There’s a great show on TV at the moment, Tuesday nights 7.30pm on GEM, it’s called Secret Millionaire. I’ve watched the British version before so I was surprised to stumble across the encore episode of the Australian version on our screen.

Each week a millionaire leaves the glitz and comforts of their life to go live and work in a low socio-economic community, they are given only $20 a day to spend. During that week they volunteer with different community groups and become a part of the networks that support the people who are in cycle of tragedy. It’s one of those shows where you get a lump in your throat and are guaranteed tears in every episode.

Sitting in my home with most creature comforts, I begin to realise how much I have, and how much of it I don’t need! We all have complaints in life; “I don’t earn enough”, “my partner doesn’t listen me”, “if only I had a bigger house, a bigger yard, a better car”.

Our list of wants can go on and on but when you meet or watch people with less than you have, with children who have debilitating diseases or most appropriately this week, those that have lost everything in a flood, you all of a sudden realise how amazing your average life in suburbia really is!! By the end of this show these millionaires have to decide how best to use their money to intervene in these precious lives. Yesterday’s millionaire was a young lady, at the start of the show this is what she said “I give; not because I have, but because I’m human”.

This is exactly what we have witnessed these last few weeks from the local, state, national and international community – they’ve given. We are into the 4th week of the flood tragedy here in Queensland and watched so many emotional stories of people losing their loved ones, seen the footage of landmarks under water, watched large amounts of debris float effortlessly down streets and have heard of those that have lost all their possessions. People from all walks of life have given what they could.

Sadly this weather pattern has hit so many areas including NSW, Victoria and now in Tasmania. We had a call from one of our children in Tasmania telling us of the floods in Railton and towns being evacuated last week and over the weekend. It will be a time in our lives that will be part of history.

How wonderful are Queenslanders and Australians. Seeing that queue of 10,000 volunteers ready at the help for others in need. What a wonderful spirit we have as a community. So many of Amovita’s clients and my colleagues have been caught in the flood tragedy. So many people emailing and texting us to ask for help, counseling staff, being at the ready for the after affects of this event. In a way we can all be Secret Millionaire’s giving our time, resources and support. These are the times where a hug and pat on the back can go a long way.

On the news this morning a beautiful child in Goodna was putting out the word that she has commenced a quest for Santa to return to Goodna and she is donating some of her Christmas presents to other children in her area that have lost all their presents because of the flood. Lets come up with as many creative ideas as we can to get others back on their feet as quickly as possible.

How proud are we to be Queenslanders and Australians.

Image’s
1. Sandbags of Love – Kelvin Grove, Sheena Jamieson
2. Flood Indicator at New Farm, Sebastian Sanchez
3. Brisbane’s Story Bridge – Bruce Kirkland

Welcome to 2011.

Like so many others I have watched with horror the events unfolding throughout Queensland with the floods. We probably all know someone who has been affected by this weather event. I certainly have. Like so many other Queenslanders we were looking forward to getting away for a few days break over the Christmas period, however our neighbours braved the weather and reported once they returned early – Don’t Go! Sound advice really, so we remained bunkered down and did some renovating instead! This smart snake managed to get himself about the water and hold on tight. It’s hard to imagine the level of water we have received since before Christmas. What a shame we are unable to have a big water switch that turns it off now that our dams are full.

The floods are a reminder of how mother nature continually surprises us. It is also a reminder of how we as a community reach out to those in need when they need it the most. It’s amazing how those who are right in the grips of the flood still continue to give, open their homes, feed those without access to food, round up livestock, give give give. It’s a reminder of how selfless people can be at the most difficult time even when they do not have a lot themselves.

What is in store for you in 2011. Work, family, friends, leisure time, exercise, sleep, study and the list goes on. Can you make space for other things like giving back to the community, to someone in need or become a patron or member of a Board.

1. Attitude of Gratitude

Stand on the ‘balcony of life’. Think about your level of gratefullness! What are the great things that are in your life, what has treated you well. It may be work, friends or family. When we think positively and are really truly grateful for the things in our life that serve us well, we create a new sense of thinking, a new outlook. The deeper we feel this sense our body releases different hormones and reactive responses to others around us.

2. Negative No Go Zone

It is really easy to participate in negative conversations with others without even realising it. Make a pact with yourself this year to stay in the no go zone of negative discussion. Hang around positive people. Seek out other positive people in the workplace. If you are in an organisation or position that is not conducive to supporting you, rethink where you need to be.

3. Goal Development

What goals would you like to achieve this year. Personal goals, financial goals, job goals, relationship, strategic, etc. Individual and family goals. Setting goals gives us something to strive for, to focus on and gives a sense of purpose.

4. Who Else

Who else could do with your positive disposition, your energy, your giving of your time or resources. Teach your children how to give of themselves and their time to others as well. Create a future where the next generation know how to engage an attitude of gratitude.

5. Re Assess

Are you where you really want to be? The question is if not why not? Your journey and destiny is in your hands. The only person that can change how you think, what you do, how you respond is you. You! Take time out to reflect what is important for you, your life, what you really want to get out of this year.

Here is to a dry Queensland in the not too distant future and to a great year that is truly satisfying for you.

Kids are often caught in the middle of parents during and after separation. Parents are often dealing with their own grief, anger, loss and trying to manage the major changes that come with separation and are unable to see the impact that all of this has on the children. There is often point scoring over the children with the demand of shared care between both parents, often hostility towards each other and children’s needs and wishes are lost in the noise. There is resistance to work in together to ensure that children are not traumatised more permanently or internalise feelings that often then later present as challenging behaviours.

