I’ve worked it out. After running hundreds of programs on how to communicate well, give and receive feedback, and doing all the research, I am convinced that all we need are two things to get this right. Some would say, you’ve dummed it down. I would suggest, I’ve smartened it up.
Just a short one today to ponder. I love what Sarah Prevette, the founder of Future Design School, has to say about the creating innovative cultures. She says that culture is the backbone of innovation and you can’t have innovation unless you are having the conversations.
I’m kind of embarrassed to share this. I cracked it at my partner Ben last week for eating the cheese slices that we use for the kids’ school lunches. Five at a time! But, let me give you the context so you don’t think it was purely a ‘time of the month’ response from my…
Many people think that we need to soften the content in a conversation for the other person to be able to receive it. That is, I should talk around the issue so it’s not too confronting.
One of the things that I notice all the time, when conversations go south, is when someone starts talking about the other persons’ thoughts or feelings. Phrases like:
Imagine if we chose to own our part of every conversation we have? While the term ‘stay in your lane’ is not new, it first became known and real to me when I was a participant in a program called ‘Insight’ run by Bev McInnes. Insight was a program aimed at understanding how our thinking…
Why Learning How To Give Feedback To Staff Can Make You A Great Boss If you want to know how you can stop being a “dick” at work — or know how to deal with one — author and communication expert Georgia Murch is here to help.
You’re in a performance review and your Manager tells you that a couple of your colleagues think your ego walks in the door two hours before you do. It’s ok though…. He’s “just being honest”. You’re having a discussion with a colleague and she raises her voice, points her finger and lets you know that…
Why we need to stop using “I’m just being honest” as an excuse to verbally assassinate Read full article
Being remarkable, that is, so impressive that people can’t stop remarking or talking about you, can happen. But it requires commitment. Working on great strategies, with impressive products or services is essential yet these don’t come to fruition unless your people collaborate well to implement them.
'Georgia designed and facilitated our inaugural Growth Summit, this was a meeting of more than 40 Execs across Telstra to gain an understanding of our Growth agenda, share authentically about the challenges we face and gain buy in and commitment to supporting and contributing to our industry strategies and solutions. Georgia’s tenacity and expert ability to ensure everyone’s voice was heard, ensured we had a successful day resulting in a 4.8/5 NPS score and more than 40 signatures signed up to agreements to support our Growth agenda. If you have a change project or need to bring together a group of Executives to have an authentic and maybe challenging conversation, I recommend Georgia’s team to help you bring it to life!'
Monique Esplin General Manager Growth and Strategic Markets at Telstra
'Had the privilege and pleasure of Georgia leading a workshop with my team on managing difficult conversations. Her energy is inspired, her provocations and theory spot on and the practical application was enjoyed by all. The impact is significant. I could not recommend Georgia highly enough for leaders who want to inspire their teams and support practical change.'
Collette Brennan CEO at Abbotsford Convent Foundation
'Georgia fixes feedback! If you are genuine about building a feedback culture she should be your go to expert. Through her proven techniques, experience and energy, there’s an immediate eye opening effect on teams and the positive change begins straight away.'
Robert Leigh Senior Manager, Sales Operations at Mercedes-Benz
'Working with Georgia was an absolute pleasure! Her session was very engaging, inspiring and interactive. I left feeling motivated to "nip things in the bud" when they occur and also to "treat people with respect even when they perhaps don't deserve it.."! I would recommend the workshop "Feedback that doesn't suck" to anyone looking to make a positive difference to the people they work with and also to strengthen relationships with key stakeholders. Georgia creates a safe and comfortable environment to share honestly and openly, she connects with her audience in a way that can truly help make a difference to others. Thank you Georgia!'
Belinda Williams Human Resources, at Mercedes-Benz Financial Services Australia
'Georgia's an absolute gun when it comes to fixing feedback. We've run a number of internal workshops now with our team, and Georgia's successfully inspired, educated and equipped us with the tools to have great feedback conversations at Canva. She's got a great workshop style, making it enjoyable and educational for everyone who attends. Couldn't recommend highly enough!'
