co-create – Courtney Anne Wilson

The Corporate World is Changing

Published on 04/10/201806/11/2018 by Courtney Anne WilsonLeave a comment

The corporate world is changing. We talk about this V.U.C.A world, a Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous world that we now live in because there is constant change and uncertainty. Those businesses that are thriving are the ones that are agile, adaptive and flexible. Traditionally, organisations and businesses haven’t had operations or structures to support this. What I have to offer….

Purpose

To cultivate connection and celebrate life through unity-based principles.

My message is to let go of control, show compassion, dare 2BU and be co-creative.

Passion

I love performing, presenting and promoting sustainable new ways.

Professional

I am a Senior Consultant at Innodev – our mantra is “Rethink Everything” and it is the foundation upon which we create value for our clients in the navigation of their digital transformation journey.

I was also a co-founder, Change Management Director and Treasurer of NOW Leadership Inc – a platform that invites proactive conversation and actions toward unity in these areas; Esteem Toward Women, The Importance Of Belonging, Looking After Our Future, Collaborative Leadership and Activating Social Business.

I have significant Change Strategy and Management experience in major financial institutions and a variety of private, public and community sector organisations, including Government and Social Business, across Australia and United Kingdom.

My expertise includes commercial and financial acumen, building quality working relationships and assisting all levels, including Executive and Senior Management, for effective organisational change management and transformation.

The key to success in any venture is through building quality relationships, embracing different methods, adapting to change and effectively navigating new situations; ‘Collaboration invites Success’ – and it’s what the world is asking for, NOW.

Connect with me today and let’s manage some change together,

Courtney Wilson, Change Coach and Consultant
m: +61 (0)417 107 888| e: courtney.connect@outlook.com

Turning Competition into Co-operation

Published on 15/11/201702/08/2018 by Courtney Anne WilsonLeave a comment

There’s a lot of talk about COLLABORATION but what stops us, what gets in the way?

After some personal reflection, for me, it’s probably my competitive nature!

So here’s my top 3 tips for changing a mindset and turning COMPETITION into CO-OPERATION

Tip No. 1 – BUILD TRUST AND OPENNESS

Firstly learn to trust yourself, know what you stand for and then cultivate genuine connections with those who have aligned values, visions or passions; and when you do connect, take the time to create and commit to a collective vision. This provides brightness of the future and actually supports you to remain open and flexible to others input and ideas; making it a lot easier to co-operate and co-create the unexpected.

Tip No. 2 – DEMONSTRATE ADMIRATION TOWARDS OTHERS

It’s impossible to know or be everything; and it’s really important to remember we wouldn’t be who we are without the people that surround us. Remember the story, The Wizard of Oz? The lesson here is to know and master your capability, talent or skill and at the same time admire the diversity that others offer. We each bring a unique perspective that adds value; and together you will have everything you need.

Frequent interaction and admiration towards others is uplifting and motivating and it’s a must when co-operating, especially to keep our egos in check!

Tip No. 3 – BE INNOVATIVE

Rather than thinking about the resources you have, consider the resources you can access, together. Allow yourself to think outside the box; be provokable and ask the impossible questions that propels you into problem solving and kick starts and turbo charges your creativity. Rather than saying ‘I can’t’, start the sentence with ‘what if we can’…

So when you’re building trust and openness, demonstrating admiration towards others and being innovative; co-operation happens, synergy occurs and the magic of collaboration transforms us. What you come away with is something far greater than what one person could have achieved on their own; and that’s worth collaborating for!

Courtney ‘Co-Creator’ Wilson

m: +61 (0)417 107 888| e: courtney.connect@outlook.com

Do we practice Creative Collaboration?

Published on 02/03/201502/08/2018 by Courtney Anne WilsonLeave a comment

After an amazing 3 week holiday in Brazil, February not only brought a time of reflection and relaxation but also surprising connections and opportunities abroad. And to top it all off, February concluded with the 2^nd CC Event, where we continued to build relationship with one another while exploring The Circle of Collaboration©…. a tool to guide active team building through clarifying and aligning values and visions.

I will share more about my Brazilian connections and collaboration opportunities in my next post, so stay tuned. Right now, I wanted to share the highlights of the February CC Event…

As we all continued to take networking to the next level, we opened our minds to what is possible and created trust amongst the group by discussing current issues and exploring ways to overcome them. It was very evident through the conversations that what we all valued authentic relationships at home and in the workplace – not only with others but also with ourselves. It simply reinforced that absolutely, without a doubt, building relationship and creating trust is the first step in establishing effective team work and reducing competition.

