sphinxx news alert    
3 February 2010 | www.sphinxx.com.au   

This week we talk about why you should just jump in the deep end, trusting your boss, how to a find a friend this Valentine’s Day, and some great tips on leadership.

1. YOUR CAREER: Jumping into the deep end ... in work and in life!
2. WORK: Do you trust your boss?
3. LIFE: Single in Sydney... or Melbourne? This is a great way to find a friend this Valentine's Day!
4. OFFERS: Growing Engaging Leaders - free ebook with 10 keys to more effective leadership

If you have an idea for a topic we should include in a future news alert, please let us know - we’d love to hear from you!

All the best,

Jen Dalitz
Founder & The SheEO, sphinxx.com.au

YOUR CAREER: Jumping into the deep end ... in work and in life!

My son Ethan turned one year old last week, and it gave me the chance to reflect back over the past year and think about what I've learned, what worked well and not so well, and what I might have done differently if I wasn't so sleep deprived!

And I realised, of course, that I wouldn't have done anything differently. Because you don't know what you don't know, and some things you just have to learn by jumping in the deep end. You can worry about what to do next once you're in there!

Now some of you know that I'm not at the younger age spectrum and when it came to being a first time mum, I was terrified! I had no idea what to do with a young baby - in fact I still find it hard to believe they let me walk out of the hospital as clueless as I was! And after being relatively in control of my adult life for the past twenty years it's true to say that there were quite a few adjustments to be made. Babies, I now know, don't operate to a schedule, don't respond all that well to feedback and performance review meetings, and are also not that good at giving feedback on what I could do better to improve his satisfaction levels!

Which is probably true of most of the people I've managed over the years. And that fear factor, it's not that different to putting yourself forward for any other major challenge in work or in life: it all seems so monumental at the time, but after a year in your new role you look back at the long hours and steep learning curve and you think "maybe it wasn't that bad, after all".

For those of you who are embarking on new and exciting challenges this year, in work or in life, good luck! And my advice? Don't think about it too much - just throw yourself in, be confident, and don't forget to celebrate the little wins along the way.

PS. If you are planning to come along to our Ascend leadership development days in February, our Sydney or Melbourne events are now SOLD OUT. You can contact us to go on the waiting list for these events. We have a few places remaining in Adelaide and Brisbane - but be quick because registrations will be closing soon.

In response to global market conditions, the editors of Harvard Business Review are partnering with HEC School of Management, Paris and the Community of European Management Schools (CEMS) to gather information on a global scale about firm restructuring and the effect downsizing will have on the attractivity of working for a company.

Initial findings show that an organisations' response to their market conditions may impact the level of trust that managers experience, with lower-level managers trusting strangers as much as their bosses. Both earned a 3.6 on a 1 to 5 trust scale. Higher-level managers trust their bosses slightly more (3.9 to 3.6), but that trust could be misguided; researcher Michael Segalla's data suggests higher-level managers are more likely to get laid off.

Click here to participate in the survey and receive a copy of the survey findings.

Single in Sydney... or Melbourne? This is a great way to find a friend this Valentine's Day!

Melina Schamroth is a great example of a woman who thinks out side the square... this is her solution to matchmaking and she's bringing her successful formula from Melbourne to Sydney in time for Valentine's Day. This event gives you the chance to make new friends - or even find love - while making a difference to the lives of abandoned animals.

With outrageously high numbers of animals being unwanted after Xmas, Melina is joining Pet Rescue and the Sydney Cats and Dogs Home to make a difference to some of the city's cutest inhabitants. The special afternoon will involve overhauling dog kennels and cat cages and will involve flirting and panting for a purpose - you may even find your perfect match. Visit the Events page at www .madwoman.com.au for more information including details on Melbourne and Sydney events.

Growing Engaging Leaders - free ebook with 10 keys to more effective leadership

Karen Schmidt is one of our fabulous guest speakers at the Ascend leadership development days for senior women in Brisbane on 17 February and has a raft of experience when it comes to growing engaging leaders. According to Karen, the key to unlocking the discretionary effort that lies within your employees is simple: give them the right leader and engagement will occur naturally.

Karen has authored an e-book outlining the 10 keys to growing managers into engaging leaders, including how to build an engaging culture, picking leaders for the right reasons, eliminating bad habits in your workplace and removing barriers to help your leaders grow. You can get your hands on free copy by signing up for Karen's newsletter (which by the way is one of the very few e-newsletters I actually read!) - click here for more info.