Judged By The Company You Keep

I was recently at a charity event. As the night's major sponsor was announced at the commencement of the evening their table was pointed out and we all applauded them for their support.

Great PR right?

Well... not so much. Throughout the night, one of their team members got louder and louder, more obnoxious and then finally, somewhat offensive. When they left the table that night it was a mess with rubbish littered underneath it.

Someone at my table commented - I know where I wouldn't go for XXX (insert their type of business).

What could have been an amazing PR opportunity and what started as a fantastic act of generosity ended up being the worst kind of negative publicity for this business.

While this is an extreme example, I've seen it to a lesser degree so often.

A great company uniform which could be reinforcing the branding of an organisation instead gets tarnished when an employee is seen smoking around the corner during work hours. A sales agent who shows up 5 minutes late for a real estate open home with a shirt untucked and appearing disorganised.

I know I've even been guilty of it myself - when we were sponsors at a charity event a few years ago and they thanked just me and not my business partners I leaned over to someone and was complaining about the mis-mention when that friend (very wisely) said to me - you've just been announced as a sponsor, everyone's looking at you, be gracious and smile and sort the rest out later.

We've all heard the saying that you're judged by the company you keep.

But what about your company being judged by the YOU it's keeping?

By Kirsty Dunphey with No comments

Baby Faced, Inexperienced or Too Young to Know Better?

Following on from my last post about being too old what about those of your who are far too young to do anything of real merit.

If you’ve read any of my work it’s not hard to discover that I’m a big believer in the fact that you can never be too young to have a go at something.

At 21, if I’d listened to the people who told me I was too young to start my first real estate agency, who knows where I’d be now.

At age 7, do you think Mozart fully grasped how amazing it was that he was writing his first symphony? Doesn’t matter – he did, he didn’t ponder his tiny age.

Shane Gould (superstar and Tasmanian resident) was only 16 when she won three Olympic gold medals and I doubt she gave a hoot to those who said it wasn’t possible.

A 17 year old Joan of Arc led an army to defend her country. Do you think she had time to waste considering whether the army she was meeting would worry about her baby face?

At just 15, LeAnn Rimes won two Grammy awards.

And anyone who’s ever eaten a sumptuous Mrs Fields cookie might be surprised to know that Debbie Fields was just 20 when she started the company.

The old man on our list today at 21 is Fred De-Luca who co-founded a little sandwich company with just $1,000 in his bank account – you might know of Subway?

For a great list of other inspiring youngsters check out BradleyWill’s blog here:
http://www.bradleywill.com/2009/06/03/50-leaders-who-young-entrepreneurs-must-follow-on-twitter/


So, instead of asking yourself whether you’re “the right” age to be doing something, how about just asking yourself if your idea is good enough? Are you determined enough? Will you pursue it hard enough? Do you have the right talents on board?

Are you ready?

By Kirsty Dunphey with No comments

Two Signs of a Great Leader

I spent the afternoon with a leader from another real estate organisation the other day. We were both working on applications for the same industry awards program.

The first sign of a great leader: she shared her knowledge. Even though our agencies are in competition with each other at times, this leader gratefully shared with me insight on what had helped them be successful in these awards programs previously – a real help given that it was our first time entering.

The second sign of a great leader: she made someone else feel special. During our afternoon chat, I mentioned that our office junior had spent considerable time working on her own application in the category of “support person of the year”. Not only did this leader take this knowledge in, but when she saw our office junior a few days later she remembered the conversation and asked her how she’d gone with her submission and spent a few minutes taking time with her. I don’t know if she noticed, but my office junior was not so secretly chuffed that this leader had taken the time to make her feel important and valued.

I’m about to send a copy of this blog post to this leader so that she knows it’s her I’m talking about because my bet is, she’s such a great leader and this generosity of spirit comes so naturally to her, that she won’t have even registered that she did something really special that day.

