The Right Measurements

There are times to give it all you got. And there are times to hold back a bit. And then there are times to remain idle. I'll be the first to admit that getting the right measure takes a bit of practice. I'm the visionaire, the big thinker...the dreamer. This is all so great for the charity. However, it is also important for me to FOCUS on building a solid foundation. (Yes, Jonathan your words are still with me...)

I had to put this into practice recently. I approached my new Adelaide friend, Cole Thomas, about a B4B FUNdraising event for families and the community to take place in October. I knew he would be the best person to talk to as he has an absolute zest for life, owns fab catering company called What a Dish! http://www.whatadish.com.au - PLUS he is the singer of a groov'n band called August Falls. I knew that between us, we could cook up something special that would rock this town.

However, I soon realised that there are still some essential things I need to solidify in the infrastructure to support all future activities, demands and high standard service levels
for our recipients. As much as these were great ideas and I knew I could pull this off - it would be rushed and somethings could easily be missed. Making the decision not to do it at this time was tough, but it was a responsible decision. That felt good.

The great news is, since we have roughly planned it out and we KNOW everyone is going to want to get on board, we can do this at a later date. We have more time to plan and our launch over the coming months will give us even more experience and exposure to improve everything even more.

I also learned something really cool from Cole. He has a great management style that is honorable. He holds his staff accountable for high standards in as much as they hold him accountable for the very same. In his words, "Why ask things of them that I am not able to deliver myself?" He rewards them with incentives for good behavior.

This inspired me. Reward for good behavior and you'll get more good behavior. Inversely, if one punishes for bad behavior - one is likely to get more bad behavior. It's whatever the focus is.

With this in mind and as I am growing a team, I have implemented the RISE Scheme (Reward Incentive & Supplemental Encouragement) Those individuals who meet the outlined objectives on time will receive a 10% bonus (or gift equivalent). If you look at it, one can get a 110% return on investment by doing what they were hired to do. Not bad - better than the banks and it's totally influenced by the individual.

Thanks Cole for your energy and inspiration. I look forward to the future fabulousness we can create together.

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