Posted by: Tania | June 20, 2010

The Optimist’s Creed

I came across this Creed – originally published in 1912 by Christian D Larson in a book titles “Your forces and how to use them”. It’s worth reading every morning and every night! Feel free to pass it on to those in your world who might benefit.

Promise yourself…

To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.

To talk health, happiness and prosperity with everyone you meet.

To make all your friends believe there is something worthwhile about them.

To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.

To think only of the best, work only for the best and to expect only the best.

To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.

To forget the mistakes of the past and press forward to the greater achievements of the future.

To wear a cheerful expression at all times and smile at every living creature you meet.

To give so much time to improving yourself that you have no time left to criticise others.

To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

To think well of yourself and to proclaim this to the world, not in loud words but in great deeds.

To live in faith that the whole world is on your side, so long as you are true to the best that is in you.

 

So many lessons to be learned from the inspirational story of a 16 year old girl who decided one day that she wanted to sail around the world. Here are just some of them:

  1. Successful people can be any age, sex or race. 
  2. Sometimes you don’t know how much you can achieve until you try it.
  3. You don’t need a lot of life experience at something to be successful at it. You just have to believe you can and start doing it. (All the ducks don’t have to line up!)
  4. You will have set backs. Build the bridge, get over them, and learn how not to make them next time.
  5. You have to have a great team behind you – or know how to find them.
  6. You need a great teacher or mentor to teach and guide you, and who you can model.

It’s been a busy month at WorkPlace Coach Headquarters! We’re working hard towards our goal of establishing the Master Trainers Institute with lots of ‘stuff’ happening behind the scenes. Keep an eye out for Secret Trainers’ Business Workshops happening in your area, and I promise to send you through articles and other useful tips and treats as I develop them.

One thing you might like to know is about 2 new programs we have coming up for Semester 2.

The first is the Professional Trainer Certification Program. If you’re thinking about a new career in Training, or you’re already in Learning and Development and realise you need something more - check it out here:  http://theworkplacecoach.com.au/secret-trainers-business/professional-trainer-certification-program/ 

The second is the Confident Presenter Mentoring Program for anyone who needs to brush up on their presentation skills. Details here:

The Confident Presenter Mentoring Program

And don’t forget the Secret Trainers’ Business Present Like a Pro Melbourne Workshop on June 3 in Parkville. Bookings through Eventbrite here:

Have a great month!
Tania
Details of our Melbourne Workshop at the links below. Come along for a fun filled day that will have you speaking confidently and comfortably, and learn the communication secrets to engage with any audience.
Posted by: Tania | April 13, 2010

I didn’t find Easter Bunny on Kosciuszko!

But I did learn about passion…

Easter 2010 has come and gone – does it ever leave you breathless how fast time goes?

Breathless was certainly something I was feeling having finally reached the summit of Mt Kosciuszko after a 2 hour trek, on a stunningly beautiful Easter Sunday morning. But the breathlessness was not due to the physical exertion of getting there, but to the breathtaking beauty of the view from the top of Australia.

Hubby Gregor, my two gorgeous girls and I decided to spend our Easter break experiencing the Snowy Mountains without snow. So we booked ourselves on a guided walk to the summit of Mt Kosciuszko. Our guide was a lovely local mum of two called Jo, whose intimate knowledge of the alpine environment turned what would have been a great walk into an outstanding experience. As we walked along she told stories of prehistoric times, glacial lakes, rock formations and the antics of the native wildlife who inhabit the alpine terrain. As she spoke her passion for the mountains shone through her face and resonated in her voice, and her fear of the effects of global warming were palpable.

It occurred to me that if we want to be great speakers, teachers and leaders – not just good ones – we need to tap into that same passion. Only then do we bring others with us for the ride.

This month we’re running the Melbourne Presenters Workshop on June 3. Leave details below if you would like to register your interest. Still confirming the venue, but will be within the CBD.

Also – exciting news…The Confident Presenter Mentoring Program will be starting mid May. A unique and truly innovative and exclusive membership program that will develop and hone your presentation and public speaking skills. Places are limited. Check out the program here:

The Confident Presenter Mentoring Program

Hope you have a great month.

Tania

Posted by: Tania | March 11, 2010

5 Public Speaking Lessons I Learned from the Oscars!

Hi!

