Is This All That's Left?

Funny thing about memory… it comes and goes. But that’s not what funny, actually.

What’s funny is that it often takes  a crisis to happen for us to remember what we stand for both past and present. But it’s sort of funny without the humour. It’s just a term – a phrase that is used when ordinary words don’t seem enough.

The memorials shown in this picture  have been erected on the beach in the  beautiful coastal area of Sri Lanka I just visited – in memory of a people and life that once was. This is all that is left.

Each sculpture represents the waves of destruction and memorialises time and people.

This is all that is left of a place that once held hands with a community and lifestyle. We ask, is that all that’s left?

We live in better times now. There is more – there is an abundance of life and opportunity – much more to give, much more to receive.

Make sure what you give is rich in intent and value. Make it real, make it rise above the ordinary and make it yours.

When the cool morning air of a Sri Lankan village meets the hot air of the city

What happens when the cool morning air of a Sri Lankan village meets the hot air of the bustle of the city?

Dust, dryness, instant heat and evaporation of energy, soul and ideas,   that’s what.

Gone is the pleasant air and the cool shade of the bamboo trees. Gone is the quiet and peace as people waken and begin their day. Gone is the promise of a peaceful mind and soul.

While we may not live in a village, we do share some similarities. Here’s why.

We live and work in airconditioned comfort but  too often find ourselves going between the calm and positive spaces of our day to colliding with uncomfortable conversations, people and challenges.

We may blame others for creating the discomfort, but it may be  worth reflecting on whether or not we actually create some of the problem or indeed the congestion.

A good time for reflection is the beginning of the year. A better time is any time we plan and prepare to meet with others. Our choice is to surround and give out  with calm vibes or just be a lot of hot air!

www.rickynowak.com

Being Rational Is Overrated

Being rational is overrated.

Being emotional is underrated.

Problem is most people try and deal with the rational first then focus on the emotion. It’s easier and less confronting but sometimes creates bigger issues later on.

Remember how you feel when someone sais “just calm down.. and be rational”  It has the opposite effect, right and it’s the last thing you feel like doing! It’s all about emotion, not rationale. That comes later.  

Susan Scott author of  “Fierce Conversations”   cites that ‘When a difficult emotion enters the conversation, the conversation continues but the communication stops”

It makes better sense and to demonstrate empathy and authenticity about how others are feeling, then resolve any issues.

Communication is not to be underrated.

It’s the bedrock of all the responses we get.

www.rickynowak.com

Everywhere I go…HUGO

My dog HUGO follows me everywhere. Everywhere I go….. he goes. He is like a soft, gentle and cheeky shadow that seems to be everywhere I turn.

I am his leader, his mistress and his friend.

He asks for little except food, fresh air and praise.

In return he does what I request, listens to my stories and my mood and wags his tail giving me feedback on my latest keynote! ( I only worry if he falls asleep!)

He has full trust as he sits in my car with his head poking out of the back window not worrying about where we’re going  - he is just happy to come along for the ride.

Customers, clients and staff do not go everywhere  we go  -  and just because we may be the Boss or sell the products or services they want, they deserve fresh ideas, fresh energy and praise for the effort and interest in working with and for us.

They will not sit in the back seat, or even beside us and be happy to go along for the ride without knowing why they are going there  and what they will achieve when they get there.  It’s about value and earning the right to be a market leader.

But then again, Steve Jobs had a different perspective and said “Customers don’t know what they want… we have to tell them what they need”.

In the end it’s up to you.

Do you want your customers or staff  to follow you – no questions asked.. or would you like to provoke discussion, feedback, options and suggestions that you can engage with?

They will only listen to what they need if you create a compelling difference and value.

Your choice...Your chance!

Make a difference that is right for you and for them.

www.rickynowak.com

What Do You Want This Year?

The beginning of a new year promises freshness, abundance and positivity. It also looks at the promises we make every year in the belief that we can achieve a state of healthy optimism and output.

Problem is many people achieve something in the middle ground because it’s comfortable but not comforting. Generally, people aspire for more but accept less.

What do you want? What do your customers want? Ask us, ask your customers...

Majority of people don’t know, don’t ask and don’t get.

