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What really matters?

The Festive Season is here and what a great time it is to take stock and reflect on what really matters to us. It really is an inspiring time – and I want to share a story with you that seriously inspired me and hopefully will do the same to you.

Recently I had the great joy of being invited to participate in a conference in Hawaii. My involvement included: MC, Keynote Speaker and together with my great mate, Bernie Victor (joint Director of Martial Arts at blackbelt in excellence), we also conducted a health program for the adults and for the kids.

At the cocktail party around the pool the evening prior to the official opening of the conference, I was asked to make a couple of announcements. The most important of these was to tell the kids where the ice-cream was!

When I came off stage and returned to talking to a group of conference attendees, I noticed out of the corner of my eye, a young boy standing alone. And I thought, ‘Is he waiting to talk to me?‘ So I turned and walked towards him and 9 year old Alexander politely introduced himself.

‘Excuse me, did you say something about ice-cream?‘

‘Yes, I did,’ I replied. ‘Do you want some?‘

He said yes and added that he hadn’t clearly caught what I’d said about ice-cream in the first place because he had a hearing problem. He proudly showed me his hearing aid just in case I doubted him.

I took him by the hand and said come with me. As Alexander and I made our way to the ice-cream box, he stopped and tugged at my hand.

‘I’ve got another problem,’ he said.

‘What is it?‘ I asked.

‘I’ve got a hole in my heart.’

I can assure you that he now has my undivided attention.

A few steps later he further added that he had yet another problem – and he showed me one of his hands. There were only four fingers on it.

It was one of those moments when you realise there are people of all ages with challenges and problems that can make the issues in your life appear quite trivial. Whether Alexander knew it or not, he was focused on what he could do not on what he couldn’t do and to that end has so much to teach those of us who are presumably “better off“.

Yes, he has challenges ahead of him that will surely test him, but his attitude to life was so full of joy and fun, smiles and jokes, that I couldn’t help but be inspired by his enthusiasm.

Alexander became my buddy for the conference. In such a short space of time that night, he demonstrated character traits that I believe can take our companies, workplaces and families to new levels of productivity, performance, enjoyment and success.

In the first place he showed amazing persistence and patience waiting for me to notice him so that he could reach his goal of acquiring ice-cream. I thought too he also showed great courage in approaching a grown man who was the conference MC. He showed respect and politeness in his dealings with me. And, most of all, he demonstrated an extraordinarily positive and joyful outlook on life, despite the perceived negatives.

If we put into action these values the way Alexander did, we can’t help but to make our businesses, families and workplaces places where people can shine and “be the best you can be“.

I later met his parents and it was obvious how much they loved him, and how proud they were of him. They made him feel special – and what was the result? A boy making the most of life, a boy able to be an inspiration to others. His attitude to life blew me away!

If a young boy with more challenges facing him than most can live these values of respect, positivity, courage and persistence, can’t we? And when we do, the impact on our own lives will be immense and the influence on our teams will be enormous.

How sensational it would be to see corporate environments take their leadership tips from Alexander!

I look forward to journeying with you in 2010 and to being the best we can be together.

Have a wonderful, happy, healthy, prosperous and inspiring Festive Season and a truly successful New Year!

Best wishes

Peter and the blackbelt in excellence Team

Posted in business, conference, customer focus, family, health, inspiration, motivation, opportunity, self improvement, stories, success.

By PRT
December 8, 2009

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What it Means to be Included

Last month I asked you who you were going to include, who you were going to make feel special – on your work team or in your family. I want to thank you for your letters, so many of which talked about how important it was to be included, especially way back when you played junior sport.

I was overjoyed to hear stories about coaches who included rather than excluded young people, coaches who understood that winning is not just about the scoreboard in junior sport – it’s about kids having a crack and being acknowledged and maybe even rewarded for doing so. The reward can be as simple as a Freddo Frog or a pat on the back. The “winning” is based on continual improvement and should indeed be celebrated whether or not the scoreboard says otherwise.

Kids develop at their own rate. How dare we decide that a kid is ‘good’ or ‘not good’ at sport when the child is age seven or eight?!! When kids are excluded because of a judgment about their ability at such a young age, they’re often lost to the sport for life. Self esteem and confidence are integral to taking action and to on-going improvement. To quit just because somebody else thinks you are not up to scratch is not a message we want a young person to take into the rest of their lives.

While I know this is a story about kid’s sport, surely this applies in the corporate world too. We spend so much time judging other people and very often get it wrong. Constant positive reinforcement is a powerful tool. Let people know how valued they are. I always find it interesting that people who are truly engaged and made to feel important invariably are more productive too.

In our sporting clubs, in our companies and in our families, it’s beholden on us to create environments where people are encouraged to shine. We’ve got to create environments where people are made to feel special and where they can focus on the goal of continual improvement.