By Kirsty Dunphey with 2 comments

Perspective – the choice is yours

My husband, a police officer, remarked to me recently the two predominant responses when parents with their children see him working in uniform.

Some parents will say educationally to their children: “There’s a police officer, if you’re ever in trouble, that’s who you go to, he’ll help”.

Other parents, will say educationally to their children: “There’s a police officer, if you do bad things, he’s going to lock you up”.

Two different perspectives on the same exact situation. Two different educational lessons taught to their children.

It reminded me of two of my favourite educational fables:

The first, two sales people are sent to Africa with the mandate: “sell shoes!” One calls home a week later asking to be relieved of duty – “no-one here wears shoes he says” hopelessness. The second calls after the first week stating “send more shoes – nobody here wear’s shoes!”

Two different perspectives on the same exact situation. Where one sees predestined failure, the other sees unlimited opportunity.

The second, twin sons of a hardened criminal were studied throughout their lives. One ended up behind bars, just like his father repeating many of the same mistakes. When questioned as to how he got there, he simply remarked “with a father and role model like that, how could I do anything else?” The second son ended up flourishing with a thriving career, a clean criminal record and a happy family. When questioned as to how he got there, he simply remarked “with a father and role model like that, how could I do anything else?”

Two different perspectives on the same exact situation. Where one saw no choice but to repeat the mistakes laid forth, the other used them as a road map for what not to do.

In life, we can’t always control what “happens” to us, or the situations we’re placed into. The only thing we do have control over is the way we adapt to and react to those situations and ultimately the perspective we choose to have over what has happened.

By Kirsty Dunphey with No comments

Feedback Follow Up

I'm a feedback form nut - I'll freely admit it. I get a strange sense of glee whenever I'm asked by a business to give feedback. I'll fill in a feedback form at a dodgy side of the road diner, when my bank asks for it or even those annoying online survey requests - I just like to give feedback.

You know what I like even more? When someone actually acknowledges that feedback.

I recently stayed in the Blue Mountains at Lilianfels Resort and Spa. It was, in a word, "divine". I diligently filled in my feedback form and even went and posted a great review on Trip Advisor. Nothing so strange there, I review most of the hotels I stay at online and I also fill in a feedback form whether I've had a good or bad stay at every hotel I go to.

What was different here, is that a few nights after returning home, our phone rang and it was the general manager calling to thank us for our feedback on the facility and staff (we'd particularly mentioned one staff member - Patrick - who was extremely helpful). He mentioned that he likes to call everyone who takes the time to leave feedback.

The phone call went for no more than a minute or two but left a huge lasting impression and it's the first time I've ever had this type of follow up (and trust me when I tell you I've left feedback that really should have been followed up in the past!)

Well done Lilianfels - and if you're going to the Blue Mountains in NSW, I wouldn't recommend you stay anywhere else.

What can you do to "Lilianfels" your business today? Are you asking your clients and customers for feedback, and then, most importantly, what are you doing with it after you receive it?

By Kirsty Dunphey with No comments

Who's The Communication Boss?

I hate talking on the phone. I feel like it's some genetically encoded throwback to my gen Y half (I sit on the cusp of gen X and gen Y).

Recently while having a week with a particularly busy work schedule I was even less inclined to chit chat on the phone I emailed a real estate agent about a property I'm looking into. He called me back with the answers to my questions, didn't get me and left a message on my phone. I emailed him back with more questions. He then again called back with the answers, this time he got me on the phone. I asked him a few more things but specified, could he email me the answers when he found them out. It won't shock you that he called me back again with the answers and left them via message on my phone. I then emailed him back letting him know I'd prefer to communicate by email. Bless his heart, I got a call from him to explain why he preferred to communicate on the phone.

Yes, I get it, I was probably being a little petulant with my desire to communicate by email. The real question however is - who gets to set the preferred mode of communication in a relationship?

