Big Goals

A few years ago I worked with a client who decided to give everyone in their team a yearly gym membership. What a perk, right?

Well, it turns out that a year later some of the team hadn’t even activated their membership, and those that did were not frequent users. The leader was left feeling disappointed, their efforts and generosity unappreciated – where did they go wrong?

Has that ever happened to you?

As leaders, we are actively seeking to motivate and to retain our best team members. But if motivation and retention is the goal…are extrinsic benefits like a gym membership the best way to go about it?

Join Kristy-Lee and me on our Grow Your Influence podcast as we discuss this and share actionable tips on leveraging both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation to truly engage your team.

LISTEN HERE: https://www.biggoals.com.au/podcasts-for-leaders/

📣 This is your last chance to save 20% on your ticket to our Breakfast for Leaders event.

Difficult Conversations - How to Approach them with Confidence
When: Thursday, 19 September, 7-9am
Where: Hazel Atrium, 164 Flinders Lane, Melbourne VIC 3000
Cost: $79

The early bird expires TONIGHT, 10pm. Book your spot now using the code: ‘EARLYBREAKFAST' to get 20% off: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/breakfast-for-leaders-melbourne-19-september-2024-tickets-998916705757

If you're not in Melbourne, but you know someone in Melbourne who might benefit from attending, please pass it on.

Need more practical tips to keep your team motivated through the ups and downs? This free handout has some great practical tips for that: https://big-goals.newzenler.com/f/motivation-handout

Looking to improve communication and collaboration within your team?

Get in touch with us today and find out how we can help you improve how you and your team work together: www.biggoals.com.au

Complete Nursing and Home Care

For 4 years, I’ve been running a Difficult Conversations Masterclass, and the interest has always surprised me. Leaders recognise the need for help in handling these tough talks, which is why our very first Breakfast for Leaders event in May focused on this crucial topic.

Now, we’re bringing it back by popular demand—because you asked for it. Attendees loved the insights but wanted more practice in a safe environment before tackling these conversations in the real world. And that’s exactly what we’re offering:

✅ Proven frameworks to plan your approach
✅ A dedicated space to practice with a partner
✅ Constructive feedback to refine your technique

You’ll be practicing doing the hard thing knowing you can’t fail.

This breakfast session is perfect for leaders who want to master the art of difficult conversations. Whether you’re discussing pay rises, behaviour, or major business changes, this practice will leave you feeling confident and prepared.

Limited spots are available, so don’t miss out! Use code EARLYBREAKFAST for 20% off for one week only.

Secure your seat now and join us at the table on September 19!

Breakfast for Leaders - Melbourne - 19 September 2024 Difficult Conversations - How to Approach Them with Confidence

This team is hard at work developing their Team Charter, defining the behaviors that drive positive outcomes and those that hold us back.

Here they are deciding which behaviours were acceptable and helpful (above the line) and which were not (below the line). Want to find out how we can help your team? Head to our website: www.biggoals.com.au

Did you miss out on our last Breakfast for Leaders event? This time we are rolling up our sleeves and practicing difficult conversations - with guidance and support, so they feel easeful and stress-free next time you have them.

Want to be first to know and secure a spot? Put your name on the waitlist here: https://big-goals.newzenler.com/f/melbourne-breakfast-sep-2024-waitlist

Are things quiet in your business? We tend to waste quiet time. We stress, we worry, we struggle against the quiet.

But quiet times are also opportunities. Opportunities to test, to try, to experiment, to INNOVATE.
- Encourage innovation and collaboration among the team.
- Provide opportunities for cross-training or skill development
- Offering alternative forms of recognition and support (that don't involve pay increases)
- Communicate communicate communicate

The things left unsaid can turn into mountains. If things are slow, your team knows it. Acknowledge whatever is happening in your company, in the industry, how it’s impacting them. You don’t have to make promises you can’t keep. Just being honest about things and keeping the lines of communication open can help create connections with your team.

So next time you’re quiet – maybe it’s now – think how you can leverage this crucial time for morale and team engagement, and strengthen your work culture in the process. Which one will you try next?

Need some hands-on practice? We’re gearing up for the next Breakfast for Leaders event - where we roll up our sleeves and practice difficult conversations - with guidance and support, so they feel easeful and stress-free next time you have them.

📣 Want to be first to know and secure a spot? Put your name on the waitlist here:

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Can I have a pay rise?

If I were to have a guess, I’d say this question makes you at least a little bit uncomfortable. Whether we’re asking for a pay rise, or are the ones facing the question, it’s a tricky topic. And it's trending. Employees everywhere are asking for pay rises (not necessarily because they are money driven – and that’s important to remember). Two main reasons that have led to people asking for pay rises are union-driven demands, as well as cost of living pressures that are very real.

Kristy-Lee and I got together to talk about this trend that we’ve seen many leaders grapple with. Listen in to get help with:
🎙️Exactly what to say when you’re being asked for a pay rise you know you can’t offer
🎙️Practical advice on what to offer instead of pay rises
🎙️Keeping your team engaged and motivated: ways that go beyond remuneration.

