The high cliffs at this point were catching the full force of the prevailing weather so mists were swirling in and the clouds flowed up and over the lookout.  It was lucky we brought our wet weather gear.  We continued along the track along the cliff face but soon the track continued down the mountain  steeply into heathland  covering the plateau.  Here it started to rain more intensely.  The she-oaks provide some protection from the wind.  The rocky unveven tracks with scratchy low native plants, were a continual hinderance.  The tracked crossed a muddy pan and we were about ten minutes away from our destination.  On arrival at Cape Raoul, the weather cleared and we had lunch.  At this point, seals could be heard below at the base of the cliffs but we could not see them.  The ocean was the only thing between us and the Antarctica.  We followed the track back up to the summit of Mt Raoul and onto the Lookout which proved tough but it was mind over pain. I volunteered to lead the group back to the car but ended up down the wrong track. We retraced our steps and found our way back to the car.

Back at the house, we changed and ventured off to Eaglehawk Neck to the caravan in the carpark that sells crayfish.  Here I bought a curried sea scollop pie – it was the best I have ever tasted – from the caravan in the car park called doo-lishus (see the pictures by Richard Elliott).  From there we called into Stewarts Bay Resort Port Arthur to check the menu for our farewell dinner.  While there, we had coffee with the chocolate we bought from the Federation Chocolate Factory. To sum it up - good scenery, good conversation, good coffee and good friends.

As the sun set set, we went back to the house for a well earned shower and lobster dinner.

Arriving back at the jetty in Tribunna, we disembarked and headed to the Sufi Craft Shop again.   Having spent time here, we headed off to Orford for lunch on the Esplande overlooking the Prosser River.  Seeing that the short cut to Sorrell was closed, we had to follow the main highway.

On arrival at Sorell, we stocked up on food and wine.  On the way to Oakwood, we stopped at Dunnelley (Dennison’s Canal) to buy lobsters for dinner. It was not our lucky day – no lobsters.  We arrived at Kevin’s Cottage, Oakwood - I know I was looking forward to a shower rather than a handbasin wash.

We took the Mt Maria track where we reached the 4 Mile Creek track turnoff. We trekked through semi dense bush for about 5 kilometres where the track joined the coast road at 4 Mile Beach. It started to rain so it was time to have lunch under a Bull Oak at Howells Point.  As it continued to rain, we decided to set off for Darlington Harbour which took about an hour.  On arrival back at the Penitentary Building, we rested with a good cup of coffee and the usual home made fruit cake.

We then ventured off to explore the Reservoir (the main water supply for the island), passing the old pumping station. During the walk to the Reservoir along the creek, we came across many kangaroos, wombats and paddy melons. Also we came across a quarry which exhibited the same extensive array of fossils as we saw at the Fossil Cliffs the day before.

Just before sunset, as it was starting to get cold, we all walk down to the Darlington Harbour Jetty to experience our first sunset on the island. It was spectacular!!!

On the way back, we were greeted by the usual post sunset parade of wombats.

The main challange for the team was successfully reaching each checkpoint as a team, before assessing our options for the next section. As a leader it it about bringing the team with you, maintaining team sprit, using their strengths and inner determination to reach the final goal.  In the story below, as Paula states it is like climbing Mt Everest and asking critcal questions on the journey …

The question is how do you go about making it happen? In his book “10 Big Development Goals for Leaders in 2012, Dan provides 8 simple steps to follow:

Step 1: Identify one or two specific leadership skills you feel that you could improve through mentoring.  Is it your ability to make strategic decisions in a quick and decisive manner? Is it your ability to recognise and develop talent to improve the success of your department and yourself?

Step 2: Now assess what style of leadership is best suited to you.  As you know, not everyone leads in the same way.  Are you more collaborative as a leader, working through consensus? Or are you a decisive type of leader who makes the decisions and motivates others to follow those decisions?

Step 3: Determine whether you want a mentor who mirrors your leadership style.  This can improve upon how you lead…or decide if finding a mentor with a different leadership style might challenge you more and help you grow as a leader by adding new dimensions to your own personal style.

