7 books on management and self discovery to take on your Christmas vacation.

Every manager has their bible, the management text they were instructed to read by a mentor they clutch to their chests and quote from at any available opportunity. I personally had a manager who loved his journey through a book outlining the 6 Thinking Hats method by Edward DeBono so much, he used to refer to staff in meetings by the colour of the hat he had assigned them based on his observations of them. Before I even transitioned from team member to team leader I had a habit of reading books on management, leadership and self-discovery in the half hour before I went to bed each...

Read more

A millennial’s concise survival guide

I used to be that student who would stay at uni until 2:30 am about 4 times a week during the three weeks leading up to finals. I would also be that student who would be in the library at 6 am the next day to get the best, quietest seats in the library. I ran on Red Bull (the sugar-free one, because I had to take care of my health, ya know?) and I would shut down anyone around me to be able to concentrate on my books. Seriously, I was terrible to be around. I could sanely (sort of) manage this workload because I knew it was temporary. Work your heart out to get the results you want,...

Read more

Strategies to develop a solid mental health policy in the workplace

In Australia, an estimated of 45 per cent of people will experience some form of mental health related illness once in their lifetime, and it costs Australian businesses $11 billion a year, with untreated depression resulting in over 6 million working days lost each year alone. In order for businesses to maximise their productivity and drive greater motivation, it is crucial for employers to promote a mentally healthy environment. Companies that are successful in creating a mentally healthy culture can significantly reduce stigma, improve staff performance, retain...

Read more

The economic impacts of cyber crime in Australia

Recent findings from a report issued by the Poneman Institute showed the average economic cost to Australian businesses of cybercrime to be $4.9 million in 2015, rising from $4.2 million in 2014. The Institute’s 2015Cost of Cyber Crime Study, sponsored by HR Enterprise Security, examined the economic impacts on 28 Australian businesses with costs ranging from $792,932 up to a high of $18 million dollars. Strategies need to be developed to combat the risk of cyber-attacks in Australia. The risk itself will only get worse as time goes by and cyber criminals become even more sophisticated....

Read more

Building a culture of quality care and meaningful relationships in aged care

In the ever changing world of care provision, the crux of the aged care business cannot be forgotten and should in fact come to the fore; The delivery of quality care, and the building of core human relationships between care provider and care receiver. Australian Ageing Agenda recently published an article about the importance of the relationship between the customer and the staff. When customers feel respected and valued by the staff who provide their care, they are more likely to find the emotional connection with an organisation, which consequently leads to better outcomes for both...

Read more

Prepare for the future of shopping

The pressures of competition and the range of digital shopping solutions will most likely force retailers to reconsider the value of their original operating formats. Many of today‘s major retailers are transitioning from their original business models into non-traditional, typically smaller store formats – operating a multitude of physical footprints, all aimed at pleasing their target customer in a variety of shopping modes. In fact, these footprints may not involve physical stores at all but be temporal in nature, such as pop-us stores or solely online. Brick-and-mortar retailers...

Read more

Improving Indigenous health: Federal Government launches Implementation Plan to Close the Gap

In October 2015, Federal Minster for Rural Health, Senator the Hon. Fiona Nash announced an Implementation Plan designed to help Close the Gap by improving the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. According to the Australian Bureau Statistics in their 2012-13 Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey showed that 41 per cent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples aged 15 years and older smoked on a regular basis while 30.4 per cent of children age 2 – 14 years old were classified as overweight or obese. Overall obesity in Aboriginal and...

Read more

The 15 faces of developing your first social media strategy

Have you recently decided to create a social media strategy for your organisation? There are so many exciting adventures ahead of you.  Picture it, Monday morning 9:15am, a boardroom in the middle of the city. Crowded around the table are a bunch of sleepy, I can’t believe its Monday already, faces. The MD is pumped and ready to get the week off to a fresh new start. “We’re going to develop a social media marketing strategy,” he says in between sips of his coffee. You can see how excited by the idea he is. You know it’s going to be hard work. You nod, smile, wish you...

Read more