How to capture online buyers: retailers survival guide.

In the race to capture online consumers, retailers and manufacturers are redefining the shopping experience. The spotlight is on connected commerce, offering an anywhere, anytime shopping experience.

But to succeed in this space, you need to look past a “one-size fits” all commercial strategy. As a retailer or manufacturer, you can take the cue from a global report by The Neilsen Company.

This new report offers fresh insights into what people watch, listen and buy worldwide.

A poll of 30,000 consumers in 60 countries, including Asia-Pacific shows that digital is as pervasive as the milkman delivering your daily ration to the front-door.

However, there’s more to the online shopping than meets the eye. Consumers prefer an omni-channel experience that integrates online with bricks and mortar.

Among the trends, Asia-Pacific exceeds the global average for adoption of all online retailing options. Growth in mobile adoption and broadband penetration, especially across developing regions, is boosting online grocery sales. Ordering online for home delivery is the preferred choice, and this is especially high in China.

Demand for fast-moving consumer goods is higher in Asia-Pacific compared with the rest of the world. Rapid urbanisation and high-population density make home delivery economically viable.

This combines with low labour costs, as in China. Booming smartphone ownership creates massive commerce opportunities. In China, food safety concerns force consumers to source

Practical guide for retailers and manufacturers to succeed in this space:

1. Make every interaction count

Consumers are often hesitant to try online shopping. It’s critical you exceed their expectations during every interaction, especially the first.

Be mindful of concerns around product quality. For example, consider quality assurance for items that may be damaged in transit or do not meet expectations.

Orders must be delivered or ready for pick-up within specified times. Alert consumers immediately if their order cannot be fulfilled as expected, to avoid disappointment or lose repeat business.

2. Offer interactive and easy-to-access

Functionality and ease of use drives the online experience. This is critical for intuitive website or app design. Make online help readily available. Ensure the checkout process is simple and secure.

If shoppers run into slow load times or confusing and difficult-to-use pages, they may abandon their digital shopping carts before buying.

3. Know your market

The global market varies around demographics, operating costs, competition or consumer preferences. There’s no one-size fits all strategy. Map the operating environment and tailor products to suit local markets.

4. Leverage specialised services

Modern retail models often take a “full-service” approach. These serve all trip types and categories. But some categories or shopping occasions are more suited to e-commerce than others. You benefit from settling for a smaller piece of the pie.

As a guide, consider a limited offering model, or focus on stock-up trips within a specific shopping segment. This may include baby goods, dry goods or personal care items.

Where you need to expand your product selection, consider partnering with other sites.

5. Boost your basket size

Experiment with formats and features that the boost basket size and add value for customers. The costs and logistics of home delivery and click and collect models can be extremely daunting.  Try alternative approaches to distribution, including teaming with third-party specialists. Manufacturers may experiment with order placement services, and carefully weigh their distribution options. It helps to establish if you should own the fulfilment channel, or leave this to other distribution experts.

6. Offer an omni-channel experience

Among the trends, the omni-channel shopping experience is under the spotlight. Consumers are not shopping entirely online or offline. Rather they’re taking a blended approach and using a channel that best suits their needs, at any given time.

More successful retailers and manufacturers intersect between the physical and virtual worlds. They satisfy shoppershowever, wherever and whenever they want to shop.

To succeed in this dynamic space, be flexible about improving the shopping experience. Your goal is to driveincreased visits and sales across multiple channels.

7. Opt for home delivery

The home-delivery model is taking centre-stage – but with a twist. Consumers aren’t just picking up the phone to order. Increasingly, they’re pulling up the retailer’s webpage or using mobile apps.  One-quarter of global respondents order grocery products online for home delivery. More than half or 55 percent will use this channel in future. The milkman is back. But this time he’s “gone digital.”

8. Track click and collect choices

A smaller number of consumers use “click and collect” services. Here, they order groceries online for pickup at a store or other locations.

Just over one-in-10 global respondents say they order groceries online and pick them up in-store or using a drive-thru.

Slightly fewer order online for curb-side pick-up. More than half of the respondents will use these online options in the future (57 per cent for in-store, 55 percent for drive-thru and 52 percent for curb-side pickup).

9. Follow up the Millennials

Digital natives or millennials are driving demand for online consumer packaged goods. They grew up with digital technology (the millennials and now generation Z). Online shopping is a deeply ingrained behaviour.

