And the ultimate leadership is you don’t care who has the voice, um, the functional flow goal, is it doesn’t matter who’s leading who’s ever the best to leadership should lead. And the best leader never wants it to be them. Just rock on. You got this, you got this. That’s where you want to be. When I keep hearing stories you guys have been telling me some awful stories yesterday about how that’s not how it is in corporate. Where people are wanting to keep their turf and keep their voice and keep their leadership, that’s pointless. There’s not growth in there, and I can’t imagine you’re attracting very high performers in that kind of culture. Cos the high performer, you’re in their way. especially with the younger generation, don’t

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get in the way of people who are young and enthusiastic in coming up, that’s why I have such a young company, cos, huge generalisation, and I realise I am about to say you know seriously, report me, cos that would be awesome.

Laughter I haven’t had enough of that. Um… Laughter When we get to grownups, the grownups come in with how it should be, but when we get young at heart people, they come in and look at how it could be.

And I don’t need more shoulds, I need more coulds… is that making sense?

That’s a great analogy It really is. So, you get the young at heart, I don’t care what age they are, but they gotta bring the spring fever of the exploration. That tends to be, and also the older at heart, come in with an arrogance, of knowing best. There is no place in an organisation, the first ninety days, the person who comes in should shut the f*** up and learn and be grateful. And then after ninety days, they start suggesting ways to improve, or the moment they’ve shown confidence. Suggest ways to improve, but never confuse confidence with competence. Just cos your tails wagging and you’re feeling your hot shit. You ain’t until you can do it.

Does that make sense? So keep it the separation the competence and the confidence, is a good way to go as well. And usually around ninety days, start really paying attention to this high performer and encouraging it, but one of the mistakes we made when, I made, when I hired the adults, the grownups last year or the year before, they came in and thought they knew best about everything from beginning when their new nothing about our E. Does that explain everything?

Yeesssss They didn’t try to get our E, and then started focusing on the S. Didn’t they?

They didn’t understand it because that wasn’t on the black board then.

They definitely did not think in the E. what amazing lessen in terms of recruitment. Just telling the importance of you got to hire leaders who are high socially developed around E and the value now they would swear to their graves that they are people people. But they pissed off everyone. But they will go to their graves saying, the companies wrong. It wasn’t us.

So with your Midas theme, are they high in E? Casey Sorry What was the question? Are they…

High in E Midas team.

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Ah, not they’re getting there. so the conversations we’re having at the moment there very, I suppose um.

Diego Laughter So, at the moment they’re still in the development stages, and cos they’re their compliant, its head down and let’s get this done. And, and really results focused And that’s what I suspected that really high on the S side of things, and developing into the E, that’s starting from there.

That’s right. So, when we’re having conversations it’s let’s step back or look up, and let’s have a look at the big picture. So, from compliance though, that’s a little challenging sometimes. But we just, you know message keeps getting delivered, and they are looking up for more and more which is great. Does that answer your question?

Yeah, no thank you.

We’re going to do more of a discussion on that with the team leaders cos that’s an important discussion. Is analysing, what strengths do you want on a different departments and what you need to develop to work with them. And the patience you have to show, cos obviously you know dream factory, and structuration, not that first one.

Laughter So, any other questions or comments, and we’ll get the team leaders up so you can. Yeah? You were gonna. Oh you flicked your pen, I was onto you.

One thing I really love and appreciate about the ESIP model, is that no matter what age people are in the company, it really enhances the communication especially around giving feedback. Because you’ve empowered them, with a structure, for feedback so, it’s not personal. It’s just there’s an understanding a respect. To what happens and your trying to do.

Yeah, and it encourages feedback. We’ll get the team leaders talking about that. should we get them up here?

Yess Could you welcome the team leaders please!!!!?

Huge applause Bring your own chairs.

Laughter BYOC We don’t have Pheona, I think she’s on the phone and in a face to face at the same time. Yah.

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Laughter That’s fine. Diego? Don’t worry about that, just boost the chairs up and come on down. So this is Tracey from the Midas Team, if we could welcome her please.

Applause Yeah, you’re in heaven right now, you’re in heaven!! So welcome, all for you.

Ah, this is Kyle, uh in our Dream Factory, which is marketing and design Applause Kyle is in the Dream Factory, Matt is the WOW team, and Tracey is also responsible for mission patrol, which is administration, and we have Diego who’s Ninjas, events, and we have simple woman who is not here who is marbles, in Sales she’s busy selling. So, don’t get in her way.

Laughter So, think about some questions you want to ask. Think about what is it, and you know feel free you guys to volunteer information. But, yeah, go.

We were just talking about feedback, I would love some more information on how to give feedback.

Ok. So feedback is given always on the thinking, never just on you did or you didn’t do something. So the purpose of feedback is to help the person understand the gaps in their thinking, behind the thinking that created the problem, so you always giving them feedback so then they can Do you need a hand mic? Are we all good?

Yeah we’re all good.

Sorry Matt go.

Um so the purpose of the feedback is to give them feedback on their thinking so then they can do better next time. Instead of just, it’s never like dis, it’s never like discipline, like your shit, you 26.20 or anything like that, so it’s for the purpose of helping them grow.

Even positive feedback, as you just said is congratulated on the thinking and how you can then teach that thinking to someone else. Rather than just saying that was a really good job.

It’s how did you come to that decision and why did you do that? How can you then teach it to someone else?

What was your thinking behind that, what else did you consider, it’s always thinking feedback. You’re expected to do your job.

I did that yesterday Laughter

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Another great aspect to it as well is, a unique environment that we create around feedback at the coaching institute is that feedback is a gift, like it’s a positive thing, and you do it out of love and caring for the other person. So to receive feedback from someone is a favour.

As opposed to the populace frame in most organisation’s where feedback is a negative. It’s criticism, its shock.

How many times do we interview, and one of the standard questions we ask is ‘how do you go with feedback?’ ‘Well as long as its positive valuable criticism, I don’t want’ every lecture. It’s always criticism.

We say, yeah how do you feel about feedback, how do you respond to feedback, and they say ‘you know as long as its positive criticism,’ I didn’t say positive criticism, I meant constructive criticism, I said feedback.

Yeah And that can be any way, it could be, it’s not always constructive, sometimes it’s something being pointed out to you, that you then need to go and fix. Or you need to work out why that feedback is valid. It’s not always going to be the tools that fix the problem. It will just be an insight that will help you go and find the tools.

Or sometimes the feedback will suck.

Sometimes it’s just stop.

Yeah, or sometimes we give feedback in a crappy way. But to have a recruitment situation, someone already telling us, we have to nail it every single time. We’re a feedback company, learning how to give great feedback. And as a standard from someone who hasn’t got the job yet is you we have to do well every time. Sigh….we’re done.

Laughter Yeah sorry…and I’m really funny have you noticed that?

Laughter I know I was waiting for you to mention that. You wrote that down?

Yeah You got the sign?

Yeah Makes it true Makes it funnier with them all that I thought so…

Laughter Truly this is the variable.

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In an organisation that basically wouldn’t have that type of the structure of the feedback and the live feedback, having that discussion that is to an organisation, so we could start breaking down those barriers and start setting as a positive, and like you said, it’s a gift and I totally agree with that I think that’s an awesome way of looking at it.

A great/about (two voices) Laughter A great tip that’s given to all new leaders in the company is, if it’s your first time giving the feedback and you know your gonna suck at it, say that up front. Be really honest about it. be vulnerable about it as well, also they know that it’s ok that they screwed up. So for example, first couple of times I gave feedback, I just say I’ve got really cool feedback to give you , I hope it’s gonna help, I’m probably gonna screw up the delivery so, my apologies in advance, just let me know, just give me feedback after I give you feedback. To see how I went with that. And are you cool if we go there?

And one other before that cos if they say you already installed within your organisation that you guys are cool to give feedback, well I speak from my experience that’s not a typical for an organisation. It’s cool to have that especially over level We don’t hire anyone who’s not cool with that.

We have ego detectors, installed around the company.

Laughter Don’t we.

Yeah we really do.

It’s called Kyle and glam.

Yeah Laughter So, you put Yah, actually. They interview with him who was I with? Was I with Glam? And there was the ego Yeah, it was a media girl.

Yeah.

It’s just not, not ah when you expose everyone to the whole range of the company. If you expose them to Glam, you know, a twenty two year old project manager, that’s completely rocking out in the company, their ego is going to explode when they find they need to take direction from her. So, if it is someone who wants to do really well, learn from the environment learn from the results, they’re just going to be curious and intrigued and wondering how we get the results that we do rather than. Ok, cool so what’s your position sorry? Which was the first question I got from the person that day, so..

Which is hilarious. That immediate b******t detector gone off.

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Laughter Your twenty…

One. Prick Laughter I’m not impressed. Yeah I’m twenty one in my heart, I’m twenty one in my heart.

