OUR NEXT 2009 'TRY BEFORE YOU BUY' COMPLIMENTARY MORNING TEA SHOWCASE WITH LAURIE KELLY IS COMING UP IN BRISBANE ON THE 21ST OCTOBER 2009!

---

"Best workshop ever – very refreshing and lots of fun = heaps of learning!!!"

Mayra Christiansen, Qld Health 8 Jul 2009 

---

"I just wanted to take a moment and email you my profound thanks for the workshop that Laurie ran for me on Wednesday 8th July. Without exception, the participants gained a tremendous amount from the workshop and walked away with a whole new box of tricks to use. Every presenter on day two of the forum (Thursday) utilised a number of tricks to enhance their presentation which only served to reinforce their personal learning and also that of the participants."

Elizabeth, Queensland Health, Jul 2009  

---

NEW 'FORWARD' BUTTON

Many of you regularly forward our flyers onto your colleagues and friends to alert them to the 'Mindworks Magic' and for that we thank you sincerely - as we often say, nearly all of our business comes via Word of Mouth Recommendations - and that's the best way to run a successful business.  If your clients are happy, and know that your product is excellent and worthwhile, they are more than happy to share that knowledge with others that might benefit from our workshops. 

In the past we have had problems with the integrity of the flyers arriving intact when simply sent via the 'forward' button - pictures missing, formatting askew - but now we have a new system in place that allows you to not only send out the campaign directly to your intended recipient so that it arrives in perfect condition, but also gives them the added feature of including themselves in our database to receive future correspondence automatically - or not.  Their choice.  It's called a 'double opt-in' method and we urge you to try it out - it even gives you the opportunity to generate a personal message to send with the flyer.  We hope you will find this new tool useful and 'share us around'.

Look for the new button on all our future newsletters and flyers - and thank you in advance!

---

A 'must attend' session for any Facilitator!

Damon Klotz, Qld Health Jul 2009

---

TRAINING TIPS

Here’s a thought…it’s mid-year now – how many of your New Year’s Resolutions have you managed to keep?

• Are you currently donating funds on a regular basis to your local gym – and yet not utilizing the resources in return?  
• Are you managing to keep Cadbury afloat during this time of recession, and damn the pimples? 
• Still not calling your Mother as regularly as you promised yourself you would?

WHY DO WE FAIL? 

Why is it that we start out with such well defined, good intentions and yet fall so quickly by the wayside? Why are we still eating junk food when we promised ourselves we would quit!

Why is it, when we know just what we want to do, what we NEED to do,

we just don’t DO it?

This question extends, of course, well beyond the doomed New Year’s Resolutions – this can apply to any Goal you set yourself.  To understand why we fail so spectacularly and on so many occasions, we need to understand one simple thing – the answer to success lies with MOTIVATION.

Everyone needs motivation, even God – he was so motivated by the mistakes he made with Adam, it spurred him on to an even greater feat by creating the perfect human being in Eve.  (This proves God is male of course, had he been female, he would have got it right the first time around.  But I digress…)

Being human means that we are, for the most part, driven emotionally.  Emotions are with us 24/7, even when we sleep and dream, we are reacting on an emotional level to the unconscious stimulus.  They guide us, they push us to soaring heights and sometimes, in contrast, bottomless lows; and every level in between, often on a daily basis if things are stressful or you can’t get your chocolate fix.  I bet Laurie would happily agree with that last one when I ran out of Peanut Butter M&M’s recently…

When we feel good, happy, in control, we will do things without being bribed or cajoled or pushed into doing it.  We want to do it, therefore, we do it.

When we don’t feel good, when the chocolate has left the system entirely, or when you try to exist on three hours sleep after a social night that involved far too many “last” calls, then the motivation is all but gone – we are what is termed “demotivated”.    Berocca, at this point, really doesn’t help things. 

We want to make ourselves feel better, so we ‘forget’ what we promised ourselves we’d do, we appease ourselves with ‘I’ll do it next time…’ and it just gets easier and easier to keep putting it off.  Suddenly, the will to succeed with that particular goal is undermined and gone; we’ve lost that initial impetus that got us galvanized in the first place.

HOW CAN WE SUCCEED?

So how do we harness that and keep it going, long after the mood has left us?  We want to ‘make a difference’ and ‘turn our life around’ so vehemently at the time we declare it, but how do we follow through and ensure that it happens?

