This week Show 3rd April

This is Danny's last show for a while.
I thought we would talk about mentoring and the like.

Why do we need them, what makes a good mentor?
Then we will see what Danny will leave us when he say farewell for now.

Mentor, coach have you got someone you let talk to you?

There are a few professional people who you should let help mentor you.

After all you give them you hard earned money so perhaps listening at a different level may be to your advantage?

Your accountant

Your legal advisor

Your business consultant

Your?

They are all there for your benefit; you should possible look to have a slightly different attitude towards them.

Don’t be intimidated by their knowledge, or their perceived standing.

If you and others like you weren’t paying them where would they be?

So they are there for your benefit. Look at them as advisors not as something special

You will get a lot more out of your relationship & they will enjoy it more themselves.

They usually ask have you any more questions ask them.
Be open to their advice that is what you pay for.

Join a networking group.

Start playing golf or something where you can talk to peers in a relaxed atmosphere.

There many breakfast clubs and lunch or dinner events where you can do this.

Read there are countless books. Information on the WWW blogs and the list goes on.

When I was growing up my mentor (not that I knew it at the time) was my grandfather. He was the one I looked to, I wanted to emulate. The funny thing is my brother who is a considerably younger than me also picked our grandfather to emulate.

Your mentor doesn’t even need to know that he is your mentor you glen things from them without them knowing.

Most times it can look like friendship or mateship and both of you can benefit from the relationship.

Golf

Next Friday 7^th of April is a fundraiser for SLIM The PGA chaplain Graham Laurance.

It is at Liverpool Golf Course

Just to let you know I am still looking for about 20 players for a fundraiser for SLM (our parent organization) on Friday 7th April, 11:30am shotgun at Liverpool Golf Club. Golf is a 4 person Ambrose. Cost is $70 and includes golf, a light meal and prizes.

If you are free and able to attend, this would be great.

Please let me know by Friday at the latest. Thanks for your friendship and support.

Graham’s contact details

Email: slmlinksaus@optusnet.com.au

Or

Phone: (02) 9740 9069.

If you mention that you got the information for me just so he knows where people come from.

URL for Course

http://www.liverpoolgolf.com.au/

I know you will have a great time

Lachlan

Pro Hart

Pro Hart

I know that Pro has been ill for some time, I have just heard that he past on over night.

Pro was suffering from Motor Neuron disease.

Pro Hart was born in Broken Hill, NSW, Australia in 1928. He grew up on the family sheep station "Larloona" situated near Broken Hill, and he was educated by correspondence with this brother Bob, and their Mother as tutor.

In his early twenties Pro moved to Broken Hill and worked underground as a miner. In 1960 he married Raylee June Tonkin and they had five children, three boys and two girls.

From age seven, Pro loved to sketch and paint. He began taking his gift seriously in his early twenties when he first used painting as a creative outlet to keep him sane from underground life as a miner. To develop his gift, Pro attended a few local art classes but is mainly self-taught. He was discovered in 1962 by a gallery director in Adelaide. From there his success as an artist began to flourish.

Mainly working in oils and acrylics, Pro will use any tool or method to achieve the desired outcome for his work. He draws upon techniques of layering, chiaroscuro, glazing, scumbling, scratching and Alla prima. Pro is also a sculptor working with welded steel, bronze and ceramics. His private complex, including a three-storey gallery in Broken Hill, houses one of the largest private collections in the Southern Hemisphere, featuring both Australian and European Masters.

His work has been exhibited all over the world, in Australia, London, Dusseldorf, Los Angeles, New York, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Singapore, Israel, Cairo and Manila, in the finest of galleries and venues, with many of his exhibitions being sell-outs. His paintings are represented in collections owned by the likes of Harold Mertz, Lyndon Johnson, Prince Phillip, Qantas Airways, Margaret Carnegie, the Canberra War Memorial, the University of NSW and Adelaide, the Bonython Collection, the Warsaw National Collection of Poland and Cathay Pacific Airways..

