Ryde Business Blog

Making the Most of the Probation Period

2011-10-24T17:36:00.001+11:00

By Virtual Human Resources
September 7, 2011

A probation period or minimum qualifying period exists so that employers can determine if the new employee really is the right person for the job. Many job candidates exaggerate their abilities in order to impress the interviewer and gain an advantage over other applicants. While most people only claim moderate levels of greater ability there are some applicants who just blatantly lie. Even experienced interviewers can get caught out by a highly skilled liar.

It is also true that job applicants rarely include referees who dislike them or have been critical of their performance. How does a person calling referees even know they are speaking to a Production Manager and not a mate from down the road? Referees are only useful for double checking information on a resume to see if the applicant’s claims can be verified. Often people neglect to inform their referees of their exaggerations.

While many job applicants are honest and are able to perform the job well; some are not.
Even those who have worked in the same position in another company may not be able to perform at the level expected in their new position. For example some employees possess the title manager but have never really had the responsibilities of a manager. The title was simply a courtesy title or one incorrectly applied.

For all these reasons it makes sense to view the probation period as an extension of the recruitment process. The job is effectively a temporary position until the qualifying period is completed. Towards the end of the qualifying period management has to determine whether the new employee is capable of doing the job to the standards expected in that company.

To be fair to the new employees, this situation should be clearly stated during the final round of interviews. Even though employees are used to seeing a probation clause in an employment contract, few companies put it into practice. A lack of disclosure prior to them resigning from their previous position, can unnecessary distress the terminated employee.

While a probation period is a useful way to determine if a person is a good fit for a company, it should never be used as a substitute for effective interviewing and assessment methods. It is important not to overuse the opportunity as it can have a negative impact on company morale if people are being regularly dismissed. However if you have a new employee who you suspect is going to be a future nightmare; dismiss them while you still have the opportunity.

It is important to be aware that even though the minimum qualifying period means the dismissed employee cannot make an unfair dismissal claim, they still have some legal recourse through the FairWork adverse action clause as well as unlawful dismissal. This means that even during the qualifying period employers should ensure there are no breaches of anti-discrimination legislations; no victimisation of employees who are seeking to make use of any workplace rights or entitlements, and that all OHS requirements are met.

Why are job descriptions important?

2011-09-30T14:10:00.000+10:00

A job description is a basic management tool that will help increase individual and organisational effectiveness.

For employees, a good job description will help all staff understand:
1. Their duties and responsibilities
2. The relative importance of their duties
3. How their position contributes to the mission, goals and objectives of the organisation

Job descriptions are also the foundation for most management activities and required to ensure other management tasks are completed effectively.

Recruitment
Job descriptions that clearly articulate the duties to be performed and qualifications required to conduct a position is essential when recruiting. Interview questions, hiring criteria and the screening process should all be based on the duties and qualification outlined in the job description

Induction / Orientation
The job description helps the employee see how their position relates to other positions in the organization and what's expected of them, helping them to settle in to a new role.

Training
The job description can be used to identify areas where the employee does not adequately meet the needs of the position and requires training. It can also be used when looking to promote internally and employees understand what is required in a higher level role.

Supervision / Management
The job description should be used by the employee and management to help establish a regular work plan as well as agreed outcomes or performance measurements which can then be used for feedback and review purposes.

Compensation
Job descriptions can be used to develop a salary structure, which is based on the duties, responsibility and qualifications of each position in the organisation.

Performance Management
The job description and the work plan should be used to monitor and review performance against agreed measurements or targets.

So, if you haven't got job descriptions in place, or they need review, hop to it!

Making Tough Decisions

2011-05-05T13:05:00.000+10:00

Recent events have made me question the ability of managers to make tough decisions in business, especially when it involves people. This statement is not made to offend or alienate, but more to question what is required to make those decisions. Let me explain.

I have been involved with a company that to be successful, requires the development of a high performance environment and where people management is critical. Talent is hard to find and the key issue is retaining the current talent pool, whilst developing and nurturing the up and coming talented individuals.

To do this, the manager requires exceptional communication and leadership skills, with an ability to lead and manage highly competitive, energetic and motivated individuals.

The culture needs to be one that enables individuals to achieve their goals, feeling supported with two-way feedback and open and transparent communication to minimise the risk of losing the talent.

Instead, the current manager has created a culture that is truly ineffective by managing through fear and intimidation, creating systems and processes that lack transparency and levels of communication which are almost non-existent.

Individuals within this business have raised the issues with the manager in an attempt to bring about change and “fix” the culture. The result was disastrous and the individuals were subject to recrimination for raising the issues.

The senior management responsible for this organisation are aware of the problem, concerned about it and aware of the impact it is having on everyone involved—but are unwilling or deliberately choosing not to do anything about it.

So, when did it become hard to make a decision and take action that will ultimately affect your bottom line? Right now, this business has a group of people that lack motivation, are unproductive and not engaged.

Here are my tips for managers that need to make tough decisions:

1) Have courage! Nobody said management was easy and although you may have some short term pain, the long term gain will be worth it.

2) Plan and Prepare. You need to know what the effect of your decision will be and how you are going to handle the fall out.

3) Make the decision. Not making a decision is far worse that making one you think is bad. Not making a decision reflects on your leadership ability.

4) Have alternatives. So you made the decision and it didn’t turn out exactly as you planned. Be flexible and have alternatives to address further issues.

The best piece of advice is that when making a hard decision, think of it like a band-aid. As our mothers always said, it was less painful if ripped off quickly.

Office Politics - Survival Guide

2010-08-25T22:26:00.001+10:00

Office politics are an unavoidable part of our working lives, but truly destructive or negative politics can destroy an organisation through decreased productivity and continued staff issues such as turnover and absenteeism.

“Playing politics” can and will impact the career paths of individuals in organisations everywhere. So, how can you deal with office politics, and remain professional and engaged. Here are some tips:

Number 1: Don’t choose sides!

Ensure you remain professional, pleasant and courteous to everyone. Asset yourself when you need to and don’t involve yourself in other peoples issues. Remain engaged in the business of doing your job and don’t become aligned or involved with other employees who are hell bent on tearing other employees down.

Number 2: Be trustworthy – keep confidences!

What is worse than sharing a secret? Being caught out of course!

Keep your own counsel at all times. If you have been told something in confidence – then keep it that way. People have a way of finding things out, and your Manager will not be pleased if he or she cannot trust you. Trust is built over a long period of time – and lost far more quickly.

Number 3: Build loyalty

Helping others when you can will build relationships and respect. Obviously, it’s important that you make sure your work is completed and your level of productivity is not affected – but take time for others.

Number 4: Keep your nose clean

Gossip – you can either be the person in it – or the person that spreads it. Either way, becoming the brunt of office gossip or passing it on in the kitchen over coffee is not an effective use of your time nor will it build solid working relationships.

Stay out of it!

Shift conversation onto different topic or walk away claiming you have just remembered a deadline you have to meet. Whatever you do – just don’t get in the middle of it.

Number 5: Never “bag” the Company or a Manager

So, you have had a horrible day. You’re not feeling particularly engaged at the moment! So what do you do?

What you don’t do is start bagging anyone out – or get involved in conversations where others are behaving this way. You never know who is listening or can hear you. Save your venting for when you get home and can do this safely in the walls of your own private space.

Number 6: Managers – Walk the Talk

Your actions do speak louder than words and you will be keenly observed by all your employees and others who will determine if they want to work with and for you.

Encourage and empower your team. Remember that knowledge should be shared and hanging on to it is just plain selfish.

Be honest at all times – but be sensitive. Communicate often and seek feedback and ideas.

Involve your team as much as possible. Limit the opportunity for gossip and politics by being open, honest and transparent.

Finally – set expectations and then ensure they are met.

Wise Words for Workers

2010-06-06T21:51:00.000+10:00

The following advice, provides an effective "reality check" for all of us. If only we could pass this on to all newcomers in the business world.

The list has been incorrectly attributed to Bill Gates, but in fact, it came from a book authored by Carles J. Sykes in 1996.

Enjoy!

Rule 1: Life is not fair - get used to it

Rule 2: The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

Rule 3: You will NOT make $40,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.

Rule 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.

Rule 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger flipping -- they called it opportunity.

Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you are. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parents' generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.

Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life has not. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as many times as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you find yourself. Do that on your own time.

Rule 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.

Micro Biz Week

2010-06-03T20:46:00.004+10:00

Whew.... if you didn't make it to this morning's event you missed out :-).

We didn't have a huge number of guests, which was a shame. On the plus side those that attended were treated to a workshop atmosphere.

First up was Stefan Sojka of Cyrius Media, who spoke for half an hour on the rudiments of running a business from home. Stefan is an enthusiastic and knowledgeable presenter; speaking with nearly twenty years of experience in running a micro business from his home, he informed the group on how to attain a professional atmosphere. Everything from signage to fire alarms to work/life balance physically in your house and mentally in your thought space was covered. Yes, you can work in your trakkydaks should you wish; but make sure of your diary entries!

