Three Points of View: How to keep your rising stars

How can managers and leaders keep top millennial talent from leaving the organisation? Leadership Matters Editorial Director Andy McLean MIML asks experts for their advice.

 

Sinead Hourigan FIML

Queensland Director, Robert Walters

Sinead HouriganCandidates want to join and remain in businesses that invest in their people, so there are huge benefits if employers can attract millennials.

It is important to train millennials in management and leadership now so that they are ready to fill gaps left by baby boomers who will exit the workforce over the next 10–20 years. Upskilling is essential for millennials and is crucial to their continuous development and lifelong learning. Millennials are keen to access training and development to support their personal and professional growth, so organisations should factor this into their candidate attraction and engagement strategies. In fact, if the company’s values match those of millennial workers – its ethics and coaching, clear progression, flexibility, and feedback – employees are likely to show even more loyalty.

Millennials don’t need to be in a classroom or structured group training session – they’re happy to learn in front of their computers or work with mentors and coaches on the job. However, it’s key for employers to provide a clear roadmap of training opportunities to motivate millennials.

 

Wendy Thompson MIML

CEO and Founder, Start Social NZ, Auckland

Wendy ThompsonA millennial colleague is an awesome asset: proactive, a global thinker and a tech native. But I don’t necessarily think keeping them should be your primary aim.

Millennials often look elsewhere after two or three years so employers need to play a long game and not take it personally when they leave. If handled correctly, you may one day welcome them back wiser and more experienced! One way I do this is by inviting all our ex-Socialites to our annual Valentine’s Party; it’s a great night out and keeps everyone in touch.

Something else I do to help my millennials on their chosen career paths (and get the best out of them for my company) is one-on-one structured mentoring. At the beginning of the year we set personal and career SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Timebound) then have monthly progress catch-ups, before celebrating success at the end of the year. Heading into that festive season, where people often reassess their job, my team has a very fresh reminder of how much Socialites has helped them achieve over the past year.

 

Sally Roebuck MIML

Operations Manager, Bulimba Outside School Hours Care, Queensland

Sally RoebuckAs a millennial myself, I understand our generation’s desire to be heard, respected and valued in the workplace. I’m the leader of an almost exclusively millennial team and believe the most important part of attracting and holding on to talented millennials is to create a team culture of mutual respect, where each individual feels their contribution is meaningful and valuable.

Collaboration is vital when managing and leading millennials, as we have been living and breathing collaborative practices since kindergarten. We were taught in school not to accept the status quo, but to question, hypothesise and brainstorm.

We were immersed in the digital revolution, and were educated in resourcing and synthesising differences of opinion and facts for a broader world view. Allowing opportunities for collaboration among team members, especially between colleagues of varied experience and job roles, will ensure millennials feel able to make valued contributions to the organisation’s goals.

Developing this sort of positive growth mindset among your team also gives millennials the opportunity to develop their skills and knowledge while giving them clear pathways for advancement and success.

This article originally appeared in the September 2019 edition of Leadership Matters, IML ANZ’s quarterly magazine. For editorial suggestions and enquiries, please contact karyl.estrella@managersandleaders.com.au.

Five things Shakespeare can teach you about leadership

By Andy McLean MIML | Photo by Prudence Upton

 

Modern-day managers and leaders can learn a huge amount from the epic plays of William Shakespeare.

Here are just five lessons:

 

1. Bring your people with you

Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar is a military and political leader who has begun to believe his own publicity. He claims he is ‘constant as the northern star’ and his success to date makes him think his decision-making is infallible. Caesar’s failure to listen (to his Senate peers, his wife, a Soothsayer and others) proves fatal.

Leadership lesson: It can be lonely at the top – but it doesn’t have to be. By definition, a leader is someone who brings people with them. In business, that means taking time to consult with stakeholders and explain the reasons for decisions.

 

2. Take time to recognise people’s achievements

The Percy family literally risks life and limb to support Henry Bolingbroke’s battle to become King Henry IV. But, once in power, Henry is distracted by new priorities. He neglects his former allies and disregards their contribution to his success. This oversight almost costs Henry IV the crown when the embittered Percys later raise an army against him.

Leadership Lesson: In today’s market, where change is constant and time is short, it’s tempting for leaders to focus solely on the challenges ahead. But it’s essential to pause occasionally and recognise the achievements of individuals and teams. Rewarding the right behaviour helps to role-model the organisation’s values, foster loyalty and propel people to even greater heights in the future.

 

3. Give your people purpose beyond profit

In The Merchant Of Venice, everyone is consumed by the pursuit of wealth. There’s Shylock lending money, Antonio wheeling and dealing, Bassanio hustling to raise funds – and Lorenzo even wooing Jessica with one eye on the till. All of Venice’s most influential people are clamouring for cash and a toxic culture infects the city. Bell Shakespeare’s James Evans, who facilitated a Leadership In Action workshop, points out: “In one of the best opening lines of a play ever written, Antonio says: ‘In sooth, I know not why I am so sad’. He’s got everything that money can buy, but he’s still not content.”

