SiLK Training Consulting in Berri, South Australia | Consultation agency

SiLK Training Consulting

Locality: Berri, South Australia

Phone: +61 414 625 836

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24.04.2022 Happy New Year Everyone.

19.04.2022 Jo recently had the pleasure of facilitating some post implementation review workshops for the Courts Administration Authority as part of its Electronic Case Management System project. It was a fine example of good people doing great work.

21.03.2022 PLAN FOR SUCCESS Strategic planning is like planning for a long trip. It looks at where you are now, where you want to get to and how you’re going to get there. I like to call it a road map for your business or organisation. The planning process provides a great opportunity for you and your key people to actually spend some time together discussing what’s going on in your business, and what you want to achieve. Ideas can be shared and refined. Challenges can be identified - a...long with ways to manage them. Contributing in this way helps to create a shared sense of purpose and commitment. It brings your team on board. A strategic plan will help you focus your people and resources on the right things the things that will get you to where you want to be. It will also make sure that everyone on your team understands where they fit and what’s important. This helps them to make good decisions that will help you progress your plans. So what are you waiting for? Get planning. And if you need some help with the process, contact Jo. See more

25.01.2022 Last day of our holiday in Bali. Then I will be available for work back in Oz

25.01.2022 Wise words from my grandfather...If you can't say anything nice about someone, don't say anything at all.

25.01.2022 Yesterday I had the privilege of facilitating a planning workshop for the The Australasian Environmental Law Enforcement and Regulators network (AELERT) to help them set their work priorities for the next 3 years. It was great to work with such passionate people who are putting all their effort into protecting our natural environment.

25.01.2022 BETTER BUSINESS WRITING Do your people write as part of their job? Is there room for improvement? I can help.... While written reports, submissions, briefing papers and memoranda are still used as primary means of communication in large organisations, employers repeatedly complain about a skills gap in this area. I offer a one-day writing workshop, using adult learning techniques such as group discussions and practical exercises, tailored to meet the needs of your organisation. Core workshop content includes: The essential elements of effective writing - Context - Audience - Purpose - Information to be included - Presentation Building blocks of plain English writing Editing and review Practical exercises I have 30 years of writing experience as a lawyer, public sector executive and management consultant. I also hold an Advanced Diploma of Arts in Professional Writing and a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment. Call me if you would like to meet to discuss you needs and how I can help you. Jo Battersby Mobile 0433 332 705 Email [email protected]

25.01.2022 Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand, manage and express emotions in healthy constructive ways. It's about recognising our own triggers and responses to situations and knowing how to manage them. It's also about recognising and responding appropriately to the emotions of others. Emotional intelligence is the key to building powerful relationships both at work and in our personal lives. It affects our work performance - our ability to lead and motivate others; o...ur physical health - particularly stress related problems; our mental health - anxiety, depression and mood swings; and our relationships - our ability to connect with other people. Emotional intelligence is an important leadership quality that can be developed and improved. If you would like to learn more about how you can develop your emotional intelligence or how it can improve the performance of your team, contact us.

24.01.2022 WHAT CAREERS MATCH YOUR PERSONALITY TYPE? Personality types can help determine whether you will thrive in a certain field or position. The Holland Codes published in 1958 by psychologist John Holland, became a popular tool in career counseling and are still used today. There are 6 major personality types that can indicate a persons general interests, work habits and lifestyle choices...Continue reading

24.01.2022 HOW TO GROW LEADERS Ive always agreed with the concept that good managers manage themselves out of a job. If a manager does their job well, the place can run without them. The same concept can be extended to leadership development. All effective leaders are leader developers. Internal talent should be identified and nurtured.... Heres how to do it: 1. Groom future leaders Rather than offering development once someone has been thrown into a management role, invest in them beforehand as soon as you identify their potential. Intentionally develop them. Give them training opportunities, challenging tasks and temporary assignments. This will equip them for their eventual move up the ladder. 2. Bet on everyone You wont always be right. So as well as investing in the talent you identify, expose other staff to new on-the-job experiences, informal training and relationships that will encourage their development. What you inspire may surprise you. 3. Immerse people The best learning comes from experience. Immersing people in situations where they have to respond to a situation in real time then reviewing what when well and what could have been done differently is the most beneficial. It teaches them how to think not just what to think. 4. Provide self-directed development Dont tell them what they need let them tell you. The best development is self-directed. People have a pretty good idea of what they need to get to where they want to be. Professional development plans should promote this by helping people think about the skills and experience they need then supporting them to get it for the benefit of the individual AND the business. This is the whole purpose of such plans if they are used properly. Source, Insights from Bernard Banks, associate dean of leadership, Kellog School

