newsletterJuly

“Wow, that was a big bump, hey Mum,” says my wide-eyed, excited child with no sense yet of his own mortality.

“Yes it was,” I reply, feigning delighted surprise, indulging in a comforting slurp of rum and coke. Quick centring technique learnt from Jeannie, then a launch into a long and complicated lecture on “meteorology” designed to explain those dreaded bumps and keep my own mind off the fact that I’m miles above the earth, encased like a sardine in a heavy metal box, thumbing its nose at gravity only on the whim of an engine or two, desperately trying not to pass on my phobia to my child (who is rolling his eyes at me and generally enjoying the bumpy ride).

Land of the Long White Cloud? Land of Sheer Jolly Terror with all those malevolent thermals, and I’m not even behind the wheel of a car yet and attempting to dodge the other, flamboyant, drivers.

Well, I understand the first two perfectly now, thanks to Jeannie and her fascinating seminar, and I have a good idea of how to identify them, cope with them and overcome them.

As you know, we began the development of this new seminar with Jeannie last year, and organised a popular and well attended Showcase in February 2007. Judging by the comments and interest in the subject, Stress & Anxiety suffered by employees is of growing concern within organisations today and Mindworks is now pleased to announce the launch of our new Seminar “Stress & Anxiety in the Workplace”. After months of fine-tuning and development we can now offer an educational, entertaining, helpful and fun session for you. This is so new, you heard it here first - the website update is still under construction, but we couldn't wait to tell you.

The wonderful Kit Ison and her enthusiastic team from Mission Australia Caboolture engaged Jeannie’s services at the end of June and we joined them for a fantastic day of learning and training at a beautiful venue (with incredible views over the Glass House Mountains – how on earth we got any work done, I don’t know) in Maleny.

Jeannie explained the difference between Stress and Anxiety and how to identify symptoms, not just within ourselves, but in our colleagues, family and friends.

And we learned who is most likely to suffer anxiety in an organisation and to make sure we know how to prevent it.

But it is one thing to identify Stress (plane travel) and Anxiety (roiling stomach, hyperventilating, grinning like a death mask trying to assure your child that Mummy is not scared, she’s just got wind), but quite another to address them and find an antidote – and apparently it’s not alcohol, go figure!

Jeannie ran us through a series of exercises designed to soothe the symptoms of Anxiety and panic attacks (Oh God, my glass is empty…..HOSTESS!), and reconnect with our own resources and banish “absent minded” living. What is this I hear you ask? Ah, well, you’ll have to engage Jeannie to find out!

Now we know the secrets to being present in our bodies, involving our senses (VAKT), being “still” and embracing laughter rather than “battening down the hatches” and preparing just to cope.

The pictures below attest to a great day and we thank Kit and her team for so thoroughly involving themselves in a fantastic day of learning, bonding and laughing.

If you would like to know more about this new seminar then please contact us and we can tailor it to your specific needs for a remarkable in-house workshop.

If your whole team is educated, they will certainly benefit from the information and work better together as a cohesive, caring, whole.

And me? Well, I managed to return from Aotearoa in one piece and will no doubt venture there again often in the future, as I have in the past. I do so love New Zealand and everyone is so friendly. And a silly plane phobia is not going to stop me enjoying myself – I’m planning a trip back to the UK next year to see family for the fifth time. Halfway around the world. By sky. In a flying truck. But from now on, I will be the master of my Anxiety over flying and will not let the Stress of travel manifest in a frenzied attack on the duty-free alcohol. I am now well armed against it, thanks to Jeannie.

Mind you, I just hope they keep the bar well stocked on the plane anyway – it’s nice to have a Plan B!

PS: Did you read the Mindworks Musing last newsletter? If so, you’ll recall my mentioning the Brain Training game from Nintendo. Well, I just wish I was getting commission on sales, we have had at least ten people that we know of rush out and buy one on the strength of that article and they love it. For those whose interest has been piqued – there’s now a second Brain Training programme available, released this month. Guess what I’m getting for my birthday in August…..

P.P.S. Are you interested in what Mindworks can offer your company, but would like to "try before you buy?" Our next Showcase/Morning Tea is scheduled for 27 July 2007- come along as our guest, bring a friend or colleague to experience Laurie's delivery first hand and get a sample of the Mindworks Magic! We guarantee you will be amazed and entertained!

P.P.P.S: Did you know that the average brain is made up of 77 to 78% water, 10 to 12% Lipids, 8% Protein, 1% Carbohydrates, 2% Soluable organic substances and 1% Inorganic salts? No wonder the hospital emergency rooms fill up during Full Moons - we're all suffering from tidal influence!