Step 4: Consider the type of person you want as a mentor.  For informal mentoring to work, you have to have focus.  The first three steps have provided you with this focus.  But the other important component needed is the relationship aspect.  Think about the personal qualities and/or communication styles that you respond to.  Do you want a mentor who is more sociable than business-like?  Or one who is more of a thinker than a doer?  Perhaps you respond better to warmth and friendliness rather than someone who is more aloof, despite his or her success.

Step 5: Now make a list of potential leaders who you may want to approach as mentors. These people could be in your company, but they could also be elsewhere, such as an alumni organisation or networking group.  Don’t forget to ask colleagues for recommendations as well. An important point, this may be obvious, but it’s worth saying: only put leaders with proven track records on your list.

Step 6: Approach and interview the candidates.  Have a conversation with at least three of the leaders on your list to evaluate if the person would be the right fit for you.  Approaching potential mentors and eventually asking “the winner” to be your mentor are the hardest steps in the process.  Remember, it’s how you approach the person that makes all the difference. Here’s one strategy for doing just that:

• Make contact via telephone or email introducing yourself and indicating that you are working on self-improvement in the area of leadership and that you would welcome input from an experienced leader who has been successful in this area.  Would this person have 30 minutes or so to have a discussion with you on your goals and how best to approach these?  Maybe you could do this over lunch, as you would also like to thank that person for his or her time.
• If you feel the person might indeed be a good fit, ask him/her (at the end of the meeting) if you could stay in touch with any follow-up questions.  The person’s response – and HOW he or she responds – will be a good indicator as to whether your assessment is on target. Does the person sound welcoming and enthusiastic about staying in touch? Or does the person sound noncommittal?
• Send a handwritten thank you note. In a pinch, an email will do, but nothing beats a personal note of thanks.  Send a thank you, even if you’ve ruled the person out as mentor.

Step 7: Decide and ask.  After interviewing several candidates, you are now ready to ask the person you think is best if he or she will be your informal mentor.  Before you do this, it’s important for you to be prepared to specifically state what you’re looking for and how you want the relationship to work.  Since you’ve already had one or more conversations, your prospect has an idea of what you’re seeking, but now be clear and as specific as possible.  In addition, you should be prepared to discuss setting some guidelines for your mentoring relationship. Here are some to consider:

• How often will you meet? Weekly is ideal, and once a month is the recommended minimum.
• Will your meetings take place face-to-face, over the phone, through Skype, or combination of these?
• How will you approach confidential issues?
• How will you communicate to one another if something isn’t working in the relationship?
• How long do you want to meet before you re-assess the need to continue or end the relationship? Note: in formal mentoring programs, the relationship typically lasts nine months to one year. We suggest a minimum of four to six months for an informal relationship.
• Discuss concerns you both have about engaging in this type of relationship.

Step 8: When your chosen mentor has agreed to the informal mentoring relationship, then congratulate yourself for finding someone who will be strategically important to your career and to your growth as a leader. To succeed, make sure you keep to the guidelines you’ve agreed to in Step 7.

Here’s to your leadership success in 2012!

Rene Petrin is the founder and president of Management Mentors, a company that has been designing and implementing business mentoring programs since 1989. You can connect with him on LinkedIn and Facebook.

Thanks to the HR Ringleaderfor this thoughtful recent post from Mike Grindell which was posted a few years ago.  Mike is a senior change, strategy, and operations executive focused on driving business results through organisational capabilities and by building processes and operations that matter.  Mike was a 16 year executive of The Coca-Cola Company holding a variety of executive roles focused on building organizational capabilities and driving talent management initiatives. Prior to Coca-Cola, Mike held positions of increasing responsibility with Citigroup and Federated Department Stores, respectively.

I believe this blog post still rings true on the role HR leaders’ play in today’s new environment in 2012.  Mike Grindell argues that it ultimately comes down to a straight forward equation:

Better HR leaders and efforts create great leaders, great leaders create better companies, great companies create great communities in which to live and work.

So, how does HR get there?  A few suggestions/questions are offered:

1. Be a student and expert in your business/area of expertise. Allocate time to read about your organisation, its category, how money/success is made, and competitors – do you truly have time blocked on your calendar?

