Brief description of your role:
Ric is the trusted adviser to some of the world's leading businesses, governments and institutions. He helps leaders make distinctive, lasting and substantial improvements to the performance of their organisations.
1. Why did you become a learning and development professional?
My wife wouldn’t let me retire and I was weary of having the title CEO whilst being disempowered by boards of directors who lacked the intellectual depth and breadth to successfully carry out their duties and responsibilities. It was time to raise the bar.
2. What do you enjoy most about your role?
The autonomy to choose with whom I will work, for how long I will work, and what type of work I will do with them. In this manner, I afford myself the freedom to invest much more time in my own self-development, my family, my cigars, and martinis by the pool at 3:00 in the afternoons.
3. What do you find most challenging?
Finding fresh and innovative ways to stretch myself by creating new opportunities for my clients and followers around the world. If I am not failing, I am not trying hard enough to deliver cutting-edge products and services to my clients.
4. What do you do to be recognised as a valued business partner?
- First and foremost, I always ensure that I am improving the client’s condition in everything we do together.
- Get paid in advance so that I have the freedom to tell the client things like: “No, don’t do that!” “You have other options,” “Have you considered the impact of taking that approach?” My clients do not need me to be their friend. What they do need is for me to be brutally honest, even if it hurts!
- Never accept what the client says they want; I establish through intelligent questions what the client really needs.
5. What is the best advice that you would give to someone new to this line of work?
- Stop listening to consensus in your profession.
- Do not accept unsolicited feedback.
- Stand out from the crowd. Choose to be the professional you would want advising you.
6. What's the best advice that's been given to you that has helped you in your career?
”Stop driving yourself so hard, Ric. It’s not about perfection, it’s about success!”
7. What's the best career help book that you've ever read?
The Consultant’s Calling by Geoffrey Bellman, published by Jossey-Bass. One of the few books you should read on consulting. Geoff focuses on the philosophy and values of the profession.
New Patterns of Management by Rensis Likert, published by McGraw-Hill. One of the toughest writers to comprehend, nevertheless his studies on leadership and performance led to some ground-breaking work at the University of Michigan.
8. What's the best event within the training community that you've ever attended?
The Gala Dinner at AIPF Expo Sea World 2009. Breaking bread with Danny, Ingrid, Suzy & Gerald while patting a sea lion, and laughing at a magician and his long-legged assistant was a highlight for me.
9. Who do you think is the most inspirational member of the training community and have you ever met them?
In Australia: Bob Dick. He has a brilliant mind and I am remiss in not utilising our relationship better to learn more from him.
In the USA: Robert Mager and Edgar Schein.
10. What else would you like to share with our readers?
1) Don’t fear failure.
2) Invest in yourself as much as you ask your clients to invest in you.
3) Are you better this month than what you were last month?
