http://www.choicescoachingandconsulting.com.au/

Choices Coaching and Consulting, Ballarat (2026)

24/02/2016

Opportunity to facilitate 2 sessions on Emotional Intelligence to members of the Women in Mining Association through BHP and Santos.
A great chance to share experiences and learn from each other how to be effective in communication and relationship building in tough working environments.
Amazing group of people from diverse backgrounds, ages and experience. Love to do it again

10/05/2015

Facilitated another session for Rotary Youth in April and received this feedback today. Happy with results.

Rod Byford (Conflict Management)

Comments:
I liked it
I was so happy this session was held - it's really important but often forgotten
My favourite speaker
I liked him telling us different ways to cope with conflict
Very informative
I thought it was good as he told us ways to sort out problems
Really good, really made us think
I enjoyed his presentation
I enjoyed these activities because I learned what is conflict
Taught me how to avoid conflicts
Very interesting and a relatable message
The activities that we had were good too
It gave us insight into how conflict is present in our lives
He showed me how I really feel and should feel about conflict
This was good
That was good
Got a clear understanding of how differences influence and drive conflict
That was good
Enjoyed interactive discussion

Thanks to Rotary for opportunity

06/10/2014

An interesting article reinforced to me the need to be involved in leadership development in any way I can

Successful Organizations Need Leaders at all Levels

Anybody who has ever watched interviews with managers or coaches of professional sports teams will have heard plenty of discussion of the need for leaders throughout the team.

The same thinking is also increasingly a preoccupation of business people. Indeed, the need for “leaders at all levels” is one of the 12 critical issues identified in the Global Human Capital Trends 2014 survey published earlier this month by Deloitte University Press, the publishing arm of the professional services firm’s leadership center.

In a paper examining the findings, Adam Canwell, Vishalli Dongrie, Neil Neveras and Heather Stockton – who work for Deloitte in a range of locations point out that leadership “remains the No. 1 talent issue facing organizations around the world,” with 86% of respondents to the survey rating it “urgent” or “important.” However, the fact that only 13% say they do an excellent job of developing leaders at all levels means that this area has the largest “readiness gap” in the survey.

Finding good leaders has, of course, always been a crucial issue for all sorts of organizations. This is why the armed forces, for instance, put so much effort into training their officers and why business schools and other providers of executive development have thrived. But the Deloitte team argues that “21st-century leadership is different”. Canwell and his colleagues write: “Companies face new leadership challenges, including developing Millenials and multiple generations of leaders, meeting the demand for leaders with global fluency and flexibility, building the ability to innovate and inspire others to perform, and acquiring new levels of understanding of rapidly changing technologies and new disciplines and fields.” No wonder organizations are coming up short.

Almost inevitably, the problem is felt to be especially acute today. This is a result of the strengthening of the global recovery, the desire on the part of the companies to expand in new markets and the growing numbers of older leaders choosing to retire.

A key part of the solution identified by the Deloitte team is for organizations to develop leadership pipelines at every level. At present, it says, companies are not only not developing enough leaders, they are also not equipping those they are creating with the critical capabilities and skills they need to succeed. “Today’s market environment places a premium on speed, flexibility and the ability to lead in uncertain situations. At the same time, the flattening of organizations has created an explosion in demand for leadership skills at every level.”

It appears that there is no avoiding spending money when it comes to dealing with this situation. The best performing companies already spend thousands of dollars each year developing each would-be leader on their staff, with the figure for senior leaders in the tens of thousands of dollars. Creating strong leadership programs for leaders at all levels – as advocated – requires sustained and substantial investment. At the early stages in the leadership pipeline, potential leaders need to acquire core skills in supervision and management, with frequent assignments to build on this base. Later on, they need to understand all the business functions before becoming executives, when business and product strategy will be central, along with experience of driving change within large teams. Companies need to understand that there are no shortcuts to building broad and deep leadership teams.

New leaders typically need 18 months before feeling fully comfortable in a new role, while for those in the mid-level the period is more likely to be two to three years.
The paper also calls for companies to be more flexible in terms of leadership paths. Some leaders will move into senior roles relatively quickly because of a particular situation, while others will develop more slowly.

Above all, though, organizations need to realize that developing leaders amounts to more than having a selection of training programs. “Senior executives should create a culture that broadens the opportunity for leaders to develop in new ways,” writes the Deloitte team. “This means putting potential leaders in positions that stretch them beyond their current skill sets, and continuously coaching and supporting leaders so they can build their capabilities as rapidly as possible.” This is increasingly well recognised, say the authors, but it is “simply not widely adopted and practiced”.

Where should companies begin? A few starting points include:
• Engaging top executives to develop leadership strategy and actively govern leadership development.
• Aligning leadership strategies and development with evolving business goals
• Focusing on three aspects of developing leaders – developing leaders at all levels, developing global leaders locally and developing a succession mindset
• Implementing an effective – and unique – leadership program.