We well know that the current legislation surrounding shared care focuses on parents having quality time with their children post separation and this is so important for children and young people. However in a study undertaken by Dr Jennifer McIntosh that looked at shared care arrangements over a four year period, we now know that only about 40 percent of shared care arrangements are working well. It is vital that parents work together in a positive parenting alliance to ensure that children remain attached to both parents, they feel supported and stable to ensure they develop emotionally well. Many children and young people are presenting for counselling at an early age with anxiety and depressive states due to the continuance of high conflict between parents during the relationship and post separation. This is a telling tale. It is vital that we continue to discuss the impacts of children during separation and divorce to curb the tide of mental illness as they grow into adulthood.

Parents are the most important tool in this equation. It is vital that we provide parents up to date from the latest research on the impacts of separation and divorce on children, how to ensure they focus on the children emotionally in such situations, understand how their children develop through the different stages and ages as they grow and equip them with the tools to remain child focused as they ‘battle’ to rebuild their own lives and those of their children. The picture is not great is it, however this is seriously real!! Children have to mould themselves to suit their parents, they are often not equipped with the words or skills to let their parents know what the impact is on them.

Another perspective are those children whose parents have never lived with each  other. Just because these children have not lived in the same family home with both parents, we cannot say the  impact is lesser than those who do. These children have no history of both parents together, they often do not  have the same family supports around them and are impacted greatly by having to juggle the needs of both  parents. This typology of family system also sees children present with anger issues, internalised feelings and  stress, externalised challenging behaviours and a feeling of self blame. They can find it difficult to hold secure  attachments, present with anxiety and other depressive symptoms just like children where both parents have  lived together. We also often see one parent disengage with their child/ren as it is all too hard to keep it  together. This only adds to the trauma for that child/ren and impacts greatly on their future relationships and  attachments. They can experience loneliness, hypervigilent behaviours and find it too difficult to trust others  developing co-dependent behaviours.

Having a meaningful relationship with both parents where they as Dr McIntosh suggests build a parental alliance that scaffolds the child/ren onto a secure bridge between the two is the most effective way to ensure that children and young people develop emotionally well and learn the necessary skills for adulthood. It is vital that both parents remain present and active in their children’s lives putting aside their own hurts and defences to ensure their child/ren feel loved and supported.

The key to a meaningful relationship with children is not to be fixated on a schedule. This leaves children feeling like a clock, they are just seen as time for both parents. Having to set up their belongings at both houses, often not being able to take clothes and their favourite things between mum and dad’s house can be distressing and causes anxiety. Many parents make their children change clothes before they go to the other parents house, again adding to the trauma of having to feel like allocated time in each house. Children and young people need different things at different developmental stages in their life. What they need as a baby is to have a primary care giver and spend quality time with the other parent. What a child needs at preschool age is different to primary and high school age and then again different at adolescent age. What they do need though is two parents that can engage appropriately with each other and without the continuance of high conflict putting their differences aside and become child focused. Your children are your children for life no matter what so carving them up in timeslots is not the way to go if you want them to develop as normally as possible given the separation, divorce and conflict that comes with this.

One of the most effective ways to ‘inoculate’ children during and post separation of their parents is to involve them in the process. By this I mean engaging in a positive process supporting children to see a qualified professional who works with your child/ren throughout the differing stages of the separation. This also applies if you have been separated for some time and you think the children are travelling well.  This is where a social worker or psychologist meets with the sibling group and then individually with each child to assess the impacts of the separation or divorce. The professional engages with the child/ren to assess how they are coping with the change, their own grief, loss, anger and sadness.Feedback session/s are provided to the parents where children can be appropriately and loudly heard as to what the impacts are on them.

With the changes to the Family Law Act couples now are required to engage in mediation prior to going to court and parents have the positive power to engage children in ‘Child Informed Mediation’. Again this is where the experiences of your children are included in the process and the mediator works with the child/ren and then provides the parents with feedback.

Child informed mediation provides parents with a unique view of what is occurring from their child/ren’s perspective and from their experiences and feelings. The wishes and feelings of the child/ren are sometimes unable to be heard due to the continuance of high conflict or no discussion at all between the parents. When parents engage in child informed mediation the results can be very positive for all members of the family. The mediator is well equipped to provide relevant feedback in a positive and proactive way so parents can really take a different path to change the pattern of conflict, change how children feel about being ‘allocated time’ and learn how to develop strategies to change the path of their child/rens future. A place where children can grow into healthy adults, secure, lessen the risk of mental illness, co-dependency and feel confident and secure in themselves.

Let’s all be proactive in our approach to support children and parents during and post separation. Parents cannot do this alone, together as families and professionals we can develop our children for the future to lessen the risk of repeating the same patterns and assisting them to feel safe and secure

Having never travelled very far it was with a mixture of excitement and wonder about what Fiji was going to be like. I travelled there recently for a wedding and business.  I have seen poverty before having worked in the sector for many years and seeing lots of people who have experienced homelessness. What I was not prepared for was the poverty that I came to face to face almost immediately after stepping off the plane. It was right there, not tucked away somewhere having to go and look for it like a mirage on the distant horizon. It was right there laid bare like a wound open and bleeding at our feet.