10. Will clicks replace bricks?

This is not happening anytime soon. Online shopping offers benefits. But physical stores have stronger advantages over e-commerce. This is especially for fast-moving consumer goods.

The shopping experience draws on powerful sensory experiences. These include smelling freshly-baked bread or seeing and feeling the vibrant colour and texture of perfectly ripe strawberries. This experience is impossible to replicate online, atleast for now.

The Neilsen’s Company’s report “Digital is Redefining the Grocery Experience (March 2015) was published in March 2015.

Shahida has worked for global companies as well as start-ups in Sydney, Canberra, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Washington DC. Her editorial portfolio incorporates Phillips Publishing International (Washington DC), IDG Communications & IDG Enterprise Group (Sydney, Canberra & Washington DC), Australian Consolidated Press and News Limited. For three years, she filed editorial for Singapore-based FutureGov Magazine. She holds degrees in journalism, mass communications, and English Literature. Shahida has worked for global companies as well as start-ups in Sydney, Canberra, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Washington DC. Her editorial portfolio incorporates Phillips Publishing International (Washington DC), IDG Communications & IDG Enterprise Group (Sydney, Canberra & Washington DC), Australian Consolidated Press and News Limited. For three years, she filed editorial for Singapore-based FutureGov Magazine.

She holds degrees in journalism, mass communications, and English Literature

Read more

The Spanish Success…Zara’s supply chain secrets

For the past 4 to 5 years of my Saturday shopping life Zara has, and continues to be my favourite high street store. Entering their stores with gleaming eyes, spending endless hours in the changing rooms and then walking out with heavy bags and an empty purse, Zara’s stress-free shopping experience has a lot more going on behind the scenes than what meets the eye. 

Did you know that Zara is parent company of Inditex, the world’s largest apparel retailer? The Spanish apparel company delivers products twice a week to their 1,670 stores world-wide. Zara blissfully entered our Australian streets back in 2011, with their first store opening in the heart of Sydney.  

So what are the secrets to Zara’s fabulously famous, fast-fashion supply chain? Read the following points below to understand how Zara conducts their ever advancing supply chain…

Unlike other fashion retailers who can take on average 6-9 months to take a product from design to shop floor, Zara takes only 10-15 days! Through forecasting their customer trends, Zara has one of the most responsive and effective supply chains in the industry. Due to this short lead time, the result is more production of stock. Furthermore, with nearly 12,000 designs produced each year, the range of choice throughout their stores results in higher chances of meeting the ever changing customer demands. 

To understand Zara’s supply chain strategies, you must first understand their end to end supply and operation management. It goes something along the following lines of… 

A close watch of trends>Analysing buying behaviour>making quick decisions>inventory control>distribution=SIMPLE?! 

Don’t be fooled at how simple that process may look, it is the finest details Zara have perfected that aid their seamless and strategic supply chain. Inventory management (something EVERY company thrives to improve on) is yet another area of supply chain in which Zara are excelling at controlling and managing. For example, their inventory has 12 turnovers a year versus 3-4 times a year as the average within the industry.

Similar to Toyota Motor company, Zara successful applies the “just in time” inventory control approach. The advantage to this approach for Zara means whilst watching trends and analysing buying behaviour, if an item looks like a sell-out, Zara can in days increase the manufacturing of the item and have it on the shop floors ready for the spenders! 

Another interesting strategy used by Zara it their central distribution centre. With extremely strong IT tools and techniques which support the distribution process. All of Zara’s items are shipped to the central location of Spain and from here are distributed. Distribution goes to different countries and stores based on the demand and supply needs of each location. 

It is without saying, despite any personal preference you may have on Zara’s fashion and clothing, when it comes to supply and demand planning, their defiantly the game changers! With a large scale of apparel, fast-fashion companies doing extremely well, it is Zara who is constantly in the media and staff room discussions for their faultless and proficient supply chain. 

As a tomboy child, Holly enjoyed watching wrestling and was The Rock’s biggest fan. She is from a tiny farming village in the north of England and has moved to Sydney to enjoy the city lifestyle. As a conference producer at Akolade, Holly enjoys researching with and learning from key professionals within a range of sectors to produce timely conferences. Furthermore, Holly enjoys how each day in the life of a conference producer is always different and exciting! 

Read more

Adapting to your audience: ISIS and the power of Social Media.

