Do Coles and Woolworths control your shopping list?

It's something that Bob Katter has asked the government to act on, the duopoly that Coles and Woolworths have which is effecting primary producers, local retail retailers and consumers alike. But I think there's a simpler solution to breaking the Coles/Woolies duopoly. Let's take a look back in time to see how it started...

Once upon a time, a long long time ago when life was simpler, we all grew our own food. We planted crops, cared for food trees, milked the cows and collected the eggs. We weren't entirely self sufficient because the Murphys grew better potatoes, but the Smiths knew how to cook them best, and so we would trade our apples for the Murphys' potatoes, or the Smiths' chips... Sometimes we would even buy some of the produce, when our bean crop failed for instance, or our chicken fell off it's perch. This worked fine. We cared for our gardens and we always had fresh, seasonal food to eat in our region.

Then we worked out that the seasonal food here was a little different to seasonal food there. In an effort to be a little bit exotic we traded with there until we realised that they were so happy to see our corn that they would pay us more of their exotic harvest than the Murphys or Smiths would trade in potatoes or chips. So we stopped trading with our neighbours and only sent our produce far away.

And we also decided that we wanted fruit and vegies that weren't in season. We wanted apples in summer and nectarines in winter. So the Super Store created a way of storing it for long periods of time. The food lost it's flavour, but if you only ate food that had been stored for long periods of time you wouldn't notice after a while, and you'd eventually grow accustomed to a less flavoursome food. In fact, the Super Store also sold things that you could add to make it taste ok... artificial sweeteners, preserved sauces, processed flavours. And because it also lost nutritional value the Super Store also sold nutritional supplements!

So we realise that the Murphys, the Smiths and even we have stopped growing fresh, local, wholesome foods, and instead we are going to the Super Store to buy processed, old food and whole lot more. Now that the Super Store is the only place that sells these things we feel like we are obliged to pay whatever price they ask, regardless of the lower standard of food. What should we do?

I don't think the answer is to ask the government to close down the Super Store. What I think we should do is support the last few of our local growers by buying their fresh, local, wholesome foods.

I am blessed to live in an area which has a local butcher, a local fruit shop and farmers markets nearby. The standard of food and service at Coles and Woolworths is motivated by profit, minimising bad publicity and trying to keep costs down. The standard of food and service at the Fruit Shed or Mick's Meat Barn is motivated keeping their neighbours and friends happy so that they come back and buy more and tell the rest of the neighbours to do the same. See, if the apples are dry and tasteless at the Fruit Shed you will get people complaining, and they are not just nameless people complaining to teenage checkout attendants, they are Betty, Sue and Robbo speaking to the manager - a manager who has pride in their business. They are obliged to be part of the community.

There are a number of reasons to support local grown produce, not the least of these is the long term economy of our beautiful nation. But to be honest, that's rarely what I'm thinking when I choose my local product. Instead I'm thinking;

• Taste - apples and pears and sweet corn and snow peas that have a real, fresh flavour! And as the seasons change it's like the invention test on Masterchef to try cooking with the new seasons ingredients.
  
• Health - I find that with the increased nutritional values in fresh foods I eat less, I snack less and I am less hungry. My body tells me it's satisfied quicker! My food budget now goes towards better quality food, but less of it.
  
• Fun - given the choice of dodging prams and pensioners at the supermarket (where the aisles are not quite wide enough) or tying the dog up at the local green grocer, or wandering through the farmers markets sampling the taste tests... I know what I'd prefer! And I love a butcher or green grocer who will make menu suggestions... Love it!
  

Do I still shop at the Super Store? Sure, sometimes it's convenient (and not everywhere sells Lindt Chilli Chocolate) But I make sure the local primary producers and the local businesses get the first cut of my grocery budget!

What stops you from learning new stuff?

As I started this post I was wanting to research, to quote great educators, to refer to theories of pedagogy, but all that has been done before. Instead I will offer what I have learned from my observation as a trainer.

In the past 5 years I have trained over 1000 people aged from 17 to 65, normally spending between 2 to 3 weeks with them. My training has usually been at the point where they are starting a new job and sometimes a new career. And I've observed trainees struggle and sometimes even quit when they have to learn new things.

Let me tell you about the characteristics of a struggling or failing trainee;

1. They believe the rules. The rules say that "you can't teach an old dog new tricks". Sometimes the rules even say "I never did well at school" and "I'm just not good at this sort of thing."
   