Zach Kitschke Head of Communications - Product Lead
'Georgia is amazing! We invited Georgia to run a few workshops at Canva and help us build an open communication culture, and she absolutely nailed it! She gave us really practical tools and examples for giving feedback and having tough conversations. We enjoyed her candidness and humour, and her natural ability to engage the team - she's an expert in this space.'
Linda Lin People Team
'It's been a month since our company had Feedback training with Georgia and in that time I've noticed a paradigm shift in the confidence and method in which individuals are providing feedback to one another, applying what they've learnt during the day with Georgia. I believe a strong feedback culture is going to unblock further growth opportunities for our group on the way to being a high performing team.'
Matt Khoo CEO, ICD Property
'We used Georgia to launch "Getting our Feedback on" at Carman's - she was incredible, we have really embedded it into our culture and it is making a real difference to the way we work. Real tangible outomes! Oh and she is funny as hell!'
Lainie Tayler HRM, Carmans' Kitchen
'Georgia was integral to the successful delivery of our Recognition project at Envato. She challenged us to think differently about how we embed new habits to create a culture of recognition and supported us with loads of tools and advice to make it happen. Most importantly, her keynote speech to at our "all company" event was a ripping success! Georgia brought the energy we needed to really kickstart the project and get people on board. She delivered a presentation that spoke directly to what we were aiming to achieve with a perfect blend of fun, facts and candour! We loved her so much we're already planning other events with her!'
Rebecca Covington Organisational Development Advisor at Envato
'Georgia facilitated a training session on feedback at our annual Rugby League Women's Leadership Forum, her pre-training preparation and interest to make sure she understood the other parts of the Forum so she could ensure that their was a clear link between the learning and the implementation was exceptional. She was able to engage with the large (70) group in a way that challenged them but also made them laugh and reflect. We had a great day and very positive feedback from the group of women across the Rugby League community about the training both content and presentation style of Georgia. I personally enjoyed working with Georgia as she got me to think of things in a different way and made the Forum a better experience.'
Rebecca Doyle General Manager People & Culture at National Rugby League
'Georgia is one of those rare engaging Individuals. She has a natural ability to quickly understand your needs and a wealth of knowledge and experience to draw from to ensure that her product meets your requirements . Her workshops are thought provoking and her facilitation style and personality immediately makes her feel like part of the team and someone you can trust to guide your team on the change journey. Her passion for what she does is evident in her material, workshops and all interactions with Georgia. Our entire group at DET enjoyed their interaction with Georgia and her feedback program has directly improved the feedback culture for all. Thank you Georgia!
Diane Wiehe HR Project Principal at Department of Education and Training - Victoria
'Georgia was a pleasure to work with in our "Talk More, Do More" feedback workshops. Her candid, positive and always approachable style made learning an absolute pleasure along with her always willingness to help and support attitude. If you are looking for a great way to start the conversations around feedback, highly recommend working with Georgia!'
Katherine Shoobridge People Partner at PEXA - Victoria
'In 2018, I had the great privilege of working with Georgia Murch and her wonderful team to organise and deliver a key note presentation on Fixing Feedback, to AECOM’s Principal and Senior Consultants. The room of attendees were educated and entertained as Georgia explored, with engaging flair, the barriers to feedback and how to better steward feedback within project teams, so that people feel empowered and grow in ability. I was so impressed, we’re asking Georgia’s team to come back and deliver smaller workshops with our Major Project Teams to further develop these critical behaviours within all levels of our team.'
Nathan Jensen Senior Environmental Scientist at AECOM - Victoria
'We engaged Georgia to deliver a 'Feedback That Doesn't Suck' keynote at our annual leadership conference. Georgia was fantastic (no pun intended) she delivered an entertaining and pragmatic keynote that left our leaders feeling inspired and confident. Everyone left the keynote with the tools and motivation to grow themselves and their teams through feedback that doesn't suck! Our leaders rated Georgia as the top speaker at the conference. I'd highly recommend Georgia and can't wait to partner with her again.'
