Capturing and communicating the notion of ‘authenticity’ is like trying to catch fog with your bare hands. It’s a nebulous concept – if you asked 10 people to define it, you’d end up with 10 different definitions.
However, practically everyone would agree that authenticity is about being true to yourself. At Ulton, this is something we are incredibly passionate about. So much, that the ‘A’ in our SHAPED values stands for ‘Authentic’. Quite literally, authenticity is at the centre of who we aspire to be and how we aspire to operate.
Recently, Ulton’s leadership team attended the first of many 2-day Dale Carnegie training sessions. Created by the eponymous psychologist, lecturer, and author, the experience focused on effective communication and human relations – two integral ingredients for fostering a culture of authenticity.
“We reviewed various leadership training programs and decided that the customised Dale Carnegie course was most aligned with our values,” said Ammie Cauchi, our People and Culture Manager.
For our Wealth Management Partner, Kylie Wright, one of the many ah-ha moments that she took away from the Dale Carnegie experience was connecting the value of authenticity with the act of being present.
“In the day-to-day, we are all busy and often so laser-focused on the work we’re delivering. So much so, that when someone talks to you about something else, you’re probably not stopping what you’re doing to be fully present with them. The training reinforced the importance of being present in the moment – if you’re having a conversation but your mind’s someplace else, you’re probably not showing up as your most authentic self (and by trying to do two things at once, you’re probably not doing either of them as well as you could),” she said.
Speaking of the Dale Carnegie training, Business Advisory Partner, Jason Krenske, felt that there was one word that echoed through the experience.
“Alignment – that’s what really resonated with me,” he said.
“One of the greatest parts of the training was having so many of Ulton’s leaders in one place and hearing their stories and future aspirations, in their own words.”
“Everyone shared their personal visions for the future and also how they see themselves growing with Ulton. It really brought us all into alignment. It’s about understanding how we’re all different, but as a team, we’re all working towards the same thing,” he said.
Authenticity has a lot to do with living and working in a way that’s aligned to your values. For Kylie and Jason, the Dale Carnegie experience really brought this idea to the forefront.
During the training, team members were asked to discuss their personal values with the group, sharing what mattered to them and why.
While most attendees will admit that the act of publicly announcing such personal insights felt a little daunting at first, all will agree that the cost of the short-term discomfort was worth it 100 times over.
“When you understand what other people value, you know how to better support them, get the best out of them and get the best for them,” said Kylie.
Since returning from the Dale Carnegie experience, Kylie and Jason have both shared the values identification exercise with their teams.
“I’ve given each of my team members the task of coming up with their core personal values,” said Kylie.
“Having this kind of insight is a game changer. There’s a big difference between someone taking unexpected time off and someone taking time off unexpectedly because they deeply value family and there’s a situation going on where they need to be there for their loved ones,” she said.
Jason has shared the same exercise with his team, recognising personal values is the foundation on which everything else is built.
“And after that personal values piece, we’ll be working with each of the team on their personal goals. That way, we can make sure that their goals are planned for in a way that aligns authentically with the things that matter to them,” he said.
“When you boil it down, authenticity is really about being honest and doing what you say you’re going to do. It’s about having those ‘real’ conversations...and being upfront if you can’t actually do something.”
“Managing expectations and being accountable for your actions is a big part of being authentic. It’s also how we create trust with each other and our clients,” he continued.
This Dale Carnegie training was the first session of many to come, with plans to get everyone at Ulton involved in the future.
By being honest and authentic with ourselves and each other, we stay aligned. And when we’re all aligned and united – that’s when great things happen.