2.  Be a killer business person.  Know the Profit and Loss better than the Chief Finance Office, track the equities markets, track competitors, visit operations of your organisation and those of competitors – does your time allocation reflect being a killer business person?

3. Engage in the development of the HR discipline.  SHRM, AHRI (national and local), conferences, follow experts – are you regularly involved with your discipline?

4. Coach, mentor, develop.  There are mentoring organisations everywhere - they are always looking for mentors - are you a member, do youallocate time every month to offer advice, counsel, provide real feedback, a supportive comment?

5. Many HR leaders manage the largest budget items in any organisations Profit and Loss - what are you doing to drive different results with those budgets?  Salaries, benefits, training dollars, and other budgets often represent the largest set of investment/expense dollars for any organisation – are you bringing innovation and new ways to invest and drive results?

6. Accept that the rules have changed forever.  HR is not about programs and processes anymore (yes, there will be recruiting, compensation, benefits, talent management, etc) – it is about driving sustainable business results that matter.  The decades long practices of driving engagement through compensation, rewards, talent practices have changed – it is simply not a given or assumed anymore that salary increases, affordable benefits, great training and other efforts are part of the employment deal – is there a point of view and a business agenda that is being advanced in the context of today’s new realities?

7. Are you nourishing your own soul, spirit, health?  I truly believe each of us must flourish as an individual before we can help an organisation be healthy.  Are you making time for health, for learning, for love, for culture, for laughter?  Are you a more fulfilled person today than last year?  Are you having the life you planned?

Offer your point of view and thoughts – it’s an interesting and challenging world we find ourselves operating in every day.  The HR discipline must develop its own great leaders so we can drive the results required.

 So, what do you think?  What are your comments?

  ]]> http://thehrachitect.com/2012/01/29/the-hr-architect-spends-5-minutes-with-tony-gibson/ Sun, 29 Jan 2012 04:10:29 +0000 The HR Architect | Connect | Inspire | Innovate | http://thehrachitect.com/2012/01/29/the-hr-architect-spends-5-minutes-with-tony-gibson/ Introducing Tony Gibson, Director SPIRIT.3H

Where I met Tony Gibson and his current vision and influence in the HR arena

I met Tony Gibson at the Queensland Building Services Authority (QBSA). At QBSA we worked together for four years in a great partnership that supported significant culture change in a true learning organisation.

Description of what you’re currently working on…

Tony Gibson’s current HR passion is leading the ‘Staying On’ Programme Development in Queensland with his New Zealand partner Geoff Pearman the programme designer. “Putting your head in the sand and hoping it will go away is no longer an option for employers when it comes to the Age Wave” says Tony.

In his view, more integrated and strategic approaches are called for that addresses the needs of employers as well as the changing needs of older workers. A convergence is occurring, the boomers are now reaching 65, they are living longer being healthier and in many cases staying on in work. We have also had a declining birthrate for several decades that is now impacting.

HR faces possibly one of the biggest workforce challenges of the 21st century, what some are calling the Age Wave. The talent war is only going to accelerate with some industries already experiencing severe skill shortages; yet the tactics of recruiting more aggressively in a limited labour market or relying on immigration are only piece meal responses. The phenomenon of an ageing population and declining birthrates is global and unprecedented in human history. One option is to look closer to home and nurture your current workforce.

Description of a normal day in the life of Tony Gibson as a HR practitioner

For many CEO’s the talent war, employee engagement and the need to enhance productivity are at the top of their people management agenda’s. These concerns along with the demographic realities are challenging future thinking employers. We are seeing an early indication that enlightened organisations like BMW and Bunnings are using integrated retention and attraction strategies to face up to the Age Wave.

In ‘Staying On’ there is a strong focus on staying engaged, healthy and connected for productive and flexible organizations. The ‘Staying On’ programme supports leadership, innovation and sustainable futures addressing a major business risk. By employers managing all their talent they will become an employer of choice and have the skills to prosper.

Words of wisdom/closing statement to HR practitioners

“Enjoy your life by managing your energy”.