Leadership lesson: When it comes to work, money is not the be all and end all – and your workforce knows that. As a leader, people will only follow you if you can articulate a purpose beyond profit.

 

4. Show empathy to inspire your people

On the eve of the Battle of Agincourt, King Henry V and his army know they are outmanned and outgunned by their enemy. Henry spends the night in disguise, listening to his soldiers’ hopes and fears. The next morning, before the fighting starts, Henry delivers a motivational speech that unites and emboldens his people, including the immortal lines: ‘We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; For he today that sheds his blood with me/Shall be my brother’.

Leadership lesson: If you know what makes your people tick, then you can help them achieve extraordinary things. Use surveys, forums and informal feedback to gauge the mood of your staff. Incorporate what you’ve learned when you communicate with your people. And never underestimate the power of public speaking!

 

5. Plan your succession carefully

Shakespeare wrote that, ‘All the world’s a stage, and all men and women merely players, They have their exits and their entrances’. Time and again, his plays remind us that – no matter how great the leader – their tenure is only temporary. Yet too often, those leaders fail to ensure a smooth handover of power. Rome is plunged into civil war because there is no prearranged Plan B after Julius Caesar falls, and King Lear pays a bloody price for leaving his kingdom in the hands of his two devious daughters.

Leadership lesson: Ultimately, it must be a leader’s mission to leave their organisation in a better position than when they found it. That means always keeping an eye on the long term and identifying the right talent to lead in the future.

On stage near you

Bell Shakespeare’s national tour of Much Ado About Nothing continues across Australia until 24 November. Their production Titus Andronicus will be staged in Sydney in August and September.

About the author

Andy McLean MIML is the Editorial Director of Leadership Matters magazine.

Five tips for young leaders stepping into their first management role

By Emma Mulholland

 

Watching some of the most inspirational business leaders in action, it’s easy to forget that even they had to start somewhere. When they were younger, beginning their first-ever management role, they felt the same mixture of trepidation and excitement that every fledgling manager feels on their first day.

So how can first-time managers make their mark? And what can young people do to compensate for their lack of experience? Start as you mean to go on and be upfront, suggests Sydney-based executive coach Stacey Ashley FIML, who helps top-tier managers hone their leadership skills.

“It starts with having really clear conversations,” says Ashley. “You want the people who report to you to know what your expectations are – and you need to know what they expect of you.”

Ashley is the author of ­The New Leader: From Team Member to People Leader – a Practical Guide. “When I was writing the book, I asked a number of leaders a similar question: knowing what you know now, what is the one thing you’d tell your younger self on becoming a leader? They said things like ‘Trust yourself more’ and ‘You don’t have to be like the person who was in the role before you.’”

Leadership Matters asked Ashley to share her five tips for young people who want to nail their first management role.

 

1. GET YOUR BOSS ON SIDE

The first week is going to be all about the sit-down: you need to get to know your new manager and every person on your team (remember: it’s all about being upfront). “If you don’t enrol your boss in your processes, you’re not necessarily going to get the level of support you need,” says Ashley. “Equally, if you don’t understand what their agenda is, you’re not going to be able to deliver against it.”

Ashley recalls a job early in her career when she spent hours compiling detailed weekly reports for her new manager, only to discover – six months later – that he didn’t even read them. “He just wanted a few traffic lights, half a page,” she says. “The problem is, I’d assumed I knew what he wanted and he’d assumed I’d be upset if he told me it wasn’t right. What a complete waste of time for both of us!”

Avoid this by asking your new boss what they need from you in the role. And before the meeting winds up, be sure to arrange a follow-up one-to-three months down the track to review how things are going.

 

2. RALLY THE TEAM

In the first five days, you also need to let your staff know what you expect from them over the next few months. This is especially important if you’re managing changes in working relationships (say you’ve gone from being a member of the team to leading it). “It gives your colleagues the opportunity to ask questions, to understand what it means for them and how you’re going to work with each other,” says Ashley.

And while it may not happen in the first week, it’s important to get to know the people who work for you. This advice came up again and again when Ashley quizzed business leaders for her book. “It makes it a lot easier to understand the decisions your staff make and how to get the best out of them,” she says.

New manager Duncan Toole MIML spent a year learning the ropes on the warehouse floor at Pirtek Fluid Systems, a company that repairs hydraulic hoses for heavy machinery, before being promoted to supervisor last September. Though Toole, 25, was well versed in the company’s day-to-day operations, taking on 22 staff members – almost all of them decades older than him – was no small feat.

