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the official magazine of proteus enterprises p/l Edition 2 - 2022 The Great Big Juggling Act By Des Penny 5 Traps For Leaders That Can Trip You Up By Michelle Gibbings From Team Member To Leader By Ricky Nowak Change Intelligence By Richard DoreJohn C. Maxwell Remember: Sometimes we win and sometimes we learn. 2 proteuslifeThe Proteuslife Team Editor: Des Penny Production: Leanne Keillor Advertising: Joe Stuart Design: Javier Marmol For all enquiries: 1300 219 903 ABN: 30 092 276 358 proteusleadership.com proteuslife the official magazine of proteus enterprises p/l editorial An Important Message Proteuslife welcomes editorial submissions from a diverse range of people and industries. The information printed is intended to inform and illustrate and should not be taken as professional advice without first checking with appropriate legal or industrial experts. We do not necessarily endorse the views, statements, claims, strategies or ideas put forward by contributors of the magazine. Proteuslife is merely relaying experiences and information. Proteuslife is not liable for any personal or professional loss you may have incurred as a result of reading this magazine. No material may be reproduced in part or whole without written consent from the editor. Advertisements in Proteuslife will be accepted only if they meet all relevant laws and will not give rise to any legal claims or liability and they reflect the culture and purpose of the magazine. - Des Penny Every minute we spend complaining about what's happening is a minute we take away from making things better. Where did the past three months go? It seems that it was only yesterday I was putting together the last edition of Proteuslife – how time has flown this year as we endeavour to adapt to a ‘sort of’ return to a more normal workplace and life. It is not necessarily what we do that has changed, but more how we do things, that is different, bringing with it both pros and cons that impact on our daily existence. In my lead article I look at some of those challenges and also some things that we need to consider when moving forward in these exciting times, with often a completely different work model. We are also thrilled to say that Proteus celebrated 29 years in business this year, surviving two of the country’s worst economic downturns, two years of COVID and what seems like one hundred different leaders of the country during that time. We are now well and truly ready to tackle anything. I would encourage you to read the great article by Richard Dore on page 12 where he looks at a new type of intelligence – Change Intelligence. There is also a host of other great articles by leaders across the country and information about some of the exciting programs that we have happening over the next three months. I hope you enjoy this edition of our Proteuslife magazine, we always welcome your comments. SUBSCRIBE 3 proteuslife proteusleadership.com/linkedin/des proteusleadership.com/des-penny-blog Connect with Des! Subscribe to Proteuslife Magazine5 Traps For Leaders That Can Trip You Up By Michelle Gibbings 16 Editorial 03 Change Intelligence By Richard Dore 12 Contents Why You're Solving The Wrong Problem When It Comes To Culture And What To Do Instead By Fiona Robertson 10 09 29 Years Proteus Anniversary 06 The Great Big Juggling Act By Des Penny 11 The Compete Leader Program Gadgets To Get You To Work By Joe Stuart Real Leaders Love Chaos By Catherine Palin-Brinkworth 17 18 Proteus Events 20 4 proteuslife38 36 How To Use Storytelling As Your Secret Weapon By Emma Bannister 32 34 From Team Member To Leader By Ricky Nowak 22 Proteus Leadership Regional Leaders 40 Design Tips From The Proteus Design Team 3 Reasons We Avoid Strategy Meetings - How To Make Them Matter By Rosie Yeo Professional Development Schedule Miguel Maestre - FEAST Noosa Heads Location 25 26 30 Book Review By Richard Dore 5 proteuslifeWe have been locked up, shut down, had curfews, separated from friends and family, told to stay home instead of going to work, watched people get sick and even die, watched our favourite restaurants and cafes just disappear, never to return and we are still discovering new changes every day. And then told don’t worry about any of that anymore! If you made a movie about the last two years, it would almost be considered fiction, not to be believed. The impact all of these things have had on society cannot just be measured by the visible, we must also consider the relationship breakdowns, the bankruptcy cases, the mental health traumas and the fact that it has created a more cautious, and in some cases, By Des Penny juggling act BIG GREAT The I n the two plus years of COVID it is safe to say that nothing has been the same as it once was. 6 proteuslifeangrier society, that will take a long time to heal, and some situations will never heal. With the introduction of work from home and a new hybrid work model, face-to-face interactions that are so important to our state of mind and wellbeing are being