Vince Galletto from the City of Ryde covered what you need to tell Council about your home business - and what you don't. We recommend you visit the City of Ryde's website for expert information, but essentially you can run a micro business from home without undergoing development application approval if it's only family members involved and not outside employees.

Okay, so you've got a business, or you're starting one. What do you need? A business plan! Greg Jenkins of TinCan Learning started off his interactive workshop by telling guests about the plan he'd been encouraged to start several years ago. It ran to 60 pages. He completed it and never revisited it. Too much hard work? You betcha! Greg introduced an innovative one-page business plan that people will want to work with, and want to update. It's simple but covers everything you need for a micro business or SME. Or even a larger organisation! Remember a business plan is a living document; you need to WANT to revisit it to keep it alive.

I was last cab on the rank and called my presentation Getting Connected. My original thought was to cover only business associations and how being a member can grow your business. But Stefan told me he wasn't going to cover internet marketing so I added that to my presentation. I covered websites and the care and feeding of; blogs and social media; and of course being part of a business association. Not every RBF member is aware of what my own company Arion Productions actually does, nor that 60% of my current active client list comes from the RBF member base. 60%! Wow - who wouldn't want that!? Most of you know me only as the RBF person, and it's taken hard marketing among interested members to make you aware of my business communications arm. I hope I gave our guests an inspiring overview of how they can connect with others in their business community.

So what's next in the free workshops arena? Keep an eye out for our Small Business September workshops, when Sarah O'Reilly will teach you how to network successfully, Kathie Melocco and Vivienne Storey will present Social Media Boot Camp and Phil Lee will take your marketing plan and strategy to the next level.

Cheers, Sabrina

How to Create a Positive Work Culture in an Organisation

2010-05-04T16:43:00.002+10:00

A positive, effective work culture in any organisation forms the foundation of its success. This is because when employees understand and enjoy the dynamics of the environment in which they work, they perform to their optimum level.

So how do we define the workplace culture? It provides a shared and common view of the environment among employees, answering questions like, “what is expected around here, what do we do and why do we do it”.

Here are a few suggestions for how a business can create their desired work culture, and embed it within all its employees.

1. Promote the mission and goals of the organisation and clarify how each employee’s role impacts on the achievement of those goals.

2. Ensure you offer clear, objective feedback to all employees through a structured and transparent performance management system. Your employees will learn more quickly and appreciate the feedback.

3. Ensure all employees are provided with positive reinforcement, delivered in a timely and sincere manner. A manager that notices when an employee has performed well, and recognises this performance is demonstrating effective leadership skills which enable the development of a positive workplace culture.

4. When people join the company, have a very deliberate process of induction and socialisation, where the new employees can learn about the culture. Having senior managers present to new staff in the early days sends a very powerful message.

5. Ensure that in your learning and development programs you are consistently promoting the culture.

Finally, remember that leaders who bring people together talk about 'us' more than 'I'. They re-tell stories of history and present stories that create a sense of togetherness. They create objectives for the organisation and structure the team to ensure that they work together effectively.

So if you want your culture to be positive, then it does not happen by wishing. You have to take deliberate action where the longer-term benefits will far outweigh any costs.

Boxoftreats

2010-04-28T16:54:00.002+10:00

If you are looking for an alternative to the box of chocs or the bunch of flowers for a job well done...go to my new favourite company website.

www.boxoftreats.com.au offers the complete solution.

Its just brilliant.

Weasel Words and more

2010-04-13T16:36:00.001+10:00

I’m currently reading Don Watson’s book Death Sentence. It’s not, as those of you who know me may think, one of the murder mysteries I delight in. It’s subtitled “The Decay of Public Language”, and if you’ve ever pondered over an incomprehensible sentence in a letter from a service provider or in a speech by a politician, then I recommend you pick up this book and indulge yourself.

There are lessons here for all of us who communicate for our businesses, no matter how big or small they are. Back in the dark ages when I was studying communications we were taught to write in an active voice, and use simple words to get our messages across. I find myself, in odd idle moments, taking a red pen to letters from my bank and other correspondence, which is why Don’s book (and his previous book “Watson’s Dictionary of Weasel Words”) is such a delight.

It’s easy to fill your customer communications with platitudes and phrases which are commonly bandied about - people seem to expect them. You might think convoluted sentences can make you or your company sound important - but is your customer or client scratching his or her head in bemusement?

I’d highly recommend Death Sentence (and Weasel Words) to all CEOs, Directors, marketing and communication professioals.

For more information on Don and his books visit http://www.weaselwords.com.au/

Pre Easter property market heats up

2010-03-04T10:20:00.004+11:00

With Easter falling on April 2nd this year - March 27th will be the last Saturday for Auctions prior to the break.

I have 3 fabulous listings going to Auction on March 27th.

One of them is this gorgeous home in Ray Rd Epping.

You can click here for full details.

The market remains very positive & premium stock is at an all time low...

Bullying in the Workplace

2010-03-02T14:48:00.000+11:00

Think you are being bullied at work?

• Do you feel intimidated, or dread to work near a particular co-worker, or you’re being yelled at, insulted, and put down?

• Does a co-worker talk over you at meetings, criticize you, or steal credit for your work?

If you answer yes to these questions, chances are that you’re one of the many employees who have been the subject of bullying in the workplace.

You know you’re working with a bully when he/she uses your mistakes and constantly brings them up. Or worse, the bully gossips about you, tells lies to your co-workers, and even sabotages your work.

Here are some actions to take that might help to defeat the bully.

Know You’re Not Alone: A Bully Lives in Many Workplaces

In research conducted in the USA (The Zogby study) , it was found that:
• Bosses comprise 72% of bullies.
• More men (60%) are bullies, but women bullies target other women (71%).
• 62% of employers ignore the problem; 40% of employees targeted by a bully never tell their employer.
• 45% of people targeted by a bully experience stress-related health problems including debilitating anxiety, panic attacks, and clinical depression (39%).

How to Deal With a Bully

You can deal with a bully and change the bully’s behaviour if you are willing to be strong and take action. You need to do something. The bully will not go away; if you make yourself an easy target, you will only encourage the bully.

Here’s how to deal with your office bully.

Set Limits on What You Will Tolerate From a Bully
Exercise your right to tell the bully to stop the behaviour that is causing you grief.

• Describe the behaviour you see the bully exhibiting
• Tell the bully exactly how his/her behaviour is impacting your work.
• Explain to the bully what behaviour you will not put up with in the future.

Confront the Bully With His Own Behaviour
Confronting a bully is scary and hard, but, as Littman and Hershon suggest in I Hate People, bullies are “only effective when they’re on solid ground. Ground that you can take away.”

Remember: You’re the adult dealing with a tantrum. No wise parent gives in to a child’s fit because it just leads to more fits.

You need to call out the bully on your terms.

Document the Bully’s Actions
Any time you are feeling bullied or experiencing bullying behaviour, document the date, time and details of the incident. Note if another employee witnessed the incident.

If you need help from HR or management, documentation is essential. If the bullying occurs in email or correspondence, maintain a hard copy of the trail of emails and file them in a folder in your computer.

Your Co-workers Are Targets of the Bully, Too
Note whether the bully is behaving the same way with your co-workers. Ask your co-workers to document the bully’s behaviour and any scenes they witness when the bully targets any co-worker.

Tell Management and HR About the Bully
You’ve tried to implement these recommendations, but they aren’t working to stop the bully. It's time to get help. Go to HR or your manager with your evidence, especially the evidence that demonstrates the impact of the bully on the business, and file a formal complaint.

Hope for the best resolution but be prepared to explore other options so you have less contact with the bully. You may never know what was done about the bully but you can assess the impact by how he/she is now behaving towards you.

Business plans, marketing plans, and the care and feeding thereof

2010-02-25T20:44:00.005+11:00

Oh dear, it's nearly March. In fact your BAS report, if you do it quarterly, is due tomorrow. So how are you going against budget? Against your business plan? And your marketing plan?

We had a Board meeting this week, and the subject of marketing plans came up. Realistically we haven't revisited ours for a couple of years, and it's something we're going to do very soon. Since we last wrote one Web 2.0 has come into its own with a whole new raft of marketing options such as Twitter and Facebook, and a real advancement in internet pull technology. Watch out! We'll come up with great new ideas for helping our members.

But this is about you. How are your marketing and business plans? When was the last time you looked at them? If you're a small business owner, they're probably the last thing on your mind. You're too busy with everyday work and satisfying your clients; you know you should revisit them at some point and see if they're still relevant, but really, there are more important things to do. Right?

Wrong, actually. Your business plan and marketing plan should drive what you do, and should be revisited on at least an annual basis. Maybe you're servicing different clients to last year. Maybe your main competitors have changed. Maybe the tenor of your business has changed. Whether you're a restaurant owner or in retail, or a service provider such as an accountant, dust off those plans and see how they compare to what you are actually doing these days, both financially and figuratively.