But there is no time to delay. The best-performing organizations are already on their way.

Written by Roger Trapp

16/09/2014

I just received this amazing recommendation from a client I have had the privilege to work with over a couple of years. Thank you Michael

Recommendation

Michael Alderson

I was privileged to meet Rod whilst furthering my education.

Rod was the external group presenter for a Cert 4 Front-line management course, he quickly developed good bonds with all attendees and has a good round knowledge of industries enabling him to be able to provide real life examples.

Following my course I had Rod meet with me on a monthly basis for a year as a business mentor whilst I was growing into my role as a Branch Manager at ThyssenKrupp Elevator.

During our meetings Rod would encourage business related discussion on the months events and would then ask questions of why I made particular decisions or ask probing questions opening different lines of thought as to alternative solutions.

Rod also provided some written material which I used as a self assessment tool, helping me to better understand what personal goals at this time I was looking to achieve.

He sends out a frequent email "management tips" which I use as a small break time from a busy schedule to read and re-engage those open thought process.

On a personal note, Rod alway presented in positive happy manner, our meetings never felt rushed and I would personal recommend him for anyone looking for some consulting or coaching.

Thanks Rod - Michael Alderson
(Branch Manager ThyssenKrupp Elevator)

01/05/2014

As some you may know, I have been involved with Volleyball South Australia for the past 8 years with the State Junior Volleyball Program.

This year I am again the ‘Head of Delegation’ (in charge) of the junior squad travelling to Canberra in July for the National Junior Volleyball Championships. This is a great opportunity for me to use my coaching and leadership skills supporting the coaches as well as developing our future leaders.

It is also a great opportunity for the players to represent their state at a National competition. We will have a squad of over 100 travelling this year with 8 teams competing.

From this competition, SA currently has 4 players representing Australia as a part of the ‘Volleyroos’ our National Volleyball team playing in Olympic and world league competitions

With this opportunity comes a cost and that is where this email comes in. The overall budget for the trip is approximately $2500 per player. When you multiply that by 88 players, you get an idea of total cost. As a part of the planning for the trip in July and in an attempt to minimise the cost for each player, we are conducting a major fund raising raffle selling tickets to businesses with the major prize of team naming rights and business promoted on playing tops and on website. The attached flyer provides more details of the raffle.

It would be fantastic if you (as owner) or your company was to support this raffle by purchasing one or more tickets (one would be great). If you are interested, the please let me know and I will ensure I get to your work place next week with a ticket. Ticket sales conclude on May 11th.

Thank you for your ongoing support and I look forward to hearing from you.

If you are interested for more information, PM me and I will send you are flyer with more details

31/03/2014

Had a wonderful evening networking at The Adelaide City Rotaract Club. Met some amazing and talented young people with great ideas and passions. Was invited to share some thoughts on Team Work. Positive feedback thank you.

12/02/2014

Just completed a series of workshops on Team Work and Customer Service with management and staff from Yankalilla Bakery. Great fun, interaction and learning. Thanks Malcolm for allowing me the opportunity to share with your staff. (And for the great food) Highly recommend people to take the trip and sample some great food and hospitality

10/02/2014

What type of manager are? Spoke to some staff recently who said their manager was a wimp. Are you? Read this interesting article.

Are You a Wimpy Manager?

Many people become managers without really understanding what management is all about. Maybe they just liked the idea of having a bigger pay check and a nicer office. Or perhaps they never sought the job, but got promoted anyway. Whatever the reason, they are suddenly faced with unexpected and uncomfortable requirements.

This is often the case with Wimpy Managers, who are extremely uncomfortable making tough decisions and having difficult conversations. As a result, they become increasingly ineffective. To assess your own wimpy tendencies, check out the statements below.

Yes No Somewhat Do the following statements describe you?
I tend to delay discussions about performance issues for quite a while.
I sometimes give people more praise than they may deserve.
I am reluctant to give low ratings on performance reviews.
I am quick to find excuses for employees who make mistakes.
I often give in to employees, even when I don't really agree.
I am afraid that employees won't like me if I take unpopular actions.
I frequently worry about whether I may have hurt someone's feelings.
I feel somewhat guilty if I tell an employee about a performance problem.
In general conversation, I tend to say "I'm sorry" a lot.
I frequently feel intimidated by very confident, assertive employees.
I tend to put up with annoying behavior instead of telling the person to stop.
I am uncomfortable using the authority of my position.

The more times you checked "Yes" or "Somewhat", the more likely you are to be a Wimpy Manager.
How Wimpy Managers Can Grow a Backbone

1. Strive to be respected instead of worrying about being liked.

Your goal is for employees to view you as a good manager, not a good buddy. Even if they like you, they will give you low ratings as a boss if they don't respect your management ability.

