Aussie Rules

Several years ago I took a stab at managing a pop band. They were good musicians. I was an okay manager. Together we failed abysmally. I think I know why.

Before I talk about the band, let me tell you about my son. Oh, go on he’s so cool.

Like most eight year olds, Master Gerrish frequently attempts feats requiring great skill and courage.

Sometimes the pursuits are really impressive, other times they are somewhat dull, and now and again they are spectacularly overshadowed by the white-knuckle drive to the nearest Accident & Emergency.

The point is, like most young boys he always aims high and simply doesn’t accept climbing halfway up a tree.

To our detriment, the pop band were different and so was I.

The pop band really wanted some groovy t-shirts with their name on and a highly polished demo recording. I duly supplied both.

For my part, I fancied the idea of telling girls I managed a pop band and so got myself some snazzy Duck and Dive Management business cards. Too easy.

Accoutrements aside, we met with no commercial success. I now put this down to the fact the pop band and I settled for climbing half way up the tree. It was nice. The branch was comfortable and we all got our needs met.

I still have the demo recordings and a small pile of cards and as you can see, continue to milk the adventure for all it’s worth. But I wonder, could it have been something much more tangible?

Very possibly.

Realistically though, success could only have come if we’d aimed higher and demanded rather more of ourselves.

Pursuing goals is one thing, setting them is another. How has your goal setting been this year? Could you aim higher next year?

Having a Canadian husband, my favourite book is “How to be a Canadian” (though you really have to be Canadian to get some of the “in” jokes).

With the launch of the new Australia movie this month, it would be interesting to see what would you would need to do to “Think Like an Australian” particularly for innovation and creativity. Does the local language offer some clues?

She’ll be right mate: no problem, no worries. Australians are generally easygoing and open to new ideas and suggestions.

Fair dinkum: Really? Is this real? Or Yes, this is Fair Dinkum. Things need to be real and not a whitewash. Fairness and fair play is a main value for innovation as well as for Australians.

Buckley’s chance: No chance at all. If an idea is presented as a solution then often it will have buckley’s chance of getting through. Remember, an idea is almost never a solution, it is just an idea. Ideas need to be developed into potential solutions.

True blue: Honest, straight. The Lucky Country — why, Australia, of course.

Generally, we are Dags (a funny person, nerd, goof, loser) who are willing to give anything a go!

What would be your top suggestions to help people think like an Australian?

(15min 10) Today on BTalk Australia Phil Dobbie talks to Stephen Kirchner from the Centre for Independent Studies about his paper Capital Xenophobia 2. He says that restrictive investment regimes are holding Australia back. Although the situation has improved since the eighties, we still fall a long way behind the OECD average when it comes to attracting foreign direct investment (FDI). So what does that mean for the Aussie economy and what changes need to be made?

Add your thoughts on foreign investment in the Talkback section at the bottom of this post.

Subscribe to BTalk Australia on iTunes.

(8min 27) When Encyclopaedia Britannica asked their Australian MD to move on there was disagreement as to how much he was owed. David Campbell believed he was entitled to nine months redundancy pay but he was paid for three. Newly unemployed, he was prepared to go to court to fight the case.

The proceedings provide an interesting case study for senior managers sitting on either side of the fence. In this edition of BTalk Australia Phil Dobbie talks to John Dawson from Carneys Lawyers, who represented Mr Campbell in court. Was the gamble worth it?

If you have experience of retrenchment disputes add them to the Talkback section at the bottom of this post.

Subscribe to BTalk Australia on iTunes.

In our businesses, dominated at times by big, hairy goals (and presently lots of talk of doom and gloom), it’s very easy to overlook the importance and value of small successes. In this little exercise, I invite you to stop and answer three simple questions.

Ready? Here goes:

1. What are you happiest about right now?

The answer is likely to pop up pretty quickly, it may relate to an event, action or feeling that is very current.

If I think of my work at Flying Solo — as I tend to do — I’d answer that I’m most happy about the fact we have a business that is so well supported and that’s such fun to work in.

