The e-newsletter from Forrest Workshops
From the pine...
Closing the book on a busy Q1, did that rarest of things the other day... took an hour, alone, a pot of tea, Hutt St, on the footpath, in the sunshine, and mulled. No client stuff, no writing-more-of-these-enewsletters stuff, no preconceived output or agenda... just contemplating. Free association stuff.
Decadent, right? Wasteful? ("Get back to work, man! Bills to pay!")
So good.
A breeze blowing off fine layers of dust covering dots that can connect in so many ways - ways that can't be seen when you're powering intently along a fixed trainline.
Wasn't alone. I saw other people doing it. (Maybe they were unemployed, or waiting for a friend... but as they stared off into the distance, I thought "you're clearing space".)
Lots of loud inputs in a busy world.
Finding quiet in the busy, allowing diverse stimulus to play background, softly, dropping the busy bags briefly, letting your eyes and ears and nostrils open without prejudice.
So good.
Encourage you to kick off your Q2 with a dot-uncovering-moment gift to self.
(They're great to build into workshops too - sing out if you want a hand.)
Troy Forrest, Forrest Workshops & Strategy Road.
Strategic play – The horizon, the compass & the name on the boat
Purpose, Vision and Values are statements that savvy organisations craft, reminding them to be what they believe in, to head where they desire and to deliver a legacy that means something to them.
The example above, one I crafted nearly a year ago for my umbrella brand, tells you nothing of the "how" Strategy Road is going about its work. How it is presently organised as an organic collective of 16 diverse, independent-but-aligned professionals seeking common ground opportunities to build better and deliver greater value for more. Tells you nothing of the service package Strategy Road "The Entity" has developed and is delivering to these "Swarm Members" to try and help them thrive (and in turn, help more of their clients flourish). Tells you nothing of the financial model, the systems and processes, the talents within or the mechanisms of engagement.
What it does tell you is what the brand and those behind it believe in. What it stands for. What its guiding principles are, irrespective of the "how" of the day (for the "how" always, always changes).
It's true, you can run a well-oiled piece of machinery that punches out great stuff, and do it awhile without a set of guiding principles like these.
But when it wobbles, will you know what the right course of action is (beyond trying to preserve a status quo).
When it needs refuelling, will you know how much to put in (beyond fill'er-up, because that's what you just do?)
And when it keeps spitting out stuff that market behaviour shows it's falling out of love with, will you know how to retool it (and for what evolving end?)
The Vision - a horizon that, as you near it, needs resetting. But far enough away to keep your eyes moving beyond just daily operational metrics.
The Values - compass behaviours that guide and test your actions against your moral and ethical beliefs. Aspirational, but that need to be real, and while they may never change much, need reflection and calibration over time.
And the Purpose? The name on the boat. The thing that will be remembered for what it stood for, for what it delivered, for why it bothered, for its legacy. Decide what you want it to be now (or let the world label you when you're gone).
From "Don't shoot the dog! The New Art of Teaching & Training" by Karen Pryor.
The Green Room
Good wood from smart guest contributors. This edition…. James McGill from Chatham Capital Exchange, with ideas on developing and delivering "The Pitch".
5 upsides to writing a beneficiaries list
When was the last time you took a texta to the whiteboard, or pen to paper, and listed out all the beneficiaries of your professional endeavours? Your client list, your staff, their clients, your boss, your colleagues... people you help (and want to help) via your daily actions. Why bother?
- The thinking before writing... you WILL have moments when you go "oops, forgot about them!" And that shouldn't be, right?
- The writing provokes thinking... as your pen makes out the letters of their name, you're reflecting on what needs to happen next to keep you relevant, valuable, helpful to them.
- The written words hold your toes to the fire... in 5 days time, you will walk past the list, and glance at the name, and say "damn it! I MEANT to do that thing.... right... onto it!"
- The actions will justify the list creation - a VIP you'd otherwise have let things slide with will show their gratitude, and then and there, you'll go "if I hadn't written that list..."
- Someone will see you do it - and you'll inspire the practice, and that'll flow on, and now you're a role model of a simple-but-super-powerful discipline of the best sales guns and leaders on the planet.
Workshop observation...
Visual stimulus.
a. Scrolling through a well-crafted & stimulating slide deck helps open eyes and minds, but
b. A wall of content, designed for prolonged exposure, can be a really powerful backdrop.
Seeds
3 questions to sort the truly committed from the tyre kickers…
- "When do you need this delivered.....?"
- "How many should we write down here....?"
- "What are the next steps you need to take to get this done?"
Remote roads, better journeyed with trusted company.
The Swarm Guide
Meet Strategy Road Associate Randal Brooks, a highly experienced Chartered Accountant, Strategic Business Advisor and Management Consultant, who helps organisations with "what-if" analysis (growth path assessment), investment and business case development, and business plan review and development. His financial and management experience and skills are deep and varied - check out his business Results Business Management.