If you need help setting plans and goals, or working out just what it is you want to achieve, we have members in the Forum who can help you. And if you don't have a business or marketing plan, then you definitely need to talk to these members. These people coach other business people, and can help you realise a lot about yourself and the business you're in. We have a range of business coaches from large organisations to one person operations, and these coaches could help you turn a blah year into a great profit year, or help you take your business to the next level. Most of them don't charge for an initial chat (I can't be sure as I haven't asked all of them), but what have you got to lose? Any fees are a business tax deduction, and it's a win/win situation. You get the guidance to build a brighter future for your business, and in return you're giving business to a fellow member, which is what we're all about.

Check out our directory for consultants and business coaches who can help your business soar: http://www.rydebusiness.com.au/directory/business.html

In addition, we have some excellent workshops planned for this year to get you motivated and get your business flying. Stay tuned!

OH and S Gone Mad

2010-02-13T14:23:00.006+11:00

I was chatting to my neighbour this morning, who recently scored a job with the big multinational company I left in 2000, which is now domiciled in Macquarie Park. He's a technician in the maintenance and repair department, and he told me some horror stories about the company's OH&S policies. These include:

Because they have a lino/vinyl floor, he and his colleagues are not allowed to have chairs with castors on them, in case they roll back unexpectedly and cause an accident to the user or a colleague. So he's on a chair with fixed legs and can't move about his workspace adequately. He also can't get close enough to his desk to comfortably get his knees under and work or use a computer. He has a sliding keyboard tray, but the mouse won't fit on it and has to go on the desktop itself. So when he needs to use the mouse he has to slide the keyboard in and reach uncomfortably forward. He complained to OH&S but they told him he was working at the appropriate ergonomic workstation. He managed to find a chair with castors last week, and the OH&S people told him it was against the rules. He complained that because of their OH&S procedures he was getting back problems trying to use a chair without castors. The argument continues.
His department has recently taken delivery of a small crane, the type used to lift engines out of car bodies. Because it didn't come with an instruction manual - as he says, it's obvious how you use it! - OH&S won't let anyone use it until a work instruction has been written and signed off on. Having worked for them myself I know this could take weeks or months. I do understand why you need a work instruction, it's Cover Your Butt material for management. In the meantime however, four employees have to risk their own backs lifting heavy objects together.
One of his colleagues made a joke to OH&S about putting plastic blades in the Stanley knives used at the facility so workers don't inadvertently cut themselves. OH&S actually considered the idea until it was pointed out it was actually a joke. Like airport personnel, the OH&S people take jokes very seriously.
In the kitchen areas, all drawers containing sharp knives have to be labelled as such. Even so, one employee recently cut herself on a sharp knife reaching in for a teaspoon so now sharp knives are banned completely. Heaven help anyone wanting to cut up a tomato for a salad lunch, or cut a birthday cake. Honestly, does the management consider all employees to be dolts or children? Are they so terrified of a lawsuit? (And that's probably another post in itself.)

I'm glad I don't work for this organisation any more. My neighbour, after only six weeks, is so frustrated at the overwhelming and overweening nanny state the company's OH&S procedures have produced that he is now looking for another job.

Are my neighbour and I alone in thinking this company's procedures have gone overboard? How far is too far with OH&S? When it starts to interfere with how people actually perform the tasks set them - as it is in my neighbour's case with his chair and keyboard setup - it's not a workable situation. I think it's OH&S gone mad. How about you?

Musings on Meetings

2010-02-02T12:01:00.003+11:00

The business year is well and truly up and running now. Some of us were lucky enough to have a few weeks off in January; some (like yours truly) got about ten days' grace before the phone started ringing and the emails coming in. My diary is now filling up with meetings, which led me to some musings this morning.

There are pros and cons for meetings. Many experts advise meetings should replace email dialogue especially if it's an internal dialogue in your own company. Employees should leave their desk and talk to the other person face to face rather than email back and forth. It can often resolve an issue or question far more quickly. I have a personal theory on why people email internally rather than just chat. Firstly, there is a paper trail showing you asked the question should your supervisor bring it up. Secondly, it's a time thing. You might wander down the corridor to see Person B about that issue, but instead of a quick answer Person B gravitates to a range of other subjects and while you murmur that you need to get back to your desk, you can't get away. Until someone else distracts Person B. We've all come across co-workers like Person B, and they are a menace in meetings.

So how do you run a meeting to time when you know one of the participants is in love with his or her own voice? If you are the person calling the meeting and providing the agenda, put times for each agenda topic on the agenda, and stick to them. Make it clear that your meeting will only run for a set period of time. Ring a bell if you have to, when there is 60 seconds to go on a topic. You'll have allocated the most time to the most important topic, naturally. If it looks like you need a LOT more time for that topic, you may have to sacrifice less important agenda items and perhaps cover them by email or a video conference on Skype or vidcon software.

When I worked in the corporate world years ago we had a monthly marketing meeting for which one and a half hours was allocated. It never ran less than three hours. I dreaded it each month. The minutes of the previous meeting would circulate at least a week or two beforehand so everyone could read them and note anything they wished to bring up in particular, but participants in the meeting persisted in reading through them aloud at the meetings, every word. And THEN adding new information verbally. Time and again I suggested we get rid of the Ceremonial Reading of the Minutes but the marketing managers still insisted on reading them rather than just concentrating on new developments. I hope your meetings, gentle readers, run better than those did.

Does scheduling a meeting near lunchtime or at the end of the day make it run quicker or more effectively? Not always. Those marketing meetings in the last para started at 11am and no lunch was provided because they were supposed to be concluded by 12.30pm. The sound of rumbling stomachs could be heard over the Ceremonial Reading of the Minutes by 1.30pm. Likewise I try to avoid scheduling meetings for the end of the day; people are thinking about getting home around fiveish, they are tired, and if they have had a stressful day the last thing they feel like is participating in a meeting which may load them with more actions and more stress. Their attention won't be on the meeting and while the meeting may run quickly, it may not be effective as people might not participate as fully as they could; the less they say, the sooner they can get away.

Do you have any tips for effective and swift meetings you'd like to share? Write your comments below or email me an article for an upcoming Intercomm.

Survey for small business owners

2010-02-02T12:00:00.000+11:00

Macquarie University (in association with the University of Wollongong) is currently undertaking a research project on sustainable performance in the small business sector, particularly those small businesses involved in service industries, and is seeking the valuable input of small business owners in a survey. The aim of the research is to improve the current understanding of performance measurement practices in this area and highlight areas for improvement in terms of the development of relevant and unique performance measurement frameworks for small service businesses.

Most performance measurement tools have been developed using large corporations' data as sampling material, and this information is not always appropriate or applicable to small businesses. The survey will ask you about your current performance management practices. If you have up to 20 employees we encourage you to complete the survey, as the resultant research and findings may be of assistance to your business. The link to the survey is: http://commfac.uow.edu.au/limesurvey/index.php?sid=46112&lang=en

Dr Vicki Baard of Macquarie University is running the survey and can be contacted if you have any questions about the research. Her email address is Vicki.Baard@efs.mq.edu.au and her phone number is 9850-9192. Background information on this project is available on request.

Research into performance for small business owners.

2010-01-19T10:33:00.005+11:00

Macquarie University is currently undertaking a research project on sustainable performance in the small business sector, particularly those small businesses involved in service industries, and is seeking the input of small business owners in a survey. The aim of the research is to improve the University's understanding of performance measurement practices in this area and highlight areas for improvement in terms of the development of relevant and unique performance measurement frameworks for small service businesses.

Most performance measurement tools have been developed using large corporations' data as sampling material, and this information is not always appropriate or applicable to small businesses. The survey will ask you about your current performance management practices. If you have up to 20 employees we encourage you to complete the survey, as the resultant research and findings may be of assistance to your business. A link to the survey will be sent out to all members shortly.

What works for big businesses doesn't always translate well to small ones. This research should come up with some very interesting results. Stay tuned!

New Years Goals for your Team

2010-01-16T12:26:00.001+11:00

Happy New Year. We hope 2010 will be a happy, peaceful, and successful year for you.

Last year was a difficult year, especially with the GFC affecting many of us. Wouldn’t it be nice if we had a crystal ball to tell us how this year will turn out?

We know that managers will continue to face many challenges, and one of the biggest challenges is retaining your people and helping them stay focused and motivated.

What we wish for in 2010 is that companies around the world will truly value their people and acknowledge how critical and valuable they are. Without them, your company is simply a piece of paper.

So, what goals have you set this year?
Cut Expenses?
Increase Sales?
Improve Quality?

Are these any different from last year – or the one before? How about thinking about what you want to achieve from your team?

Decrease turnover?
Increase employee engagement?
Improve communication?

So how do you do that? The best way, is to set goals. Not resolutions – GOALS!
Here’s some hints!
1. Set Specific Goals
2. Set Measurable Goals
3. Reward achievement
4. Learn from mistakes
5. Adjust goals along the way

We wish you all the best for 2010.

OH&S Guidance for singing festive songs

2009-12-16T15:34:00.000+11:00

A little bit of levity to end the year...