2. They don't understand themselves. People learn in different ways, but instead of identifying and capitalising on their strengths (like being able to remember conversations word for word), they focus on their weaknesses (like reading something 4 times and still not understanding it), and therefore their failures.
3. They look around them for the reasons they are struggling. There is always a problem - the person sitting next to them is distracting, the lines in the workbook are too close, the questions aren't clear and the whiteboard is hard to see.
4. They are always looking for better options. They have prepared an exit plan. There are many self-help books that talk about "being present" and these people never seem to "be present".
5. They are scared. What happens if they say something that is wrong? What if they let someone down?
   

You might recognise some of these traits from the last time you had to learn something new, and it doesn't have to be classroom learning! When they changed Facebook, when you got that new set-top box, when your kids needed help with their homework. In a training room your trainer might be able to help you, but in the real world, only you can change the voice that says "I've never been good at this sort of thing. There's too much reading. Someone else can do it better. I'll never get it..."

Once that voice stops it's amazing how quickly you can pick up new things!

My next post will talk about some of the characteristics of some great learners I have trained and met.

Procrastination

This morning I sat at my desk for a good couple of hours squinting at the computer screen and leaning in to get a fuzzy focus on what I was doing. So why didn't I go to the lounge room and get my glasses? Or the bathroom to put my contacts in??
I eventually did, and this is how it went;

• I last saw my glasses on the coffee table, but the breakfast dishes are still there too
• Took breakfast dishes to dishwasher but was still full of clean dishes
• Unpacked clean dishes, packed in dirty dishes
• Cold feet, so need socks
• You know what really warms up cold feet? A nice warm cup of coffee!
• Now that the coffee is ready I have a grumbly tummy. Maybe a piece of toast will fix that.
• Don't want crumbs on the keyboard so I'll just take a tea-break in the lounge room
  
• Look! There's my glasses... Better put them on before I forget
• Pat the dog... oooh, there's that lumpy thing on her ear. Better call the vets!
• I could put a load of washing in too while I'm working - I can hang it out at lunch time and that is multi-tasking, right?
  

So as you can see, staying put and squinting was actually a good thing this morning! During the week I leave at least one pair of glasses in the office, so it's only a Monday thing for glasses. Other days it's a pair of socks, a glass of water, a tissue, a blog that needs updating... all while the filing waits patiently.
(And in case you're wondering, this doesn't derail my day! For me right now "work/life balance" is about combining work and life, not separating them.)

Elections: Does the tail wag the dog?

As an avid people watcher I have to admit that times like this provide me with LOTS of entertainment. From watching the crazed ramblings of dysfunctional EX-politicians (or should I say dysfunctional journalists!!) to the way we all want to know what's in it for us.
I know that politics are supposed to be a taboo subject, but in this era of social networking I refuse to tiptoe around "taboo" when it's on most people's facebook profile.

"Political View: can't trust any of them!"

The same sentiment is all over facebook profiles. Back in the day you were either Liberal/National, Labor, or you didn't use deodorant and ate lentils. Now the lines are blurring and we just don't know. But one thing is certain, our democratic politics is changing forever. And the one thing that we all believe is that whatever their election promises are, there's not enough in it for me, and they won't keep half of them anyway.
There are a few myths however that are subtly doing the traps.

1. The only time to approach a politician is when they are in election mode. WRONG! We elect them to represent us. We can put our requests and concerns to them at any time, in fact election time is probably the time when they are MOST distracted. Try contacting them through the year... and if you're looking for a response from your local member, you may not get it this week!
   
2. They tell you what they stand for, and you either vote them in or not. WRONG You can sway your local member's opinion. If enough local members are swayed they will take it to their party and then tp parliament. Whether we elect Bob, Tony or Julia, if they can't professionally put their own opinions and feelings aside and voice the opinions of their constituents, they are in the wrong job!
3. We vote them in, we pay their wages... this gives us the right to tell them what we think of them. WRONG! You will always get a better response by treating them with respect. I wouldn't do their job for quids. Unless you are willing to run for politics yourself you should get off your high horse, look them in the eye and speak to them the way you would like to be spoken to. In fact, start with something positive, even if it's to say "You are incredibly brave doing this job!"
   