To help him make the transition, he signed up to the IML ANZ’s Intentional Leadership Foundations program, joining 10 professionals from a range of industries in the same phase of their career. Toole says that one of the most valuable skills he picked up was learning to apply the DiSC model, a behaviour-assessment tool that’s used to identify a person’s motivators and stressors.

“It’s helped me understand what drives my workers, which is especially important in a culturally diverse workplace,” he says. “With the DiSC model, I can put everyone into categories and know how to speak to them. Some people ask questions because they want to have input and they like to find the easiest – most efficient – way to do things. Others just want to know how to fix it; they don’t want to beat around the bush.”

 

3. NAIL THE DRESS CODE

For Toole, one of the most challenging aspects of the new role was going from being ‘one of the guys’ to being the guy that tells everyone what to do. Switching hi-vis for office attire helps him make the distinction and stay on task. “It just shows that I am actually the boss who needs to do in-house work to improve processes and things like that,” he says.

And yet, by afternoon he’s often back in the hi-vis, helping out on the warehouse floor. “That’s probably one of my biggest problems,” he says. “Sometimes people call in sick and there’s no other way to get the work done. But it’s also because I know how I want a job done so when I see something that needs doing, I think, ‘Oh, I’ll just do it.’”

It’s a trap new leaders often fall into, says Ashley. “While it’s always tempting to muck in and help out, your role is to provide direction, which means enabling others to grow and perform. You need to take a step back and think strategically. Ask yourself: ‘What do I have to deliver?’ ‘What am I here to do?’ ‘And how can I have the greatest impact?’ Focus on the things that make a difference and schedule them into your day.”

 

4. GIVE YOURSELF A HEAD START

Of course, this also includes long-term planning. Ashley recommends blocking out time on your calendar each week – be it an hour, or half a day – to plan for the future. Sure, it may feel indulgent when there are immediate tasks to get on top of, but adopting a managerial timeframe means thinking beyond the day-to-day.

“We’ve all got the same amount of time, don’t we?” says Ashley. “Making decisions about how you invest yourself across all those different demands is one of the most critical skills a new leader needs to develop.”

For Toole and his boss, the best approach is an informal catch-up over coffee at 7 am before the warehouse staff arrive. They talk about the day ahead, but they also mull over less immediate concerns, like boosting morale and designing a new staff incentive scheme.

You might think that you have quite enough on your plate but there’s also long-term career planning to consider. You’ve worked hard to land this position, don’t let it be your last. Are you attending conferences, networking events, training days and checking in with your mentor?

As Ashley warns, you could wind up being so effective in your new role that the company will want to leave you there – forever. Plus, says Ashley, “You’ve got to have something to other: as a leader, you have a responsibility to always bring something new to the company”.

 

5. FORGET ANNUAL PERFORMANCE REVIEWS

Okay, so you can’t do away with performance reviews altogether. But as a new leader, you have a chance to rethink that once-a-year formal sit-down that everyone (including the boss!) dreads. Annual reviews are scary – and often useless. Instead, Ashley recommends you coach your staff every single day.

“We need to get much more comfortable with talking about performance,” she says. “It’s not about having a conversation once a quarter or once a year; you should be having it all day, every day. Because if I’m in your team and you don’t tell me that there’s something you’re not happy with, I can’t do anything about it.” Of course, the same goes for praise – if someone’s performing well, don’t wait 12 months to tell them.

And what if you’re tasked with performance management for the first time? Ashley says that a successful outcome – and a happy team player – depends on many things, including your attitude. “It’s not about having a big vent because it will make you feel better,” says Ashley. “You need to go into those conversations with the intention of getting a really great outcome. You want something good for that person.”

Ask yourself: ‘What is it that I want for them?’ The answer, suggests Ashley, might be that you want them to step up and be able to really perform in their role. “Now have a conversation that helps them do that. If they say, ‘Look, I don’t understand how to do the task’, then there’s something you can do to help them.” As always, it’s about being upfront.

Learn the foundations of leadership

IML ANZ’s Intentional Leadership Foundations program is designed to help ‘accidental managers’ become intentional leaders – helping them transition from individual contribution to succeeding through their team. The 12-week program blends facilitated learning with online study, leadership coaching, one-on-one mentoring, diagnostic tools and workplace-based projects. Participants will gain key learnings on how to manage themselves, communicate effectively, manage teams and individuals, and how to lead with the bigger picture in mind.

For more information, go to managersandleaders.com.au/foundations-intentional-leadership.

This article originally appeared in the September 2019 edition of Leadership Matters, IML ANZ’s quarterly magazine. For editorial suggestions and enquiries, please contact karyl.estrella@managersandleaders.com.au.

Use your imagination: Why Russel Howcroft prescribes creativity for business growth

By Andy McLean MIML

 

When most people are asked to name today’s greatest innovators, their answers are predictable. If I were given a dollar every time I heard the names “Richard Branson”, “Sheryl Sandberg” and “Larry Page” I would probably have seed funding for my own Silicon Valley startup.

