Connection isn’t a ‘nice-to-have’. It’s a strategy.

Smile! It’s time to receive your framework for meaningful change.

Lana was a role model of human-centred, strategic leadership with commercial acumen and consulting strength."

— Andrea Webb-Jolly, HR & Organisational Development Leader

The Process

SMILE Framework

Creating ease, joy, and closeness — one small moment at a time.

  • Notice what’s strong. Stay attuned to what’s missing.

    • For leaders: Cultivate environments where emotional cues aren’t missed — they’re met with intention.

    • For teams: Build habits of attunement — seeing each other fully, not just functionally.

    • For aged care providers: Support staff to notice subtle changes in mood, memory, or mobility — and respond with empathy.

    • For families: Recognise the unspoken needs beneath the surface, especially during change or ageing transitions.

    💡 Ask: Are we present enough to see beyond the task?

  • Bring lightness, presence, and play into serious spaces.

    • For leaders: Foster micro-moments of culture — small surprises, shared smiles, or storytelling that strengthen bonds.

    • For teams: Model emotional presence, not just performance.

    • For aged care providers: Create rituals or routines that bring joy, even in decline or grief.

    • For families: Prioritise joy — not just function — in caregiving moments.

    💡 Ask: What would make this moment worth remembering?

  • Connection doesn’t happen by accident. It happens by design.

    • For leaders: Schedule connection, not just conversation — time to listen without agenda.

    • For teams: Replace “busy” with brief, deliberate connection rituals — check-ins, thank-yous, or shared wins.

    • For aged care providers: Make space to genuinely know the person, not just manage the care plan.

    • For families: Show up for one another with presence, not just proximity.

    💡 Ask: What could I do today to connect on purpose?

  • Stories build systems of meaning. Listen long enough to hear them.

    • For leaders: Embed listening into your systems — employee feedback, family engagement, patient voice.

    • For teams: Honour stories before solutions — especially during transition or change.

    • For aged care providers: Use reminiscence as a tool for connection and dignity.

    • For families: Let shared stories bridge generations and build memory banks.

    💡 Ask: What story needs space today?

  • Small shifts, done consistently, are how cultures — and relationships — change.

    • For leaders: Don’t wait for sweeping reforms. Start with repeatable kindness.

    • For teams: Focus on tiny, daily actions that reinforce belonging and care.

    • For aged cared providers: Build habits of gratitude, reflection, and consistency into care or team rhythms.

    • For families: Let go of perfect — choose one meaningful shift each day.

    💡 Ask: What’s one small action that brings us closer?

This process is modular. Adaptable. Human.

Just like the people and systems it supports.
No two pathways are the same — but they all begin the same way: with space, with clarity, and with connection.

Because meaningful change doesn’t have to be dramatic.
It just has to be deliberate.

Program Outline

What to expect

Connection thinking tailored to your experience

  • Useful tools to assist you to form effective behaviours & habits

  • Quick tips & challenges

  • A SMILE model to challenge your thinking

  • Guests to spark your thinking

What NOT to expect

Outdated connection thinking

  • A rigid one-size-fits-all program with only one way 

  • A recipe book telling you what to do step by step

  • Experts telling you what to do

  • Siloed thinking without broader considerations

  • Thinking and understanding what connection is lays the foundation for this program. We also explore the lack of connection and the benefits of having it for you and your ageing loved ones.

  • Consideration of the connection you currently have with your ageing loved one and exploring how you would like that connection to be. Learning about the SMILE Model of Connection.

  • Embracing connection for yourself, with awareness of balancing competing demands. Blend your own mix of things to try and habits. Tap into tools and techniques to support you.

  • Embracing connection with others to provide powerful support to many. A reminder of the things you can control and influence, as well as energy levels for powerful support.

  • Time to further elevate the way we operate ourselves, support others and collectively care for our ageing loved one. Further considerations for what we bring to the table.

  • Bring together the learnings and take time to reflect on what’s working well and what needs a tweak. A focus forward with shift thinking to keep actions top of mind. Full of models to try.

  • The problem to solve, then:

    • Books

    • Podcasts

    • Ted Talks

    • Support materials

    Including amazing Guest Speakers with a passion for impacting the power and quality of connection.

    'End of the formal Connection journey’ 

5 Steps to Deeper Connections

Whether you’re reshaping a workforce or navigating the emotional terrain of ageing loved ones, one truth holds: People thrive when they feel seen, safe, and supported.

My approach combines strategic design with deep human insight — helping individuals, teams, and entire systems create conditions where connection is not just possible, but powerful.

Start my three-step process to greater connections. We move through three distinct moments — each one simple, purposeful, and grounded in real life.

1. Struggling to Rebuild Trust After Organisational Changes?

Discover how intentional connection can restore confidence and cohesion within your teams.​

2. Feeling Disconnected in a Remote Work Environment?

Learn strategies to foster genuine human connection, even when your team is miles apart.​

3. Navigating Difficult Conversations with your ageing loved one?

Equip yourself with tools to approach sensitive topics with empathy and clarity, strengthening connection with family members and aged care providers.​

4. Facing Resistance to Change Within Your Organisation?

Understand how prioritising human connection can ease transitions and encourage collective buy-in.​

5. Seeking to Enhance Team Collaboration and Morale?

Explore methods to cultivate a culture where every team member feels seen, heard, and valued.​

Download

Free Worksheets

Worksheets, tool and templates for powerful connection.

Get the Book

Small Moments. Strong Bonds

Turn Regret Into Connection With Your Ageing Loved One. A guide to memory-making in the middle of real life.