We’re in Marvellous March already, and Easter is just around the corner – I’m hoping the Easter Bunny is feeling generous this year!

I was watching the Academy Awards in Hollywood earlier this week – I of course love the frocks and suits and froth and bubble that goes with an event like the Oscars, but I watch those award ceremonies with more interest in hearing what the winners say as they accept their golden statue.

Two award recipients stood out for me – Mo Nique who won Best Supporting Actress for her role in Precious, and Sandra Bullock, Best Actress for Blind Side. Both were gracious and articulate, as indeed they should have been. But there was something worth noticing even more than that.

Mo Nique’s line “Thank you to my husband who told me that sometimes we need to let go of what’s popular to do what’s right.” transfixed me. The power in that one line alone revealed to more about her as an actress than any award can attest to. The honesty in that one line alone forced me to stop and reflect and challenge my view of the world. I learned something new by the wisdom in that line alone.

And then Sandra Bullock’s opening line “Did I really deserve this, or did I just wear you all down?” was a brilliant insight into a speaker who’s comfortable in her own skin – in who she is, what she does and her worth and value. And who’s not afraid of having a laugh at herself, because it makes her more ‘human’.

So what can we learn from just two lines about what and who we need to be when we present to an audience?

  1. Moments of insight for us easily translate to words of wisdom for others. Look for opportunities to teach others through our own experience.
  2. The wisdom we share can be transformational for others. Don’t take the responsibility of transforming others lightly.
  3. Words of wisdom based on our own insights reveal more about who we are to our audiences than our cv does.
  4. We need not be afraid of revealing the real us to an audience, in fact we should set that as our ‘default’ position. It’s the truth of who we are that creates the connection with our audiences, which in turn creates the environment for real learning. I see too many presenters hiding behind their ‘presenting persona’ – forgetting or choosing not to be authentically them. It’s precisely those presenters who hate the presenting experience.

The final lesson comes from watching the consummate performers – hosts of the Oscars Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin…

5.  Have fun with your audience! When Judy Dench became Dam Judy Dench, and George Clooney was ‘roasted’ for his smouldering glare, and Merryl Streep berated over her audacity to be nominated 16 times…we all had a laugh, even them, and the world didn’t come to an end!

I am running my Secret Trainers Business “Develop Your Presence and Present Like A Pro” Workshops in Regional Victoria later this month – time running out to book your place.

Bendigo on Monday March 22

Geelong on Wednesday March 24

Morwell on Friday March 26

Go to this link to secure your place:  www.vista.org.au

If you are not in Regional Victoria and would like to attend the Workshop in Melbourne (date and venue to be confirmed), please leave your details below with “Presenting Melbourne Workshop” in the subject line and I will add you to my list.

Even more exciting news…

Check your inbox in the next few days for details about my new Secret Trainers Business Presenters Club membership program – a monthly mentoring and training opportunity for everyone wanting to improve their public speaking skills, delivered online via webinars…

If you can’t wait, leave your details with “Presenters Club” in the subject line and I will email you the sneak peek…

Posted by: Tania | February 9, 2010

5 More Management Tips I’ve Learned My Cats!

Hi!

Well, the feline contingent continues to dominate our household! I recently read a quote which I am only now beginning to appreciate – dogs have owners, cats have staff. And boy do they have us doing whatever they need us to do!  Thanks to my readers who let me know how much they enjoyed last month’s post – I have plenty more management tips I’m learning from the furballs, so here they are! Enjoy!

1.     Surprise and delight people

It seems this is a good ploy to build a loyal following – who eagerly await your next surprise!

2.    Be prepared to be picked up and moved

Just when you are at your most comfortable – and it only ever happens then – someone will come in, pick you up, shake you around and move you to somewhere else! Handle this graciously. The next place will become your next most comfortable place to be!

3.    If someone feels the need to make you look good – let them!

The kittens will often clean and groom each other. While I can only think about how annoying it would be to have someone lick your face while you sleep, they take it all in their stride and allow it to happen with grace and good humour. And they never forget to return the favour!

4.    Act like you own the place

Eventually you’ll have everyone fooled, and they’ll start treating you as if you do!

5.    If you fall off your perch while trying to be cool, act like it was meant to happen

One of the funniest things I saw was one of the kittens perched precariously on their cat perch, fast asleep. The deeper she slept, the more she slipped off the edge of the perch. Of course eventually, she slipped off entirely and landed with a thud on the floor. While I was rolling on the floor laughing (yes, instead of rescuing her!), the kitten shot me a look of disdain and curled up and went back to sleep in exactly the spot she had fallen. Like it was meant to happen!

