Why I attended my 1570th Greg Savage event last week
It would be tiny field of recruiters that could claim any right to my (self-proclaimed) title of Most Times Present at a Greg Savage Event. I estimated I have experienced 1570 Greg Savage professional development events* over the 28 years I have been (i) a recruiter in a company that Greg leads, (ii) a leader reporting directly to Greg and (ii) an attendee at a public Greg Savage keynote speech or seminar.
Given nobody (well Mark Smith or Simon Lusty might dispute my claim) would have experienced Greg’s input more than me so why would I attend yet another Greg Savage event?
As more than one person said to me “Surely you’ve heard it all before, Ross?”
Well, yes and no.
Of course Greg has core recruitment and leadership principles that he communicates almost every time he presents: they work! That’s why he’s Australia’s most popular recruitment speaker, board consultant and educator.
That’s why, four years ago, Greg was voted equal first in my poll to discover The 5 most influential people in the recruitment industry in the past 60 years. That’s why Greg can pull a crowd in the UK, South Africa or the Czech Republic. His material has been proven across decades and continents.
Why did I roll up for my 1570th dose of Savage wisdom?
Because I’m listening differently every time!
By ‘listening differently’ I mean that every time I hear Greg talk I have a different focus or different concerns, either conscious or unconscious, that I am seeking solutions to.
Even if I think that Greg’s current topic sounds similar to a topic I previously heard him speak on, Greg will have new supporting stats, new war stories or he’ll place a different emphasis on certain words, sentences or messages that create a different listening experience for me.
I guarantee I will gain new value because of what Greg says against the context of my current concerns.
Let me give you a hypothetical example relevant to Greg’s current tour: Billing. Managing Leading. Secrets of the Successful Billing Manager.
Let’s say you are a billing manager who attended one of Greg’s events a few years ago when, at the time, having recently been promoted you were leading a team of two consultants, both of whom were former peers.
Now let’s say you are leading a team of seven consultants, including three rookies and one administrator.
Those two different leadership scenarios have very different challenges regardless of the fact that you are a more experienced leader.
You will have different insights this time you’re listening to Greg as your focus and concerns as a leader will be different compared to the last time you heard Greg speak.
My own example from Greg’s presentation last Wednesday in Melbourne was RTR (Roaming the Room). Roaming the Room is allocating time in your schedule, as a billing manager, to walk the consulting floor for the sole purpose of talking to consultants about what they doing right now.
I was on the receiving end of many of Greg’s ‘roams’ when I worked for him. Greg has spoken about this concept before but I can’t recall him previously using the actual phrase “Roaming the Room” and explicitly recommending that RTR time be scheduled like any other important activity. No doubt he has done so; I just didn’t hear it last time (or the time before)!
RTR is now stuck in my head and going forward I’ll use the RTR acronym to describe that highly important leadership activity.
This was just one valuable learning, among many, from my 1570th Greg Savage professional development event.
I’m looking forward to signing up for my 1571st event very soon.
*I have classified a Greg Savage professional development event as a formal or informal skills or attitude coaching conversation, a one-on-one meeting, a performance review, a training session, a managers’ meeting, a directors’ meeting, a public keynote, a public seminar or public masterclass. My estimate of 1570 events is conservative. I suspect it’s actually hundreds more. I don’t include conversations in which Greg provided commentary or feedback about my cricket skills, my love life or my social habits.
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Another great blog from you Ross…funny enough your email landed in my inbox whilst I was sitting in Greg’s Masterclass on Friday! RTR (Roaming the Room), PMA (Positive Mental Attitude), the Classic, JO & Temp “Backwards Plans”…and the good old FIFO!
Why would you miss this I ask myself? Where are all my other friends, Recruitment Agency Managers/Owners? Aren’t you all interested in your on-going professional development?
You all missed out on a terrific session!! Thanks Greg, see you again next time….& thanks Ross, always love your point of view too….”I’m listening”!!
listening differently.
Such an interesting statement that really makes a lot of sense. Great post. Thanks Ross