Uncertainty

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Uncertainty – for sure it's a thing, but it's getting a bit tiring, don't you think?

They say it's time to move on when everyone is talking about something else. Around 2002, deep thinkers dragged VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous) out of military vernacular and rightly used it to describe the world. In 2019/20/21 COVID gave us a worldwide masterclass in how accurately it describes our current reality. But awareness is only step one. Smart leaders have or are turning their attention to what they can do about it. It won't go away anytime soon.

What can you control or influence in your organisation and teams? The only certainty that counts is the certainty that you can create. Certainty that will withstand whatever the Uncertain environment throws your way. Certainty that is created, owned, and built internally – first in you as a leader, and then in your team/s.

My latest book '(Un)shakeable: More Than Resilience' has a road map to do that. Here's an extract.

If you'd like a discussion about applying the tools and tactics in your business, let me know – I’d be happy to share a real or virtual coffee with you.

Missing the Bigger Picture

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I was missing something.

Despite substantial financial incentives no one wanted my business. I was in Kuching, East Malaysia where boat divers normally jump at any opportunity to transport you and your goods across the river. There's usually lively competition for a fare. Today, everyone was moving me further along, preferring to give the job to someone else.

Money wasn't the factor. I was asking to hire a boat and driver for the day to explore the river upstream of Kuching. I love exploring 'off the beaten track' and this would have been a great way to do it. Despite the promise of a lucrative fare no one wanted the job. I was missing something.

After asking 50 plus drivers I changed the question. I asked a wise old boatman, "No one wants to take me up the river, there must be a reason, do you know what it is?"

He gave me a big toothy smile and answered in one word "Crocodiles".

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He pointed me to the museum where there is a massive croc skull. Above the skull on display were a ball of human hair and a silver pocket watch recovered from the stomach that went with the skull. Person eating crocs was the bigger picture I never would have discovered without asking a different question.

What situations are frustrating you right now? Could you ask a better question?

(Un)shakeable with Suzanne Waldron, Author of Sleeping Giants

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Suzanne Waldron’s new book Sleeping Giants is a joyous invitation to live fully. We spoke about the book itself, what it is like to bring a book to life and Suzanne’s experiences in a Kenyan Slum which lead to the book being born. We also discussed what it’s like to live and hope. Suzanne shared some deep lessons about these from her time in Africa. Profits from the book are going back to Africa. It’s a delightful piece of work and makes a fantastic gift. Enjoy!

To find out more about Suzanne and get a copy of her book Sleeping Giants, visit her website here.

(Un)shakeable with Rabia Siddique, Author of Equal Justice

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Rabia Siddique has a significant impact as a global speaker and media commentator. Like many in the conference and events industry, her income was decimated as a result of COVID. We discussed bouncing back and the impact of COVID in places outside the bubble of Western Australia.

If you wish to learn more about Rabia or connect with her, visit her website here.

Next week, stay tuned for...

Suzanne Waldron recently completed a delightful book “Sleeping Giants”. It speaks deeply of the human experience. Profits of the book are supporting Nakuru Hope, a not for profit that provides education, food and accommodations to people living in poverty in Africa. We’ll be talking with Suzanne and Founder of Nakuru Hope Susan Saleeba about their work, and the impact of COVID beyond our shores.

Empowering Students as Leaders with Wil Massara

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Wil Massara is an inspirational 18-year-old who has been making a big difference on the youth leadership front. We discuss inspiration, motivation, leadership and insight.

Find out more about Wil Massara and Youth Leadership Australia at: www.ylaaus.com.

Stay tuned on what's next in our Unshakable journey... see you soon.

Be Better with Jeremy Watkins

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Jeremy Watkins helps people find an abundance of energy and vitality for whatever they are doing. I've personally benefited from insights he has shared during the challenging lock down period. In this interview we dive deep into what it means to 'become better' and how to balance that against not feeling 'good enough'. Jeremy gives some really practical tips and tools to help track, manage and enhance your energy and vitality. Free tools are available here. I reckon you'll find his enthusiasm and transparency infectious.

I will be sharing next week the talk I had with Wil Massara last 29th of July. Wil is an inspiring young man who is changing the game with his Youth Leadership Academy, so stay tuned for that.

Thanks for joining us live or on recordings of the Unshakable webcast. I'm taking a few weeks in the bush to recharge and celebrate 25 years married with my wife. I look forward to connecting with you on the webcast again soon, and will let you know about future guests and times. I hope you are doing well in the current circumstances.