Other News

The Secret Trainers’ Business Workshop Dates will be announced soon. Places are limited and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. Before I go public with them, I’m giving my readers a chance to pre-register to secure your place. The workshop details are here:

Develop your presence and present like a pro!  STBPresence

It’s all about connection!  STBConnection

3 Dimensional Learning – Give them the Avatar experience  STBAvatar

If you would like to register, just enter your details here and I will be in contact with dates and venues.

Posted by: Tania | January 11, 2010

5 Management Tips I’ve Learned from my Cats

It’s 2010! Happy New Year to all my readers! I wish you all the very best of prosperity in all aspects of your life. Let’s commit to making 2010 the Year of the Extraordinary!

Lots has changed in my world in recent times – I said a very sad goodbye to our beloved beagle, who at 15, decided her job here was done; my eldest turned 15 (and I’m wondering how that happened, when last week she was turning 2); and the Master Trainers Institute Australia is starting to take form and substance! (More on this in later posts…but if you’re curious about becoming a trainer/presenter with a program that offers more than anything currently available, email me quickly to reserve your place:  info@theworkplacecoach.com.au!)

Let me tell you about another recent change in my life…

Two fluffy, black and white, feline marauders have invaded my home. Not really describing myself as a cat person (I’m definitely Team Canine), I have been somewhat surprised at how much I have enjoyed watching their antics as they have set about shaping our family to get the maximum out of us and to create in us their loyal following:

  • If you want something, go straight to the person who you know will give it to you. Don’t waste time and effort trying to get it from others. This helps everyone to know their role in your world, and creates a sense of purpose for them.The kittens have my girls for their entertainment, tummy rubs and a clean litter tray, hubby to get their breakfast (he doesn’t get me my breakfast!!) and me to get them their dinner and give them a lap to sleep on when the girls have gone to bed. We all know our role in their world!

How would you rate the sense of purpose your team has? Are you clear on the roles you need people to fill in your team? Have you communicated this clearly to them?  Do you waste time trying to get things done by going to the wrong people?

  • Charm and reward go a long way in getting people to do what you want.The kittens richly reward us with purrs and snuggles when we do our jobs right. And I’ve noticed that we’ve started competing for their affection – who gets the loudest purr, the longest snuggle, the privilege of a goodnight visit in bed? We are completely are their mercy!

    How are you at rewarding your team? Rewards don’t have to be huge. A smile, a thankyou, an acknowledgement of a job well done. Implement a culture of reward and acknowledgement and watch how your team outperforms your expectations.

  • If at first you don’t succeed in winning someone over – keep trying till you do!
    I opened this article stating that I am in the canine camp when it comes to preferred pets. The kittens sensed this from day one, and have been doing their utmost in winning me over.  When looking cute wasn’t working as well on me as the others in the household, they started trying to impress me with their playfulness.  I feigned nonchalance, so they switched to claiming my lap late at night (a captured audience!). Still not convinced they have me completely within their spell, they have started teaching me management tips…

    How do you go about winning people over? Are you constantly trying new things or are you trying the same thing over and over and expecting a different result (the definition of insanity, by the way!)? Do you operate on a ‘three strikes and you’re out’ mode or do you get your ego out of the way to genuinely, and with heart, make connections with others?

  • If someone or something is annoying you – run away!
    It is actually that simple. When the kittens have had enough adoration and play, they take themselves somewhere we are not. They don’t sit around lamenting their lot, nor stay and wish they were somewhere else. They make it happen and move!

    I think we are all guilty of staying in a situation we’re not happy with – talking about how we wish things could be, using the ‘if only’ language. What if we set our default position to ‘just do it’ instead?

  • Be curious – about everything. There is nothing so small that can’t be interesting, and there is no dark crevice that shouldn’t be fully investigated.

    I watch the kittens as they find new things to explore and experience every day. There are still plenty of nooks and crannies for them to discover, and each day I find them in a new part of the house.

    What can we find in our work environment to be curious about?  What small things can be discovered (or rediscovered!) to make our work life more interesting? What dark crevice have we not investigated yet which might lead to something new and amazing? You will never know the resources available to you until you have unearthed all possibilities.