But one name that has never cropped up, until now, is: Baz Luhrmann. On the face of it, the man behind blockbuster movies like The Great Gatsby, Moulin Rouge and Romeo + Juliet is an unlikely poster boy for business innovation. But that’s who PwC’s Chief Creative Officer, Russel Howcroft, believes business leaders should seek to emulate.

“We all need to find our inner Baz,” says Howcroft. “Here’s someone who is highly creative and equally highly commercial. He’s also brave enough to put it out there.”

What Howcroft admires is the movie director’s blend of innovation and business nous. Luhrmann’s kaleidoscopic films have rewritten the creative rule book in Hollywood, while simultaneously breaking box office records. Four of the top 10 highest-grossing Australian movies of all time were directed by Luhrmann.

“I’m not talking about creativity just for the fun of it,” says Howcroft. “I believe in the power of commercial creativity. If leaders want their organisations to go beyond net market growth, then they have to apply creativity. It’s the number one tool for brand development, generating demand, increasing your margin, and selling more.

“The alternative is to keep doing the same thing every day and expecting something different to happen – and that’s the definition of insanity. Australian and New Zealand businesses need to step outside their comfort zone if they want to achieve meaningful growth.”

As a panellist on the ABC’s Gruen television series, Howcroft is one of Australia’s best-known authorities on marketing and advertising. He argues that creativity is not only a macroeconomic concern or a strategic business priority – but also the key to safeguarding the future careers of managers and leaders.

“There’s a lot of talk about jobs being replaced by artificial intelligence, and you know what? Our creative capacity is what can keep humans gainfully employed. That’s why the Chinese are putting creativity front and centre in their education system. That’s why the Indonesians held the first global conference on the creative economy last year. And that’s why Australia and New Zealand have to prioritise creativity too.”

 

START AT THE TOP

So how can organisations identify the latent creativity that exists within the workforce?

“We’ve got to start at the top and as leaders say, ‘Yes, creativity matters and it’s a strategic priority for us’,” suggests Howcroft. “I recommend appointing someone in the executive team to champion ideas and seek them out. If that’s the CEO or CMO, then that’s great. If not, appoint someone who is highly energised by creativity in all its forms. Get them to focus on improving performance and finding new innovations.”

When asked to describe what a creative organisation looks and feels like, Howcroft ’s eyes light up. “I think the number one behaviour you see is respect for ideas and respect for the individual’s desire to put ideas on the table. It’s really important that everyone in the organisation feels comfortable having a conversation about their ideas. They won’t always be great ideas but you need to celebrate having the conversation because it might lead to something that is powerful and really good for the business.”

Howcroft ’s advice is resoundingly supported by a 2017 McKinsey study, which found that creative companies are far more likely to achieve better financial performance than other industry peers. McKinsey said creative companies were distinguishable from others because they made creativity and innovation a priority during business-as-usual activities. It also said creative organisations were “customer fanatics” who got products to market faster, tracked progress, and adapted to early market signals.

Howcroft adds that a culture of creativity requires leaders to recruit and retain people with an aptitude for innovation and ideas. To illustrate this, he recalls his time working in advertising agencies: “I used to say, ‘You’ve got two choices. You can look at the mirror or you can look out the window. I’m only interested in people who are looking out the window’.

“What leaders should be careful of is a culture where people are inward looking. You can’t just rely on algorithms and your newsfeed for inspiration – you’ll end up taking your business down a narrow rabbit hole. Instead, I look for people who are voracious consumers of all things cultural.”

 

COMMERCIALISING CREATIVITY FOR CLIENTS

Howcroft’s belief in commercial creativity is what guides much of his work at PwC. The focus is on developing strategies with clients to derive maximum value from marketing and communications activity.

“What we’re doing is helping clients with the significant problem of how marketing drives growth,” he explains. “The market has never been more complex in terms of working out where to spend your marketing dollars to extract the best return. We help clients understand whether or not they are spending enough in the right places.”

PwC also advises marketing leaders on their internal and external structures, to ensure they are set up and equipped to fulfil their ambitions. “We are involved as strategic consultants, rather than at the execution stage of marketing,” says Howcroft. “It’s all about establishing the best platform for growth.”

 

HOW TO FIND YOUR INNER BAZ

While Howcroft does not advise individual leaders on how to find their inner Baz Luhrmann, he has worked with enough creative people down the years to offer a few pointers. “You need to have confidence. Many leaders are cautious and feel reticent to express their ideas. There’s a temptation to say, ‘I’m not sure about this idea…’ Instead, I think you have to back yourself and also get behind other people’s ideas too.

“My final piece of advice would be: Don’t doubt the power of creativity. There’s enough case studies and research out there – stretching to the moon and back – proving the commercial potential of creativity. Let’s just acknowledge it’s powerful and get on with it.”