When we get a new property owner at Elephant Property (our real estate agency) two of the first questions we ask are: can we communicate via email for non urgent matters (yes/no) and for more urgent matters, what's your preferred method of contact (email/mobile/other phone/text message/fax).

The client sets the way we communicate. Who sets the method in your business and is it the best way to tend to your client's needs or yours?

By Kirsty Dunphey with No comments

Sometimes prospecting is...

I've worked in real estate for half my adult life and I've been to more training sessions that I can count on the ABCs (Always Be Closing), on hard sells, on how to deliver the perfect pitch presentation and yet, the more I work in this industry the more I realise that any sales based industry has a whole other level of prospecting for new business that rarely gets spoken about. Sure, sometimes you'll go into a presentation cold with nothing to assist you but your materials, your winning smile and your ability to close, but sometimes, just sometimes...

Sometimes prospecting for new business is... about patience...
Are you prepared to wait until the time is right for the client, not just for you?

Sometimes prospecting for new business is... about being persistent...
I've had clients come on board after chasing them for 2 years (and longer). Do you have a system in place that reminds you to follow up as appropriate with persistence without being annoying?

Sometimes prospecting for new business is... about timing...
A simple question, asked at the right time can be an amazing form of prospecting. Recently I touched base (after being persistent & patient for about a year) just to make sure a client's current property manager had been in touch regarding an upcoming due date. They hadn't, and the business was mine.

Sometimes prospecting for new business is... about perception...
When someone searches for you, or for your industry online. What do they do see? Can they see honest, real testimonials and reviews of your performance. Do they see a website that is both functional and representative of the type of brand you wish to convey?

Sometimes prospecting for new business is... about words...
So often, you won't even hear the most powerful words as they're spoken when you're not around well before you're called in to pitch for the business. They're the words said from your current clients and customers to their friends and family. It'll either be the strongest recommendation you can get, or... you know the other alternative.

Sometimes prospecting for new business is... about approaching from a different angle...
After 18 months spent following up (with patience and persistence) one client in three party relationship, I happened across another who I'd had little personal contact with. It turns out this was the better approach and suddenly, we had new business.

Sometimes prospecting for new business is... unpredictable...
Our company recently got a new client, one of our largest, from an unpredictable referral from someone we dealt with who referred us simply because "we pay our bills on time". Are you making time to find out the origin of your current clients?

By Kirsty Dunphey with No comments

Is your business your child?

I never thought I’d have to explain typos in emails because I was “typing one handed”. Don’t get me wrong – I’m talking about the fact that while one hand is in email mode, the other seems to be in constant motion settling, feeding, playing with or just simply looking after my newborn daughter at the moment.

It’s brought an interesting dynamic to my “work life”. In that, I’m finding it hard to have one! My lovely little girl has been born with an innate knowledge of when she’s not the centre of attention, and frankly, she’s not a fan of it.

It’s show me that there are some really striking parallels between having a child and starting a business from infancy.

Both are completely depending upon you in the beginning, but depending on how you choose to raise them, both should learn at some stage to make decisions and to act in appropriate ways without you.

At what stage is your business at right now? Does it cope when you’re away or are there tears abounds? Can the organisation (other staff members) make decisions without you or do you need to hand hold them through all decisions?

Is your business an infant or independent?

By Kirsty Dunphey with No comments

Click, Click, Ca-Ching!

We had an interesting dinner table conversation the other night about the fact that, these days, you have almost no need to go into a retail store with most anything being able to be bought online.

If that’s the case, for those of you with a physical retail outlet, why are your customers still shopping with you?

I polled our readers and found out the reasons they still shop retail rather than online with the common reasons being:

- Immediacy (for those who can’t wait for the postage time)

- The ability to touch something, try it on, poll friends / family for their input

- Impulse buys (the purchase you make when you didn’t know you were going to!)

