Adam Callender | Personal coach

Adam Callender

Phone: +61 2 9188 7292

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• Public figure
• Personal coach
• Business consultant
• Motivational speaker

25.01.2022 For me it took a career transition to rediscover the need to invest in myself,after a long hiatus. I don't think I was alone in under investing in myself. #leadershipskills #careersuccess #leadershipdevelopment https://adamcallender.com/underinvest/

24.01.2022 The 7th Deadly Sin in Making Requests of Others ‘Setting vague or distant goals: The time frame is not explicitly defined or set too far into the future, so no one takes it seriously’. Ashkenas Sin #7: Goals are neither definable or measurable.... I have heard the expression many times ‘what gets measured, gets done’. Keeping score in sport focuses our attention on conversion, for instance netball or football converting possession into successful scoring attempts. The statistics in sport help us break down and understand where success or otherwise is coming from. The way that explain the goal should help the recipient understand, the objective and their role. A great test is can they clearly and easily explain to others? Otherwise, if it is too hard, the request may be not taken seriously or misunderstood. A technique can be to use SMART Goals: Specific (simple, sensible, significant). Measurable (meaningful, motivating). Achievable (agreed, attainable). Relevant (reasonable, realistic, resourced, results-based). Time bound (time-based, time limited, time/cost limited, timely, time-sensitive). With thanks to R.H. Schaffer. Photo: M. Woortman on Unsplash #leadership #leadershipdevelopment #communication

24.01.2022 The 6th Deadly Sin in Making Requests of Others 'Accepting seesaw trades: when your people take on one goal, they are relieved of another one.' Ashkenas Sin #6. Accepting reverse assignments (Sure, boss, I can get it done if you can sort out)... There doesn’t have to be trade-off. We evolve in our roles, finding better way of doing thing, developing our skills over time. We become more efficient, if empowered to do so. As the person responsible achieves mastery over time. Using Coaching i.e. explaining it to someone else - is extremely beneficial. Essential is using a file for regular disciplined review and prioritising. Suggestions on workload managementtools I have used frequently have often been simple ones, using a spreadsheet. Work in Progress list the tasks in order of priority, assign responsibility, review daily and then weekly with another person. Plan on a Page put a summary of Job Description and annual objectives onto a page mapping out what needs to be done and when daily/weekly/monthly. Make it attractive and put it somewhere where we can see it all the time. Strategic Deployment Process - okay not simple. With thanks to R.H. Schaffer. Photo: Clem Onojeghuo on Unsplash www.adamcallender.com #leadership #leadershipdevelopment #communication

22.01.2022 We’ve come to expect a lot of our leaders(they) should have the intellectual capacity to make sense of unfathomably complex issues, the imaginative powers to paint a vision of the future that generates everyone’s enthusiasm, the operational know-how to translate strategy into concrete plans, and the interpersonal skills to foster commitment to undertakings that could cost people’s jobs should they fail. Unfortunately, no single person can possibly live up to those standards. Ancona et al. #leaders #leadership #managers https://adamcallender.com/incomplete/

22.01.2022 The 1st Deadly Sin in Making Requests of Others Sin #1: Too many goals. When giving or receiving goals and objectives, too many can feel like a grab bag of stuff that should be shared/improved, rather than lumped on a person. It can feel overwhelming when our to do list overflows.... I have seen up to 30 initiatives loaded on a person, in addition to their job description, which was difficult to get inspired about. Plus, it smelt like they had been set up to fail. Just as it is near impossible to get authentic feedback, when it comes to goal setting by our boss, a lot of attempts can fall flat. So when we set them, we can lift the bar. Think about asking a group of teenagers to do something specific unsupervised. Our communication has to be clear and compelling. There seems to be a teenage filter where only a small part of what we say may land well. Reeling of a list of requirements and going into a diatribe means that we will loose their attention, let alone their action. By assigning an overabundance of objectives you allow subordinates to pick and choose the goals that they either want to do or find easiest to do but not necessarily the ones that are most important. Ashkenas With thanks to Robert H. Schaffer. Photo Sara Budwani #leading #communication #leadershipdevelopment

21.01.2022 Like one’s strengths, how one performs is unique. It is a matter of personality. Whether personality be a matter of nature or nurture, it surely is formed long before a person goes to work. Peter Drucker https://adamcallender.com/me-management/

19.01.2022 An introductiuon to my Masterclass - taking responsibility for our communication. How good does that sound? Check it out, maybe grab a coffee, it is 10minutes.