Pro has many achievements to add to his successes. In 1976 he was awarded an MBE for his services to art in Australia. In 1982 he received an Honorary Life Membership of Society International Artistique for outstanding artistic achievement. This is granted to only one artist per continent and in 1983 he received an Australian Citizen of the Year Award.

Outside of painting, Pro has many interests. He loves to collect vintage cars including Fords, Chevrolets, Bentleys, Rolls Royces and a variety of motorbikes. He lifts weights to keep fit, is an "A" grade pistol shooter, and loves inventing different kinds of engines and machines. Music forms an important part of his life, he owns a Rodgers Electric Pipe organ, the largest of its kind in Australia, which he loves to play when he finds a spare moment in his full life.

Pro Hart

Selected Biography

1928 Born in Broken Hill N.S.W.
1958 Commenced painting full time.
1962 First Solo Exhibition at Bonython Gallery, Adelaide, South Australia.
1963 Commenced Eureka Stockade and Captain Cook series of paintings.
1973 First Solo Exhibition, Qantas House, London.
Represented at the Dusseldorf International Art Exhibition.
Illustrated "Poems of Henry Lawson" - Ure Smith.
1974 Illustrated "Poems of Banjo Patterson" - Ure Smith.
Larloona Exhibition, Sydney.
1975 Traveling Group Exhibition, Los Angeles, New York, London.
Solo Show, Australian Commission, Hong Kong.
Commenced Hong Kong Series of paintings and watercolors.
1976 Awarded M.B.E.
Hong Kong Show, Sydney.
Solo Show, Raffles Hotel, Singapore.
Solo Show, Tokyo American Club, Tokyo.
1977 Asian series exhibition, Sydney.
"The Art of Pro Hart" published, Rigby Australia.
1978 Solo Show Hobart, Tasmania.
Exhibited Grand Rapids Art Museum, Michigan in association with Grand Rapids World Affairs Council, America.
Solo Exhibition Hong Kong, Wagner Art Gallery.
Sydney Beach Scenes, Wagner Art Gallery, Sydney.
1979 New York Exhibition, Wagner Art Gallery, Sydney.
1980 Exhibition, Leivak Gallery, Tel-Aviv, Israel.
Exhibition, Cairo, Egypt.
Israel and Egypt Series, Wagner Art Gallery, Sydney.
1981 Town Exhibition, Wagner Art Gallery, Sydney.
1982 Honorary Life Member of the Society International Artistique.
Exhibition Hong Kong.
Exhibition "Outback Christmas", Wagner Art Gallery, Sydney.
Illustrated "Christmas Story" Rigby Australia.
1983 Citizen of the Year Award, Broken Hill, N.S.W., Australia.
1984 Exhibition, Hong Kong.
1988 Australian Bicentennial Exhibition, Hong Kong.
1989 Exhibition "Beach Scenes and Other Works", Wagner Art Gallery, Sydney.
1990 Visions of Gallipoli, Infinite Art Gallery, Melbourne.
Recent Paintings, "Flower Series", Wagner Art Gallery, Sydney.
1994 Serving Brother - The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem
1995 Honorary Life Governor - St John
2001 Family Exhibition, World Heritage Art, Gold Coast International, Queensland
2002 Masks Exhibition, House of Phillips Fine Art, Sydney
2003 Opening of the Pro Hart Retrospective Touring Exhibition, Monash Gallery of Art, Cityof Monash

International Collections

Harold Mertz, U.S.A.
Lyndon Johnson, U.S.A.
Prince Phillip, London.
Cathay Pacific Airlines, Hong Kong.
Menachem Begin, Israel.
Madam Jihan El Sadat, Egypt
Warsaw National Gallery, Poland.

Australian Collections

National Gallery of Australia, Canberra.
State Gallery, Hobart, Tasmania.
War Memorial, Canberra.
University of N.S.W.
Macquarie University, N.S.W.
Art Gallery of N.S.W.
Sydney Opera House
State Gallery of South Australia
Kim Bonython, South Australia
QANTAS Airlines
Margaret Carnegie, N.S.W.

