Category Archives: LMA news

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Win a Free Ticket to see Simon Sinek in New Zealand or Australia

As a partner of the Simon Sinek event, LMA is giving away a free ticket to each of these exciting and engaging events. Fill out the form below to go into the draw to win a free ticket to the events running in March 2017.

Melbourne – 3rd March 2017
Sydney – 7th March 2017
Auckland – 9th March 2017

PRIZE DRAW DATE: 13th February 2017

To avoid missing out on your chance to see Simon Sinek, please click here to purchase tickets at an exclusive discounted rate through LMA.

THIS PRIZE DRAW IS CLOSED AND THE WINNERS WILL BE NOTIFIED SHORTLY

If you encounter any issues or have further questions about the giveaway please click here.

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Think Perform Assists Australian Manufacturer In Increasing International Competitiveness Through Lean Management

The viability of Australia’s manufacturing sector is going to depend on finding ways to increase productivity, international competitiveness and eliminate waste.

Manufacturing accounts for 6.8% of the economy and employs more than three times as many people as the mining sector. Government policy and media commentary has tended to focus on bailouts for large manufacturers, rather than reform initiatives aimed at improving operational efficiency.

One company driving change in this sector and producing positive results is Think Perform. Think Perform is part of the Thrive Alliance group of companies and a certified provider of Lean, Continuous Improvement and Operational Excellence training. Unlike most other RTOs, which simply deliver off-the-shelf training courses, Think Perform immerses itself within a business, identifies inefficiencies and then develops and implements a program to increase productivity.

For family-owned WA-based swimming pool manufacturer, Aquatic Leisure Technologies (ALT), Think Perform underpinned a wholesale transformation of its operations. ALT is one of Australia’s largest manufacturers of fiberglass pools and had been producing them in much the same way for the last forty years since the business started. With increasing competition from manufacturers in Asia and other countries, as well as concrete pool makers, ALT knew it needed to change and change quickly. ALT had even considered shifting manufacturing offshore to remain competitive, but as a family owned business it wanted to keep producing pools in Western Australia.

The company was familiar with so-called “Lean” management, which is perhaps best associated with Toyota’s production system. Lean management is about delivering quality goods and services at the best possible prices as quickly and efficiently as possible by eliminating waste, smoothing out production issues and empowering workers.

ALT built its new factory with Lean principles in mind and partnered with Think Perform to drive change at every level of the business. When ALT came together with Think Perform it had already started on its Lean journey with the launch of ‘The ALT Way – Business Excellence Initiative.’ ALT had already been exporting pools for more than 30 years, but the transformation program established the foundations for ALT for further expansion in overseas markets.

Importantly, reform at ALT would not have been possible without the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia (CCIWA) and the role it played in convincing State and Federal Governments of the need to continue supporting these types of industry transformation programs. With on-going Government support for initiatives aimed at driving operational efficiency, both CCIWA and ALT believe Australia’s manufacturing industry can prosper and once again be internationally competitive.

It has been unfortunate for the entire training industry, as well as the beneficiaries of these programs, that a few unscrupulous operators have tarnished the reputation of the sector.  However, in line with results being displayed from clients such as ALT, there are providers such as Think Perform who are delivering quality outcomes. Countries such as South Korea and Japan have demonstrated that even in a high labour cost environment, they can establish a competitive advantage in manufacturing through increased efficiency and productivity.

Click here to download a free Lean Management ebook or click here to contact Think Perform and discover how Lean Management and Continuous Improvement Training can be of benefit to your staff and business.

10 reasons why a bad boss may be good for your career

Leader competency results “disturbing”

Leadership skills research reveals widespread mediocracy

Nearly half of middle and frontline managers and supervisors rate their leadership skills as average or below average, according to “disturbing” findings from Leadership Management Australia.

Analysis of more than 3,000 responses to LMA’s online DIY competency test found executives had the highest average competency rating (3.7 out of 5), followed by middle managers (3.6), employees (3.6) and frontline managers and supervisors (3.4).

Overall, a quarter of the respondents rated their skills as average, and 16 per cent as below average, on the five key competencies listed for their management level.

DIY Table

A “disturbing result” is that 35 per cent of executives, 40 per cent of middle managers, 47 per cent of frontline managers and 42 per cent of employees rate their leadership skills as average or below average, LMA says.

LMA executive director of strategy and growth Andrew Henderson adds that little has changed in four years of analysis, and he describes the results as “a call for help”.