This finding fit in perfectly with the knowledge sharing of the morning. As we consider coming together to collaborate and co-create on projects, I encouraged a change in the way we think about and perceive Collaboration; to align with Creative Collaboration as opposed to the familiar ‘Corporate’ Collaboration so many of us are used to working within.

When we creatively collaborate we need to move from:

A hierarchy based approach that is directive in nature to a role based approach that fosters cooperation;
A profit driven venture that places higher importance on profit over people to a purpose driven venture that nurtures its people and honours their true value (which ultimately serves the bottom line because the truth is it’s the people who build the business and the profit);
An egocentric consumer focus that stays true to the old saying ‘What’s In It For Me’ (WIIFM) to an altruistic contribution focus aligning with a the new and improved saying, that I like to call, ‘What Can I Contribute’ (WCIC). In doing so, we overcome scarcity and add value through sharing knowledge.

Creative Collaboration is rewarding for everyone and the way forward for all workplaces, businesses and projects, alike. Furthermore, visualise Creative Collaboration as a way to becoming interdependent, like a collective community where each member has an important role to play in the whole, and we address and reduce the fear of losing autonomy and/or becoming co-dependent. Follow these 7 essential ingredients and achieve success through creative collaboration:

Ultimately we each need to make the COMMITMENT to ourselves, our role and the team; to creativity, diversity and sharing knowledge; and to contributing towards the collective vision!

This is what it will take for us to come together and purposefully #ActOnPassionsandVisions.

So the next time you find yourself teaming up with others, ask yourself do we practice Creative Collaboration? Consider these concepts and watch your team flourish!

The next CC Event will be held on Friday March 27^th– I hope to see you there!!!!! Details coming soon…

You can also connect with the CC Community via the CC Page and/or CC Group on Facebook to contribute, share knowledge and participate in upcoming events.

Courtney ‘Co-Creator’ Wilson

m: +61 (0)417 107 888| e: courtney.connect@outlook.com

Knocking Down the Walls that Separate…

Published on 29/11/201402/08/2018 by Courtney Anne Wilson2 Comments

This month of November 2014 marks the 25^th Anniversary of when the Berlin Wall fell…

An auspicious occasion to remember and an opportunity to reflect and ask the question; why do we put up Walls? And why is it important to knock them down and unite with those around us?

When I read about the history of East Berlin, Germany, the Wall is claimed to have been erected to protect its people from fascist elements, views and opinions conspiring to prevent the “will of the people” in building a socialist state. With a lack of trust in their neighbours, the concrete Wall was constructed, along with guard towers, anti-vehicle trenches, “fakir beds” and other defences.

What the Wall did, in actual fact, over the 28 years that it stood tall, was only to imprison and serve to control its people, which caused the demise of an economy. Not to mention separate family and friends, cause unnecessary panic and unrest and the death of those trying to cross the border.

It’s been 25 years since the Wall came down, since the East and West have united, but you can still see the effects of what the Wall, of what ultimately control did to the economy of the East. In an aerial shot taken by Commander Hadfield from the international space station, you clearly see the West shines with modern fluorescent white lights, compared to those in the East which basks in a yellow glow, reflecting the old sodium lights. (picture courtesy of the British Telegraph)

On foot, as you walk from the West to the East, you get a further sense of the impact. The West has clearly benefited from the prosperity of the second half of the 20^th century and it very much feels like a modern western European city. While in the East, you just have to look at the change in the architecture to know its history. It is filled with square blocks, functional looking buildings that were put up by the communist authorities. A now unified city, however, with no Wall to control its people and the opportunity to collaborate with its neighbours, progress is being made; East Berlin is now one big building site, with unlimited potential and possibility.

As I reflect on my own life and all the times I have put up Walls due to fear of ‘perceived’ differences, or lack of trust in those around me, I recognise how this was my way of trying to control things. Yet now I see how this, in actual fact, has stopped certain things in my life from evolving; from building friendships, to sharing moments or simply experiencing what life has to offer. Basically the Walls constructed in fear, to ultimately get a sense of control, actually stops the flow of life, the flow of connection, the flow of creation.

And as I translate this into how I collaborate with others at work and in the community, I see how putting up Walls and the need to control a situation limits how we work together, the flow of creativity and negatively impacts the progression of new ideas; of co-creating quality solutions; of ultimately turning passion and vision into actions.

You just have to see the before and after pictures of Berlin to know this to be true and to witness the transformation that takes place when we come together, without Walls, and unite….