Bring Back Jeff

I have been an ardent Jeff Kennett supporter and went into mourning for weeks when he lost the last election.

I had the pleasure of meeting him last week and sharing the stage with him at the recent leadership conference held on Hamilton Island.

It was fantastic to see a politician who was passionate and most of all had a vision which we have seen so lacking with the two current leaders.

He spoke about his 5 fingers of leadership and gave us an insight into Beyond Blue. He also provided a reminder not to become complacent in life, to wake up every morning and say thank you for another day; and before you retire for the night reflect on what you did well, what you could have changed and learn from your mistakes. Because no matter what life still goes on.

He talked about his rock and when he compared various incidents in his life to his rock how bad was it really.

He urged us to look after our health and ask is my lifestyle delivering me the health I want? And that when you plan to succeed in biz you plan to succeed in life; we spend a lot of time separating work from life yet work is part of life; how well can we really separate it?

Jeff’s 5 fingers of leadership were:

• Setting goals long term and short term

• Developing a strategy to deliver on these goals

• Man management -recognise your strength, plug your weakness and hire people with good value; inspire your employees, your clients

• Consistency of message – review strategy on a regular basis and if it is wrong then adjust/fix and move on.

• Reward – yourself and your people, reward can be in different forms, ensure that you look after the welfare of your employees and they have fun when at work and enjoy life when they go home.

Leadership = risk, Jeff certainly took those in his time, lets hope that someone has the vision to appoint him as a mentor and coach and help them work towards leading this country.

The Lunch Club

I had the wonderful pleasure of celebrating my birthday in Melbourne and I took the opportunity to catch up with what I call the “lunch club”. And yes I know what some of you are thinking right now – a great excuse for a bunch of girls to get together and have a few bubbles. Well that may be partly right I guess but here are some of the real reasons.

The Lunch Club is simply a bunch of business women, majority of who own their own businesses getting together for lunch and networking. However here is the key difference. We come together as mothers, business women, friends, and sisters; there is no pretence; no judgement; just honesty, trust and the ability to simply be ourselves. We give each other permission to be who we are, to share, and to ask for help, to provide the kick in the butt when needed, to cry to laugh and support each other. We all know that no matter what if one of us was in dire need the rest would be there to help or support.

It is the group that have the permission to pull you aside and dong you on the head with an empty drink bottle (plastic one) because you needed it. (and yes it did happen to me!)

Do you have a lunch club? Why not create one for yourself? How often do you get together with likeminded people, peers from other industries? Are you a member of your institute, chapter or young agents groups?
Networking is not about meeting at the local pub it is also about seeking new opportunities, promoting what you do, learning and sharing.

Too often I see businesses and teams who only really mix amongst themselves with no encouragement from management to expand their horizons.

If you only network within your own businesses or franchise group how are you benchmarking yourself, learning, understanding how the industry is changing, recruiting or marketing your businesses.

Remember if the same bunch of people, from the same organisation meet with each other on a regular basis and tell each other how wonderful they are and how fantastic everything is or in fact the opposite you will not be aware of what changes are occurring in your market place, potentially become complacent, believe in your own babble and be unaware of your competitors until they bite you on the proverbial.

So start up your own lunch club, have a mix of business and pleasure, attend industry events, be involved – it’s the only way you create change and most of all share and learn.

Have a safe and chocolate filled Easter.

Etiquette Lessons

I recently read an article in the Sydney Daily Telegraph on the Tigers Football club getting etiquette lessons on topics such as introducing yourself to clients, dress codes for stylish dressing and how to leave a function properly. The last I suspect being code for do not get drunk and behave inappropriately.

As a Victorian who has recently moved up to Sydney and who is an avid AFL fan you can imagine my mirth.

I attended a recent rugby game in Sydney and it struck me how different the two codes were. There were very few women present and every time a side scored these cheer leaders popped up and waved their pom poms.

Can you imagine a Carlton/Collingwood match with cheer leaders? Need I say
more!