“By revealing a shortfall in their own leadership and management competencies, the workforce says it wants to excel, but isn’t allowed. Equipping people with the skills they need will lift performance and productivity for the organisation, and the economy in general.”

Courtesy of HR Daily

RC TPE Graduation (30 May 2016)

Walking the Talk

All managers can and should model the attitudes, behaviours and performance levels that they want their people to emulate and achieve. In other words to become truly inspirational leaders they must set the standards and ‘walk the talk.’

Early in 2016 the management team at Leadership Management Australia (LMA) and the sister company Think Perform made the commitment to participate in The Performance Edge course as a team. Given that most of the participants had previously completed one or more LMA courses , the facilitation approach was tailored to the participants’ needs and varied considerably from the typical course.

The program focused heavily on personal organisation, time management, interaction, collaboration and teamwork within and across departments and the management team as a whole.

A strong emphasis on goal-setting and progressive realisation resulted in some excellent outcomes and a much more cohesive group. On Monday 30 May, the team graduated from The Performance Edge and celebrated their results to date, which included the achievement of a number of win-win goals, along with improvements in productivity, communication, and team performance.

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Achieving a Performance Edge

In 2015, the Supply Chain & Logistics Association of Australia (SCLAA) Awards recognised three outstanding performers in the industry with the Future Leaders Award. As part of the acknowledgement for their hard work and talent, joint winners Samantha Lowry, Senior Procurement Advisor, Department of Education & Training and Danielle Brennan, Category Specialist, Stanwell Corporation were awarded with an opportunity to partake in Leadership Management Australia’s ‘The Performance Edge’ course. Joining them on the personal development journey was High Commendation Future Leader recipient Nathan Barrett, National Health and Safety Manager for Young Guns Container Crew.

With their own set of goals, expectations and aspirations, all three industry leaders entered ‘The Performance Edge’ as upcoming leaders, but all left with a greater sense of their own potential and actions for the future.

For High Commendation winner Nathan Barrett, the opportunities ‘The Performance Edge’ could offer were numerous, ‘I wanted to challenge myself to become a formal leader within my business and to further challenge ourselves as a Health & Safety team to lead the way in all aspects of our business,’ Nathan explains.

Nathan’s dedication to rise to a challenge has taken him into ‘The Performance Edge’ course, a program traditionally only awarded to Future Leaders winners, and on to achieve more than even he had thought possible.

‘I didn’t really know what to expect, I entered the course with an open mind as to the opportunities that would be afforded,’ Nathan says.

‘I was very poor at documenting goals and pulling them apart into individual steps, coordinating them in sequence and then executing them. ‘The Performance Edge’ has allowed me to see the value in documenting goals, breaking them down into manageable tasks and then completing them.

This has allowed me to organise myself and see progression with my team, rather than simply waiting for the outcome and then discussing whether we hit or missed the target,’ Nathan says.

Similarly for Danielle, the course allowed her to take stock of the way she achieved tasks, and how she could improve her processes to achieve even more.

‘Prior to commencing ‘The Performance Edge’ course I had heard from professional associates that it was beneficial on a time management front. I had expected to improve my time management, but not as much or as far as Leadership Management Australia made possible,’ Danielle explains.

‘Admittedly, prior to ‘The Performance Edge’ I was not a good goal setter. I achieved a lot, but I had never sat down and thought about my long term goals and how I would achieve them.

I am now achieving the big, audacious tasks, by breaking them down and using the goal setting framework Leadership Management Australia teaches,’ Danielle says.

Not one to sit on the sidelines, decision maker and go-getter Samantha also found new focus through the course, ‘I was practiced in goal setting, however setting focus goals each week improved my current practices,’ she says.

With her recent completion of a Diploma of Government (Procurement and Contracting) and career aspirations of becoming a chief procurement officer, Samantha is well on her way, ‘I am focused on balancing all areas of my life now,’ she says. ‘In the next 12 months I hope to see myself and my team become more productive, and to expand my procurement experience beyond the ICT category.’

As ‘The Performance Edge’ covers a wide array of material, each of the participants finished the development journey with a different stand-out takeaway lesson.

‘Prior to this course I would set a task list each day,’ Danielle says. ‘Each day I would receive ‘more important’ tasks from others, and acceptance of these tasks would disrupt my day plan. Since undertaking ‘The Performance Edge’ course, I now know what my High Payoff Activities are. The course has also assisted with my mindset towards goals, and how the power of positive affirmation can assist with goals being achieved,’ she says.

