The best manager I ever had

Behind every great leader is a manager who offered inspiration and mentorship. We talk with four leaders to discover the best managers they ever had.

By Nicola Field

Holding the reins loosely Kristen Turnbull, Director of CoreData WA, doesn’t hesitate in nominating Andrew Inwood, founder and principal of CoreData, as the best manager she has ever worked for.

“He’s not just a good manager. Andrew is a great leader,” says Turnbull.

Turnbull began working with Inwood nine years ago when CoreData was in its infancy. It was a big change for her, as she was making a career switch out of journalism and into financial services research.

From the start Inwood stood out as an exceptional leader. “I’ve had good managers before,” says Turnbull. “But Andrew really wanted me to succeed and took the time to understand what makes me tick.” Guided by his example, Turnbull recognises the need to know her own team and keep lines of communication open. “We all have external stresses, and when you truly know your people it’s a lot easier to help them manage external issues that may be impacting their professional life.”

She says Inwood demonstrates genuine interest in his staff, and one particular instance really stands out. “One December I casually mentioned to Andrew that I’d lost my sunglasses. When Christmas rolled around, he handed out gifts to all the staff – and my present was a gift voucher for a new pair of sunglasses. It really highlighted how he listened and cared.”

More than helping her transition into a new career, he encouraged an investment in her personal brand. “Education is very important to him,” notes Turnbull. “And he suggested that I complete a Masters of Business Administration (MBA).”

What was remarkable was the no-strings-attached support provided.

“The company funded my MBA, which is an investment worth tens of thousands of dollars. Even more amazingly, there was no lock-in attached – no formal expectation that I would remain with the company, even after I had completed my MBA.”

For Turnbull, Inwood’s willingness to invest in her as an employee has created a tremendous sense of loyalty to both her leader and CoreData. Six years into the role, this two-way street bore fruit. Expecting her second child and keen to be closer to family in Perth, she approached Inwood about relocating from Sydney to Western Australia. She acknowledges that Perth was not a strategic market for CoreData, but both she and Andrew were willing to turn the move into an opportunity.

Turnbull admits, “Andrew really put his faith in me and let me spearhead CoreData’s entry into the Perth market. Andrew talks about ‘holding the reins loosely’, and by trusting me to build the Perth office, he has encouraged me to share that same approach with my own team – letting them know that support is there if it’s needed but otherwise giving them space to achieve independent success.”

Today, CoreData WA is thriving, and a little over a year ago Turnbull became an equity stakeholder in the business, a step that was especially noteworthy for her. “In previous roles I only felt valued when I had one foot out the door. Andrew has taught me to reward my people in the moment and acknowledge their value today.”

Looking back, Turnbull observes, “Having an outstanding leader has shown me the value of being willing to invest in my own people. It helps them grow – and ultimately that helps the business grow.”

Firm but approachable 

Mark Hayball CMgr FIML, General Manager at RCS Telecommunications in Brisbane, says he didn’t directly work under the best manager he has encountered. Rather it was someone who worked in a different area of the business. He explains: “I wasn’t aware at the time that he was monitoring my progress. It was only much later that I connected the dots.”

According to Hayball, the light bulb moment came when he was nominated to attend in-house leadership training. “I didn’t know who had nominated me,” he says. “I later discovered it was this particular manager. After that I became much more aware of him and his management style.”

What especially impressed was the “firm but approachable” style of the manager involved. “I was in the early stages of my career, and I didn’t really know what management was all about. I wasn’t getting a great deal of leadership from my direct managers, and I was focusing on the technical process. This manager took a very different approach. He was more about engaging people, understanding individuals and what they needed to perform well.”

The absence of bias also left an impression. “I saw a sincere commitment to people in this manager. And he never showed bias to any one particular person.”

Those observations have had a lasting impact on Hayball. “Being able to recognise where staff need help, and giving them opportunities to seek recognition, are essential skills of a good manager.”

These days, it is “ingrained” in Hayball to support his team and offer recognition. It’s also become a two-way street. Mark developed a self-assessment tool for his staff to provide feedback on him as a manager. “It’s a wake-up call!” he says, though he adds that this is fundamental in developing trust. “Senior managers need to be able to guide others, but it’s also essential to be able to receive feedback and not take it personally. One of the biggest challenges facing senior managers is that they don’t let others in, so there is no real opportunity for self-reflection.”

Resilience and emotional intelligence

Aletia Fysh, Head of Marketing at Community First Credit Union in Sydney, says that throughout her career she has benefitted from the support of several good managers, and has distilled the best learnings from each into her own leadership style.

One manager in particular taught Fysh the value of brainstorming the rules of engagement with a team as a whole, so that everyone is on the same page. She notes: “When you set clear expectations it is far easier to explain to team members ‘we agreed to do this’ if things don’t go according to plan.” She adds that it is critical for the team to collectively develop these rules. “When everyone takes part in setting the rules it’s more likely each person will take ownership and adhere to the ground rules.”

Fysh says one manager stood out for encouraging leadership and development training. “This particular manager invested in staff – not just to do their roles, but to learn to lead and manage change,” she explains. “I was encouraged to attend courses that were incredibly effective at developing my leadership skills.”

One learning experience stood out in particular. “I attended a course that taught the value of listening to others to gain insights into how they think. It’s then possible to use this knowledge to convey information in a way that each different person is best able to relate to.”