2. Balance concern for feelings with concern for productivity.

Managers certainly need to consider the feelings of their employees, but wimpy managers must remember that their primary job is to produce results. When concern for feelings interferes with productivity, that's a problem.

3. Address performance issues immediately.

Wimpy managers often spend lots of time thinking about performance problems, but never take any action to correct them, hoping that the issue will eventually resolve itself. This hardly ever happens. To prepare for a performance discussion, consider these questions : What Causes Performance Problems?

4. Focus on coaching when mistakes are made.

Instead of helping employees rationalize their errors, managers need to view mistakes as a coaching opportunity. Wimpy bosses often feel this means criticizing the person, but criticism is not the best way to coach. For a better approach, see Ten Steps to an Exceptional Coaching Discussion.

5. Save high praise for notable accomplishments.

When recognition is given too frequently, it becomes meaningless. If you want your words of praise to have an impact, only use them when an employee has done something truly noteworthy.

6. Stand up to power-grabbing employees.

Power-grabbers love wimpy managers, because they can run right over them. So unless you want to become management road kill, you need to grow a backbone when dealing with these aggressive employees. Here are some tips: Seven Employees that Drive Managers Crazy.

7. On performance reviews, save the top rating for outstanding performance.

Wimpy managers tend to think that anyone doing acceptable work deserves a top performance rating. But then what do you give your star performers? Consult with your HR manager about how to use your company's rating scale, and don't be too generous. For more tips on performance reviews, see Conducting Motivational Performance Reviews and Six Ways to Screw Up a Performance Review Discussion.

8. Don't delay tough decisions, even if they may be unpopular.

One of the main reasons why managers exist is to make decisions, but wimpy managers find it difficult to make any call that employees may not like. Here are some suggestions for selecting the best decision-making approach: Choosing a Decision-Making Strategy.

9. Stop apologizing!

If you repeatedly say "I'm sorry", you are just giving away your power. People who have this verbal tic are often unaware of it, so ask your friends or close colleagues for some feedback. If they verify that you tend to be over-apologetic, ask them to help you stop!

All material on yourofficecoach.com is copyrighted to Marie G. McIntyre.All rights reserved.
May be reproduced for non-commercial use with copyright and attribution to www.yourofficecoach.com

31/01/2014

Doing some reading and quote appeared that made enormous sense to me.

Eugene Peterson made the comment "The character of our work is shaped not by accomplishments or possessions but in the birth of relationships."

I am trying to develop quality relationships with clients. What are you doing?

30/01/2014

Thought I would start sharing some of the management tips I receive from various sources with you. Hope you get some benefit from them like I have. Here is the first one. More to follow.

5 Ways Leaders Win People Over
How many times have you been introduced to someone and you can immediately sense that they don’t like you? When this happens with a new member of your team, your new boss, a prospective new client and the like, you must find a way to quickly turn this situation around. As a leader you can ill afford to have any tension points stand in your way. As the saying goes, you have one shot to make a good first impression. When your first impression doesn’t work in your favour, you must discover ways to course correct – especially if this prospective new relationship has implications for your job performance and the ultimate success of the organization that you serve.

Published in 1936, Dale Carnegie’s – How to Win Friends and Influence People — is described as “one of the first best-selling self-help books ever published.” Nearly 80 years later, and 15 million copies sold world-wide, this book remains extremely popular.

What does this tell us? How to build sustainable relationships and influence others is still one of today’s greatest mysteries. Winning people over is both an art and a science. With all of the personality profiling that is done prior to hiring someone – whether it’s Myers Briggs or the DISC profile – winning people over is not always in instantaneous thing. It takes time – and in a social media world where everything is “immediate” and people expect things to happen in a moment’s notice – leaders must be reminded of this. It’s still about people and their hierarchy of needs. In other words, it’s not about you, it’s about using your leadership to serve others.

Leaders need to take more time to become better acquainted with others and their needs. Establishing a relationship by doing it right from the start will save a lot of time, energy and stress. Yes, this commitment can be difficult but it’s also becoming increasingly important – not only for leaders to get to know those they serve, but equally to allow themselves to be transparent enough for others to get to know them.

I will never forget one colleague who always seemed uncomfortable around me. My boss said that my sense of urgency was too much for her and asked that I find a way to collaborate – at a more even and balanced pace. After months of renewed collaboration efforts, she finally said to me, “Glenn, I always felt uneasy around you because I never thought I could keep up with you. You made me feel that I was under performing. Now that I understand your leadership style and approach, I see that your intentions are to make those around you better.”

