A Gift or Two from Greg #8

Greetings

One of the joys of being a busy consultant is – well – being busy. The downside is that basic things like staying in touch with people sometimes takes a back seat. To my horror I realise that a large chunk of 2016 has slipped by without me noticing, leaving me with a bit of a catch-up job.

So the short-form update …. February saw son Andrew moved into a room in halls at Waikato Uni to study HR & psychology. While the studies may not be an absolute top priority, he’s getting through well. And the social side is outstanding! Rowed in the University Nationals a while back & came home with a surprise bronze medal so the sports are not being neglected either.

As Glenys & I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary in March, we decided to head a bit off the beaten track & enjoyed a fabulous trip to Vietnam, Cambodia & Singapore. Wonderful insights, experiences, food…the whole gamut. The man-made highlight would have to be Angkor Wat – still stunning and built while most of Europe was scratching around in mud huts. Makes you think.

While we were away the Omaha house sold, enabling us to focus on developing a nice piece of land out of Mangawhai. While the construction boom is great for those involved in it, it does try the patience of those wanting to get projects up & running. “In by Christmas” has slipped to “In by Easter” and that is currently looking extremely shaky too.

Work continues to be very satisfying. I’ve been involved in a range of projects with various clients (thank you!), ranging from safety leadership, coaching, learning systems enhancement, health & safety rep. workshops and organisational development strategy implementation to name a few.

Serious stuff
Speaking of patience & persistence, I’ve just finished reading “The Kiwi Pair”, the story of Hamish Bond & Eric Murray’s rise to world dominance in their event. Even if you don’t know which end of a boat is which, I’d thoroughly recommend it. Here is a clip of Jurgen Grobler, former East German coach and now the man largely responsible for the success of the GB rowing programme – some gems in here which can be applied to most organisational or team situations.

This one has been around a while and you may already be one of the 138 million viewers of the original, but here’s an update on a classic example of how a safety message can be done just that bit differently. And I bet the lyrics stick in your mind too….

Funny stuff
Getting on a little now, however, a salient lesson on not sticking your hand where it doesn’t belong from Mr. Bean. And how to say thank you graciously – not.

Helpful stuff
At least I’ve not seen any Christmas advertising – yet. However, 2017 is not that far away. Here’s a link to 2016 & 2017 public holidays & anniversary days. Get them in your diary now!

Until next time. Be safe and regards,
Greg McBain | Principal
Development Direct