Well, one way is to glue the Emotions to the Motivation, and 'set' your appropriate Goal with this hybrid ‘cement’.

 

Laurie often covers Goal Setting in his courses and the feedback is always, without fail, positive and grateful for the time-saving tips.  There are many ways to set your Goals, but here is another to add to your ‘toolbox’ to make sure those Goals are ultimately achieved and that you stay true to your aim and steadfastly on-course.

We call it “The Carrot Principle”.

If you went ahead and decided on a Goal, or a commitment of some kind, then odds are that you had a pretty good reason to make that decision in the first place.  To create the motivation to continue to pursue that goal, all you have to do is remember why you made that commitment originally .

For example:  Alison decided she wanted a new job.  She’d had enough.  The stress was killing her and she was beginning to have violent dreams that concerned her boss, a large python and a small, locked room.  Alison made the decision to leave…but didn’t quite get around to it.  Time got on – she knew why she wanted to go, but it was all a bit hard – looking for a new job, applying to agencies, going for interviews…  She was always going to do it ‘on the weekend’ or ‘ pop down during her lunch hour and see what was advertised in the paper’.  It was put off, time after time, because, ‘I couldn’t be bothered right this minute - my boss just yelled at me and I need a chocolate bar to feel better’. 

You can see where this is going, the need is there, but the motivation is lacking and it’s all just overwhelming and too hard to cope with ‘right now’… like waking early on a winter’s morning, all snug and warm - and rolling over instead of forcing yourself to brave the cold and hit the gym.  Five minutes sleep sounds so much more appealing, the flab will still be there tomorrow anyway…

Alison needs to ‘own’ the motivation, connect with it, create the motivation out of her emotional state – FEEL the reason why she made the decision in the first place and change her thinking from “I will” or “I should” into “I MUST…. I SHALL”

Q:  Why do you want to find another job, Alison?

A:  Because I want a better job.

 

Good reason, but no emotional connection there.

Q:  If you have a better job, Alison, how will that improve your life?

A:  I won’t be so stressed at work and will have a boss that I like working for and enjoy my time at the office.

Still not much emotion – try again…

A:  If I had a better job, I would be happier in my work and not so bad tempered and depressed around my poor, long-suffering husband

Getting better – imagine that scenario and feel the emotion of being happier with a relieved partner.

A:  If I had a better job I would love coming to work and feeling fulfilled in doing a good jobl.  I hate that my boss doesn’t appreciate me and I hate the fact that he takes all the credit when I win a new account.  And I hate the stupid deadlines I have to meet and I’d love to be appreciated in a new job and rewarded with a promotion and get more money.  And I’d love to stop being such a cow at home because I’m so upset and I hate being so stressed all the time and suffering these headaches…

And now she’s got it!  There’s the emotion, the glue, the reasons behind the decision that she needs to keep a hold of to ensure that change is made and the Goal Realised.

HOW YOU CAN SUCCEED!

So when you have a decision to make, a Goal to set, why don't you hoe your own Carrot Patch – dedicate a diary, or a journal page or open a computer file and set out your Goal clearly at the top of the page.

Below it, list down 10 to 20 things that you could do/enjoy better if that Goal were already achieved.

                 

ALISON:  GET A NEW JOB

     CARROTS:

These are your ‘Carrots’, the emotional points to anchor to, to keep you motivated. 

Now, you need the ‘Sticks’ to dangle those carrots in front of yourself when you begin to lag in your commitment.

Write down a list of as many things as you can that you hate, things that you will have to continue to put up with, if you don’t achieve your Goal.

ALISON:  IF I DON’T GET A NEW JOB

                 

       STICKS:

And there you have it.  Theory and good ideas alone won’t motivate you, but feeling the emotion, remembering WHY you made the decision initially, can keep you on track.  FEEL it.

From then on, whenever you find yourself tempted to put off a step that will help you achieve your aim,  whip out your diary/list/computer file and read through the emotional reasons why you chose that Goal in the first place – revisit the emotions behind the decision and even add some more while you’re at it.

Recover that initial reason as to WHY you made that Goal and work positively to achieving change and improvement in your life.  After all, if you really want it, you’ll get it.

Good Luck….