Value of Creating Space with Claire Vanderplank

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Claire Vanderplank and I discuss lessons we've both gained from time alone in the wilderness (Claire on solo Quests and me on survival walks) about the value of creating space, self-awareness, the difference between being alone and being lonely and lessons from nature. Claire also shares some great tips for starting a meditation practice.

Stay tuned for other exciting guests this July.

Resilience and Mental Health with Matthew Bruce

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My discussion with Matt Bruce this week covered a heap of territory — mental health, meditation, stress, business and rest. Matt’s personal experiences with Post Traumatic Stress following his military service means he speaks with deep empathy and understanding on these topics.

Next week my guest is Claire Vanderplank. She has spent up to 28 days alone on her own quests including in the Rocky Mountains and the south coast of WA. She leads people on wilderness quests where they spend multiple days in solitude in one small circle, fasting, in nature. Now is bringing together the experience she had in 'normal' world contexts like health, energy, stakeholder engagement and infrastructure, with these slightly different perspectives from nature and healing work, in her business, 'Weapons of Mass Creation.'

Emerging Workforce and Workplace Trends Post COVID with Professor Gary Martin

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“We need to think this through!” Workplaces have been changed by COVID, probably forever, but making those changes work long term will require more.

Professor Gary Martin and I discussed current and evolving issues for workplaces and their leaders as we recover from COVID.

Stay tuned for other exciting guests this July.

Unboring! with Bonnie Davies

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Bonnie Davies is a master of unboring things. We discuss purpose, impacts on the events industry, why things get boring and what to do about it. Bonnie is Founder, CEO and Creative Director of Gelo, derived from Greek word for Laughter. She balances playfulness with professionalism. Enjoy!

Next week, I'll be speaking with Emeritus Professor Gary Martin, CEO of Australian Institute of Management in WA. Gary is a regular contributor to media and is considered a thought leader in workplace trends, business leadership and workplace learning and development. We'll be talking about emerging workforce and workplace trends post COVID.

Come and Join us 2:00 PM Perth time on Wednesdays.

Finding the Connection and Rhythm with Shaun Nannup

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Shaun Nannup walked us through an understanding of Aboriginal connection to country. Finding the rhythm in stillness and wholeness.

You may catch Shaun again tonight at 7:00 PM Perth time in “Black Lives Matter: Healing Your Heart”, with Shaun Nannup and Ajahn Brahm, 18th June 2020, live-streaming on YouTube.

Next week, Bonnie Davies joins us in “Unboring Things.” Bonnie is the Founder, CEO and Creative Director for Gelo. She is constantly rewriting the playbook for creative, performance-based businesses. She also creates and becomes Famous Sharron. We'll talk innovation, doing things differently, refusing to quit and ask why so much stuff is boring.

Come and Join us 2:00 PM Perth time on Wednesdays.

Fragile, Resilient or Anti-Fragile with Grant Rawlinson

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Grant “Axe” Rawlinson and I discussed the adventurer’s mindset, purpose, risk and the opposite of fragility. Grant had over 50 extended and difficult expeditions under his belt, a number of them world firsts. There is a mix of mindset, tactics and strategy in the conversation which can be readily applied to the current dynamic business environment.

And to watch our earlier sessions, you may check on the playlist here.

Next week’s guest is Shaun Nannup, Noongar Elder. We’ll discuss what can be learned from the world’s oldest continuous culture.

Here's our line-up in the coming weeks: 

June 17

Shaun Nannup - Human being and Aboriginal Elder. Shaun connects people with powerful stories of belonging. Aboriginal people have culture dating back at least 60 000 years in Australia. Shaun and I will discuss connection, sustainability, and what's important when you are focussed on legacy beyond your lifetime.


June 24

Bonnie Davies - Founder, CEO and Creative Director for Gelo. Bonnie is all about “Unboring things”. Bonnie is constantly rewriting the playbook for creative, performance based businesses. She also creates and becomes Famous Sharron. We'll talk innovation, doing things differently, refusing to quit and ask why so much stuff is boring.

Come and Join us 2:00 PM Perth time on Wednesdays.

