While I love to run workshops, it’s even more fun learning from wise colleagues and teachers. Moshe Lang is one of these, a highly experienced psychologist with a strong interest in humour. Moshe is also one of Australia’s leading family therapists. Last weekend I attended a workshop he conducted on the use of humour by psychologists. While the room was hot and stuffy, (the 
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I’m just back from the IFA Convention in Las Vegas where I gave a talk on how to increase franchisee engagement in group meetings and conferences. In this Tip I’m going to share the most important point I made, which is to identify what’s important to the people in your audience, and then name it. In the 1960s, Ursula Le Guin, a talented science fiction writer, released 
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When I was 12 my dad brought home a vinyl LP record containing a live lecture on life skills by a well-known New York psychologist, Dr Murray Banks. I was fascinated by the ideas and the light-hearted way these were communicated. As I repeatedly listened to it, I remember thinking “what an awesome way to earn a living”. Fast forward 50 years and I am grateful to have been a 
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As part of a European speaking tour, I’ve been staying in an old rambling hotel in Dublin, formerly a monastery. It’s been fun wandering around the underground corridors, filled with so much history and character. This morning, while checking out at reception, I was pleasantly surprised to meet what I can only describe as a leprechaun taxi driver. I had just asked how I get 
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I’m in Europe at the moment for some client conferences, so I thought I’d do a Tip on one of my favourite European characters — the Jester. I’ve always had an unusual fascination with Jesters. It’s not their musical or acrobatic skills that interests me. It’s more their role in speaking the truth, and naming the political shenanigans that people in power often use to  
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We all love an interesting customer service story, so I’m going to share two contrasting experiences from similar businesses. The lessons are compelling. But first a big thank you. Last week, FRI was awarded “Supplier of the Year” at the Australian Excellence in Franchising Awards. These Healthy Franchise Relationship Tips are a small, but important, part of what we do to f 
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Recently at Natadola Beach in Fiji, I ticked an item off my bucket list. I wobbled all the way to shore on one of those 1960's longboards. That night as I walked along the beach, reflecting on my surfing prowess, I had a phone call from a colleague who was having a very different board experience. The Board of an organisation he was involved with had been disbande 
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I recently sat in a workshop on Mindfulness led by a psychology colleague. Later, while chatting about her work, she said how stressed she felt and that her head was overloaded with the stuff she had to do. I couldn't help myself and quipped, “Sounds like you are more mind-full than mindful”. We both laughed. You've probably noticed an upsurge of interest in the benefits of 
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I was meeting with a senior executive who said he wanted to learn about franchising best practice. Although he was polite and asked some good questions, I soon realised we were both wasting our time. Despite several very specific suggestions targeted to his company’s situation, this guy had not written anything down. Taking notes is a pet topic of mine. This is because  
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We just bought a puppy. I have named him Leo because he is courageous and looks like a lion cub. While Leo may be new to the planet, he did arrive with a significant amount of instinctual knowledge. We commonly refer to instincts in slightly derogatory terms (“they are just animal instincts”). But there is a lot we can learn from these behaviours, honed over millions of yea 
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