It’s up to you to find out. We did, and our extensive research indicated that organisations are looking for smart ways to address the following issues:

1. Achieving customer loyalty
2. Managing supply chain risks and rising commodity costs
3. Managing increasingly complex privacy and information security issues
4. Managing regulatory change
5. Attracting, retaining and developing top talent
6. Improving business performance to enhance and sustain competitiveness
7. Adjusting to changing geopolitical dynamics
8. Capitalising on the pick-up in mergers and acquisitions and realising value
9. Improving information for decision-making by focusing on data management and analytics
10. Increasing the focus on enterprise risk management (ERM) as risk profiles change

What about you? What are you looking for? Don’t know? Then ASK your customers, your staff, yourself - don’t guess. We are in the business of business – not guess work.

We need to be as a good a futurist as we are historians to fulfil our promises, and take us to higher ground.

www.rickynowak.com

Winners, Losers & Leaders 2

Winners
ABC TV is a winner for its production of Q & A on Monday nights, hosted by veteran moderator Tony Jones.

This interactive and newish style of social TV demonstrates how sophisticated and savvy our audiences and viewers have become. It clarifies why it is so important to have a place for active voice and opinion, and just how much people want to be educated, stimulated and challenged rather than just take a face value what is going on around them. 

And, whether you agree with the politics or the profiles of what and who is represented, the conversations are often robust, dynamic in nature, provocative in thought and often have just enough chutzpah to engage and challenge values, visions and beliefs. So whether you smirk, smile or snooze - twitter, tweak or twiddle your thumbs while watching, the chances are that someone, in some way, will give you something to think more deeply about – and it may come from the audience as much as it comes from the presenters. 

Well done ABC for winning my vote on blending all styles, all interests, all skills and most of all encouraging diversity in race, religion, gender, age and disability to sit together and speak up and out on one program with freedom of speech and interpretation. And to sum up last Monday….la la la la la la la la la. Bravo Maestro!

Losers
There are no winners in the airline dispute: We all lose: The travelling public, tourism globally, hotels, taxis, restaurants, airlines, unions, and most of all the personal and professional brands of good people and organisations trying to go about their business. However being caught up in the emotional distress and consequences of a dispute that is outside one’s control, many people are looking to lay blame on Qantas or the Unions. I say… fat lot of good that will do when it is about resolution not blame.

However, here’s the lesson for us all: Stop for a moment and consider what we do when faced with unresolved issues. Do we fight for months on end before our hand is forced? Are we in the best position to address a situation that may be simmering away but is left too long and potentially bubble up and bust? Who would we blame then? Does it do any good?

Think about the unintended consequences of not dealing with things till our hand or heart is forced. A few powerful words to remember when dealing with confrontation ‘Be hard on the problem and fair on the person’ and in the words of most admired US author, coach and speaker, Marshall Goldsmith “Judge a bit less, accept a little more”.

Leaders
Mr. George Savvides, Managing Director Medibank Private for his candid, open, empathic and honest conversation to the Significant Women’s Network, sponsored by Allen’s Arthur Robinson, on October 19^th, discussing how Medibank Private is actually:

• providing more women with growth to senior management roles
• provide opportunities for remote workplaces and opportunities for women to leverage and grow their skills
• keeping up with what women in management positions are looking for to take them to senior roles
• offering ways for women to continuously improve their contribution and role at Medibank both at Board level and within their teams.

As a facilitator of this event, it was a privilege to listen to Mr Savvides speak as he provided the 100 strong female audience with a vision and reminder for why it is important to work with a company whose values are aligned with one’s own values.

L to R: Elaine Prior - Citi Investment,  Gayle Wilson, Elaine Jacobs - NEM, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, George Savvides - MD Medibank, Ricky Nowak, Nick Varigos - Oppeus Consulting.

www.rickynowak.com

Winners, Losers & Leaders 1

Winners
The world population for the privilege of having the genius of Steve Jobs touch their lives and virtually everything they need and want to do when it comes to thinking, doing, creating and being.

Losers
The world population for losing a friend they felt they knew.

Leaders
The next generation of entrepreneurs, crazy thinkers, do’ers, and creative idea madcaps who are “brave enough to think differently, bold enough to believe they can do things and talented enough to do it”.

www.rickynowak.com