She provides an example: “I was trying to explain to a colleague how we needed to improve our processes. By listening to their response I could see this person wanted numbers and statistics to make sense of what I was saying. Without this, I wasn’t able to influence the team member in the way I wanted. Realising this, I pulled together some key data and statistics, which the person took on board. I could immediately see a big difference in their reaction.”

The value of formal learning has encouraged Fysh to invest in her own team. “I strongly encourage learning and development among my people.” She is quick to point out though that this doesn’t have to mean funding expensive courses. “Development can come from something as simple as teaming a staff member with a peer they can learn from.”

Across the best managers she has worked with, Fysh says a common feature is resilience and mastery of emotional intelligence. “Managers who get overly emotional when things don’t go to plan can have a very destabilising impact on their staff,” observes Aletia. “Resilience matters because if something doesn’t work out, you need to be able to learn from the experience and not take it personally.”

One of the most useful tips Fysh has picked up from a former manager is having monthly one-on-one meetings with each of her team members. “It’s very effective,” notes Aletia. “You only need to ask three questions – ‘What’s going well?’, ‘What’s not going well?’ and ‘What can we do better?’”

According to Fysh, the beauty of this approach is that it empowers team members. “As a leader, people should feel you are open for feedback. At one-on-one meetings I hand the floor to each staff member and they run the dialogue. There is no need to write up notes. It’s about letting your people think through their progress. It’s also a good opportunity for your team to give feedback about you as a manager and leader. And you need to be prepared to take this on board.”

Galvanising a team

Benjamin Brown MIML, Graduate Civil Engineer in Bundaberg, is still in the early years of his career but he is lucky enough to have encountered a great leader in his current manager, Joe Saunders.

One of the key aspects Brown has learned from his manager is the value of culture. Brown explains that Saunders has been in his current role for 12 years and “embodies” the company’s culture: “He works in the way the company is looking for and that’s something the whole team respects as it sets a strong example.”

Brown also says he has benefited from the investment Saunders makes in one-on-one time with team members. “As I move more into a project management role, Joe regularly checks on me,” he says. “That means he can pull me up at an early stage if I am starting to take the wrong direction. I appreciate that he genuinely cares about my progress, and this gives me confidence in my role and what we’re working towards.”

One aspect of Saunders’ style that Brown particularly appreciates is his frankness. “He speaks his mind. It can be confronting at times but by calling things as they are without sugarcoating the issue, I know exactly what needs to be done to get back on track.”

As Brown’s office team expands, he finds himself moving into a project management role. He says, “I now appreciate the value of being able to galvanise a team. Joe is very good at binding everyone together and providing clear team objectives. Having firm objectives across multiple teams working on the same project helps in providing quality outcomes, and this has helped to set our company apart within the market. It’s taught me the value of keeping in touch with individual team members on a regular basis to achieve the highest level of quality with the experience they have.”

Make your mark. Go Chartered.

IML offers the prestigious and globally recognised Chartered Manager designation to leaders in Australia and New Zealand. Have your leadership experience formally recognised through IML today. Contact our Chartered Manager team on 1300 661 061 or email chartered.manager@managersandleaders.com.au

Details online at managersandleaders.com.au/chartered-manager

 

From wilderness to CEO: how I started my first company

When I left my last job at Logica, it was a tough decision to make as I had to survive without income in order to achieve my dream of setting up a successful startup. But that’s what 88% of the entrepreneurs do. My parents kindly invested in the new business.

In 1995 – two years after the first web browser was released, I spent all my money on a high-speed internet connection (only 64K then) and headed out to research what business would benefit from the Internet. I’d been using the Internet since the 1987 when I did a research trip to the USA with my University. The Internet was a great solution but what was the problem?

I then tried my hands into real estate business but turned out that it was challenging as agents kept all their prices hidden and only revealed them to clients who walked in the door. The next on my list was to get into travel accommodation. After testing the market for a while I realized that people were taking a punt. I could foresee an income of around 1,000 GBP per year, but little prospect of any increase soon. So I was back to the drawing board.

After several more abortive ideas I realized the real problem was staring me in the face. Communication on the Internet was a real challenge for most companies. What was the point of a website if you couldn’t get email? I created an email solution and within a year I had seven people working for me. I remember the first customer well, like every entrepreneur does – Falmouth College of Arts. Within a few years Telstra, the US Army, and NASA made to our customer list. I ran the world’s forum for email – anyone with a question about setting up email came to me. I owned the problem to which I  happened to have a great solution.

Looking back, I was young and able to take the risk of jumping before I had an income.

But what was really  required for my success was to get out of my comfort zone and test my ideas with strangers.  I walked into shops, called people, sent them letters to discover what my potential customers thought and listened to the response before I built anything.

It was a great learning for me as I got to dive deep into their world and   understand  how they looked at things. By doing this I was able to quickly narrow down ideas that would really work at the end. Only after contacting and speaking to many hundreds of people did I eventually hit on a problem I could solve. That of providing communication on the internet.

The same process works now!

Statistics show that entrepreneurs over 40 have a significant advantage over the younger generations. The reason being  they already know an industry and so they can see how things can be improved. They already have a network of people who’d benefit, the confidence to go and ask open questions and listen to the response. And because they already have an income, they are not financially stressed.

When you know how, testing an idea to see if it can become a source of revenue costs very little – just a pack of business cards, some time and a little thought. Some people stumble on the process, others stand on the shoulders of the greats. Many start in their spare time and their passion takes over and customers start arriving.

