The ultimate leadership playbook

Are you a freshly promoted leader?

Or have you got some new faces in your leadership team who would benefit from a coaching boost?

We know that over 78% of managers in employment services have been promoted into a management role without any specific training to help them become effective leaders.

But how?

By giving them a wide range of tools (aka soft skills) in their leadership belt. First-time leaders often face a steep learning curve as they transition from individual contributors to managers responsible for guiding teams to success.

We’ve created a super helpful guide – The Emerging Leaders Playbook – full of simple, practical strategies to get you started.

The e-book focuses on critical areas such as giving and receiving feedback, effective time management, building rapport, and communication.

Grab your FREE copy now and share it with a new leader as well!

Why first-time leaders fail (and how you won’t!)

Continuing on the leadership theme, Maria’s latest blog unpacks the top 10 challenges first-time leaders face and how to overcome them with coaching skills.

Some things we know. Some things we don’t.

The extensions for Workforce Australia contracts have been confirmed, giving providers more certainty around their service delivery and reach across communities.

But as I write this – we’re still waiting patiently to hear the outcomes of the New Specialist Disability Employment Program (NSDEP) contract offers. While exact timelines remain uncertain, providers will likely be given a relatively short window to implement their plans if they are successful.

There will also be disruption and challenges for providers who may not get the outcomes they had hoped for.

With fewer providers per region, it’s anticipated that caseloads are going to increase. Peter Bacon, CEO from Disability Employment Australia predicts the average caseload per provider could more than double in some areas.

The new system will also change operating functions, reporting and service delivery. Strategies to support your staff through the transition are essential, with clear communication being critical.

One of the biggest challenges will be for your frontline teams supporting their clients – especially if they are transitioning between providers.

Coaching skills are essential to make participants feel connected and supported – your frontline teams should aim to minimise client confusion and stress.

As we know, change on this scale can be difficult to navigate.

We’re here to support you with programs designed to make the transition more manageable – reach out to me and let’s talk options.

Client Love

Celebrating 8 years of changing lives in New Zealand!

Bounce has been working with LIFT Social Enterprise in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand since 2017 and in that time we’ve seen the program grow exponentially! They deliver The Bounce Program™ to Rangatahi (young people) with the mission to have 100% of youth employed in the region.

Maria travelled to Hawkes Bay recently to deliver our Train-the-Trainer program to some new faces with LIFT and refresh the skills of existing trainers.

Participant Davis told us this about their most recent training experience…

“It was an honour to have Maria Smith recently hop over from Australia to run the Bounce hybrid train the trainer. It was an absolute game-changer. The two-day sessions were an emotionally uplifting experience that left participants feeling renewed, inspired and ready to go. The feedback has been phenomenal. Maria truly worked her magic!”

All new public programs – back by demand!

Our first Coaching Skills for Emerging Leaders was a sold-out success!

So, we’re opening up another round!

And we have a ridiculously special offer for anyone that joins the program…for an additional $50, we’ll provide each participant with an Introductory Strengths Profile.

The profile includes: A 30-minute debrief session with Chris and a report that explores your top seven realised and unrealised strengths, top four learned behaviours and top three weaknesses.

And we’re on a mission to keep up with the demand for Job Coach Certification as well!

A new date has been released for a public group to commence in April. Book early to secure your seats.

I’m over halfway through writing my latest book ‘Building Resilient Pathways’ and I’m LOVING the process! Chapter three is shaping up to be some of my best work.

Writing isn’t something I’m naturally drawn to, but the creative process of researching and pulling content together is absolutely a strength. When I hit flow state, my dopamine levels are high, and I feel so energised by the creative process. Making time to write first thing in the morning has been the game-changer.

My research into flow state has proven that finding the time of day that works best with your energy levels (when dopamine is highest) and capitalising on the power of a sharp mind has meant I’m making fantastic progress with the book. I’m on track for release mid-year!

If you haven’t had a sneak peek into Chapter 1 – you’re missing out! Here’s a link to grab a copy! I’d love to know what you think.