Samantha Mueller - Head of Learning and Development at Fantastic Furniture
'I have had the absolute pleasure of knowing Georgia for 10 years. In this time she has been a great friend and mentor. Through her two books; Fixing Feedback and Feedback Flow, I have learned to embed a strong feedback culture within my work teams and to develop a healthy approach to feedback conversations in my personal life. If you have conversations with other humans, you need to read these books. Georgia has led feedback sessions at Haworth and has many fans here. She has such a strong ability to identify business challenges, cut through the static and help to develop clear strategy - as a coach and business partner she is second to none. I have never met someone who speaks with such candour, her words are a mirror-like reflection of people and situations and come from a place of love - fuel for growth. Thank you Gigi!'
Matthew Bromley - Managing Director at HAWORTH
'Having previously worked with Georgia, I knew she would be the perfect fit for delivering Feedback training at 1-Stop. She didn’t disappoint. Georgia brings with her the perfect blend of kooky creativity and great content. Georgia and Matt excel at creating a safe space in their sessions, where teams can explore feedback, uncover the stories we tell ourselves and the roadblocks to giving great feedback. Through deliberate practice, role plays and scenarios, participants truly understand what feedback looks like, and the value it brings to relationships and our business. The sessions are filled with ‘ah-ha’ moments, and watching people leave excited and prepared to have tough conversations was a great HR-win. Feedback from participants has been really positive, and I am excited about the behaviour change the training will drive. Georgia’s support continues long after the session, with regular check-ins filled with great ideas on how to embed real change. Georgia’s investment in our success is evident in every chat we have. I highly recommend Georgia and her team to help take your business to the next level.'
Lauren Ratcliffe - HR Manager at 1-Stop Connections
'At Rockend, two of our guiding behaviours are ‘Talk Straight’ and ‘Care’ – we worked with Georgia to build a whole of business program to bring these behaviours to life, developing our collective capability to speak candidly with kindness. The initial program was a resounding success, with the quality of conversations in our business improving dramatically, simply by giving our people the tools and techniques to have and receive the conversations we need to. With Georgia’s support we’ve continued to roll out initiatives linked back to the original program, and we’re well on our way to having a true feedback culture – where we can talk about almost anything in a way that builds trust and respect! I personally enjoyed working with Georgia on the development of our ‘Talk Straight! Care Hard!’ program – in preparing for the launch Georgia was easy to talk with, flexible and she took the time to genuinely understand our business and objectives. And on go-live, Georgia’s workshop style is second to none – inspiring, engaging, candid and inclusive – all with a smile, and a wicked sense of humour. We definitely see Georgia and her team as a partner to our business, and we look forward to working together again in the future.'
Dean Carpenter - MAHRI, Human Resources Manager at Rockend
'In support of our continued focus on enabling managers to have effective conversations, we engaged Georgia to deliver her ‘Feedback that Doesn’t Suck’ training at eNett. Georgia worked closely with us, tailoring the program to ensure it met our needs. She delivered the training to a mix of new, established, senior and executive managers. We then followed these sessions up with coaching circles to start embedding the learnings.
By all accounts, it was a roaring success (literally 100% of attendees rating the training above average or excellent). We’ve had senior managers telling us it was the ‘best training they have received in their 20 year career’. As a facilitator Georgia is effervescent, instantly engaging those she trains. She has a really great knack of relating to her audience, telling things as it is, challenging in the best possible way and supporting when needed. She has so much energy and brings a lot of fun to her work. As a business owner, she is incredibly easy to work with. Enough said!
And the content? It was spot on. We have reported a significant improvement in our managers’ confidence and ability with having challenging conversations. We will absolutely continue to work with Georgia moving forward and wouldn’t hesitate recommending her and her team.'
Mario Natoli Chief Experience Officer (CXO) at eNett International
'I have worked with Georgia for the past 2 years on building the effectiveness of our managers feedback in LVMH. Georgia's structured and personable approach, builds on the confidence of our managers ability to tackle issues head on and not to shy away from those hard conversations. It has been a pleasure to work with Georgia and also see the learning's from the session reapplied time and time again by our managers.'
Erin Clarke Senior HR Manager, Oceania - Christian Dior Couture & LVMH HR Coordinator
'Georgia conducted some brilliant and engaging sessions for our teams on feedback and constructive conversations. While they were topics that the tams had covered before in some detail Georgia’s refreshing style and ability to “call it as it is” really resonated with our teams. We have had some fantastic feedback and can clearly see evidence of our teams translating this into action.'