Always aiming for the next step forward, Samantha is determined to continue applying the time management skills learnt throughout the course, ‘I valued gaining more knowledge into how to manage my time better, and learning how to say no when I need to,’ she says.

For Nathan, the lessons learnt during the course carry over into his team as well, ‘I’ve already seen an increase in quality of work from all of my team members. My biggest takeaway from the course was that previously I expected my team to perform to my expectations, without giving them the full knowledge of ‘why’ they were being asked to do what they were doing…now I try to ensure that my team is fully aware of business goals, expectations and direction so that they have an overall picture of what needs to be done to achieve the required outcome,’ he says.

With the skills and knowledge gained from ‘The Performance Edge’ now a part of these Future Leaders personal and professional toolkit, the future looks bright and sure to be filled with more achievements and milestones to come.

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Congratulations to the 2015 LMA Graduates!

As 2015 draws to a close we would like to celebrate the thousands of people who have participated and graduated from an LMA course this year.
As high achievers, we hope that you continue to practice LMA’s teaching, utilise the tools within the workplace and set goals in both your personal and professional lives.

Remember that high achievers:

  • Think positively (Above the Line)
  • Are willing to pay the price for success
  • Are willing to accept personal responsibility
  • Expect to succeed
  • Set goals in all areas of life
  • Are on a journey of self discovery and self improvement

Congratulations to the 2015 Graduates of Leadership Management Australia!

Click a thumbnail to a photo or scroll through the gallery.

 

 

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International thought leader Joseph Grenny to speak at The Growth Summit ’16

Leadership Management Australia and The Growth Faculty are excited to announce that multiple New York Time best-selling author and international thought leader Joseph Grenny will be joining the Growth Summit in 2016.

For thirty years Joseph Grenny has delivered dynamic and engaging keynotes at major conferences around the world. A highly sought-after social scientist, commentator and author, Joseph has inspired leaders and organisations to achieve previously unimagined new levels of peak performance. Cited in hundreds of newspapers around the world and having appeared on numerous radio and television programs, Joseph’s expert opinion carries enormous weight in the international business community. With his specific focus on human behaviour, Joseph’s insights are invaluable to any organisation that values its people and the way they interact with one another, their work and their industry each day.

An outstanding protégé of Albert Bandura, the world’s greatest living psychologist, Joseph’s life-long research into human interaction provides a model for how to turn leaders into influencers, and how to ensure the change they enact is long-lasting, meaningful and profitable.

Having shared the stage with other speaking greats such as Jack Welch, Colin Powell and this year’s Summit powerhouse Jim Collins, Joseph is an exhilarating addition to an already powerful program for next year’s Summit.

The one-day program will address the current challenges many leaders and entrepreneurs face and will provide you with the relevant tools and strategies to compete in this dynamic and constantly shifting environment. Joseph’s expert voice will conclude the day’s program with an in-depth analysis on how influencers can generate lasting and effective organisational change.

For a limited time you can take advantage of discounted ticket prices to secure your seat at this life-changing event. Book before Friday 18 December to secure your discounted ticket and give yourself the opportunity to learn from international recognised speakers and leaders.

Read about how previous attendees to the Growth Summit have benefited from the wisdom imparted at the event.

“Speakers were fantastic. So much content to think about and try to implement. If I only implement 5% of what I have heard it’s very worthwhile.” Renee Hutchinson, One Harvest

Click here to book tickets – discount ends Friday 18 December.

Steve-Gill

LMA is growing in New Zealand

Leadership Management Australasia has been established since 1972, offering leading people development throughout Australia and New Zealand. Earlier this year,  Steve Gill joined LMA as a Licensee based out of Auckland. He joins us following  a successful 30-year career in the food manufacturing and restaurant industries.

Steve-GillAs a leader and manager of significant projects with large revenue streams, Steve has been responsible for directing outstanding sales and market delivery, effectively promoting change and development in the industry with recognised communication skills, and influencing decision makers and key stakeholders to the benefit of his team and organisation.

Steve began his career with Griffin Food Ltd on the ground floor. With dedication, perseverance and skill, Steve achieved a steady stream of promotions to become Sales Director for the organisation. Steve’s management style placed emphasis on managing and leading team members to create cost effective structures to execute key strategies and deliver budgeted results. Steve’s interest in food took him to the restaurant sector where he oversaw the day-to-day operations of an efficiently running business.

Throughout the past 35 years of living and breathing organisations and people, Steve has contributed toward the success of each organisation he has been affiliated with. To continue his passion for professional and personal development, Steve is dedicating himself to creating exceptional results through people with his Leadership Management Australasia License.

