Emotional Agility is one of the most valuable business skills you can possess.

With greater Emotional Agility, you can maximise your confidence, turn negative emotions into positive thoughts, and overpower stress!

This essential leadership skill is about knowing yourself and developing a greater level of control over your feelings and reactions. With a bit of practice, you are capable of improving this skill quite quickly.

I am drawing on the work of a couple of experts: Susan David and Christina Congleton. In their Harvard Business Review article called “Emotional Agility: How Leaders Manage Their Negative Thoughts and Feelings”, they describe 4 Steps for Building Emotional Agility. They say that people do not stumble because they have undesirable thoughts – because we all have them. That’s inevitable. They stumble because they get hooked by their thoughts like a fish caught on a line, and they buy into their thoughts, treating them like facts.

Here are the 4 Steps for Building your Emotional Agility:

1. Recognise your Patterns

It is very important to notice when you have been hooked by your thoughts and feelings. This can be a little bit hard to do initially, but there are certain tell-tale signs that you are hooked. One of them is that your thinking becomes a bit repetitive and rigid. Another sign is that you feel like you are telling the same story over and over – a bit like that movie, Groundhog Day. You have to be aware of the patterns that you are stuck in before you can make a change. Self-Awareness is critical.

2. Label your Thoughts and Emotions

Labelling allows you to see your thoughts and feelings for what they are. They are transient sources of data that may or may not prove to be helpful. We are all capable of taking this detached view of our experiences, AKA mindfulness. Bring your awareness to your present moment and ask, “What am I feeling?” and label it. Then you ask, “What am I thinking?” and label it. This not only improves behaviour and well-being, but it also promotes beneficial biological changes in the brain at the cellular level.

3. Accept Them

The opposite of controlling is accepting. You do not need to act on every thought or feeling, or resign yourself to negativity. Remember our thoughts and emotions are not facts – they are data. However, you can choose to respond to your experience with curiosity and openness. You can notice yourself feeling angry or upset, and you can accept that: “I’m feeling upset right now.” Then you can be curious about how that feeling came about and how you could think about the situation differently. Emotions are a signal that something important is at stake and that productive and skillful action is needed.

4. Act on your Values

When you unhook yourself from difficult thoughts and emotions, you expand your choices. You can activate your free will and decide to act in a way that aligns with your values. This is about making a choice about your response and reality-checking whether it will serve you or sabotage you in the long term, as well as the short term. Asking: “Are you being the person you want to be? The leader you want to be?” The mind’s thought-stream flows endlessly, and emotions change like the weather, but your values are consistent and can be called upon at any time and in any situation.

Could your business benefit from having Emotionally Agile managers? Click here to learn more about our transformational leadership program, the Great Managers Academy.

Project management and technical support services tender process to begin soon

The Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development is preparing to release a two-stage tender process to procure Project Management and Technical Support Services for the next phase of the Western Sydney Airport project. 

The procurement is planned to be released on Austender prior to 31 July 2017. Suitably qualified service providers will be able to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) via Austender. You will receive an email once the tender has been approved for release on Austender.

Shortlisted EOI respondents will then be invited to participate in a limited Request for Tender (RFT) process. The contract will be awarded prior to 30 September 2017.

Noise and air quality monitoring panel procurement

A number of suppliers from the Infrastructure Advisory Panel have recently been approached to tender on the provision of noise and air quality monitoring at Badgerys Creek.

The service provider who will be providing the monitoring will be announced in the coming weeks.

You can find out more about future tendering opportunities in the presentation about WSA Co development packages and tendering opportunities.

Further information about business opportunities is available at www.westernsydneyairport.gov.au/industry.

The manufacturing industry has undergone enormous change over the past decade and one topic keeps coming up: Skills Shortage.

You’re invited to attend a special presentation to discuss how your business can build a competitive workforce and close the skills gap now, and for the future.

You’ll have the opportunity to have your say on education and hear about the variety of training currently available that will help fuel your company’s growth.

Register now to find out how you can build your talent pipeline and the smart training options that will produce business results.

During the session, the following important points will be covered:

• Creating career pathways - resources and development opportunities available to students
  
• The right competencies - education and technical training to attract the right talent
  
• Hiring outside the industry - the growing demand for skill sets from other fields
  

Please RSVP early to secure your complimentary place.

This event is proudly supported by William Buck, St.George Business Banking, Coleman Greig and TAFE NSW.

Click here for further details or to register. 

If you have any questions, please contact:

Natasha Hughes 

P: (02) 8263 4000

E: natasha.hughes@williambuck.com.

Date & Time: 

Tuesday 8 August 2017; 7.30am to 9:00 am AEST

Location:

Mount Druitt TAFE

creATE Restaurant

Mount Street & North Parade

Mount Druitt, NSW 2770

We are pleased to provide you with the latest edition of the Pitcher Partners national publication - Property of Pitcher Partners. This publication provides insight and commentary on the Australian property market.

In this edition Pitcher Partners cover:

• Global investment flows continue to target Australian property
• South Australia: The year ahead
• Stamp duty changes to impact development and investor market in Victoria
• Perth's future is bright, but the challenges remain
• The Greater Sydney vision

Click here to read Property of Pitcher Partners July 2017.