All has been a little quiet on the western front from Mindworks for some time due to continued problems with our database provider. We have now switched to a new company and this will be our first mailout with them. We ask for your patience if there are any little teething problems and will hopefully be able to continue to improve our newsletters, and their frequency, in the future.

And if you are new to the Mindworks Magic and enjoyed this mailout - we have past Newsletters archived on our Website for your perusal. Enjoy.

EVALUATION & RESULTS GRAPH

Change does not have to be feared, Mindworks can help you and your staff embrace change and move positively into the future - just ask us how.

"TRY BEFORE YOU BUY" SHOWCASE

Want to know what it's all about?

Come along and join us for a fun morning introducing you to Laurie Kelly and the Mindworks Magic.

27th July 2007 &

16th October 2007

We have been running these Showcases now for many years, and they are hugely popular and successful. Why?

Because you get to see Laurie doing what Laurie does best - for FREE!

AND, there is always a delicious Devonshire Tea and fruit platter for participants, just to add the icing to the cake.

Some of our happy March Attendees - after scones.

If you are looking for a Trainer or Conference Speaker, and are unsure as to whether they will deliver what you are seeking for your company, then this is a terrific (and delicious) way to investigate and test out someone new.

You are under no obligation to book Mindworks afterwards - it is a fun morning, our gift to you as well as a chance to check out a new venue you might not have used before.

Please feel free to pass this newsletter on to anyone you know who might benefit from receiving it or who might like to come along to one of our Showcases.

Just call us on 3289 4977 or email: info@mindworksteam.com.au

to book your seat - and bring a friend, the more the merrier.

QUINTESSENTIAL QUOTATIONS

"It is easy to sit up and take notice. What is difficult is getting up and taking action."

Al Butt

No "buts" about it, the man speaks the truth! (sorry, really bad pun definitely intended)

Want to motivate your staff? Speak to us!

CREATING THE THINKING ENVIRONMENT

"HOW TO THINK CREATIVELY" or "HOW TO BRAINSTORM IN INNOVATIVE WAYS" or "WAYS TO IMPRINT HIGHER LEVEL LEARNING"...

Call it what you will, but this Seminar, run by Eric Frangenheim, is one of the best on offer to provide you with fresh, new, innovative ways to “think outside the square” and ensure your content material is truly understood and absorbed by your audience. Eric has been running these highly successful and much loved seminars for Mindworks for some years now, and participants leave raving about their newly acquired skills and how much they will instantly benefit from them. Here is what some of our clients had to say recently:

“Thanks Eric for presenting a stimulating, thought provoking and interactive day.” – Kathleen Teasdale, Education Queensland

“Invaluable in providing ideas that assist in involving all staff when input and decisions are crucial. It also assisted in understanding various learning behaviours and when to use them. I really enjoyed the interaction of the groups and also the art in getting groups to do all the work while the facilitator “sat back and enjoyed a coffee.”

“I will be recommending that other staff in my area attend future sessions.”

“All of it was amazing, it was SO adaptable to almost any industry I couldn’t believe it! And we have already commenced working it into our daily training schedule. Thanks Guys!” – Bradley Nelson, Mission Australia

“The different options on brainstorming were most beneficial – we usually do the old sit around the table with butchers paper and a scriber and discuss. The tools that were given will help to make it fun, interesting, everyone will feel involved as well as delve down and come up with some really good brainstorming.”

We have a seminar due to be run on the 4th August 2007 so consider booking your staff (and yourself) in today – you will be glad you availed yourself of Eric’s entertaining day, packed full of techniques and tools that you can instantly incorporate into your own workplace.

(All our public courses are $350 per participant which includes welcome tea/coffee, morning & afternoon teas, lunch and take home workbook covering the days programme.

Training and facilitating requires a knowledge of how to target your audience for best reception & understanding of your material. Our "Maximise Your Training Impact" workshop is a proven success. It's a highly popular seminar, aimed at increasing your "toolbox" and ensuring you have an understanding of your audience's learning abilities, and the accompanying techniques to make your presentations worthwhile, effective and enjoyable.

This is a must for Cert. IV holders to "add value" to their existing qualifications, and for anyone who is regularly presenting material to groups of trainees or learners in any capacity.

Our last group of attendees in June enjoyed themselves immensely and took away a vast array of new skills and understanding of how to ‘maximise their training impact’ on their training groups – as the photos below testify. We love to see lots of happy, smiling faces - it means they're engaged and learning.