This article originally appeared in the September 2019 edition of Leadership Matters, IML ANZ’s quarterly magazine. For editorial suggestions and enquiries, please contact karyl.estrella@managersandleaders.com.au.

A former Wing Commander heeds a creative calling

By Nicola Field

 

When Chris Huet AFIML promises to help his clients speak with the precision of a fighter pilot and the passion of a poet, he’s not joking. This former Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) pilot, award-winning poet, and now communications coach, has a career path that can rightly be summed up as ‘Top Gun meets the Bard’.

Huet kickstarted his career in the RAAF, completing a Bachelor of Arts through the Australian Defence Force Academy. It wasn’t long before Huet found his wings, climbing through the ranks to become a fighter pilot. It’s a role Huet describes as “lots of fun and very rewarding – it was an opportunity to fly and visit different places around the world.”

In a near-20-year career with the RAAF, Huet reached the distinguished rank of Wing Commander. In his final role, as a squadron Commanding Officer, he was responsible for a fighter training school, overseeing 200 personnel and 14 F/A-18 Hornet jets. Under Huet’s leadership, the squadron was officially recognised as the RAAF’s first Learning Centred Organisation.

Huet’s experience in the RAAF reinforced two critical leadership skills: the ability to galvanise a team, and the need for outstanding communication. He explains, “You may be flying alone in a single seater F/A-18 but you’re always part of a team. And across the Air Force you deal with a multitude of diverse people, each responsible for different roles. It makes good communication skills essential.”

Fast forward to 2006, and Huet was ready to hang up his wings. Having completed a Master of Management, he was keen to use his management skills in a broader sphere.

Huet gradually transitioned out of the military, initially consulting to the defence forces and later taking on the role of Business Development Manager at Lockheed Martin. It was here that he harnessed his communication skills to negotiate a A$1.2 billion contract for the Project AIR 5428 Pilot Training System.

 

FROM THE SKY TO THE STAGE

Behind the scenes, the right side of Huet’s brain was bubbling away. He had always been interested in poetry and creative writing, and a little over 10 years ago Huet’s alter ego, CJ Bowerbird, took to the stage.

Under the moniker of CJ Bowerbird, Huet has performed poetry at folk and writer’s festivals across Australia, Asia and the United States. He is a former Australian Poetry Slam champion (slams are competitive poetry readings), and a member of Canberra’s Sound and Fury Ensemble as well as a two-time TEDx presenter.

 

THE COMMUNICATIONS COACH TAKES OFF

Several years ago, Huet had a moment of epiphany – one that would see him fuse his management experience with his talent for the spoken word.

“I was writing my CV and trying to find the real story behind who I am,” explains Huet. “I realised that what I really enjoy most is communicating with others, and I wanted to combine my creative pursuits with my technical and business work.”

Although uncertain about the market for a communications coach, in 2017 Huet opened the doors of Understood Consulting Services. He reports being “pleasantly surprised” by the level of demand for his services.

Describing his role, Huet says, “It’s not solely public speaking that I teach. Often it’s one-on-one verbal communication skills that my clients are looking for.” Huet says his services are in particular demand among professionals such as engineers, whose career strength to date has centred on technical rather than communication skills.

Huet’s passion for poetry has proven a tremendous asset in teaching the art of communication: “Effective communication has energy and emotion. This lets you connect with the people you’re talking to. And poetry connects emotion with concrete images, motivating and exciting us.”

 

THE POWER OF FACE TO FACE

While Huet claims he hasn’t yet met anyone who couldn’t improve their communication skills, he has observed “the bland language used by some leaders – be it in politics or business.” Despite the growth of digital communication, Huet is a firm believer that there is no substitute for face-to-face contact.

“Communicating face to face is extremely powerful,” he explains. We communicate through tone, volume, pacing – and our entire body. Anything other than face to face is less effective and is more likely to be ignored.

“If you really want to motivate and inspire people to change, you have to do it face to face. Sending an ‘all-stations’ email is nowhere near as effective.”

Huet acknowledges that speaking, especially in front of large groups, is a common fear. “It’s perfectly normal to be nervous about speaking in front of others. I think it’s probably an innate thing – a fear of being rejected by the tribe. Even the best public speakers get nervous. The difference is that they direct that energy outwards, towards their audience and into the way they’re speaking.”

 

FINDING A PURPOSE

Whether it’s piloting military hardware at 30,000 feet or helping professionals find their inner voice, Huet has certainly notched up a high-flying career as a manager and leader. “I’ve been lucky to bring everything I enjoy into the work I do,” he acknowledges.

But luck has played only a small role in Huet’s career path. It’s been more a case of harnessing all of his skills and talents, and he encourages other managers and leaders to tap into their creative side.

“It’s important to find a purpose in the work you do,” he says. “Creativity isn’t just about poetry. It’s about solving problems and being able to see things from a fresh perspective. Being able to channel my creative side has been very beneficial in my work and in my life.”