“I derive a lot of enjoyment from being a resource to those who are in need of personal, professional, educational and business performance support. I have dealt with a wide range of business owners, senior executives and business functions. I enjoy helping others and empowering leaders and teams to complete projects while using my skill of relationship management to listen, engage and connect with all.”

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A future leader in the Supply Chain and Logistics industry – Nathan Barrett

Earlier this month, the Australian Supply Chain and Logistics (ASCL) Awards were held in Sydney. The oldest and most prestigious awards program in the industry, the ASCL Awards represent the most recognised and esteemed awards for an individual or a company to be awarded. As a proud sponsor of this yearly event, LMA is always eager to hear about how each nominee is taking strides to lead and develop the industry into the future.

Particularly coveted during the Awards proceedings is the Future Leaders Award. The purpose of the Future Leaders Award is to provide incentive and recognition to young professionals who are both currently working in and wish to continue their career path within the Supply Chain, Logistics and Transport Industry. As part of their win, each Future Leader is awarded with an enrolment into LMA’s ‘The Performance Edge’ 10-week development program.

LMA will soon be welcoming High Commendation Future Leader recipient Nathan Barrett, National Health and Safety Manager from Young Guns Container Crew in Brisbane into ‘The Performance Edge’ program. Industrious, intelligent and team orientated, Nathan is representative of what the Future Leaders Awards are all about, developing professional and personal skills and encouraging the leaders of tomorrow to step up into their future roles.

“The greatest attribute I see in effective leaders is empathy… Knowing when to push for higher expectations, yet also identifying when assistance is needed,” Nathan says.

Founded in Brisbane and now with a nationwide presence, Young Guns Container Crew has a reputation for the high quality service and professionalism it has injected into the industry. Ten years old and now with over 400 team members, the business is committed to providing opportunities for the people it employs and for their customers.

Traditionally, ‘The Performance Edge’ program is only awarded to the Future Leaders winner but Nathan’s dedication to his own development and interest in progressing to become an industry leader has seen him recognised by his peers and mentors as someone unquestionably deserving of this high level of training.

“I want to take away some specific techniques and tips on dealing with our customers and becoming leaders within the industry, as opposed to a leader in our business. I’m excited to learn from the outstanding people I have met from LMA and look forward to developing my personal skillset.”

The future looks bright for both Young Guns Container Crew and the Supply Chain, Logistics and Transport Industry with both recognising that their power and progression is in their people and how they are developed in the years to come.

Staff and bosses disagree on how well teams are being led

Staff and bosses disagree on how well teams are being led

You might think you’re capable of leading your firm’s teams, but have you ever wondered how well you’re actually performing?

Not so good, according to Leadership Management Australasia’s new survey, which canvassed 1,300 respondents across various seniority levels.

The report identified “profound and disturbing gaps” between perceptions of leaders and the actual experiences of team members they lead.

For instance, it highlighted 96% of executives or senior managers and 94% of middle-managers or supervisors are committed towards the team they are leading.

However, only 62% of their staff felt that their leaders are dedicated to the team.

Likewise, while 97% of executives or senior managers and 95% of middle-managers or supervisors felt confident about their ability to lead teams, only 71% of employees concurred.

“Essentially, about one in three employees are not confident in their leaders and don’t have faith in their leaders’ competency to lead their workplace teams,” said Grant Sexton, executive chairman of Leadership Management Australasia.

“This major misalignment means teams are not achieving their potential and that impacts on the bottom line through cost, waste, loss of productivity and poor performance.”

Echoing earlier reports, the survey also found employees gave a much lower rating of their leaders’ competency than when the leaders rated themselves.

Only 69% of employees felt that their leaders were competent in leading teams.

In comparison, almost all executives/senior managers (99%) and middle-managers/supervisors (98%) felt they are competent in leading their firms’ teams.

Sexton added the extraordinary extent of difference between leader perceptions and team member experiences proves the need for leaders at all levels to take a much closer look at the teams they lead and work collaboratively with team members.

“In essence, leaders need to invest in the development of better team communication, relationships and processes to provide improved clarity and direction,” Sexton said.

Teamwork report_June 2015_ Graph 1Teamwork report_June 2015_ Graph 2Teamwork report_June 2015_ Graph 3Teamwork report_June 2015_ Graph 4Article originally published on Human Resources Online website – http://www.humanresourcesonline.net/staff-bosses-disagree-well-teams-led/