Laughter You’re twenty two in June aren’t you?

Yeah, exactly. Thank you. So we, I often bring young people to the interview, to have a voice in recruitment, anyone can interview, for recruitment. And, so it’s really great one of the things we do, but we need to go back to environment to answer your question fully. But one of the things we do is I bring young people in the interviews and wait to see how long it takes the person to ask. So what’s your position? Cos that’s an indicator, they don’t like authority from young people. And that’s a deal breaker. Cos everyone in my company is young at heart. So that’s a really good indicator, but, to go back further guys, what’s my feedback to you guys when you don’t give feedback? Go back to environment, and what it is I demand. Cos it’s not natural to people to give feedback, it’s not a natural state, most people would much rather be liked, than risk pissing someone off. I’m a freak, I don’t feel that way, I seem to get a lot more respect in the and a lot better results when I just say it but, that does not come naturally to most people.

When I was struggling with feedback, it was my issue, I needed to come to terms with it being ok to give the feedback, to remove the emotion from giving the feedback and saying well, I’m helping this person move forward.

And how many conversations have we had about that?

We have a suggestion, blah blah blah It’s actually four, yeah there’s’ four. So as a suggestion I imply perhaps, Tracey, you could blah, Tracey you know when we talked about blah?......Tracey we talked about blah…..for fucks sake Tracey, what does it take?

That’s the grrrrr Laughter And but now, because then I explain to Tracey my pattern. The four steps, so now Tracey what are you doing now?

Looking for the suggestion Looking for the suggestion and realising we are gonna get there anyway.

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Yeah So, you’re going to start to act much quicker on that.

Yeah.

A lot of what you’re noticing in people, is this interesting guys?

Yes A lot of …thank you…a lot of what your noticing in people is they want permission, from a higher power, to do the thing. I make getting permission, a horrible experience.

Laughter You seek reassurance from me? You are hammered.

Asking for permission is the horriblist experience, not that again.

It’s awful, you asking permission from me, and you will not like the feedback.

‘Why the fuck you asking me’ ‘who limited you’re opportunities?’ ‘What you need reassurance?’ the whole conversation you heard me yesterday, so they get hammered, if they seek to be reassured.

So that’s pretty good for you, so they Well you reward what you want to see, and you don’t what you don’t want to see. I don’t want to ask for permission to shine and help other people succeed. That’s nonsense. It would be awful, can you imagine that, it I hadn’t done that? Cos you guys are young, especially you.

Laughter Imagine if, you had to get permission from me, before you could help someone grow. Just contrast frame.

I can’t do that Stop Laughter Stop it.

Laughter Stop it.

Laughter Can I ask a question just to kind of get a sense of age division things, cos let’s say what is the biggest challenge in the last month and how did you resolve it, just like to see how it is from each of the team.

Um

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Or like six months, or like a big thing Go for it guys Suppose the most recent would be um, seeing the criteria, for what you expect and what you don’t. I had one set of standards for myself, and I would start making excuses for others. And when I noticed that pattern, with some help, when I noticed that pattern, it was ok, why can’t I set those same standards for someone else. I can set them for me so…

And when you say help, I didn’t tell her that, she told me that just through me reflecting back what I was noticing. So, they figure out what the gap is. I didn’t come in and say listen.

I wasn’t ready then Yeah Those conversations would be painful it’s the suggestion.

Yeah And I take that on, what’s the next step, what do I do, um, so, setting up that criteria, and what is not negotiable, and everything changes, once we do, said that, so that’s the environment for me, that’s the mindset, I’ve set up what I want it to be.

And you can communicate that to your team, also just internal I think that it just comes out naturally, in all communications, yeah so that’s Tracey leads differently now, and just in the last few weeks, we’ve seen, I’ve seen it, there is I now trust Tracey more, because she is much more definitive, about what she expects of others. So I have to spend less time worrying about, is she giving clear instructions to them so they can succeed. Or is she making excuses for them, I don’t have to think about that now.

Is that all?

Yes, thanks Anybody else? Biggest challenge?

In dream it was Polly bringing the team together so some of the E in the team environment.

So I think it’s interesting cos they kind of went from P up to E, so at first we thought we had a problem with people, that we didn’t have the right people, they weren’t good enough, or whatever it was, and I thought I had a problem with I as we weren’t meeting deadlines, with too many things to do, um, That would have been funny to watch.

Laughter And then we got to S so we thought that, we need to manage these things that we do better, so we create structures and they’ll be more manageable. And we finally arrived at E and we realised that the reason all of this wasn’t working, was because each member of the

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team, was operating separately. So we weren’t connecting together as a team at all, we had bright big egos, um.

Had? Had Had? I said had.

You have!

Oh well, Laughter Totally So we had disfunctionally big egos, um, which stopped us from giving each other feedback to start with, it stopped us from working together. So when we solved that and scaled our dynamics, and coming together as a team and at the beginning it was putting in place things that we just have to do, so for example having team meeting every morning, saying wowing each other hopelessly, and it felt awkward, it was you know the very first meeting, you were Tish, we kind of just stood around and didn’t know what to say, it felt a little bit forced, um, but as we progressed you could see change in the team. So we now, we talk to each other, we help each other out. Which means that the structure gets taken care of because were’ always thinking about the same solutions and all always thinking about what does this mean to the other team members. What does it mean for the other teams. Which means that implementation sets in easily. Because the pull into the right priority and the right order and we know exactly what needs to be done. Which means that everybody is taken care of so the people are taken care of. And it allows us to then develop and develop their thinking. Rather than feeling blame and criticism.

And that process of getting to that assessment was that like a long meeting or did that take time to get move through the different …

Different meetings, like one of the main turning points was the entire staff when we have that day, all together, one of the key elements was that as we really understood each other, more, like you were talking about Tracy’s team being a team of C’s before, the Dream Factory is a team of D’s, so once, and that never being recognised never been understood.

We then did spiral dynamics as well and we did that and the team in level three at the time So what that means is, um, I want my way stuff you, it’s a jungle out there, I’ll win at all costs, what you need doesn’t matter, if it contradicts what I need.

Ok. So we had like, understanding how those puzzles, how it fits together and how that actually means that every single member of this teams completely driven, to meet their goals and to make this really successful, when we compound them all together, it works really well. But only once the environment was in place. So we had the right goals and right mission and the right vision and moving forward.

And did you solve this as a team together or involved Sharon in that process?

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Yeah Sharon was quite involved, it was given the tools, then implement the tools. And use the structures and things within the team.

We ran those morning meetings every single morning.

I’ve never been to a morning meeting.

No Ever. Have no idea what they’re doing.

So things like, but we did pull from other resources within the company, where they were doing it really well. So that way our team had an excellent structure in the morning. Putting themselves together. And so we borrowed Matt for a few weeks, to help out with our meetings and to guild them in terms of that environment that positivity, and we that we borrowed another structure, for a couple of weeks as well to make sure that our intentions for the day were set really really clearly. And that we were non-negotiable in our results as well. So using different resources even if they didn’t have a clue what we were working on, because we have very specific skills sets, um they were still able to help in the ESIP way.

With the scope that you all have to drive the business, what’s your attitude to decision making?

This is another interesting lesson were doing as well. The criteria at the moment, the criteria used to be what needs to be done now as in urgency, whereas now it’s around what does the business need? And each of us is getting better at understanding that. Look at the big picture, looking at the entire business, looking at all the moving parts and being able to say; What do we need to move this forward into the future? As mentored inducted thinking, is a huge part of that. So rather than looking at what it is, looking at what could be and how you will get there. So that’s one part of the decision making.

And also, we are finding for improved innovative model as well. And making sure those percentages are arcuate. Do you guys know that model about…

We’re getting there today. We touched on it Touched on it. so just making sure you are spending seventy percent of your time on core, is really really important. That was the biggest one for us, and realising what core was, core wasn’t the innovations and improvements that we were working on for instance, core was bring money in the sales teams, assisting the wow teams, generate upgrades, and making sure our events really shone. So that is the core of this business.

Matt what would you say, sorry go for it Tracey I would like to hear you.

In our decision making model, the above the line thinking and below the line there’s good for business, it’s within the terms and conditions decisions set up, for the organisation, and it’s good for the client to the customer, those three and above the line, a great model.

Good. Anything you guys want to add on that?

On a, going back to what a challenge we currently have, is in the wow team like as Kyle was saying, we already had a great structure, around our culture and coming together we have great levels too,

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Which means. Um they get on really well, relationships are awesome, they feel great about each other, and they rock out with each other, they hang out with each other…

And we’re really good at driving that it’s fantastic, we also have a team Shockingly considering you’re the support team, Laughter We have a team of mostly I’s, which is fun, which is probably exactly the best way explain it.