Mental Health, Stress and Mindset with Mark Butler

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This week’s conversation was with Mark Butler, specialist in workplace mental health. We discussed returning to work after lock down, practical things leaders and organisations can do to address the roughly 30% of people who will return to work with significant mental health distress. If you’d like to contact Mark for more information visit his website or email him directly at: mark@markbutler.com.au.

And to watch our earlier sessions, you may check on the playlist here.

Here's our line-up for the coming weeks: 

June 10 

Grant "Axe" Rawlinson - A Kiwi based in Singapore and an adventurer that makes the stuff I have done look mild. He played international rugby and has over 50 expeditions across the globe under his belt including walking across countries, cycling across continents, climbing Mt Everest and crossing sea's completely by human-power. We'll talk decision-making, goals in uncertainty, mindset when all seems lost.

June 17

Shaun Nannup - Human being and Aboriginal Elder. Shaun connects people with powerful stories of belonging. Aboriginal people have culture dating back at least 60 000 years in Australia. Shaun and I will discuss connection, sustainability, and what's important when you are focussed on legacy beyond your lifetime.


June 24

Bonnie Davies - Founder, CEO and Creative Director for Gelo. Bonnie is all about “Unboring things”. Bonnie is constantly rewriting the playbook for creative, performance based businesses. She also creates and becomes Famous Sharron. We'll talk innovation, doing things differently, refusing to quit and ask why so much stuff is boring.

Come and Join us 2:00 PM Perth time on Wednesdays.

More from Mike

Subscribe to Mike’s weekly Unshakeable Newsletter here.

Join the weekly Don’t Panic - Surviving COVID19 webcast here.

Download a 1-page resource on the power of gratitude in Unshakeable teams here.

Buy a copy of Mike’s book “Thrive and Adapt” here, or sign in for a complimentary PDF copy

Contact Mike to discuss organisation wide Well-being and Resilience programs that create Unshakeable teams:

mike@mikehouse.com.au

+61 423 193 196

More than Words with Rachel Callander

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This week we were joined by the amazing Rachel Callander wherein she went through some questions we can ask ourselves, our community, or our team to help us navigate communications as we head back to reconnecting and rebuilding relationships.

If you wish to contact Rachel or receive a copy of her workbook or tools around communication, you may visit her website at: rachelcallander.com.

And to watch our earlier sessions, you may check on the playlist here.

We have a fantastic line up of guests for the Wednesday webcast in June: 

June 3

Mark Butler - Mental health, Stress and Mindset. Mark has researched mental health in workplaces extensively in a 25-year career globally. We'll explore the line between personal and collective responsibility for robust mental health and resilience. 

June 10 

Grant "Axe" Rawlinson - A Kiwi based in Singapore and an adventurer that makes the stuff I have done look mild. He played international rugby and has over 50 expeditions across the globe under his belt including walking across countries, cycling across continents, climbing Mt Everest and crossing sea's completely by human-power. We'll talk decision-making, goals in uncertainty, mindset when all seems lost.

June 17

Shaun Nannup - Human being and Aboriginal Elder. Shaun connects people with powerful stories of belonging. Aboriginal people have culture dating back at least 60 000 years in Australia. Shaun and I will discuss connection, sustainability, and what's important when you are focussed on legacy beyond your lifetime.


June 24

Bonnie Davies - Founder, CEO and Creative Director for Gelo. Bonnie is all about “Unboring things”. Bonnie is constantly rewriting the playbook for creative, performance based businesses. She also creates and becomes Famous Sharron. We'll talk innovation, doing things differently, refusing to quit and ask why so much stuff is boring.

Come and Join us 2:00 PM Perth time on Wednesdays.

More from Mike

Subscribe to Mike’s weekly Unshakeable Newsletter here.

Join the weekly Don’t Panic - Surviving COVID19 webcast here.

Download a 1-page resource on the power of gratitude in Unshakeable teams here.

Buy a copy of Mike’s book “Thrive and Adapt” here, or sign in for a complimentary PDF copy

Contact Mike to discuss organisation wide Well-being and Resilience programs that create Unshakeable teams:

mike@mikehouse.com.au

+61 423 193 196

Human and Social Impacts with Suzanne Waldron

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I had a wonderfully warm and generative conversation with  Suzanne Waldron. We discussed so many things including economics, contentment, striving and production, change, art, spirituality and more. There are sure to be some gems for you in there - enjoy!

To watch our earlier webcasts, you may click on the playlist here.