Listen to the episode now: https://www.biggoals.com.au/podcasts-for-leaders/

Happy listening!

Great to be part of the conversation at World Commerce & Contracting APAC Summit in Sydney.

I'm off to the World Commerce & Contracting APAC Summit 2024 today, where I'll be speaking about our responsibility as leaders to have those difficult conversations and how to make them less difficult, a topic on every leader's mind, all the time. Will you be there? Come and say hello if you are 👋

Your role as a leader is making your teams success, a priority ✨

This time of the year can often herald performance reviews and expectations of pay rises, which may not be possible in the current climate. As leaders, we need to explain the context and manage expectations around what is a very personal and often difficult topic for our staff.

There are plenty of non-monetary motivators we can offer our team when extra cash isn’t possible, and in today’s episode of our Grow Your Influence podcast, Juliet and Kristy-Lee explore how we use these.

You can listen to this episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or anywhere else you like to listen to your podcasts.

I would love to hear from you about how you deal with this with your team, the sorts of non-money motivators that work for them and how you have these conversations. You can share your experiences and ask questions below. Or get in contact with me: https://www.biggoals.com.au/

My daughter got her driver’s license last week—a bittersweet milestone. On one hand, my unpaid role as a chauffeur is no longer required. On the other, those small moments of connection between us during school pick up and drop off and other drives are less frequent.

🚗 Learning to drive is like developing any skill: it starts with guidance and grows with practice and feedback. We need a specific type of support at each stage of the learning process. In leadership, we call this situational ➡ AKA situational leadership.

Understanding and applying situational leadership is such a key leadership skill that whether you’re welcoming a new team member, or coaching an existing employee – recognising what your team members need from you is crucial.

There’s a great lesson in Module 2 on situational leadership in the Leadership Essentials Programme you can access immediately when you join: https://big-goals.newzenler.com/courses/leadership-essentials

This year, the mid-year motivational slump seems worse than ever.

I'm hearing and seeing that people, leaders and teams are not engaged and participating at their usual level. They've checked out.

This time it feels like there’s more than just the usual mid-year slump. So many difficult things are going on – in the world and in people’s lives – and they all impact our state of mind. It can get quite heavy. This also seems to be across every level - it’s everyone: leaders and teams.

Where do we start with shaking this off, untangling ourselves and our team from this slump?

I've created this FREE guide to motivating your team. It's good for any time you struggle with motivation, not just during the mid-year slump: https://big-goals.newzenler.com/f/motivation-handout

I’ve been on the road, working with teams all over Australia, helping them work better together, and again I’ve been reminded how important storytelling is in communication.

There’s science to why we engage with stories and there’s art to how to tell those stories, so when I saw this sold-out masterclass come up again, I booked a spot immediately. Care to join?

The art and science of impactful brand storytelling; from theory to practice. | Humanitix An insight-rich, in person breakfast worth getting up for

Good morning from a frosty Nagambie where we’re wrapping up the last day of leadership workshops that have taken me up and down the East Coast and to Tassie. Great to reconnect with Thoroughbred Breeders Australia owners, managers and emerging managers.

It’s no secret that some businesses out there are experiencing a downturn. And it’s human nature to hope that all change will quickly pass and we won’t have to do or say too much about it. Or to get very busy trying to turn the downturn around.

But you can bet that while we do this, our team will be thinking:

❔ What does it mean for me?

❔ Am I going to lose my job?

❔ What does it mean for the future of the company?

Not having the answers to any of these questions is not a good enough reason to say or do nothing. So what do we say and how do we lead through a downturn?

Kristy-Lee and I talk about it in the latest episode of the Grow Your Influence podcast.

Tune in to listen to the episode, where ever you like to listen to your podcasts!

Are you wondering how we at Big Goals can help you as a leader?

Ways you can work with us:

✔️Coaching of senior team members - through regular in-person meetings or zoom calls
✔️Working with leaders to develop and build the effectiveness of your team – usually a series of one on one and team meetings
✔️Development and delivering of a bespoke leadership development programme – usually through a series of team meetings
✔️And then there are our online options – our Lead & Influence Mastermind, our Leadership Essentials Programme, and our Facebook Group for leaders

If you feel like you could use some help with developing your own or your team’s leadership skills, I’d love to help. Just book a free 20min chat in my calendar and I'll look forward to helping you with all things leadership!

https://calendly.com/julietrobinson

Great to be back in the room with Thoroughbred Breeders Australia for the third year. It’s been a busy few weeks, with workshops in Launceston and Toowoomba, and now we’re in Scone (and yes, it has been freezing everywhere I’ve gone!).

This year we added a new Senior Manager’s workshop in addition to the two day development workshop for middle managers, and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.

Thrilled to hear about the new partnership between TradeMutt and Bunnings Warehouse Australia - way to start more conversations and support mental health for the trade community. You can read more about it and about how you can lend your support here:

TIACS - Bunnings Trade AU TIACS