As terrible and terrifying as ISIS is, that they have become social media masterminds, using the technology of social media to successful recruit can be in no doubt. 

Times and methods have changed and with it the face of terrorism. ISIS has understood that previous methods would not ignite passion in teenagers across the Western World; the fertile ground for jihadist recruitment, and as such have adapted their recruitment strategies to utilise the power of social media. 

No, we listen to people our age – young Australians, Canadians, Americans, British, French – saying that they used to be like us, and now they are partaking in the biggest revolution the world has ever seen. We watch these young Westerners tell us that this is the best way to make a change in the world, to help.

In the BBC’s documentary ‘The Islamic State’s Social Media Machine’, we meet Christiane Boudreau, mother of Damian who died fighting under the Islamic State’s flag, somewhere in Syria. In 2011, Damian called his mum from the airport and announced that he was going to the Middle-East to ‘do something good’. 

In this BBC documentary, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) says that they believe that social media isn’t enough for someone to be 100% bought into the ISIS plan and jump on a plane straight away. The RCMP says that there also has to be a strong local network that facilitates the travel to the warzone, but that social media is definitely the hook. 

So what are we doing about social media recruitment? 

Every week, counterterrorism officials find thousands of videos, blogs and tweets promoting ISIS. 

The governments then ask all the internet companies to remove this content. But close one Twitter account and you’ll see dozens more appear soon after. 

ISIS uses an average of 46 000 Twitter accounts to promote their message

One would wonder if this is an effective method of stopping – or at least reducing – the impact of ISIS material. Americans are fairly confident in thinking that it is given the responses they are getting from ISIS. Clearly, they ruffle terrorist feathers with their counter-messaging. That being said, Americans do admit that they are like David facing an ISIS Goliath armed with 46 000 Twitter accounts. 

The British are addressing the use of terrorist organisations using social media very different creating campaigns such as the #notinmyname video campaign featuring young British Muslims denouncing the Islamic State. 

Why are big Internet companies not taking down Isis material from online?

One question that might jump to your mind is why do massively rich companies like YouTube, Facebook or Twitter – that generate billions in revenue every year – wait for governments to ask them to take down Isis material from their websites before actually doing it? 

Google and Twitter say that they would happily take down these hashtags and videos as soon as they surfaced, but that their technology isn’t advanced. These companies say that it is extremely complex to definitely take content off the interwebs because it will most likely pop up again through new accounts or other users that have had time to share the videos or tweets.

Google explains that ‘worldwide, 100 hours of video is uploaded to YouTube every minute. It has a fast-track system for removing videos or even entire or "channels" from YouTube, of which the Home Office is a member; but each request must be reviewed by a human.’

Come again Google? Are you trying to tell me that the multinational technology company who created the highest performing search engine in the world and the company whose gross income is greater than the GDP of 99 countries in the world cannot create some sort of antimissile technology that would take down anything Isis-related as soon as it surfaced on Internet??? I have trouble believing that. 

Having been one of the millions of people worldwide glued to their phones for news updates during 2014 Sydney Siege, I have even more trouble believing social media and other internet companies when they claim that they can’t shield us from all Isis content.

On 16 December 2014, when the Lindt Café gunman was trying to reach out to the world through his hostages’ accounts, none of his videos or tweets went viral because social media companies and the Australian police allied forces to stifle everything that was coming out of the Café. 

Social media and police did get a tremendous amount of help from the online community who practiced ‘self-censorship’, but seeing as we managed on controlling undesirable and objectively threatening content for 16 hours during the Sydney hostage crisis, what is stopping us from doing the same thing on a much larger scale? 

Although Alexandra didn’t know much about conference production before first coming across this opportunity with Akolade, she has quickly become passionate about her job. Gaining in-depth knowledge in a variety of new fields without going through exam stress? Who could ask for more? If ever you speak to Alexandra and wonder what that funny accent is, it is from Quebec, French-speaking Canada. Do not hesitate to ask Alexandra about her former life on the 47^th parallel; she will be thrilled to talk to you about snow storms, skiing and -35⁰c!

Read more

Is the quality of our vocational educational training at risk?

Have you ever been offered laptops, iPads or even cash-back offers as an incentive to enrol into a training course? 

Or were you ever promised that you’ll be able to finish a 2 year training course in just 6 months?