Jingle Bells
Dashing through the snow, In a one horse open sleigh
O'er the fields we go, Laughing all the way

A risk assessment must be submitted before an open sleigh is considered safe for members of the public to travel on. The risk assessment must also consider whether it is appropriate to use only one horse for such a venture, particularly if passengers are of larger proportions. Please note, permission must be gained from landowners before entering their fields. To avoid offending those not participating in celebrations, we would request that laughter is moderate only and not loud enough to be considered a noise nuisance.

While Shepherds Watched
While shepherds watched their flocks by night, All seated on the ground
The angel of the Lord came down and glory shone around

The union of Shepherd's has complained that it breaches health and safety regulations to insist that shepherds watch their flocks without appropriate seating arrangements being provided, therefore benches, stools and orthopaedic chairs are now available. Shepherds have also requested that due to the inclement weather conditions at this time of year that they should watch their flocks via cctv cameras from centrally heated shepherd observation huts.
Please note, the angel of the lord is reminded that before shining his / her glory all around she / he must ascertain that all shepherds have been issued with glasses capable of filtering out the harmful effects of UVA, UVB and Glory.

Little Donkey
Little donkey, little donkey on the dusty road
Got to keep on plodding onwards with your precious load

The RSPCA have issued strict guidelines with regard to how heavy a load that a donkey of small stature is permitted to carry, also included in the guidelines is guidance regarding how often to feed the donkey and how many rest breaks are required over a four hour plodding period. Please note that due to the increased risk of pollution from the dusty road, Mary and Joseph are required to wear face masks to prevent inhalation of any airborne particles. The donkey has expressed his discomfort at being labelled 'little' and would prefer just to be simply referred to as Mr. Donkey. To comment upon his height or lack thereof may be considered an infringement of his equine rights.

We Three Kings
We three kings of Orient are
Bearing gifts we traverse afar
Field and fountain, moor and mountain
Following yonder star

Whilst the gift of gold is still considered acceptable - as it may be redeemed at a later date through such organisations as 'cash for gold' etc, gifts of frankincense and myrrh are not appropriate due to the potential risk of oils and fragrances causing allergic reactions. A suggested gift alternative would be to make a donation to a worthy cause in the recipients name or perhaps give a gift voucher.
We would not advise that the traversing kings rely on navigation by stars in order to reach their destinations and suggest the use of RAC routefinder or satellite navigation, which will provide the quickest route and advice regarding fuel consumption. Please note as per the guidelines from the RSPCA for Mr Donkey, the camels carrying the three kings of Orient will require regular food and rest breaks. Facemasks for the three kings are also advisable due to the likelihood of dust from the camels hooves.

The Rocking Song
Little Jesus, sweetly sleep, do not stir;
We will lend a coat of fur,
We will rock you, rock you, rock you,
We will rock you, rock you, rock you:

Fur is no longer appropriate wear for small infants, both due to risk of allergy to animal fur, and for ethical reasons. Therefore faux fur, a nice cellular blanket or perhaps micro-fleece material should be considered a suitable alternative.

Please note, only persons who have been subject to a Criminal Records Bureau check and have enhanced clearance will be permitted to rock baby Jesus. Persons must carry their CRB disclosure with them at all times and be prepared to provide three forms of identification before rocking commences.

Rudolph the red nosed reindeer
Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer, had a very shiny nose.
And if you ever saw him, you would even say it glows.

You are advised that under the Equal Opportunities for All policy, it is inappropriate for persons to make comment with regard to the ruddiness of any part of Mr. R. Reindeer. Further to this, exclusion of Mr R Reindeer from the Reindeer Games will be considered discriminatory and disciplinary action will be taken against those found guilty of this offence. A full investigation will be implemented and sanctions - including suspension on full pay - will be considered whilst this investigation takes place.

Tips for the Festive Season

2009-11-27T16:09:00.000+11:00

We are coming into the festive season, and with that, comes the responsibility for the health and safety of ourselves and our staff.

We need to be mindful of the effects of alcohol during the festive season and if being consumed at work-related functions, the impact this could have on the individual, the manager and the organisation.

Here are some tips to help you during this period.

1. Enjoy yourself, but remember to conduct yourself professionally. Someone will remember what you do or say on Monday.
2. Even though you may have an opportunity to “blow off steam” remember it is still a company function and you will need to face everyone again.
3. Dress appropriately - ensure you know the dress code and make an impression by dressing with style and good taste.
4. Ensure you behave appropriately. Harassment is still an issue at company functions.
5. Make sure you know how you are getting home. Getting stuck in a city is never fun.

Finally, ensure you have a good time, remain positive and festive and take care of your teammates.

Is effective communication happening in your business?

2009-11-24T12:55:00.002+11:00

Successful businesses recognise the importance of effective communication. Communication is the number one driver of change, so how do you measure up? Are you able to implement change in your workplace through effective communication?

Below are some tips on how to improve the communication levels in your workplace.

1. Address the channels you use when communicating

Information should flow freely across the workplace: top down, bottom up and sideways and you should encourage it from employees, clients, customers, vendors, stakeholders – anyone that has access to your team.

Make sure you know information is flowing through the organisation. Assess regularly and avoid the common pitfall of people or departments becoming protective of information and forgetting the bigger business picture.

Remove any roadblocks that are preventing communication from happening effectively in your workplace.

2. Remove barriers to communication

Here are some of the more common ones:

• Lack of formal communication. Don’t’ let information get out via the water-cooler chat. This creates a breeding ground for gossip, mis-information, mistrust and is ultimately bad for your business. If you have an important message to deliver, ensure you use formal channels.

• Email. Has email has become the main channel of communication in your workplace? Your tone of voice and body language are important in communication. So take the time to meet, or at least phone someone, where necessary.

• Workplace Culture. Is your workplace inhibiting the flow of information? Are your employees involved in teamwork and decision making? When key changes are made, do you invite input from the team? Remember - actions speak louder than words. Make sure you are approachable and available to your team.

• Time Management. It’s easy to get caught up in the day to day work and “forget” to communicate. Make time for your team – block your calendar and make sure you spend time informally and formally to communicate and provide feedback.

3. Listening

Probably the most important communication tip. You can’t communicate well unless you are listening effectively, so make sure you are taking time to stop talking, hear, and fully understand what others are saying during every conversation.

Need help with your organisation - then contact MacPac HR who help you build better business.

Facebook and work

2009-11-19T15:31:00.002+11:00

Andrew Bland of BlandsLaw (and also our Chairman) maintains an interesting and very readable employment law blog, and I noticed this post yesterday about employers and managers being friends on Facebook and the impact the knowledge of personal information via Facebook and other social networking sites has on the manager/employee relationship.

Given that social networking plays an increasing part in our business lives (heck, I've just joined RBF as well as myself up to Twitter...it all takes time out of the day) it makes very interesting reading and cause for consideration.

Unemployment up? What's your story?

2009-11-12T19:13:00.003+11:00

Hmm... grim news today that in NSW unemployment is up compared to the rest of our lovely land. Reasons could be that more emigrants are choosing NSW as their new home and are having trouble getting work. The effects of the drought could be taking a tax on country employers. I haven't read the stats (don't have the time at the moment) so can't make a true comment. I can imagine that the next quarter's stats will show a higher unemployment rate as school leavers seek work for a gap year or teens who choose not to go to year 12 or get an apprenticeship look for a job.

What's your experience in your company? Are you employing more people as the GFC(TM) wears off?

And as an aside, if you ARE advertising for jobs, are you using social media as well as conventional methods? I'm noticing lots of jobs in Sydney advertised on Twitter. This is probably the basis of a post on its own realistically.

HR people, are you seeing more or less jobs going through your books? And is there one particular area of Sydney that is really attracting jobseekers?

North Ryde/Macquarie Park in particular in our region is growing exponentially. I'd love to hear from companies in that region about their experiences in filling positions. I have a hunch there are tons of jobs there being filled at a rate of knots.

What a great workshop this morning!

2009-11-11T15:37:00.002+11:00

What a great breakfast workshop we had this morning with Kathie Melocco! Kathie is an expert in using social media as a marketing tool, and explained how and why it worked to around 25 members and guests this morning.

RBF has had its own Facebook page and a blog for some time now, and are now tweeting on Twitter. But there's a lot more to this than knowing the basic operating ideas with Twitter and the other social media sites; Kathie gave a fantastic overview on how to measure your social media marketing.

Social media sites are providing canny companies with amazing stats in viral marketing... marketing that markets itself as people talk about you or send links to your YouTube videos, your blogs, your website.

We can't divulge all here - but do contact Kathie if you'd like to know more about this hot topic and get yourself some training in social media marketing.

New listing - Park Outlook

2009-10-26T13:14:00.003+11:00

Ideal location - walk to Eastwood or Epping Station.

Almost 750sqm of elevated level land.

3 bedrooms & sun room together with studio.

First open home is Saturday 2-2.40pm.
Auction is Nov 21st at 1pm.