Thanks Georgia
Ross Jones General Manager at Wesfarmers
'If you want to bring energy into a room then call Georgia and talk to her about giving honest, well-considered feedback.
We had Georgia present to 400 optometrists and staff in Cairns and she challenged us all to embrace feedback as the way to improve individual performance and business culture. This reinforced the journey that we had already commenced and is integral to our success.'
Steven Johnston CEO
'There are not many people in the world that can tell you that - you need to improve, you did that wrong, pick up after yourself - and make you feel good at the same time. It is a rare skill and still more rare that they can actually teach you how to do just that as well.'
Graeme Strange Managing Director at Readify
'Georgia is an energetic and passionate facilitator. Her workshops are high energy and impact. She is committed to providing organisations positive and focused outcomes. Georgia is a pleasure to deal with and our people have equally been positive about the programs they've attended.'
Michelle Ridsdale People Director
'We engaged Georgia to deliver her Can We Talk workshop and it was brilliant. Her energy, expertise and ability to adapt to our culture was brilliant. Atlassians can be challenging as they ask lots of questions and expect the best and she impressed everyone. I would not hesitate to work with Georgia again.'
Kellie Egan Director, HR Australia and APAC
'Georgia provided training to the leaders in my group - a mix of emerging, new and experienced managers. Georgia was tasked with providing a lot of content in two days, which whilst extremely valuable, would have been overwhelming without Georgia's engaging and pragmatic delivery.
Every attendee came away with incredibly powerful leadership tools and an inspired level of self-motivation to use them. Which they did. And have continued to do, in increasing confidence and ability, ever since.'
Andrew Prentice Manager
'If you want someone to drive your or your team's behaviour - I would recommend Georgia. You can tell from the get go she really gets it. Her energy, knowledge and commitment to honest feedback give her the ability to drive behaviour change at an individual level and team level. And this is all done with her infectious smile.'
Adrian Baillargeon Sponsorship and Activation Strategy Manager, ANZ
'Our team was recently lucky enough to work with Georgia. Her sharp insights and her constructive attitude led to positive shifts not only to our team dynamic but also to individual behaviours . I hope to work with Georgia again some time soon.'
Sue Brailsford Brand Manager
'Working with Georgia recently has helped our team learn what it takes to be the ‘ultimate’ team’ . Her approachable, progressive and down-to-earth style, her extensive knowledge, and her overall influence was inspiring. Our team kept wanting more!'
Miranda Bozic Marketing Manager Brand
'Georgia is a vibrant, energetic and highly-skilled facilitator who has been instrumental in helping our company improve our communication skills. Her workshops are very interactive and practical giving us the skills to take what we have learnt in the "classroom" and bring it into real-life. She takes a pragmatic approach to her training and has really listened to our requirements. We have been able to see cultural shifts in the area of open communication off the back of her training which has been great. Georgia is highly recommended by both myself and IMC!'
Melissa Banek Head of HR at IMC Pacific
'Georgia has supported the University of Melbourne through a significant change program, providing one on one and group training sessions to our leaders and managers to support them through the change program and their roles in leading that change. The programs have been tailored to our needs and participants, has been very well received and is contributing to our culture ambitions.'
Alastair Ingham Director - University Services Operations at The University of Melbourne
'Georgia's workshops on challenging conversations have been hugely valuable for me and my team. Georgia is awesome - her workshops are engaging, interesting and fun, but more importantly, they are practical and empowering. I know my team appreciated this investment into their professional development and we have all been able to put our learning into practice in the workplace.'
Charlotte Holden Associate Director, Marketing and Communications Planning at the University of Melbourne
'Georgia recently supported our business with specific training for our leadership group. Her background in recruitment (and consulting more widely speaking), her judgment when 'reading the room' and her ability to tailor her message for the audience, ensured she had credibility and buy in from the outset. Ultimately she did a great job at landing the message and giving the group a set of simple take outs that have already been put in to use in real and practical ways.'