For more information:  Contact Tony Gibson and ‘Staying On’ visit http://www.stayingon.com.au or www.spirit3h.com.au M: + 61 419791860 EMAIL tony.gibson@spirit3h.com.au

Interviewed by Tony Wiggins

Tony Wiggins is the Founder and UX Editor of Saturday Shoutout!!! and The HR Architect Spends 5 Minutes with …. Tony utilises the blog ‘The HR Architect’ as a social media network and platform that empowers HR professionals to network, assist and support one another, spanning different countries, subcultures and niches.

Is your personal brand a mansion or a shack? Some years ago while shopping with my wife for children’s clothes for our youngest, I bumped into a business acquaintance in, of all places, budget clothing store Mr Price. To me it was a pleasant surprise, so my first reaction was to smile and say, “Hello,” and engage in a bit of chit chat.

I didn’t get the chance. My acquaintance’s first reaction to seeing me didn’t allow for the chit chat. She hastily launched into a long and panicky explanation of how she doesn’t normally shop at Mr Price because she doesn’t really buy their clothes but she thought she would just pop in to see what they had.

Yeah, right …

Why did this tall, slim, attractive and successful blonde woman feel the need to stammer and stutter her way through a dodgy apology for being seen in the shop she thought was beneath her?

The answer lies in personal brand. What she was really showing was her embarrassment at being found by someone she knew and, I presume, respected, in a shop which she believed was beneath her status and therefore reflected badly on her personal brand of being successful, classy, discerning and what ever else she saw herself as.

She didn’t seem to realise that, depending on how you looked at it, shopping for children’s clothes at Mr Price actually showed her street smarts as a mother – something that enhanced her personal brand. She was probably there for the same reason we were there – to buy children’s clothes at excellent prices, because that’s one of the best places to buy clothes for little people who outgrow them, sometimes in months. It therefore makes good sense to buy at good prices when you’re not buying for distance. Yet she felt that being seen in this shop would damage her personal brand.

Because we live in a very brand conscious world, to some people the brand of their clothes, accessories, cars and the products they use are important. They simply have to be seen in the “right” brands otherwise they feel they are of no worth. While I don’t have a problem with using good quality and expensive products if you can afford them, it’s just sad if you HAVE to buy these products to make yourself feel important or of some value.

Branding plays a critical role in marketing, so companies spend gazillions on building a brand that is desirable in the hearts and minds of their buyers and potential buyers. Nothing wrong with that. In an increasingly competitive world, you’ve got to find something to attract and retain customers.

Speaking of attracting and retaining, the same applies to employers seeking to attract the best talent to their organisations. That’s why employer branding has become increasingly significant in the workplace. Employers now have to invest in branding themselves in the hearts and minds of their staff to retain their talent.

So if a product’s brand is important in the eyes of customers and an employer’s brand is important in the eyes of its employees, wherein lies the importance of your personal brand?

I’m glad you asked!

Everything you do and say sends messages to those around you. All of these actions and statements – positive or negative – are building your personal brand, whether you want them to or not, whether you’re aware of this or not.

Think about your personal brand. How would you rate it in the eyes of your friends, colleagues, immediate manager, corporate superiors, shareholders and, and, and …? What values do they associate with you? What qualities do they associate with you? What impression do they have of you? If they were asked to describe you, how would they do it? The answers to these questions will provide a description of your personal brand.

Your personal brand will play a role in determining speed and your destinations along your career path. It will determine your success or failure. It therefore makes a lot of sense to decide what you would like to be known as in terms of your personal brand, then, v-e-r-y importantly … Live. Your. Brand.

Looking west to Lake Manchester

Time: 4 hours 45 minutes round trip

Grade: 5-6 Strenuous for fit and experienced bush walkers.

Region: Anstead, Mermaid Mounatin,  D’Aguilar Range, Queensland.

This track is a third option for walking to Mermaid Mountain. If you are walking this track in summer, it is advisable to start early.

Horse Mountain and Mount England

Starting at Hawkesbury Drive and Mt Crosby Road Anstead, we walked along Mt Crosby Road beside the huge water pipelines supplying Brisbane City. This part of the walk is a warm up before climbing the mountain. After crossing Little Ugly Creek we reached the entrance to the Forest Reserve.Bush Orchids

Bush Orchids

The track (fire road) is very easy going at first but starts to narrow in preparation the steep incline up the mountain.  After an hour’s steep climbing up the rocky unstable track, the track levels off and the walking is easier along the ridge line. This part of the country is open bushland which leads to our destination, the fantastic view overlooking Lake Manchester, Horse Mountain, Mount England and Mount Nebo and Mount Glorious.

