The Barefoot Coach Blog
December 2010
Highlights:
December was a month where SeventhWave started to wind down for the year! We spent two weeks based at our Beachside Office, and took time to reflect on the year gone by. We also began planning for 2011 and there are some exciting things to look forward to that will be unveiled in the New Year...
Dugald ran a RoadTrip™ with a difference for a Corporate Leadership Team and such was the experience, the participants were raving about it days later...
Elsewhere, a not-for-profit organisation took part in a team building day and they were thrilled with the unique activities and the outcomes achieved (they were also pleased with the substantial discount that NFPs receive from SeventhWave).
Once again, the BoardMeeting™ has been popular, with sessions on the Yarra River, at Phillip Island, on the Surf Coast and on Port Phillip Bay. To learn more, enquire here.
Feel free to connect with me at LinkedIn here.
Quotes:
Each month, I take note of interesting quotes I’ve come across. Here are this month’s;
"The three most elemental sounds in nature are the sound of rain, the sound of wind in a primeval wood and the sound of the outer ocean on the beach. I have heard them all and of the three elemental voices, that of the ocean is the most awesome, beautiful, and varied."
Henry Beston, The Outermost House, 1928
“There’s no secret to balance. You just have to feel the waves”
Frank Herbert
“When was the last time you spent a quiet moment just doing nothing - just sitting and looking at the sea, or watching the wind blowing the tree limbs, o rippling on a pond, a flickering candle or children playing in the park?”
Ralph Marston
Books read/reading during December:
We were thrilled to receive "Shetland Words - A dictionary of the Shetland Dialect" in the post with a lovely personalised note from the authors inside the front cover. Alastair and Adaline Christie-Johnston have devoted three years to the project, and their hard work deserves rich praise.
New Music that moved us in December:
Jamiroquai, Rock Dust, Light Star
Grinderman, Grinderman 2
Kany West, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Little Dragon, Machine Dreams
Nouvelle Vague, Couleur sur Paris
Ministry of Sound Chillout Sessions XIII
The Holidays, Post Paradise
The Church, Dead Man's Hand EP
Zola Jesus, Stridulum II
Every year Dugald compiles a list of his 52 "Songs of the Week". Here's the final list from 2010. You can check it out here!
1. Doubt, Delphic
2. The High Road, Broken Bells
3. Die Happy Die Smiling, Maps
4. Paradise Circus feat. Hope Sandoval, Massive Attack
5. Thieves In the Night, Hot Chip
6. Paper Romance, Groove Armada
7. Hide Me, The Golden Filter
8. Paper Moon, Shout Out Louds
9. Glitter Freeze, Gorillaz
10. Dreaming, Goldfrapp
11. Goodbye England (Covered In Snow), Laura Marling
12. Beat The Devil's Tattoo, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
13. I'm New Here, Gil Scott-Heron I'm New Here
14. Bloodbuzz Ohio, The National High Violet
15. Go Do, Jónsi
16. The Last Of The Melting Snow , The Leisure Society
17. Done It Again, Space Invadas
18. Gold Canary, Cloud Control
19. Divisive, We Have Band
20. I Can Change, LCD Soundsystem
21. Hey Boy, The Magic Kids
22. Laredo, Band Of Horses
23. The Answer, UNKLE
24. Howlin' For You, The Black Keys
25. Comin Around, Faithless
26. Tenderoni, Kele
27. Wonders Of The Deep, The Chemical Brothers
28. Silver Soul, Beach House
29. Symphonies ft. Kid Cudi, Dan Black
30. Dancing On My Own, Robyn
31. Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains), Arcade Fire
32. Where I'm Going, Cut Copy
33. Sunday Best, Washington
34. Boyfriend, Best Coast
35. Middledistancerunner (DC Rework Edit), Chicane
36. Kings Of Perignon, Ou Est Le Swimming Pool
37. Always Loved A Film, Underworld
38. Windstorm, School Of Seven Bells
39. Foliage, The Honey Month
40. I'm In Love, Antony & The Johnsons
41. Come Undone, Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan, Hawk
42. Time to Wander, Gypsy & The Cat
43. Crave You, Flight Facilities
44. Day Into Night (feat. Stephanie McKay), Katalyst
45. All Fall Down, Inland Sea
46. Palaces Of Montezuma, Grinderman
47. My Step, Little Dragon
48. Voilà les anges (feat. Coeur de Pirate), Nouvelle Vague
49. Sans Soleil, Miike Snow
50. History, Groove Armada
51. Heavy Feathers, The Holidays
52. Night, Zola Jesus
Live Music
SeventhWave had its staff Christmas party at "A Day On The Green" at Rochford Wines where The Pretenders, Blondie, Little Red and Adalita played to a capacity crowd. It was a glorious Summer's Day and a big group of friends thoroughly enjoyed the festive atmosphere. Blondie were excellent and then The Pretenders finished the concert with a sublime set of classic hits as the crowd enjoyed a superb sunset...