23.01.2022 GETTING PICKED Youve been short listed for an interview. Here are some tips on how to prepare yourself.... Do your homework They want to know youre interested in them and their job. Know their strategic plan. Study their website. Note important facts that relate to the job you want. Think about any useful feedback you could give that will show you can make a positive contribution. Ask for the names of the panel members and research them. What are their interests? Do they have any pet issues? Are there things you could use to establish a good relationship with them at the interview. Do they know someone you could put forward as a referee? Have examples of your skills Go through the person specification and list the skills and experience they want. Under each skill make a dot point list of the things youve done that demonstrate you have that skill or experience. Use a short sentence for each example just enough to remind you. List examples from different jobs or projects youve done, so you have variety. Use examples from current/previous employment and volunteer or community work youve done. Focus on how your work achieved a good outcome. Use your application Dont assume the panel will remember what you wrote. They may have read 50 or more applications. Repeat things youve said and expand on them. Be bold State your skills with confidence. Say I am, I have, I can. Dont qualify every answer with I think I can or Im sure Id be able to Take your notes Its absolutely okay to take notes with you. Its not a test of your memory. Its an opportunity to show that youre well prepared. Depending on the job, you might take a good example of your work that you can leave with them. Do you have any questions Youll usually be asked this at the end of the interview. A good questions is, What would be your concerns about selecting me for this position? If nothing else it will give you some valuable feedback for next time. GOOD LUCK!

22.01.2022 ARE YOU REALLY LISTENING? Think about someone who made you feel important. Ill bet thats because they gave you their full attention and actually listened to you. In todays high tech world genuine listening is becoming a rare gift - but it remains such an important part of effective communication and relationship building. It helps solve problems, ensure understanding, resolve conflicts, improve accuracy, save time, reduce errors, develop resourcefulness, and increase self...-reliance. It can save money and even marriages. It builds friendships and careers. So why arent we giving it more attention? Here are 10 tips to help develop your listening skills: - Look at the speaker I mean actually look them in the eye and give them your undivided attention. - Be present dont get distracted by other things. - Keep an open mind listen without judging, mentally criticising or jumping to conclusions. - Dont interrupt let them actually say what they want to say - this includes not finishing their sentences. - Concentrate remember key words and phrases and try to form a mental picture of what they are saying. - Dont impose solutions most people like to come up with their own if youre bursting to offer a solution after hearing the entire problem, at least ask permission. - Ask questions wait for them to pause and ask clarifying questions to make sure you understand what they are saying. - Feel try to actually feel what they are feeling and convey this through your facial expressions put yourself in their shoes. - Give feedback show that you understand by reflecting their feelings. or just nodding, facial expressions or the occasional uh huh or hmmm - Summarise tell them what they have told you so they know you heard and understood. Give it a go. You have nothing to lose and so much to gain.

22.01.2022 INNOVATIVE INDUCTION Research shows that employees who are part of a high-quality, structured induction program are 69% more likely to remain with their employer after three years than those who are not. A novel approach to induction can help reinforce the motivation that new employees bring on their first day. The first day of a new job is not typically associated with fun. New employees usually spend their first day filling out forms, meeting their colleagues and trying to... keep their heads above water. But some employers choose to enliven their induction process with games, quizzes and other activities that inform while they entertain. Here are some real-life examples that have made the induction process less tedious: Policy Manual scavenger hunt. Purpose: Learn key policies. Create questions based on what new staff need to know. Give the questions one at a time to employees to answer using the manual. Award points for the right answers. Fill in the blanks. Purpose: Reinforce learning during presentations. Prior to orientation presentations, hand out a list of incomplete sentences. Ask new staff to fill in the blanks with the appropriate information as they hear it during the day. Have the employees discuss and compare answers afterwards. Self-guided tours. Purpose: Emphasise organisational culture. Let new staff explore the workplace without escorts. Provide each person with a list of questions to answer based on their observations. Encourage them to talk to employees for answers. After the tour, ask the new staff to share what they learned. Employee hunt. Purpose: Learn what co-workers do. Give new staff a list of key employees to find. Ask the newbies to have a short talk with employees about their jobs and secure signatures. Picture match. Purpose: Learn co-workers names. Introduce new employees to their team. Later, ask the new staff to match names with pictures of teammates. Based on an article from www.businessmanagementdaily.com

22.01.2022 Conscientiousness spells success People who care about doing the right thing and doing it well are more likely to succeed in all areas of life. Studies confirm that conscientiousness is the personality trait most critical to success. Research shows that conscientious people do better at school, commit fewer crimes, stay married longer, earn higher salaries, have greater job satisfaction and live longer. Its also the most important factor in finding and retaining employment...Continue reading