- And finally - service

I recently purchased three books for my husband and went into a great bookstore in my local area – Petrarchs to do so. Upon reflection, I purchased this gift in that store for all 4 of the reasons above. Firstly, the gift occasion was 3 business days away, so I couldn’t have been sure (where I live) that delivery would get me the gift on time. Two of the books were large coffee table style books, so it was great to flick through them and touch them first before purchasing. The third book I added to the present was a complete impulse buy. The staff at Petrarchs always seem to offer great service – I had a lovely chat with the chap who served me about his new child (very close in age to mine), the proprietor made a few jokes and while I did the rest of my errands they gift wrapped everything after first finding out whether to use a more masculine or feminine gift wrapping.

Do I buy books online? Absolutely – lots of them. But when I choose to buy them in a physical store in my hometown – Petrarchs is my first port of call. Why? Their selection and most importantly, their service.

As good as an online bookstore is, it’s unlikely I’ll ever engage in the jovial banter I have with the staff at Petrarchs. An online outlet may be able to offer gift wrapping, but will they question whether I want it for a male or female?

While it’s unlikely you’ll ever get your hair cut online, where you choose to buy your hair spray from is another matter altogether.

If you sell a physical product that can be bought online, ask yourself why your customers are coming to you in person. What can you do to further protect that custom in the future?

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By Kirsty Dunphey with 2 comments

The Customer Is Always....

I don't believe the customer is always right. Sometimes, we all know the customer can be a jackass.

But if they are less than "right"... you've got a few choices.

1. Keep the customer and find a way to work within their parameters without complaint

2. Keep the customer on the grounds that they bend to your way of doing things "right", explain your parameters and then leave the decision whether or not to stay up to them

3. Ditch the customer

You'll note there was no option "4. Keep the customer, wish they did things your way but never communicate your requirements to them and then whine incessantly about what a jackass the customer is."

The customer may not always be right, but you always have a decision as to whether that person is, in fact, your customer.

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By Kirsty Dunphey with No comments

Corrupt Honesty

On a recent trip overseas I passed by a DVD shop that was clearly selling pirate products. I didn’t purchase any, but I did overhear a really interesting sales technique.

When a customer picked up a copy of “The Social Network” the store worker quickly told them that it was a “bad copy – filmed in a cinema”. When they queried other films they were told that most of their other choices were “good copies – A1”.

What did the customer walk out with? 15 DVDs including the Social Network and one other film they knew to be a “bad copy”. They chose to purchase these copies despite knowing they wouldn’t be high quality, such was their desire to see those films.

Without the honesty approach by the sales person, the exact same sale would have been made and the customer would have then gone home only to find their “bad copies” and have been disappointed.

As it was, the same product was sold, and yet because the expectations were appropriately set, a goodwill and a level of trust was almost definitely gained.

Please note: I do get the irony in talking about honesty as a sales technique in an industry where people are selling illegal goods – the point, I think, is still valid though.

Whatever you’re selling, be it a product, a service, yourself if you set the appropriate expectations by giving the purchaser all the information they need up front it’s much easier to avoid disappointment long term.

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By Kirsty Dunphey with No comments

Whale Sized Expectations

One of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen in the wild is about 10 whales over a series of three hours, breaching, cavorting and dancing in the water only meters away from the boat I was bobbing up and down in.

I’ve got Imagine Cruises in Port Stephens, NSW to thank for that.

I’d been doing some research for a road trip I wanted to make up the New South Wales coast and come across the website for Imagine. They had a twitter link, so I had a look at their tweets. The predominant vibe I got from their tweets was that they were a casual, easy going company who seemed to get a real kick out of what they did.

I tweeted them asking about availability of times and visibility of whales. They replied promptly tell me their was lots of both availability and whales and the tone of their communication was at all times, fun, welcoming and casual. They didn’t make any special promises or offer me anything other than “whales and fun”.

When I arrived at my hotel I asked them if they could book a cruise with Imagine for me and was told that they could, however they preferred to book with another operator, the major competitor to Imagine. It was too late however, I was already sold on Imagine and proceeded to book the cruise myself and had what was one of the wettest, but most unforgettable mornings of my life.