Laurie has run a number of these courses publicly and in-house again this year and here is what some of our lovely clients had to say:

WOW. A sensory overload, or should I say “party”. Thank you for an awesome day. My expectations were exceeded. – Dayle Marino, Brisbane Domestic Violence Advocacy Service

An excellent course. Well done – it was interesting, fun and I learnt heaps. – Tina Joyce, Business Excellence Officer, Caboolture Shire Council

I found this course very practical, very non-confrontational, fun and I found that I didn’t look at my watch in between breaks once!! – Anon

Strategies offered were practical and applicable to a variety of contexts. – Cheryl White, Senior Project Officer, Education Queensland

The best training course I’ve been to! Second day would be beneficial. – Michelle Thurecht, Asset Management System Officer, Caboolture Shire Council

Lots of relevant information that is easy to digest and remember. Laurie is a great Mind Chef. – Gabriel Kaszab, Trainer, Australia Post.

Very informative – everyone will pick up a new tool for their training tool kit. – John Wieck, Senior Technical Trainer, Ergon Energy

One of the best courses I’ve attended – learnt so many helpful skills to boost my own training skills. - Sue King, Training Advisor, Queensland Transport

I found Laurie’s presentation to be very complimentary to Eric’s and think they’d be great if run closely together. – Bryn Dolan, Senior Project Officer, Education Qld.

Laurie’s engaging style and practical content continue to improve my capability and inspire better levels of performance of my craft. – Gregg Goriss, Change Consultant, Supreme Connections

The course has helped me to create ideas for delivering information in a different style to allow for participants to gain a greater self worth. – Tracey Elleray

Come along to our Public Workshop on the 21st September 2007 and join us for a fun day of exceptional training - we "train the trainer" to be "even better". Book NOW!!

If you've already experienced this seminar with Laurie, we would love you to pass on your recommendation and comments to your colleagues - as I've said before, 95% of our business is via word of mouth promotion & recommendation!

(All our public courses are $350 per participant which includes welcome tea/coffee, morning & afternoon teas, lunch and take home workbook covering the days programme. Discounts available for group bookings.)

Seriously, the FMM Sessions are wonderful – I wish that I could convince more people within my two Agencies to attend.

Feedback from my troops suggest that it is one of the best training days they have ever attended in terms of learning and inspiration.

The Team is really energised. I just hope that I can keep pace with them now!! Ohh! What have I done!!

We decided to place a few reminders around the office walls. Copies of the wall plaques are attached FYI.

No copyright I hope!! The Team is really enthusiastic about keeping the energy going.

The WARNING is placed on the door to our office space – and is attracting a lot of attention. The Team just love explaining it to the non-converted. Several meetings through the week, team members challenged each others’ assumptions, and the “but it might not be true” phase is becoming a bit of a catch cry at the moment. So your magic seems to be working. Hope you enjoy the wall plaques – we do!! It’s always a pleasure doing business with the Mindworks Team. Keep up the good work.

Peruse our “Menu for the Mind” - developed for those that organise national (and international – Laurie LOVES flying) conferences and who are looking for a dynamic speaker that can really make an audience sit up and take notice.

Consider booking Laurie to open your conference, or to provide a break-out workshop guaranteed to make a difference and capture your delegates’ motivation and enthusiasm. Laurie is an experienced Keynote speaker and will captivate and enthral your attendees.

Book him for 2008 now and make sure you don’t miss out on making your conference “even better”. Want to know how good he is? Come along to one of our Showcases and find out for yourself....

Hi Laurie, I wanted to send you my heartfelt thanks for helping me see a better way. I attended your "possibility thinking" workshop in Rockhampton at the Oral Health Conference. I had already read and participated in a few activities in the past along the same lines as what you presented, but I obviously had slipped back into unhealthy thought patterns and had 'lost my way' so to speak! All of the new information and techniques you taught have just cemented a deeper commitment from me to stay on track. I am reminded everyday about CVS to BVS (thanks for the stickers) and each morning my daughter and I do PACE and the TV doesn't go on straight away!

It was your presentation that sparked this whole shift in me and I've been 'riding the wave' since then. New opportunities are opening up and it is so easy to get up out of bed these days and enjoy my life. Once again my sincere thanks Laurie. (name withheld for privacy reasons)

During a “Maximise Your Training Impact” course, we touch a little on the wonders of Mind-mapping and suggest everyone investigate this marvellous technique.

It’s fantastic for developing creative ways of learning and remembering information in a pattern of connected ideas. Here's how:

This is a fantastic tool for students struggling with study – use it, and cut your study time in half.