Adam Kurdas Director
'Georgia was a breath of fresh air in terms of her ability to deliver quality training content in an engaging, dynamic and high energy manner. She managed to hold the attention of a group of leaders who can disengage very quickly if credibility of the facilitator is not proven upfront. We unanimously felt that we walked away from her session with some very simple, actionable strategies that will make a difference immediately in our day to day interactions with our team, clients and candidates.'
Suzie McInerney Director
'I have hired Georgia twice in my career, would do it again in a heartbeat and that is a powerful validation in itself. Georgia Murch is an energy force beyond belief. She channels her passion for people, learning and consulting towards the achievement of business goals and makes sure it’s done in a fun and challenging way.
At Talent2, Georgia led the Executive Contracting business across Australia and New Zealand. Her brief was to reignite our contracting business and build the enablers to take us to the next level.... she delivered. Key strengths of Georgia include her ability to quickly understand the business landscape, commit to building relationships that deliver results, to think strategically and then implement pragmatically. When she led the business her experience in the space of having the tough conversations yet maintaining trust and respect was evident. Georgia designed and facilitated our first APAC Contracting Conference which was a great success and showcased her ability to deliver what the stakeholders needed and do it with style and grace. People liked working with Georgia and it’s a pleasure to recommend her. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you would like to know more.'
Paul Jury Managing Director
'Energy, action and "call it as it is" - This is Georgia. She approaches her work and life with the same values set - with honesty and commitment. Her confidence and drive enables her to constantly deliver optimal quality work. Georgia makes a meaningful and tangible difference to all those that interact with her. Her spirit to achieve the unachievable is infectious.'
Joanne Henderson-Brooks Director of Managed Services
'Georgia is smart, engaging and a great communicator. She brings colour and life to what she does but not at the expense of the message and people walk away feeling invigorated but also having learned, in a practical and an applicable manner, what they needed to learn.
She's good!!....talk to her and you'll see for yourself - I have no hesitation in recommending her.'
Nicholas Tuckfield General Manager NSW
'I have had a strong business association with Georgia over the last decade as a colleague, client, business partner and guide. Georgia is an expert communicator and leader, honed through her history consulting with organisations across all sectors. Georgia is a trusted advisor and I would recommend her highly.'
Cyrus D'Cruz Head of Acquire Talent Solutions
'Georgia is bold and brave, innovative and pragmatic. She is a great partner for problem solving and identifying new ways and approaches to get things done. She always thinks about and cares about the client needs - both individually and from the perspective of business outcomes. She knows how to have the tough conversations and is a great coach and facilitator to help others to do the same.'
Felicity Hudson Principal
'I have worked with Georgia as a colleague at Nous Group and my working life has been enhanced in many ways as she is a gem. Three things in particular stand out:
1. Her ability to see the possibilities in people and ideas. She is able to quickly see what is possible and communicate this intelligently and enthusiastically to others
2. Georgia is able to ability to rally the troops and connect with people. I have seen this characteristic many times and it means that anything she works on will be successful. People are naturally attracted to her intellect and her capacity to make things happen. Her genuine enthusiasm for people, ideas and projects brushes off on people. People she works with and her friends outside work are attracted to her as she has the rare ability to sell ideas and paint the picture so that we understand the possibilities.
3. Georgia is a trusted advisor, she listens, dissects, analyses, tests ideas and is able to discuss and advise without fear. She doesn’t hold back if she thinks you may be shirking the issue. Her intention is always for you to be better, to solve the problem and to move on.'
Lea Thorpe Principal
'Georgia is a vibrant, energetic facilitator who is absolutely passionate about creating a better quality of conversation in the workplace. She is a great person to co-develop a program with as she very much listens for need and creates and adapts the Can We Talk Program accordingly. She provided our people managers with a great structure for a ‘Can We Talk’ conversation and helped them understand why we can and do avoid such conversations…they left feeling like they had more tools in their people manager kit bag to ‘take on’ the conversations needed to enable more successful workplace relationships.'
Vikki Kimberlee Manager Corporate Affairs and Organisational Development
'Our strategy at Optiver is to improve the way and types of conversations we are having with regards to performance and make feedback just something we do everyday. We reached out to Georgia to help us develop and deliver our ‘Brilliant’ communication strategy. She worked closely with us to roll out this program to our leadership team first and now we are rolling it out to our entire business.