This article originally appeared in the September 2019 edition of Leadership Matters, IML ANZ’s quarterly magazine. For editorial suggestions and enquiries, please contact karyl.estrella@managersandleaders.com.au.

Career Doctor: How can personal resilience help with stress management?

By Peter Cullen FIML

Resilience has become increasingly important in the workplace due to the positive impact it can have on an individual’s wellbeing and performance. The Oxford English Dictionary definition of resilience is “the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties”.

Although some of us are more resilient than others, all of us become more susceptible to pressure and stress when our resilience is low. Everyone can benefit from activities that promote physiological, mental and emotional wellbeing.

 

STRESS ERODES RESILIENCE

Stress is the body’s natural response to pressure or alarming situations – those that make us uncertain whether or not we can cope. The factor or situation causing our stress either positively or negatively is called a stressor. Unfamiliar situations challenge or threaten us and increase our level of stress. A stress response may require higher energy levels to help us cope.

Occupational stress can be defined as the physiological, mental and emotional responses that occur when workers perceive an imbalance between their work demands, their capability, their access to resources and their level of control. Importantly, stress responses occur when the imbalance is such that the employee perceives they are not coping in crucial situations.

On the other hand, positive stress is beneficial and can improve performance. A natural and automatic function of the body is to provide extra energy to help us tackle a stressful situation. It will then naturally return to its former balanced state. This return to balance ensures ongoing health and wellbeing. Some of the body’s beneficial reactions to a stressful situation include: mental alertness, sugar release for energy, increased muscle responsiveness, faster heart rate, increased adrenaline and cortisol, increased blood pressure and faster breathing.

All these reactions occur automatically as the mind and body react to a stressful situation. It is necessary to remember that everybody copes differently with stress and everybody’s stress barrier is different.

 

BE SELF-AWARE, IMPROVE RESILIENCE

To improve how we manage our stress and be more resilient, we need to build our self-awareness to better understand where we are physiologically, mentally and emotionally at any point in time. A simple method to use when you are in the moment is:

  • Identify how you are feeling and what you are thinking.
  • Ask yourself what effect these feelings and thoughts are having upon you.
  • Consider whether these feelings and thoughts are helpful or not.
  • Take action to address these feelings and thoughts if they are unhelpful, or simply continue as is, if they are helpful.

 

Reflect upon a previous stressful event that tested your resilience and follow the above method in your mind. This will help you gain a greater understanding of how this may be useful for you the next time a stressful situation arises.

We can also build and strengthen our resilience by engaging in a variety of activities as part of our normal way of life. Here are some suggestions:

PHYSIOLOGICAL: Aerobic exercise, strength and conditioning, yoga or stretching, healthy nutritious eating, hydration, breath work, appropriate sleep.

MENTAL: Meditation, self-reflection to build self-awareness, relaxation techniques, reframe your thinking, establish boundaries, set achievable goals.

EMOTIONAL: Strengthen constructive relationships, be appropriately honest with yourself and others, respect yourself, talk openly with trusted friends, know and live your personal values, seek support when necessary, learn techniques to manage your emotions.

 

We all can improve our level of resilience and maintain a strong physiological, mental and emotional state. When are you going to start improving your resilience and be the role model for others to follow?

This article originally appeared in the June 2019 edition of Leadership Matters, IML ANZ’s quarterly magazine. For editorial suggestions and enquiries, please contact karyl.estrella@managersandleaders.com.au.

Other Life: Volunteering as a willing sounding board

By Lisa Calautti

 

Volunteering for less fortunate people is important to Barbara Brown, the general manager of people and culture at St.Lukes Health Insurance.

An IML ANZ Corporate Member, Brown has dedicated much of her life to volunteering, offering a helping hand to various organisations including menopause clinics, cancer support services and youth mentoring programs. As a result of her husband’s encouragement and his belief that her compassionate nature would benefit clients at Missiondale Recovery Centre, Brown has most recently pushed herself out of her comfort zone to come alongside drug and alcohol rehabilitation patients.

“I knew from volunteering in the past that most people just want someone to listen to them, and in that environment, people are there because they have already made the decision to change and are quite happy to talk about where they are and where they want to get to,” she explains. “The basis of anything I put my hand up for is looking beyond myself and my circumstances and seeing what I can do to help someone else.

“It’s always about what word of encouragement can I share, what cup of tea can I get? What hug can I give to make a person feel better about what they are going through? The motivation is never about me and I say to my family it’s about what you can do for others.”

Helping those less fortunate has given Brown an innate ability as a manager to relate to people and be more tolerant of their circumstances. Most of all, it has taught her not to take people at face value. “You realise there is a story behind every person. I absolutely believe that everyone has some sort of shadow. It is different for every single person,” she explains.