All of these sound good, almost too good to be true. Vocational education and training is vital in building a skilled workforce in Australia, however the quality of training is under the spotlight.

Media reports relating to dodgy marketing practices and poor quality training by several RTO’s and private colleges have continued to make news over the past couple of months. Additionally, many students have come forward about the experiences and how they were incentivised to enrol into a training course.

To tackle this, new ASQA Standards have come into effect as of April this year, with a strong focus on marketing practices for RTOs. RTOs now need to keep their marketing and advertising practices compliant with the new standards or will face substantial fines.

In an article, Senator Birmingham said “The new scheme will come in to effect tomorrow, and along with tough new standards and new laws to crack down on dodgy marketing practices by RTOs and third parties or brokers, will give ASQA a full suite of powers to act on rogue operators, something that didn’t exist under Labor."

The penalties range from a couple of thousand dollars to $10,000 for a single breach.

In a recent article, Senator Birmingham also mentioned that from April 1 colleges would be banned from offering students laptops, iPads, prizes, meals or cash to sign up for expensive courses bankrolled by the taxpayer. He said students should sign up to training courses “to get a job, not a free iPad."

While the new standards are substantive and require more documentation, they have been established to ensure that RTOs will provide effective training delivery and that students are getting the best possible outcome they can from their RTO.

Here are a few tips to training providers on how they can strengthen the reputation of RTOs and how to be effectively compliant to the new standards from our expert speakers from our previous Managing VET Reputation Conference:

Have a plan

• Continuously evolve and document
• Participate with Industry, Conferences, professional development. As a learning organisation it is critical for the RTO/learning and development department to lead and encourage the learning culture. 
• Have a plan
• Continuously evolve and document
• Participate with Industry, Conferences, professional development. As a learning organisation it is critical for the RTO/learning and development department to lead and encourage the learning culture. 
• Focus on quality service delivery at all times
• Always try to accommodate the needs of employers
• Build-in routine compliance reviews on a monthly basis

Margaret Stinson, HR/IR Manager QLD, National Training Manager, MSS Security  

Karen Kearns, Director, International Child Care College Pty Ltd

Lastly, a word of caution to everyone out there – if something sounds too good to be true, it most probably is therefore, think twice before you say ‘yes’ and enrol yourself into a course! 

When Aranei was seven she truly believed she could one day train turtles in the Galapagos. Unfortunately she came to the realization that such a thing could never happen. A couple of years later, she decided to be a conference producer and has never looked back. The best part of her role is exploring different sectors and getting in-depth insights from thought leaders and well-experienced specialists from varying sectors.  

Read more

2015/16 Budget wrap up

In the past 12 months since the 2014/15 Federal Budget was announced the Australian public has become well acquainted with the power of the Senate. Since the announcement of the 2015/16 Federal Budget there has been much rhetoric noting its relative softness and significant speculation as to why the Commonwealth did an apparent 180^o turn around.

The 2014/15 fiscal year saw bold measures such as the infamous GP co-payments and higher education deregulations cause an outpouring of criticism with both ultimately failing to pass through the Senate in their original forms.

While come may consider the budget dull, time will tell what economic gains it produces and if this approach will prove more successful for the government.

While this Budget steered clear from sweeping reform, some clear winners have been identified in CommSec’s annual Economic Insights: Australian Budget 2015/16 report:

Business

The introduction of the ‘Jobs and Small Business Package’ will pump $5.5 billion into growing Australian business; which has been heralded as the biggest small business package ever in Australia.

Small business has come out as a major winner as well with: small incorporated businesses receiving a 1.5 percentage point cut in their company tax rate and small unincorporated business receiving a 5 per cent tax discount. Small business will also get a deduction on every asset costing less than $20,000 purchased between 12 May 2015 and 30 June 2017. 

Families 

A suite of initiatives to provide parents with flexibility and choice regarding their work were announced including; $3.5 billion in funding to enable accessible, simple and affordable child care.

The budget included an additional $869 million for Child Care Safety Net to assist vulnerable and disadvantaged children and $843 million to be invested in preschool programs.

Farmers

Farmers have benefited from the budget as well, with over $250 million announced for a drought concessional loan scheme and an additional $35 million for projects in drought hit areas. 

The implication of the Federal Budget on the ever evolving aged care sector was talked over at Akolade’s The Future of Home & Community Care conference last week. The Australian Ageing Agenda has outlined the key changes to age care programs and policy. 