21.01.2022 GET WHAT YOU DESERVE While you may know what you deserve or need from your employer, getting it might be more difficult. Here are some tips to help you negotiate the outcome you want. Be prepared. ... Think about what you want to say. Make a list of the key points that support your assertion that you deserve what youre asking for e.g. a raise, promotion, transfer, development opportunity, more staff etc. Focus on their needs Frame your arguments around the needs of the business and how what you want will be of benefit to the business overall. Lead the discussion Start the conversation. Put the right things on the table and frame the rationale for your request. Leave room to concede Ask for more than what youre prepared to settle for so you have room to negotiate. Make your initial proposal credible and support it with sound arguments but have a fall back position and know in advance what youre prepared to accept. Negotiate in person Meeting face-to-face is always the best approach. A video conference is the next best thing, followed by a phone conversation. Dont negotiate via email. It doesnt allow you to observe body language and subtle cues that can only be picked up through personal contact. Offer alternatives Package your request in three different ways. Showing that you can be flexible and find alternatives will showcase your ability to think laterally, collaborate and develop a range of solutions to address a challenge or problem. This demonstrates your value to the organisation. Making your request in a structured way, having put some thought and preparation into it, will give you the best chance of success.

20.01.2022 Some of you may be aware Jo and I are partners with Made Mardawa in a small cycling tour business in Bali. With the recent eruption of Mt Agung Made has offered his villas for free to people stranded at the airport. Sometimes in business the greatest profits you receive are the relationships you build, the positive effect you can have on the world, learning that you don't know everything but most of all, that the human spirit is the only true currency of prosperity.

20.01.2022 Jo just facilitated some workshops with some great people from the SA Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

19.01.2022 Jo recently had the pleasure of facilitating some post implementation review workshops for the Courts Administration Authority as part of its Electronic Case Management System project. It was a fine example of good people doing great work.

19.01.2022 Happy New Year Everyone.

18.01.2022 I was just walking down the street and overheard someone telling his coffee companion that he tries to avoid any face to face contact with his clients. What is our world coming to . We will ALWAYS meet with you in person if we possibly can. We love the people contact .

16.01.2022 Jo is currently facilitating some team development workshops for the Environment Protection Authority. If you'd like your team to work out how and where it could improve - to become even more awesome - Jo can tailor something to suit your needs.

16.01.2022 5 TIPS FOR GETTING THE MOST OUT OF ANNUAL PERFORMANCE DEVELOPMENT REVIEWS 1. An opportunity View it as an opportunity to coach for improvement - rather than something tedious you have to do each year. 2. Ongoing communication... Make it one part of ongoing dialogue about how your people are going rather than a once a year conversation. If youre managing your people well, there shouldnt be any surprises. 3. Use facts Talk about facts and actual examples that support your feedback - rather than perceptions. 4. Positive focus Focus on whats working well and talk about positive actions that can be taken in areas for improvement. Always end with a positive. 5. Ask them Give them the chance to share their thoughts and ideas. What are their long term goals and how can you support their achievement? What do they need from you as a manager? What ideas do they have that could help the team or organisation? See more

14.01.2022 This is a very useful article. I have also used TeamGantt project management software, which is very easy to navigate and extremely good if you're looking for an online Gantt chart that your team can access. P.S. I'm not getting paid for this. I'm just sharing something that worked for me, that I think might be useful to others. You can also try it for free. Cheers Jo

13.01.2022 PLAN FOR SUCCESS Strategic planning is like planning for a long trip. It looks at where you are now, where you want to get to and how youre going to get there. I like to call it a road map for your business or organisation. The planning process provides a great opportunity for you and your key people to actually spend some time together discussing whats going on in your business, and what you want to achieve. Ideas can be shared and refined. Challenges can be identified - a...long with ways to manage them. Contributing in this way helps to create a shared sense of purpose and commitment. It brings your team on board. A strategic plan will help you focus your people and resources on the right things the things that will get you to where you want to be. It will also make sure that everyone on your team understands where they fit and whats important. This helps them to make good decisions that will help you progress your plans. So what are you waiting for? Get planning. And if you need some help with the process, contact Jo. See more