Check out all the music that gets Seventh Wave in the mood...
And, you can follow me on Ping here.
The Barefoot Coach Blog
Movember 2010
Highlights:
Movember was a memorable month!
Once again, SeventhWave was proud to support Movember, and Dugald began the month by shaving off hs goatee and moustache and growing a new set of whiskers. Dugald lost his Uncle to prostate cancer and his Dad has also battled (and beaten) it. Every year, Dugald is keen to use Movember as an opportunity to raise funds for men's health and to remind men to take care of their health and get a their annual "roadworthy".
On the work front, Seventh Wave was privileged to work with two different leadership teams, one based in Australia, the other a global business. Both teams utilised the High Performance Team Program- one of our most popular and successful products. To learn more, enquire here.
BoardMeeting™ client numbers have grown, as word of this unique offering spreads...
Sessions took place on the Yarra River, and around St. Kilda breakwater.
Feel free to connect with me at LinkedIn here.
Quotes:
Each month, I take note of interesting quotes I’ve come across. Here are this month’s;
On Using Imagination "People are forgetting how. The problem with the internet and computers is, the information is exterior. Imagination requires an interior understanding. If you read poetry, which I do daily, you must let it come inside you to grasp its meaning."
On Information Overload. "Despite today’s massive increase in information, there seems no parallel increase I wisdom."
John Olsen
"All of us have in our veins the exact same percentage of salt in our blood that exists in the ocean, and, therefore, we have salt in our blood, in our sweat, in our tears. We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea ... we are going back from whence we came."
JFK on the eve of the US elections.
Books read/reading during Movember:
Why Should Anyone Be Led By You?:What It Takes To Be An Authentic Leader by Goffee and Jones, Harvard Business School Press, 2006.
An excellent book that we leveraged at one of the Leadership Team offsites during the month, where each participant was presented with the book by the team leader.
New Music that moved us in Movember:
Dan Sultan, Get Out While You Can
Angus & Julia Stone, Down The Way
Whitley, Go Forth, Find Mammoth
Check out all the music that gets Seventh Wave in the mood...
And, you can follow me on Ping here.
The Barefoot Coach Blog
October 2010
Highlights:
October was a MASSIVE month!
It started with the AFL Grand Final Replay and SeventhWave then spent a week working out of our Beachside Office.
Skype and 'phone coaching was popular with International and Interstate clients in October (they receive a 7% discount) and once again, the BoardMeeting™ has been popular, with sessions on the Yarra River, at Phillip Island, and on Port Phillip Bay. To learn more, enquire here.
Also worthy of note - Dugald delivered a keynote, "Happy Staff = Productive Staff" to wide acclaim and also ran a hugely successful Leader as Coach program for a major corporate. Again, to learn more, enquire here.
Feel free to connect with me at LinkedIn here.