That has to be one of our values. And we have to live it.

Posted in actions, business, conference, customer focus, empowered, facilitator, family, goals, inspiration, leadership, management, sport.

By PRT
November 11, 2009

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Living Your Values

Do you live out the values you espouse? In my travels, I often hear people and companies talk a lot about family values. Yet, when they have their company conferences, families are very rarely considered.

But if those same companies were to walk their talk about family values, the benefits would be incredible. I know that from experience.

Let me give you three recent examples of when companies I know brought to life the values they espoused. By including (there’s that word again!) their team members’ families at conferences, they created ‘wow’ experiences for them – and the benefits were amazing.

Posted in actions, business, conference, customer focus, facilitator, family, goals, inspiration, leadership, management, motivation, opportunity, self improvement, workshop.

By PRT
November 11, 2009

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Invest in Making People Feel Special

I was at a conference in Far North Queensland recently where a company had allowed partners to attend. They were included in the lifestyle events, and the bonding between partners was just fantastic. The CEO, Trevor, was apprehensive at first about including partners. It was easy for him to do or not do, but he made a choice that I applaud him for! And now he is reaping the rewards: his company is just growing and growing.

Then I was at another company’s 10th anniversary celebration at the Versace Hotel on the Gold Coast. It was the second time I’d presented for this company and I was also to be the MC at their black tie function.

This particular company prided itself on being a “family business”. And I am delighted to tell you that I was absolutely treated as part of the family. But not only was I made to feel like a family member but so too was my wife, Sharon. They found out it would be my birthday on the night I was to MC so Sharon was invited to the dinner and to spend a couple of nights at the Versace too. Wow, what a great thing to do! It really showed to me that they cared. They made an investment in making people feel special and I want to thank Martin, the Managing Director, for that.

Lastly, I was invited to be the keynote speaker at another conference at a resort up in sunny Queensland. This particular company certainly talked about the importance of family and then backed it up in spades. Both partners and children were included. And so that the partners could relax and attend the conference sessions, babysitters were supplied for the little kids and organised activities were provided for the teenagers.

I can tell you that everybody had a ‘wow’ experience and the feedback the company received was extraordinary. Thank you to the CEO Janine and her wonderful team of people.

For all these companies, the extra money they spent was an investment in their ongoing success. They showed a real commitment to their values, not just interest!

Posted in actions, business, conference, customer focus, goals, inspiration, keynote, leadership, management, motivation, opportunity, stories, success, workshop.

By PRT
November 10, 2009

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One Step in the Right Direction

The question I am asking is how serious are you? Do you bring to life the concepts and values you talk about?

We all talk about a lot of good stuff, but is it really happening in our organisations, our companies, our families?

None of this has to be complicated. Sometimes our big picture goals can frighten us away from doing the simple things that make a difference! So I want to ask you: What is one thing you can do today that will move you in the direction you say you want to go and bring your values to life?

It might be as simple as that family photo next to one of your team member’s desk. You see it every day – so go and ask him or her what are your kids’ names? You’ve got the choice of whether you engage or not. And if you choose to engage, the impact will be huge.

We can’t think to ourselves, That’s a great idea. I must do that some time. Now’s the time to do it! It’s now that people want their contributions acknowledged – and it’s now that they want to see you living out your values. Be specific, set a time frame and go for it. The great thing is that, when you live out your values, you’ll feel a whole lot better about yourself too.

Posted in actions, business, family, goals, health, inspiration, leadership, management, motivation, opportunity, self improvement, stories, success, time management.

By PRT
November 10, 2009

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Feedback

Hi Peter,

“Jam packed bundle of inspiring insights and practical advice” – a perfect explanation of this mornings motivational power presentation.

Your passionate, sincere and heartfelt presentation to our team who just underwent a recent restructure and change in management is just the kick start we needed.

There was something for everyone. Although an eclectic group of people, your ability to personalise your approach to engage each person was great to see in action. Even in a short timeframe, you managed to drive home the key messages regarding change, focus and commitment to achieving goals in simple bite-size & digestible chunks for us to remember. For that – we thank you.”

Luisa, Sales Manager, Roche

“A huge thanks Luisa, for organizing Peter Thurin to speak to us this morning. He was such an inspirational speaker for us this morning.

He was so full of energy, what a great way to kick off a new week and infact, as you identified, the next 11 weeks leading up to Christmas.

This was definitely not a 1%er but some fantastic insight into how we can all take the step to make positive changes for our work, families and ourselves.”

Many thanksThe Vic Team (Roche)

 

To Luisa and the entire Roche Team, thank you. You are an extraordinary group of people who do amazing work and it was my great good fortune to have been invited to be a part of your conference.

Your feedback is never taken for granted and is always greatly appreciated. Thank you so much.

