"What Makes People Happy at Work” - the link between happiness and performance with Jackie Smith | Monday August 8, 2011 | 5.30pm

Happiness is on the global agenda but until recently hasn’t been discussed on the employer agenda. In this context happiness is more than motivation and engagement. In the Science of Happiness at Work we have identified a direct correlation between happiness and productivity. Join an interactive, thought-provoking discussion. Come and experience the model which when applied, makes a difference to how people feel and how they perform. We will explore the following themes: · What do we mean by happiness in a work context · How do we measure productivity? How can we encourage motivation/alignment/confidence/contribution? · What are the elements in the model which identifies all the elements of happiness linking to performance? · How does the model inform your experience in organisations? · What does the model tell you about your happiness at work? This session will also be useful for Senior Leaders, Change Facilitators, Consultants, Coaches, OD Managers, L&D Managers and HR Managers. Jackie Smith has been working with Jess Pryce Jones, the author of Happiness at Work, since its publication two years ago, accrediting people to raise awareness and use the tools of this leading edge research. She worked for 7 years in TAFE NSW as a Counselling Psychologist before re-locating to the UK. Since then she has worked internationally in consulting, facilitation and executive coaching for the last 16 years for companies such as PwC, KPMG, Ernst & Young, HSBC, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Unilever, Wiley, Compaq, Black & Decker to name just a few. She was owner director of an international development and coaching company for 5 years and now works freelance, preferring to do transformational work with clients than build businesses. She co-authored a book on Personal Impact: what it takes to make a difference in 2008 and has written numerous articles. In addition to working in-house with clients, Jackie is in Sydney from 1 - 20 August 2011 facilitating a 1-day public program in mid August 2011 on H@W, counting towards accreditation, as well as one on Strategic Influencing. She regularly comes to Australia. If you are curious about the topic, the research and the tools, check out: http://www.iopenerinstitute.com/ Venue: [Our usual venue] University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Jones Street, Ultimo corner Thomas Street. Room 5.580 Level 5, Building 10, Take the lift to level 5, cross the atrium footbridge, walk straight ahead to room 580. Time: From 5:30pm to 7:30pm sharp | No RSVP - Just turn up Emergency contact Greg Jenkins m: 0418 486 501 e: greg@changeagent.com.au

Transformational Leadership with Godwin Vaz | Monday July 11, 2011

The sphere of Transformational Leadership is where a Leader facilitates a profound, positive shift in capability, character and results for themselves, their people and their organisation.

Come and join this stimulating, interactive and thought-provoking session. We will experience and have a conversation on the following relevant themes:

· What are the multiple Roles of a Transformational Leader

· What are common Myths and Barriers to successful Transformational efforts – leader and systemic

· Core (skills and mindset) Capabilities of a Transformational Leader

· When is a system/organisation ready for a transformational journey – Critical readiness factors to assess and/or influence

· How to manage the fear of losing credibility, criticism and peer disapproval

This session will also be useful for Senior Leaders, Change Facilitators, Senior Consultants, Transformational Trainers, L &D managers, HR Managers and consultants

About the Facilitator:

Godwin Vaz has been exploring, researching and working in the Transformational space for 24 years. He has been an executive coach, consultant and leadership development facilitator in 11 countries for companies such as Singapore Airlines, Itau Bank (Brazil), Federal Express, ExxonMobil, Macquarie Bank, Singtel-Optus, Microsoft and many more. In the last 5 years he has also been an Advisor, Coach and Transformational Leadership facilitator for Partners at one of the top 3, global Management Consulting firms in the world.

In August/September 2011, for the first time in Australia, Godwin will be conducting public seminars on ‘Transformational Leadership’ and ‘Transformational Meeting Facilitation’, using his proven MLS methodology. Learn more about MultiDimensional Learning Systems™ (MLS) here.

Venue: [Our usual venue]
University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Jones Street, Ultimo corner Thomas Street.
Room 5.580 Level 5, Building 10, Take the lift to level 5, cross the atrium footbridge, walk straight ahead to room 580.

Time:

From 5:30pm to 7:30pm sharp | No RSVP - Just turn up
Blog http://www.facilitatorsnetwork.blogspot.com

Emergency contact Greg Jenkins m: 0418 486 501 e: greg@changeagent.com.au

Developing an international mindset and preparing for the multi cultural world, with Sally Anne Gaunt | Monday June 20, 2011

Australia has emerged in recent decades as an integral part of a thriving international community especially with China and the entire Asia Pacific region. Whilst we have significant trade and commercial dealings in our region, can we also expect that communication flows easily in our interaction with these very different cultures?