18.01.2022 The 5th Deadly Sin Deadly Sin in Making Requests of Others 'Engaging in charades: You and your people know from the beginning that the goal is just an exercise to convey the appearance of progress, but there's no hope of achieving it.' Ashkenas Sin #5: if you can, perhaps unspoken, or trailing off, as though lacking confidence. Or knowing it was a BS request to begin with. Requests can seem shoved in, making them seem like an afterthought. As though it is optional and not o...f importance. A lot of annual objective setting can seem like a game. However, it is anything but, typically your prospects for the big stuff - promotion, pay increases, incentive and bonuses are specified this way. Getting sales budget increases of 40% was routine, arbitrary and highly inflationary in a role. Unless resources were offered, to get a different result. Remember the definition of insanity here. Spending time aligning objectives with the organisation’s and the individual’s to create robust objectives can ensure a win/win that makes sense to all. Being confident about them can start with asking ourselves, would we take this on if we were asked to? If not, we probably need to. With thanks to Robert H. Schaffer. Photo: CS Purzlbaum #leading #leadershipdevelopment #communication

18.01.2022 Explores the idea that saying something important only once may not work. Indeed, using different methods and using repetition can help awareness and understanding.

17.01.2022 8th Deadly Sin in Making Requests of Others This was originally 7, however, I was unable to stop there. Sin #8: Not considering their personality, communication or learning style and information needs.... In terms of how we work, the difference can be great. Think in terms of - Big picture vs Detail orientation. Considering the Brain hemispheres - Left brain factual, right brain story telling. Failure to do so request can miss the mark and fall flat. Misunderstanding can reign, wasting time, or making mistakes. My big picture orientation means when a detail-oriented person explains something, it is too in-depth, I will often explain ‘okay I have it now, thanks’. On the flipside, when I would explain something normally, it could be insufficient, receiving a ‘can you tell me a bit more’. I presented late last year my emerging leader development work. The feedback from a HR leader was that I didn’t share any stories, that they would only remember the stories from the research. Thus, I was neglecting the right brainers in the room! Great feedback. So tailoring your conversation to our audience can work for us, like objective setting or asking a colleague to take something on, can set us up for success. Photo CS Purzlbaum #leadership #leadershipdevelopment #communication

16.01.2022 How often have you fallen foul of only communicating something once? Only mentioning it in passing? I used to think that I would be rude to repeat myself. ... However, the message doesn’t always land. https://adamcallender.com/need-to-nag/

14.01.2022 Great to consider how do we set up our others for success and taking ownership for their understanding, maybe their satisfaction too. https://adamcallender.com/understanding-of-others/

13.01.2022 The 4th Deadly Sin in Making Requests of Others 'Not establishing consequences: You don’t really differentiate between those who successfully achieve goals and those who do not.' Ashkenas Sin #4: No single person responsible for the request, project, or initiative.... Another way of saying it is, there is no personal skin in the game. On making a request, everyone shrugs their shoulders and goes back to what they were doing once we leave. Ownership can disappear when we are unclear on responsibility or responsibility has nothing to do with us. Having a goal owner, greatly improves the chances of success of the goal and outcome. Many business change or improvement initiatives (dare I say) transformation agendas can quickly fall apart without clear responsibility and visibility. Progress slows, members stick to their day jobs, often questioning the impact of their contribution. Through assigning specific responsibility, we can avoid blamestorming, passing the buck, or ignorance. With thanks to Robert H. Schaffer. Photo credit Junaid Ahmed on Unsplash. www.adamcallender.com #leadership #leadershipdevelopment #communication

13.01.2022 I caught up with Catherine Molloy on Friday, here is what we discussed in out 16 minute interview about how we communicate and distract.

12.01.2022 9th Deadly Sin in Making Requests of Others 'If the leader of the organization can’t clearly articulate WHY the organization exists in terms beyond its products or services, then how does he expect the employees to know WHY to come to work and WHY customers should buy? To inspire starts with the clarity of WHY.' Simon Sinek Sin #9: Failing to discuss the Why? I have realised that this could have been #1... Many requests and objectives can fall into transactional. If members arrive every day for the prospect only of making money for the owners. They may lose focus on their impact on themselves, indeed other stakeholders, like their clients and peers. Inspiring means tapping into our Purpose and Passion, which can drive extraordinary outcomes. L. David Marquet as Captain of the USS Santa Fe sponsored a Creed that started with leaning, went into why they were in a $2B nuclear powered tube prowling the waters of the world and relating it to the individual, that they are expected to learn. Starting with Why can help us navigate our Purpose to our day-to-day. Bringing us together as a team, to work together and believe in what we are doing, making our objectives more tangible. Photo: A.Buchanan@Unslpash www.adamcallender.com #leadership #leadershipdevelopment #communication

12.01.2022 So true, a quote from the author Jennifer Porter: Reflection gives the brain an opportunity to pause amidst the chaos, untangle and sort through observations and experiences, consider multiple possible interpretations, and create meaning. This meaning becomes learning, which can then inform future mindsets and actions. https://hbr.org//why-you-should-make-time-for-self-reflect

11.01.2022 Hi Group members this Friday at midday, please join us for our latest interview with Catherine Molloy for approx 15 mins, then will throw open to Q&A. Catherine Molloy is an Australian Keynote Speaker & Communication Expert, working globally and specialising in Sales, Service and Leadership. With 25 years of experience in business, training, and facilitation, Catherine believes in creating effective engaging learning environments through powerful communication techniques. Zoo...m Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8366714307 Meeting ID: 836 671 4307 See more

11.01.2022 I caught up with Brad on Friday to talk about being busy and the downsides of a busy mindset and how he changed his mindset.