5 Davis Av Epping is super cute & already has the phones ringing!

Call me to get involved JOHN PRIDDY @ LJ Hooker Epping 0411 331043

What's your corporate culture?

2009-10-23T19:07:00.004+11:00

Until I started my own business in late 2000 I worked for a multinational corporate. The corporate culture there was pretty good - you worked hard, but nobody frowned if you left on time or within half an hour of 5pm. Knowing the facility I worked at was going to close and I'd be made redundant, I kept an ear out for jobs in the industry and was approached by one of our rivals.

The job would have been similar to what I'd enjoyed doing, but with less of the graphic and web design elements I'd thoroughly enjoyed, so that was a little offputting. I asked about the corporate culture and was told: Our hours are 8.30 to 5.00, but nobody leaves before 6.

Hmm, I thought. That told me there was a culture of 'sucking up to the boss'. In this case it was a family-owned company and sucking up to the boss was obviously a good thing. Yes, the pay was more than I'd earned previously, but the location was in North Sydney which then paid more than Ryde.

I'd be spending up to an hour each way each day in getting to and from work. I'd have to drive as the bus option from Hunters Hill involved three buses (and heightened, therefore, the chance of delays and being late for work), and the ferry option was pretty awful with connections not meeting within an appropriate timeframe.

But it was ultimately the corporate culture that made me turn down the opportunity and start my own business instead. I'm not afraid of hard work - in fact I spend longer than I used behind a desk these days, but then it's for myself, not the boss-to-be-sucked-up-to. But a nine and a half or ten hour day with an extra one or two hours of travel was not the work/life balance I was seeking.

I don't believe in staying back late to impress the boss. As someone who held a middle management position in a corporate, I was impressed by staff who could get the work done in the alloted time, and leave each evening with tasks completed and everything up to date - and particularly those who had initiatives to streamline processes and make tasks easier and quicker. To me that's an example of good time management and efficiency. That's what counts - that's more impressive than sucking up to the boss by being the last to leave. Sure, I stayed back when I had to, when something had to be completed, and did it with good grace and enthusiasm. But it wasn't a daily ritual.

I was interested by one of Claire Madden's comments at September's Gen Y breakfast workshop. She stated that the Gen Y attitude towards being given a task that had to be completed each day was, "Yes, well, I'll start and let's see how far we get by five pm." On the other hand, "the baby boomer attitude was to stay until the work was done." I guess I'm more baby boomer than Gen Y in attitude (and gosh, in age. gulp.), and I'm wondering, nine years after I rejected that job offer, what the corporate culture is in companies now that more Gen Y employees are in the marketplace.

Do people routinely stay back in your organisation to impress the boss? Do you think that's a good thing? If you're boss or employee, I'd be interested to hear your comments on corporate culture and work/life balance.

Shocking managers may hold key to why top workers leave

2009-10-19T17:25:00.000+11:00

Employers wondering why some of their good employees are leaving should look at the behaviour of their managers, a Deakin University researcher believes.

Dr John McWilliams from Deakin’s Business School interviewed 62 technology workers who had voluntarily left their jobs with their employers.

“The problem was that these were high performing employees, an asset to the company and their employer didn’t want them to leave. Their departure was classified as regrettable, yet could have been avoided had the company taken the time to evaluate the relationship between the person and their manager and developed the interpersonal competencies of their senior staff,” Dr McWilliams explained.

Dr McWilliams said, although estimates vary depending on industry, departures generally cost business 1.5 to 2.5 times the person’s annual salary.

Unusually, his exploratory study looked at the events which precipitated the person’s decision to quit and the final shock or jarring event which challenged the way they thought about work and which finally led to their resignation. Such shocks are a very good predictor of turnover.

“The first and largest source of shocks was the behaviour of managers,” Dr McWilliams said.

“This ranged from controlling behaviour to a lack of social awareness.

“One person, for instance, had been doing two jobs clocking up 350 hours of overtime. His request for overtime payment was declined, then he was torn to shreds at a hostile performance review and offered an unacceptably low pay-rise.

“Another person decided to leave after she attempted a conversation about overwork and was told by her manager to ‘either go or stay’, so she went.

“One described being in a health emergency with her child and was later chided by her manager, for having her mobile phone switched off during this time.”

Dr McWilliams said another source of ‘shock’ were calls from head hunters.

“Many people reported regular ‘testing’ approaches from competitors and customers as a matter of course. For many the approach by the head hunter was the final resolution of an accumulation of dissatisfaction.”

Dr McWilliams said sometimes people decided to leave after they had had a break which allowed them time to think.

“One call centre manager, a single parent of a high needs child, described leaving the office late and getting stuck, at the gate, by traffic gridlock. Sitting in his car this individual decided enough was enough.

“Another found herself sitting in the car park of a hospital in a country town while her father-in-law- was dying. She was on a conference call between Singapore and the US which was going through budgets. She just stopped and asked herself what the hell is going on.”

Dr McWilliams said stories like these went unnoticed in exit surveys. “It is so difficult to collect the data. No-one tells the truth in exit surveys. Companies pay lip service to these anyway. They should not be carried out by HR, or the manager, but an independent third party who can give you the bad or good news.”

New listing - Majestic views!

2009-10-19T11:31:00.002+11:00

I have been looking forward to having this gorgeous home online for some time now.

46 Terry Rd Denistone.

Boasts views all the way to the Blue Mountains.

Large land - almost 1100sqm

3 bedrooms & study,fabulous established gardens.

Auction Nov 14 - onsite at 10am.

First open this Saturday 12-12.40pm - see you then!

A Current Affair Films TPR Group - the nature of happiness

2009-10-02T12:04:00.005+10:00

A Current Affair filmed TPR Group this week at our national service centre in Annangrove. The story will focus on the wealth of scientific evidence that supports the importance of bringing nature indoors at the workplace to improve productivity, increase employee wellbeing and managing workplace stress. Stay tuned for details when the story will go to air soon. TPR Group is a member of the Ryde Business Forum and very active providing indoor plants and more within the North Ryde business area. A national franchise organisation, TPR Group provides much more than indoor plant hire to some 2000 businesses Australia wide, including Brisbane, Sydney, Gold Coast,Canberra, Townsville and Melbourne.

The Importance of Strategic Planning

2009-09-29T12:41:00.001+10:00

If you own or manage a business, you need to develop a way of analysing the areas that will most affect your ability to gain an advantage in the marketplace.
Identifying the strengths and weaknesses of your business, along with environmental factors and the opportunities that exist is essential in creating a strategic plan.

Having this information at your fingertips will help you make better, more informed, educated decisions which will ultimately help your business become more successful.

A strategic plan provides a vision and sets a clear direction for your team and in most cases, a set of goals that will help measure the overall success of the business.

The first step in developing a strategic plan is identifying the mission or purpose of the organisation, along with the goals and objectives. Defining the purpose of a business forces the management team to look at the products and services on offer and how they will be used. This is where you ask your management team one basic question - what business should we be in?

In developing a strategic plan, it is essential to analyse the environment. The environment will define what options are available for management to take advantage of. For example, in today’s climate conscious society, producing a cost effective hybrid car would provide competitive advantage to a car company e.g. the Toyota Prius.

Conducting a SWOT analysis is the next phase. Looking internally enables management to identify the strengths and weaknesses within the business. What is it that the business does really well – and not so well? It is in this phase that management should ensure they take into account the culture and impact this has on their chosen strategy.

Externally, it is important to consider the opportunities that can be exploited and the threats that will be faced by the business.

Once this is done, a review of the organisation’s current resources is imperative. Does the business have the right skills and experience to achieve the goals and objectives of the company? Are new products or services required? What is the financial state of the business? Is there cash flow and money that can be spent on developing new ideas or marketing? Is there core business that needs to be consolidated?

Only after this process has been undertaken, can management effectively formulate real strategies using the information that has been gathered. Strategies need to be established at all levels of the business both at the highest corporate level – down to functional levels where business units need to align their performance with the overall business.

The final two steps are implementing and evaluating the strategies based on the performance. It is at this stage, that adjustments can be made if necessary to ensure continued success.

Retain HR run workshops with management teams on developing Strategic Plan and assisting with SWOT analysis. Contact us to find out more.

Retain HR
Recruit | Retain | Results

North West Metro/Heavy Rail not dead yet?!

2009-09-17T11:39:00.002+10:00

Earlier this week the SMH ran a story which indicated that the NSW Government has been sitting on plans to link the rail services of Sydney's North West with Ryde and city services.

Here is the story in full:

"As the Government reaffirmed its commitment to the $5.3 billion metro project in the CBD - criticised by inner-west residents, transport planners and rail unions - the Herald has learnt that Rail Corp has been sitting on plans for at least six years that would extend the heavy rail network to Sydney's north-west.

Sources familiar with the plans - drafted in 2003 for the 2005 Metropolitan Rail Expansion Program - say the north-west link could provide a minimum of six trains an hour in each direction, without the need to upgrade any of City Rail's major infrastructure. It would require only the construction of an extension between Rouse Hill and Epping stations, and a new junction north of Epping.