• $33.7 million over four years to create a Carers Gateway. The platform will be similar to the My Aged Care website, assisting carers navigate the complex aged care system 
• The introduction of private accreditation across residential and community aged care, will mean providers will need to pay for their accreditation process. With the fee to be introduced 1 July 2016, the government has estimated the cost to providers to be $30.7 million over four years.
• The Restorative Care Program, the renamed Transition Care Program, has also been expanded providing more assistance for people stay in their homes longer. 

Stay tuned for a full wrap up of The Future of Home & Community Care conference in the coming weeks!

Having unfulfilled her childhood dream of becoming an international spy, Ellise is loving her position as Conference Production Manager at Akolade. Her favourite thing about the role is that it allows her to stay abreast of the latest news across a variety of industries while constantly learning from experts in their field. 

Read more

Strategies to successfully manage and motivate a multigenerational workforce

While it is not a new phenomenon to have multiple generations working side by side, the current situation of having four generations in the workforce is something of a unique experience.

With the Traditionalists working well beyond retirement age, the Baby Boomers approaching retirement in an era where economic security is not assured, Generation X and the Millennials all working together – and the next Generation, Gen Z, soon to reach the age for University – HR managers find themselves in a bit of predicament. 

How do you successfully manage the needs of so many generations, while successfully navigating the demands of your business?

Overcoming the three main challenges faced in a multigenerational workplace is the key to not only the long-term success of an organisation, but to developing a cohesive and supportive team.

Communication breakdowns

Overcoming communication barriers is one of the main challenges HR managers need to address in the face of managing a multigenerational workforce. With the Millennials used to quick fire responses on social media, text messaging and instant messaging, and Baby Boomers and Gen X traditionally more comfortable with email and telephone based communication, the need to develop an effective, multiplatform communication strategy to connect with all staff is almost a cliché. 

As older employees tend to be more used to communicating in what they see as more respectful terms – the formality of email and direct conversation – the opportunity for misinterpretation of faster, more modern terms of communicating can often be misconstrued as disrespectful, leading to breakdowns in communication and, if left unaddressed, negative feelings between the generations in the workplace develop into deeper, more long-lasting issues. 

Making the effort to develop a clear communication policy within an organisation – as simple as that sounds – goes a long way towards ensuring a multigenerational workplace overcomes any communication breakdown before it has a negative effect on the organisations goals and objectives.

Negative Stereotypes

We’ve all heard the negative stereotypes; Gen X is angry and lost, Gen Y too demanding, expecting too much too soon, the Baby Boomer too set in their ways, unable to adapt. Negative stereotypes have an insidious long-term effect on the overall culture of an organisation. 

By developing ways for an open exchange of ideas, the various generations will be able to work together more effectively. The knowledge of the Baby Boomers is an invaluable asset to any organisation and it is through the proactive measures of the company’s leaders that the information can be passed on in ways that are not perceived to as “being bossy.”

The fact remains that by 2030 predictions in recent research show upwards of 38 million Baby Boomers will be transitioned to retirement. Through early intervention and organisational support, the information they contain can be shared with younger generations for the long-term benefit not only of the company, but also the future leaders who are only at the beginning their careers. 

Cultural Trends

The working culture of Australia is shifting. As the leaders of industry grapple with the transformational impacts of the digital economy, employees are grappling with the changes to their own work/life balance.

For the Baby Boomers, used to the daily commute and hours of work put in at the desk, the transition to a more mobile workforce can be especially jarring. While Gen X and Gen Y are more used to working from home, the idea of not being at the office can be hard to fathom for older workers. 

Younger generations do not see the office as the central hub it used to be, with younger leaders more interested in the outcomes the team produces as opposed to how many hours people sit at their desks.

Organisational leaders need to work within the confines of a multigenerational workforce, adapting existing policies to make sure everyone is working in the environment that best suits them. Younger workers value work life balance more than they value a particular role and are quick to search for a new position if their current role does not support this, while older workers may be more set by the routine of 9 to 5 in the office. 

By acknowledging the employee’s contributions regardless of the style in which they work, HR Leaders and front line managers will be able to better manage the demands of a multigenerational mobile workforce.