Knowing you have to ask open questions and listen is the key. Listen to the answers and find others with a passion to solve the same problem as you.

Then you have the dream team…

By Brian Dorricott

Founder of two businesses exited through multi-million MBO and sale to Cisco Systems, speaker and  guide to hundreds of Entrepreneurs.

EUROPEAN SKILLS TO AUSTRALIAN SHORES

after Swiss IT expert Gunnar Habitz became a self-described “accidental manager” he chose to undertake professional development in management and leadership.  

story lachlan colquhoun // photograph Girish Verma

 

 the first time Gunnar Habitz CMgr FIML experienced Australia was a picture postcard arrival in Sydney’s Circular Quay on a cruise ship.

“It is one of the most amazing ways to arrive in any city, anywhere in the world,” says the Swiss IT Manager. “I fell in love with the city and from that moment I started to think that it might be somewhere I could consider as my new home. So I decided to give it a try at 40-odd years old, and start this adventure.”

 

That was two years ago, and since then Habitz has acquired permanent residency and a role as a Channel Sales Manager with the IT provider KeepItSafe, a cloud storage and disaster recovery solutions provider.

“I am passionate about the transformation of modern workplaces to embrace new ways of collaboration,” he says.

“I am convinced that cloud-based tools, mobility and artificial intelligence enable these trends, so I consult and guide my audience as a trusted advisor along the change journey, to prepare them for a connected tomorrow.”

 

He sees the Australian ICT industry as an ideal test market for innovative technologies and services.

“One of the reasons I moved to Sydney in 2016 was to apply my European experience in the cloud to sunny Australia,” he says.

The move came after two decades working in various roles in the IT industry, and more than a decade at Hewlett-Packard in Switzerland, from where he managed sales teams covering Central Eastern Europe.

 

“It was not my initial intention to become a leader, it happened after I became an IT expert, so I am what you would call an accidental manager,” says Habitz.

“I also led the team remotely. My team included 32 people but they were spread over 29 countries, and although I spent 90 days a year staying in hotels on the road, most of the communication happened using virtual communication.

“I found I needed a variable skill set to make that happen and use my visionary and participative leadership styles. I never said to people they had to do things the same way we do things in Switzerland, because I realised the market developments were quite different.”

 

One of Habitz’s goals on moving to Australia was to attend formal management and leadership training, especially as Australia has a reputation for outstanding education programs.

While he had acquired Advanced Business Studies in Zürich on top of his Master of Computer Science and had done in-house leadership trainings at Hewlett-Packard, he felt he lacked formal education in leadership.

Upon his arrival in Australia he finished an Advanced Diploma of Leadership and Management at the Australian Institute of Management and has become a Chartered Manager and Fellow via IML as a commitment to further develop and improve his skills.

 

In approaching his leadership journey, Habitz is guided by a belief that “the world needs more leaders who are not just managers.”

“At the moment I am in a small team and while I am not the manager from an official point of view, I do try to lead with experience and [by] example,” he says.

“This is something that we don’t see enough of in the world — but we need more of it.

“Companies are reducing management layers and smaller start-ups have very flat structures, so the individuals need leadership skills as well to develop towards sustainable success.”

 

Habitz is also driven by a personal credo of management which comprises a series of “i” words. They are inspiration, influence, impact, improve, interest … and imperfect.

Why imperfect? He believes leaders need to understand that no one is perfect. Habitz also draws a distinction between management and leadership: “Simply speaking, a manager is managing processes while a leader is leading people,” he says.

It is a view reflected in his approach to the IT industry where he uses a Sydney Harbour analogy, inspired by his arrival in Australia, to explain the difference:

“Like the Sydney Harbour Bridge covers two important parts of the city, I combine the technical with the business side,”
says Habitz.

 

“As International Sales Manager across European countries, I learnt to adopt quickly to different cultures.

“Now it is great for me to apply that learning on the diversity in the Australian marketplace. The people-to-people business culture helped me to further develop myself to become a strategic networker using modern skills like social selling and virtual leadership.”   

 

 

 

Curious about how IML Membership works, and what it costs? Visit managersandleaders.com.au/join-iml/ to find out more

 

3 PRINCIPLES TO ENSURE LEADERS DELIVER ON PROMISES

Without integrity, discipline and the ability to implement excellence, leaders will fail to  deliver on the promises they make.

by PROFESSOR DANNY SAMSON

 

Effective leaders lead by example and are true to their commitments. They deliver on their promises and, in doing so, set standards for others to follow. When leaders say one thing but do another, the organisation will suffer. On the flipside, when our staff see us as achieving and delivering on our agreed commitments, then they will follow suit.

I have been fortunate to study firsthand many of the world’s best companies, and observe what their leaders do to achieve their industry leadership. The common principles I’ve observed are integrity and discipline. They were strongly connected to a third key principle which was implementation excellence.

 

Principle 1: Integrity

Integrity boils down to openness, honesty and truth-telling. In great organisations, leaders deliver on their promises. They treat all stakeholders with respect and find ways to create mutual value for all parties. Organisations such as HP, Toyota, BHP and ABB are justifiably admired for always striving to take the high road on integrity. (Judging by what we have seen recently during the banking Royal Commission, the same cannot be said about many of our financial institutions in Australia.)