So the question was, what were we to do to make a difference whilst we were there! We talked to maximised their  meagre earnings through the generosity of tourists. If you have travelled overseas to those places that are bound by poverty you will well understand the plight of the local people and also know they are often the most happiest people around.

The Fijian people are always smiling and happy. The thing that struck me the most being a people person, I would walk up the hallways of where we were staying and say good morning to those that I passed. Most looked at me in almost shock that I was saying good morning and would look straight away as if to say I am on holiday please don’t talk. When coming across a local they would be most happy to greet you with a huge smile and a good morning or Bulla!!

Why is our society this way where we have lost the way in being kind to each other, find the positive in the other person and find positive ways of engaging with each other even if a stranger in the street. We have so much in comparison with other communities. Usually we have a car to get around with, when in Fiji most of the locals walk between villages and often to the side of the road which is full of pot holes and partial bitumen. We have on average more than adequate roads and in Brisbane especially there are more road works that we care to imagine.   Most of the shops we went into had bars over the windows, had bits and pieces of lino on the floor and bars between the shop keeper and the customer. Here we enjoy freedom. Here we enjoy choice in many of the things we do in our lives.

It is good to be grateful each day for what we have. It is good to be positive about those around you both in your personal and professional lives. It is good to think about how to lend a hand to someone who is less fortunate. We are often so busy that this does not come into our minds. Let’s be aware of those around us that could do with a hand or hand out and lets be gracious in our giving to others in our community. Every little bit helps. Serelino in the bottom left photo is a local on the coral coast of Fiji and works 6 days a week for his local village. He is a legend! He conducts tours through his local village to the local waterfall where tourists can enjoy local fruits and produce. He typifies the local Fijian culture of being grateful for the little they have in their local village in resources and shelter, but make up for in family and connectedness.

Tracey

I ask you the question, are you getting traction?    I hear you say, what on earth is she on about!!!!

A very good question. Are you getting traction?

One of my major goals this year has been to exercise more, work a little less and stick to a routine of becoming fitter and healthier.

So I joined a gym and started working out with a personal trainer. I began to eat better, drink more water and drag myself out of bed early of a morning to meet with the trainer or do other exercise. I bought myself a pushy, skipping rope and a set of boxing gloves. I remember turning up at the gym one morning and proudly announcing to my trainer, ‘I have just ridden 10km, isn’t that great!!’ to which he replied, well that’s ok, but 20km needs to be a minimum.

That’s not really getting traction!!!!!

So what did I do?

Yep you guessed it, rode a minimum of 20km the next time.

My Scott bike now takes me many more km’s over the course of a week. Determination became the name of the game. My bike and I have become very good friends. I developed a positive routine of meeting with the trainer twice a week and on the other days, mixing my exercise regime with riding, jogging and going to the gym.

It was tough in the beginning, there were times I didn’t think I was going to draw another breath. But as we know when you do get traction and stick to the routine, it does get a little easier and it can be fun – at times! I must say to make it a little more easier I did change the seat for a gel seat – perfect!

I have finished with the trainer for now and still enjoy the exercise and my health is so much better.

Getting traction is about MOVING every day, every day and not missing one day in the week. I won’t say I move every week, every day, however I MOVE, mostly every day.

I particularly enjoy exercising first thing in the morning, it is such a beautiful sight to see the sun rise over the water, see all the other people out starting their day in the same way and meeting with my first client for the day in a refreshed and happy manner.

The thing that amazes me is the number of older people out swimming and walking at that hour of the morning. In the warmer weather there are lots of older people in the pool walking and swimming. They are a great example to the rest of us and enjoy a good morning chat, offer a smile and off they go.

We live in a very fast paced society and exercise is one of life’s great gifts.  There are more factors in our lives that contribute and cause stress. We eat more processed food, fruit that has been stored for up to 12 months prior to being eaten and more time sitting behind desks and in front of the  computer.

Some have even suggested that we are generally up to 100 times more likely to have increased stressors than the previous two generations,  working longer hours, lack of balance in our lives and virtually no down  time to allow our bodies to heal, de-stress and re-align.

There are many reasons as to why we may not be GETTING TRACTION in our lives and the impact of stress is a big one.

Your body releases hormones and cortisol which helps regulate blood pressure and assists to fight stress. If we go for long periods of time where stress is present and there is virtually no relaxation time, then parts of our body including the adrenal glands have to work over time and this in turn reduces metabolism.

If you are exercising and working to be healthy and not reducing the stressors then this can impact on you and lessen the opportunity in GETTING TRACTION.

When the body is under stress, hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol make our hearts beat faster, increases blood pressure and impacts on our digestive system.

I think we are getting the picture!

How do you evaluate the level of stress in your life and how you are GETTING TRACTION?

High Stress

You may fall into this category if you experiencing a lot of colds or the flu, taking stress or sick leave from work. You may feel like you are taking your work home. There is not enough time for regular exercise. Things can feel overwhelming at times and out of control. Sleep routine can be less than adequate and you may be skipping meals or drinking a lot of coffee or tea. If any or a combination of these things ring true for you, you may be in a high stress category and probably time to think about making some changes, before it is too late. Getting Traction is urgent.

Medium Stress

Find it difficult at times to relax. You are able to shut off from work most of the time. You dream a lot. Have smaller children or teenagers living at home. Normal life’s pressures impact and have an accumulative effect. You do get a break at times, but not regularly. You do not exercise on a regular basis, but do manage to squeeze in sessions at times. You are conscious that your health and wellbeing could be better. You do manage to GET TRACTION at times, however you fall off the band wagon and then get back on, fall off, get back on. GETTING TRACTION is important for you to maintain a positive life.