further diminished. Now I know many people would say that they enjoy the new model of work and in some cases, it can work very well, but not in most cases. People are just not programmed to be able to work alone or self-manage and strategise without the support and the motivation of others around them. Those daily discussions that just happen, those open conversations that we overhear that might provide an idea that we were looking for, or those all- out brainstorms/meetings where people actually have to be present in mind, body and spirit, all are far more effective when we are together. However, one of the great things that has happened is that new ways of interacting, such as Teams and Zoom, have allowed us to stay in touch and keep communication happening. That is great, but we also need human interaction and touch so that we minimise the danger of becoming isolated from our teams. I am a great believer that organisations should be more flexible, and it is evident that they are becoming that way, unfortunately, often not by choice. We must be very careful that we do not bring in rules that in themselves are not flexible. Rules that offer a blanket approach to flexibility are dangerous and do not offer flexibility at all but instead just replace one way of doing something to a different way of doing it. As a business owner myself, I am always concerned when we only consider one of the three stakeholders of the business. To be successful and to create a great culture, all stakeholders in the relationship must be considered – the company, the staff and the most important of all, the client. How often does the client, the reason a business even exists, get to be considered when we are making changes in how we work. Flexibility in all of its forms must be a part of daily existence, where all three parties are considered equally, realising that sometimes sacrifices will have to be made by all parties for the greater good. The problem is that many people think they now have a more flexible work situation, but in fact there is now no line of delineation in their life as work is now a part of home and home is a part of work and so the BIG juggling act begins. I have the privilege of working with leaders every day of my life and I have never experienced a time when these leaders have found it so hard to lead. It is like leading from a distance permanently. So, how can we continue to manage well when we are not necessarily face-to-face with people all of the time? 1. We must have clear operational guidelines and expectations. Yes, there must be rules and regulations, like staying online and being accessible during work hours and attendance at group events. 2. Always remember that there are three parties in every transaction that must have needs met. The company/leader, the staff member and the client. Entitlement must not be allowed to be demonstrated by any of the parties. 3. More than ever, have timelines for actions. Create clear timelines when projects must be completed or when follow up communication must happen. 4. When a person is working remotely don’t feel guilty about contacting them – they are working! However, time negotiation is always advised. 5. Try to get time where people do come together as often as possible - it is not either/or, it is both. 7 proteuslifeHappyHappy AnniversaryAnniversary Now Available At: shop.proteusleadership.com Des Penny Author - Life Eyes Co-CEO/Founder Proteus Leadership Thanks to Des Penny for another great book. Interesting, inspiring, uplifting and funny. Thoroughly recommend this book. - Samantha Sinclair 6. Remember, none of the leadership tools and processes should change just because we are remote more often. Good behaviour is good behaviour and poor behaviour is exactly that and both must be handled appropriately. Conclusion My belief is that things will settle down and balance out as people realise that working alone with all of life’s interruptions is not as great as it may have first sounded, and companies realise that flexibility does work better for some people. Remember: human interaction is not just a work-related thing it is actually an important part of our life. This is where we are challenged and where we can express ourselves and have input into other people’s lives. So, don’t become an island or allow others to either, because you will soon see a huge creativity drain take place in your business that will have a lasting impact. The important thing is that whatever model we choose works well for all three stake- holders – the company, the staff member and the client. Then and only then will we experience success both personally and professionally. Des Penny Co-CEO Proteus Leadership 8 proteuslifeHappyHappy AnniversaryAnniversary Proteus is proud to celebrate 29 years of creating great leaders across Australia and beyond. We would like to thank our wonderful team and our amazing clients for the incredible support they have given us during this time. We look forward to continuing our work for many years to come. 9 proteuslifeNext >