Quotes:
Each month, I take note of interesting quotes I’ve come across. Here are this month’s;
"The inarticulate speak the longest."
Japanese Proverb
"If You Understand Everything, You must be misinformed."
Japanese Proverb
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."
Margaret Mead
Books read/reading during October:
The Wavewatcher’s Companion, Gavin Pretor-Pinney. You can hear the author speak about it here.
"A humorous, original guide to the waves that surround us and through which we experience the world, by the bestselling author of The Cloudspotter's Guide.
Gavin Pretor-Pinney started wondering about waves when he found himself in a glider 'surfing' a gigantic Australian cloud called the Morning Glory; its similarity to an ocean wave was startling. So he embarked on a global journey of wave discovery that was at first intended as an excuse for a holiday to Hawaii. But other kinds of wave kept cropping up to impede his departure.
Brain waves, radio waves, infrared waves, microwaves, shock waves, light waves, Mexican waves - all played a role in delaying Gavin's arrival on Waikiki Beach. If you've ever wondered why your heart beats, snakes slither, suspension bridges collapse, butterfly wings shimmer, saucers fly, traffic jams - it's all about waves......"
He even gives his interpretation of The Seventh Wave...
New Music that moved us in October:
Antony & The Johnsons, Swanlights
The Basics, The Basics (free download)
Timo Maas, Balance 017
Little Red, Midnight Remember
Isoble Campbell & Mark Lanegan, Hawk
Live Music
Paul Weller rocked out for a couple of sold out shows at The Forum, which remains my favourite venue in Melbourne. Mr. Weller is still the godfather of cool, and he had the crowd captivated with his swagger and savvy song selection from his solo career, along with hits from The Jam and The Style Council.
Check out all the music that gets Seventh Wave in the mood...
And, you can follow me on Ping here.
The Barefoot Coach Blog
September 2010
Highlights:
September was a HUGE month!
Anyone who lives in Melbourne, and many who don't, will know about the drawn AFL Grand Final. I was invited by Herald Sun cartoonist Macca to join him for the replay, and was keen to see which team would bounce back best from the draw. A true test of resilience if ever there was one.
The month was also punctuated by several BoardMeeting™ on the Yarra River, in fun waves at the Surf Coast, and on Port Phillip Bay.
I ran another hugely successful Consulting Skills workshop, and more are scheduled for later this year. To learn more, enquire here.
Connect with me at LinkedIn here.
Quotes:
Each month, I take note of interesting quotes I’ve come across. Here’s this month’s;
"To listen well, is as powerful a means of influence as to talk well, and is as essential to all true conversation”
Chinese Proverb
"The Masters in The Art of Living make little distinction between their work and their leisure, their minds and their bodies, their information, their recreation, their love and their religion. They hardly know which is which, they simply pursue their vision of excellence at whatever they do, leaving others to decide whether they are working or playing."
James A. Michener
"Sit in reverie and watch the changing colours of the waves that break upon the idle seashore of the mind"
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Books read/reading during September:
"Let My People Go Surfing - The Education of a Reluctant Businessman", Yvon Chouinard.
"In his long-awaited memoir, Yvon Chouinard, legendary climber, businessman, environmentalist, and founder of Patagonia, Inc. shares the persistence and courage that have gone into being head of one of the most respected and environmentally responsible companies on earth. From his youth as the son of a French Canadian blacksmith to the thrilling, ambitious climbing expeditions that inspired his innovative designs for the sports equipment, Let My People Go Surfing is the story of a man who brought doing good and having grand adventures into the heart of his business life. A book that will deeply affect entrepreneurs and outdoor enthusiasts alike".
The Psychology of Change Management - a great article drawing on experiences of large-scale Change Management at a major bank that I was proud to be a part of. You can read about it here.