Low Stress

You will generally fall into this category if you do see that taking care of your health and well being is important. You are pretty determined to keep the routine in your life most of the time. You will have developed a good sleeping regime, eat adequately, stay away from coffee and tea. You have minimal work and relationship stress, communicate well and have a positive attitude and disposition. You are likely to laugh often and surround yourself with positive people. GETTING TRACTION is not important, it is about MAINTAINING TRACTION that is important for you.

So there is one thing for sure, GETTING TRACTION is vital for good health and wellbeing. It is important in maintaining a positive attitude and living the best life you can possibly live.

It’s your life, what are you currently doing with it?

Tracey

Do you have a life? Think just for a minute – what sort of life do you have? mmmmm. How would you answer these questions?

Do you have a life that is overcrowded?

Do you truly understand what the work/life balance phenomenon is all about?

Do you feel inspired and motivated by the life you are leading?

Aren’t these all relevant questions to ask ourselves. We certainly could ask many more, I think we are getting the theme of what this blog is about.

I certainly have never been busier in my life than the last year. I guess upon reflection I say that every year. So how come that happens? For me, I am an extrovert. So with that often comes the notion that life is for living, exploring, enjoying and I certainly don’t want to miss out on the great opportunities that come every day, week, month and year.

So what is your life like? Are you so busy and entrenched in the overbalancing act that you have forgotten the little things. Like marveling at the simple things in life?  The smile on your child’s face when you walk through the door from a very busy day too tired to talk? The longing look on your partner’s face to capture a precious moment with you when you are busy with something else.

Yes at times we all don’t notice our child’s face or our partners longing look!!!

Well done for reading this blog, it will get you thinking about the overbalance rather than the in-balance in your life. Keep reflecting as you read on!

In thinking about over balance, the person that comes to mind is my late father. He was an inspiration to me. He was a hard working business man who started Alpha Electrics with his brother in Burnie Tasmania.

They as two young men had a dream, believed in the skills they had and went for it. They were electric motor rewinders.  As children our families worked together to put the sweat and tears into helping build the workshop and it became a thriving family business.  Dad was a success. Not only was he a success he was a well respected man in the community. He was an inspiration to many others for his achievements.

He loved to play a round of golf every now and again and some Friday nights we could be found at the Burnie Golf Club and our treat was a glass of lemonade and a packed of bbq chips, life was great.

Dad was viewed by many as a hard worker, but he may well be considered a workaholic if he were alive today. Looking back he certainly was! He worked long hours and sometimes 7 days a week to meet the demands of the business. There were many times where we would not see him for a few days at a time, but took it in our stride.

Sadly he died young, at 42. He had a huge funeral. People came from far and wide to celebrate a man that was going to be sadly missed.

So what was it all for!  I am sure you know of someone who was also hard working, doing the best for their family, and passed away well before their time. I am sure we have at one time or another said to ourselves, so what was it all for?  Great question?

What ever your life means to you, maybe it’s a good time coming up to mid year to do a review…..

How do you know if your life is overbalanced?

1. Feeling flustered and overwhelmed with all the things on your plate. This could be both at work juggling all the tasks and things you need to complete, deadlines, the amount of emails that come across your desk every day, other work demands. You may feel with the additional things like children, grandchildren, sporting commitments, partner commitments at times it is all too much to cram into one day.

2. Feeling too busy or not busy enough. Life for some people has no purpose or meaning as they are going too slow…

3. Feeling negative thoughts, emotions and feelings. Feeling negative towards other people for no real reason at all. Communicating inappropriately, being overly snappy. Frustration at the driver in front of you on the road that is going too slow, does not indicate etc. Not hanging around with positive and inspiring people.

4. Not sleeping properly. Not getting enough hours sleep for what you know your health and body needs.

5. No real exercise to speak of. Falling off the exercise wagon and frustrated with yourself for doing so.

6. Overcommiting to things. Agreeing to things for people and not giving enough time for other things.

7. FUN – Fun – Fun. No fun to speak of, not a lot of laughing, I mean a good belly laugh – yes we all need a good laugh often to remain healthy.

These are all indicators that your life is overbalanced. It can be very difficult at times to even find the time to start tacking some of these things. It is only when there is a crisis or something else happens that we are forced to take stock and do something proactive.

LONG TERM EFFECTS OF OVERBALANCE

We all know what these are. Where do I start!

Headaches

Skin conditions

Dry hair

Upset stomach

Dietary issues

Insomnia

Anxiety

Depression

Other mental health issues

Isolation

Phobias

Irritability

The longer you live with these the longer they will take to fix entirely.

SO WHAT DO I DO

Everyone knows themselves what to do, so is it time to make some change. Well with any change comes the small steps and then the larger steps come.

1. Discrepancy

With any change the first thing that needs to occur is recognising there is a discrepancy with what is happening in your life and where you really want to be. Acknowledgement that something needs to be different. The pain of staying where you are is greater than the change you need to make. So the question is…. is there a discrepancy that you can see in your life?