However on a more serious note it is interesting the differences between the codes. There really is no comparison as far as the actual game goes. However the AFL has done very well in marketing the code to women. Many clubs have females on their boards, a number of women commentate on TV, radio or write in the media, there are more women who attend AFL games and the clubs invested a long time ago on player etiquette. There are still issues but clubs and the AFL have certainly been proactive in player education and taking a tough stand on issues.

So although the article was amusing to me well done to the Tigers for taking this positive step and hopefully many other clubs will follow.
Our industry has an increased number of women entering the market as investors, there are a number of investor clubs specifically targeted to this group.

Property is the number one investment choice in comparison to stocks and shares. Women are rapidly becoming a growing force in regards to property investment.

As real estate agents what are you doing to tap into this group? Are you members or potential sponsors? Remember all investors need to buy a property and then rent them out!

This is it – the Michael Jackson Movie

On a recent flight back from Fiji on V Australia we watched the movie - This is it - which was shot during the rehearsals for Michael Jacksons tour prior to his very sudden death.

I have been a fan of Jackson for a very long time, his dancing and music was unique. Whilst I was watching the movie it struck me how much practice he did with his team of dancers and band prior to going on the road. One would assume that a performer of his experience would not necessarily train that hard.

He knew every beat, every move –his and the other dancers – and had a very clear vision of what he wanted the audience to see, feel and hear.
I started to think about our industry and why is it that so many of us don’t feel the need to rehearse. Whether you are in sales, business development or property management when you deal with clients you are on stage every day.

Yet over and over I see our performers – being agents- simply not creating time or having the urgency around ensuring that when they deal with clients they have a very clear picture of what the clients sees, hears and feels.

How many of you:

Know what your skill gaps are?
Have committed to training on these gaps over the next 12 months?
Conduct scripts and dialogue training in your business on a regular basis?
Ask for feedback from your peers on your performance?
Know who your competition is and what they are better than you at?

Top performers don't just happen, it takes time, practise and long term committment.

Michael Jackson knew intuitively what the next moves were of the people around him and what the expectations were from his audience and he delivered.

He delivered because he was a fabulous performer who understood his craft, his audience, practised till his delivery was perfect and as a result wowed and won the heart of fans the world over.

What are you doing to ensure that every time you present to a client you are going to wow and win them over as a client for life.

Michael did not practise on his audience..... Are you!

International Woman's Day 2010

Today is International Woman’s Day, 8th March 2010. This day is about celebrating our political, social and economic achievements and as we celebrate pause and consider that the measure of success of equal rights is also about health and education.

As women who live in the first world we are provided with many opportunities to be successful and to help other women.

Links Fiji is a not for profit foundation based in Fiji and our aim is to improve health via education. Cervical and breast cancer are the most prevalent forms of cancer in Fiji and there is a real lack of education and awareness. Hospitals constantly run out of drugs, the nurses train themselves on Google and many women are unaware what a pap smear is, how often to have it or how to conduct a breast exam.

Then add to this natural instinct to put care of family first, many cannot afford bus fares to local health centres, are shy or fear discussing “women’s” health issues and as a result when lumps or growths are found it is often too late.

Our foundation is committed to touching as many women as we possibly can from a testing and education prospective. We take doctors and nurses from Australia to work with us in remote areas conducting pap smears, breast exams and other simple health tests such as diabetes and blood pressure. We are working on using local doctors to do the same for us.

The women we work with are often uneducated and completely unaware of terms like equal rights. Every day is a battle for them, life expectancy is low, they put their faith in God and often local/village medicine is what they rely on.

Our foundation runs also runs a program called Bluesky Magic, which is similar to Make a Wish Foundation. I have had the privilege to meet many brave children who are facing certain death and their mothers.

Luisa and Sholene were two such girls. Aged 16 Luisa died of Acute Myeloid Leukaemia – there is no treatment for this in Fiji. I met her mother who held onto me and begged me to find a cure for her daughter, she did not know how she was going to keep living when Luisa died.

Sholene died of bone cancer, her aim was to get to the age of 15 and meet me, sadly she wasn’t able to achieve either. But her will to fight the disease and live was simply incredible. Sholene’s cancer was detected to late and again there is no treatment for this type of cancer in Fiji.

