Do You Re-Create?

Wow! What a couple of months!

It feels like I have gone from conference to conference, coaching to coaching, client to client.
I was even working several weekends. 

While I had a lot of fun doing this, I was also quite exhausted. Consequently I have done nothing for the last three days. Well maybe a bit of reading and a comedy festival show and a BBQ christening but nothing that required my normal work mode.

It is always important to have time for Rest and Recreation (Re-Creation).  Think of it as giving your life equipment a grease and oil change.  Time off running the equipment to ensure its long term operation.

So do you Re-Create?

PS This photo is of the ROSA Conference held out in the middle of the bush with NO mobile phone coverage or Internet - that was scary. Others commented it was 1/2 star accommodation. While the bunks in the dorm were comfy, it was also 5 star fun with campfire singing, whitewater rafting, trout fishing and astronomy (Saturn's rings on show!)

Who Wins a Price War?

Who Wins a Price War?
I was running an MC Mastery workshop on Saturday and there were questions about pricing. In the industry some are charging 10 to 30% of what others charge.

I learnt early in the game "No One Wins a Price War".

Look at recent price fights with the supermarkets.  Milk prices are down, bread prices down and beer prices were almost down.  Supermarkets have long had "loss leaders" - products at or below cost to get customers in the store. They then make up the margin on other products.  Customers get the illusion of a bargain but suppliers get taken advantage of!  Dairy farmers make less profit per litre on milk than supermarkets do yet the farmers do all the hard work (I grew up on a dairy farm and know the large amount of work for the small amount of money).


CUB chose not to participate in a beer war but not selling product to the two major supermarkets. They also sent team members to buy back valuable brands of wine that were being sold below wholesale. Don't mess with CUB!


What about your prices? Once you have to start defending your prices, you are lost.  Put your efforts into showing your value and how much it is worth and you stay out of a price war. Show your prospect what they get for their money.  What intangibles as well as tangible products and services. 

This is the same for employees. Don't ask for a pay rise because you haven't had one for over 12 months. Justify your pay increase or bonus request by showing how much value you have brought the business.  Money you have saved, sales you have contributed to, and value you have brought to the business.


No one wins a price war, so don't even think about it. Focus solely on the value you are providing and make it a logical win-win decision.

But Who Are You REALLY?

I seem to have been surrounded by kids on the weekend.  

• Friday night I was with my brother's three kids where we had an impromptu disco, karaoke, and singer impersonation session
• Sunday afternoon Wifey's brothers three kids dropped over as I was harvesting the sunflowers and in their excitement nearly slammed the car door on one another
• Sunday night was at a friend's place where their two kids were doing what kids do; sleeping on the dog, planning time to spend with Dad for the week, diving on the couch, showing off their chooks and vegie garden.

I LOVE the enthusiasm and vibrance of kids.  They represent true authenticity. Who they are right now is who they are. They happily tell you how they feel, they have opinions on most things, their emotions show easily and quickly, and you pretty much know how they feel and who they are.  The same cannot be said for many adults.

All my life I have been accused of being "childish".  So many people have told me to grow up. A friend who works in Child Psychiatry said she would assess me at being about 14 years old.  Legendary base baller Chili Davis is attributed to having said "Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional." I believe we can be mature, professional and sophisticated combined with childlike enthusiasm and energy.

So who are you REALLY?  Are you really how you behave or have years of "shoulds" changed how you are in the world?  Does your inner child need to burst out and say hello?

Who are you REALLY?

PS I will be in Adelaide on Friday 15th April being childish with some non-profit clients. If you are looking for a workshop on how to Get More Sales or want to Ignite Your Team on Thursday 14th April, please email me!

Picture: SherbyBonBon 

Is It Fun?

One of the most energy draining aspects of work is seriousness.  Don't get me wrong, there is a time and place to be serious, but it seems that it is becoming ALL the time and EVERY place!
How many times have you been in:

• Meetings have you had that have just dragged on while someone was waffling about the importance of so and so and you could tell that NO ONE was listening?
• Sales presentations where the sales person was so serious, it turned you off their product?
• Conversations with colleagues who sounded like they were running down a checklist of things to say?