To test the comprehensiveness of your personal and organisational approach to “telling the whole truth”, consider the testing circumstance of how well you manage underperforming employees. Do the managers in your organisation fully manage poor performers and tell them the whole truth? Or do they take the easy route in the short term, and end up carrying passengers that weigh down the organisation and negatively impact on overall morale and engagement across teams and the wider business?

 

Principle 2: Discipline

The discipline principle involves establishing and living by a set of standards, in terms of operating procedures, and having stability in our processes. These help guide us in the delivery of our commitments. It is hard for anyone, even the most capable executive, to effectively deliver on commitments if the organisation is struggling in its day-to-day activities, lurching from one crisis to the next.

I haven’t seen a better company than Toyota when it comes to stability. Whenever the unexpected occurs, Toyota’s management focus as tremendous attention upon it, problem-solves it, and then returns to the steady state. With such a stable organisation in place, when executives commit to engaging in new or innovative initiatives, they usually have time to effectively deliver on them. That approach has become part of the Toyota culture, right from the top floor to the shop floor.

 

Principle 3: Implementation excellence

The implementation excellence principle is a high bar to achieve. Yet it is imperative if you want to consistently deliver on your promises. In fact, this is what separates high performers from the rest of the pack.

My research has found that when it comes to executing on major promises, there are two key requirements. First is the need to be well organised. This means planning and executing initiatives as formal projects, including a specific timeline, budget and outcome. (Executing that plan only works well when there is a solid plan in place of course!) Second comes the accountability for actually doing the work and reaping the benefits from the initiative. That means there are  consequences for poor performance, and recognition for high performance.

 

A remarkable combination

If you can combine these three principles in your organisation, the results can be remarkable. You will see leaders delivering on their promises and, in doing so, they will help to create a culture where others live up to these principles too.

But when leaders are not guided by these three principles, you can expect the organisation to be “soft” and slothful in its achievements. Ultimately the business will suffer after cutting corners and falling short on integrity (as demonstrated recently at various banks).

I encourage you to reflect upon this in two ways. First, by reading further about great leaders and their organisations where you can see these principles in action. Second, by questioning yourself and deciding what improvements you can make when it comes to integrity, discipline and implementing excellence.

Collectively, these three principles will enable you to deliver fully on your promises.

 

 

 

 

Professor Danny Samson, University of Melbourne Director, Master of enterprise & Master of Supply chain Management

 

 

 

MAKE YOUR MARK. GO CHARTERED 

Chartered Manager (CMgr) is the internationally-recognised professional designation accrediting management and leadership excellence.
The highest status that can be achieved as a manager and leader, it allows managers to professionalise their leadership skills and stand out in a competitive global market.
Focused on Continuing Professional Development (CPD), Chartered Manager is awarded on experience, expertise and a commitment to management and leadership.

For more details visit Chartered Manager

The magic of Mimi

Photo: Dr Donna Odegaard and her mother, Edith LeFrancois Bessen.

Dr Donna Odegaard AM was silenced as a child but has since dedicated her life to ensuring the voices of Indigenous Australians don’t suffer the same fate.

Story by Tracey Porter.

Dr Donna Odegaard is an unlikely business leader.

Birthed into a large but impoverished family in 1953, her early years in the outback were spent living in a tent before the consequences of the hardship the family endured saw her torn from the familial bosom and placed in an institution, thousands of kilometres away.

Despite her humble beginnings, Dr Odegaard has risen to become one of Darwin’s most respected business women with interests across everything from fashion and interior design to primary production and property development.

Yet it is her work with the Indigenous community – rather than her commercial acumen – that continues to afford her the greatest satisfaction.

And it is inspiring leaders such as Dr Odegaard who have contributed to the celebration of the role women play in the community.

Having dedicated the past three decades to increasing Indigenous opportunities across a broad spectrum of sectors including native title, media, education, training and employment, Dr Odegaard is an Indigenous Alumni Award winner, an Australian of the Year nominee and a Member in the General Division of the Order of Australia for significant service to Indigenous cultural heritage.

The woman her grandchildren fondly refer to as “Mimi” possesses a Masters in Law and Aboriginal Land Claims and also holds a PhD on Treaty – a background which saw her play an instrumental role in securing the Larrakia Kenbi Land Claim.

A twice-published author, the respected Larrakia elder is the founder and CEO of Aboriginal Broadcasting Australia but also sits on numerous business and community boards including the Indigenous Land Corporation, the Indigenous Business Trans-Tasman Delegation and the government driven Indigenous Reference Group Developing the North, headed by federal minister Matt Canavan.

When pushed to define the driver for her success, Dr Odegaard credits her austere upbringing with offering her a perspective not normally enjoyed by others in leadership positions.

“For me it was about being in survival mode. It was tough juggling motherhood, rent, sewing but I worked hard. I had to… but what that has given me is a great appreciation of, and priority for, family and hard work. I’m more concerned about what I can do than what I can’t, what I have than what I don’t.”

Aged under two when she was sent to the girl’s home and seven when she was released, Dr Odegaard says despite the fact some of her sisters were also present, at the time she felt forced to build her own support network.

“No one tells you what a family is. It was a difficult time particularly for my parents. I had a black man who would visit me and cry and I didn’t know who he was. Then I had my mother who was trying to remain close to all four of her daughters until such time as she could take us all out. But because I was institutionalised, I became a very good listener because that’s how I was groomed, I couldn’t speak and had to remain silent.”

