On Point Leadership & Coaching

The last year has been a tough one to say the least. Like most businesses, we have had to continually duck, dive and pivot in order to keep moving forward.

I believe it is so important to pause and let the wins sink in when they come along. So, to come out of this period with 2 successful venues is an incredible achievement that we had to seriously recognise! This was 100% due to the team and we needed to ensure they understood the important part they played in the journey so far.

This amazing group of human beings make our business 'Kiss My Axe' what it is .... I mean how many businesses collect nearly 600 five star Google reviews within the first year of operating? They truly are a special bunch, so what better way to celebrate them than with a boat cruise around the beautiful Sydney Harbour!

This once again proves my business success equation of :-

* Focus on hiring great human beings as the first priority
* Free your time to coach the team in their roles
* Free your time to listen and offer support in their personal life
* Focus on creating a great culture
* Protect the culture with everything you have
* Let the team do their thing!
* ...and the rest will look after itself... 😀

We appreciate you all so much.... THANK YOU !

Needless to say, things got a bit messy after this 🥳

My number 1 priority when recruiting new talent is pretty simple … I have a ‘No D! Policy’

It has always served me well… no matter how technically skilled an individual is, if they don’t fit the culture of my teams they won’t make it past the first hurdle.

I like to enjoy my work every day and what better way than to surround myself with great human beings. And if I enjoy being around them what do you think customers and other team members will think? ….It’s a positive cycle that usually delivers sound financial returns, right?!

Of course, certain roles and industries require certain qualifications and bespoke skills, but this has to be complemented with a positive growth mindset as it’s always easier to teach new skills rather than changing a closed/fixed mindset.

Remember; all interactions are an energy exchange between 2 people and once you are looking out for it you can easily spot an ‘Energy Vampire’ or ‘Sunshine Vacuum’ …. They are usually very tiring and painful to be around... ( I'm sure we all have a few people that come to mind! 😉 )

It only takes one or 2 of these individuals to drain an entire team and pull a business down so it's important to not let this negative energy into your business in the first place. If they manage to sneak under the radar in the recruitment process ( which has happened to me on several occasions ), you have to remove it as quickly as possible. That means that as a leader you have to make that tough call in order to protect the business and sometimes that means letting people go!

It is absolutely essential that you regularly take a 'temperature check' of your culture and people dynamics, and protect it at all costs in order to maximise your business potential!

So, a couple of weeks ago I achieved another momentous life goal and although it was a virtual ceremony, it did not detract from the sense of personal achievement …… I am now a proud Australian 😊

After travelling here over 25 years ago, I fell in love with this country and the desire to move here has never left me. In fact, year on year the urge grew, until it became a must, and for some reason I simply knew I would end up here.

What attracted me to Australia first was the people, their core values of ‘mateship’ and the completely inclusive culture that does not discriminate. Although some of these values are blurring at the present time, I’m hopeful that the strong human connection I’ve always seen in Australians will bring this back together and the people will be united in ‘mateship’ even stronger.

Secondly, I was wowed by the beauty and magic of the landscape which still amazes me... In fact, it leaves me in awe and gratitude every single day!

I recently looked back on my journey and wondered how I got here and didn’t go crazy during the 20 year wait to relocate; and I've realised it was by following the same path I do in my professional life, which is:

*Set the ultimate end destination of the goal

*See the goal as already achieved, speak and feel it as if it has already happened

*Detach from the pressure of achieving the end goal

*Attach to the process and journey to get there

*Break things down into steps

*Focus on the next step only

*Celebrate the milestones as each step is achieved

*Arrive at destination

*Repeat 😊

In the case of this particular journey, it was over 25 years in the making, but I have carried out the same process time and time again in everything I tackle.

To enjoy the bumpy ride of life you must have faith that by following your truth and taking heaps of action, everything will fall into place at just the right time for your story.

Australia ….. thanks for taking me in! 😃

Nothing great comes from the comfort zone; business and the world around us is constantly evolving and if we don't evolve we are effectively going backwards.

Do something today that feels uncomfortable in order to make that change!

*** EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT ***

I think we can all agree that the world is a bit crazy at the moment and we have all suffered mentally at some point over the last 2 years.

Well, I am no different and to be honest with the latest lockdown I was hit for six when my businesses were suddenly forced to shut down.

I effectively went through a fast-tracked mourning process which triggered all of the emotions including anger, grief and sadness, before I eventually moved to acceptance.

I am lucky that I am well-versed in the mechanics of what was going on internally and how best to process it all. Therefore, after 2 days of grieving, I dusted myself off and went full steam ahead as I implemented my tried and tested personal coaching methodologies.

Very quickly I reassessed the lay of the land and realised I may never have this time again. I asked myself what could I create that would add real value, whilst also allowing the business to become more robust and effectively come out of this period even stronger? ….. I knew it was time to pivot!

I was fortunate that I could still coach some of my clients virtually and with all of my attention now focused solely on this area of my business, I quickly noticed a major trend. That trend was that many were feeling undervalued and underpaid in the workplace. This is one of the most common triggers for stress build up and burnout. Did you know that if you allow workplace stress to affect you for too long it can REDUCE YOUR LIFE EXPENTANCY BY 3 YEARS!?

Can you believe it!? …. A poor leader, and or poor culture at work, CAN KNOCK YEARS OFF YOUR LIFE …. Well I think that’s just crazy and completely unacceptable. So, I decided I had to do something about it, and it has become my passion to help as many people as possible to navigate these painful situations.

Therefore, we have been extremely busy working away over the last 3 months and it is with great pleasure that I announce the evolution of ON POINT with the launch of our first online Coaching Program ‘TAKE CONTROL – THE 7 STEPS TO INCREASE YOUR SALARY’

I’ve helped many clients grow through these painful situations, including 2 who have doubled their salary in the last year. More importantly, all have improved their personal relationships and mental health along the way ….. which is true success.

If you think this may help you or someone you know, Reach Out direct or Check Out the Program here: - onpoint-consulting.com.au/courses/take-control/

Take Care and TAKE CONTROL .. Ian 😊

Self care is essential, you have to find time to simply be present. My favourite thing to do is snorkelling .... I think I scare the fish though 😱🐠😂