As Richard Milgram, Chief Executive Officer of Beyond.com said in an interview with Business News Daily in June 2014 "Each generation brings their own set of skills and cultural norms, a successful office should be a melting pot of different generations, personalities and talent, all coming together toward a common goal. That is the only way a company will ensure they are bringing fresh perspectives to oftentimes common problems."

Mike Cullen has recently returned to Akolade after a period as the conference producer for one of Australia's leading economic think tanks. Mike began working in the conference industry in 2007 after looking for a career change from the high pressured world of inbound customer service. Mike has worked for some of the most well known conference and media companies in the B2B space and in his spare time is working on his first novel in a planned Epic Fantasy trilogy.

Read more

7 everyday tips for staying mentally healthy

About five years ago, I took my first Mental Health class. Before starting the semester, we were warned by our professor that as we studied various mental illnesses we would start auto-diagnosing ourselves with all sorts of psychological disorders. As the semester went on, I saw myself in many case studies, but it was mainly the anxiety disorders that I related to.

For the past month, I have had the chance to learn more about psychological well being by producing the next Psychological Injury Prevention conference. I have been speaking to so many intelligent and eloquent individuals about mental health in the workplace. When I listen to these leaders discuss depression and anxiety (amongst other illnesses), I can’t help but start diagnosing myself again, just as I did five years ago.

I know myself quite well and I do admit that I am a very stressed individual. I constantly have to be aware of this in order to keep my anxiety in check. Without being diagnosed with an illness, traits associated with mental issues are often manifested in our personalities, but by no means does it signify that we have a mental disorder. As Dr Jon Jureidini from the University of Adelaide told me, we have to be wary of mental disorder over-diagnosis. The Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) articulated beautifully why maintaining mental health is so important for every single one of us:

Mental health is more than just the absence of mental illness. It’s a state of well-being in which you realize your own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work and study productively and are able to make a contribution to your family and community.

Sure, feeling distressed isn’t as obvious as a scraped knee, but it’s not a reason not to address the issue. That being said, knowing how to put a band aid on a psychological injury isn’t as intuitive as it is to put a band aid on a scraped knee. The CMHA helps us out but offering 7 everyday tips for staying mentally healthy.

1.    Learn how to cope with negative thoughts

You come home, it’s Thursday night and you can’t stop yourself from thinking about the deadline you have to meet the next day at work. Take a deep breath; take notice that there is nothing you can do about it right then. Find something to distract yourself and accept that you cannot deal with the issue until the following morning.

2.    Be in the present

When you arrive home at night, when you leave the office for the weekend, when you’re on holiday with friends or family, let go of external distractions. Turn off your mobile and avoid checking your work-related emails. Take in the present moment,

3.    ‘Collect’ positive emotional moments

Take the time to think of moments when you've felt happy, peaceful and loved. Create a safe haven of positive emotions for yourself where you can find refuge when you start feeling distressed.

4.    Enjoy hobbies

A hobby is a good way of finding balance in your life. Having a hobby allows you to take some time to do something for yourself: something you are only doing because you actually truly enjoy it, not because you have to. It is a type of mental stimulation without any pressure associated to it.

5.    Treat yourself well

A glass of wine to kick off your weekend, catching up with a friend over coffee, reading a good book in the bath, taking an hour to go to yoga, going to the movies with your significant other, eating a decadent bowl of cookie dough ice cream with hot fudge drizzled over it. These are all examples of simple daily treats that can have a huge beneficial effect on your life and general wellbeing.

 

6.    Live a healthier, more active life

Let’s come back to that bowl of ice cream. Try not to make a habit of it because your body is a machine that you need to treat well if you want it to treat you well in return. Eat your greens, take the time to do physical activity at least 30 minutes three times a week and get a proper night of sleep. You’d be surprised how much fresh air can clear the brain from negative thoughts. 

7.    Build a support system for positive mental health and ask for help

A significant problem in today’s western societies is isolation. We see hundreds of faces every day, but you could probably count on two hands how many people you speak to. You don’t even need a whole hand to count the number of people you have an actual, meaningful conversation with in a day. Don’t be shy to ask ‘R U OK?’ and don’t be scared to ask others for help when you feel like you need it. You can build a network in your community by joining a club or an association. Take the time to catch up with your friends. Turn off the television and talk to your family when you have dinner. Laugh with your co-workers and also listen to their concerns.