2. Ambivalence

Will I, won’t I.   I would like to … but….    Have you ever heard yourself saying those things. I certainly have. Thank goodness I usually overcome the ambivalence because the change is needed. What ambivalence do you have right now? Will you, won’t you……

3. Commitment

Being committed to what you would like to achieve is part of the challenge really. Stickability, resilience and determination are all things that are about being committed to what you want to change, what you want to achieve.. You will need to have the right mix of motivation so that your change is lasting. How important is it for you to make the changes you would like to. Take the chance, you will start to lessen the overwhelm, the sick feeling in the stomach, a small step is all you need to take, be committed.

4. It’s a Journey

Small steps lead to bigger things, small goals lead to big achievements. Take your time. When you think of seeing changes think of 12 week blocks of time. Review your achievements in 12 week timeframes. It works, really does! Congratulate yourself in some way. Then off you go again!

5. Self Talk

What is your self talk like? What are your thoughts like – could they be more positive. We tend to think negative thoughts when we are overbalanced. Pull yourself up when you hear negative self talk. Treat yourself with respect – think and talk positively. When you think positively, you will start to feel more positive and you are more likely to behave and act positively towards yourself and others. Retraining your thoughts is a gift to yourself. A real life gift.

6. Think about what in-balance means for you

Overbalance and in-balance means something different to each and every one of us. When you decide what this means for you will you then be able to take slightly bigger steps towards in-balance. Visualise what you would like things to look like. Mantra’s really work. At a particular point in your day, stand in the fresh air and say out aloud what you are grateful for. Really works after a while.

7. Action

Take action, don’t let another day go by before you put some of the things we are talking about into place. Procrastination is a killer! Being immobile and not taking action today no matter how small will not get you to the place you want to be.

8. Accountable

If you believe you are not reliable and accountable to yourself, then get someone else to do that for you. Someone to give you a call or follow up on a regular basis. Accountability crushes procrastination – yippee you are on your way. Embrace your accountable person, they are not there to bug you, they are there to support you and keep you on track, remember small steps lead to bigger ones, they will come.

How about put together your own list to follow. What would you include? What are you going to choose first? Pick up your own discrepancies and think about the actions to take.

WHAT CAN YOU DO TODAY?

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO TODAY?

WHAT ARE YOU PUTTING OFF AND WHY?

I look forward to your feedback

Tracey

Looking back over the last month, it has been another busy one with many achievements and we have had the privilege of working with many individuals, families and organisations.

Thank you to everyone who has attend one of our presentations over the last month, there has been some great feedback about the content and information that can be taken back to the workplace.

This blog focuses on:

Our CEO’s DG, Business Leaders and Senior Managers Retreat

Feature Article on professional supervision in the Workplace

Introducing Rebecca Stephens

This month’s article is on providing professional supervision to staff in your workplace so I hope you enjoy it. Before we talk about supervision, I would like to reflect on is the great effort displayed by Tony Abbot in completing the grueling Australian Ironman marathon recently.

A 42 km run, 3.8km swim and then a 180km bike ride.

I laugh to myself as I managed to run a mere 9km one morning this week at the gym after 64.41 minutes, so nothing in comparison to Tony’s effort, but boy was I happy to get to the end of the 9km.

Did you know last year in Australia there were 1 million cars sold and over 1.4 million push bikes. Yes I gave into this earlier this year and bought a bike and now make the regular trek of many many kms on a regular basis.

My wonderfully positive personal trainer burst my bubble when I proudly announced upon the purchase of the bike that I had rode 10km to his response of – ‘it needs to be at least 20km’.

So what do I do…… do a minimum of 20km!!

There is so much more to work/life balance than just the work and leisure perspective.

• Do you feel tired a lot of the time?
• Do you experience aches, pains and lethargy?
• Do you have a problem with getting a good nights sleep?
• Do you understand what tips your health out of balance?

Many of us do not really know what tips ‘the self’ out of balance, it can be an emotional response such as holding anger, it can be living a very busy life or a life that is not busy enough, but the question remains….. as Christopher Howard says - we can choose what to move towards and what we move away from.

Happy reading and look out for our next newsletter.

Check out the range of services and programs that Amovita offers through our website www.amovita.com.au

INTRODUCING REBECCA STEPHENS

Amovita Consulting is pleased to welcome Rebecca Stephens to the team.

Rebecca comes to Amovita with a wealth of experience both here in Australia and internationally. She has worked extensively with organisations to develop tailored training programs across a number of key topic areas.

Rebecca has a Bachelor of Social Work and a Masters in Education and training.

Rebecca will be providing a range of services and programs through Amovita including:

For organisations and businesses

• Professional practice supervision
• Team development programs
• Workplace Counselling (EAP)
• Training and facilitation
• Speaking events
• Organisational development and planning

For individuals, couples and families

• Counselling
• Family therapy
• Relationship skill development

To book an appointment or speaking event with Rebecca email info@amovita.com.au

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TRAINING

Our training program has commenced for the year.

Amovita conducted training in a number of key topic areas in March that included:

• High performance professional supervision
• Mediation for successful outcomes in the workplace
• Understanding professional boundaries
• How to master working with challenging clients

Training to be conducted in April:

• Professional Supervision for high performance
• Undertaking quality case management in human and community services
• Understanding professional boundaries
• High Performance in the workplace

To enquire about any of our training programs email info@amovita.com.au or check out the training calendar on our website under training - www.amovita.com.au

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PROFESSIONAL SUPERVISION

Just imagine what it would be like if you introduced new skills and more positive thinking into your workplace that could create a whole new feeling and way of working?

One of the most effective ways to do that is through professional supervision.

Whether you are a manager, CEO, Director General, General Manager, Coordinator or Director introducing professional supervision in to the workplace is a smart move!