12.01.2022 INSPIRE YOUR PEOPLE TO BE ACCOUNTABLE The INSPIRE model for giving negative feedback in a way that inspires accountability is a useful guide to having tough conversations with the people who report to you. The idea comes from a book called Winning Well - A managers guide to getting results, without losing your soul, by Karin Hunt and David Dye. Initiate... Difficult conversations are best had as soon as possible after an issue comes to your attention. Start tough conversations in a respectful manner. Even though having the conversation may not be optional you can still take a respectful approach. Try saying, I need to talk with you today. Is now a good time or is there a better time later today? Notice Start with a fact that you have observed: Ive noticed you havent finished the report that was due last week. Ive noticed youve been getting in late recently. Ive noticed you dont seem to be getting along with IT lately. Specific support Support what youve said with specific examples: You agreed you would get that report to me by last Wednesday. For the last two weeks you havent been in until after 10am. I saw a heated email exchange between you and IT and overheard your conversation with them on Monday. Probe After youve presented the situation to them, ask for their input. Use open ended questions that allow them to tell you about the situation from their point of view. This gives them an opportunity to provide information that may clarify the situation or help lead to a solution: What happened to prevent you from getting it done? Whats causing you to be late? Whats causing the problem with IT? Invite Once theyve had a chance to share their thoughts, invite them to solve the problem. Get their ideas before you offer suggestions. Let them know that you want them to succeed. You may find that they need help with a particular aspect of the task or training of some sort to feel confident to tackle something. Is there something you need from me that will help you? Is there something that would help build your confidence to do this sort of thing? Review End the conversation by making sure they understand whats required and what action will be taken. Get their commitment to that action.

11.01.2022 INTEGRITY We chose our name, SiLK that is, service, integrity, loyalty and knowledge because it was something Ian used when he was training detectives. It captures our commitment and we like its simplicity. People sometimes ask us why there is a small i for integrity and our answer is, because its the small things that matter.... Ive always liked the C.S. Lewis quote on integrity - Doing the right thing when no one is watching. Its about the choices we make in our lives every day, in relation to everything, down to the smallest of decisions, especially when no one is watching. When my children were young I explained it as the little voice inside you that tells you whether something is right or wrong. Its something we all know but sometimes ignore. Imagine what a better place the world would be if everyone listened to that little voice and acted accordingly. Its the small things that matter. Then the rest is easy.

10.01.2022 INSPIRING INNOVATION What most businesses and individuals lack isnt raw talent. What they lack is a system to unleash it. In his book Disciplined Dreaming, Josh Linkner describes a proven system to drive creativity using five easy steps....Continue reading

09.01.2022 Just a little thought from Ian Schlein

09.01.2022 BEING A REAL LEADER Being an authentic leader is about being real. Its about having the courage to let people know who you really are being prepared to show your emotions and vulnerability and genuinely connect with people - because thats something they will trust and follow. Being authentic means drawing on your own experiences, values and strengths and making a commitment to lifelong learning and self-development. According to Bill George, in his book, 'Discovering yo...ur Authentic Leadership', authentic leaders understand their purpose, practice solid values, lead with heart, establish connected relationships and demonstrate self-discipline. Authentic leadership is built on character, not style. Its about understanding personal values and beliefs and behaving consistently with them. Authentic leaders are real people. They are genuine. You know where you stand with them because they say what they think and dont play games or have hidden agendas. People can sense whos authentic and whos not. Its about gaining trust, especially when dealing with difficult situations. When people trust their leader they will follow. They will help out in those difficult situations and go the extra mile when needed. Authentic leaders are constantly growing as people and learning from their experiences. They understand their own personality challenges and work on them. They actively practice continuous improvement in their own self development. They make mistakes, admit them and learn from them. They ask for genuine feedback and take it on board. Authentic leaders are emotionally intelligent. They are self-aware and manage their own behaviour. They are socially aware and communicate effectively with others. They think about what they say and do based on what they know about themselves and their perception about whats going on for the people around them. Real people are the same person in all parts of their life. While they may use different skills and expertise depending on whether theyre at work or doing something personal, they consistently demonstrate their values and beliefs in everything they do. Youre drawn to them because it feels right. You know you can trust their motives and the way they will treat you. When I think back on the leaders who have made a significant impact on my life they were all of these things. They were authentic leaders. They were real people. NOTE - Information sources include: Forbes Magazine; cio.com; Kellogg Insight