______________

PUBLIC INQUIRY MEETING TIMES AND DATES
Tonight: North-west Sydney Castle Grand, Cnr Pennant & Castle streets, Castle Hill. 6.30-8.30pm. Host: Hills Shire Council.
Thursday: North-east Sydney Dee Why RSL 6.30-8.30pm. Host: Warringah Council.
Sept 21: South-east Sydney UNSW, Leighton Hall, Scientia Building, Kensington. 6.30-8.30pm.
Sept 22: South-west Sydney, Casula Powerhouse 6.30-8.30pm. Host: Liverpool Council.
For full list of meetings go to transportpublicinquiry.com.au

_______________

The Government has consistently argued that a north-west link would cause congestion on the North Shore Line and the Harbour Bridge, and has insisted that a second harbour crossing was an expensive prerequisite for the link.

But the plans show that, using the new Epping-to-Chatswood link, four trains an hour could run from the Hills district into the city via the Harbour Bridge, without the need for any additional upgrade to the system. The plan says these new services could be introduced with only minor changes to the timetable. In fact, the four new services would provide increased frequency for existing users between Epping and Chatswood.

Another two trains an hour from the Hills could run via Strathfield, which could easily be integrated with the new timetable. Under the timetable, due to be introduced next month, there will be space for an additional four trains an hour.

The new timetable also creates surplus capacity on the main northern line, which would accommodate these two extra north-west services.

The Minister for Transport, David Campbell, has labelled critics of the project peddlers of ''petty, populist nonsense''.

Mr Campbell claimed yesterday that objections to the project, which involves just seven kilometres of underground, European-style, metro rail between Central and Rozelle, were undermining confidence in the state's economy.

Last month Mr Campbell wrote that a heavy rail link to the north-west would cost between $12 billion and $15 billion.

But the Herald understands this includes the cost of a new underwater tunnel, which would not be necessary unless RailCorp needed to introduce eight trains an hour.

The Metropolitan Rail Expansion Plan estimated the cost at $3 billion, but it has now increased to $3.4 billion.

A source said the Government had insisted on including the cost of an underwater crossing ''only to make the cost of the CBD Metro look reasonable''."

Effective Listening at Work

2009-09-15T09:55:00.001+10:00

I was asked by a client recently to conduct a training session on Effective Communication in the Workplace.

Key to this topic is the ability to listen, and we spent considerable time working on how we do this and how we can improve. In fact, within the group, there were a number of participants that had an “a-ha” moment.

So, why is listening so important?

As human beings, we often focus on our ability to talk and speak, believing that what we say equals good communication. Listening is much more than just hearing. Listening includes transmitting or processing what you have heard.

Listening takes work and when it comes to improving our communication there is no getting around that.

So, what are some steps to improving our listening skills?
1. Remain Neutral
2. Give your complete attention
3. Restate main points
4. Don’t jump to conclusions
5. Remember that you can think faster than someone can talk
6. Keep your mind open
7. Restrain your emotions.

For more information, contact us!

A Case Study – Management Assessment Centre

2009-09-03T16:13:00.001+10:00

Company X is a not-for-profit organisation that is going through significant growth and change which is expected to continue over the next 12- 18 months.

For some managers, this will be a challenge as they will be managing staff for the very first time, and in some cases, the teams may grow and have as many as 15 staff.

Recently we were approached by Company X, who wanted to identify a way to review their management team, their core skills and behaviours, and identify any development needs.

We were asked to deliver a process, which is cost effective, able to meet their time constraints and provide the organisation with a sound appraisal of its team. This is to be followed up with a training plan to address the gaps.

Retain HR came up with the idea of an Assessment Centre where the core management competencies could be reviewed across a series of exercises.

Each team member was asked to give up one day, in which they underwent a psychometric profile, a behavioural interview, a series of in-basket exercises and a role play. Each exercise was aimed at addressing each competency more than once to enable each participant to have the best opportunity to demonstrate their competency.

The exercise was an overwhelming success and if you are interested in finding out more, contact us at Retain HR.

Making your membership grow your business

2009-09-01T14:39:00.003+10:00

If you've joined RBF, I expect it's because you want to grow your business, either through learning at our workshops, meeting other members or using the membership list to contact other members.

In many cases, new members simply rely on the last option to grow their business through RBF, and are often surprised and disappointed when it doesn't happen as quickly as they'd like or not at all.

Seriously, you don't pay your membership fee just to get a mailing list. Or at least we hope you don't. Chambers of Commerce like ours encourage people to attend regular networking meetings for a reason - that being that people get to know you and like you, and refer you to their friends if they don't personally need your products and services.

It can take months to see the system working. Joining a Chamber doesn't guarantee you instant wealth like winning Lotto does. This is common across all Chambers of Commerce, not just RBF. If you met a car salesman at a party would you buy a car from him that very night? No, you'd arrange to meet again and discuss it. At the very least you'd exchange business cards. It might take you a few months to decide that you really do want that new car. But at least you know someone you can buy it from, whom you met initially in a no-pressure situation. Imagine that party is one of our events. You'll meet lots of people at it, and get to know them and their business, as they'll get to know yours. That's a much greater positive impact on your business than simply emailing everyone on the membership list and not attending any events.

It's easy to sit back and email people. Putting in the time to go to events and chat to other members takes an effort sometimes, particularly when you're in the middle of a project or rushing from a late meeting, but it's an effort that's worthwhile.

Your business will grow, but it needs the old-fashioned face to face contact to kick-start it. If you haven't been to a Business After Hours in a while, come to our next one. We've also got a couple of keynote breakfasts and luncheons coming up this spring to offer you extra networking opportunities.

See you soon!

When those contacts just disappear...

2009-08-22T14:30:00.002+10:00

...from your Outlook or Outlook Express contact list, what does that mean?Before you start screaming at the PC and threatening it with a sledgehammer (a favourite trick of mine), here's a tip I found out the hard way when I suddenly lost visibility of all my contacts when trying to send an email a few years ago.

Your contact list will become invisible in Email mode if you have 1000 contacts or more. Most of us don't have that many on our contact list (although the Forum did!), and perhaps Microsoft has fixed it with the latest version. I use a Mac these days so can't comment accurately on that.

So what you have to do is delete some of your contacts, and once you're down to 999 or below they will all magically reappear. There are probably a heap of old contact emails you still have which no longer work, so why not do a regular purge of your email contacts and remove the ones which are outdated?

Mentors wanted for Stepping Up

2009-08-21T15:23:00.000+10:00

Call for Mentors for Young Entrepreneur Stepping Up Program. Any mentor will tell you that it is both a privilege and a buzz to help ayoung entrepreneur on the way to growth and success.

Mentors will be matched with young entrepreneurs for the Stepping Up program. 12 mentors are needed. The commitment is 10 hours over 2-3 months between September and December 2009.

New mentors and those who are a bit rusty can top up their knowledge and skills in a handful of short breakfast sessions in the Macquarie centre vicinity starting in approximately 2 weeks.

Prospective mentors should register their interest with course facilitator Greg Jenkins on 9874 0418 or 0418 486 501 | greg@tincanlearning.com | www.tincanlearning.com

Ryde is Stepping Up for young entrepreneurs

2009-08-21T15:20:00.001+10:00

Calling all young entrepreneurs!

Starting a new business offers both excitement and challenge. Do you have a plan for the next phase of growth and success?

If you are a young entrepreneur (ie up to age 35 but exceptions can be made) and have operated your business for two years or more, you will be thrilled to learn that the NSW Government subsidised Stepping Up Mentoring Program is coming to Ryde in 2009.

Stepping Up is a program that helps small business owners grow and succeed and to build profits, jobs and exports. The program is subsidised by NSW Department of State and Regional Development (DSRD) www.smallbiz.nsw.gov.au.

Stepping Up Ryde will help young entrepreneurs to update their business plans for growth and success and to better equip them to face the highly competitive, technologically savvy, global and green ‘new economy’.

Stepping Up Ryde is designed for busy people. Short breakfast workshops, group coaching, one-on-one expert mentoring and self paced e-learning is an ideal blend to give you the learning you need with minimum impact on your business.

Stepping Up Ryde will kick-off in late September during Small Business Month. The program will run over 8 weeks in the Ryde/Macquarie Park area from October 20 to December 9, 2009.

Stepping Up Ryde has four (4) core components.

Eight (8) hrs of workshops on current business growth issues facilitated Greg Jenkins of TinCAN Learning

Eight (8) hrs of group coaching where participants consolidate their knowledge, network with like minded entrepreneurs and learn from each other

Ten (10) hrs of one-on-one mentoring with an experienced business person who is a “voice of experience”

Self directed e-learning via a web based course management system with hundreds of valuable links and resources

As a young entrepreneur, you will pay only $250 plus GST after a massive government subsidy of $750. Places are limited. If you know of anyone who would benefit from this program, do pass this information to them. It’s a fantastic offer.