In 1970 Donna, by then a 17-year-old mother-of-one, found history repeating when she found herself alone once again following her husband’s conscription into the Vietnam War. Deprived of income, the teenager was forced to think on her feet in order to provide for herself and her child.

In possession of little else but an extraordinary amount of determination and an old sewing machine – given to her by her mother who through necessity had provided everything from bedding to food for her family – Donna set about sewing, making clothes for her baby and the extended family.

Within 12 months her remit extended to making collections of children’s clothes to sell to her local community for a small profit. It was the start of a career for the enterprising young mother that would help her and her family endure for at least the next 25 years.

“It was a valuable lesson, to perfect a craft to ensure that if I identified a need I could actually have a better quality of life for myself and my babies,” she says.

Dr Odegaard says her experiences have equipped her with many skills useful in her day-to-day role managing others – not least of which is the ability to observe, to listen and to do things with what she terms “a good heart”.

Motivated by a sense of obligation to honour the efforts of her mother, her daughter, her sisters and the countless other women who have assisted on her journey, Dr Odegaard says she is neither a ruthless leader nor a walkover.

Instead her approach is one based on mutual respect.

“In terms of my legacy, I want my children to be proud of who I am and what I do. I have learnt that you have do right by yourself first, your family, community and society to get what you want. You need to be able to build your staff and encourage those with whom you come into contact with to be the best that they can without judgement.

“I think you have to instil a sense of hope, to let them know that ‘it doesn’t matter what you don’t know, it’s what you’re willing to learn’. Be persistent and keep going until you find out what it is you want to do. Be a leader and a role model and things will come your way – expect hard work and it will happen.”

* NAIDOC Week, is a celebration designed to commemorate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Celebrated by both Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australia’s, festivities are held across all corners of the country. For more: www.naidoc.org.au

A League Of His Own

Football Federation Victoria’s Chief Executive Maxwell Gratton has a passionate approach to leadership. It gives him more than a sporting chance of success.

WHEN MAXWELL GRATTON, at the time CEO of Basketball ACT, accepted the job of chief executive of Football Federation Victoria (FFV) late last year, it was a return to home turf for the former FFV’s operations manager who was responsible for special projects and discipline.

Gratton may have left basketball administration behind him, but he exited on a high note. His two-year stint as CEO resulted in the organisation posting the first surplus in its history. Basketball ACT’s chair David Leaney attributed the turnaround to Gratton, telling the Canberra Times:

“We’ve had two years with Max and if you think where the organisation was – with a deficit budget and all sorts of issues – he’s really been the man on the ground to steer us through some tough issues.”

Gratton was named ACT leader of the year, in the not-for-profit category, at the Institute’s Leadership Excellence Awards last year. Recently, the Institute’s chief executive David Pich FIML, together with Gratton, explored the myths and realities of sports administration.

DAVID PICH: When you took up the CEO role at FFV it was hardly uncharted territory for you. Prior to your CEO role at Basketball ACT you were with FFV for seven years. What has changed since you’ve been gone?

MAXWELL GRATTON: When I left the FFV, it was recovering after some challenging financial times. It was in a really different place to where we are now, where our strategy is to add value to our stakeholders, which is our clubs. Contact with the local club is how most players, referees, and volunteers interact with the sport. Equipping and empowering our clubs is going to be the base from which the game can further grow and develop. The strength of the federation is very much underpinned by the strength of our clubs.

DP: I always think that people who work in sports are passionate about their jobs, but that’s probably not accurate because you can be passionate about other things as well. Do you feel you have to be passionate about the sport itself?

MG: I couldn’t agree with you more. I think if you’re not passionate about something, you’re never going to reach peak performance. But you don’t necessarily need to know the complete intricacies of that sport to be able to derive some passion from it. One thing that enabled me to really fire up the passion [for basketball] was a lot of the synergies that I saw between basketball and football. They’re both global sports with real breadth and depth of diversity, as they are played by both genders as well as people of all abilities. Sport can be inclusive, help develop friendships, be character building and good for your health. It can build people, places and communities, and that is the real passion in sport.

DP: When you arrived at Basketball ACT it was in deficit. How did you manage to turn the business around financially?

MG: At the time of my arrival at Basketball ACT, it was experiencing an [overall] $700,000 loss against a turnover of $3 million. That’s when you know you’re in a pretty difficult situation. Hard decisions had to be made but in the end I think my legacy was leaving the organisation with its biggest capital works [program] in 20 years. This included the delivery of four outdoor, 3-on-3 courts, which was especially valuable with 3-on-3 [where three people play on each team using one hoop] just being announced as an Olympic discipline from 2020. Basketball ACT now has the best FIBA [the International Basketball Federation] standard, purpose-built facility for 3-on-3 in the country. To achieve this, I have to acknowledge that I’m very thankful and appreciative of the support and leadership of the president, David Leaney. I consider him one of my mentors and he’s still a close friend today. Early on I remember having a coffee with him and telling him, ‘look, the organisation is in a pretty tough position at the moment, so I’m going to make some hard decisions and I need your support. It might even cost me my position down the track, but I will do what is right for the organisation’. And he gave me that support. He and the board fully backed the tough decisions that needed to be made. I also ensured that I had good people around me, because as I’ve also been told that it’s hard to soar like an eagle when you’re surrounded by turkeys. I’m very thankful for my number two, Dan Jackson. It’s important to have people who are strong enough to give you an honest opinion and not just tell you what you want to hear.