Please feel free to email me at comments@blackbeltinexcellence.com.au

Thanks for joining me again this month. Keep well. And keep going.

Posted in business, conference, facilitator, inspiration, leadership, management, motivation, quotes, stories, testimonials.

By PRT
November 9, 2009

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Thanks

To Luisa and the entire Roche Team, thank you. You are an extraordinary group of people who do amazing work and it was my great good fortune to have been invited to be a part of your conference.

Your feedback is never taken for granted and is always greatly appreciated. Thank you so much.

Please feel free to email me at comments@blackbeltinexcellence.com.au

Posted in Uncategorized.

By PRT
November 9, 2009

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New blackbelt in excellence introductory video – keynote, mentoring, team building and facilitation

A snapshot of Peter Thurin and the blackbelt in excellence program including corporate keynote speaking, mentoring,  facilitation, team building and leadership training. Workshop facilitation and activities including martial arts. Peter Thurin is a successful businessman, author, consultant, facilitator and Third Dan Taekwondo black belt.

Watch the video here

Posted in business, conference, customer focus, facilitator, inspiration, keynote, leadership, management, motivation, video, workshop. Tagged with , , , , , , , .

By PRT
September 22, 2009

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Make an ‘Early Inclusion’

You often hear sporting clubs say they’ve made a ‘late inclusion’ to their team for this week’s big game. Well, the big game is on for all of us every day. And every day is a day we can make ‘early’ inclusions to our teams, our families, our workplaces. We don’t have to wait until we are challenged or until something goes wrong, like sporting teams do, before we include someone on our team.

It makes sense to include people rather than exclude them. But when we feel “down” or when we fail or when things don’t go right for us, often the last thing we feel like doing is letting people into our lives. But that’s the time when we absolutely have to let people in. Rather than exclude people from our lives, it’s the time when we have to include others.

Let me give you an example: I was speaking in the country recently and there was a farmer, I’ll call him ‘Alan’, in his early 40s, the prime of his life, but he felt like a failure. His wife came up to me and said, ‘Pete, I really want you to talk to him, I’m really worried about him. He’s very upset, but he’s shutting everyone out.’

Alan’s father and grandfather had been farmers and they’d run the family farm successfully. But times are tough in the country, as we know, with the drought and the economic downturn. Things weren’t going well for Alan.

But it wasn’t his fault! He was focussing on things he can’t control. He can’t make it rain, he can’t change the economic downturn. But he can change , he can include people, include his wife, say to her, ‘Hey, I need you at the moment. Can you be there for me?’

Focus on the opportunity that comes with change

And maybe what he’s experiencing right now is an opportunity. It’s a chance for him to say, ‘Right, I’ll go and spend more time with my kids, or I’ll go and coach the local junior footy team.’ He can say to himself, ‘I’ve got a wife who loves me – and I can focus on the things I can do, rather than what I can’t.’

Where can you include rather than exclude in your business, or your sporting team, or your family? Because when you make someone feel important and valued they feel included. They’re part of the team, they can share in your goals and what excites you. They’re in the game.

What do you think?

Okay Pete, you might say, how do I actually do this? Well, it’s blindingly simple. Remember to ask these four incredibly powerful words: What do you think? If people get the chance to tell you, they’re going to feel their contribution is valuable, that it matters. And you will learn so much!

We all have times when it’s just not working for us. I know that when I started blackbelt in excellence, there were times when I’d work my guts out all day, sending out 20 proposals, but at the end of the day, what did I have to show for it? Nothing! My wife would ask me, ‘What did you do today?’ and the easy thing would have been to hide in my shell. But I included her and told her exactly how things were for me. And that made all the difference. She was on my team, she could be there for me, she could help me take the next steps to achieving my goals. And hopefully, I could encourage her to have a crack at achieving her goals too.

Posted in family, goals, health, motivation, opportunity, self improvement, stories, success. Tagged with , , , , .

By PRT
September 22, 2009

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You’re not smart enough to have all the answers

I was engaged in discussion recently with a team leader who I’ll call ‘Janet’. Janet is terrific at creating work for and lumbering herself with work that could and should be done by fellow team members. She told me how she needed to induct a new team member and all the work it was going to take for her to do that. But I said, ‘Hang on Janet. What about engaging your team members to induct him? Use their experiences, get them to tell you what they think would make a great induction process.’ And she said, ‘Pete, that’s an amazing idea!’ but it really wasn’t – it was just the simple idea of asking people what do you think and giving them the chance to offer their abilities and gifts to her team. And besides, they had been through a rather ordinary induction process themselves and so had much to contribute to make the process a better one. Including others is about taking the risk to ask them to help out. But it’s a risk you must take.

Posted in business, facilitator, leadership, management, opportunity, stories, success. Tagged with , , , , , .

By PRT
September 20, 2009

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