Laughter And the problem that we have is were still kinda moving through this is, helping them language benchmarks and results. And actually being able to language what happened in the day, instead of, well I used to get a lot of, so today was really good, I think we all did really really well today, and then I’ll ask more questions about it, and I’ll say ‘what does that mean, how do you know’ and it would be ‘I 43.37 down to everyone seemed really busy,’ and I’m like cool… so, What happened? And few had an awareness of what needed to happen, so, that’s still a bit of a challenge and an area that I’m focusing on by demonstrating always using that language myself, and asking, teaching my team to ask better questions than how you doing, and how you feeling and just noticing…

Did you have fun? Today?

Question here. Um. Think uh, given the best couple ESIP what are the great changes that you’ve seen of the stuff that you do, stuff that you put in before.

Keep in mind the ESIP has been in the company for two years.

I think from point of view these things are change.

Yeah absolutely, for our team it was you know not hitting any benchmarks. It was not hitting any timelines, it was um, focusing on projects that weren’t nearly as important, that were letting revenue slide in other areas. So by using ESIP effectively, we turned it on its head and we get results based on whatever the result is if you use ESIP effectively, you will achieve it. Whereas if you are using ineffectively you just get bad results. And I know that’s the case for your team as well.

We’ve also had, I think there was a moment where was, was there seven or eight? People in the wow team?

Not for long.

Less?

Yeah In the wow team, doing a much terribler job. I think that’s a word.

Laughter It is….terribler structuralisation.

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It was mayhem, it was weird and now we have, it’s kind of two people on the phones all the time, that do, it’s not even comparative, the job they do is so much better, because we have great structure. Because we have great thinking, and were talking about the environment all the time. And we have people that want to, that buy into that, I think that’s really important.

They have to. They’ve gotta dig it.

Yeah. It was coming up for me before when you were asking about look what happens when it’s a new company or when you’re implementing it, …um, we hire people on the values, and I think before giving feedback, like you’ve gotta set up your values in your mission and your vision. And then the people that are there should be there because they bought into that. And then if they’re not giving feedback for example, the question is simply well how is that living the values. Because it’s kind of like you agreed to that, and now you’re not doing it.

So two years ago the question used to be how much of a guess once those values and um, set, there was obviously a lot of change within the team I’ve never the people did it rocked it and they just couldn’t quite grasp or didn’t want to , and I just think the whole yeah.

Matts saying be grateful or f*****f.

Laughter He has a postcard for that.

Laughter Put that on a t-shirt No, he really does. Be grateful of f******f. he actually announces it at meetings.

I think it’s have gratitude Matt my apologies Yeah Have gratitude or f*****f.

When I worked for an organisation that did not have an ounce of this. It was terrible, so, it’s definitely you can see the progress for an organisation. Absolutely.

It’s not enough to have this; you gotta have people who are grateful to have it.

They got to really want it and appreciate it. One of the things I say about young people in my company is, I’m sorry you haven’t had the contrast of a regular company, to know how f****** good you got it.

Agreement Cos you do not know how f****** good you’ve got it.

About culture

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F****** joking? Sigh….look at this building, look at this! What more could we?

No. you’re not a match. And that’s where were all at, love it or f*** off.

When you were talking about blind spots before, sometimes we’ve had people in the company where I guess that was their blind spot. You know, they’re not seeing the culture, they don’t get it. And they’ll complain and it’ll be a shitty experience for them and blah blah blah. And you can’t teach someone to see it. Like if they actually liked you, it they actually in their world it’s weird, they’re best to go do something else.

And i Another question I want to go back to you introducing ESIP two years ago, and that’s when the grownups were still here.

No Ok No it’s the year before.

Ok. That is fine.

So I started introducing it, you got to remember no one’s guiding me on this, I invented this.

I’m figuring this out. So, I introduced it um. Just loosely in conversations, I’d say so what’s the purpose of that? Or why you telling me that? Which is an E question. What’s you intension with that? What is your thinking by that? So I started asking E questions. And it developed years ago, it became a model, but I just started asking questions with lack of confidence in my own company. And then realised its effectiveness. And then it became something that their trained on when they inducted, to when they join the company, that’s part of the wow companion that we’ve put together, and I actually taught ESIP on joining, and then, all reviews are done ESIP, all feedback use ESIP, we do trainings on it, once a month, we have trainings at night-time and often they tell me, ESIP. Goals are set using ESIP Goals are set, project management is in ESIP. Every time Glam can’t come to work she like a whole email, ESIP. Yes. Just carrying on with that, how many, sure it’s ESIP, in your organisation, cos that’s set, I sense things are just accelerating massively at the moment as a result of maturing in the company, are you I think these guys are maturing, ESIP is a very mature model, I’ve used for hundreds of businesses.

But within you own organisation.

That’s what I’m saying so it’s a mature model, there maturing as leaders, would you agree?

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Agreeing noises So, it’s become, well you guys say, Becoming more of a language for us. After more time I find is everything we need as a team it’s always set back and look at it from, so what is the main focus of this, what do we want to achieve, and then going down from there. When I was telling you guys about the events pacifically, we go what’s the experience we want everyone to have, and then going from there.

It’s never what do we need to do.

Exactly And I think it’s something else that came from the fact that we got, we raise our standards by hiring 50.33 and whose off the bus, so we, now have very absolute standards, like if you not, if you don’t want to be here, and don’t want to use it , and you’re not doing the learning, we don’t want you. You’re not a fit. So, which means that, we’ve gotten to the stage now that nearly everyone in the organisation. Loves us use it love the culture, understand it and they dig it, which means the entire team can move forward.

Because we use it all the time, I think that one of you guys were saying that, everyone is getting, used to it, or we come from; we work in different places, well we didn’t have this before, especially I mean, I come from a performing background, and you would think that I would be the environment all the way, but it’s not really. It was more of a implementing the dancing and making it fun, so, people can enjoy it. but now looking at it from the environment point of view, and because we do it all the time, everyone in the team also shares it, so whenever we have meetings where, the um juniors in the team, then it becomes always there so why are we doing this, that is important because, it is going to create that whole ultimate experience for the students, for the prospects, what where, yeah.

In terms of the implementation is it like cos the way you’re communicating with such certainty, see effecting people you are around, did it sort of suddenly take off?

Yeah, I think everything has a tipping point, new ideas all have tipping points, in the beginning they are rejected, ridiculed and then finally accepted, um, change is not an easy thing for most people, followers will reject change and that’s why they’re a follower, leaders will embrace change and that’s why they’re a leader.

That’s an easy way to define where you at. So it became about developing leaders, which is being parallel with the journey of ESIP growing in maturity within our organisation. It now has a life of its own, I sense that It’s now how they speak, how they think, it’s not me having to remind them, which it was, a lot in the beginning, it’s like ‘where’s the ESIP in that?’ and whoever I was talking with would look at me blankly. But the tipping point is when you guys, dug it got it wanted it and now you yourself generate it.

It’s so engrained now in our language now a days, like the other day I accidently ESIP one of my friends

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Laughter He had no idea what I was talking about because I forgot that he wasn’t a part of world, it’s been so engrained in how we speak and how we, how we deliver an idea to someone nowadays, is that it’s just natural, I can’t understand how you would do it the other way round. Um, and yet to the point that it’s just not at work. But it comes out in all of our language all of the time.

From a person, from a latest point of view we all take responsibility to make sure that everyone in our team, is taught this, and they understand it, like that’s our responsibility to make sure, Elisa gets it and Darcy gets it, so then I can, I can then freely talk about it all the time.

Others have to get it through because, they need to keep up with the culture, they want to keep up with the environment, the conversations that are going on, someone’s bouncing the word ESIP around, you’re gonna be intrigued, or the right person is gonna be intrigued anyway. Work out why that is. It’s the same when you hear someone talking about disc, and you’re like ‘I don’t understand these letters, what are you talking about’ the right person would go and find out, so the next time they are in that environment they could get to run to, the wrong person will just sit there and assume that doesn’t affect them.

That’s why we are so high on compassion and curiosity. You have to hire kindness and you have to hire kindness, that’s it’s curious. Cos otherwise you’ll just sit there and feel good about each other. Yeah?

One thing I really loved in the first couple of months, I came in took me a little while to get used to get used to speaking in the E, but I remember walking up to Joe and asking I questions. I was always looking to see how to do things. And he would just stare at me blankly, what are you talking about? Like it was so well known, to the rest of the team that you are held at the standards no matter what. You’ve got come the E question or you just…

To the point that it frustrates me.

Yeah When they ask why are you doing that. And I. why would you want to do that, or what’s the goal that makes you want to do that? And I’m like oh I don’t have one. It doesn’t matter. I’m not going to teach you how to do it then.

Laughter And that infuriates some people, but if they have that curiosity then they’ll want to know why. And they put the why in the background and they work out why, that’s important as to how it is as for the companies goals.