DP: I can’t talk to an administrator in the world game of football without mentioning ethical leadership, as the scandals at FIFA spring to mind. I wonder whether you might give us your views on some of the ethical challenges that the top echelon of football has experienced in recent years.

MG: For me, ethical leadership is about being authentic, transparent and fair. Good governance also is very important within sports administration, which is predominately conducted in a not-for-profit space. As a sports administrator, I’m really a custodian of the game for the players, referees and other key stakeholders. So ensuring that there are proper processes and procedures in place and that due diligence is followed is critically important.

DP: You’ve been reported as being Australia’s first openly gay sports CEO. And earlier this year, you made headlines for taking your partner, Chris, to an awards night. And I think you were quoted as saying that hopefully it sets an example for LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender] advancement within sports, and that a lot of people from that community shy away from sport because it’s perceived to be, or is actually, homophobic. What’s your view on the progress that sport, in general, is making to be more diverse and accepting?

MG: I thought it was very important to further discussions about LGBTIQ [lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer] celebration within sports administration. LGBTIQ issues have advanced in many industries and within the community. Sport is one of the last bastions where there is still a level of resistance. I think diversity should be celebrated, and that’s where I’d like to make an impact. I hope it sets an example for the future by just starting the discussion. Hopefully this inspires others to also lead in their own way. I’m told with LGBTIQ issues first there is resistance, then there is acceptance, then there is celebration. I think we’re sort of moving past resistance towards acceptance. But I don’t think that’s good enough, because acceptance, in many respects, could be a branch of tolerance. Because in business culture, whatever becomes the norm is whatever you tolerate, so that’s the lowest form of acceptance in many respects. For example when you accept your friends, you don’t tolerate them, you celebrate them. There is evidence that just by having celebratory and diverse workplaces, you can foster more creativity and encourage more innovation. It can also reduce issues like absenteeism. And there are economic benefits that flow on from having a diverse workplace.

DP: Coming out is a major issue for professional players, because it’s essentially a private issue that plays out in the public domain. I think that one of the most difficult places to come out would be in front of thousands of people in a sporting stadium. But I can’t help but think that society has changed so much, that we’re very, very close to that point when this conversation doesn’t need to be had at all.

MG: I would hope so. But from a Premier League perspective, I think Europe and the UK is still a bit more advanced than in Australia where we’re still debating about whether we should have marriage equality or not. It disappoints me that we’re still discussing this. Hopefully, we shall resolve that issue pretty soon. But I do agree with you. I think progress is being made, but there’s still some way to go.

Managing Millennials

By Sharon Ferrier, Director of Persuasive Presentation

In 1953 William L. Patty and Louise S. Johnson in their book “Personality and Adjustment” lamented about the youth of today and wrote about a quote attributed to Socrates

“The children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise. Children are now tyrants, not the servants of their households. They no longer rise when elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties at the table, cross their legs, and tyrannize their teachers.”

Although a fabulous quote, it has now been debunked as a myth. But what is interesting, is that the youth they were referring to are the baby boomer leaders and managers of today.

Every generation sees the generation that follows them as less respectful, narcissistic and more easily distracted. And I have no doubt that in 20 years’ time Gen Y will be making the same complaints about Gen Z!

In 2009 Daniel Pink published his book Drive and introduced us to the idea of intrinsic motivation and the personal need for autonomy, mastery, and purpose. Dr Jason Fox, himself a millennial, expands on this idea in his book Game Changers and links motivation with gaming techniques: Goals, Rules and Feedback.

Fox explains that:

Goals – align with purpose and the inherent reward of the work.

Rules – calibrate challenge which contributes to mastery.

Feedback – enhances the simulation and keeps people working with autonomy.

So what can we do as managers and leaders? A manager recently lamented “If people would just do as their told life would be so much easier.” The reality is, is that the days of command and control are over and none of us like being told what to do. When we are told to do something without consultation, we react with our inner 10 year old that says “Yeah? Make me!”

We need another tactic. Pushy people cause resentment and if we’re passive nothing gets done. We do have a third alternative however, and that is persuasion.

Here are some ideas on how to apply it.

Align goals and vision

I have a friend Helen, whom I refer to as Midas Woman. Helen has the Midas touch with dysfunctional teams. She is flown around the country by her organisation and magically transforms low performing teams into exceptional teams that end up being the top performers in their field.

A few months ago I was determined to find out how Helen did it. After an excellent meal (and quite a bit of wine!) I cornered Helen and asked her how she did it. She replied with “I listen, ask about their dreams and goals and then tell them what they want to hear.”

What??!! Surely it cannot be that simple?

Helen went on to explain. “I focus on what gets them out of bed in the morning, why they chose to work in this industry and what they value in their work. I then align their values with the company values and smooth the path for them to succeed and enjoy their work. Sometimes values do not align and I highlight this and explain that they may never be happy working here and support them in finding a new position.”

If we accept the validity of intrinsic motivation, we need to make an effort to understand what our people want and need. Persuasion means ‘to win others over, not to defeat them.’ In order to do this, we need to link the organisational goals with the individual.