I’m sure they will set about teaching me even more, so I’ll keep you posted!

Hope you enjoyed this month’s post! Let me know what you think! And don’t forget to check out the Jan 2010 coaching packages:  Fear Free Public Speaking, Stop Procrastinating – Do it Now!, and The Executive Edge program for Senior and Executive Managers – more details in The Training Room http://theworkplacecoach.com.au/the-training-room/jan-2010-coaching-packages/

 

Posted by: Tania | December 21, 2009

The Workplace Coach at VISTA

Click on these links to take you to the VISTA newsletters and The WorkPlace Coach articles.

The WorkPlace Coach on Perception – October 2009 VISTA Newsletter

http://www.vista.org.au/newsletters/command/article/id/1560/contact_id/2/message_id/366

The WorkPlace Coach on Coaching – November 2009 VISTA Newsletter

http://www.vista.org.au/newsletters/command/article/id/1640/contact_id/2/message_id/388

The WorkPlace Coach on Hindsight – December 2009 VISTA Newsletter

http://www.vista.org.au/newsletters/command/article/id/1720/contact_id/2/message_id/412

Posted by: Tania | October 30, 2009

The WorkPlace Coach on Authentic Conversations

A very dear friend of mine recently threw me a challenge – why is it that we spend a lot of our time having conversations that simply fill the space with noise when we could choose instead to have conversations with heart and meaning? I must confess my first reaction was defensive. But after a couple of weeks of spinning this around in my head, and making a conscious decision to really listen to the conversations around me, I think he may be onto something.

Yesterday I attended an event to hear Peter McAteer, Vice President and Managing Director Corporate Learning, Harvard Business Publishing, talk about some emerging trends in organisational thinking and practice. Peter spoke about the emerging trend of Leader as Teacher – developing organisational leaders who can change culture and empower their people by teaching, modelling and coaching. And it occurred to me that it will be the authentic conversations we have in our workplaces (as well as in our private lives) that will enable change and empowerment to happen.

So I began making a list of characteristics of Authentic Conversations. I’m giving you my first 5. It’s by no means a definitive list - and I would be delighted if you could add to it. All additions will be published in future editions of the newsletter.  Let me know what you think.

Authentic Conversations:

1.      go beyond the ‘what’ and ‘where’ to the ‘how’ and ‘why’.

“What have you been up to lately?” becomes “Tell me how things are going for you.”
“What did you learn from that?” becomes “How has this helped you learn about…and how will you do things differently next time?”

2.    focus on the person, not the event.
“Wow! 10km is an amazing distance to run.” becomes “What a great sense of achievement you must feel to have run that distance!”
“That

was a disaster!” becomes “You might be disappointed with the way that went. What did you learn? Why is it important that you learn that?”

3.      observe, don’t judge.

“You were out of line to speak to her that way.” Becomes “You spoke to her in a way that showed very little respect through the tone you used and the words you chose.”

4.      show empathy and respect, and don’t seek to compete.

“That’s great news about your targets this month. In my sixth month I did $x!” becomes “That’s great news about your targets this month. You’ve worked hard and really stretched yourself.”

5.      conspire for the success of others, and have empowerment as their highest intention.
“How can I help you to achieve this?” “I am telling you this because I know you have all the inner resources you need to deal with the situation…”

There is also a great book on Authentic Conversations by Jamie Showkeir & Maren Showkeir which is worth a look.

An exciting month…

October has been a busy month for The WorkPlace Coach – with lots of great workshops delivered and new partnerships formed, which means that 2010 is shaping up to be a year like no other!

TTC Training Excellence System

A very exciting new development is the launch of the TTC Training Excellence System. A diagnostic, profiling and professional development system designed for Corporate Trainers and Facilitators, and Learning and Development professionals.

Check out the system here: http://theworkplacecoach.com.au/ttc-training-excellence-system/ 

Upcoming Workshop: Unleashing Potential – Coaching Skills for Managers

The WorkPlace Coach has been asked by VISTA (Association of VET Professionals in Victoria) to run a public workshop on November 19 at The Treacey Centre, Parkville, Melbourne. Registrations through VISTA at this link:  http://www.vista.org.au/home

 Good luck for the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday! Hope you back a winner!

Posted by: Tania | September 21, 2009

The WorkPlace Coach on Momentum

Hello!