08.01.2022 WHAT WE CAN LEARN FROM STEVE JOBS Even if we dont want to be like Steve Jobs, most of us would admit we can learn a lot from his approach. In his book The Steve Jobs Way iLeadership for a New Generation Jay Elliot, former vice president of Apple Computer shares his knowledge and experience of the Apple genius. ... Here are a few key insights: 1. Use your passions as drivers Jobs passion for music and his desire to take it everywhere fuelled the development of iTunes and the iPhone. 2. Simplicity rules Jobs frustration with mobile phones drove him to require the iPhone to have a single control button. 3. Target talent and let them know you value them Jobs hand picked the best people and showered them with recognition and rewards. 4. Always have confidence in what you do Jobs always had confidence in his products and solved problems rather than being defeated by them. 5. Innovation is a team sport Jobs evangelized innovation both within his team and externally. 6. Control the whole system Jobs maintained that in order to get the best performance you need to control the whole system. This was the key to Apples success. 7. Create a consistent product image Jobs maintained that how a product is perceived by the user is the key to its success. Other useful Jobs principles: - Be passionate about each project you work on. - Be driven by an opportunity and create a product for it. - Always be open to talent who can help. - Do your best to make the product intuitive, so a users manual isnt needed. - Be really honest with yourself about your products. - Ensure that the products represent you and your traits as a person. - Work through your people and celebrate as a unit with every success. - Keep innovating to get closer and closer to your ideal, your vision of perfection that goes beyond the currently achievable reality. - Dont listen to people who say it cant be done.

08.01.2022 LEADING A HIGH IMPACT TEAM Do you want your team to be creative, efficient and high-impact? Here are five ways to do it. 1. Size matters... Dont have a team thats too big or whose members are too similar. One way of doing this is to bring in expertise as you need it rather than having people on the team full time. This provides diversity of opinions and expertise that adds to the effectiveness of the team. It leads to an increase in creative ideas and prevents the team getting stuck in a rut. 2. Structure matters You need to establish some ground rules for your team to function well. Developing a Charter as a team exercise is a good way to achieve this. It also helps build a sense of ownership and commitment to the ground rules. Within the Charter, team members can be proactive and make decisions with certainty. 3. Vulnerability helps Many leaders believe that celebrating achievement is the key to a successful team. However, Thompsons studies (see below) showed that teams who shared their embarrassments generated more ideas than those who shared their accomplishments. 4. Meetings matter Research demonstrates that people will work to fill the time allocated for a meeting. But meetings that are half as long are usually just as productive. Thompson found that it is better to have four hour-long meetings than two two-hour meetings. Preparing for meetings also helps. To make the most of meeting time it is best to gather contributions relating to the agenda before the meeting and use them as a starting point for discussion. 5. Disagreement helps Some teams are too polite. Healthy debate of the issues, while avoiding personal attacks, can help generate truly great ideas. One way to do this is to write ideas on cards before a meeting then get each team member to talk about a pro and a con about the idea. This article is based on insights from Leigh Thompson, Professor of Management and Organisations, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University.

04.01.2022 Writing to influence Why do you write at work? To influence and cause action. You want someones approval, or acceptance of your recommendation, or you want them to do something. Your writing is all about persuasion. Here are some tips to help you improve the power of your writing.... Know your purpose Why are you writing to them? What do you want? Be clear about your goal and message before you start. If there are options, assess them and support your advice on the best one. Know your audience What do they want? Its not about what you want to say, its about what they want or need to hear. What are their concerns? Deal with them. What affects their ability to read your work are they time poor, do they have competing priorities? What do they already know and what do they need to know? Do they have requirements (or preferences) about how you present things to them? Tailoring your writing to meet the needs of your reader will improve its influence. Structure your writing Write a clear introduction. Tell them what youre writing about in one or two sentences. Give them the details and analysis. End with a short summary. Keep it simple Use simple language. This isnt about showing off by using big technical terms. You want them to understand what youve written. Only use technical jargon where its absolutely necessary. Use less words. Padding things out makes them harder to read. Instead of at that particular time say when. Instead of due to the influence of say because. Use an active voice Put the who first, not the what e.g. Action on this item is being considered by the committee vs The committee is considering action on this item. Be personal Use you, I, and we to establish a relationship with your reader. After all, you want them to do something! Check for mistakes Typos and errors reduce your credibility and influence. Read your work out loud. Youll be surprised what you find. Get someone else to read it. They will see things you dont. Good writing is a dying art. If you want help for yourself or your team, we offer a one day training session in good business writing.

03.01.2022 CONSTRUCTIVE NONCONFORMITY IS GOOD FOR BUSINESS That's the finding of a recent study by Francesca Gino, according to Harvard Business Review. Nonconformity promotes innovation, improves performance and can enhance a person's standing. For example, observers of keynote speakers who wore red sneakers, or a Wall Street CEO in a hoodie and jeans, or a presenter who created their own PowerPoint template rather than using their company's, judged them to have higher status than peo...Continue reading

02.01.2022 We are currently working in a Community Club where the volunteers are our Leaders - this short video tells us why this works.... Susan Yabsley, Kevin Lynch, Colin Moll, Con Tsaconas, Anne Yabsley, Nancy Murdock, Wendy Martin, Ross Ainsworth