Rules and guidelines

According to McCrindle Research Millennials over their working life will have over 17 jobs and five different careers. Managers need to be ready to induct employees efficiently so they can be productive as fast as possible. Inductions programs need to focus on core skills and culture and then be supported by on the job coaching and mentoring. Millennials (Gen Y) are known for asking ‘Why?’ A strong company manifesto consisting of “This is who we are and this is what we do.” needs to be communicated constantly.

Feedback

When we think of feedback we automatically add a negative in front of it. And yet quality, meaningful feedback is essential for improvement and job satisfaction. We all like to be recognised and to see progress. MBWA (Management By Walking Around) still applies and when it comes to persuasive communication, there is nothing more effective than face to face.

Have fun

Generally, many baby boomers see work like a plate roast and three veg, where the meat and vegetables, like work and leisure, do not touch. Alternatively Millennials see work and play more like spaghetti bolognaise where everything is interconnected and interrelated.

I remember years ago visiting a fudge stall at the famous Quincy Market in Boston. The fudge was made fresh daily and as the staff were making it, they would break into song and encourage customers to sing along as well. It was fabulous and the queues went out the door. I was equally enamoured when I heard about the FISH philosophy which was founded in the Seattle fish markets.

Having fun and being effective are not mutually exclusive. Over the past decade we have seen a dramatic reduction in the formality of workplaces. Great teams are diverse and encourage inter-generational communication. We need to view both sides of the coin, to integrate the past but also view our organisation with the fresh eyes needed to prepare our company for the future.

About the author:
Sharon Ferrier is the Director of Persuasive Presentation. Sharon’s background is in sales and marketing and along the way has studied business administration, marketing, management, journalism as well as more eclectic skills including comedy, improvisation and the art of persuasion. As an award winning speaker and salesperson Sharon uses her skills to help people become persuasive and influential speakers.

 

 

Sharon will be speaking at the Adelaide Masterclass on Engaging the work force – how leaders engage and inspire people to prepare for change on the 31st of October 2017.

Book today

 

Trust: Hard To Earn But Easy To Lose

 

If there’s one thing that ensures team success, it’s trust.
By Kate Jones

 

Trust is the key that unlocks the door to more innovative, agile and productive organisations.

Yet it barely rates a mention in boardrooms across Australia, reflecting an even more worrying trend – society’s growing mistrust of institutions.

Declining trust is a problem for governments, banks, the media and even non-government organisations. Research shows flagging trust means the majority of people think societal and economic systems are working against them.

The 2017 Edelman Trust Barometer, which samples more than 33,000 respondents from 28 countries, found people’s concerns centre around corruption, globalisation, immigration, an erosion of social values and the pace of innovation.

Across the four institutions of government, business, media and NGOs, business was viewed as the only one that can make a difference. Three out of four respondents agree a company can take actions to both increase profits and improve economic and social conditions.

Business leaders play an important part in rebuilding trust and it all starts in-house.

Today’s fast-paced advances mean there is a greater emphasis on explaining the impact of innovation to employees and what it means for their jobs. There is the ongoing need for businesses to pay employees fairly, constantly improve benefits and provide job training.

Being a trustworthy leader is all about establishing credibility, says business psychologist Sebastian Salicru, author of Leadership Results: How to Create Adaptive Leaders and High-performing Organisations for an Uncertain World.

 

“Leaders need to be fair by displaying consistency in decision-making . . . and sharing their influence and power appropriately”

 

“This means acting with integrity and being role models of the principles, values and behaviours they uphold,” he says.

“More specifically, building credibility entails enhancing or repairing their psychological contracts with their people by fulfilling the expectations employees have of them, building trust by communicating openly, keeping their promises, demonstrating competence and good judgment.

“They also need to be fair by displaying consistency in decision-making, providing opportunities for others to share their views, share their influence and power appropriately, and provide ongoing feedback to their teams.”

Winning a team’s trust is a marathon and relies on being respectful, welcoming feedback and admitting mistakes, Salicru advises. Losing it can be a sprint.

“Don’t assume people know what you expect from them, don’t pretend that you know everything, don’t blame others when things go wrong, don’t display favouritisms, don’t bully, abuse your power or discriminate against others, don’t avoid conflict and don’t try to be liked or seek approval from others,” he says.

Restoring strong team trust will translate to consumers, giving them confidence to do business with an organisation and recommending that organisation to others. Flowing from this are healthy customer relationships, which fast-track business growth and build sustainable brand equity.

“It manifests in increased sales, repeat business, customer loyalty and brand ambassadorship,” Salicru says.

“In turn, this affords you and the organisation brand differentiation, good reputation, and greater competitive advantage. In the longer-term, this means increased market share, sustainability and business growth.”

Maintaining trust has and always will be crucial for business leaders. Leaders can do this by working towards putting people, their employees and customers, at the centre of everything they do.

 

Career Doctor: An IML Specialist Takes A Problem To Task

 

 

The problem: ‘I’m a new boss who has discovered that morale and productivity are low. What’s the best way to raise standards?’

 

Peter says: It’s easy to become overwhelmed, lost and bewildered as a young first-time manager taking over a dysfunctional team with a very negative culture. The situation can be magnified if there’s little or no support to coach or guide you through the steps you must take to establish your credibility and garner trust from the members in your team. In any case it’s best to have a fluid plan that you can adapt depending on circumstance. Once you have that set, consider the following as team-building tips that will help you execute your plan.

 

Let them know who you are
At the earliest opportunity, speak to the whole team about your work history and who you are as a person, and present an overview of why you were given the position.