It’s September already and hasn’t the weather in Melbourne been glorious. I hope you’ ve had plenty of opportunities to enjoy the sunshine.

Spring is always an interesting time of year and I often reflect on that very real sense of new beginnings. Many people I speak to choose this time of year to think about embarking on new projects - new fitness programs in time for summer, a new hobby they’ve been wanting to do for ages, dusting off and breathing new life into shelved ideas for life or career directions.

It’s interesting that we can spend a lot of time thinking about doing things, but when it comes to taking action, we excel in very elaborately talking ourselves out of it! I hear a myriad of excuses but these are the top 2 I hear (in various disguises!):

  1. Its not the right time.
  2. Its too hard/complicated – I don’t know where to start.

Do they sound familiar? Are you also finding yourself ‘stuck’ somewhere you don’t want to be?

Let me give you some easy ways out of Stucksville.

On finding the right time to do something… ask yourself (and answer) these 3 questions:

  1. What needs to happen before I start?
  2. What’s one thing I can do  to make this happen?
  3. When is now a good time to start?

On things being too hard or complicated…I’d love to share a secret with you.

The hardest part is getting started.

I fondly remember a car I drove while at Uni in the ’80s.  it was a 1976 LH Torana. Canary yellow, vinyl bucket seats, no airconditioning (in North QLD!!), fluffy dice. Great character, unfortunately it was a lemon! I would often have to push start it to get it going – remember how you could do this with manual cars? Well, getting it from still to moving was the hardest part. Once I had it rolling, the effort required to keep it moving was minimal!

So if something you’ve been thinking about starting seems too hard – remember, just like me and my Torana, you will need a little effort to get it moving, but keeping it going will be a piece of cake! (And whatever you do, don’t let it roll to a stop again!!).

What is that thing you’ve been putting off doing? That one thing that, when you do it, will put that spring in your step and give you back your ‘mojo’!

What will you do today to get it started?

Have a great Spring!

Tania

PS Yes, I know you’re waiting for my Spring offer;-)

If you’re serious about achieving something you’ve always wanted to do but don’t know how to start, or you think your in Stucksville and just need a bit of a friendly tour guide to show you the way out, then then the spring transformational package “Come Unstuck and Find Your Mojo” is exactly what you need. But it’s only for people who are ready to take action. If this is you, read on…

During the 3 one hour sessions we will work together to:

  1. Explore that one thing that you want to achieve, why it’s important to you, and what achieving it will give you.
  2. Investigate current road blocks to your success and navigate some new ways around them.
  3. Put in place actual do-able strategies to give you the momentum you need to achieve success at that one thing.

By the end of the 3 hours you will have an actual road map to your success! Complete with where you’re going, how to overcome the road blocks, and how to get where you need to be to get your mojo back! How great would that be?

Normally people pay $295 for one hour of my time. Because it’s Spring, and I’m suffering from Spring Fever, I’ve decided to make an amazingly outrageous offer.

I’m only offering this until 5pm Wednesday September 23rd 2009, and only to the first 15 people to respond, so if you want this, you need to act now.

Until 5pm Wednesday, the “Come Unstuck and Find Your Mojo” package is available for $397. That’s less than half the normal price. And it’s only for the first 15 people to respond by 5pm this Wednesday. So you need to act now to secure your offer. Here’s what you need to do now.

  1. Enter your name and email in the boxes below.
  2. Write “I’m ready to stop thinking and start achieving” in the comments box, and submit.
  3. Wait for my response (within 24 hours) to confirm whether you’re one of the lucky 15.

Hold on, I haven’t told you about my outrageous guarantee.

I guarantee that by the end of our three hours together, you will have:

  1. identified that one thing (you know which one I mean!)
  2. the push start you need to set you on the way to achieving your goals and getting your mojo back AND
  3. actual do-able strategies to overcome the blocks and pursue the dream.

If you don’t, I will cheerfully do one of two things (your choice):

  1. I will refund your money in full OR
  2. I will continue working with you until you have strategies in place to pursue the success you want.

So don’t forget:

  1. Enter your name and email in the boxes below.
  2. Write “I’m ready to stop thinking and start achieving” in the comments box, and submit.
  3. Wait for my response (within 24 hours) to confirm whether you’re one of the lucky 15.

To your success!

[contact form]

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