11/02/2022
2 Minutes with Oxygen8 Consultant Phil Doran
1. What did you do before joining Oxygen8?
I spent 20 plus years working in the logistics and supply chain industry. I have been fortunate enough to work inside some of the biggest logistics providers in UK and New Zealand, starting out as a truck driver and working my way up to senior management level in a variety of exciting and challenging roles within the logistics industry.
2. If you could live anywhere, where would it be?
I have travelled a little bit in my time and there is no where I would rather be than Napier, Hawke’s Bay. It is very relaxed and exceptionally vibrant all at the same time. There is always something going on, it really is a beautiful City and region to work, live and play in!
3. If you have a specialty what would it be?
My practical experiences and application of successful leadership and getting the best out of people would be strength of mine.
I always promote, encourage, and develop behaviors that create a culture of trust. I believe that organizations with high levels of trust have a more productive workforce, better employee morale, lower employee turnover, build superior customer relationships and as a result perform better financially. Trust removes uncertainty, supports innovation, continuous improvement, and drives positive change within business, it also helps unlock people’s greatest potential.
4. What was your favorite subject in school?
I really enjoyed Craft and Design particularly woodwork, but my favorite subject was physical education studies. I had physical education every day, sometimes twice a day in the later years of high school, I was essentially running around doing some sort of sport every day of the week! After leaving school, I went on to be an Army Physical Training Instructor and still try and keep fit and active each week training, playing and coaching football (soccer). Still living the dream!
5. What was your first job?
I joined the Army as a junior solider at 17. This is where I discovered the real benefits of teamwork and self-discipline. It developed my mental toughness and resilience by constantly challenging my problem-solving skills, sometimes with limited information and in the most extreme conditions. I learned how to cope with rapid change and adapt to new situations quickly. The military also taught me how to have a lot of fun, and not take life to seriously, promoting a ‘winning and learning’ mindset. These are some of the skills that I have used during my career and alongside business owners working on their business. I consider these skills some of the most essential in today’s ever-changing dynamic world of business.
6. What motivates you to work hard?
In my current role I initially help business owners realign and realise their personal and business vision, and then understand their current strategy and structure. The next part where we work together constructing the resources that will deliver on the vision and achieve a successful outcome is energizing. Success for individual business owners comes in many different forms, achieving the vision means success, and this is what motivates me to work hard.
7. What is your proudest accomplishment in your current role?
Helping people in any capacity is an accomplishment. Through positive interaction with a local business that was hit extremely hard by the challenges of COVID19, I managed to change the owner’s mindset during the Oxygen8 Discovery and Diagnostic meetings. These meetings uncovered the reality of the situation they were in, but it also offered workable solutions. They went from being on the verge of totally giving up, living with a huge debt, and accepting failure to a new ‘winning and learning mentality’. They now have new goals, a clear vision and better understanding of what needs to be done to get on track and back in the fast lane.
8. What advice would you give to an SME business owner?
The past two decades have been marked by big changes in technology, politics, and global demographics. The future workforce is becoming even more diverse. People want better work life balance and time for their families and friends.
Understanding change within their industry, the demands and management of non-core business activities like finance, human resources, supply-chain management, digital marketing, changing consumer behaviours and attitudes towards sustainability and the environment will only become more complex. To maintain their competitive advantage business owners will need to consider and invest in robust strategies across all the business functions that allows them to pivot and change quickly.