Stepping Up Ryde is supported by Ryde Business Forum, City of Ryde, Macquarie Park Rotary and the NSW Government.

Information for both participants and prospective mentors is available from Greg Jenkins on 9874 0418 or 0418 486 501 | greg@tincanlearning.com | www.tincanlearning.com

Small Business September

2009-08-21T15:15:00.003+10:00

As you probably are aware from the regular e-news and Intercomms, Small Business September is just around the corner. In the Forum we have a fantastic mix of companies of all sizes - from the multinationals and big Aussies down to one-person operators.

If you're from a larger organisation you might ignore Small Business September and its events - after all you're working for one of the big guys with established procedures, marketing, and support. But don't dismiss it. There are free events all over Sydney which could benefit different members of your team or provide you with new and clever ideas.

Visit our website www.rydebusiness.com.au to see the events in our area, or www.smallbusinessmonth.nsw.gov.au to find out what's happening all over Sydney.

It's World Water Week - have you thought about how you can help?

2009-08-17T11:18:00.003+10:00

I was thinking about this Ryde Business Forum blog over the weekend. I wanted to write something about World Water Week but also share TPR Group's Well Water Project in association with World Vision where we give $20 for every water related product installed in offices around Australia to to build Wells and Sanitation projects in Asia. However somehow our modest and genuine efforts (we're a national franchise organisation comprising of some 35 owner operated small businesses) seemed to nowhere convey the urgency of the need for clean drinking water to many of the world's population, including children. And I felt if I didn't convey the urgency of the need we wouldn't be able to encourage our clients' to contribute either. We're just starting out with our 'little' Well Water project but our plans are big. Eventually we'd like to be able to demonstrate with case studies of how Australian businesses have contributed to building wells and even an overseas delegation of how our fund raising has contributed. If you are interested in learning more you can read more of this blog

Do you know how to attract new customers and grow your business with social marketing?

2009-08-16T16:27:00.001+10:00

Remember when everyone was just beginning with websites. Everyone wondered how this would help a business, now we all couldn't do without our online shopfront. Same now applies to Social Media, a new tool for business. Get it right and you have the power to connect with thousands of new clients 24/7. Dismiss it and it might just overrun you anyway...

Not convinced, well I share in my seminars a case study of a US lawyer who gets ALL of his work via social media. No wonder he's writing a book!

But Back to basics: In this tough economy, Social Networking offers you a free way for your business to connect with your target market and build client relationships with a few clicks of your mouse. It offers any business, organisation or individual the opportunity to attract new clients through the 'cocktail party' analogy - connect with people who have an interest in your business segment, product or simply value what you share in manner that they trust, so much so that you are their first call when the need arises.

Move beyond the buzz words and learn how to use Social Media to make a tangible difference in your marketing strategy

Coming up in association with the Ryde Business Forum in November we will be running 101 basics social media seminar that that addresses the business case for social media:

* How to use Social Media to increase your google ranking for your website.
* How to monetize your Social Networking profile.
* How to connect with hundreds of thousands of possible target clients.
* How to put your Social Networking on Auto-Pilot to work to grow your business 24/7

Think you have mastered social media? Have your heard of Furl, Propeller, Reddit or Tumblr? Maybe not, but you will surprised how these can help grow your business. Wanting to get started now - call Kathie on 0448881516
Kathie Melocco - Transformational Marketing
Kathie Melocco is a transformational marketing consultant. Among her clients are the national indoorplant hire company TPR GROUP - a member of the Ryde Business Forum. Formerly Tropical Plant Rentals, the TPR Group has evolved into Australia's only company marketing happiness and wellbeing in the workplace to increase productivity. Today they are much more than an indoor plant hire company. Their new website will be launched shortly. Stay tuned.

Brand New House & Land in North Epping for less than $850k?

2009-08-15T08:41:00.002+10:00

I have a vacant block of land for sale in North Epping & have just had Huxley Homes draw up plans for a 5 bedroom home on the site.

You can have the house & land for less than $850,000

Click to see the land (66a Eastcote Rd North Epping) & you can email me for a copy of the plans I have had drawn up.

Tell us your best G'Day story and we'll deliver the coffee to your office

2009-08-14T08:29:00.006+10:00

At T PR GROUP every Friday we as a company take the time to get close to nature, usually drinks in the afternoon are outside.

Here's my wish list for today:
1. Walk in the nursery at lunchtime
2. Take my laptop outside and work by the dam in the sunshine
3. Water my pot plant on the desk

What will you aim to do? Post your your G'Day (grounded in nature)list and a brief description on how it made you feel. The winner will receive Coffee on us, delivered direct to your door.TPR Group is an indoor plant hire company with franchisees serving over 2000 businesses Australia wide. Post your comments on our blog

Attract and Retain the Best!

2009-08-04T11:23:00.002+10:00

* Pay employees fairly – make sure you know their market value – they will!

* Treat each and every employee with respect. Show them that you care about them as people, not just as workers.

* Praise accomplishments and attempts both large and small. Praise at least 4 times more than you "criticize" and do so both publicly and in private. Convey praise both verbally and in writing, as soon as possible and ensure it is done sincerely.

* Clearly communicate goals, responsibilities and expectations.

* Let them make mistakes and help them learn from it.

* NEVER criticize in public, in front of customers or the team.

* Recognize performance appropriately and consistently. Reward outstanding performance. Do not tolerate sustained poor performance – coach and train or remove!

* Involve employees in plans and decisions, especially those that affect them. Solicit their ideas and opinions. Encourage initiative.

* Create opportunities for employees to learn and grow. Link the goals of the organization with the goals of each individual in it.

* Actively listen to employees concerns – both work-related and personal.

* Share information promptly, openly and clearly. Tell the truth… with compassion.

* Celebrate successes and milestones reached.

* Create an organizational culture that is open, trusting and fun!

MacPac HR provides an innovative and unique HR and Recruitment solution for your business.

Strategically aligned with your company’s goals and cultural values, we partner with you to help grow your business.

Contact Clare McCabe on 8060 8561 for more information.

Doing business the old fashioned way - face to face

2009-07-31T10:06:00.003+10:00

As you're all aware (I hope!!) by now, we're holding the Ryde Business & Sustainability Expo next Wednesday, 5 August. Several of our members are exhibitors. Over the two years we've held the Expo so far, our exhibitors have reported good leads and have turned some of those leads into customers and clients. At the very least, they have expanded their marketing database by 350+ leads each year.

I LOVE electronic marketing. I'm the email queen. But meeting new potential RBF members face to face is important - we can gain mutual trust by chatting and observing each other. From last year's Expo we gained a number of new members and they have all renewed their membership this year.

The Expo is a powerful tool. If you're an exhibitor, you MUST make the most of the opportunity by encouraging your existing clients to come along. They could meet other contacts there who will fulfil some of their business' other needs - and will have you to thank for the introduction. The Expo isn't a case of "if we build it, people will come". It relies on exhibitors being marketing managers for the Expo as part of their own business' marketing strategy.

RBF markets the expo to around 500 contacts plus newspaper advertising, Expo Edge to several thousand. Marketing the Expo can be as simple as including a banner in your email signature. So, if you're an exhibitor, have you marketed your presence there?

Get Creative with Bringing Nature Indoors – Indoor Aquariums are all the rage.

2009-07-30T09:11:00.007+10:00

Australian Federal Pollie, Joe Hockey has one in his office even naming his favourite fish, ‘Big Kim’ and Tom Cruise sent one as a gift for Jennifer Lopez’s twins. Not sure about that but as the nursery is themed Pacific, I suppose I’ll let him get away with it. Indoor office aquariums are all the rage.

The point is getting close to nature in the office can take many creative and enjoyable forms. Working in cupboards with no elements of nature suurounding employees causes stress, anxiety and is un-natural.

And it’s not a new philosophy, according to the ancient art of Feng Shiu used by thousands of business people around the globe, aquariums help create balance between our lives and the environment, helping to restore harmony with our natural world. Fish keeping as it is known can energise your office with living colour and is beneficial in reducing stress. Here’s a few Feng Shui tips to get you started:

•Clean, flowing, well-lit water with fish is the ultimate way of transforming bad energy
•Black fish represent protection -- very handy to stave off the evil eye from your colleagues or loved ones. Goldfish are “baby dragons” in feng shui and considered very lucky.
•The Chinese word for fish, “yu”, is the same as the word for success.
•If fish are placed in the office or home, it is believed good fortune will follow.
•An aquarium on the left hand side of your front door (as you face it from inside) encourages good ‘chi’, the energy force that flows throughout the Universe.
•So if you have a business reception area for visitors that is the ideal position. Three fish symbolise “yang” energy. The best combination is two goldfish (representing good luck and energy) and one black fish (representing protection).

Your can hire a aquarium for your business from TPR GROUP. All aquariums are wall mounted, so take up very little space. They are installed for you and fully maintained. And reasonably priced too starting as little as $30.00 per week. Available through TPR GROUP.