2. What are you most excited about?

Again answering from a business perspective this should stop you in your tracks as it’s asking you to look deeper and connect with a very energetic feeling.

For me, excitement comes from thinking about the next evolution of the business and the prospect of seeing the ideas and concepts we have up our sleeve come to fruition.

3. What are you proudest of?

Hmm. This can really make people stop and ponder as it’s not often we consider which of our actions create a feeling of pride.

Speaking personally again,  I’m proudest of our growing community and how ready and willing everyone is to offer support and encouragement to each other.

So how did you go? I find this an invaluable series of questions whenever I come across someone who is not allowing themselves to acknowledge the present.

Maybe try it out on the next person you bump into who’s engulfed in a wave of doom and gloom.

Feeling the effects of the recent global financial crisis? Want to find a cave and hide until things get back to normal?

It is natural to want to revert back to the safe, tried-and-true methods in times of crises. Cut down on expenses, consolidate your portfolio, put off projects, ride out the storm.

Rather than retreat and lay low, think about how you can best leverage from the economic contraction. Focus on the question “What is hurting our customers and how can we best serve them?”

Funnily enough, I heard on a recent news report that every stock in the US dropped with one exception — Campbell’s Soup. It seems that in times of recession, soup is in high demand as a comfort food and a cheaper meal.

What “soup” mix can you create to help you thrive over the next year?

(9min 24) The Interactive Advertising Bureau of Australia (IAB) has just released the results of a test-market for Kellogs Sultana Bran, designed to demonstrate the power of online advertising at improving brand awareness and buying intention.

On today’s BTalk Australia Phil Dobbie talks about the research with Paul Fisher, IAB’s CEO. Can we expect to see more crunchy breakfast cereals advertising online in the future?

Add your thoughts – or another corny headline – in the Talkback section at the bottom of this post.

Subscribe to BTalk Australia on iTunes.

(13mn 47) More and more Aussies are working from home, either telecommuting or running their own business. So what are the pros and cons of working this way?

Dr Jane Shelton, MD of Marshall Place Associates, is a home worker. On today’s BTalk Australia she talks to Phil Dobbie about some of the obstacles you’ll face when you decide to do away with the daily commute. How much can you expect to earn? Why do home businesses fail?

Share your home working tips in the Talkback section at the bottom of this post.

Subscribe to BTalk Australia on iTunes.

(12min 26) What effect will the economic slowdown have on IT spending in 2009? Guy Cranswick, an analyst at IBRS, says many projects will be put on hold, particularly those that don’t show immediate returns. This could make for a very difficult year for IT vendors heavily dependent on growth in the enterprise sector.

How are your IT plans being impacted? Add your thoughts in the Talkback section at the bottom of this post.

Subscribe to BTalk Australia on iTunes.

It seems to me that everywhere we look someone is trying to persuade us to accomplish things more quickly. Doubtless there are strategies and products that can help us be more efficient, but is faster always better?

These days I’m big into walking. Most days I’m off pounding the pavements babbling into my little digital notetaker.

Typically, I prefer to walk at a fair pace. Now and again, though, I can be a little low on energy and it’s on these days that the voice in my head implores me to take a shortcut — “Come on! Go left here and we’ll avoid the hill.”

No way José. I know why I’m doing this and it’s not to get anywhere quicker; it’s to benefit my mental and physical health.

Clearly, there’s a parallel here with business. According to my observations, some of the technologies and initiatives that profess to make us more efficient, promote cutting corners in the hope of reaching a destination more quickly.

I’m not saying that meandering is always better than sprinting, but it certainly is when it comes to ensuring the right foundations underpin growth.

Tearing ahead without adequate behind-the-scenes structures or throwing money at marketing without determining the correct strategies is guaranteed to fail.

You’ll look impressive for a while, but your knees will give in sooner than you think.

In much the same way as most so-called overnight sensations in the entertainment industry have spent years doing it tough before the guy with the spotlight showed up, so most successful small businesses are very familiar with the stages of planning and testing.

What say you? Post a comment if you’re not in too much of a hurry.