While on the track, the occassional kangarro, goanna, lizards ansd cockatoos can be seen.

Time: 7 1/2 hours round trip

Grade: 5-6 Strenuous for fit and experienced bush walkers.

Region: Brookfield and McAfee’s Lookout, Brisbane Forest Park, Queensland.

The 30km track in the Brisbane Forest Park covers some of it’s toughest terrain.

Today Phil and I are walking the track in reverse as opposed to the 30 kilometre Kokoda Challenge Track event held in March annually.  Starting at Brookfield Showgrounds, we ventured up Boscombe Road and onto South Bounday Road and onwards past the Gold Creek Dam turnoff until we came to the Hell Hole Break. From here we descended down the track along a ridge line and then down a steep steep descent down to Enoggera Creek. From there the track climbed up to McAfee’s Lookout. We continued on, past the Forestry buildings and meet up with Centre Road and continued down to Enoggera Creek.  It was a hard hot climb back up to South Boundary Road and we made our way back to Boscombe Road onto to Brookfield.

In summary, it was very hot humid day with limited tree cover as we are used to the tracks around Mt Glorious and Mt Nebo with covered shade. Being the first training walk in preparation for the Oxfam Trailwalker in June 2012, I personally found it challenging and need to improve my overall fitness. We will try it again in a few months time.

Personally, I have been involved in the Queensland University of Technology Mentor Scheme for the past 10 years in nuturing and developing our future young professions.  In 2011, I took a break but was still involved in the workplace in mentoring 2 young professionals.  I personally gain a lot of energy, new ideas and insights of how young professionals think and see the world.  Read Jason’s post below and how are you inspired …

Today, I get to speak to a group of highly engaged, young professionals.   They will be in their early to mid-twenties, full of energy and ambition.  This particular group is enrolled in a volunteer mentoring program in the community.

I love speaking to and working with young professionals.  I’ve always thought that the reason was that they were so full of energy and curiosity.   They ask questions and they want to learn.  All of these characteristics make for a great audience and for a good student.  But, this isn’t the main reason I love working with this type of group.

For me, I think it’s much bigger.  For me, working with young professionals is my way of investing in a better future for all of us.   I’m pretty fond of illuminating the fact that management sucks and that our workplaces are broken.  I can tend to sound pretty cynical when you get me rolling on these subjects.  And sometimes it’s hard to see where we can take action to break the cycle and start really making thing better.

I think one of the places where we can make a huge difference is with our young professionals.  If we can help them start out their journey with a better toolbox or a more grounded perspective, they can make the choice to act differently and think differently.  If we can, in some small way, give them permission to expect more from their work and their leaders, to be more individually, then I think we are moving the needle.

All too often, business leaders and the media are quick to write off “Gen Y” and depict them as somehow problematic.  I choose to take a totally different view.  Gen Y is our future.  They hold the power to transform what it means to have a manager and how work should look.  But, they need our support.  They need our guidance.  They need mentors who encourage them to become their best self.

Take the time to invest in your young professionals.  It’s an investment that can deliver a tremendous return.

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group.  There were a number of speakers that have provided me inspiration -

Frank Ansell is a traditional indigenous healer (nungkari) and lawman from the Eastern Arrernte desert country in Central Australia.

Edward Harran Social Innovator, Digital Strategist, Aspiring Futurist, K/no(w)mad.

Mara Bun currently working on an NGO start-up in the environmental area that has a powerful humanitarian focus called Green Cross.

A few of the three minute TEDxBrisbane brainbursts – Paul Longhurst, David Abbey, Matthew Thompson, …..  + the House Band – The Captains Daughters.

Each session during the event included a theme - & all you need is … TO CONNECT, TO BE OPEN, HOPE, CHANGE.

I am now expercing post TED depression and just wishing for another dose of TED ….

Thank you Paul Lindgren, Paul Fairweather, Mark Lobo and State Library of Queensland.  See you in 2012.