Everything on board matched the tone of the communication I’d already received through twitter and I couldn’t speak more highly of the entire operation. To top that off we were lucky enough to go out on a morning when all the whales were cooperating as well!

In contrast, I’ve had other, very clever companies try to target me through twitter (which, as a sales person, I love to see), however it’s not always come across as 100% consistent. One company told me they loved to look after their twitter followers and wanted to send me a great deal on accommodation, however they over-promised and the offer sent wasn’t anything I couldn’t already find myself online and the communication that followed via email didn’t continue the style of communication they’d had with me via twitter. It wasn’t consistent and, they’d almost done themselves a disservice in fact by getting my hopes too high on twitter and then not delivering.

Imagine cruises (www.twitter.com/imaginecruises) promised very little, but did set a tone. They accurately depicted they type of organization they were via a social media strategy and I felt as though I’d already built a relationship with them. In fact, their twitter seemed like such an extension of the communication of the company, I doubt they even see it as a social media strategy, instead just seeing it as another way to have a chat with some great people.

When you’ve already built a relationship with an organization it’s hard for anyone, except that organization, to ruin that relationship.

Thanks again to the team at Imagine, it was simply breathtaking!

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By Kirsty Dunphey with No comments

Buy An Ad Or Build A Relationship?

Unintentionally I set a rather controversial strategy for marketing of our real estate agency Elephant Property when we started in January of ’09: an advertising budget of almost nil.

We rarely purchase advertising instead preferring to focus on building relationships and providing exceptional “unforgettable” service to our current clients that makes them want to talk about us. Now, don’t mistake me, we market our properties for rent so that we have a recurring days vacant of almost nil, but, what I’m talking about is actually marketing the business.

This strategy always meant that fewer people looking for a property manager in our market place were going to know about us than the top advertisers in our field. However, when people do hear about us, they typically hear it from a trusted friend or adviser.

In our field – residential property management – we typically deal with three main groups of people. Our clients – property owner, our customers – tenants and our suppliers – tradespeople.

I’m sad to say, but in many real estate agencies only the first group – property owners are seen as being worth of first class service. Tenants are often treated with contempt or as a necessary means to an end and tradespeople are rarely lauded for the amazing work they do which makes our lives and jobs so much easier.

I’m proud to say a lot of our business comes from our tradies referring clients to us. Many of them deal with multiple agencies and there really is no greater compliment than knowing they choose to refer our services because they have a in depth knowledge of how many real estate agencies operate.

A rarity in our field however is to have tenants recommend your services. A fine line has to be walked between being overly friendly with the tenants to the point where it’s a disservice to your clients (the property owners) and being unfairly unjust with tenants and treating them like second class citizens.

About 10 months ago a tenant of ours in Launceston, met a lady in Hobart. They got chatting with the Hobart lady mentioning that her child was having trouble renting a property of theirs nearby to the Launceston tenant. Thankfully we’d developed the relationship with our tenant where they felt comfortable saying – you should talk to Elephant Property.

Cut to the present day and that one conversation that would have never happened if we treated tenants in a typical fashion lead to us gaining that one property to rent. Furthermore those clients referred us on to a friend, and bought a second property and the original woman in Hobart is about to bring over the fourth property in this line of relationships to us.

Each time we’ve pitched for the business without going up against competition and with the knowledge that the person we’re talking to has been given an honest, heartfelt testimonial by someone who knows and appreciates our service.

Let me tell you, that initial meeting is a completely different one to a meeting generated by an advertisement. There’s already an in-built connection, an existing level of trust and the foundation has already been laid for a great ongoing relationship.

A billboard, or an advertisement can speak your message – but to me, having a strategy in addition to any marketing that fosters a desire in people to personally tell other people about your business creates stronger leads for ongoing business.

What are you doing in your business with EVERYONE you interact with to encourage them to recommend and refer you in a heartfelt, genuine manner?