But realise you just trek. People with jobs, if you don’t do this you just have employees, I hate, I don’t even like the word. You just have people who do their job. It’s just ikky. Even thinking about what the alternative is, yeah. Yeah we’ll go here.

Because you implemented it, and lived it, sharing the routine, living it, you are attracting other people, that are also coming to that and just so…

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mmmm. it’s not as easy as this is sounding, Yeah no no no no I’m We’re not a attracting a lot of Australians.

No don’t blame you Laughter Are we?

No No , seriously, we are not attracting aussies, we’re really not. Like it’s the exception to the company, the people who we are attracting, you guys talk about it, like seriously, it is really tough recruiting isn’t it?

It’s amazing how difficult it is to find someone who, genuinely cares. Has a map of others, and doesn’t just wanna be in it for themselves. And sometimes I get excited, because I see someone who I think is that, and then it’s kind of like, it happened to me the other day it’s like being let down, because then they say something really dicky about themselves and then it’s like the trust comes out, and I’m like no.

Laughter You know I see the true them, and it’s like this I can’t have this person in sales But it’s always a good thing that you find out sooner rather than later. Imagine progressing three months down the paths, for them to then put complete ego behind a decision, and then have it cost the team, and you know potentially even have other team members who are in the environment, be stressed and in a situation that they don’t love. So we talk about people that create the environment and people that just coast along, on the environment, and that’s one of the other challenges we have we have a lot of people that look at the environment and think ‘I’m want to be part of that’ We have so many students, who want to join, because they love who we are.

It’s the most annoying thing in here.

It is so pointless. The reason people, you guys asked the question.

It’s they want to ride the waves we’ve already built. Or people want to experience the environment, or take from the environment.

I know if I worked with you guys I would learn so much about creating great culture, f***off, I’m paying you so you can learn a lot about how to run your own business.

Yep Laughter

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Fair? Seriously fair feedback. You want me to pay you a salary while you learn how we do what we do so you then can go and leave us and do it for yourself.

Awesome.

Laughter It’s like saying; um I’m interested dating you for about a year, until I find someone better.

Laughter His not as funny as me but that was really funny.

Laughter So I was just asking, so your have a very short, little threshold. For someone who possibly has potential, how many signals do you look for before you know their out. Do you give some…

His getting better, Matts down to half a day…he’d take a whole day, f***.

So that’ it?

Yup. Well, even better, I tell people one of the first things I say in a conversation is, ‘as soon as you know you’re not a match for this I want you to opt out straight away’. And then I continuously question them throughout the day, and I ask them how their doing, are you a match for the culture, do you think you are gonna bring something to this, and I’m just checking in, the whole time. I don’t think you can, half a day.

His wasting time after half a day.

We need to talk about how we do it, so, Tracy do you want to get started with this, this is your learning.

So part of it is in the earlier stages, leading the…f First hour Well yeah even in the first hour, in the interview, having a frank conversation saying it’s ok if we’re not a match, so allowing them to say well that’s ok, this organisation is not for me.

And that’s ok, or it is for me and that’s ok, so that’s one of the first stages, cos then you give them that option to opt out.

Cos we get, nobodies used to thinking like this. Everyone in the world is just out to get a job. And then they meet us. We are not interested in getting anybody on our team who just wants a job. You will not get a job with us if you just want a job. You can’t, it’s a mission. We don’t even want people who want a career, anyone who said we are a stepping stone f*** off. We are not a stepping stone, we are real, we are here, we want you to be here and love being here. We are not a f***ing stone. So our standards are quiet shocking in the interview. He he he he he The other element is determining whether someone comes in and say I love the look of your organisation, I love the values, and that will get me up in the morning and motivated, that’s not something we are looking for, what we are looking for the individual to bring

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their own motivation and get themselves up in the morning, so it’s the culture driving them, opposed the them driving the culture. I suppose that too geek I’ll look for in the earlier stages.

And a lot of the time we will get, sometimes we’ll get their past behaviour, especially if they have a lot of blame, around their previous employer, or what it was that brought them down. Well what was the reason you didn’t enjoy working there, if it’s external blame, for those reasons then that’s also a no. Because we believe that you can change what it is you’re belief you can make a difference and add to the culture. You’re free to change it, you’re free to approve it, it’s not fit into the box immediately, but it’s bring more to it. Add to what’s already here rather than just ride on it or cost on it or even take from it.

Yeah.

Some people take from it, they bring it down. To a level that they can understand.

Or, we look for signals in interviews like this, so what was your reason you left this role, always a great question, the best question to ask, get clear on it, why people left. How people left is keys to their behaviour, true character. People always arrive in their very best suite. How do they leave… it tells you everything. So tell me what happened with the leaving and I go I got one answer once, ‘oh the company has lots of fun for a while, and then they started really doing it hard, and it stopped being fun.

I remember that interview.

Yep. So what they just told me is, as long as we’re fun, they’ll stay, the moment it’s hard work, and it is really hard work, we have, you guys have experienced Disney land. We are the engine room of Disney land; we do not have Disney land. Does that make sense? We are keeping the machines working, Disney land has three layers underneath, of alley ways of machines, and we’re the three layers underneath Disney land. You guys get the show. The theatre. We are pulling the curtains. Yah? So someone tells me, in an interview which I’ve had a few times, ‘oh it stopped being fun, it really started being hard work’. wow. You guys are like you’re really good fun, ok. So you just told me we have to be entertaining for you to stay.

Another great example was when one had where the profits of the company, started to slide. And ah it just wasn’t a good environment to be in anymore. That’s ok. So what did you do to change that? Oh I had no power over that at all.

Laughter I failed. We really helped them. Haha Laughter In hour of need, I got out. Awesome! You ask the right questions you start getting a feel of true character, or the shallowness of a lot of people’s characters. The self-interest comes through when you ask questions like that.

They think they are being pragmatic and sensible and you‘ll understand. That’s the culture they would bring to our culture. Yeah?

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Sharon…what’s going through my head , because we’ve already got a team, and I can clearly see now, a lot of the bring it on board, so I am confused, cos yesterday it was like you be environment for the next month and then, and environment coming. Do I get rid of the ones who …

Yep. They only have one conversation when you’re and ESIP leader. It just takes very little conversation. Can I role play with someone? Who can I role play with to help you make a decision and that this is the right place for you?

Someone has to volunteer. It’s TB. Laughter No I’m good thank you ….so we’ve started using ESIP, it’s culturally challenging for you, you’re not digging it. you’re resisting it, all the things you realise you’re gonna have a problem with. So be that.

Ok Yeah? So how do you think you are doing?

Ah, I think I’m doing really well.

Um mu tell me about that I’m getting things like the jobs done, in the right amount of time, um, I feel like you know I’m on track with all the stuff that I’m doing.

Sure, I agree. How do you think you’re doing culturally?

Yeah good like everyone’s seems to like me, and, um and I’m having fun in your environment.

Hooo.. What do you mean by my environment?

Um, You are gonna get hammered for that Laughter What do you mean by my environment?

Um, all that you created here How dare you, do you want to think about what you just said?

Yeah, what do you mean?

Ok. So, we are all working really hard here, I don’t know if you noticed yet, but we’re all working hard to create a culture together, and for you to abdicate responsibility, and say that it’s my environment, and not ours is kind of insulting.

I didn’t realise you saw yourself as not part of this. Something to think about.

Yeah I realise that.

Laughter

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All good. What’s your response?

Ah, oh, oh, Laughter That would be, I would, the person.

Yeah, you being silent, that’s not ok, you need to really think about the way you just spoke with me. And how you abdicated responsibility with what we are trying to build here. To me. It’s not cool, if you think this companies gonna move forward with you sitting on the side-lines, watching what I’m doing, you’re f****** wrong.

Ok. The intense stare really helps.

Laughter I get paid a lot of money for that.

Laughter You do!!!

You got a thing for that?

I need an app for it don’t I? Laughter That’s funny!!!

Laughter It’s official.

Laughter Yeah, and then you just hold the line, once you created the line you don’t want, the line you created capable of sustaining, that’s the line you hold, but I have had on occasion people being dumb enough to say to me oh it’s awesome what you are doing, what? What the f*** what I’m doing? What you’re not part of this?

You’re not doing it with me? What the fuck are you doing if you’re not doing this with me? You’re telling me we are on a different page. Why the fuck didn’t I know that? And I mean that, I why didn’t I know? That you didn’t think you we’re were on the page with us together? What did I miss? And I mean it like, like I get tears in my eyes, how can you fit on that track? And not be on this track? What are you getting out of being over there? I don’t get it. I really don’t. like this is an awesome track, and it’s how you get successful, over there you get to do all the gossip and bitch, to complain and talk about how it’s so hard, how can that be a cool way to live? I really mean it. That’s my thinking behind what I just did.