The Minister of Fun at a conference I was at had one simple rule.  It is a rule I am liking more and more each day.

"If it's not fun, don't do it.  If you have to do it, make it fun"

That doesn't mean that you make everything an opportunity for stand up comedy.  You don't want to be disruptive, you simply want to make it fun.
So are you having fun yet?

PS If Nuns can do it, why not you?  If you want to buy the Calendar go here 

Have You Got The Right Gear?

When I first learnt to snow ski, I borrowed the ski gear from friends and rented the essentials.  My first couple of times were not pleasant experiences.  My feet hurt in the boots, there was a hole in the ski pants so I was wet and cold to the bone and the trusty rental ski's had a mind of their own!


After a while I bought my own ski outfit.  I was then toasty warm but with sore feet and a misguided sense of direction. I finally got sick of sore ankles and bought some boots that actually fit properly and some parabolic ski's that did all the hard work for you.


Skiing was now a completely different experience. I was warm, skiing was effortless, I could go anywhere, I had faith in my equipment and most importantly, I really enjoyed the day.


The right gear makes all the difference.


It's the same with your work.  Have you got the right gear? For the last 4 years I have been "putting up" with a second hand computer I was given. My audio and video processing took ages but it was what I had. Last week I took delivery of what I call MEGA PC. It has loads of memory (12GB), huge hard drive with auto backup, fast access ports and large monitors.


My first reaction was "Why didn't I do this ages ago?"  Granted the technology prices keep coming down but I forgot the important concept that the right gear makes all the difference.  It is worth the investment of time, effort and money to get it.


Have you got the right gear to do what you need to?

PS Happy Valentines day to you. Take the opportunity to tell those who are important to you how you feel.  I'll start, I truly appreciate you taking the time to read this.  Thanks! 

What is the Reality?

Someone, somewhere has really upset Mother Nature.  Friends in the US and Europe are telling me about massive snow dumps and incredible low temperatures. Here in Australia we have flooding, cyclones, bush fires and unseasonal rain fall.  Can whoever upset Mother Nature please apologise!

With all the rain in Melbourne, we were also affected. The picture is of my lounge room - note the massive hole in the ceiling where the plaster used to be. It is amazing what one broken tile can do.

As I was bemoaning this situation to Wifey, I had a flash of reality. There were people in flood ravaged Brisbane or Cyclone ravaged Queensland who would be happy to have just a tile of their house.  The reality is that while I had a problem it was really rather insignificant compared to the problems of others.

The same can be said for problems we find in our working lives. At the time they can seem insurmountable, inconvenient and a massive block to achieving your goal. Looking at your situation with a healthy perspective does of a lot to remove the emotional blockages. You can then focus on addressing the issue one step at a time. 

So when you next have an insurmountable issue, what is the reality?

How Come I Am Not Perfect?

As you know, I have been spending a bit of time playing the bass lately (I promise to not mention it next time!!)

There is a part of me that wants to pick it up and be an absolute guru at it straight away! The reality is that it is not going to happen.  I need to put in the effort.

When I left University and started my IT career, I wanted to be the CEO straight away. When I started singing I wanted to be a start straight away.  How come I am not perfect at anything straight away?

I recall when Goanna won the Best New Artist award back in the 80's, the lead singer commented that it took them 10 years to be an overnight success.  I am certain Susan Boyle's overnight success was preceded by years of practice, training and commitment.  In Malcolm Gladwell's book Outliers he says that the magic number is 10,000 hours of practise to be a leader in a field.

The secret to these 10,000 hours is actually just doing them and doing them one hour at a time.
In the area you want to be a guru, work, home, guitar or even Bass Guitar, just keep doing it one hour at a time as best as you can.  This is the short cut to success!!


Enjoy!