Growth Newsletter

As I write this week’s newsletter, I’m sitting in Kansai International Airport in Osaka, Japan. I’ve travelled here to meet with my Growth Cycle – my International Mentoring Group – in the beautiful city of Kyoto.

From time to time, someone might not do the right thing by you. An employee oversteps the mark. A client is rude, demanding or unreasonable. Perhaps someone gives you feedback that you did not invite. How do you react to each of those events?

One of the great aspects of working with the owners and managers of family businesses is understanding what makes them tick. For some people, they’re looking for big financial wins. For others, the work they’re doing is a life long passion. For some others, it is their creative instincts that cut in.

In July of this year, I visited the doctor after experiencing some abdominal discomfort. I felt it was worth checking out, just in case. I was sent for a raft of tests. Bloods, ultrasounds, CT scans. It was time consuming and inconvenient. However, I wanted to find the cause of the problem and do something about it.

Now, before you start to panic, I’m not using that as a profanity! As far as I’m concerned, WTF stands for “Where’s the Figures?”

Last Friday, the last Ford Falcon and Ford Territory rolled off the production line in Melbourne. After 91 years of manufacturing cars in Australia, Ford was the first of the remaining manufacturers to close. By the end of 2017, an industry that has employed hundreds of thousands of Australians and generated billions of dollars will be gone.

I have been working with family business my entire professional life. In my opinion, family business is the most dynamic and enterprising business sector not only in Australia, but globally.

After 21 years at Redmans, 17 of those as an owner, I have made the decision to venture out on my own.

We’re enjoying the onset of Spring at the moment. Everything is in bloom, the sun is rising earlier and the days are turning warmer. It is one of my favourite times of the year.

I caught up with a colleague of mine on the phone the other week. Great guy. Fantastic personality. Very smart. However, he overthinks almost to the point of inaction. Almost!