All too often leaders say one thing and do another – and then in the same breath they ask their people to do as they say, not as they do. Here’s a quick checklist to make sure you’re walking the talk…

1) Clearly identify and document the attitudes and behaviours you desire and are prepared to model to the organisation – establish what walking the talk properly looks like.

2) Establish the situations and opportunities that exist for these attitudes and behaviours to be showcased and reinforced – maximise opportunities to walk the talk.

3) Take the time to plan communications, interactions and to make the most of opportunities that present themselves – be prepared and ready to walk the talk.

4) Document decisions and actions taken to enable ready reference at a later time to enhance consistency – keep good records of walking the talk to ensure consistency.

5) Don’t take the easiest way out or the way that ruffles the fewest feathers – be willing to walk the hard walk and talk the hard talk to get the desired outcome.

6) Fulfil your own expectations and promises and be true to your word through your actions – follow-up when you’ve walked the talk to make sure everything is as you’d like it.

Leading by example means reflecting on actions and behaviours and asking – “Are these the attitudes and behaviours I want my people to exhibit in order to achieve optimum results?”

Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.”

That is one of my favorite quotes of all time and it’s from Dr. Seuss, well, at least most people attribute it to him.  There is often debate around great sayings.  The important thing for me is the message.  It helps me remember that there will always be people who respect me for who I am.  They are not going to try to mold me into their vision of who I should be.  And, when you’re respected, you will be far more likely to be a success in life.

That is a good lesson to learn.  And, although Dr. Seuss may or may not have said that statement, there are many other gems we know he wrote that apply interesting well in the business world.  If we can simplify our thinking once in awhile, we would see that life’s lessons are often more common sense and less conquer-the-world statements. According to Dr. Seuss, “sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple.”  Here are a few quotes I like and how I interpret them in business:

Learning & Development

‘The more that you read, the more things you will know.  The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” This comes to us from the story ‘I Can Read With My Eyes Shut‘ from 1978.  I always liked this book and the overall message.  This quote confirms that we need to keep reading and learning so that opportunities come our way.  If we remain stagnant in our career, in our relationships, in our communities, we will not “go” anywhere.  I don’t know about you, but I am a firm believer in reading, learning, and growing.

Diversity

There are a ton of books by Dr. Seuss that teach children (and adults) to be more tolerant of people who are different. Most of his characters were made-up beings who interacted with humans.  These beings taught the humans many things.  I love this quote from ‘Horton Hears A Who’.

“Don’t give up! I believe in you all.  A person’s a person, no matter how small!  And you very small persons will not have to die if you make yourselves heard! So come on, now, and TRY!”

So, whether we’re small or tall, black, white, or green, we’re all important.  We all have special talents.  We all have to try to make our voice heard.

Involvement

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better.  It’s not.” This quote is found in ‘The Lorax‘ which was written in 1971.  Definitely a great book and made-for-tv cartoon that teaches us about treating the environment well and not being wasteful.  I also love the message here that you cannot just rely on others to change things.  If you want something to be better, YOU have to get involved and make it better.

Work/Life Balance

“So be sure when you step, Step with care and great tact. And remember that life’s A Great Balancing Act. And will you succeed? Yes! You will, indeed! (98 and ¾ percent guaranteed) Kid, you’ll move mountains.” This one comes from ‘Oh, The Places You’ll Go!‘ from 1990.

I don’t know if Dr. Seuss had work/life balance in mind when he wrote this book but I get the message loud and clear from this quote.  The story is one of encouragement for people on the path of life.  I think it is also important to note that care and tact are needed for success.  It’s easy to get fired up and expect success to come quickly.  Sometimes it does.  But, more often than not, it takes time and a great deal of diligence to move mountains.  The important thing it is possible to move a mountain.

Thank you to the QUT Careers and Employment Unit (Dr Alan McAlpine and Jacqui Owen) for their support and assistance.

Overall, a great success … comments – looking forward to more great speakers, breakfasts and networking.

This post by Jason Lauritsen is ‘magic’ - It’s on me. That’s what a leader says when things go wrong.