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Ok cool Alright so you need the thinking, you can’t have lines, would everyone agree with that?

Yeah, What happens when you use my lines?

They don’t work They don’t work.

Laughter Yes that stare?

Laughter Well, probably half an hour a day.

Laughter Don’t you dare say his more funny than me.

Laughter Was that the stare?

Laughter I’ll say it again Yeah?

I just saw what happened, I heard the doubt as general manager very well versed sales man, every which way I try to put it, he has an excuse for it.

Do the role play hon. Don’t describe just do it.

Ok. I wasn’t strong enough.

Just do the role play, say what you would say, what would happen. Just drop me in a conversation we’ll be fine.

Um, you have a team of people, who have a very mixed culture, some want to drive it, some want to…

Is this you being you?

As in me No that’s not helping me. I need to role play where I’m you. cos you need help with how to help him, get on board or get out.

Ok.

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So I need you to say, something that’s him. I don’t know what the problem is.

This him of below standard, and that’s why I’m not able to manage him.

Hm tell me more.

Ah, you see this person that you want me to carry off? And the inflicted culture, and I spent all my time with him, trying to match the out distance.

Yep. So, have you done the three letters of warning?

Ah what are the three letters?

Well under Australian law, this is now not role play, you are required to give the three letters.

Yes we did, we did the first one Ok, so that wasn’t an answer to my question, I asked if you had done the three.

You said you done one, so the answer is no. When are you doing the second?

Um, the next meeting we have, on his performance.

Yep, when’s that?

Next week No it’s not, it’s this afternoon. I told you to move them on out of the company.

What part of that was not clear?

Ok. I shall do that.

Yes, you shall, and once you’ve done it, and it seems you need to be micro managed on this. Come back and report to me that you’ve done it. And I will continue to micro manage you until you understand that when I said they are moving out of this company, the company I f****** own. I meant it. Are we clear?

Yes And can I just tell you?

And then he realise that, I would fine him on the spot; he came back and said …..

I don’t understand what you’re saying, No, But have I helped? Like you just gotta draw the line, like seriously, you’re responsible for the salaries that give you the right to say enough. Everyone in the company is living and dying on the decisions you make, if someone has to go, then that’s you’re decision. Everyone has to give, once you can talk about the decision, you can discuss the decision, people can tell me different views on the decision, no I might change my mind, but once that decision is made, that’s it.

No one gets to double guess once the calls had been made. The doubt gets in

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f***** culture. Every time. We are a democracy right up until the decision is made. And by that I don’t mean the most populace vote. I meant taking aboard all different opinions, I’ll go down to the dream team, what do you guys think of that, I need a decision, somebody help me out, I’ll get a few ideas, ok I made my own decision, go … I then don’t need all the double guesses that came after it. I asked. You had your shot, the decisions made, and don’t friggin come three months later, oh that was a bad decision. Yeah I made the call, does that make sense? You gotta be very confident about that, as a leader. I’ve made the call, I got all the opinions I wanted, or, I’ll sometimes say, no I don’t need opinions on this I’m the best qualified to make the call. And I’ll make the call.

Yeah, and there’s been sometimes where people haven’t’ listened to your advice on that, or they have double guessed it, and we’ve created the space to allow them to double guess it.

And then when it fell apart it’s like well ok, now do what was the right decision in the first place.

So can I ask a question now?

Yeah.

To your team. Sharon first, and then probably you guys could have, at what point do you Sharon, whether you make a right decision or wrong decision, you told a lead to say until proven wrong. Yeah?

Until it works Until it works. Yeah, so, um where are the tips in that? Because this is where sometimes I fall off..

Yeah, again you have go to have the certainty to make the call. You’re responsible for the company being there. Company comes first. Individuals come second. It has to be that way because if I put anybody’s individual view first, and they don’t have the whole picture of the whole business, they’re going to make a decision that’s only based on what they are capable of seeing. The leader of the, the owner of the company, or leader of that department, whatever is, it has to make the call that’s best for the department or whatever they are capable of seeing, cos the moment you default to oh but that doesn’t work for them, you sacrifice a business decision for one person’s comfort.

You’re gonna screw up your business. You immediately become a democracy, and you just the whim of what anybody says is going on. That is impossible to run a business; I tried, it is impossible to run the business that way.

Often when Sharon doesn’t have all of the background information, and she doesn’t always, you know, ok give me all the facts, and then you know even if it’s not every part of the facts it’s enough. That is enough to make the decision, I am good now, the decision has been made it’s this. And then she will always stick by that, decision. So regardless of where the facts came from, it’s the fact with the fact, that’s the decision.

So at what point five of you, have that trust, that whatever decision she has made, is a good one, until proven the other way cos what you ask for all the facts, how do you feel. Ah yeah.

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It’s a certainty that we will still see the buyers, it’s the certainty that three months’ time someone says oh it would have been good if ….it is immediately well that doesn’t serve us now.

Where the f**** is that gear when I was making the decision.

We never backtrack it’s not worth anything it doesn’t serve anything so we get to keep going with the certainty.

So it’s the impulse of thinking?

What’s yours Tracey?

I’m try to give you the right decision, and I think so because it’s feedback Yeah, and yet I hired two grownups. Yeah but they hired you, so that was a good decision.

Wasn’t it?

Laughter I finally convinced you that!

Yeah that’s what I meant. That was it. It was a million dollar loss, but I did get you.

Laughter I’m worth a million dollars.

Truly Got way off track sorry, um, yeah so, it’s never looked that as bad, people will just add to it and you know ok, you could look at it and say that was a bad decision, well how, do we make it a great one? So it’s just add to it Yeah, there’s no blame or.

Backtrack Because if we didn’t do that, we wouldn’t be here to make that next decision.

We don’t have a culture of blame, we did when we had the grownups, but I run the company I don’t do blame.

So, cos you guys recognise what that is?

Yeah, we just like to think it’s very important that you have the environment set up, so, the standards that we have, so Sharon is the trust, from the team because she does make extremely good decisions. So, if and, she gives us all the help we need to present her with research with factors finding our opinions, our views and she incorporates all that into her decision. Um, and we trust the decision making process. And then on the other hand as well we set the environment, that when the decision is made, the entire team is behind it.

So we stop looking for why this doesn’t work, that’s the not, that’s not the standard.

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There are always problems, no decisions perfect.

Exactly But you double guessing me after the calls made, is just sabotaging culture. F*** off.

On top of that I’m seeing this is going two ways, and that’s said, like the expression ferociously guarding the culture, that said…

It’s an app. It’s coming soon Laughter But there are lots of times when it is you guys have all the facts, to make that decision.

That’s more…

That’s more often than Sharon had for…..

1.15.57 definitely going two ways it’s not a guys have Sharon’s back it’s both ways. In fact it’s all around the company It’s more often than not why you asking me. You’ve got enough to make the decision, stop seeking reassurance. Do it. That’s more often. What happens.

Or it will be this; yep you’re thinking’s pretty good you’re not thinking big enough. Go away and think some more. Or, Diego can I give the example of our performance review?

Yep sure.

So first ever performance review with me, you came in, waiting for me to tell him, and I said, I’m tired of talking, go away, next time you come to a performance review with me, come to wow me, and you do the talking. You tell me how you’re innovating your department. And this business, stop sitting there waiting to be reliant on me telling you how you’re doing, you come in, self-aware enough to tell me how you’re doing. Don’t rely on me to tell you.

You drive it. So I teach people all the time decision making is not reliant on me.

Drive it so that the, then he did it again, he came back and he, I was very busy, but he demanded time for me to do a do-over, and it was an awesome performance review.

Yeah Cos he drove the conversation. Most performance, these guys will know me now the performance review, so where to take the conversation, um, I don’t think we even look at the document.

The document was just like yeah, I agree, I agree, I agree Yeah cos everyone writes their own performance reviews, then I get sent them based on their comments, and I just I agree I just copy paste, copy, paste, copy, paste. I agree, I agree agree or you should think bigger, or, yep you are being too soft on yourself here. Or, yep you are being too hard on yourself. That will

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be it. We don’t look at that; it’s like a big fifteen page document, part of the for compliance and every other boring reason. But the conversation is what do you want to talk about? And, so they all have different preferences, around what they will talk about. So some will be tell me, can you tell me a little bit how I can improve? That’s always Glams question, how can I improve, tell me how I can do better, um, everyone’s got their own style and I just respect their style of how they want to create that conversation in their space with me. Because nobody can grow because you think they should or could. You guys only grow based on what your noticing, in you and you bring to me. So everyone’s getting mentored on different things.

With this I notice you kept the fifteen page report.

Yeah.

So, Well it’s discipline for them So to challenge them so. On what have I done, how can I improve. So you kept that for a purpose which is great.

Yeah.