This taught me a valuable lesson as a leader: winning people over first starts by helping others understand your intentions. Don’t leave your intentions a mystery. When people are left guessing, it becomes difficult for them to know what you stand for – and thus they keep their distance and never fully engage with you.
Take a moment to reflect upon those people that you lead and serve. Is there a department head you feel awkward around? A client that doesn’t seem to like being around you? To help you reassess how you can engage more effectively with people, here are five ways that leaders win people over.

1. Search for Shared Experiences
Everyone has at least a handful of shared experiences, which means we can always find some common ground with one another. Personality types may differ, but shared experiences allow us to appreciate the “human factor” in ourselves and others.

Winning people over is not about manipulating people to like you, it’s about giving people reasons to respect you – enough that they want to engage with you.

Being a leader in a position of influence doesn’t mean that people will always respect you. Respect is earned and if you are consistent with your behaviour – for example, always being a good listener and exercising patience – over time respect will mature into genuine likeability, minimize tensions, and allow positive collaboration to prevail.

2. Understand One’s Values and Intentions
As they say, you should never judge a book by its cover. This may be why so many employees dislike their leaders – those that come across as being too polished, academic and precise. Never expressing any self-deprecation gives the impression that they think they are flawless. For many, this persona creates barriers because they don’t believe they can compete or have anything in common.

Leadership in the 21st century is about being authentic and throwing your title out the door. What’s the point in having a prestigious title if people don’t take you seriously? People want leaders that can be trusted and transparent; a leader that supports a value system that is centered on honesty, compassion, open-mindedness, ambition, fairness, accomplishment and responsibility.

Your values influence how you naturally think, act and engage with others. Understanding someone else’s values helps you realize their intentions and build trust. When there are no hidden agendas, it becomes much easier to coexist. When the values and intentions of people align, it makes it easier to build rapport and establish foundations for potentially long-term relationships.

3. The Head and the Heart

Don’t be afraid to loosen up and show some compassion. People tend not to like leaders who never show any heart. Care about how you lead, why you lead, and who you lead – and always be deliberate about it.
We are transitioning from a knowledge-based to a wisdom-based economy. It’s no longer just about what you know – but what you do with what you know. It’s about opening up your heart and leading with kindness. The 21st century leader knows that significance is more sustainable than success and that respect is more important than recognition.

Never be too proud to show some vulnerability. As a leader, you never have to go it alone. We all have problems and it takes a team to resolve them.

Show your personal side and let people in when the time is right. For example, introduce them to your family when they visit you at work or take the time to talk about your parents and other role models who shaped you. Winning people over is not about manipulation, it is about integration – a balance of the head and the heart.

4. Get Your Hands Dirty

Leaders must touch the business just as much as they lead it. People are unimpressed and uncomfortable with leaders that just sit behind their desks, delegate all the work, and do little but observe. Winning people over is about showing them that you are in it to win it together. When you get your hands dirty, your employees and clients know that you are not a “one trick pony” – but rather a multidimensional leader who has the backs of others and can get the job done. Getting your hands dirty is about standing up for the people you serve, and helping them achieve their goals and desires.

Certain people may never like you, but it’s important to at least earn their respect in order to be able to work together and support one another for a healthier whole.

5. Increase Your Engagement

It’s much easier to win people over when you make a genuine effort to engage with them – even those that seem to keep their distance from you. For example, if they have earned the right through their performance, involve those you want to win over in meetings and activities that show you value their voice and opinion. Allow them to have a seat at the table where they can add value.

Show people that leadership is more important than a popularity contest. Invest in the relationship. Empower them. Show them you are willing to take risks to further advance the relationship. Earn their trust and respect. If your leadership style and approach makes others feel threatened, uncomfortable or annoyed – perhaps your leadership style is outdated.

Winning people over takes time and tremendous patience. It’s an investment that only you know whether or not it’s worth making. Perhaps it isn’t a good fit – step back and don’t allow your emotions to get in your way. Be an objective leader that always has the greater good and a healthier whole in mind.

03/01/2014

Happy New Year to all from Choices Coaching and Consulting.

A question to start the year.

What are you doing to ensure you know and are totally engaged with your staff to be more efficient and productive in 2014?

Without your staff, you are nothing. Without good staff you are even less.

Choices Coaching and Consulting offers a program designed to engage staff in honest and open dialogue to share and develop ideas that can improve and drive your organization even further.

The STAR Workplace Program is an Employer of Choice Program designed specifically for Australian organisations.

Based on Australian based research, the STAR Workplace Program is a survey of both Employers and Employees to understand the internal environment. This makes this program unique. Not only do we measure employee satisfaction, we measure it against the satisfaction of the organisational needs.

By gaining perspectives from both sides of the employment relationship, we measure the link between Strategy requirements and what people do everyday.

This relationship is what we call Strategic Action and is a key component of an organisations success.

If you would like to learn more, don't hesitate to contact Choices to arrange a time to meet. In the mean time have a fantastic 2014

Choices Coaching and Consulting

24/02/2016

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