It reminds me of one of the current inspirationl leaders in Queensland Health at the moment. This person is Dr Adrian Nowitzke, the CEO of the Gold Coast Health Service District. Part of his leadership philosophy is about what is outlined below regarding the Boston Red Sox Baseball Team. Read on ……

Earlier this week, the Boston Red Sox lost an important game.  They had been in a position to win when they brought in their ace closing pitcher, Jonathan Papelbon to pitch the last 5 outs of the game.  Papelbon generally closes out the last 3 outs of the game and he had successfully saved the game in 30 or his last 31 chances.  But, this time was different.  Things didn’t go well for Papelbon and the Red Sox lost the game.

After the game, here’s what Papelbon said about the game:

“Unacceptable,” Papelbon said. “The way I’ve been throwing the ball, I’ve got to go out there and execute. I didn’t do that, and by me not going out there and executing 0-2 pitches, I let my team down. I’ll shoulder that and take full responsibility, and I’ll be ready to go tomorrow. It’s plain and simple.” 

Those are the words of a leader.  Certainly, Papelbon’s performance had a major impact on the outcome of the game, but he wasn’t the only reason they lost.  Had the team scored more runs, they would have won.  Had the Rex Sox played a little better defense overall, they would have won.  But, Papelbon didn’t point at any of that.  He pointed to himself and said, “It’s on me.”  He took more than his share of the blame for this loss which is what leaders do.  He took the blame for the loss so the team could move on.  And it makes me respect him as a leader, and I’m guessing his teammates feel the same way.

 Next time things go wrong, instead of looking around for who’s to blame, try these three words.

“It’s on me.”

In addition, research shows that the most significant challenge exercising the minds of CEOs today is how to engage and retain talent. Therefore, to meet the needs of an increasingly knowledgeable and connected workforce that is working ever longer hours; leadership must equally evolve.  No longer can the leader be the fount of all knowledge directing the hands of the compliant worker. Rather the leader of today is a facilitator of heads and hands and this can only be achieved by winning the hearts and minds of their people.

Dulise Maxwell, Director, DAERtoLead in her Brisbane Breakfast Presentation on 29 September 2011 will will explore the drivers / significant problems we are facing which is requiring such a shift in thinking about leadership.  The presentation will build an understanding of what skills and behaviours a coaching leader has and discover some practical tips to help you on your own leadership journey.

Be engaged and attend this interesting presentation by one of Australia’s leading HR thought leaders. Registrations AHRI Registrations.

Track Information

The Jatbula Trail is located within Nitmiluk National Park, is an adventure walk that showcases the best of Katherine region in the Northern Territory.  The trail is only marked in one direction, from Katherine (Nitmiluk) Gorge to Leliyn / Edith Falls and is 58 kms long. The trail may be closed between October and May.  There are checkpoint books to sign along the way, as well as ECDs (Emergency Call Device) and helipads. This trail is a “must-do” for avid trekkers and is best completed from May to September.

I woke early and accompanied Tony on a brisk walk along the Katherine River before breakfast. The sunrise was magnificent. We packed and were picked up by a prearranged bus to take us the National Park about 20 minutes drive.

After registering at the Nitmiluk Centre at Katherine Gorge, we began our adventure by catching a shuttle boat across the famous Katherine River. We followed the blue marker arrows and the track meanders in a north-easterly direction and affords some great views of the escarpment. We enjoyed the coolness below the thick canopy of paperbarks as we followed 17 Mile Creek.  On a side track there was the Northern Rockhole where we stopped and rested.

Then we began the first seriously uphill stretch up the rangers 4WD track, inviting grave doubts about the wisdom of the whole expedition – why am I doing this!  Also, it’s surprising how much you need to drink in such conditions and we always carried at least three litres per person.  With a well earned rest, half way up the escrapment, we regained our energy and fortitude.  We reached the top of the escarpment, and had less than 3 km to go. The winding track through open forest seems longer, because the surface is quite sandy.  Cowan and I forged ahead of the others into our first campsite. 

The Biddlecombe campsite appears an anticlimax. We shed our pack and investigated the watery sounds beyond. We found a series of shaded pools, falls descending into a gorge, which allows you choose your personal jacuzzi with a view. Returning refreshed to the campsite, the rest of the team had arrived. The first checkpoint and emergency radiophone are beside the campsite.