Some people when they do it with, it takes them five pages, you know they just jot in yep I did this ‘Glam’s comes with fireworks.

Laughter So really have the presentation.

Yeah.

It’s the world’s most beautiful spreadsheet you have ever seen.

I can’t commit, I just go yep.

Laughter What happens when, they don’t match.

Um. Yeah absolutely, so I have had that with someone who’s actually come good since then, it’s no one here, and they kept sending in a corporate egotistical reviews of themselves, kept saying how well they were doing, it was completely delusional, we were missing every deadline. It was a train wreck of a department. It was just awful, and oh and was like they had to big note themselves cos they are from old world. Whereas very important to protect their arse apparently, and look good to the boss. And I just shredded them in the review. I said this is a complete waste of my time. You have wasted effort in doing this. You are delusional, you have told me I cannot trust you, on how you make decisions, because the way you are seeing reality has got nothing to do with reality. And they said oh what do you mean? And they started

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defending themselves. Don’t waste yourself defending yourself, this is your first review with me, I am very very good at this, I’ve done them for eleven years, this review is a debarkle, I don’t accept it, you need to go away and do it again.

And we are going to keep doing this until you see a reality the way it is. And I just had five examples. Cos I know when you have peoples like that you gotta have examples. You know what I mean and you can trust that. For some people who come from an ego background you actually have to justify your argument.

It’s not enough that you know I got very good at this, I then got a backup have how good I am at this, which is so tedious, but I know I can be ready I’ve done this, I’ve done hundreds of reviews, really well. So, ok these are the five instances where this is the case. What do you have to say? yeah you are probably right. And that’s why you wasted my time. This reviews over. Do better, do more. Go. Second review, same b***s***. You are not going any further in our company, as long as you turn in like this. You will never proceed, you will never advance, you’re dreams of leadership, and it will never come true.

As long as I cannot trust you with an actual and arcuate reflection of your reality. You need to hear that. And that’s me attempting to manage them out, or badge them up.

Agreement Cos it’s the test, you go either way. Does that make sense? Thanks so much, my god that’s so kind. Do you get that? That’s what I do. So It’s started the opt in or opt out conversation It’s the opt in or opt out, conversation, cos it’s a really tough review and It didn’t go well. You guys all have pretty good reviews. Cos you don’t know how hard they can be. You’ve had a pretty tough one.

No that wasn’t a review, so um, the other thing is we never……….

Laughter We never wait. For the reviews, like we do them every ninety days, I’m not even sure why, cos we give feedback whenever is needed, someone needs a conversation they need to review right now, they need to take that time to do it. or they need to take time, to reflect on what their actually working on and what their goals are, um, where not gonna wait for the end of the quarter, it’s not ok, we have got the review, in thirty days, we will wait until then, and we’ll deal with it. It happens now. Feedback is given as soon as it happens, and that avoids the fact that you have to bring examples as well cos then you can be that sucked, that decision there is not great, and it goes from that minute, instead of having to bring up the past.

And so on that, nobody should get a surprise review, the feedback should be delivered before the review. And the comment, and that’s why the reviews with me aren’t boring reviews, they just tell me what you wanna talk about. Some of them are short some are long, but just tell me what you wanna chat. Probably a conversation we have already had, yeah we should look at that, that’s a great idea you should do that, why are you waiting for a review to do that, just get on with it. So, there’s a pace to it.

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I allow for a much higher level of conversation because you are on a day to day.

Depending on their capability and what they’re capable of seeing, you don’t have high; everyone’s got different levels of what they consider high level. You need to get that. There’s not one level yah I always assume And there are people in the organisation who thing they want high level conversations with me and they are having one, one of a hundred conversation.

They have no idea what high level means, and it’s cool. That’s for you to be patient and you develop you show them one step beyond, do they notice it, do they get the suggestion, do they ignore it, do they come back to it, and it’s just, you just keep testing their capability, to fulfil their potential. And the people who are compassionate and kind and curious appreciate it, a lot. They really appreciate it. And then other people don’t even know I’m doing it. They got no clue.

A little bit on that note as well, if you do get those day to days out of the way as you work through it, then yay it can have, you can have a much more constructive review. You don’t have to talk about the little niggles in your day to day, cos they are already fully aware of it, but they wrote it in the document, and it’s like that point there I completely agree with that, we are gonna work on this for the next ninety days, and that’s it, about that thing, you can focus on the bigger picture, or the bigger idea of where they going in the next ninety days.

And it’s just not the leader’s responsibility to drive the next ninety days though; it’s up to the individual to drive their growth for themselves. So, it is their job to get with me, it is not me chasing them down for a mentoring session. And I literally, I do top fives which we haven’t talked about yet, I started posting who got with me this week for mentoring.

Oh really.

Yeah. Cos I’m not gonna go, chase people to be with me. Cos that would be ridiculous, everyone’s can own any level of growth they want, so sometimes in that yet? Matt you should talk about our mentoring, cause it’s a little unique, would you mind? Can you capture that?

Um, so, I think first, first thing first is, if I can talk about when I joined the leadership team, straight away I was given an ops manual, so I was given structure and benchmarks, and I was clearly, no matter, that explained thinking that was…..that was kind of my homework. Um, and I didn’t have the time.

Just before Christmas? October maybe.

So late last year Six months Two thousand and something.

Laughter

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Um, then everything is always, feedback is and direction is was given on my thinking, I’ve always had the information of how to do it, um, and then usually it just gets to a level where it’s I guess because I’m cognitive in most that I’m doing at the moment. Um, the feedback is usually very quick and very direct. Because we have such high trust between us. So we don’t have to go into, kind of a b***s*** conversation. It’s usually just…..it gets to just what the f***….and all do better.

Which is probably high praise for these guys from me. It, but for other people that would be really unacceptable, you can’t talk to people that way but….for us it’s shorthand.

Because we have everything Cos we had everything before, but to grownups it’s very threatening and confronting and wrong and I’m bad and I’m a bully, what else am I called?

The devil Laughter The devil wears leather.

Laughter It’s all good But it is seeing and observing this relationship, and not understanding what this took. And what we’ve done and been through together and how we back each other and they don’t see that, they just see what the f***. And their matching response to that. What the f***?

Usually they just go God, I think Yep That’s what one response would be Yep got it.

Yeah ok. Got it. and I’ll go away and I’ll go away and I’ll do better and I’ll fix it and I’ll come back.

Yep. And it’s pretty standard Even that given the comment do better do more is perceived differently by different people in the company. So, some people take that as oh cool I did a great job, Yeah Yeah, they don’t even see that it really means like, yep but you can still do better.

There’s more potential in them.

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There’s more potential than, you are still off your benchmark, it’s like for us, it’s like that’s cool, but do better do more. We take that very seriously. It’s like yes there is another reach there. Yes we can exceed that, the next time we approach it.

And I think we all have a culture, where we love that. We are all here cos we love that.

And it’s something that we really appreciate is the fact that we all hold each other to a higher standard so there’s always like, I remember there was a really cool moment right, I don’t know what I nailed but something I nailed, maybe something,something I did for the first time, and I came into Sharon’s office and I was really excited, like I did this you know I nailed it! And she was like good! So you are currently five percent of your potential right now, of what you are doing right now. And I was just like f*** yeah.

Laughter I was pumped, I was like that is so awesome, ninety five more percent, cause I’m, I kinda came in with a bit of a head my aaahhhh You did.

Laughter You know? It was, it was awesome to have that reassurance, and it’s like what? Fantastic!

This is still there.

Percentages are great.

It’s fantastic, I got that feedback when I first started, was, you know you’re doing a hundred percent of what I love you to be doing, right now. But if you’re still doing this, in six months’ time, it will be ten percent of where I expect you to be. So… I’m amazed you guys are surprised at that. It’s, that is so standard in my thinking, and I’m surprised to hear surprise.

My review of conversation I come in and I’m not sure what it was, I think I’m at a seventy now, I’m at a seventy it’s like ninety days earlier, however I’m a different level, I said, so, it’s always moving.

Yeah. So, in my mind, so, go ahead.

Oh I Is this interesting guys?

Yes Do you get the importance; we are right in the P right now. This is all people development. This is, the only way you can do P is with people. Well I couldn’t be up here telling you, how to do P, does that make sense?

Yes It has to be given by them, so I trust you guys are digging this, yeah cool go.

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Um, yeah I wanted to show one of the great thing about you’re mega training, your ability to mentor is that are always creating, Sharon’s always creating the next challenge. That’s more than what they’re capable of, so they can grow into somebody who’s careful of doing that.

So, you never give us anything that we can do, or we think we can do right now, it’s always that little bit, that one step further than that. So, that we can grow. And as soon as we almost get that, it’s the next thing. See here’s your next stage.

And I hear, all the time, they’re not ready for that. They’re not ready for that.