View his private coletion
http://www.prohart.com.au/slideshow/slideshow.html

Todays Show 27th March

Today

Danny & I will be talking about what happens when you business is not doing well.

So there are lots of things you can do both bad & good.

The first few pieces of advice are talk to people.

Your accountant, your family, your creditors and possible your solicitor

If you are talking people know what is happening. If they don’t then the inevitable flood of litigation will start. That is ugly it cost much more in the long run.

If you are not doing well more stress will not help.

More cost only adds to stress, which is when things start going from bad to worse.

Then it not only cost your money but your health, family and other relationships.

Often these things are not your doing, some of your creditors will take it personally others will be supportive it is hard to know how people will react.

Here are few URLs that may be helpful

http://www.asic.gov.au/asic/asic_infoco.nsf/byheadline/Your+company+and+the+law?openDocument

Director’s responsibilities

http://www.cio.com.au/index.php/id;117989780;fp;16;fpid;0

Do the test

http://www.brownandpartners.com.au/index.html

Solicitor who specialise in insolvency

Listen to the show for more information

More Resource

In my first resource post I gave you a link to Fast Company

One of Fast Companies contributors is Seth Godin here is a link to his blog

Also to a blog for his new book

http://sethgodin.typepad.com/

http://www.allmarketersareliars.com/

Hope this is good

Working harder?

When I got married the song of the day “She works hard for the money”

I don’t think much has changed. Actually I think it is harder these days.

We have some many devices to save time, that I think they all must clash with each other.

Though the microwave may be the exception, how else can you do risotto in 20min with nothing to start including frozen meat? (Yes depending on how many you are cooking for)

Heck I am still looking for some balance; here I have 3 kids a wife who works and a business.

I all takes its time. These days we want to spend time with the family and with friends. How do we do that?

Not that I have it wall worked out I don’t, I have run all of my business from home. So I can at leased be part of what is happening. I am sometimes the taxi, I don’t mind going to football, concerts & the like though when I travel I have missed a few.

At the end of the day business puts the food on the table. My wife does drive, as long as she knows where she is going.

We need to work out what is important, and let the rest take care of itself.

As for work well we all have that, we do more hours for less that we use to.

When I was in big business, I had a PA these days you get a lap top and do your best.

Well for me that can cause a problem, being Dyslexic I never learned grammar or to spell.

I know words & I use spell check but that doesn’t always help.
So I do what I can I have help in that a few friends will proof read things for me.

So yes we do work hard for our money. If we earn it before we really earn it now!

Resources

Resources I don’t know about you but I am always looking for

How, When, Why or What of something

Fast Company help out a little they produce a daily eletter that arrives to give you information or inspiration.

www.fastcompany.com

There are many more if you have any you want to share please fell to leave them in the comments.

Time Management

Personally

My emails they have usual been done but 6:00am

Call and other stuff has all happened before 9:00 if I can possible help it.

I was on a contract in Melbourne last year my main thing was to support a staff that had been hired for outside an industry. So I had most of my days full of questions from the staff.

I was like a personal help desk for the staff

So my day was always interrupted which is why I was there.

It took me 3 hours to do something one day. For one of the staff, the next morning it took 40mins to do the same thing for two of the staff.

Which I did before breakfast which I would have at 8:30AM after doing about 2 hours work before the rest of the staff got in.

So I did 6 hours work in 40min with no interruptions

It is important to know that an interruption they say takes up the time of the interruption then 20min for you to get refocused.

Here are some URLs

http://members.aol.com/rslts/tmmap.html

Time Calculator

http://www.ucc.vt.edu/stdysk/TMInteractive.html

http://www.psywww.com/mtsite/page5.html

If you Google or whomever you will find many many more (millions & millions)

Book

I have just finished reading Forty, Fat & Fired by Nigel Marsh CEO of Leo Burnett

It is about balance and that it doesn’t work. What you have to do is work out your life as best you can
This from the journey of a year off after get fired.

It is a fun book and for a bloke from England not that long ago he has grown to love Australia. It was a one day read that is I got in on Friday and was finished yesterday afternoon. He is very honest and a character I would like to meet.