In both cases the women and young girls who never got to be women were brave in how they faced their biggest battles. To them it wasn’t about political or social rights. It was about their health and their desire to simply LIVE.

Both mothers were devastated, neither have received ongoing counselling. In fact in Sholene’s case her family did not tell anyone their daughter had died of bone cancer due to the issues they would face from family, friends and their village. They were too concerned about how people would talk about them to ask for help and support.

As we celebrate international women’s day pause and think about our sisters who live in countries where because you are unable to afford a bus fare it makes a difference between life and death; cultural and social issues prevent you from asking for support when your child dies, the health system cannot save your child; equal rights is not just about the vote, or equal pay, board representation, promotions... it is about basic human rights, basic health care and simply the opportunity to live your life.

Ask ourselves how can we make a difference? What can I do to make sure that these stories do not become the norm no matter where women live.

Did you celebrate this day in your business? Did you mark it by raising funds and donating it to a charity that helps women in 3rd world counteries? If you didn't dont let this opportunity pass you by next year.

Women world over are resilient, resourceful and extremely courageous, it is up to those of us who have the ability to create change and make a difference to ensure those who don't have a voice.

To land a pap smear kit in Fiji costs around $7.00FJD or $5.00AUD. This can save a woman’s life. Many of us spend this on a daily basis on coffee. If you think you can help us contact Sadhana Smiles on sadhanasmiles@realchange.com.au

V Australia – they nearly lost me at hello!

For those of you who are regular flyers on Virgin Blue you would have seen the very sexy introduction of V Australia - the crowd stopping blondes walking through the airport dressed in stunning red.

I chose to fly them over the Christmas break to Fiji which is one of their new routes. Many of you know I am a huge virgin fan and following is my interesting experience with them.

My kids and I were due to fly out to Fiji on the 21st of Dec on an 8am flight, there was much excitement, an early morning rise and an the sense of adventure of flying on a new airline.

As we approached the airport we saw a long line of people waiting to check in. My alarm bells began to chime ever so quietly. We joined the queue and my daughter, who by the way has no patience in queues, decided to go to the front and find out just what the hell was going on.

There was much confusion and anxiety when there was an announcement made informing us that the flight had been cancelled and they would let us know what our options were.

Well my kids were not going to stand for this and we walked up to the gold frequent flyers aisle to be told by a very friendly customer service person that there had been a medical emergency on the flight and therefore it had never arrived into Australia. They would do their best to get us on the next flight.

At this stage I thought my daughter was going to reach over and rip this woman’s spleen out however we were guaranteed a seat flight the next morning. All very deflating and annoying. I requested my usual seat, towards the front of the aircraft and we made our way home.

Now at this point as a frequent flyer that has provided Virgin with my email address and mobile phone number I did wonder why a simple text message to me was not made. I am sure there is a reasonable process that they follow whenever situations like this occur however as the customer having to make my way to the airport at 6am, wait in a queue to be told to do it again the very next day was not an experience enjoyed.

The next morning we checked in and thank goodness the flight was on time however we were seated at the very back of the plane, not my regular seating request. I asked the customer service team to put a request in to change this as in Fiji unless you get off relatively first of the flight you end up in a long hot humid queue.

We boarded the flight and not only were we seated at the back of the flight but in the middle row which I hate.

V Australia provides their clients with a survey that you can complete during the flight either electronically or on a form. Well needless to say I went to town on providing feedback on the level of service I had received in comparison to my expectations based on their marketing and sister brand Virgin.

My feedback was fairly scathing and my daughter handed the flight attended the survey indicating quiet clearly that it wasn’t from her.

Now the crew had two choices, to read it immediately or file away for someone on the ground to read at some point. To their credit it was read immediately and within 5 mins I had the cabin supervisor was at our seats apologising and offering to move us into business class once the flight was airborne. You can imagine the joy of my kids at this news and reading this you may be thinking to yourself was Sadhana being unreasonable. Maybe but here are some key points from this issue that you may wish to consider from a business prospective:

As the client I had very clear expectations on what my experience should look like when I chose to spend money with V Australia. This experience was based on their marketing and experiences with Virgin Blue. When they didn’t match up to expectations I was angry and disappointed.

