BLOGS
– Lauren’s Blogs –
Playing Small
Earlier this year, I was tasked with giving a eulogy. Apart from the sadness of the occasion it was a wonderful time for reflection on a very long life of achievement; not of any remarkable academic or sporting or business success, as on the surface it seemed a humble...
The Myth of Multitasking
Are you a list person? On the weekend my daughter was feeling a tad overwhelmed by all the items she had on her list. When she showed me the list, I noticed towards the top was Take a Shower. Do you really need that on your list I exclaimed?! Of course, what she was...
Racetrack or 4WD
They say the way you drive says a lot about you. No idea if that’s true, but I’m sure it hints of truth, and if you’re not into cars I think you’ll still follow this analogy. Do you sometimes feel like you’re living your life in a racing car — driving very fast, but...
The Microscope and the Telescope
Can you see the future? I used to be intrigued and bemused by people who called themselves “Futurists”, yet recently I have been very tempted to take on that title myself. For the benefit of readers, I have included a definition (albeit from Wikipedia). Futurists...
Christmas is Coming, Buddy!
At the beginning of this year, I had the grand intention of having a hit of tennis once a week with my husband. Has it happened? Not once! What I’ve realised is, that unless we set the goal together and then commit to it by booking the course for a term, it ain't...
Be Prepared
10 years ago, I participated in my first ever 50km Coastrek, from Palm Beach to Balmoral Beach in Sydney. I was in one of two teams of friends who had decided to enter in this event to raise funds for the Fred Hollows foundation. Our two teams often trained...
Can Leadership be Audited?
In the management system standards such as ISO31000, ISO9001, ISO45001, ISO14001, and ISO27001 there is a clause on Leadership. The wording differs slightly between standards but essentially it requires organizational leadership to be accountable for the:...
Why ISO Standards?
Last week I ran the RMIA’s online Enterprise Risk Management course. We had a great bunch of students, and at the end I asked each of them to think of 3 actions they would take away to implement after the course. To hold them accountable I paired them up and asked...
What’s Your Exit?
One of the joys of the work I do is to work directly with the owners of small-medium businesses. Their approaches are very different depending on their funding model. For example, where there is venture capital for a start-up, there is usually a requirement for a...
Stay Standing When Others Fall
Have you ever used the expression “doing a Bradbury”? I love how that moved into the Australian vernacular after the 2002 Winter Olympics when Steven Bradbury became the first Australian to win Gold at a Winter Olympics. Recently, I was recalling that event to my...
I Hate Procedures!
Over the years, I have worked with a few start-ups and scale-ups, and it is an interesting journey as the business matures. Start-ups are often staffed by extremely intelligent people who are happy to ‘make up the rules’ as they go. As the business grows, more staff...
Who Owns Quality?
Who is responsible for quality in your business? A lofty response is it is everyone’s responsibility. Whilst this is the ideal, what does that mean? Let’s reframe the question — where does the buck stop? The answer to this question probably depends on the maturity of...
Top Risks for Business
Do you know what are the top risks for your business? Risks are potential problems that might stop you from achieving company goals, and if you haven’t identified and prepared for them, you could be in for a few struggles. When running risk workshops for business...
Lean In or Lean Out?
When things get hard, we are sometimes told to lean in, but at other times, we might need to lean out. In last week’s webinar, I was describing the Sydney to Hobart yacht race, and how there are different classes of yachts that participate, and winners for each class....
Is Audit a Dirty Word?
There are 2 words that my clients don’t seem to like to hear. One of them is audit. It makes people nervous, reminds them of those awful school tests they’ve tried to shut out of their memory, and it has an impact on resources and productivity. It’s a tricky situation...
Cyber Risk
Daily, we are hearing terrible stories, from loss of personal savings to the impact on businesses brought to a standstill while they sort out responses to cybercrime. Yet the problem is worsening, not getting better! Don’t be fooled into thinking that “this couldn’t...
Know Your No. 1
What's your number 1 thing this quarter? Let's face it, none of us can multi-task (not even women)! We juggle a lot of things and achieve some amazing results, but at what cost? As a business, you might offer multiple products or services, but if you want to achieve...
Consistently Agile
“This is the way we do things around here”. Can a company who says that really be agile? I’d like to propose an interesting conundrum — consistency delivers agility. Think about paddling a canoe upstream. To move forward, you need to paddle on the left and the right,...
Lead or Lag KPIs?
Are you responsible for setting KPIs for your team or business? It’s important to measure performance, and KPIs (key performance indicators) are the typical way to do this. Note the word ‘key’. There is so much that can be monitored and measured in an organisation to...
Is it a Process or a System?
Sunday night, I was watching a repeat of the classic Aussie sitcom Kath & Kim. Known for mixing their words, they never disappoint. Kath’s wedding invitation was hilarious: “You are invited to witnessKath and Kel denounce their love for each other and consummate...
Are you Worried?
Are you worried? You’re not alone. People worry about all sorts of things. But if you are going to worry, let’s worry about the right stuff in the right way. When I was a child, I was scared of the dark. I would watch the Hulk on TV, but then I was terrified to walk...
Pow Wow!
The biggest mistake that is frequently made when trying to resolve issues in the workplace, is to jump straight to solution mode. When I teach problem-solving skills, I spend the majority of the course focusing on understanding the problem, because the more time we...
How to Climb a Mountain
Know anyone who’s done the Oxfam 100km walk? Or the 60km Coastrek? Or perhaps the Kokoda trail? I have a group of friends who, over the years, have shared many wonderful experiences completing some tough mountain, bush and coastal walks, yet what I’ve noticed recently...
Thinking Small, Medium, or Big?
Ever learned to play a musical instrument? I recall when my kids were learning, I watched them progress to a point then they started to complain and say it was too hard. They would stall for a while as they embedded the skills they had, making those skills foundations...
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