New Music that moved us in September:
Sun Kil Moon, "Admiral Fell Promises"
Sia, "We Are Born"
School of Seven Bells, "Disconnect From Desire"
Robyn, "Body Talk, Pt. 2"
Magic Kids, "Memphis"
Underworld, Barking
Chicane, Giants
Best Coast, Crazy For You
Live Music
I was fortunate to get tickets to an amazing gig at Festival Hall where the Silversun Pickups were supporting Birds of Tokyo. The Silversuns sold out their show at the Corner Hotel in record time so we figured we'd better check them out in their supporting role. They didn't disappoint - finishing with Lazy Eye and Panic Switch - incredible!
The Birds of Tokyo then showed why they've recently been nominated for 6 ARIA awards. A powerful performance from the boys from Perth.
Check out all the music that gets Seventh Wave in the mood...
And, follow me on Ping here.
The Barefoot Coach Blog
August 2010
Highlights:
Late July, early August was spent on the Sunshine Coast enjoying a family holiday. It was simply superb!
A trip to Sydney to discuss an opportunity to join an Executive Coaching Panel for a global corporate also provided some quality time with great friends in Bondi.
I also had the pleasure of facilitating an Offsite for a Leadership team of a new start-up business based throughout SE Asia. I have no doubt this team will harness their cultural diversity and overcome the geographical challenges they face.
Quotes:
"We must see people in terms of their future potential, not their past performance" Sir John Whitmore
Books read/reading during August:
The War for Talent Ed Michaels, Helen Handfield Jones, Beth Axelrod
New Music that moved us in August:
Arcade Fire, "The Suburbs"
The Like, "Release Me"
M.I.A., "Maya"
Live Music
We were fortunate to catch the Peregian Originals whilst on holiday. Four bands played on the grass between the Peregian Surf Club and the dunes. This free, family-friendly event was a wonderful way to spend the afternoon.
Check out all the music that gets Seventh Wave in the mood...
The Barefoot Coach Blog
July 2010
Highlights:
I was privileged to have the opportunity to emcee an event at the Melbourne Convention Centre. With over 400 people in the room, and an audience of several hundred more in 6 different international locations, it was a real buzz! The photo above is taken from the event.
An Offsite with a Leadership Team led to open conversations, creative thinking, improved relationships and excellent outcomes. Spending time away from the city helped inject energy and enthusiasm - the location helped too - a beautiful winery.
Another successful Consulting Skills workshop was held. Listening and Questioning Skills were fine-tuned, and participants left engaged and energised to try out their skills.
Quotes:
You can tell an intelligent person by his answers. You can tell a wise person by his questions" Naguib Mahfouz
Books read/reading during July:
What Colour is your Parachute?- Richard Nelson Bolles
New Music that moved us in July:
The Roots, "How I Got Over"
Robyn, "Body Talk, Pt 1"
Check out all the music that gets Seventh Wave in the mood...
The Barefoot Coach Blog
June 2010
Highlights:
One of the highlights from June was a BoardMeeting™ with a client at Bells Beach. The photo by Steve Ryan above was taken during the session.
Other highlights - some Skype coaching with clients based interstate and in the Pacific and Asia.
A hugely succesful Collaboration session was run with a Leadership Team operating in a Global organisation, dealing with the compexities of a virtual, cross-cultural team.
Two Consulting Skills workships were run - the 2 day workshops were incredibly well received.
Quotes:
We need to equip ourselves with specific skills, such as change management, business process consulting and human resources in order to have an edge over competing markets or countries. Mark Edwards
"Most people, particularly if they've been a successful executive somewhere ... they want to tell you how good they are and what they've done and how they've done it, instead of listening to the issues at hand, what does the client want, and relating that to what skills they have." Scott Kingdom
Books read during June:
Finding Flow: The Psychology of Engagement with Everyday Life Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
New Music that moved us in June:
Kele (lead singer of Bloc party) with his debut solo album, "The Boxer"
Foals, "Total Life Forever"
The Chemical Brothers, "Further"
Check out all the music that gets Seventh Wave in the mood...