Next week…

More than Talk with Rachel Callander, Global speaker, Author and master communicator. Connection is key to humanity. Connecting/reconnecting with people, reversing isolation, communication with artful care.

More from Mike

Subscribe to Mike’s weekly Unshakeable Newsletter here.

Join the weekly Don’t Panic - Surviving COVID19 webcast here.

Download a 1-page resource on the power of gratitude in Unshakeable teams here.

Buy a copy of Mike’s book “Thrive and Adapt” here, or sign in for a complimentary PDF copy

Contact Mike to discuss organisation wide Well-being and Resilience programs that create Unshakeable teams:

mike@mikehouse.com.au

+61 423 193 196

Forecasting for Real with Michael Ford

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Forecast is never about predicting, it's about preparing.

This week, Michael Ford joined us to talk about 'how a robust forecasting process is essential as we design pathways through and out of COVID'. 

The discussion touched on:

  • Forecasting

  • Growth

  • Budgeting

  • Recovery

To watch the webcast, click on the link below:

If you have questions for Michael, visit Castaway, or contact him through Linkedin here.

To watch our earlier sessions, you may click on the playlist here.

Here's again our guests in the next couple of weeks:

20 May - People Impacts with Suzanne Waldron, Human behaviour specialist and TEDex Curator. COVID19 impacted many and will for some time. Many people also made an impact during this time. A lively exploration of globally important issues and thinking. 

27 May - More than Talk with Rachel Callander, Global speaker, Author and master communicator. Connection is key to humanity. Connecting/reconnecting with people, reversing isolation, communication with artful care.

See you in our next session!

More from Mike

Subscribe to Mike’s weekly Unshakeable Newsletter here.

Join the weekly Don’t Panic - Surviving COVID19 webcast here.

Download a 1-page resource on the power of gratitude in Unshakeable teams here.

Buy a copy of Mike’s book “Thrive and Adapt” here, or sign in for a complimentary PDF copy

Contact Mike to discuss organisation wide Well-being and Resilience programs that create Unshakeable teams:

mike@mikehouse.com.au

+61 423 193 196

Don’t Panic - Surviving COVID19, Threats, Opportunities and COVIDSafe App with Brian Smith

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This week, Brian Smith, Founder and CEO of QuadIQ, shared what security threats, and opportunities we may need to navigate through post restriction world, and his thoughts in using the COVIDSafe App.

To watch the webcast, click on the link below:

If you have questions for Brian or if you wish to know how QuadIQ can help, you may contact him through: brian.smith@quadiq.com. 

To watch our earlier sessions, you may click on the playlist here.

Here's again our line-up for May as we switch our focus to recovery and evolving:

13 May - Forecasting for Real with Michael Ford, Founder and CEO of Castaway Forecasting, an Aussie business going global. Meaningful forecasting? Wishful thinking, doomsday or warm figures plucked from the air. We’ll get real about forecasting that makes a difference.

20 May - People Impacts with Suzanne Waldron, Human behaviour specialist and TEDex Curator. COVID19 impacted many and will for some time. Many people also made an impact during this time. A lively exploration of globally important issues and thinking. 

27 May - More than Talk with Rachel Callander, Global speaker, Author and master communicator. Connection is key to humanity. Connecting/reconnecting with people, reversing isolation, communication with artful care.

See you in our next session!

More from Mike

Subscribe to Mike’s weekly Unshakeable Newsletter here.

Join the weekly Don’t Panic - Surviving COVID19 webcast here.

Download a 1-page resource on the power of gratitude in Unshakeable teams here.

Buy a copy of Mike’s book “Thrive and Adapt” here, or sign in for a complimentary PDF copy

Contact Mike to discuss organisation wide Well-being and Resilience programs that create Unshakeable teams:

mike@mikehouse.com.au

+61 423 193 196

Don’t Panic - Surviving COVID19, Principles and Pillars of Recovery with Steven Young

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This week, Mike interviewed Stephen Young, expert in crisis response about recovery from a crisis. Steve led the response/recovery team for Cyclone Larry in Queensland, 2006. At the time it was the largest natural disaster response in Australian history - Steve and his team significantly contributed to current crisis response and recovery methodology.

"Whilst we may well be ready to recover, personally, or as an organisation or small business, those around you may not be ready to recover...

Recovery solutions are typically complicated because they are multi-faceted. Everybody recovers at different speeds."