Each blog post captures the various treks around the globe with a special group of friends where good conversations, good food and good coffee are the main ingredients.

Originally posted by Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter on 11 June 2011

Planting words on my MacBook Pro stimulates me emotionally and intellectually as I sow client career stories from bud to blossom.  This focused, brain-powered activity, though invigorating, is physically sedentary and potentially unsustainable if not combined with the appropriate amount of physical activity.

In Joe Lavelle’s recent post, “Exercise Like a CEO,” he underscores the importance of exercising your body. He asks, “What do you do routinely to exercise your body … to maintain mental acuity?” For many, the addition of a new or enhancement of an existing exercise routine will work wonders to add muscle to a soft career or even jump-start a stalled career.

A selection of other energy- and focus-boosting activities that will both propel your productivity and strengthen your career muscle follows:

Simplify Your Space: Simplifying your space may mean unwrapping yourself from a visual security blanket of ‘clutter.’ Doing so can free your mind and emotional energy to concentrate on individual projects and goals – the task at hand, if you will, versus the distractions all around you.

You may consider de-cluttering your primary work area into a clean, open, airy space that includes soothing paintings, memorabilia and perhaps even a desk-top water fountain to cultivate calm and inspiration. If you must express your clutter, identify a behind-closed-doors nook and, within these boundaries, go wild!

Big-Picture Your Schedule: Though your talent in creating calendars, check lists and project action steps shines, you also may find that you feel yourself drowning in a sea of details and deadlines, particularly as your career and business initiatives grow. If this describes you, consider big-picturing your schedule.

White-boarding your projects-in-progress as well as crafting a two- to three-month running whiteboard calendar of meetings and deadlines may quickly quell calendar chaos by creating a bird’s-eye view snapshot of your overarching initiatives.

Remember, project ‘detail-collecting’ within the associated project lists and files will provide the information you need to deep-dive into the specifics of your big-picture initiatives when needed. By maintaining this glimpse-able overview, you can better manage existing tasks and respond to new requests to which you commit your time and energy. With a quick glance at your calendar/project whiteboards, you can quickly accept or decline new projects.

The Little Choices Matter: Choosing a glass of water instead of sweet tea may be the linchpin to stay within you daily caloric intake parameters. As well, with business communications, that latest email, Tweet, Facebook message or LinkedIn invitation typically does not require your immediate absorption.  If you must, take a five-minute break every couple of hours to simply confirm receipt of new communications without fully partaking of a communications swap until a later, scheduled time.

And when faced with that emotionally-wrought virtual request for you to “drop everything and help me now,” remind yourself of the adage, “Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part.”

Make Peace With Perfectionism: Though your next project for your boss or your customer may mean the difference between a promotion or a career-defining sales deal, most of the time this is not the case. When you single out and assess your initiatives, you likely will find that the results of your next deliverable, though important to the recipient, will not require you overextend and go that extra 10 miles to prove you are the #1 Sales Producer, Human Resources Leader, Marketing Manager or <fill-in-the-blank>.  Stop placing so much pressure and importance on yourself at every given moment of the work day.

Instead, allot yourself a reasonable number of minutes, hours or days to achieve the project goal, and then deliver!  You likely will be reminded of how sometimes the extra-mile projects fall flat while the, “I did my best and infused this project with my years of value and experience without over-analyzing” projects often net the most kudos and bottom-line results.

Align Yourself With Complementary Others: Finding colleagues, mentors, friends and cohorts who think a bit differently than you do may be a key to unlocking doors to new ways of thinking. Seeking to explore outside your comfort zone is an admirable trait and one we all must be reminded to tap into from time to time.

By connecting with individuals or groups of folks whose intellectual capital, like the arteries of a road map, shepherd you through unexplored and sometimes uncomfortable highways and byways, you may find new direction toward achieving the destination goal that you have been struggling to reach.

Watch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ygl_174ndqw&NR=1

I am all for unconferencing.  What do you think?

Tony Wiggins The HR Architect (L.I.O.N)

LinkedIn: http://au.linkedin.com/in/hrstrategicpartners

Twitter: Tonywiggin