They’re not ready for that. I don’t listen to the naysayers. Ever, do not tell me how to limit my people, ever. They will tell me, if it’s too much. Cos they won’t succeed at it. They will do everything to attempt to, they’ll fall short.

And the good thing No, yesterday, I asked a lot of Kyle yesterday with something I asked him to do for me. And it was a really big challenge, and afterwards, cos I always calibrate if I ask too much, as well, but I ask a lot, like, cos you’re potentials all in front of you but are you ready to see the potential, and I asked Kyle to do a huge thing yesterday, and after he’d done it, it was a challenge for him. And once he’d thought about the process, I asked, did I ask too much of you? So, you gotta counter, it’s not just more, more, more, more, it’s also balance with that I asked too much of you. And yet, your response was….

My response was…that it’s, I’ve now learned it.

Yeah Like, even if it was challenging before I did it. I now learnt it, and I will do it a thousand times better next time.

Yeah That part of you as the leader, what’s the word I can’t remember the saying so, said, you are only geared for what you believe you are truly capable of anyway I Of course I have complete trust, if Sharon’s asked me to do something, it, I am capable.

You’re ready for it.

I, I’ve never been asked to something that I wasn’t possible of. Which is now why I vibe to it, much quicker that I used to. It’s just like yeah ok, Instead of finding reasons for rejecting, you just try.

Yeah. I’m certain that I’m more than capable of this; I have that level of trust.

Which wasn’t the case in the beginning. You are looking at the results of a year of venturing. It wasn’t like this on day one. This, it was not this. It was, um, Diego’s our new team leader, and very young to it, but my expectation is, you know, mastermind. It’s a great example. You’re first meeting with me, you thought you were gonna get from me, instructions on how to do something, what was my response?

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You go and, and rock on and just come and plan it Come back to me and tell me how you are going to wow the master minders.

Yeah. That was it.

I look forward to you telling me.

Yes exactly, and yeah, we are going to, I will have everything planned for you and then…

And then he’ll give me a bullet point on what it is his doing.

I remember the last conversation was, um, yes I will tell you when you’re on and what you are doing. And that and we worked as a team. Together.

But how did you feel when I gave that, cos you came to me with a page of questions you were gonna ask me, and I looked at the page, and went, nooooooo Laughter Well, of course there’s, I don’t know I just found it well ok so I’m taking over, like I’m doing this, like, you’re cool with that, and thank you. Of course very enthusiastic.

Yep. That was your response. Thank you.

Yeah. Thank you. Yeah. So, exactly like here you have the wings go spread them go fly, like you got this. So, just go. And then, I’m checking in all the time it’s like how you going with that and everything, so…

Are you rocking now, that’s my question. Are you rocking? Do you need help with that? And then Diego said what if I have questions? And I said, you have twenty five people in this company go and ask. Doesn’t have to be all roads lead to me, I’m not their mum. There are so many talented people, who can think differently, why just rely on one brain, cos there are all these awesome smart people, who can do the thinking.

And alternately their conversations were, Sharon what about this? This and this and this, and her answer is, I don’t know.

Laughter So I have brains…

I agree That’s deliberate, a lot of the time, it’s like I don’t know, and it’s almost like it clicks right away, cos as soon as she says that it’s like well actually I do know the answer. Ok sorry Laughter And sometimes I get ‘let’s pretend we never had this conversation.

Laughter

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The difference between that type of leadership and management like I’ve worked for Telstra, Laughter That’s funny Laughter Five months later Is that you know, when people are given that much freedom to create and work it out themselves, we love it. They love it. And you know, it clicked with me ages ago, I was like Sharon knows the answers to these questions but she’s not telling me on purpose.

Laughter I had to kind of process that and I’m like that’s weird. Why she doing that? And then I’m like, oh she’s giving me the opportunity to work it out. And I think that’s huge, because I know it would save a lot of time, (if you just told me how to do it) Laughter I’m aware And so many times when I come up with a new idea, we talk about an idea together, it’s you got enough information go away work it out.

That’s the ESIP thinking.

In a way it’s like, it’s the ultimate gifts to give you’re people, to give them that.

Otherwise, their just doing a job.

So sometimes Matt will ask one question to me, he will get the E and he will share with me his idea, and I’m like yeah sounds awesome, so how, and then he’ll ask me, like a dumb f*** question, he’ll go too far, so how we gonna go about doing it? The meeting done. That’s your response. That’s what you get from me. We’re done.

Yeah Got it. Cos he tried to get me to do the how. The thing on how to do it. But that’s where the creativity and talent gets trusted. Does that make sense?

Otherwise you are just in short term micromanagement all the time, everyone’s gotta come to you about every single idea, and they just, the brain gets lazy when you’re around that. Does that make sense?

So if they come to you suggesting structure around what they should do, do you help them with that? Or do you say no go.

Nup, I have no idea how to help them with that. They know what they do much better than I know it. I know how to ask great questions to ensure it’s on track, and is the decision making sound, it’s showing great judgement, but in terms of content, I have no idea what their content is, I have no clue.

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If you put that into ESIP, you know the questions like you have twenty five other people in the company that you can ask that are sort of the S. You still need support with the S, you know you’ve got team members, you’ve got other leaders, go bounce ideas around. That’s environment, then that’s where the conversations go to Sharon. And it’s like the vision, is this a cool idea, how could we implement this, Does this fit in with where were heading? Yeah Fitting into the goals, not how do we actually do it.

I don’t take implementation questions. Yeah, that’s the best way to say it.

How’s this been guys?

Approval Yeah. Cool.

I just have one final question about what is the next step for you guys, see yourself transcending into your own business, do you see yourself long term future here? Do you live more in the now and just keep on driving until the moment arrives with something else?

Laughter Say it.

Laughter Say it Matt I’m gonna start my own school Laughter Cos I love it when people do that!!!! That’s awesome Laughter No you should say your line, two words Which ones f*** off or something?

Ah, I quit Ah I quit yeah!!! I threaten to quit all the time.

Every day We think it’s funny Yeah we doo….

Laughter It freaks out new people Yeah then it’s …I’m out. You got this yeah?

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Laughter To us, I get asked that question.

All the time And you know, because I ran a coaching business for a while, so it’s all…why don’t you do that? And why, do you ever wanna, you know run your own business.

How do you learn lot’s, can’t you just go and do it for yourself now?

Yeah. And my answer to the question is, always is, well this is my business, but this is my family, why would I leave? And, why would I wanna, like it just doesn’t make sense to me, it’s a no brainer, to love this more, and help us be more awesome, what would I do on my own? Especially when it’s this good, like maybe if it sucked.

Laughter If it sucked I’d leave.

Laughter Thank you Matt. If the business like was challenged?

Yeah yeah I’m out Yes that’s it got it.

I think that’s also proper perception that when you’re in organisations you’re potentials are limited, which is probably a result of the way most people manage or leave.

Well said.

That you can only go this far. Whereas, the environment we have here, you’re potential is literally unlimited, and that’s translated into everything that we do, every conversations we have, is always about where are you taking this, where are you taking this, where are you taking this, so if you ask of the future, we’ve got so many things that are happening, we have TCI going international, and we want to go online, we want to be doing millions of dollars in online sales, for dream for example, and that’s the future, that’s what we want to build.

Sharon famously says, like ‘if you want the company, take it”.

I think that in our culture.

No really Really Laughter I think in our culture we have a way of thinking which is that we just imbedded in us that the grass is greener somewhere else. And it’s just well you know I’m gonna be here because I have to be someone else later. Um, it’s like I was watching this documentary the other day about how we must colonise, another planet, and I like we fu***n got one, like...

Laughter

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How about we make this one really good f***** destroy that one find another one. And I think that most people have that thinking, it’s here there is something else later. And when you make a decision to love where you are at and be, and make where you are amazing, and contribute to it, that’s when not only does it become great but when you fall in love with it, then you’re life can completely changes, because you actually love what you do, you get to say it, you’re excited about it, never clock watch, never, there’s never a moment when you’re like ohhhh what’s, like I apologise for leaving earlier, I apologise for leaving on time.

Laughter You sort me out once to tell me you were leaving at six.

I have to go, and she’s like, ‘it’s six o’clock’ I know I’ve got to go and do this thing. And I actually felt bad.

Why were you telling me of course you could go.

You did the same thing to me yesterday. ‘Why are you telling me that you’re leaving?’

Just go.

I think it’s to help you understand this, because we care so much about what we do. We love it. That’s why we’re here. Um, and I think that’s why we can ferociously say to people if you don’t love it then please leave, or, um. Wait for it…

F*** off.

Just go away. Or do something else As a customer, I think there’s probably a better word, but so many clients involved in the community, like I’m in Brisbane and I’ll say the Zavier, look at the time, and I generally know that I could probably make a call and someone’s going to answer the phone, even though it’s six o’clock.

