Oh-so-many years ago, when I was a Youth Education Officer in a secondary school, I participated in a Lifeskills professional development program.  One of the great messages I took away from the program was that kids only learn from people they like.  I remember sharing that with a school principal and being right-royally shot down in flames - 'liking', apparently, was a euphemism for allowing kids to chew you up and spit out the bones and signalled a lack of respect, not to mention a complete disregard for the preferred maxim of 'obey me just because I'm older than you.'

Undeterred, I continued to believe and prove that kids did indeed respond better to being treated with respect, dignity and empathy.  It's not then rocket science to extend that to we big people, who also appreciate being treated in the same way.

Listening to many successful women leaders,  I keep hearing the same message - knowledge of the operational side of the organisation/business is not nearly as important as the interaction and relationship-building with colleagues and staff.  And it appears that they can still be very effective leaders, even with all those people 'liking' them.

I recently asked my favourite bloke how he would describe his leadership style and he said that, basically, he treated his workers as he would like to be treated.  Pretty simple, really, and it works a treat - he assures me that they all love him to bits, even when he's grumpy!

And so I wonder why there still exists a penchant for the leadership style based on a blatant disregard for people.   How personally and professionally destructive it is for someone to be sidelined for being unwilling to compromise workplace ethics and values.  I'm sure that more energy has to go into generating misery and that the side-effects are far less attractive than in the harmonious, mutually-respectful workplace.

As some probably-famous person said, "it's nice to be nice." 

I have just had a fantastic business trip around Australia working on one of my greatest passions - the development of young people. For those who don't know,  as well as Project U,  I run a number of other companies, the most prominent of which is the Australian Experiential Learning Centre (AELC).  We are at the moment engaging with universities and businesses Australia-wide in the bid to bring on board an all of government and industry internship program.

Why would I do this you ask? Well my reason is this - students in universities need a way to apply the knowledge they acquire within their degrees and the only way to do that is with work experience. The only problem with this is that most businesses don't know how to work with students and most universities can't find the resources to monitor the process. So I devised a program that gives students, industry and universities a guided process within which to work and a guaranteed method of success without a high cost.  The AELC then keeps all records of the internship on file for the students for 2 years after graduation, making it a fantastic way for the student to obtain a reference.  We also have a personal training system online and run events, seminars and a range of community projects all over the world.

In America nearly all students have access to work experience - it is the culture.  However in Australia we just haven't been able to find the right model.

The AELC is the only one of its kind in Australia and a leader in the world having won multiple awards both nationally and internationally. Imagine if all businesses got involved with the program and took on an intern. Imagine if all government departments took on interns as a matter of course. We would be the only country in the world to have a fully cooperative government/industry internship system.

I truly believe that we all need to take on the responsibility for working with the young people coming through our university systems. These young people are the future leaders in our country and right now many leave and don't come back.

If anyone out there is interested in mentoring a student, taking on an intern or just being involved with something truly inspirational then email on tracey.hodgkins@advantage.edu.au . The program is available in all states of Australia.

The website is:  www.advantage.edu.au

Well the last week has been spent strategic planning with a group in Singapore. Currently I am situated in an apartment building 26 floors above ground level overlooking the city. They look after you well and the city itself is very dynamic.

Singaporeans have a very intense way of dealing with business. Work days start early and finish late. Clients are constantly entertained and business is touted over meals, shows and golf. Although we do this in Australia, America and the UK, it is not as intense. Many of us have set working days and clients are entertained in a much more informal way.

Singaporeans are extremely competitive and businesses do whatever they have to do to climb their way to the top. This is a very male dominated culture and family dynasties are abundant. If you know someone who knows someone else, your future is assured.

Strategic planning is always best done away from the office environment and Singapore has proven an interesting location. You get to bond with your co-workers and think outside your home square. Many people forget that working on the business is just as important as working in the business. If you don’t take the time out to plan then your business runs the risk of stumbling along without direction or a destination or worst still going in the wrong direction.

Strategic planning means looking at your long term goals and strategies and determining the best pathway to get there. It is almost impossible to do when you are working day to day as they require two different modes of thinking. I highly recommend all strategic planning is done out of the office and Singapore is just one of many fabulous locations to visit.

Many of us have been micromanaged at some time in our work lives and realise the detrimental effects associated with having a ‘control freak’ boss monitor your actions! Well join the queue! This is one of the top 3 reasons people have changed jobs. Workers feel disempowered and productivity is severely disrupted. With constant report requests and almost non existent praise why would you feel happy?

So, what defines a micro-manager or ‘MM’ and do you have one lurking ready to pounce on your every move?

1. MM’s manipulate your time and don’t trust you to stick to the deadlines. They often distort priorities and are constantly working in crisis mode.

2. MM’s control how you work and want everything done their way according to exact instructions. They are always right!

3. MM’s require unrealistic checks and balances and often bottleneck all authority for projects to control activity.

4. MM’s love power and often manipulate decisions just for self-interest.

5. MM’s require excessive and unnecessary reporting

So how do you overcome this?

First you must realise that you do have choices and not take on a victim mentality. You do have options even if you haven’t yet thought them through. If you leave the position you may end up in another one that is just as bad so why not try to manage a pathway through the mire.

Strategies

1. Work out what is important to your MM and then work with him and not against him.

2. Offer information before it is asked for and work out what he may want to know in the future. MM’s need to know what you are doing but this way it means the information comes on your terms.

3. Always clarify meetings and conversations with an email or memo afterwards. This means there will never be any unrealistic expectations or surprises. Your boss can’t demand something you haven’t agreed to and you have covered your bases.

4. Don’t allow distorted deadlines to be forced upon you. Be the first to offer a timeline when you can do the task and then follow it up in writing.

5. Avoid being a target and always follow the rules and policies of the organisation

6. Build a business case – tell your MM what you want to do, why you want to do it and how it can be achieved. Show what is in it for him!

7. Pick your battles and only war on the most important issues! Don’t ever make your manager look bad in front of others.

Recognise any of these traits in yourself? Well before your career is compromised seek feedback from your staff and be willing to confront and change your behaviour. In this way you will empower those around you and all will benefit!