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By Kirsty Dunphey with No comments

Don't Stay In The Stink

I'm passionately madly crazy about my husband. Let's get that out of the way first up so that you don't all think I'm too harsh in what I'm about to say.

But.... my husband is a fitness fanatic (well according to my standards).

Every day, all the time (yes, even when we're on holiday) my husband will run or go to the gym or do some sort of exercise. Now if he's running, my husband doesn't just go for a light jog, he runs flat out for an hour at a time and that has consequences.

I've just walked into the room we're staying in only to be met by his running gear hanging up over the doorway, the smell of which had not so lightly flavoured our room.

I wrinkled my nose, got past it and set up my laptop to return a few late night emails.

Cut to ten minutes later and as I sit here typing, I can't smell a thing wrong with the room.

My nose has adjusted to the smell and now it just smells like any old normal room.

I've stayed in the stink too long.

Now in a personal context, I can live with my husband's running clothes being on the door, but I need to know that the next day I just may end up smelling a bit like them myself. So I've got three options, move the stink (take the smell elsewhere), remove the stink (wash the clothes) or smell like the stink.

How long have you stayed in the stink at work with an employee that you knew wasn't right for your office culture? Leave it long enough and you can almost forget the problem is there, but it's not gone and you'll reek of the stink by continuing to have issues with that staff member if you don't do something about it.

How long have you stayed in the stink plugging away at a procedure, system or idea that didn't work?

How long have you stayed in the stink at a job you didn't love?

Move the stink, remove the stink or smell like the stink? Which will it be?

PS - my husband, after being read this blog, insists his running clothes smell like a daisy and in fact, he seems quite proud.

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By Kirsty Dunphey with 1 comment

Aged, Wise or Just Plain Old?

I often speak with a fantastic colleague who is older than me in pure years on the planet. But while her hair may be a number of shades greyer than mine, her youthful enthusiasm often leaves me for dead.

She knows the secret to eternal youth doesn’t come in a bottle from a major pharmaceuticals company. It comes from the people you associate with, the new ideas you put into practice and the general attitude you choose to display each day.

Whatever her classically defined age, she’s been young the entire time I’ve known her.

Think you’re too old to be young?

Ray Kroc didn’t – how old was he when he founded the global empire we now call McDonalds. He was 57.

Frank Lloyd Wright, one of my favourite architects was quoted at age 83 as saying that his next masterpiece was going to be his best. (NB: He was in his 60’s when he designed Falling Water:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fallingwater)

Colonel Sanders was a spring chicken at just 62 when he established Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Too old to be young? Absolutely – but only if that’s what you believe. How young do you want to be today?

And for my next blog… the reverse for those who are actually far too young in years out there!

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By Kirsty Dunphey with 1 comment

Old or New?

When I was a young whipper-snapper aged 19 in my first year in sales I listed a property in a suburb of my home town. I’d seen other properties advertised as being in the same suburb but in the “old” part of it.

Using my superior intellect, I decided that if they were being advertised as being in “old ” – I’d go one better and advertised mine as being in “new ”.

New is better than old right?

Well, not in this case. The old part of the suburb was seen as far more desirable than the new part.

Not surprisingly I spent my open home at the property in complete peace and quiet (in other words completely alone).

Ironically – an “older” (aka more experienced) agent in my marketplace would probably have never made that mistake. “Old” once again trumps “new”!

But new doesn’t have to always lose out. New doesn’t have to deal with the assumption that “they should have known better”. If new owns up to the mistake and goes about fixing it appropriately, new can oftentimes create a better relationship than was there in the first place. New also often has more time to fix the mistake.

At that stage, as new as I was, I had fewer listings than my colleagues, I had no family commitments, I had all the time in the world to open the property 5 times a week if was necessary and all the time to put in to fix the relationship after my little slip up.