Helping people from all walks of life has helped Brown read and understand people’s behaviour. It has given her the ability to step back and have a ‘helicopter view’ of a situation rather than jump right into the problem. “It can just be having the wisdom to direct people in the right way, influencing them or helping them to be confident,” she says.

Trust is something inherent to Brown’s volunteering work and this has translated through to her role as a manager by building trust with staff through listening and allowing them to be free to explore their own ideas and express themselves. “Everyone wants to be heard, that’s what I have found. Everyone wants to have a voice,” she says. For Brown, the person she is as a leader and volunteer are consistent. “Whatever I am in my outside life, I am exactly that at work. I think it’s just about being real and not pretending to be something that you are not,” she reflects.

This article originally appeared in the June 2019 edition of Leadership Matters, IML ANZ’s quarterly magazine. For editorial suggestions and enquiries, please contact karyl.estrella@managersandleaders.com.au.

Meet the Innovator: Christina Delay’s mindful mixology

By Anthony O’Brien

 

Most of us have been there. The dusty feeling that a couple of seemingly harmless alcoholic bevies can leave us with the morning after.

Dr Christina Delay MIML is no different. However, the innovative biotechnology whiz with a Bachelor of Biotechnology from the University of Queensland and a PhD in Plant Biology from the Australian National University decided to address the loathsome issue of hangovers. Along with business partner Alan Tse, Delay officially launched the already successful Altina Drinks on 1 December 2018.

Canberra-based Altina Drinks produces zero-alcohol cocktails that pack a punch. The now teetotal Delay, who joined IML ANZ as a member in January 2019, explains Altina sprouted from her experience of social drinking as a technology consultant. “I’d gone from academia to the consulting industry and soon found myself caught up in the socialising culture where drinking was prominent.”

While Delay enjoyed her new environment, the culture caught up with her health. The curious Delay started talking to her colleagues about their experiences. “I realised there is much pressure around drinking. If you don’t drink, it’s tough and not very inclusive, and it’s quite hard to feel like you’re part of a social occasion.” From this early market research, Delay hatched the idea for Altina, and the value of ‘mindful drinking’ in February 2018. Coincidentally, Altina cofounder and finance expert, Tse, was questioning his drinking habits and ditched the booze.

In May 2018, Delay and Tse sought help for Altina through a social enterprise accelerator program. “We wanted to build the business as a social enterprise. Our North Star, our guiding light, is that we want to have an impact on the Aussie drinking culture.” At the same time, Delay started with IML ANZ’s mentoring program and worked with mentor Amanda Knol MIML. “We had monthly breakfasts, and she was a great sounding board particularly in relation to honing my management style.”

Delay mixed her earliest concoctions in her kitchen using a very structured approach. The PhD reviewed different methods for distilling spirits, brewing beer and wine-making. “Then I tried to understand and tinker with similar methods without using or producing alcohol.” Delay used botanicals, herbs, and spices to replace alcohol. As a result, Altina’s cocktails don’t rely on sugar-heavy fruit juices to create heavy hitting flavours.

Once Delay and Tse settled on some cocktails, they took their ideas to the Canberra community and used a crowdfunding campaign to raise significant finance for the start-up and to get their brews into bottles.

For now, Altina is using several different channels to market its non-alcoholic beverages including workplace functions and online. Delay explains, “We’re passionate about the concept of mindful drinking and helping workplaces introduce healthier drinking cultures.

“We’ve purposely held off getting our product into retailers and venues right now until we can scale up production.”

This article originally appeared in the June 2019 edition of Leadership Matters, IML ANZ’s quarterly magazine. For editorial suggestions and enquiries, please contact karyl.estrella@managersandleaders.com.au.

How to ensure your leaders add real value to your organisation

Success in business rests heavily on getting a good return on your investment. From producing products, to upgrading technological systems to marketing services, business leaders must be meticulous in ensuring they get top results in return for the money spent.

But what about your investment on the people leading your company? Managers and leaders are often overlooked as the most important organisational asset that holds the most potential in determining the business’ success. What value do your managers add to your company?

It’s a vital question to ask. In an era rife with corporate misdeeds at the hands of poor leadership – from Volkswagen’s ‘emissionsgate’, to the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica data breach, to the banking royal commission – more than ever, consumers are losing faith in businesses and their leaders.

So, who is leading your business? Do your leaders display the key qualities that drive success in today’s complex business environment? How are they adapting to the fast-changing pace of leadership for the future?

When hiring, assessing and developing managers and leaders in your organisation, ask the following questions:

Are they experienced?

In many professions, such as accounting, engineering and law, certain standards are indicated by the designations that these professionals possess. It’s a guarantee of the experience and understanding that they bring to the business. Their accreditations are recognised as an objective benchmark of professional competence and ensures they have the right knowledge, skills and experience to qualify as a practicing professional.