Really? Your amazing. What about the Facebook thing? We get client enquiries, on Facebook, on Sunday night. And it’s answered. Sometimes by me.

Laughter Let’s not take that for granted, that’s not normal in the world. That’s….

It’s usually Tish and always looking outward, I know when I was just an employer in an organisation, we really didn’t give a rats arse about staff, ah, you feel like you are a number.

Or a chess piece.

Yeah ok, and feel like whatever happens and then they just have enough of you and you just get it, see you later, you become by product. Whereas I think when you create this, create that environment, and you got the people saying here, that it becomes a family, it’s a genuine love, care, it’s run like it’s their own business.

That’s the only way it’s gonna work

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I think I can put in a distinction, i thinks this helps with the question you were asking before about hiring, is that that environment has to be within someone. And it’s to a certain degree, it’s either there or it’s not, it could be developed.

It’s very hard to find.

It’s either there or it’s not, and we get good at seeing if it’s there or it’s not. If it’s not, it’s not about you I don’t care about what you know, what you’ve done…

You ever got somebody who’s a grownup, who’s got the grown up behaviours but isn’t naturally a grownup, can you spot that?

Laughter When I came back into the business when the grownups were…seventeen people were helped realise the decision that they needed to make.

Giggles I think that’s a cool way of saying it.

Agreement Especially with our employment line.

It was their decision, I just pointed it out values matches, Tracy, and that was nearly everybody they hired. I think it was everybody, they hired. They hired Tracy. And I did the same thing to Tracy that I did with everybody when I arrived back in the business, this is how I arrived.

No, remind me, Sharon’s in the building Oh bless.

Yeah Laughter Really? Hang on, so I just was all of me with everybody, and I’m not, I own the business, I have to be able to be all of me, everything’s resting on it, so I was all of me. And this woman, do the…

Laughter It’s on camera.

Hysterical laughter It was like, water in a dessert. It was like that’s what she’d been waiting for all her life and she didn’t know it could happen.

That’s what I signed up for I think. It sort of wasn’t there, Yeah

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So then when you did come back in and then we created a connection so…ahhhh That’s how good it could be. But for many people that had never seen it, so they don’t believe that, to be a really powerful leader you gotta believe it, so that people can see it. And I think that’s what I do really well. Nobodies telling me the next step or showing me what’s possible, I believe it, and then we see it.

And that’s what I gave her. Very very deliberately, because young at heart, just loves the adventure, but anybody’s who’s not younger at heart, really doesn’t like me. And doesn’t want to work with me. The mismatch is incredible. The judgement I get, cos I’m a bit more whatever. Whatever I am.

Even though, I love working with Sharon, from the start you were there, with me as well, so it was this, I was actually really confused with what was going on as to you. Ok this is not.

It’s Sharon’s business, I was confused how is it not that she’s got the control of this what is going on and then, when it ended up being like yes she’s here more and more of the time, she’s bringing back more and more of the culture, it just got better and better. But those that loved it, they just went it’s getting….

Where getting there.

You see all these other people dropping away, it’s getting hard, no it’s not. It’s getting fun.

Laughter Four people in one day. Yah. Did you have your hand up?

No I was just recognising my company is going through, There we go. I hope you guys are seeing patterns in this and this gives you a lot of confidence and certainty, about how far you can go. When I go and speak about this, I spoke at K2 and a couple of other places, immediately the feedback is from business owners and from leaders and from coaches, I now have permission to go that far. I didn’t know that was ok. Cos you never see it anywhere else. You’re just shown corporate beige, and in the box thinking, and job description, which would just let everyone down. So, hopefully this is paying you a picture these guys are painting a picture for you of potential that is anything but that. And the chaos works. You know you guys haven’t asked yet isn’t there a lot of chaos? Yes!!!!! But young people need chaos young thinkers need chaos.

I don’t know Laughter Well it’s very normal for us.

Laughter The voice gets squeaky I’m gonna tell you now, when the chaos is up, her voice goes squeaky. Did you know that? Squeaky voice. How you’re going?

Yeah good…

Laughter

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The chaos detector.

Laughter We had fifteen minutes notice, to come in here. And I go and what are we doing?

Laughter Matt. I’m breathing now.

Laughter I’m still typing going what was that about. Still typing her voice is getting squeakier.

Laughter On Monday when I landed here, I went onto the website, to sign up, but then I started to read a few things what you say…one of the things you say was it strategy? ‘Feeling the business itself’ it was the first time that I read something the opposite of strategy. Get what you love and people the same is, taking it, to read it, I have to get that out of my minds and business will sell and make lots of money and sit on the beach.

Well I believe you should make money on the way through Yes I agree But my exit is through leverage, and we’re doing the joint benches now, the affiliate deals and developing the leaders And you continue to do Yeah. I think that’s one of the strategies, I think that suits me best.

Sitting on the beach in Anglesea, and still be Sharon’s company. The coaching institute as in us.

Another direction or another challenge, or another plane or planet so I am grateful thank you for that Yeah you bet, my goal is in the next two to three years is to have a management buyout. They don’t know that yet.

Yes But to have these guys buy the company, and just have it. That’s the goal.

There you go.

Laughter and shock What’s that? Yeah, well there’s no one else who can buy it. There’s no one else who can buy it. You got to get it. You have really got to get it and care about it and see the potential. So everything I’m doing is helping these guys develop helping to future owners. That’s the goal. The long term. So you know hurry up. Do more do better.

Laughter

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So that’s a wrap from this section, we went a little overtime, I trust that was cool, I’ve been challenged to cut off the questions, you guys got a few learnings from that?

Agreement Yeah? Has it given you guys permission, just give me a little bit of a, what’s it’s given you, I’m hoping it’s given you permission to go a bit further.

Ah because coming from environment where um you have to work as for seven years, to be a leader and then…

Laughter In spite of having good potential you just get, and especially being of being a woman it’s like, don’t you just want to have kids? Than work nine to five, why do you want to be here? A leader, that’s what I used to get as a feedback in my performance review.

Wow Why aren’t you inspiring to learn more? Why are you aspiring to learn more?

What’s that?

Well they don’t give you the opportunity to say you think that’s what will happen. You’ll get married and you’ll have children.

Stop. That’s so wrong.

You don’t get a promotion year after year you’re getting married. They think that you’re going to have kids. And I have experienced …

This is wrong!!!

Totally.

You get a divorce and you’ve got two children, so you cope with this.

Yeah Oh my god The amount of assumptions.

You’ve got no idea.

I don’t want to…just the land; let’s just take the bottle…

I just been here for just meeting Bridget and aspiring of all the calls and the way everyone welcome me…

Yeah but you deserve a welcome, you’re gorgeous…

And I was like. Is she not older…I have never had access to anyone in management or all my colleges, so, hoping the owner of the company comes into the room, and interview and I know, really , after you left I asked Bridget, is she the owner?

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Laughter I introduce myself as an administrator, I like to do that Laughter I saw your photo in the poster I introduce myself as an administrator everywhere.

And we just joined and, we just came to have a chat, like you were the first institute we You joined that day though didn’t you. Of course We joined Yeah of course. We’ll sit here and talk about you.

I just want to say how inspiring it is, to see like, I’ve got a lot of in my organisation as well, but to hear the way you guys communicate, such maturity, and such certainty, it’s just, it’s inspiring to see the framework that my own team can develop into. Cos I know a lot of them have the potential.

Yeah, they do. I trust these guys these guys were in the insurance aon meeting, negotiating with aon. And my husband was handling all that just said they are unbelievable I don’t need to think about it, they’ve got it, and I have no idea what that means, but I just know they’ve got it. That’s how it’s meant to be.

And given that picture I can imagine how grateful these guys must be feeling, because even as a student, we feel so grateful to be a part of this amazing community. I just get goose bumps Laughter Amazing, yeah?

I just want to anything else, initially my organisation categorise into different cupboards.

They but what I love is people, be.

Yeah, respond to the person not the model. Does that make sense? That’s the thing about this, the model isn’t dictating how we are with each other, and it’s who we are, and it creates how we are with each other, and it’s in us so, yeah.

There are times when I will say to people, why can’t I have any to micromanagement about on that. You’ve let me down, trust is low, I’m now gonna micro manage you, is that how you want it to continue, the answer is always the same, no. Well sort your shit. That’s it.

That’s amazing how, when you ask a simple question you ask too much of you Yeah that’s respectful I think. And I mean the question, like genuinely did I, was that, I’m always helping them reach, but did I reach too far that time, was that an overreach cos I can do that, I’m an um, I can do that. Anyway, I trust this has been really cool for you guys, to have this access to these amazing people, yeah so Sue-Anne wrap up real quick.

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Mentor and coach, what percentage are you working fifty fifty?

We’ll do that after the break, these guys have got a business to run. Let’s thank them.

Applause Thank you so much

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