Episode 85: Managing your company’s best assets: A conversation with my dad, Aneurin Hughes
Today, you will be hearing a conversation I had with my dad, Aneurin Hughes.
This isn’t too self-indulgent thing though, we haven’t done this to record family memories, we are keeping this on topic for you!
Dad is a civil engineer and some of my earliest memories were watching him prepare for conference speeches. He would have his palm cards and weeks prior to giving a big presentation, would walk around the house, practising over and over again. This taught me, at a young age, the importance of preparation.
About today's guest: Aneurin Hughes
Based in Brisbane, Aneurin Hughes has been a highly valued Cardno employee for 20 years, and has almost 40 years’ experience in all aspects of the infrastructure lifecycle gained in the UK, Middle East, Papua New Guinea and Australia.
He was the QLD 2016 Water Professional of the Year and remains one of the most trusted advisors in the Queensland water sector, called upon by his peers in Government, Utilities and other organisations to lend his knowledge and expertise to improving the management of water utilities and assets.
While it can be argued that Aneurin has been fortunate to find a cause in which he believes which aligns with his profession, the truth is that his contribution goes well beyond the 8-5. He starts work each day at 6am and finishes at 6pm if all goes to plan.
The extra hours in the day are spent mentoring up and coming water professionals, responding to the queries of the many contacts he has made in the water sector throughout the years and keeping up with and contributing to the knowledge base of asset management and the water sector.
What you'll learn in this episode:
While I don’t have the same really, really hard work ethic as dad, we do share a few similar traits: You’ll hear he became a civil engineer because it gave him the freedom and flexibility to travel around the world, and that’s what draws me into the world of facilitation too. My parents also inspired and encouraged my love of reading and continuous learning.
We also discuss how he prepares for these presentations and how easy it is to lose track of time when you’re up the front of a room, how he thinks the mundane and failure is important to share at conferences, how people are a companies most important assets (hint: It's PEOPLE!!! which I loved hearing from someone who works in Asset Management) and his tips for getting up and delivering presentations and workshops.
About the host: Leanne Hughes
Leanne Hughes is the host of the First Time Facilitator podcast. She loves to shake up expectations and create unpredictable experiences.
Leanne has facilitated leadership, onboarding and team-building workshops across Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Indonesia and Mongolia and believes in a strengths-centred approach to learning and development. She has over 13 years’ of experience across a range of industries including mining, government and tourism sectors. In 2018, she was a finalist in the Australian Learning Impact awards for Learning Professional of the Year.
Resources mentioned in this show
Connect with Aneurin Hughes on LinkedIn.
Book - Management Development: A guide for the profession by the International Labor Organization
Join my free facilitator community on Facebook called ‘The Flipchart”
Connect with Leanne Hughes on LinkedIn or visit my site at leannehughes.com
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