You would never entrust your taxes, construction or legal cases to underqualified professionals. It’s logical to think that you would treat your leadership investment with the same prudence. A professional recognised with an accreditation to manage and lead people and the business is guaranteed to practice management and leadership at the highest quality, ensuring your business is getting the most out of  both the manager and the staff they empower every day.

In Australia and New Zealand, the Chartered Manager accreditation is changing the game for leaders and businesses. As an internationally-recognised professional designation, it provides assurance to organisations that their managers have the necessary skills to lead the business towards success. Recognised by Royal Charter, it is a benchmark of management and leadership professionalism that has transformed organisational leadership around the world. In fact, the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) in the UK found that 96% of Chartered Managers used their designation as proof of their experience in leading people and managing change.

For Intelledox’s Head of Customer Services and APAC Professional Services, Sue Ann McKenzie-Smith CMgr AFIML, becoming a Chartered Manager helps her paint a holistic picture of her stature as an experienced manager and leader. McKenzie-Smith points out, “Being a Chartered Manager has ensured I am leading people with an industry standard recognition of my management skills to date, and throughout my career.”

Are they ethical?

In 2019, consumers know that business success and ethical behaviour are not mutually exclusive. In a decade of ethical leadership failures across organisations in all industries and locations, from Hollywood to governments to FIFA to banks, consumers are demanding businesses deliver results without sacrificing their moral compass.

Corporate ethics is an issue that concerns University of South Australia Business School adjunct professor, organisational psychologist and independent company direct Travis Kemp CMgr FIML. He recognises the importance of ethical behaviour in leaders. “A leader’s impact on society can be incredibly positive when it’s directed in the right way, to the right people, at the right time. And for that reason, we can all get better at doing it”, Kemp says. He believes leaders must guarantee that their actions are grounded on strong decision-making principles. “It keeps coming back to this notion of good people, doing good things, for the right reasons”, he adds.

As a Chartered Manager, Kemp is one of hundreds of professionals who must adhere to a strict code of conduct and practice that certifies that he commits to the highest standards of ethical behaviour whilst managing and leading. This significant pillar underpinning the accreditation is another reason Chartered Manager is transforming the leadership landscape across Australia and New Zealand as businesses begin to focus on corporate ethics as a core element of leadership practice in the workplace post-banking Royal Commission.

Are they impactful?

Managers are tasked with the often complex and difficult role of empowering and enabling people to achieve their full potential, whilst also working to achieve the business’ goals. However, it can sometimes be difficult to quantify if, how, where and what value certain managers are really adding to the business. Calculating whether leaders are providing a high return on investment is difficult to benchmark, assess and analyse. Ensuring leaders in your organisation measure up to an objective and universal standard of professionalism is essential to evaluating business success.

Kate Venables CMgr AFIML, Director of CatholicCare Social Services in Toowoomba described becoming a Chartered Manager as “the start of a journey”. Venables knows that being a manager is all about adding value by enabling those around you. According to Venables, “The importance [of being a leader] is that you empower and engage others to do the best in their job.”

As a Chartered Manager, Venables’ impact as a leader is benchmarked against the global standard of the rigorously-assessed accreditation which requires professionals to provide proof of the effectiveness of their leadership practice. After the accreditation is awarded to successful applicants, they commit to ongoing continuous professional development that guarantees their skills are updated, relevant and of the highest quality.

In their research of Chartered Managers, CMI found that:

  • 91% of Chartered Managers see the designation as proof of their ability to deliver results
  • It is estimated that Chartered Managers, on average, add $AUD626,309 in value to their organisations
  • 64% of Chartered Managers also report making significant cost savings through performance improvements and innovations

These strong statistics not only provide a clear insight into the real results achieved by Chartered Managers, they provide a benchmark of impact and leadership success amongst top managers and leaders.

Who’s leading your business?

If business success is calculated on the checks and balances of investments, then the investment in people – and especially leaders – should be front and centre of the business. Top results are achieved at all levels of the business by ensuring the person who makes decisions and manages people is the most experienced, ethical and impactful leader.

So, who is leading your business? How do you ensure the managers and leaders you hire and develop have, do and will continue to work to the highest possible professional standards? Indeed, what is that professional standard?

Chartered Manager is the global highest status that can be achieved as a manger and leader. It is an international standard of leadership excellence.

Chartered Managers demonstrate all the vital business skills and qualities to drive you towards business success. These professionals add value as leaders because they:

  • Have top-level experience: 73% of Chartered Managers have met or exceeded business targets
  • Are committed to ethical behaviour: 95% of Chartered Managers believe the designation shows their integrity
  • Make impactful business contributions: 86% of Chartered Managers made improvements to their business

Is it time for your leaders to make a real difference to your business? Is it time to future-proof your business with Chartered Managers?

If you want to see where Chartered Manager can take your business, click here.