Do you know what the expectations are of your clients when they chose to do business with your brand?

Is everyone in your business aware of what this experience should look like?

How much training have you done to ensure that every interaction, every moment of truth your team provide a “wow” experience?

My complaint could have been dealt with at a later point however the team on board the flight were empowered to make decisions and changes regardless of what the process and systems were. They were able to convert me from a disillusioned client to a raving fan.

Are your people empowered to resolve client issues immediately?

Do they know how to deal with clients who have issues?

Do they understand how to change the experience and still work within the processes of your businesses?

How are your teams dealing with complaints? In fact do you know the number of complaints that occur in your business and what these tell you about performance of individuals, the team and training gaps?

The lack of communication from V Australia despite the fact they had my mobile and email address was for me a major oversite.

In your business how are you choosing to communicate with your clients, is it relevant and informative?

I chose to complain to the V Australia on board the flight for a number of reasons. Firstly they asked me for my feedback on their service and my experience with them. Secondly I am very brand loyal and when the service delivery did not meet my expectations I wanted to provide them with an opportunity to change my experience and review their service standards.

Are you providing your clients with the same opportunity and are they brand loyal enough to give it to you.

In an article published in the Sunday Telegraph Mag research in America showed that one unhappy customer told 25 people about it and a happy one tells four.

However lets take into account the internet, I would say that realistically on unhappy customer has the potential to tell thousands within seconds. Remember it is no longer about "word of mouth" but world of mouth!

The business class experience was by the way awesome, my kids had a fabulous time and I continue to remain a raving fan of the Virgin brand.

To tweet or not to tweet, facebook or blog... that my friends is the question!

Happy new year.... and yes I know it is February and many of you have missed me and my ramblings but happy to report back to duty.

Over the last few days a number of people have asked me where I have disappeared to in the social media world.... yes it has been a while.

It did get me thinking about how we use this medium to share our lives, commentary and business knowledge. And like when we don’t see friends for a while the reaction I have got has been the same.... Where have you been?

So if you or your business is starting down the social media path it is important that you don’t lose focus and consistency on communication.

So here is the very short version of what I have been up to.

I now live in Sydney and yes Melbourne is still very much the city that has culture and good food. The whole Melbourne Sydney debate is certainly one that features in conversations when my kids are in town much to my Sydney friends delight. It even seems to play out in the media from time to time.

Discovering a new city has been fun, the restaurants, bars, cafes, night life, making new friends and catching up with old ones.

I became a tenant again for the first time in over 20 years. The process has not changed but it has been very interesting eye opening experience being on the other side. I encourage managers and directors to become clients of their businesses even if it is just for one day and I can guarantee you that more often than not the client experience will be one that can be improved on. Watch this space for ideas and tips.

Christmas in Fiji was awesome. I was there with my nine children and close friends. There was a pig, sly grog, kava, singing, dancing and time for reflection. The sly grog recipe by the way is water and yeast left in the sun to ferment for at least a week. Tasted terrible!

New Year was spent at Lomalangi in Savusavu where we were the only guests. Setting off fire crackers towards coconut trees and dancing in the moonlight with the resort owners and staff was memorable.

We often talk about change management in business and why many resist it. Change management in your personal life is an interesting journey. Moving interstate has been a challenge. My most memorable moment was driving from the city back home the first week I moved to Sydney, filling petrol at a Shell Service Station and coming back to the car to find that my GPS had died. I sat there in a panic not knowing how I was going to get home, too proud to call anyone (that must some of the male genes that we females carry) and happy to have a meltdown in the car. The GPS did come to life and I did get home.

I will often say to people I coach that unless you feel uncomfortable in what you are doing you are probably not pushing yourself. Any change process has to be planned, staged and implementation and communication are critical for success.

This year I look forward to sharing many personal and businesses experiences on my blog and always look forward to any comments.