Welcome to the fourth edition of your newsletter.  We are well into 2007 and things at Outward Bound are busier than ever!  We think part of this is down to you all spreading the word - keep up the great work!  Our lead article will hopefully strike a chord with you, we all know how important team work and appreciating individual difference was on our courses.  Following Issue Three's themes around Service our regular 'Something to Share' feature is a real heartwarmer.

Enjoy!

Feature
The Beauty of Difference

What's New
Pricing Change - effective 1st July
New downloadable desktop images

Regular Pieces
Something to share
Where are we in the next few months?
Website Tip - Update Your Profile

Science has proved beyond a shadow of a doubt, that each of us is different. No two fingerprints, faces or DNA samples are identical, and our personalities are just as different. With so many differences between us, how do we work together?

Whether you believe in nature or nurture or something else entirely, people generally agree that our personalities are all shaped differently, by experience, genetics and upbringing as well as the people that we choose to spend time with and the things we enjoy doing.

So what happens when we have so many varied people all trying to work together? Well as they say, knowledge is power. Many of us have completed some version of a personality test. While they are interesting at the time we get our results, more often than not, they get filed away and forgotten.

When we can recognise patterns of behaviour, preferences and areas of expertise, we can arm ourselves with an awareness of ‘what works for me’. This is important; it means we are aware of how we like to operate, how we work best and how we like to approach different situations. It’s also a great place to start when we want to extend our understanding of the people around us.

In other words, it’s great knowing about ourselves, and it’s very important to have this information, but as we learned in preschool, sharing makes life much easier! Sharing this information with your friends, family and colleagues gives people the chance to understand us better. While this understanding may confirm everything we’ve always suspected about each other, there can also be a few surprises along the way. Even more importantly, there is an even better reason for sharing this stuff though- we’re giving other people a chance to get it right.

For example, if you’re an introverted person sharing an office with a group of extroverts, they’ll want to talk about everything, and chances are, it’ll drive you mad. They’ll talk so much that you may feel ignored; they may march on up to your desk and want answers immediately, when you’d prefer the time to consider things properly. 

Sharing with your colleagues that the best way to get what they want from you is to send you an email with their query, and a basic idea of what they’re thinking, gives everyone a chance to get it right, and the effectiveness of your team can improve significantly.

Some people know the kinds of things they prefer in good communication, and can post a list by their desk as a reminder for people who drop by. Teams can take a half hour in a team meeting and talk through what kinds of communication work for each person, then post these lists next to desks.

The key to working with people is to understand their differences and make them work for us- sometimes this is easier said than done, but on the whole, a little effort generally makes life more enjoyable and work easier.

As with any change, the golden rule applies- if it’s everyone’s responsibility, it ends up being no-one’s responsibility. It starts with you!

Tocker Associates Limited (TAL) is a New Zealand based consultancy with a wide range of public sector, private sector and not for profit clients both nationally and internationally. TAL works with leaders, teams and organisations to optimise their effectiveness and position them to achieve even more significant results. TAL is passionate about leaders realising their potential and the part we play in facilitating this for them.   

Just so you know, if you are talking with other people about our courses that from 1st July 2007 all 21 day courses and 8 day Discovery courses are increasing in price.  Also, the deposit for all courses is increasing to $300.  For more information please click here.

We were so excited about this addition to MyWatchmates that we wanted to remind you again!  There are new images appearing all the time as we try to ensure that you keep your wallpapers refreshed also!

We hope you are enjoying these as much as we have enjoyed providing them for you!

Click here to see the latest.

I'm not a builder, but I read a quote before Christmas about 'When Is A Good Time To Fix My Roof?'  My first thought was 'ah?  What roof?'

Christmas & New Year rolled around, the busy wrap up to end of the year, family time over Christmas, a few beers with some mates I hadn't seen for a while - that kind of stuff.  January hit, time to start thinking about the New Year and what I was going to do with myself for the coming year?  I had the usual thoughts about do more at work, stay healthy, spend time with my family and mates...

About this time I had read a few newspaper articles about people doing some pretty cool stuff, like how they had got through some tough situations in life and gone on to do some really neat things.

I had a bit of a realisation...I have so much to be grateful for, I'm fit, healthy, have a good job, can eat when I want, have a cool family...why should I wait until something major happens, when I have a chance to do something now.

So the idea of going back to Outward Bound came back to me.  I really enjoyed my time down their ten years ago doing the Classic Course and thought I'm not a builder, my strengths are not in being a instructor, but I can do labouring, work a paint brush.

Bugger it, I'll ring the school...what was one of those words of wisdom things before meals at Outward Bound?...to jump a chasm you need to take a big leap.  So I rang up the School, asked to speak to the Maintenance Manager and was put through to Vic.  I told him I was not a builder but can do gardening, painting or general maintenance.

We agreed I would send an email with some dates - five minutes and I was booked in....suddenly things started to happen over the coming week, I had some work in Wellington which meant I could tie a work trip in making it easier, Mum and Dad where going to be down there at the end of the week so I could get a lift back north...funny how things just happen and sort themselves out.

Anyway, I ended up in Anakiwa, labouring for a week - water blasting and painting the Kayak Camp roofs - it was 'Time To Fix The Roof'.  Did I get heaps out of the week!  Memories came back of my time at course; I was able to share in the welcome for a course starting that weekend, participate in PT at 6.15 am! (It actually was fun, imagine running around the Marlbourgh sounds late summer with the sun just coming up over the water).

All the staff were awesome, it was really fulfilling having them come up and thank me individually for coming down and helping out for a bit.  Some things had changed like the new sewerage system and 'closing the loop' - a neat environmental lesson to take home.

The days were long, but we managed to get through most of the work we had planned for the week.

So what is the point...do you want more out of your life?  Then jump!  Make a small decision to do something, but a big jump to make it happen.  When Is A Good Time To Fix My Roof?  When the sun is shining was the answer from the quote....I would go a step further and say the answer is Today - decide today because tomorrow is tomorrow.

This article was written by a member of Hathorne watch 396 

In our next edition of MyWatchmates Victor Koller our Maintenance Manager, will be talking 'Environment'.

We are certainly out and about in May, June and August.  Email Tracy if you are from one of the town or cities mentioned below and can spare some time to talk to new and former students about all Outward Bound has to offer.

Have you updated any changes to your profile since registering?  DO you have a new address, new email, new mobile or other numbers?

It is quick and easy to update this information.

1. Log in (forgotten your password or username click here)
2. In the top menu select 'MY PROFILE'
3. This should take you to a page entitled 'MyWatchmates Student Record'
4. Update any out of date details
5. Click the 'Update' box at the bottom of the page to save your changes
6. While you are here, in the left hand manu click 'TELL PEOPLE WHAT I'M UP TO'
7. Make sure the page titled 'My Profile' is up to date, or upload a new fab photo of yourself!
8. Click the 'Update' box at the bottom of the page to save your changes

It's that easy!

In our previous issues of the MyWatchmates newsletter we have provided the following tips, click any of the links below if these are now relevant or you want to refresh your memory!

Issue 1:  Making the most of MyWatchmates Scrapbook
Issue 2:  Forgotten your MyWatchmates Password?
Issue 3:  Connecting with Watchmates

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