This months article focuses on this very topic -

THE IMPORTANCE OF HIGH PERFORMANCE THROUGH PROFESSIONAL SUPERVISION IN THE WORKPLACE

Spread The Word?

You are welcome to use this months article on professional supervision or pass onto others. If you do please include a link to Amovita’s website www.amovita.com.au titled

Amovita Consulting is a leading speaker and provider of professional supervision. Their presentations are engaging and interactive where participants are provided with a range of skills and tools to conduct supervision for high performance.

Amovita also external supervision for many professionals from human services, private and corporate businesses, government and non-government.

So what is professional supervision?

Professional supervision is a professional process whereby a supervisor or manager with the delegated authority directs, coordinates, enhances, supports, guides and evaluates the one job performance of the employee (Kadushin 1985).

Supervision is central to the development and maintenance of high standards in the workplace. The purpose of supervision is to facilitate competent, independent practices of the worker in a supportive and positive environment (AASW 2000)

Supervision is about having one on one time with your staff on a regular basis to provide support, check how they are going in their role, discuss professional development opportunities, evaluate performance and set goals.

Ideally for supervision to work at its optimum, it needs to be linked into the performance framework process.

This includes linking to the annual appraisal process as well.

We all know that having the annual appraisal process can often be meaningless and sits to the side of how we actually work in our role.

Ensuring that the two processes interlink and are not mutually exclusive of each other suddenly ensures that the annual appraisal process can provide valuable information for future planning and past performance.

So what are the benefits of ensuring your staff have supervision on a regular basis?

There are many benefits for your staff, the organisation and clients for all employees to have the opportunity to engage in professional supervision.

1.  It ensures the employee is clear about their role, responsibility and is accountable for the work they are engaged in

2.  Provides appropriate support and acts as a forum in which the employee feels valued and  appreciated in their role

3.  Develops and maintains a positive environment that promotes high performance in the workplace

4.  Reduces stress, manages workload and facilitates communication

5.  Assesses the need for professional development and training

6.  Lower staff turnover and higher retention rates

7.  Assists to reduce the number of sick leave days in the workplace

8   Enables employees to reflect on their work, performance, clients and goals

9.  Promotes a high performance mindset in the workplace

Given the pressures on organisations, lack of time and never ending deadlines, if supervision is to be part of normal business, there are a number of things that need to be in place.

1.  A Clear Supervision Policy

Any supervision policy needs to be clear, detailed in intent and map to the performance framework such as the annual appraisal process. Setting out the topic headings in the policy will ensure that it is easy to follow, staff can use it to guide them in the supervision process and it is a positive tool to be referred to.

Having clear definitions within the policy document is also useful and you may include defintiions on supervision, supervisee, supervision framework, professional, clinical etc.

The policy would include other information about expectations, confidentiality, roles and responsibilities, how issues in supervision will be dealt with in supervision.

2. Booked Regularly

We often hear that when things get busy in the workplace the first thing to drop off is support of staff through supervision. Unless supervision is in the diary on a regular and consistent basis it will drop off, so ensure that it is given the importance it really needs to have.

3. Linked to Performance

Professional supervision is most effective when it is linked to performance. Many organisations I work with engage staff in supervision that is clearly linked to the annual appraisal process. This ensures that supervision is meaningful and the annual appraisal which can often be boring and meaningless just to get some goals on paper will now become far more effective.

4. Training

Ensure that there professional supervision training is offered to both supervisors and supervisees in the workplace. Amovita often runs training presentations for both and we can tailor supervision training to meet the needs of your organisation or business. Professional development is very important but even more importantly is being able to ensure that the training is integrated back into the workplace. Measuring its effectiveness is vital for the organisation and the staff who attended.

5. The Right Culture

For any organisation or staff member to perform within the principles of high performance there needs to be a culture that sees the importance of professional supervision in the workplace. Its only when CEO’s, Managers and senior management can see the importance of having professional supervision as a tool for support and performance in the workplace will the culture change of be positively maintained. Many organisations we work with have a culture such as this and supervision enhances relationships, performance and a happy workplace.

For more information of professional supervision check out our website atwww.amovita.com.au.

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CEO’S & SENIOR MANAGERS RETREAT

Calling on all CEO’s, DG’s Business Leaders and

Senior Managers

Amovita is conducting a 2 day retreat for leaders and inspirers in the organisational and business world.

You will have the opportunity to work with other leaders on your business or organisation in areas of:

1.  Strategic Visioning as you have never done before

2.  Worklife balance as you have never thought it about before

3. Health and well being that will be beneficial in your busy working life

4. Entrepreneurial leadership skills and discussion

5. High performance principles for success

Spaces are limited as we really want to ensure you experience the retreat of a working lifetime

You will hear from leaders in the field

You will experience things you have never experienced before

Contact Tracey today on 0420 234 638 or tracey@amovita.com.au for further details

Don’t delay this experience will refresh you, reignite your enthusiasm for what you do and you will learn new information and skills you will not be able to get anywhere else

Remember with all of our services we can travel to you or your place of work.

To secure your place at any of our training or senior managers retreat

Subscribe to Amovita’s newsletter and receive regular information and updates

To book Amovita for your next presentation, conference or event

To book an Amovita Service

Tracey

We often hear the term ‘high performance’ talked about in very successful organisations as though it was a fast moving, well oiled, chic car!. Just take a moment to think about if you have heard that term before? We hear the term on TV for a car commercial, but often don’t hear this language in terms of successful workplaces. So what does ‘high performance’ mean in relation to what I am talking about.