11.01.2022 The 2nd Deadly Sin in Making Requests of Others "Allowing deflection to preparations, studies, and research: You allow people to spend time planning instead of committing to a real goal." Ashkenas Sin #2 No plan requested.... So asking someone to take on a responsibility and never asking... How would you go about doing this? Or How long do you think that this work will take? Thinking about your workload, how would you schedule and complete this request? Then confirming Okay so 8 weeks would give plenty of time to finish this work? Sometimes there is a lack of commitment when goals are being set, failing to discuss approach and timing. This can make it vague and seem unimportant. Some may even use the GROW Model: Goal so what are we trying to achieve? Reality current work load Options - how can this be fitted in? How can it best be done? Wrap Up Confirming actions, commitments and priority - is the request SMART? #leadershipdevelopment #leaders #communication

10.01.2022 Seems more important than every to really see how our workmates are going. The more I ask the more people share their challenges... https://adamcallender.com/workmates/

10.01.2022 The 3rd Deadly Sin in Making Requests of Others 'Backing away from tough expectations: You spend more time negotiating the goal downward than in figuring out how to achieve it.' Ashkenas Sin #3: Failing to push for significant improvement, for fear of overwhelm.... Inspirational goals are often aspirational. They require us to extend our capabilities, out impact. Thinking of iconic leaders, they set audacious goals, that the team rally around. Goals that require enduring focus, sometimes an obsession. Watching a recent documentary on the Boeing 747 Jumbo, launched 50 years ago in the face of prevailing wisdom to develop supersonic airliners. Developed in record time, saving Boeing by bankruptcy by 3 months. Like sports people starting out, their coach suggesting that they have the talent to succeed at World Championship level and using that as the mutual goal to work towards. Problems can happen when we spend more time negotiating the goal downward instead of figuring out how to achieve it. An example could be setting sales budgets that are easily achievable, sometimes called sandbagging. So it takes a confident and thoughtful leader to inspire reaching for the stretch goal. #leadership #leaders #communication

09.01.2022 Navigating life's ups and downs - the cycles of triumph and failure. "The unpredictability of life sucks. One minute you’re riding high with the wind whipping through your hair and the next minute you’re flat on your ass with a face full of gravel." Alison G. Bailey https://adamcallender.com/ups-downs/

08.01.2022 Caught up with Stephen Morse from Unchained today for 15minutes on Friday.

07.01.2022 10th Deadly Sin in Making Requests of Others 'As followers, they have limited decision-making authority and little incentive to give the utmost of their intellect, energy and passion.' L. David Marquet Sin #10: Treat people as Followers i.e. Micromanaging them... Empowering hearts and minds, with ASK vs TELL leadership, means the individual has to figure out the best way to solve the request and validate it with leader early. Early check in to share though process and make sure there are no nasty surprises are essential. Through developing means to support decision making closest to where it is needed, it is possible to break away from the outdated approach of Leader Follower which was great for labour (with thanks to L David Marquet) to a Leader-Leader approach, which is superior for intellectual work, in other words, self-leadership. Thus, work becomes a place of learning and development, where our creativity and ideas are valued rather than a source of annoyance. This is potentially the hardest of the deadly sins to address, however a compelling opportunity none the less. #leadership #leadershipdevelopment #communication Photo: PMeier@Unslpash

07.01.2022 ‘Crazy busy’ is a great armor, it’s a great way for numbing. What a lot of us do is that we stay so busy, and so out in front of our life, that the truth of how we’re feeling and what we really need can’t catch up with us. Brene Brown https://adamcallender.com/being-busy/

05.01.2022 Following recent Lego themes in my writing and reflecting on The Lego Movie, 2014. The villan President Business is assisted by a legion of Micro Managers which need to be overcome by the Master Builders (the heros).

05.01.2022 Sincere thanks to Catherine Molloy for joining me this afternoon, where we spoke about how we communicate as individuals. The interview goes for 15 minutes, however felt like 5 minutes!

04.01.2022 It is probably fair to say that influence means impact. https://adamcallender.com/influence/

04.01.2022 To focus on where scaling up efforts makes sense, while scaling back in others and remaining steady. It can take time; however sustained success rarely happens by accident. https://adamcallender.com/scale/

04.01.2022 Great to consider living our lives 'Fully Charged' A book that gave me plenty to think about upon first reading was indeed Tom Rath's. Energy Interaction and Meaning https://adamcallender.com/fullycharged/

02.01.2022 Excited to be interviewing Dr Stephen Morse this Friday July 10, at noon. Supply Chains and Social Impact. Zoom Meeting:... https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8366714307 Meeting ID: 836 671 4307 See more

02.01.2022 I have recently become a fan of David Tennant’s Podcast. Recently, he interviewed Tim Minchin, David asks him about being Micro Ambitious, which caught my attention. Does it catch yours? https://adamcallender.com/micro/