She really listened to what we were trying to achieve and the balance of theory and practice in the training was received well for all who attended. The feedback from the the attendees was excellent, with people now practicing and demonstrating what they have learnt in the sessions.
Georgia was great to work with and her energy see no bounds.'
Irene Frisby Global HR Manager
'If you have a need to fix communication and feedback in your business, then you absolutely can’t go past Georgia.
She worked with us to design a Brilliant Communication” workshop, and also to up-skill our internal team to deliver the training ongoing. Not only is Georgia a thought leader in this space, but her infectious energy and genuine commitment to partnering with us, meant the value of her involvement extended well beyond the time of the engagement.
The feedback about the program has been really positive and we look forward to collaborating on future projects down the track.'
Megan Bennett Talent, Learning and Growth Lead
'I've learnt a lot in a short space of time thanks to Georgia. Mostly that feedback truly is a gift and that giving and receiving it generously is one of the greatest things you can do for the people you work with. Folk engaged Georgia off the back of an engagement survey where people in the Folk design studio highlighted the opportunity for us all to get better at providing meaningful and timely feedback. Georgia brings a solid evidence based approach, combined with straight talking and friendly delivery, to break down barriers and get people rethinking their communication and engagement. 5 stars to you Georgia.'
Michael Broadhead Managing Director
'Georgia's passion and energy in the classroom is contagious. Her ability to tell a great story, practical content that hits the mark, and talent for helping others to gain insight and awareness, ensures an unforgettable training experience. I highly recommend!'
Melissa Trede Senior Manager, People and Culture
'Georgia ran "Kick Ass Conversations" with leaders in our Technology department.
Georgia's energy and passion as a facilitator is amazing. The session was packed with high impact content that provided the team with really valuable insights into themselves and practical tools & strategies to help them be better communicators. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with Georgia and have not been surprised by all the positive feedback we received from the group following the session.'
Chelsie Hastings Strategic HR Business Partner
'My leadership team and I took part in a training day that Georgia facilitated based on her book, Fixing Feedback.
I found the training as facilitated by Georgia so engaging that the day flew by. It incorporated presentation elements interspersed with practical, hands-on sessions in groups and pairs in a perfect ratio to keep my team eager to learn.
We booked the training to help develop our feedback culture, and I feel that it has done exactly that. Both myself and my team took a lot of immediate value out of the day, and even though it has only been a short time since, I can observe my own feedback behaviours and habits shift -- as well as see similar changes in my team.
I'm keen to roll out this training to the rest of my business unit in the next financial year and would recommend Georgia and her training to any organisation that wishes to improve their culture.'
Tal Rotbart CTO
'I have had the pleasure of seeing Georgia in action facilitating and coaching our people leaders. Georgia shares her great insights on communication, feedback and just being real in the workplace with enthusiasm and passion. The learnings and energy from Georgia have stayed alive at our workplace and we are already seeing a return on investment.'
Teresa Nicolaou Talent Development
'Working with Georgia is motivating and energising.
Her content and perspectives have been developed with solid research and insight, her consulting and facilitating style is pragmatic and thought provoking. Georgia tackles a room of sales leaders with ease and the feedback from our sales team was that her session was “..challenging, it made sense and above all it was easy to apply the learning's in the real world”. Thanks Georgia!s training to the rest of my business unit in the next financial year and would recommend Georgia and her training to any organisation that wishes to improve their culture.'
Amy Morris National People & Performance - Sales
'When the proposal for feedback training at Airtasker was initially raised, I admittedly jumped to the conclusion that giving and receiving feedback was pretty commonsensical and something that I already knew how to do.
But after being lovingly nudged to join Georgia’s feedback training: I was blown away by how wrong I had been. Georgia combines a “slap in the face” level of energy with some profound wisdom that really cuts through and establishes the genuine motivation to prioritise quality feedback.
At Airtasker, the learnings we’ve gained from Georgia have been critical in developing a feedback culture that empowers people to do their best work, rewards excellence and ultimately paves the way for more honest, higher quality relationships.
Starting out as a sceptic, I’m now a huge fan of Georgia’s work and the leverage it can have on company culture and ultimately performance.'
Tim Fung Founder and CEO at Airtasker