I work with many successful organisations, Government, Non-government and Corporate and there is a common thread that indicates they are high performing.

‘They all have a leader that has a positive mindset, are able to engage staff in a way they feel valued and appreciated, knows their own limits and has attitudes and behaviours that role models positivity to those they work with’.

The other interesting thing about these types of leaders is that they generally feel ok about their own sense of self as a person and leader and wants others to feel the same.  They are keen to ensure that staff feel valued and appreciated in the work they do. Leaders have a great responsibility in the role they play, in being a role model. Leaders inspire those around them, they have a way to motivate people to be the best they can, and if a true leader are able to see the best in people. They are able to balance the need for balancing the businesses bottom line, but in a way that is not at the cost of the staff member.

It is becoming increasingly apparent that one of the key elements of a workplace with high performance principles is the people within it and how the workplace develops the management systems to ensure staff are able to succeed in their roles. We need to continue to explore and understand the full range of principles and elements that constitute a high performing workplace.

Gartner Incorporated (Graham 2010) comments that they see a high performing workplace as ‘a physical or virtual environment designed to make workers as effective as possible in supporting the business goals. A place where workers can learn, discover, innovate, engage, benefit and achieve’.

Setting up a workplace that has HPW principles is not about valuing its staff because it is a good idea, it is about focusing staff on the objectives and goals of the organisation, being able to communicate that effectively on a regular basis and ensuring staff know their importance in being part of that.

This is becoming more of a challenge given we live in a fast paced, now society where time is a commodity to be traded. Being able to maintain high performance in the workplace puts a whole new light on things.

So in thinking about your workplace, as a CEO, DG, DDG, or Manager, how would you define your workplace and what are the key principles that would suggest you are leading a workplace with ‘high performance’ principles?

Here are just 4 of the High Performance Principles that are relevant to your workplace

1. Self Assessment - As a leader are you congruent with your message to the team? Do you inspire and motivate them or just expect the business outcomes to be achieved without staff knowing they are valued and appreciated in the process? There is only one way to know, check it out? How are you considered and respected by your peers and staff? Spend more time with staff ‘on the ground’ than with peers and colleagues.

2.  Achieving Business Outcomes - This is an easy one, it can be easily measured on paper and by performance. What is the bottom line required and what is the plan to achieve this?

3.  Staff Selection – Recruiting the best people for the organisation is a must. Being able to assess suitability, design the workforce for the future and thinking laterally is crucial. Think of how you recruit using high performance principles?

4. Performance Management - Ensure that any policy and process around performance management of workplace issues, concerns and staff underperformance is managed within a high performance framework. Even when you have to make the hard decisions and there are challenges to be faced, it can be done within these principles.

For more about how high performance  principles can assist your workplace, contact Amovita Consulting today at info@amovita.com.au

It’s hard to believe that we are already in February, Christmas just seemed to be upon us yesterday. It was amazing to see the Easter eggs in the supermarket sometime in January. I hope your year has shaped up well and you were able to reflect on the last message from Amovita about setting your goals for the new year. By now they are well underway. I remember a couple of years ago, going to a 3 day taster on Christopher Howard’s training programs in Brisbane. Chris is a captivating speaker and he and his team did an amazing job of engaging a group of 2000 people. Chris has developed a range of training programs to assist people to develop a formula for success. The reason I have mentioned Chris’s work is because part of the training he does is related to our last topic on goal setting. Have you ever wondered why you have not reached the goals set for the year. I know at different times I have. I was committed to achieving my goal, but did not quite get where I wanted to be with that goal and I tend to be a goal orientated person. I work towards my goal and the next one after that. Now I work with others to reach their goals and it does work. The question is how does it work. It works by … understanding you and your environment!

1. Understanding Your Self Talk

By knowing how you talk to yourself internally will give you an idea of what your self talk is. Throughout our childhood and growing into adulthood we are given thousands of messages from lots of different sources. Our caregivers, our extended family, teachers, dance classes, soccer team etc. We do take on the positive messages we were given and we also have taken on the negative messages also and these are the ones that stop us from reaching our real potential. It’s the negative messages that stops you from living your life how you truly want to, having the most positive relationships you can, dealing with the fear that may grip you from making that all important decision you really want to. When you stop and reflect on those messages you will probably be surprised on the messages you have been given. So step 1 is to understand your own self talk.

2. Make A Decision

Just stop and think for a moment how you make decisions in your personal and work life. Yes I know sometimes the workplace makes decisions for us, I am referring to decisions other than policy. What steps do you take in making a decision? Do you think about things for a while, sit on your thoughts, come back to them, think a little more and then make your decision? Are you a person that finds it difficult to arrive at a decision and would rather refer it to someone else to assist you in the process? Are you someone who finds it very easy to make a decision quickly and sometimes wishes they had made the decision a little slower? No matter what process you go through, the important thing is to make a decision about something…what ever your goal may be. By making a decision you are understanding your self talk and that will give you a clue to how you can change something in your life you may want to.

