System failure - big time...

You might be aware that the horse racing industry in New South Wales is in turmoil. One of my American friends expressed amazement that the story of equine influenza has been the leading news story for much of this and last week. However, he would be unaware of the magnitude of the problem...

Equine influenza will cost the industry (and the country) billions of dollars.

It is the first time that there has been such a breach of quarantine in this country so we are reeling at the fact that it has happened, and the speed with which the disease has spread (with the potential even greater -there are 500,000 horses in New South Wales alone).

It is not only the Spring Racing Carnival in New South Wales (and the rest of Australia), but it is also the season for breeding Thoroughbreds - and thoroughbred horses conceived through artificial insemination are banned from racing. When they are allowed to be mated (serviced) after the disease has abated, the resulting foals will be younger than usual and this might adversely impact their racing careers. I do not know the intracies of breeding thoroughbreds but there might be some problems with the mares coming into season for mating as well.

Not only that, but current predictions are that all races in New South Wales will be canceled for a few months. Horses currently are not allowed to be moved, and thoroughbreds are only able to be exercised by walking around the track (for the moment). Like all peak performers, there is the likelihood that they will lose condition quickly. And of course, they will be very, very frisky when finally they are able to be exercised - potentially posing a greater risk to the safety of jockeys and track workers.

Horse racing is an international industry and sport. The Melbourne Cup is possibly in jeopardy and the ramifications are yet to be fully determined - international horse travel could be stopped as horses are quarantined.

All of this because the system of quarantining livestock failed - one sick horse has spread this highly contagious illness into a population that is not inoculated against this illness (there has never been a need to do so before now). Many people did not know what to do early on, and by the time clear "lock down" actions were taken, some exposed horses had already traveled to new stables or show grounds and race tracks, thereby spreading the disease further.

This item is making international news:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/article2355291.ece

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/08/29/sports/AS-SPT-RAC-Australia-Influenza.php

When there is confusion or inconvenience, you need strong controls and systems in place to make sure problems are not exacerbated. Make sure everyone involved knows the reasons behind these systems and that they can feel the need for them - or they won't take any notice.

Make sure when the stakes are high that you are quick, clear and practical in your advice., and be prepared to back it up with actions.

Life Balance Tips

Gail Kelly, CEO of St George Bank in Australia, and soon to be head of Westpac Banking Corporation in Australia is not only a successful businesswoman but a wife and mother of four (including triplets).

Her key points on balancing life include:

• Deal with what needs to be done as it comes up. She does not "compartmentalise" her life.
  
• Live in the moment.
• Don't worry too much
• Love your life
• Run life as a whole - prioritise across all areas of your life, making sure that there is time for the important events, holidays, school concerts or whatever is important to you. Gail Kelly has been known to leave work to attend important events in her children's lives!
• Most importantly - keep things in perspective.
  

Quite possibly nothing new, but it is nice to hear successful CEO's able to put it into practice - and if they can, maybe we can do some of it too.

To find the calm in the chaos of hectic multifaceted lives, take some time to find what you truly value and appreciate, and bring some elements of this into your daily life. The goal is to be able to work and live in accordance with your values - if this is not entirely possible, allow yourself some moments each day to live and value your values, and appreciate your achievements and capabilities.

If you want to read a little more about how Gail Kelly does it, follow these links:

http://www.abc.com.au/news/stories/2007/08/17/2008434.htm?section=business

http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/business/items/200705/s1929272.htm

Great Management Strategies

I recently attended a business breakfast in which Gail Kelly, CEO of St George Bank gave some insights into her style of management. She is a remarkable woman who arrived in Australia in October 1997. She not only heads a medium recognisable bank in Australia but is also a wife and mother of four (including triplets) - and is soon to be heading up Westpac Banking Corporation, one of the largest banks in Australia.

Her management tips include:

• Apply dedication and discipline to achieve your goals
• Have the right person in the right place - be clear about selection criteria so that you can recruit people who match the values of the corporation or business.
• Look after the heartbeat of the business - what it stands for, who it serves, and what the customers truly want. True service comes from understanding your customer's needs, so define your value to your clients - who and where they are.
• Work within the culture of the business - use the infrastructure and people that are already there and improve on this. Celebrate the achievements of your staff.
• Allow time to establish the correct building blocks, and growth takes time.
• Leadership is what you do and how you do it. It is behaviour that marks a true leader.

These might all be fairly standard ideas regarding management in the twenty first century - they are just stated so clearly and succinctly it is a joy to hear them.

To read more about Gail Kelly follow these links:

http://www.smh.com.au/news/Business/Gail-Kelly-to-head-Westpac-as-new-CEO/2007/08/17/1186857719777.html

http://www.theage.com.au/news/business/ceo-who-gave-birth-to-triplets/2005/07/02/1119724845747.html

Concordance versus Compliance

It seems that everyone is worried about getting people to comply with their wishes - to do what they want them to do. This occurs within and outside the workplace. Parents worry that their children do not comply with rules and boundaries. Children worry that they do not comply with their peer group's ideas of normal behaviour. Laws exist in our society to ensure our compliance with rules and boundaries.... Even pharmaceutical companies worry about customers not complying with medical advice..