---

"The entire content was excellent.  Loved the way the change of state focused on all of the styles.  Absolutely loved this workshop, could see where these techniques could also be used in normal work - not just training - Thank You."

Kristy Brown, Queensland Health, May 2009

---

NEGOTIATION & MEDIATION with TONY O'GORMAN

At Mindworks we are always keeping an eye out for something special to offer our clients, and our “Mediation & Negotiation” specialist, Tony O’Gorman, is someone we have no hesitation in recommending should you have need of this service.

   Tony O'Gorman

Tony joins our team of exceptional specialist Presenters to assist you with difficult situations that can arise between parties and help guide a process for their successful outcome.

Tony O’Gorman is a Brisbane based mediator who brings to his work a unique combination of frankness, clarity, empathy and insight.  His diverse experience includes helping individuals, organisations, government agencies and non-government organisations (NGO) throughout Australia to successfully resolve conflicts and disputes.

His practice in mediation, dispute resolution, negotiations and advocacy together with working in the construction industry as a master builder and work as a community organiser spans a period of some twenty years. The former Hostage Negotiation Team of the New York Police Department (NYPD) has trained Tony in hostage negotiation and crisis intervention.  He has undertaken advanced mediation training with the Global Negotiation and Insight Institute (GNII) (formerly of Harvard Law School Program on Negotiation.)

Tony is actively involved in promoting and advancing the efficacy of mediation and conflict resolution both at a national and international level, and holds positions on a number of International Organisations.  His work has taken him to engagements in the United States, Canada, England, Ireland and Malaysia. He works as a Conflict Coach bringing his expertise in the management of organisational conflict. His approach to addressing workplace conflict focuses on achieving cultural change in the way workplace conflicts and disputes are understood and managed.

What can Tony help you with?  What is Mediation?

Problems can be resolved before they escalate.

Workplace problems that are not solved have a way of growing into much bigger problems. With mediation, little problems can be resolved before the employee becomes so dissatisfied that he/she files a grievance or a lawsuit, and involves everyone else in the immediate workplace.

The content of the mediation is confidential.

The supervisor usually knows when an employee goes to mediation. However, no information about what was discussed in the mediation is given to anyone. The people being mediated also sign an agreement stating that they will keep the contents of the mediation confidential.

Parties are on an equal footing since mediators are neutral.

Sometimes when there is a dispute, one person feels less powerful than the other person. This could be due to rank (job title), length of service, educational level, size of person, or degree of aggression. The mediator does not allow anyone to feel intimidated and, therefore, mediation is a more comfortable process for solving conflict than some of the other processes.

Individuals are in charge of their own cases.

Mediators DO NOT determine the outcome of cases. The mediator just makes sure both people get a chance to be heard, in a respectful, non- judgmental way, and assists them in reaching their own solution.

There's nothing to lose by trying mediation.

Since any settlement agreement must be acceptable to BOTH people in the mediation, there is nothing to lose by trying it. If mediation does not result in an agreement, the person can still file a grievance or another form of conflict resolution.

Helps reduce feelings of hostility.

When a workplace conflict goes on for a long time, one or both people become resentful. They often stop communicating, or else communicate ineffectively. Each one may imagine that the other one does not like them, or wants to harm them in some way.   Mediation helps each one understand the other’s point of view.

Improves morale.

When there is a conflict or communication problem left unresolved, the morale of the employees involved, as well as the morale of other employees who work in the same area, suffers. Time is wasted complaining about problems. Once the mediation takes place, employees can spend less time and energy on the conflict, and enjoy doing their work.

Improves working relationships.

One need not socialize with co-workers if they choose not to do so. However, working relationships based on mutual respect are important in keeping employees happy and focused on their work. They are more likely to go the extra step to help a fellow employee when there’s a good working relationship.

Helps separate emotional issues from factual issues.

When two people in a conflict sit down with a neutral mediator, it is easier to focus on the facts of the dispute. Sometimes, when there is a long-standing conflict, the people begin to personally attack each other, rather than focus on finding a solution to the problem.

Promotes a Win-Win outcome.

In approximately 80% of mediation cases, both people involved say they are satisfied with the outcome and that their situation is improved. In other forms of dispute resolution, there is usually a “winner” and a “loser.” No one wants to be the “loser.”

 

 

---