To watch the full video, you may click on the video link below:

 You may access and share Steve's the 5 Key Crisis Leadership Task here.

To learn more and connect with Steve, you may visit his website at: www.tpcm.com.au.

And watch the rest of the webcast series here.

As mentioned in this session this week, reflection is an important piece to our recovery, so we are pressing pause next week... no new content or guests.

We would instead take the time to touch base with the people present in the call; tackle questions that may have arisen from what we have discussed over the last few weeks; and to know what you would like to hear in the coming weeks.

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More from Mike

Subscribe to Mike’s weekly Unshakeable Newsletter here.

Join the weekly Don’t Panic - Surviving COVID19 webcast here.

Download a 1-page resource on the power of gratitude in Unshakeable teams here.

Buy a copy of Mike’s book “Thrive and Adapt” here, or sign in for a complimentary PDF copy

Contact Mike to discuss organisation wide Well-being and Resilience programs that create Unshakeable teams:

mike@mikehouse.com.au

+61 423 193 196

Don’t Panic - Surviving COVID19, Showing Up is Half the Battle with Pip Loader

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It was a great session with Pip Loader this week, with this quote to sum it all up:

"Your Life is a series of Balloon rides"

SHOW UP, MAKE IT COUNT!

To watch the full video, you may click on the video below:

You may download and share the Show Up Worksheet here.

To learn more and connect with Pip, you may visit her website at: www.piploader.com

And watch the rest of the webcast series here.

As we saw a couple of weeks ago, a leader during a crisis such as Covid-19 crisis ideally fulfills 5 Key Leadership Tasks, these are Sense-making, Decision-making & Coordination, Meaning-making, Accounting & Termination, and finally Learning. During next week’s session, we will have Stephen Young back to discuss the challenges we will face planning for recovery from this unprecedented global crisis. History shows that those that plan their recovery well and that learn from a crisis will not only bounce back, but more importantly they’ll bounce forward.  

Better practice recovery demands that the crisis leader develops an in depth understanding of the context, the complexities, the coordination and communication requirements that recovery will require.

Stephen will discuss the principles and pillars of recovery and respond to key questions about what you can do within your own organisations to recover from and bounce forward out of this crisis.

More from Mike

Subscribe to Mike’s weekly Unshakeable Newsletter here.

Join the weekly Don’t Panic - Surviving COVID19 webcast here.

Download a 1-page resource on the power of gratitude in Unshakeable teams here.

Buy a copy of Mike’s book “Thrive and Adapt” here, or sign in for a complimentary PDF copy

Contact Mike to discuss organisation wide Well-being and Resilience programs that create Unshakeable teams:

mike@mikehouse.com.au

+61 423 193 196

Don’t Panic - Surviving COVID19, Leading in a Crisis with Stephen Young

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Stephen shared with us three of the 5 Key Leadership Tasks:

  1. Sense making

  2. Decision-making & coordination

  3. Meaning making

Here is the handout to Stephen's discussion.

To learn more and connect with Stephen, you may visit his website at: www.tpcm.com.au​​​​​​​.

You may also listen and share last week's video below:

Click on the complete playlist for Don’t Panic - Surviving COVID19 here.

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Watch out for this week's video with Pip Loader on the topic SHOWING UP IS HALF THE BATTLE!

How are you showing up right now? Are you bringing your best self to the table? Or are there cracks appearing in your ‘diplomacy dike’?

Whether you are leading or working in a team, are a parent with kids now home 24/7, or you are simply wanting to focus your time and energy where it is needed the most right now, this session will provide a practical framework to help you work through how to show up as the best version of you, for yourself and others, as we navigate this current journey. 

Pip Loader works in Leadership & Team development, helping people connect, create and deliver impact in their day-to-day work and lives.  This session is part of based on a section of her ‘Meaningful Leadership’ coaching program (and slightly adapted for current times!)  Pip is a firm believer that ‘Everything we do, starts and ends, with people’.

More from Mike

Subscribe to Mike’s weekly Unshakeable Newsletter here.

Join the weekly Don’t Panic - Surviving COVID19 webcast here.

Download a 1-page resource on the power of gratitude in Unshakeable teams here.

Buy a copy of Mike’s book “Thrive and Adapt” here, or sign in for a complimentary PDF copy

Contact Mike to discuss organisation wide Well-being and Resilience programs that create Unshakeable teams:

mike@mikehouse.com.au

+61 423 193 196