This session is designed to explore how versatile and flexible a person can be when asked to work with someone whose values are very different from theirs. Our culture is a key influencing factor in shaping our values, so it’s not surprising that our internal belief system becomes challenged when travelling or simply working with people from other parts of the world.

If not addressed, people often end up blaming the other party for inappropriate behavior, when in reality they have failed to convey the necessary context, hence breaking vital relationships.

In this session we will act out simple strategies to ensure you build bridges rather than barriers when dealing with people from a different culture. Finally, we will investigate basic culture differences that, if not understood, can easily divert even an experienced facilitator off track.

About Sally Anne Gaunt

Prior to arriving in Australia in 2003, Sally Anne spent 15 years working throughout Asia, including Hong Kong, Indonesia, Thailand, Burma, Philippines, and parts of Sub-Sahara Africa. Her roles ranged from regional key account management for a major publisher, starting her own business based in Singapore and Malaysia, and working for a NGO based in Fiji. Upon arriving in Australia, Sally Anne established her career as a training consultant and has worked with a wide variety of organizations in a number of industries. She specializes in helping Australian companies communicate with stakeholders from Asia Pacific, and build successful multi-cultural teams.

Sally Anne is a Lecturer at the University of New South Wales for the Cross Cultural Management Undergraduate Program, which ensures she is abreast of the latest research and thinking in the field of managing diversity. Sally Anne has a Masters Degree in Asian Studies, a Post Graduate Certificate in Vocational and Workplace Learning, a Jansen Newman Certificate in coaching, and has completed conflict management training at ACAP. She is also an NLP practitioner.

“Wildcard” – Short processes for fun and energy | Monday May 9, 2011

“Wildcard” – Short processes for fun and energy

At a 'Wildcard' meeting, volunteer facilitators, in an open space style, step-up from the group to run a short session of between 5 and 20 minutes.

Typical processes suitable for the “Wildcard” include ice breakers, opening and closing rituals, energisers, thought provokers, experiential activities, games, simulations - anything at all that can be done in 5 - 20 minutes.

Sessions are not scheduled in advance. There is usually time for six (6) or more entries on the night including a short debriefing.

Come with a short process 'in your pocket' or just come along and have fun

**** Special Notice Change of Venue - This meeting Only****

CM05C.01.29 – UTS QUAY St, Level 1 Room 29

University of Technology Sydney (UTS),

Haymarket Campus
(Opposite Market City Shopping Complex and Paddy's Markets)
Near Cnr. Quay St & Ultimo Rd
Haymarket, NSW, 2000

University of Technology Sydney (UTS),

Room CM05C.01.29 (Level 1, Room 29 - follow the signs)

5.30pm - 7.30pm

“Strength Flags” - Applied Creativity meets Positive Psychology with Sally Swain | Monday April 11, 2011

Let’s value our achievements - however big or small.

Let’s strengthen our strengths.

Have you succumbed to the Western epidemic of self-niggling-and-nagging? When faced with facilitating a big group, or with art materials …or just with daily living…does your Inner Critic run riot?

In this session, you’ll be guided through Sally’s ‘Strengthogram’ – a strategy for identifying and reinforcing your successes.

We look at the skills, passions, positive traits and values that contribute to an activity you enjoyed. We translate your observations into visible form. We play with simple art materials to create a ‘Strength Flag’. We fly this flag as a symbol of personal/professional power and joy.

Both ‘Strengthograms’ and ‘Strength Flags’ are adaptable tools you can apply at any time. You can use them even with the tiny activities you manage to do on a Low Self-esteem Day (psychological equivalent of a Bad Hair Day), or use them with clients.

Sally believes that creativity flourishes in a safe, encouraging, respectful environment. Whether you have art experience or not, feel free to come along and explore.

About Sally Swain:

At age 3, Sally painted people with large bellybuttons. At age 30, she conceived, painted and wrote the internationally bestselling book, ‘Great Housewives of Art’. Somewhere in between, she studied Psychology, then wondered why. In 1993, Sally brought together her twin passions of creativity and personal growth. She began running creativity workshops. This evolved into her current Art and Soul practice of creativity groups, individual coaching and consulting. She loves introducing people to the joy and power of creativity and helping them to blossom.

Sally continues her own creative practice through painting, writing, dancing, ukulele and Playback Theatre.