A recently released report stated that as many as 41% of adults do not continue to take their prescribed medications for the full course, with more men than women opting out of completing their treatments for various reasons. This is unwise because it means that we are assisting the development of "super bugs" (those that are increasingly resistant to treatments such as antibiotics), and we have unfinished boxes and bottles of prescribed (and therefore restricted) medicines lying around. This study found that insisting on compliance was not the best approach. A better approach was to aim for concordance. Concordance is based on understanding and agreement - in this case, explaining to patients what their condition was, how it would impact on their lives, and how to treat it effectively improved compliance.

How can concordance assist you to move to calm from chaos?

What I love...

Well one of the many things....

I really love seeing systems working well.

I use public car parks on a fairly regular basis, and there is one I go to that recently upgraded its information and monitoring systems. It is now such an easy, enjoyable experience - because they reviewed what customers need and provided it!

This particular car park has a variable LED screen that provides motorists information on the number of available car spaces on each level as they enter the car park, and at each level as you drive through. There is also a light above each car space indicating availability - green for available, blue for disabled available, and red for unavailable (although this is fairly obvious because there is a vehicle parked in the space!)

It is so easy using the car park, even in peak hour or when in a rush....

Now I guess all they have to do is work out how motorists can make sure they never forget where they have parked.

What I hate...

Well "hate" is too strong a word... but what drives me to distraction is when simple systems are designed to fail.

I walk my dogs in large park in Sydney that has designated "off-leash" areas (meaning that dogs can be let off the leash as long as they are kept under control). In one particular part of the park, there is a huge area that attracts a lot of people walking their dogs. This picture depicts only a part of this area! On many days there can be more than 35 dogs off the leash in this area. The dogs have a fantastic time playing and chasing each other, and it is a real community with people knowing all the regular dogs and people - quite a social event for all concerned.

In the middle of this huge area is a section in which dogs are not allowed - it is a commemorative pavilion and very appropriate that dogs should not be allowed there. My problem with it is the way dogs are excluded - there is a metal plaque embedded in the ground (see picture below) with a diagram of a dog with a line through it and an arrow pointing the direction in which dogs are not allowed.


Do they think that dogs can read?

Calm & Collected - Tribune-Review

While searching the web I found this article on helping children to cope with bullying and stress at school. The article makes the point that skills we often suggest and provide to assist our children with their challenges are equally appropriate for us.

Calm & collected - Tribune-Review

Watch this video I recorded a while ago on getting from chaos to calm

It's in the asking...

I recently attended a discussion forum for adolescents and parents. A number of experts presented information about the use of the Internet, amongst other topics. During the presentation, a uniformed police officer asked the children if they had a fake ID. Not surprisingly, no-one admitted to this. However, when the police officer rephrased the question to be "Do you know anyone with a fake ID" many children admitted they did.

How you ask the question will determine the answers you get.

It's never too late.....

There was some inspiring news last week.

An Australian great-great-grandmother, Phyllis Turner aged 94 graduated from the University of Adelaide with a Masters Degree in Medical Science. This is remarkable enough, but she left school at 12 years of age, when she had help her mother raise her siblings. She completed her high school education (going to night school) after raising her own seven children and two stepchildren. She then started her university studies at the University of Adelaide when she was 70 years old and two years later won a 12-month scholarship to study at the University of California. On her return from California she enrolled at the Australian National University and gained a degree in anthropology. She decided to enroll in her Master's degree five years ago, after her husband died.

Read more about this remarkable woman:

http://www.thenewstribune.com/887/story/124935.html

Another inspiring story about pursuing your dreams no matter how long it takes is rather surprising...

Most people think that rock stars are more likely to spend their time living the high life. We don't tend to believe that they are overly intelligent (many of course are) or necessarily sensible. Brian May, guitarist with the rock band Queen, was due to submit his doctorate thesis in astrophysics last week, after enrolling in the course some 34 years ago. His thesis is on zodiacal dust clouds (the dust clouds in our solar system) and he left his studies all those years ago when Queen was making it HUGE on the international rock scene. He received an honorary doctorate from Exeter University in Devon, England earlier this year, and co-authored a book on astrophysics called "Bang! The Complete History of the Universe" with Patrick Moore and Chris Linttot published last year. He never lost his love for, or interest in astrophysics and followed discoveries while continuing with his musical career. He is still active in both diverse fields.

For more information about Brian May, try these links:

http://www.brianmay.com/brian/briannews/briannewsoct06a.html

http://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUSN2536780120070726

Just goes to show - if you want something badly enough, you will achieve it sooner or later, and there is more than one way to get what you want.

Maybe we just give up too soon..