For further information, please contact your Pitcher Partners representative.

Contact

Brendan Jones

Partner, Property Group

+61 2 9228 2207

brendan.jones@pitcher.com.au

Pitcher Partners Sydney

Level 22 MLC Centre, 19 Martin Place, Sydney NSW 2000

www.pitcher.com.au

The fifth report in the Making Western Sydney Greater research is now available. 

In this edition, we investigate the impact automation is having on businesses in Western Sydney and the challenges that lie ahead. Our research also shows that businesses in Western Sydney have grown their business, exceeded their profit targets and expanded their workforce consistently over the last few years. This is the trend for the region as a whole, but there are also a core group of businesses that are finding economic conditions particularly challenging. 

Click here to download your copy of the research and find out what’s Making Western Sydney Greater for businesses.

Making Western Sydney Greater is an initiative of William Buck with the Western Sydney Business Connection, St.George Bank and Western Sydney University, and forms part of our long-term commitment to drive positive change in the region.

With the commencement of a new financial year, it brings with it important changes and new rates which will apply from 1 July 2017.

NEW! High Income Threshold (HIT)

With the HIT:

• the Fair Work Commission has just confirmed that the new HIT to apply as and from 1 July 2017 will be $142,000 

• it impacts:

(a) who can make a claim for unfair dismissal (for those not covered by a Modern Award or to whom an enterprise agreement does not apply)

(b) the maximum amount of compensation payable in an unfair dismissal claim

(c) those on a 'guarantee of annual earnings' (a Modern Award does not apply to an employee whilstever this guarantee is in place provided it continues to meet the relevant legislative requirements)

NEW! Modern Award Increases

With Modern Awards (including enterprise awards):

• minimum wages increase by 3.3% (starting on the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2017)

• absorption of wage increases into over-award payments is permissible (subject to the terms of the relevant employment agreement and what other amounts are being absorbed into any annualised salary)

• increases to the minimum wages of junior workers, apprentices, trainees, piece workers and employees on the supported wage system will occur

• expense-related allowances in Modern Awards will increase as set out in the Modern Award (eg, by the applicable CPI index figure)

• annualised salaries will need to be checked to ensure they can still properly absorb/include all relevant minimum Modern Award amounts and that they continue to meet the technical requirements of the Modern Award

NEW! National Minimum Wage (NMW)

With the NMW:

• this is applicable to employees to whom neither a Modern Award or enterprise agreement applies

• the NMW increases by 3.3% to become $694.90 per week or $18.29 per hour

• in addition:

(a) special NMW rates apply to employees with disabilities, junior employees, apprentices, and those on training arrangements

(b) the minimum casual loading remains unchanged at 25%

NEW! Impact on Enterprise Agreements

With enterprise agreements:

• they must always meet or exceed the minimum wage of:

(a) the relevant Modern Award (ie, the Modern Award that would have applied had the enterprise agreement not been in existence)

(b) the NMW (ie, where a Modern Award would not apply even if the enterprise agreement was not in existence)

• thus, pay rates in enterprise agreements may need to be increased (even if the enterprise agreement has its own wage increase regime)

NEW! The Sting

Be mindful that wage increases may have flow-on effects such as increasing:

• the value of leave loading, penalty rates, overtime and superannuation contributions

• the value of accrued leave entitlements

• the cost of wage related expenses such as payroll tax and workers compensation premiums

NEW! Redundancy

The tax-free component of a genuine redundancy payment increases to be:

• a base amount of $10,155

• an additional amount of $5,078 for each completed year of service

NEW! Superannuation Contributions Base

With superannuation:

• the maximum superannuation contribution base increases to $52,760 per quarter ($211,040 per annum)

• an employer is not required to make superannuation contributions on behalf of employees on earnings in excess of that maximum contribution base

Questions/Assistance

If you have any questions or would like any assistance, please feel free to speak with or email a member of our Matthews Folbigg Workplace Solutions team on (02) 9635 7966 or jcc@matthewsfolbigg.com.au

DISCLAIMER: This article is provided to clients and readers for their general information and on a complimentary basis. It contains a brief summary only and should not be relied upon or used as definitive or complete statement of the relevant law.

Featherdale Wildlife Park, located at Doonside, is pleased to be a new member of the Western Sydney Business Connection.

The Park was opened in 1972 by Bruce and Margaret Kubbere on Margaret’s parents’ 7-acre plot, which had previously operated as a poultry farm. Today the Park is owned by Elanor Investors Group and has developed into one of Australia’s finest tourist attractions in Greater Western Sydney playing an important part in the growth of the local and state economy.

Home to over 1,700 Australian native animals from more than 260 different species - Australia’s largest native collection – Featherdale is committed to animal conservation and environmental and education programs. There are several outstanding success stories which have come from the conservation work undertaken at the Park.

Featherdale is home to over 40 koalas - the largest captive population in Australia - and has successfully bred over 200 koalas since they opened. A critical part of Featherdale’s continued commitment to koala conservation was the formation of a partnership with GE Health which secured a state-of-the-art diagnostic ultrasound machine for the Park. With this equipment, Featherdale can identify fertility and breeding availability as well as injuries and illness.

