I’m super excited to share this video I shot with John Read; a successful Agri Business owner, entrepreneur and a friend of mine after a breakfast event I was speaking at. John provides some excellent leadership tips from his experience and while this was filmed in April, I think it is really timely given our current ongoing lockdown in Tamaki Makaurau…

I’m excited to share the first leadership interview in a series I’m putting together over this year. I’m wanting to highlight leaders working in a variety of practical industries to see what learnings we can take from their styles and approaches to leadership. Russell Pedersen is a technical support and training manager in the New Zealand building industry. Russell joined me to answer three leadership questions…

When I wrote my book ‘Leading People - a practical toolbox for managers’ in 2019 we had no Coronavirus and I was hot about 1-on-1’s. 18 months on and I’m even more passionate and convinced that this is an essential ‘big rock’ in our current environment. Read my post outlining six benefits to investing time into 1-on-1’s..

I’m all about connection. Anyone who’s worked with me knows that. In workshops, in person, on the sports field, I love to connect with people. As we grapple with the ongoing impacts of this pandemic, I want to share a few reminders of how we can continue to connect 1-on-1 in simple and effective ways…

Click in to watch my short video message from me taken on the Tongariro Crossing walk to round out a bizarre year with three key messages. The photo above is a sneak peak of our new venture in Ashley, North Canterbury…

In the craziness of 2020, I’ve decided to see what I’ve learnt and what I can take forward as we look towards 2021. I’m going to take some of the happenings through the year and use them intentionally for good. Read about the three lessons I am taking from this year, and think about your own. What has replenished your energy lately? What time do you build into your schedule to reflect on what is working for you and what isn’t? Name an action you can take this week that ensures you recharge your battery and at the same time, do something that you love.

Before confronting a team member with a tough conversation, first take a close, objective look at what might be causing the person’s poor behaviour or performance – starting with yourself. It could be that initiating the tough conversation is the first step in resolving the issue that is causing the poor performance. This would be a great outcome for both of you. Whatever the outcome, some preparation and planning needs to happen before you have the tough conversation…

There’s a fine line between the need for coaching/feedback and the need for a tough conversation. Discernment and judgment is required on your part to identify what is really at play and evaluate the best way to deal with the situation. So what exactly is a tough conversation? I could replace the word tough with firm, clear, direct, or courageous. A manager who refuses to deal with the current reality is on a slippery slope as the leader of the team…

You may be a leader in one environment, but when the environment is different, it’s important to respect the authority you are under. I learnt this lesson first hand on my fishing adventure. Understanding that I was a factory hand and not a facilitator (my normal role) was a great lesson for me…

“People follow leaders not bosses.” It’s not always the person appointed that we follow. It’s the person who demonstrates leadership from within the team. It’s the leader who thanks their staff, who acknowledges their crew, who speaks to the team from a position of respect, not of authority…

I was ten days into the 34-day commercial fishing trip and, if I’m honest, I was feeling rather sorry for myself. I felt like I was staring down a long dark tunnel and I couldn’t see the end in sight. I knew I was facing a choice. I decided to take my mind off myself and make it about encouraging others…

There were unwritten cultural norms on board the vessel where crew would size up the ‘newbies’ and see if they would last or would they break on their first trip. This wasn’t a negative aspect it was more about sizing up the new recruits to see if they would become part of the team for more than just one trip. I suspect there were a few conversations about the newbies as the rest of the crew observed how we were coping in our new work environment…

One week in to the fishing trip and four weeks to go. There was a moment of feeling like was I going to make it? Who did I think I was that I thought I could do this? I remember a seasoned fisher telling me “You’re too soft to go fishing!” This just spurred me on…

Living outside our comfort zone is not easy. It’s tough, challenging, and might make you uneasy, but is so necessary for growth! If we stay in our comfort zone we get a little complacent and can become bored and restless too…

When you swap your normal environment for an unfamiliar one, all the markers of your normal boundaries drop away and you have to start again at the bottom of the rung. From Gold status on our national carrier to no status as the newbie on board the ship. Not only was my status radar under attack so was my normal certainty and autonomy measures as well!

There’s a gap between Decision and Action. Between deciding and actually taking action the time gap can cause you to delay or change your mind entirely. You can start to doubt yourself and question why you made the decision in the first place…

During New Zealand's lockdown I made a decision that led me to the Southern Ocean for 34 days. A client was short staffed for their deepwater fleet so I made a gut decision to join the crew. My normal client delivery was on hold for at least 2 months, so my options were to be at home with my lovely wife and three teenage daughters or to go on an adventure. What would you have done?

What are some styles of giving feedback, and how effective are they? Managers wanting to give their staff feedback commonly employ the sandwich technique, also known as the ‘commend, recommend, commend’ technique but I think it misses the mark.  By following the SBI/AA paradigm, you can communicate clearly to your direct report.

Generally speaking, New Zealanders are not great at giving feedback in business. I have heard countless stories of either poorly given feedback or no feedback at all. Many people who have attended my workshops over the years have mentioned they don’t often get feedback, so they don’t really know how they are doing. This is a huge disservice to employees, who give their time and expertise to work in the organisation.  

Active listeners are deliberate. They remind themselves frequently that their goal is to truly hear what the other person is saying. They set aside all other thoughts and behaviours, and concentrate on the message. Developing active listening skills requires you to analyse your position within the conversation. It is essential that you understand how you ‘come across’ as you listen.