She has led groups in a variety of settings, including Relationships Australia, Quest for Life Foundation, NSW Writers’ Centre, the George Institute, Pollak Learning Alliance, University of Western Sydney, TAFE and community colleges. Contact Sally 02 9552 6164 bus hrs | sally@artandsoul.cc | www.artandsoul.cc | Paintings on Facebook: Sally Swain Art page

Venue:

**** Special Notice****

****Our Usual Venue - Different Room for this meeting****

University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Room CB10.02.410 (follow the signs) Building 10, Cnr Jones and Thomas Sts. Ultimo (same as usual venue – different room) Time: From 5:30pm to 7:30pm sharp | No RSVP - Just turn up

“Playing to Learn” - is this an oxymoron [like ‘”fun run”] - or a viable option for today’s complex world? With Dr Elyssebeth Leigh | March 14, 2011

Dr Elyssebeth Leigh enjoys playing to learn and considers learning as the most vital and continuing task we all undertake everyday. Considering ‘learning’ as a ‘serious’ task critically inhibits our capacity to adapt ‘in the moment’ to changing demands on our thinking and our capacity to act sensibly.

Considering ‘learning’ as a plaything and observing ourselves learn through play is what we did as children all our early years. Then we encounter the ‘formality’ of ‘school learning’ and being to lose that capacity to ‘play with’ knowing and doing.

In this session Elyssebeth will invite everyone to revisit your childhood, recapture those moments when you knew you were learning something important and were nowhere near a classroom. This series of fun ‘mind games’ will help you address your own unique take on your childhood and your present approach to learning in the hope that you too will see how much fun you can have while playing to learn.

About Dr Elyssebeth Leigh:

Elyssebeth leads FutureSearch - an educational consultancy using action and experiential learning and simulations and games for organisational development and personal improvement.

As an experienced communicator and learning facilitator, as well as a designer of simulations and games, she works in multi-cultural contexts. She has been an educator of adults for more than 20 years in business and academic contexts, and was a keynote speaker at the 2010 conference on “Public Administration in the XX1st century – traditions and innovations” hosted by Lomonsov Moscow State University.

Elyssebeth publishes books and articles - the most recent being Wills, S. Leigh, E. Ip, A (2010) The Power of Role-based e- Learning, New York, Routledge. She leads the Technical Committee for the SimTecT conferences (http://www.siaa.asn.au/)

Note Change of Venue for this Meeting

University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Room CM05C.01.05 UTS (University of Technology) Sydney Haymarket Campus (Opposite Market City Shopping Complex and Paddy's Markets) Cnr Quay St & Ultimo Rd Haymarket, NSW, 2000 Mobile contact Greg Jenkins 0418 486 501

"Planning from the Future Backwards – How to strategically plan in times of turbulence" with Lee Carsley | Monday, Feb 14

Strategic planning is an organisational constant. In fact, planning is a constant in our personal lives. But how often do events arise that derail that beautifully documented strategy plan? That, in hindsight, we kick ourselves and say, ‘I should have seen that coming’. Most strategic planning processes start from the current state and propose a future, based on what we know now. Because of the way our minds work, this often means we miss those events or relationships which could have been turned into real strategic advantage for organisations, or ourselves! You are invited to this workshop to explore the use of a strategic planning process that works from the future backwards. It has been successfully been used in government, the not for profit, the corporate sector to help leaders and their teams navigate their organisation. Drawn from the complexity field, and initially developed by Snowden and his team at Cognitive Edge as a response to complexity in organisations, this updated process integrates the known and unknown dimensions of the future, requiring people to use both their mind and their heart. As facilitators, you will experience and examine the process, learn about the fundamental principles of complexity and chaos and see their application in strategic planning. You will see practically how creating the future from the future, helps us identify those diffusion and tipping points so many of us experience in complex change. About the facilitator Lee Carsley: Lee has worked in a variety of roles, from economist, business advisor, stage manager, OD Head, and change practitioner consultant over the past 25 years. Her organisational experience has ranged from strategic planning, leadership pipeline and individual leader development, to running multiple service delivery teams, globally and in Australia. She has facilitated large and small groups, virtually and in real time, in organisations and the community. She was Vice President of the Society for Organisation Learning Australia for 5 years, from where her initial experience and passion for complexity tools started. Over the years, as the research and practice in complexity evolved, Lee has incorporated these developments in her complexity toolkit. She is currently in final stages of writing a leader fieldbook on complex change, titled ‘Change Matters’. Venue: University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Jones Street, Ultimo corner Thomas Street. Room 5.580 Level 5, Building 10, Take the lift to level 5, cross the atrium foot bridge, walk straight ahead to room 580. Time: from 5:30pm to 7:30pm sharp | No RSVP - Just turn up