As Koalas are listed as vulnerable in the ACT, New South Wales and Queensland, early detection of any potential reproductive problems means that treatment can commence quickly substantially increasing the chances of a full recovery and reducing future reproduction issues. The Park is also known for its conservation work with other endangered species such as the Yellow Footed Rock Wallaby and the Tiger Quoll. Featherdale is also home to an insurance population of Tasmanian Devils. Featherdale also has the largest bird collection in Australia including species being kept nowhere else on the planet. This highly significant collection has given the Park a reputation as a world leader in bird management and has seen them work on the conservation of several threatened species including the Regent Honeyeater and the Plains Wanderer.

All of these species, along with other Park favourites such as reptiles, echidna and kangaroos can be visited daily with keepers providing regular talks and presentations to make sure our visitors leave with an important understanding on how they can help preserve these beautiful species for the future.

Featherdale also offers private and small group encounters so our guests can get up close and personal take photos, pat and in some cases, hold our beautiful animals.

As a special offer, children visiting with a full paying adult in July will receive free admission* (a maximum of four kids allowed per paying adult). The Park also works closely with school groups through the Wildlife Education Program which hosts visits and the “Wildlife Wanderers,” Featherdale’s mobile school incursion program.

Featherdale Wildlife Park is located at 217 Kildare Road Doonside, Western Sydney. The Park is open 9am to 5pm daily. Visit www.featherdale.com.au or call 02 9622 1644 for further information.

*Terms & conditions apply

Book before 30th September 2017 and receive a complimentary lectern and microphone PLUS a DJ for 4 hours of your event!

Host your end of year event or work Christmas party in one of the 11 great event spaces at the Novotel Sydney Parramatta. The hotel features Western Sydney’s largest pillar-less hotel ballroom which can cater for up to 550 people. Each function room has access to state of the art audio visual equipment and the popular Lennox Ballroom has customised ceiling lighting to set the festive mood at your party!

Novotel's professional event planning and catering teams can help make your Christmas party a memorable event for all. With a range of packages and inclusions, Novotel Sydney Parramatta can cater to suit all budgets.

Enquire today! 

E: h8787-sb4@accor.com

P: (02) 9630 4999

or click here to visit Novotel Sydney Parramatta's website. 

*Terms and conditions apply. Subject to availability at time of booking.

You know the feeling. You're about to give the biggest presentation of your life to a room full of strangers who will be critiquing your every word. A lot is riding on it, but you know the content. You're feeling confident, yet, five minutes before you're due to start, your heart starts beating through your chest, your hands sweat, and you're not sure if you can remember the opener that you've rehearsed a thousand times. 

You are experiencing an Amygdala Hijack and the clever part of your brain, the cortex, is shutting down.

If you are interested in learning a technique that will allow you to stay in high-performance mode, with the clever part of your brain working for you, even under intense pressure, then watch the clip below from a recent Great Managers MasterClass.

Martin is 14 year old Jessica’s dad, Martin is a single dad and like many families he is concerned for Jessica’s future.

“I try not to think what will happen when I’m gone, but I do”

“I want her taught life skills so she can be independent because I’m not going to be around forever.”

Jessica was born with Down syndrome and Martin recently told us “if anyone says being a single dad is easy, put my shoes on and see how you go. It hasn’t been easy…”.

“Jessica’s mum and I found out she was going to be Down syndrome in an ultrasound. We decided we would give her the best care in the world,” Martin says.

The first two years of Jessica’s life were spent in and out of hospital, with her first major surgery at 5 weeks old, heart surgery at 15 months and an operation to remove her tonsils and adenoids on her 2nd birthday.

“It’s definitely been hard yacka. Coping with all the illness because of her low immune system was hard but getting Jessica to walk, eat properly and use her motor skills, were also difficult. There are also a lot of challenges with talking. Jessica used to get upset and hit herself when she couldn’t express herself and no one could understand her.”

Martin was referred to Northcott by Jessica’s school, when he started noticing improvements in her speech, her confidence and her independence.

At Northcott we are dedicated to supporting people with disability to realise their potential.

“It’s been about two years with Northcott now. The therapists have been going to Jessica’s school, coming here to the house and getting her to talk a lot better.”

Once she learned to talk and increased her communication skills, her confidence and self-esteem dramatically improved.

“Since this started, she is using a lot more words and expressing herself a lot better. She’s not stressing out so much with her talking.”

“She’s come a long way and I’m really happy with the work,” he says.

Martin says that with Northcott’s support, Jessica is becoming more independent, giving him peace of mind that she will be capable of looking after herself in the future.

With over 85 years of experience and expertise, Northcott delivers quality disability services that support families like Martin and Jessica, but we need your generosity to ensure our programs are ongoing.

How to make your gift:

Visit: www.northcott.com.au/donate to make a secure online donation.

Call: 1800 818 286 and Northcott’s Donor Care Coordinator will be able to take your gift over the phone.

All gifts $2 and over are tax deductible. ACN 000 022 971 ABN 87 302 064 152