As a newbie in any industry let it sink in that you’re going to make mistakes. What you do to resolve those mistakes using all the advantages of your “newness” is what really counts and what will decide whether you get past the new stage or whether instead you move on and become new in another industry.

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By Kirsty Dunphey with No comments

Some people get it…

Some people get it… like the staff at Faull’s shoe shop here in Launceston where I just bought a fabulous new pair of shoes. While I was in there I pointed out my badly scuffed, but well loved red leather boots (my staple this past winter). They organised some shoe polish for me to purchase as well. The lady helping me out then came out with some polish on a cloth to “test the colour” and proceeded to re-redden both my boots. Service – they get it.

Some people don’t get it… like the café I sat in for around 40 minutes when 4 of the 6 total customers asked for gluten free options and were told by the owner of the business that the café only had one. Listening to their customers – they didn’t get it.

Some people get it big time… like the Atrium café, also here in Launceston who when they discovered they’d taken a little longer than their usual standard time to deliver a coffee to my friend and I the other day brought out two complimentary little tasty treats. When I questioned whether they were gluten free (my friend has an intolerance) we were presented with a further treat – at no cost – that was gluten free. Turning a problem into an opportunity – they get it.

Do you get it?

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By Kirsty Dunphey with 2 comments

A Mess Or A System?

If you walked in the front door of my house, on certain days, you'd probably step right on top of my car keys placed carefully on the floor deliberately in the way.

What a mess you might instantly think - but no, you're walking straight into a system of mine.

You see, awhile back I had this terrible habit of putting my clothes in the washing machine, turning it on and forgetting about it. Hours, sometimes even days, would pass before I'd realise my mistake. An embarrassing confession – but true nonetheless.

After having my clothes colours run together one too many times I knew I needed a system. At first I started leaving my downstairs light on but my eco-friendly side didn't like this. Then I started leaving my keys in front of the door.

I'd see them as I walked around the house and remember to remove my clothes. This worked beautifully except for the few times my extremely helpful husband decided to put my keys "where they belong" without telling me.

Now, clearly I'm not suggesting you all start leaving keys on the floor (I'm sure most of you probably don't even have this same particular problem as me) but it's a simple illustration of the implementation of a system.

* Step 1. Have a problem (in this case, not remembering my clothes were in the washing machine).

* Step 2. Come up with a solution (leaving the light on).

* Step 3. Work the solution and amend if necessary (changed system to keys).

* Step 4. Remember to let people know the system (letting my husband know so that he wouldn't mess with my system!).

* Step 5. Go back to step 3 as often as is necessary.

This five step process is exactly the same simple one that I use for implementing systems in the workplace. Now... I'm off to implement a system that stops me turning the bath on and getting distracted (yes, I've had a few floods!).

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By Kirsty Dunphey with 4 comments

A few of my favourite people...

These are a few of my favourite people who, this year, kindly donated blood on behalf (at 7 months pregnant I've been out of the donating loop for a while!)

Cassandra, Lauren, Janelle and Anna - you're all rock stars to me!

Kirsty

By Kirsty Dunphey with No comments

Where’s your sticker?

Here’s a classic example of motivation gone wrong - a big Australian company that once placed large stickers on employee’s desks declaring them “not competent” (as told to me by a friend and ex-employee of the company).

Now, while most of us could look at this example and clearly see that it’s not going to do much for motivation, as a leader in your organisation, do you recognise when you’re doing this in other, subtler ways?

I know I don’t always.

A criticism might slip from my lips in front of the whole office when it could have been delivered directly to the person in question in private.

A well-deserved opportunity for praise may pass unnoticed, despite feeling great appreciation.

A hastily typed email may not convey the jovial tone in which a comment was meant in your head.

Now, you wouldn’t go and slap a “not competent” sticker on an employee’s desk – but are you a good enough leader to recognise if you just slammed a virtual one down in their inbox or mentally imprinted it on their forehead?

And more importantly, can you adjust the behavior for next time?

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By Kirsty Dunphey with No comments