Meet Doug

I've had over 30 years in business leading large teams for some of the worlds biggest companies as well as starting and managing my own businesses.

I help businesses and teams achieve the difficult balance of happy, productive and efficient workplaces free from disputes and with a positive, flexible culture and can-do attitude.

I've learned a few things about getting to that very difficult goal that have shaped my approach.

First - it takes two to tango and it's always my fault. The tough truth is that ALL the issues within a workplace that are getting in the way of this happy nirvana we're trying to make all lie within management's accountability. Things that were done, or not done, rules that weren't explicit enough or reinforced enough, changes that should have been made that weren't, actions that were poorly communicated or delivered in a way that put workers noses out of joint, the small daily battles never engaged in that added up over time to ossified and arthritic organisations all lie within management's ability to create as well as to fix. If I've got a problem, the really hard news - and there's no easy way to deliver this - is, well, I might actually be the problem. The good news though is that I have the ability to fix it too!

Second - you can go a long way by being fair. Sure, businesses need to be productive and competitive to survive and you can push hard just for that and make a workplace some kind of hell for everyone: workers who feel reduced to numbers and managers who have to deal with high turnover, inflexible workers, resistance and disputes. But if you can treat it as a two way street, where you get what you want but you also work hard on the tradeoffs, to make the work/family balance as good as it can be, support workers with dealing with their out of work life challenges, actually listen to and resolve the niggles that get in the way of good motivated workers getting their jobs done, show actual appreciation for delivering the high standards you set you have half a chance of creating a great workplace.

Third, Flexibility is a Competitive edge. This is one of the most valuable assets you can have in a team environment. It's what gets you out of trouble when things go off plan, having people who are ready to step in and fill a gap, help one another, or change what they're doing to get things back on track. Its also also the hardest thing to achieve because it's entirely about the culture you create. This starts with the formal workplace agreements you have in place: Awards are about the worst vehicle for achieving flexibility with their levels, penalties and allowances. Instead Agreements that emphasise and reward flexibility are a key foundation stone. Around that you need managers who are committed to the principles and teams that buy in and the whole shebang needs to be able to sustain itself by mutually reinforcing processes.

Finally, you can do it or you can have it done to you. It's as simple as that. Workplaces are actually full of irreconcilable competing differences that inevitably will surface as conflict and grievances that if left unaddressed turn into bad culture. If you do nothing the differences and issues don't go away, they actually get worse. What I've learned is that there's no alternative but to face issues and navigate a way to a solution of your choice and if you don't they will navigate themselves to a place you won't like.

My style is practical and action oriented. I preach taking personal responsibility for the things that are and aren't happening in your business, embracing the issues and fixing them. Working with me is all about identifying what needs to be done then getting about doing it.

A well tuned organisation feels like standing on the deck of a tall ship under full sail. You can feel the deck shudder through your feet and hear the rigging creak and know that the ship is straining hard and it's exhilarating!

That's what I'm talking about - if you work with me, that's the vision I'm motivated to help create for businesses. That's why I do this.