4. In a Federal Election you vote for the Prime Minister. WRONG! And every time I hear one of the candidates say "I will..." or "My government..." I want to leap down the TV and remind them that I am voting in a representative who can then elect the Prime Minister of their choice. We are not in America voting for a President! We should be reminded of this with Kevin's recent departure.
   
5. We only discuss PM Julia Gillard's appearance because she's a woman... discrimination!! HELLOOO! How short our memory is! Kevin Rudd - the milky bar kid; Tony Abbott - budgie smugglers and cycling shorts; John Howard - eyebows and tracksuits; Paul Keating - Italian suits; Bob Hawke - Aaaaaaarrrrgh... Do I need to go on? (in the interest of not showing favour to the one woman amongst the names mentioned I've just got one word - earlobes!)
   

You might think I'm naive and idealistic, and maybe you're right, but before you whinge to me about politicians and election promises answer me this;

When did you last thank a politician, speak to them politely, sent them a polite, succinct letter and make a suggestion to help them better represent you?

My growing vocabulary

I've learned 3 new words lately... and some new fashion trends I think. Actually, they are not new fashion trends. They are hybrids, revivals and... although clothes-related not really what you could call "fashion" or "trend".

• Jeggings: These are particular favourite. The stretch and comfort of the legging, the look of the jeans. Unlike jeans you can wear them all day and not get saggy knees, baggy butt...
  

• Snood: Warmth like a scarf but can be pulled up over the head like a hood. Actually, I thought any old scarf could be pulled over the head like a hood, but that's just me. Me and Jackie Onassis and hundreds of other women. (and some men, Nik Kershaw!)

• Onesies: No, not a toilet report! Onesies are the name for the little one piece playsuits that babies wear... that are being made in adult sizes!! It's like the Snuggy but with legs and hoods and sometimes feet. Oh yeah, butt flaps are almost a standard feature, a two way zip at the front for the gents, and "you can fit three 12oz beverages of your choice in each pocket." Yes, one trip to the fridge and you can stock up for the night! Or wear it to a party and you won't have to take the esky...

And so my vocabulary grows. Other words added recently are "pulchritudinous" and "mamihlapinatapai". If I can get those 2 words into conversation (preferably on a date) I'm buying myself a onesie!

Pareto's Principle

Most people these days are aware of Pareto's principle. You may know it as the 80-20 rule. Simply put it means that 80% of effect is from 20% of the causes.

Vilfredo Pareto came across this when he worked out that roughly 80% of property in Italy was owned by 20% of the people... and then that 80% of the peas in his garden were in 20% of the pods... typical economist, he couldn't just enjoy the garden!

So I occasionally share Pareto's obsession. It started with some business interpretations (untested!);

• 80% of your income will come from 20% of your clients.
• 80% of referrals will come from 20% of your clients.
• 20% of your clients take up 80% of your time. (Ruthlessly get rid of this 20% and regain 80% of your time? I like Tim Ferris's concept in 4 Hour Wk, but do the number in your own business before you get rid of clients!)

So the next logic step for my curious mind is to take that equation to other observations.

• 80% of the icecream will be eaten by 20% of your household
• Under the Christmas tree 80% of gifts will be bought by 20% of people
• At a dinner party or backyard bbq 20% of your guests will drink 80% of the drinks
• 20% of your home will need 80% of cleaning
• 20% of your clothes will be worn 80% of the time

So next time you notice an 80-20 principle in progress, or you read a business paper that refers to it, thank Pareto for his simple observation.

Learning about cake

I did warn you that some of the stuff I learn everyday will be mundane, but as I look back over yesterday this is the thing that I will take with me to my future cake and coffee outings.

In a nutshell what I learned is this;

Always tip your piece of cake over so you can check the bottom for mould.

Fortunately for me it wasn't my piece of cake. My friend had eaten half the slice before the rest tipped over, and there was a clear patch of blue-green underneath. I'm not mentioning the cafe because they handled it well, and I'm convinced they had no idea that it was growing mould.

All the same, every time I choose a slice of cake from the display cabinet I will tip my piece onto it's side to check the bottom.

Oh, and for something I learned a long time ago while eating out with the same friend;

When someone says "Taste this" or "Smell this", don't! Not until you've asked them why.

I remember this same friend handing over a turkey baguette and saying "Taste this". Then once I had a mouthful saying "Does that turkey taste like it's off to you?" With the power of suggestion it did start to taste off then!

It's a good thing she's such a positive influence and a good friend, otherwise I wouldn't risk dining out with her again.