Be open with your intentions
When setting out plans for the future, don’t be tempted to outline a “grand plan”. Building trust, boosting credibility and setting out guidelines for a collaborative culture are key. You will need to be inclusive while remaining cautious when explaining your vision of the team’s future, especially when it includes building a stronger more positive and proactive culture within the team.

Up close and personal
Spend one-on-one time with each team member as soon as possible. This provides the opportunity to learn more about each other, find out what’s working well and why, and what could be improved and how. It’s one of the best ways to find out what the real concerns are. This should become a fixed weekly or fortnightly catch-up to provide and receive open and honest feedback.

The task at hand
As soon as you know what’s working well and what needs to be improved from the team, convene a team meeting to advise your team on what you’ve learned from the one-on-ones and how you plan to tackle the areas that need to be improved (after ensuring to ask them for their ideas). Then divide up the tasks, empowering individuals and teams, while you take responsibility for the big-ticket items.

Accountability
Reinforce standards for correct behaviour and performance, referencing job descriptions and codes of conduct. Emphasise that you also abide by these standards. Respect, credibility and trust are supported by consistency and fairness in all you do. You’re a role model from the very first moment you take up the job. Your team will be watching you.

 

Peter Cullen is an education and training facilitator who teaches “Manage People, Performance and Business Effectively” courses. Each three-day program engages participants in developing and implementing their capabilities as manager and leaders.

Helping People Achieve

Written by Tony Burns FIML, CEO of HPA Incorporated “Helping People Achieve”

 

At a young age my parents instilled in me the mantra that giving back is the best reward in life. Taking their advice, I have dedicated my time to making life easier for others, and as the Chief Executive Officer of HPA – Helping People Achieve, I am very humbled to have the opportunity to lead such as amazing team.

Our vision as a company is to empower people. Supporting them through development of confidence, independence and life skills to lead a fulfilling everyday life in a world where there are no barriers. The HPA team are the only motivation I require to continue our journey and remain focused on our commitment to be an innovative employer.

But high-performance cultures don’t just appear, I understand that and have pushed towards finding what motivates people throughout the organisation. I have lived and experienced all types of leadership over my years working with people including in my amazing current role. I feel these experiences have really given me the tools of the trade to be a great example of leadership and how it can help others achieve.

Below are some of my personal leadership qualities in relation and processes with “Helping People Achieve”.

 

Define Your Culture

Company culture is the personality of a company. It defines the environment in which employees work. Company culture includes a variety of elements, including work environment, company mission, value, ethics, expectations, and goals.

Its important to all our employees, because our workers really enjoy their time in the HPA workplace when they fit in with the company culture. What I have found is that people tend to develop better relationships with all coworkers, and are even more productive to help get buy-in and align the organisation behind our strategy.

 

Mentoring

Mentoring is also an essential leadership skill. In addition to managing and motivating people, it’s also important that I can help others learn, grow and become more effective in their roles and responsibilities.

Below are 12 quick tips to remember when approaching mentoring, to help make sure both you and your mentee get the most out of your session.

1) Approach each mentorship differently
2) Set expectations together in the very beginning
3) Take a genuine interest in your mentee as a person
4) Know when to wait before giving advice
5) Improve your emotional intelligence
6) Don’t assume anything about your mentee — ask
7) Be really forthcoming about mistakes you’ve made
8) Celebrate their achievements
9) Give more than you ask for
10) Seek out classes or projects related to skills your mentee wants to develop
11) Solve for the long-term
12) Lead by example

 

Helping-people-achieve
Tony and his HPA team accepting the 2016 Northern Territory Charity Award at the Telstra Business Awards.

Transparency

I’ve never bought into the concept of ‘wearing the mask.’ As HPA’s leader, the only way I know how to engender trust and buy-in from my team and with my colleagues is to be 100 percent authentically me—open, sometimes flawed, but always passionate about my work.

 

Inspiration

Leaders aren’t self-made; they are driven. A lot of people have given me inspiration over the years and great inspiration and fantastic advice, and I was fueled by my beliefs and an internal drive and passion to do great things and inspire along my journey. That’s why I’m always willing to offer motivation—to friends or strangers. I know the power of inspiration.

 

Networking Is Working

I have found that Networking is one of the most important professional skills you can develop. It is defined as ‘exchanging information, contacts and experience for professional or social purposes’. It’s about building two-way, mutually beneficial relationships—one person at a time. I truly believe that people who build strong internal and external networks within their organisation are often better positioned to:
– work collaboratively
– be aware of greater opportunities for our company
– be in touch with the right people to get ‘things done’

 

Passion

You must love what you do. In order to be truly successful at something, you must obsess over it and let it consume you during your process of achieving greatness. No matter how successful your business might become, you are never satisfied and constantly push to do something bigger, better and greater. My passion and drive to make a difference and create possibilities for others is how I live my life every day. I am truly living my purpose to ‘Help People Achieve’.

 

Innovation

In any system with infinite resources and infinite expansion of population—like HPA, or like all of humanity—innovation is essential for not only success but also survival. The innovators are our leaders. You cannot separate the two. Whether it is by thought, technology or organization, innovation is our only hope to solve our challenges and speed bumps along the way.

 

Tony will be one of many speakers at our upcoming Sydney Conference on the 5th October 2017. Book Now to hear Tony and many other specialists in their respective fields discuss attributes of successful leaders at this full day event.