These are all really simple ways that you can improve your mental health. Being physically and mentally healthy is all about having a balanced life and building positive relations. It is crucial for us to realise that psychological injuries are just as real as are physical injuries. 

Although Alexandra didn’t know much about conference production before first coming across this opportunity with Akolade, she has quickly become passionate about her job. Gaining in-depth knowledge in a variety of new fields without going through exam stress? Who could ask for more? If ever you speak to Alexandra and wonder what that funny accent is, it is from Quebec, French-speaking Canada. Do not hesitate to ask Alexandra about her former life on the 47^th parallel; she will be thrilled to talk to you about snow storms, skiing and -35⁰c!

Read more

The future of dementia care in Australia - Part Two

Last week we brought you part one of our interview with Helga Merl, in part two Helga has shared her thoughts on educating those caring for people living with dementia. With approximately 1.2 million* Australians being involved in caring for a person living with dementia the support and education of carers is of the upmost importance.

Do you have three tips for those looking to educate staff on optimal dementia care?

We know that staff find it challenging to work with people living with dementia. We also know that staff identify that education would enable them to provide better care. I held some consultations recently with community care staff and one comment encapsulates what staff want from education “We are sick of being well-meaning. We want to know what we are doing”. 

My three tips.

1.       Understanding that dementia and the symptoms of dementia are caused by progressive damage to the brain. It’s not obvious, from the outside that progressive brain disease is occurring in the individual living with dementia. There is no red light flashing to say that brain is affected. Connecting symptoms such as memory loss to parts of the brain that are affected by irreversible damage empowers staff to understand the underlying disease and anticipate need. 

2.       Person Centred Care principles remain core to all staff education. Understanding the person, knowing their history, what they have achieved and what brings them joy. Knowing the person enables staff to work with an individual not a disease.

3.      My last tip would have to be, educating staff in unmet needs as a model to understand and manage behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia. When staff are trained to identify the possible needs the person living with dementia is trying to communicate through behaviour everybody wins in terms of staff being able to address the persons need and ameliorate the behaviour.

What are the key elements of caring for someone with dementia?

Caring for people living with dementia requires more than being well-meaning, it requires attention to a few key elements including good dementia design principles. Hospitals, health facilities, residential aged care facilities and day centres are moving toward incorporating good dementia design principles into all stages of building and refurbishments. Public spaces, places and communities can also apply these principles knowing that a dementia and aged friendly environment will support and promote access to all segments of our community.

Other key elements include building staff capacity through education, training and clinical leadership. We have a Nurse Practitioner Aged Care Dementia at integratedliving (me) which is proving a support to all levels of staff, particularly the senior clinicians in leading  dementia care.

Finally is building organisational capacity for dementia care through including the voice of dementia at the senior executive level through consumer advisors or access to consumer group input, investment into senior leadership/clinical roles, such as my own and consideration and incorporation of dementia into strategic planning, policy and guideline development. 

Helga has created a great basis for discussion, do you have any other thoughts?

Statistics courtesy of Alzheimer’s Australia 

Having unfulfilled her childhood dream of becoming an international spy, Ellise is loving her position as Conference Production Manager at Akolade. Her favourite thing about the role is that it allows her to stay abreast of the latest news across a variety of industries while constantly learning from experts in their field. 

Read more

Gender diversity under spotlight

In a show of support for women in the cockpit, Alan Joyce, the high-profile head of Qantas, has weighed behind high-flying women. Among the recent gender diversity updates, Qantas has hired Georgina Sutton as the chief pilot for its budget carrier, Jetstar. This offers a “great example” example of the airline’s commitment to female participation, says Joyce.

Qantas is a member of the influential “Male Champions for Change” program. This was initiated in 2010 by the Federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Elizabeth Broderick 

“Like my fellow Champions of Change, I’ll be doing everything I can in 2015 to ensure that Qantas is a workplace where women can thrive, grow and lead to their maximum potential,” Joyce notes.

The “Male Champions for Change” (MCC) comes slickly-packaged with a membership representing highly-successful corporate and government players. Combined, these members account for 400,000 employees nationally. Of this base, 170,000 are female staff.

The female workers – while a smaller proportion of the overall numbers of people employed – is meant to inspire and challenge their corporate heads to “deliver on our mission every day.”

The MCC members represent a who’s who of Australian business, in the top league of commercial success. There’re 23 members in this exclusive club and three “international ambassadors.”