Anyway time to get today going. Radio shows & contracts happening church soon.

Busy, busy as they say life happens.

So let it happen.

URL

http://www.randomhouse.com.au/WEB_ASP/ttle_detail.asp?isbn=186325501X

Thanks Marcus it was great

Do you want to talk to God?

Well it is AI

Doesn't really know that much

Go here.

http://www.titane.ca/igod/

Consultants in the Work Place

A timeless lesson on how consultants can make a difference for an organization.

Last week, we took some friends out to a new restaurant, and noticed that the waiter who took our order carried a spoon in his shirt pocket.

It seemed a little strange. When the waiter brought our water and utensils, I noticed he also had a spoon in his shirt pocket.

Then I looked around saw that all the staff had spoons in their pockets.

When the waiter came back to serve our soup I asked, Why the spoon?"

Well, "he explained, "the restaurant's owners hired a consulting company to revamp all our processes. After several months of analysis, they concluded that the spoon was the most frequently dropped utensil. It represents a drop frequency of approximately 3 spoons per table per hour. If our personnel are better prepared, we can reduce the number of trips back to the kitchen and save 15 man-hours per shift."

As luck would have it, I dropped my spoon and he was able to replace it with his spare. "I'll get another spoon next time I go to the kitchen instead of making an extra trip to get it right now."

I was impressed. I also noticed that there was a string hanging out of the waiter's fly. Looking around, I noticed that all the waiters had the same string hanging from their flies. So before he walked off, I asked the waiter, "Excuse me, but can you tell me why you have that string right there?"

"Oh, certainly!" Then he lowered his voice. "Not everyone is so observant. That consulting firm I mentioned also found out that we can save time in the restroom. By tying this string to the tip of you know what, we can pull it out without touching it and eliminate the need to wash our hands, shortening the time spent in the restroom by 76.39 percent.

I asked "After you get it out, how do you put it back?"

"Well," he whispered, "I don't know about the others, but I use the spoon."

I got this from a friend yesterday, I had seen it before but after what we had talked about on the radio I thought it was a laugh.

One of the things we talked about was having people come in to your business and try to create culture.

The owners, and or senior managers are the ones who need to create culture!

Planing

We have all done it, started something & then thought how did I get here?

What am I going to do now?

How am I going to get this to happen?

We need a plan or system.

We work the plan or system it runs what we do.

There is no time like the persent to start.

Even jogging down a couple of notes will help get you started.

Budgets are part of the plan.

They have a part to play in that they tell you how you are doing

Cashflow is it flowing?

Are you getting your debtors paying on time?

Business

How many times have you been, sent off to listen to someone talk about the business you work for when they don't.

The consultant is telling you about culture, or mission and worse vision of the company when they are not apart of it.

I have been to many of these things where what is written doesn't amount to anything because the stake holders didn't write it.

If some of the stake holders did write it they don't have enough support to make it part of the culture or DNA of the business.

To make it happen it mast come from the top.

The only way for a culture to develop is that it is the big boss that does it.

In MacDonald’s the Head office team go out in to the stores twice a year.

This does to things; it tells the people on the shop floor that they are all part of the same team.

The other thing it does it reminds those at head office who there customers are.

Who they are really working for, and who they are working with.

Cars

You have all heard the expresion
"I have got to get ME one of these!"

Well watch this & you will say it, if you are anything like me

http://paultan.org/archives/2005/08/18/top-gear-ariel-atom/

I would be interest to read what you think

Welcome

Hi

I have been around blogs for a while though I did have my own I spent much of my time on a friends & I neglected my own.

I have felt it was time to step back in so here I am.

On Monday afternoon I will be part of a radio program call Working Life on 2RDJ 88.1 FM a community radio station.

If you are in the inner west of Sydney you may want to tune in I will be co-host with a young guy name Danny.

The Station has a limited range Parramatta in the west, get towards Ryde in the north, the edge of the CDB in the east, and almost to the shire in the south.

Which as it happens, I am part of a great church.

I am also about to start a couple of other endeavours which as they happen I will post about them as they get closer.