” there is no passion to be found in playing small – in settling for a life less than the one you are capable of living”   Nelson Mandela

3. Externalise Your Beliefs About Yourself

Your beliefs, the way you see yourself, the messages you have been given will determine how do your self talk, what you say to yourself in a given situation, what your emotions are at any given time and then how you act this out. Many years ago I ran some workshops with a psychologist who had undertaken some research on how we undergo self talk and how this resulted in developing our self esteem. The other thing we talked about was how we need to consider how vulnerable we are to others view of ourselves or how we perceive feedback from others. These two things in combination are a powerful mix and indicator of our own belief system. By exploring how your own belief system is will tell you what you need to focus on to get the results you would like to in your life, how to reach those goals you  have set for yourself. By working with a professional you can explore and externalise those beliefs and only then when they are discovered can you truly begin to change them.

4. Focus on Changing Your Focus

What you focus on grows! Did you know that? Try it, think about what you are focused on in your life. Jot down through the week what you focus on the most. Is it work? Is it the challenges in your life? The bills? The conflicts in your life? When we focus on the negatives, they tend to follow us around. Our self talk is more negative and we are unable to leave those chains behind because there is not enough positive space to do so. What we focus on will result in what that focus is.  Only by stepping into your conscious mind will you be able to change the focus of what you really want to achieve. For some years I believed my focus was positive. Then why did I continue to have lots of financial woes, bills coming on a regular basis and I felt I was never going to get ahead. In 1990 my partner and I had a very successful business and life was great. We were about to start building a lovely home overlooking the sea, the children were healthy and happy, you know how the story goes. Then one day my world stopped. My partner came home at the end of one day and declared that we had lost everything, house, car, everything. Our business partner had been siphoning funds from the company and as a result we were broke. We started again, but the bills kept coming and I could not understand why. When I stopped and took stock of my own thinking and what I was focused on I discovered a lot! I began the journey of understanding my own self talk, what my belief system was like and then started refocusing. Yes I still get bills like us all, I still at times feel challenged by the juggle we need to do. Because now my focus is not on the negative bills that come in I am refocused to where I would like my life to be.

“when you experience something, anything, you can no longer be that same person, purely because of the experience you have had, it just depends on how you see the experience”  Tracey Harris

5. Challenging Old Beliefs

Its only when we explore what the beliefs are that are holding us back from achieving our goals, can we truly challenge them. Remember to keep the ones that serve you well and that are positive. You can challenge them by understanding your self talk. One way to challenge your old beliefs is to hang around with positive people. Positive people are infectious and they make us feel valued and appreciated. Their energy is vital to our own well being as well. By basking in others positive energy it gives us a way to keep focused on being positive. Write down the limiting beliefs you believe! You have and then think about how you would restate them to better fit your life and who you are. This can be quite tricky to do so don’t think you need to do this process on your own.

6. Rewrite a New Set of Beliefs

Remember to keep the positive ones, just rewrite the ones you really don’t want!!! The ones that are holding you back, keeping you in the space of fear, or anger or apathy. These ones are not serving you so well and are most probably stopping you from achieving the goals you may have. Focus on changing your focus. Turn towards being more positive, making your self talk more positive. Catch yourself being negative to yourself, and restate a positive message. Remember our emotions are a navigation guide to what may need attention and particularly when we may be experiencing sadness, anger, fear etc. These can provide us with a good understanding of what beliefs need to be rewritten. By unpacking or deconstructing the limiting beliefs can we then rewrite a set of new ones

Please feel free to share this with others, just refer them to our website for more information www.amovita.com.au

For more information on how to Maximise Your Potential for Real, contact Amovita Consulting today.

Amovita’s Christmas newsletter focused on reflection. Asking you to reflect on the year that was and what your focus for 2010 was going to be. For some that would be exciting, others a year they would rather forget!! Why do we gather our thoughts towards the end of each year and reflect on our achievements, the things we did not complete, the goals we met and those we did not. Why do we not achieve the things we set for ourselves?

Well one answer is, what we focus on grows! That’s right, if we focus our thought process on a particular thing, we give it energy, develop an action plan and before we know it a goal has been set and achieved. If we do not focus on the things we would like to achieve, then before you know it the year has finished!!! Having something to focus on, something to look forward to gives us a sense of purpose and something to strive for, work towards.

There is a lot written about goal setting and because a lot of the research and information about goal setting focuses on the goal in the here and now, many people do not reach their goals. A common goal that many want to achieve when the new year rolls around is to lose weight or read that good book they haven’t had the chance to!!!

However, often by the time the end of the year comes, many have not achieved their goals. They feel frustrated, puzzled, sad and experience a feeling of letting themselves down. By focusing on the goal in the here and now sets up an expectation that many cannot keep.

There is hope, there is definitely hope. By goal setting in a very different way, you can achieve all the goals you set for yourself. You can focus on what you really want to achieve, and yes achieve it. When you focus on the characteristics and principles that successful people live by, their goals setting process is sound. And the great thing is that Amovita can work with you to help you focus on your goals and achieve them. We work with many of our clients to achieve success in their personal life, high performance in the workplace and 2010 could be one of the best years for you if you just put yourself in the right place.

So what is in store with Amovita this year

Amovita is set for a BIG year!!! We are developing a great new and innovating program for High Performance Leadership that will ensure you achieve the results you want to in your workplace. We have a great range of training and professional development courses on offer this year and ensure you link into our Mastermind program to link with other professionals.

Check out our range of services and programs on offer and remember when you request Amovita, you are ensuring you get a high quality and positive service.

I look forward to hearing how your goal setting goes and look forward to seeing you at one of our workshops throughout 2010. Book Amovita today to ensure you achieve what you want to achieve in 2010.

Tracey Harris