Among these, there’s the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Telstra, KPMG, ASX, Rio Tinto, ANZ, Network 10, IBM. Deloitte, Woolworths, Goldman Sachs, Citi, Federal Treasury and the Australian Defence Force.

This group’s mantra is to listen, learn and lead with action.

Does the math add up?

What looks good on paper is matched by a different reality in the workplace.

As Joyce concedes, while recently flagging the Jetstar chief pilot appointment, Australia’s male-female ratio lags behind other developed countries.

“Nations and companies can’t afford to ignore the leadership, knowledge, skills and innovation that women bring to the workforce,” says Joyce.

The math behind female participation at work – especially in the upper echelons of management or board-rooms – is especially sobering. While closing the gender gap is high on the agenda across business and government, the stats tell a different story.

Commissioner Broderick echoes concerns around Australia’s insufficient female participation. She warns that Australia lags behind other G20 countries.

Among other trends;

• Women have approximately half the retirement income and savings of men.
• They are under-represented in leadership roles, across business, board-rooms and in parliament.

“It has become clear to me is that promoting gender equality not only promotes and protects the rights of affected women,” says Commissioner Broderick.

Female participation contributes to better-functioning organisations and businesses.

“As a result of diversity of thinking, better financial results, improved decision making, reduced turnover, and utilising the best talent,” notes Broderick.

How the figures stack up

But the commission’s findings show that unpaid carers have significantly lower rates of workforce participation. They are more likely to work in part-time and casual jobs.

Moreover, sixty-six per cent of employed women with children aged under six years worked part-time compared. This compares with just seven per cent of employed men with children of the same age. 

Less than 23 per cent of female primary carers of people with disability, illness or frailty participate in full-time employment at any point across all age groups. This compares with 52 per cent of men.

Commercial incentives

Among the stats, the Grattan Institute estimates that a six per cent increase in women’s workforce participation could generate an increase in Australia’s gross domestic product by $25 billion.

Apart from the commercial drivers, closing the gender gap around female participation is a pre-requisite for shared prosperity across developed, emerging and under-developed countries.

The planet is awash sombre report around gender equality, among these, the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and the International Labour Organisation.

On the international front, Julie Bishop, Minister for Foreign Affairs, notes that expanding women’s participation in the economy is a strong driver of growth.

It’s estimated that the Asia-Pacific alone loses around US$50 billion a year because of limited female access to jobs. An estimated $30 billion a year is lost because of poor female education.

“Investing in women is not just the right thing to do; it is the smart thing to do,” notes Bishop. “That is why a focus of our program will be to empower women entrepreneurs in our region.”

With the high-profile support for gender diversity, when then, you may ask is Australia lagging behind its G20 or OECD counter-parts?

Governments and business recognise the potential of gender diversity and broader female participation. But despite decades of equal employment opportunity (EEO) programs, it’s difficult to see past the glass ceiling.

You may wonder: do we need male “champions” to claim what rightfully belongs to us?

Shahida has worked for global companies as well as start-ups in Sydney, Canberra, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Washington DC.

Her editorial portfolio incorporates Phillips Publishing International (Washington DC), IDG Communications & IDG Enterprise Group (Sydney, Canberra & Washington DC), Australian Consolidated Press and News Limited. For three years, she filed editorial for Singapore-based FutureGov Magazine.

Shahida has designed, developed, delivered and managed an extensive portfolio of conferences, seminars and workshops across major markets and topic areas.

Her portfolio of conferences incorporate FutureGov, Institute for International Research (IIR), Terrapin, KeyMedia and CEBIT Australia.

She holds degrees in journalism, mass communications, and English LiteratureShahida has worked for global companies as well as start-ups in Sydney, Canberra, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Washington DC.

Her editorial portfolio incorporates Phillips Publishing International (Washington DC), IDG Communications & IDG Enterprise Group (Sydney, Canberra & Washington DC), Australian Consolidated Press and News Limited. For three years, she filed editorial for Singapore-based FutureGov Magazine.

Shahida has designed, developed, delivered and managed an extensive portfolio of conferences, seminars and workshops across major markets and topic areas.

Her portfolio of conferences incorporate FutureGov, Institute for International Research (IIR), Terrapin, KeyMedia and CEBIT Australia.

She holds degrees in journalism, mass communications, and English Literature

Read more