Seth Godin & Tom Peters on blogging

2009-07-28T15:39:00.002+10:00

Its the digital age - & no one explains the new rules better than Seth Godin.

The guy is a guru.

Get busy with your permission based marketing & stop the old style interruption marketing today!

Auction Clearance Rates - at 70%

2009-07-27T10:01:00.000+10:00

National Market Snapshot
Week ending: Saturday, 25 July 2009

Total auctions : 370
Sold : 263
Withdrawn : 8
Clearance rate* : 70%
Total Sales : $ 154,024,400
Median : $ 559,500

Click here to see results by city.

Shouty workmates and stress levels

2009-07-20T15:44:00.006+10:00

We've probably all been on the receiving end of a shouty boss from time to time. How do you react when the boss shouts at you for something that's not necessarily your fault? For example Mr or Ms Shouty could simply be having a bad day and you're in the firing line. Is shouting back a good idea? (No!) What's the best way of handling management blowups? What works for you?

And if you're the boss, what would make you give one of your employees the sharp and loud end of your tongue? Is getting angry your usual management style?

Despite all the training we get on how to deal with people in the workplace, we're all only human and subject to 'snapping' once in a while. Sometimes it can have unfortunate consequences - as a snapper you might be pulled into the HR Director's office for a talking to or worse, especially if the snappee complains about your language; as a snappee you might plot revenge or storm out for the rest of the day (which is also disastrous for the boss in very small businesses!).

For those in a corporate situation, open plan offices mean most of us exhibit good behaviour most of the time - we are afraid of embarrassment if we lose our temper in front of our co-workers. But is that necessarily a good thing? Does having to hold an outburst in do nasty things to your stress levels and blood pressure?

Often getting up and going for a walk - outside if you're able to - can let you calm down and think rationally rather than exploding. If you do feel the need to pull a co-worker into line about something, you'll have time to plan what you're going to say and also plan suitable responses to what your co-worker may say...hopefully all without shouting.

It's my personal view that open plan offices, with their lack of privacy and high ambient noise levels, cause a lot more stress than the old-fashioned office layout where people had peace and privacy and the ability to close their doors if they wished to concentrate or have a discussion with a co-worker. What's your experience?

ArtVase - new trend in design

2009-07-20T14:04:00.007+10:00

Just had to show you all this, it's one of our new artvases, exclusive to TPR Group. A sculpture and living plant all in one, so now everyone can throw out all those artifical plants that are bad for the environment and use something stunning in your reception or boardrooms, ideal for weddings and events also. This one has a floral arrangement, most prefer a living orchid or similar. Artvases are really cost effective, start from $35.00 per week for hire. Off to deliver this in Ryde now, but just had to show you.

Auction Clearance Rates - remain well above 70%

2009-07-20T10:07:00.001+10:00

More positive stats to consider.

Here is the Sydney picture -

Property Snapshot
Sydney Auction Results
Saturday 18th July 2009
Total properties:145
Sold:112
Withdrawn:5
% Cleared:75
Total sales:$70,572,704
Median:$627,500

Click here to view a nationwide picture.

Fair Work

2009-07-19T22:11:00.000+10:00

Hi Folks,

As you are aware the new Fair Work legislation is in place. How do you think this will affect your workplace? Has it already had an effect? If you are a business owner, is Fair Work good or bad for you?

Sabrina

Ryde Business Forum

info@rydebusiness.com.au

You can't afford NOT to have plants in the office

2009-07-19T17:18:00.009+10:00

Indoor plants go beyond just making an office environment feel warm, they clean the air of powerful toxins known as VOC's. These toxins are found in carpets, paints, cleaning agents etc. There are some 400 identified toxins known to be present in indoor office air.

My own office has plants everywhere. When I walk into work each morning I do notice the feeling of happiness the environment brings to me, but then again I work around nature, even our lunch room overlooks a lake. You can learn more about our happy culture at TPR Group on our blog. Would love it if you followed us.

Workcover Authority of NSW recommends plants be used in the workplace to help alleviate characteristics of Sick Building Syndrome. You only need 1 plant for each 10sq metres. So don't let absenteesim cost you money, for as little as $3.50 a week you can have a living mini garden on your own desk. Don't work in a cupboard, get close to nature to keep you happy and productive. View this fun video on how plants clean the air and I think you will agree too!
Contact us for a free quote and don't forget to say you are a member of the Ryde Business Forum

View our blog The Nature of Happiness for more info

Trend Micro Tops theCompetition in West Coast Labs Testing

2009-07-19T15:17:00.000+10:00

Last February, West Coast Labs (WCL), a global leader in research, testing, and certification for information security products and services, concluded an independent test in which it compared Trend Micro Worry-Free Business Security Advanced 5.0 (WFBS-A) for small and medium businesses with similar products from Symantec and McAfee.

Trend Micro WFBS-A meets the latest security challenges and offers complete endpoint protection that clearly beats competitive offerings. "Trend Micro WFBS-A goes far beyond a simple anti-malware, anti-spam, or firewall product, and provides high levels of security combined with maximum efficiency for the small-to-medium size business", according to the WCL report.
Read the full WCL comparative testing report

To Purchase Trend Micro Product, Please contact sales@pcpowertech.com.au

Northern Districts Property Market remains tight

2009-07-18T14:11:00.000+10:00

With the First Home Buyers incentives due to wind down in September there will be a last minute rush to secure sub $500k stock.

My advice to buyers is to do your research & be ready to make an offer when you find your ideal property.

Stock remains extremely tight towards the premium end too - I have far more buyers than listings.People willing to spend well over $1m to secure the right property.
Just two weeks ago I sold a home in Denistone East for the suburb record of $1,280,000.(Click to view).

Interest rates remain at all time lows & quality stock continues to be hard to come by.This will ensure prices will stay in positive territory.
Great news if you are looking to sell.My advice is make the move now rather than wait for more competition in Spring!

Chocolate boosts brain power!

2009-07-17T11:09:00.000+10:00

If you're the kind of person who heads for a chocolate fix in times of stress at work or when your creativity deserts you, here's some good news.

According to research from the British Psychological Society, chocolate improves your mental sharpness. In the study, adults were given either a chocolate drink containing 520 mg of cocoa flavanols or one with 993 mg cocoa flavanols, while a control group received a placebo drink. All three groups were then given challenging mathematical problems. The two sets of participants who had the flavanol-rich drinks performed significantly better on the tasks; they also reported feeling less tired.

The best type of chocolate to eat is plain dark chocolate, 70% cocoa or more. So keep away from the sweet chocolate bars with filling, and stock up on the good stuff. If you find your creativity improving as a result, don't be too surprised!

How does your company feel about social networking for business?

2009-07-16T17:33:00.000+10:00

Astute visitors to our website will notice we've got a Facebook logo on the lefthand side...which leads to our RBF group on Facebook. Social networking - Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter et al - are a way of life for many Generation Ys and Xs. But how do employers feel about them?

Many employers encourage or at least allow their employers to use social networking during working hours if it's work related. Canny companies use the system well and deliver media releases and news campaigns via social networking (and RBF will be bringing you a workshop on how to do this yourself later this year).

Some larger organisations use Facebook as a means of employees getting to know one another over separate worksites and project groups - fantastic in a situation where you're working for a multinational, dealing with people overseas on a daily basis and want to put a name to the face.

However I had an interesting chat with a manager at the company I used to work for back in the 90s. No names mentioned but it was a big multi-national. He told me that the company had globally banned its employees from using Facebook in company time. Linked In, yes, that was appropriate, but Facebook was a 'time waster'. It was banned on their server and anyone who got around the ban, even during lunch break, was in firstly for a warning and then sacked for a second offence. Facebook is seen as a plaything rather than a useful tool. Employees are free to use it on their home computer...but even then company reps like the guy I spoke to search and monitor all employees who put the company name in their profile to ensure they are not posting damaging words or images about the company.

Is this overkill? What's the verdict on Facebook in your company?

Sabrina Ferguson

RBF's new blog home. Easier to use for our members.

2009-07-16T15:47:00.000+10:00

Hi folks, some of you have had difficulties logging onto our old blog - it was a bit of a cumbersome system. Now all you need is a Google account to join in and make posts and comments about business in Ryde - or business in general.

Starting the ball rolling, we have our Expo coming up on 5 August. Several exhibitors aren't from the Ryde area, and we don't have a problem with that; they are hoping to do business with you and may offer just what you want to make and keep your business successful. It's a good reason to come along and see the expo and go to the networking function afterwards. We're expecting around 100 people at the cocktail party. Many of them will be familiar to you as RBF members, but all exhibitors are urged to invite their own guests and clients... so what an event it will be for our members - tons of new people to talk to and get your business in front of.

And on 7 August we've got another networking opportunity as the Sydney Hills Business Chamber, Hornsby Chamber and Chatswood Chamber join with us in a joint networking event at the Stamford to raise money for Watoto, a charity caring for parentless African children.

So the first week in August isn't a time to be shy - make sure you've got stacks of business cards, and get out there and work it!

- Sabrina Ferguson