Disconnect – even if it’s fake!

A few weeks ago, I spent a few days at Knight Inlet. Where is that? It’s a lodge, built on a raft in sheltered area on the northeastern side of Vancouver Island B.C. Accessible by 4-hour boat trip, or float plane. I took the plane! The raft is necessary as there is no flat land and it keeps (almost) all the wildlife at bay. And tech at bay too – no cell phone coverage or internet.

A guide told a story of a big storm a few years ago leaving guests stranded on the raft for 48 hours. Given the circumstances, internet access was turned on (so they lied!!!!). Some guests rearranged travel plans, but most were glued to their phones watching Netflicks and scrolling social media. 

My time at the lodge was incredible and leaving technology behind for a few days wasn’t hard. I enjoyed focusing on wildlife, amazing scenery, and talking with fellow travelers.

There’s a lot to learn from Knight Inlet’s decision to turn off tech.

 I wonder what we would observe and who we would talk to if we had no-tech periods at work or at home?

If you or your team would like to discuss no-tech strategies, please get in touch. Or, you could just turn it off!

Building the capability of Aotearoa!

Great day yesterday attending my first HRNZ conference. I do most of my development virtually, so also a treat to be with real people for the day.

Main take outs: 

*Aotearoa's population profile is hyper-diverse, Auckland is the 4th most diverse city on the world (twice as diverse as New York & more than all Australian cities).

* We're experiencing reduced birth rates, increasing percentage of Maori & Pacifica, immigrants, and more older people. 

* People are living longer and not retiring. Some are "un-retiring".

* The young have grown up in a hyper-stimulated environment where everything is on demand and personalised, so they expect it.

Implications:

* Awareness of diversity (in all its forms).

* Flexibility, personalisation and tailored work, workplaces, and people development opportunities.

And that's exactly what I do! Everything I do is bespoke, tailored to you and your teams circumstances and environment. To find out more, please get in touch or visit www.growtobe.co.nz.

What do sled dogs and HPT’s have in common? Lots!

While in the very north of Canada recently I met a man named “Big Dog” (of Sayisi Dene, first nation). An amazing man with amazing stories, proud of his culture and his large pack of sled dogs.

Big Dog shared plenty of information about his approach. He talked about getting to know each dog individually, what their strengths are, where they fit best, who they like to work with and who they didn’t. Lead dogs play critical roles. When asked whether lead dogs stood out from others as young puppies, and his answer was no. Often the most unlikely puppies become the best leaders – they grow and evolve over time with experience. He also added that some dogs don’t want to be leaders, they just want to work hard, pull hard and enjoy themselves. Big Dog emphasised how important it is to identify where dogs want to be and place them there, to enable them to thrive.

Other critical areas are nourishment and rest.  On long expeditions and in races, dogs are fed every three hours and have plenty of scheduled rest time - he doesn't wait for dogs to show signs of fatigue before resting them. Big Dog believes it’s important to invest heavily in health and wellbeing to maximise performance. 

While visiting Big Dog, and his pack, it was very clear the dogs loved their work. As their harnesses were put on, and they were led to, and attached to the sled, the noise of their excited barking was piercing. Even more intense was the wining of dogs left behind – FOMO I assume! 

As we spent some hours with Big Dog and his pack, I couldn’t help noticing parallels with effective organisational leadership approaches and high performing teams. 

It’s not the first time I’ve met sled dogs or ridden a dog sled. But it’s the first time I’ve met an inspirational and passionate man like Big Dog. He said he hates people - he prefers dogs, but I think he’d make an excellent leadership and team coach.

If you or your team would like to find out more about Big Dog and his philosophies, please get in touch. I’ll relay his philosophies as best as I can.