Blooming
The "just because" gift...
When did you last go out of your way to gift something to someone in your world "just because"?
A sticky note on their favourite chocolate bar. A book from your shelf you think they'd enjoy (it's just gathering dust, right?). A small "I was in the shop and saw this and thought of you, so..." token. A latte or a sticky bun.
Doesn't have to cost the farm. Can be hand made. Small as small can be. But thoughtful. Not for a birthday, anniversary or payback because you feel you owe them. Just because.
You know who gets the bigger reward there, right?
You don't get speccy sunsets without a few clouds...
Discomfort = un-soft
"Soft" isn't a positive descriptor. Be emotionally intelligent, be kind and generous and warm-hearted, but "soft"... means easily harmed. And because comfort feeds soft, and the changing world serves up discomfort daily, maybe embracing it, seeking it out, can help you;
- A new thing, each day. The scary thing. The depth-breath, eyes-wide thing. Try it.
- An alternate opinion. Find a counter argument, a diametrically opposed viewpoint, and chew it.
- Labour. Pushing through one pain barrier each day, working at a piece a little longer, past that natural want-to-give-up point. Daily.
- Ballsing something up. If you're not pushing out into speed wobble territory, you don't know where the limits are. So maybe there's a case for going to the falter point".. and faltering, regularly.
- Ask to be challenged. Boss, co-worker, kids, spouse, coach... someone else asking it of you carries a different weight to your inner voice. Ask to be pushed.
Don't break yourself, and don't deny yourself moments of comfort, but don't languish in the soft spots too long (because the market-served consequences of being soft are pretty hard).
Worth a Bo Peep...
Smart daily aggregation of all things happening in the Aus media, advertising and marketing world. Free to your inbox - http://mumbrella.com.au.
Luft balloons* (imagine...)
What are they really asking for? The famous Henry Ford line... "If I'd asked my customers what they wanted, they'd have said "a faster horse"."
Until you get down to Maslow-level needs, there's invariably another layer...
- If they're asking for a bigger discount...
- If they're asking for it in a different colour...
- If they're asking for a bolt-on bit...
- If they're asking for overnight delivery...
- If they're asking for compatibility...
- If they're asking for time to mull it...
- If they're asking for training...
- If they're asking for tools...
- If they're asking for regular reviews...
- If they're asking for "free"...
- If they're asking for a minor modification...
- If they're asking for price and availability...
- If they're asking for you to join forces with another...
- If they're asking for an opinion, or an idea, or advice...
... is there something else,
something deeper they're asking?
What's the real ask, under the mask ask?
And what if you went there, first?
Survival. Then security. Then friendship. Then esteem. Then growth.
(Which one are they really asking for?)
Slide deck specials
It's one thing to come up with lots of great "wooden doll" ideas and concepts in a workshop...
It's another to turn them into "real boy" actions with dates, measures and task owners. Do that.
Workshop fun
"Why so serious?"
Me with a bunch of my youngest's friends a few years back. If you've organised and run a kids birthday party (and survived), then you can facilitate a workshop.
I know you've got serious strategic imperatives to define and map. I know the shareholder and stakeholder consequences of getting it wrong are massive. And I know it's a finite pot of hours you have, dear grown ups, to do the important work in the workshop room.
But "fun" and "delivering the greatest outcomes possible" aren't mutually exclusive.
With colour, with thought, with imagery and exercises and chocolate and the smart interlacing of light-heartedness and intelligent process, you can get a crew to the end of the day where they've delivered and enjoyed. Be mindful that for every dose of "fun", you have to add an extra dose of "smart" (be that through research, planning, time management or deftly woven agendas aligned to target outcomes). But don't make that a reason to not do it.
Lazy workshops are boring workshops, and vice versa. Ask the question, "if we leave this room today, and every piece of output / decision made was rendered useless tomorrow for reasons beyond our control, would we STILL have given the team a great memory, a terrific day of bonding and spending time (enjoyable) in each others company?"
You need both, Don't ignore the fun bit. Orange wigs entirely optional.
The trees for the woods…
It's funny because it's #true...
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Thank you for reading!
Forrest Workshops custom-builds and facilitates team workshops on topics ranging from strategic planning, leadership and sales practice development, to innovation, customer experience creation and collaborating with your supply chain in an evolving market. Based in Adelaide, serving clients nationally and internationally, from SMEs to Fortune 500s.
Committed to facilitating purposeful teamwork.
NEW! Forrest Workshops For One are tailored Coaching & mentoring programs for leaders, business owners, sales and service professionals. High-touch, deep- and long-term impact support.
Contact Troy Forrest from Forrest Workshops on 0430 308963 or troy@forrestworkshops.com.au for a discussion.
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Contact Troy Forrest, troy@forrestworkshops.com.au