How to effectively manage social media risks to your business

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In the pre-internet age, it was unusual for a person's out of work behaviour to be noticed at work. Social media has made it easier for employers to find records of their employees’ extracurricular activities. It has also made it easier for employer’s reputations to be damaged by employee’s online activities.

According to Complispace ebook’s figures show that every minute of every day 100,000 tweets are sent, 684,478 pieces of content are shared on Facebook, 48 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube and 3 600 photos are shared on Instagram.

In November 2015, a hotel manager from Meriton Group, Michael Nolan, lost his job after calling feminist commentator Clementine Ford a sl** on Facebook. Following an internal investigation relating to the complaint made about Mr Nolan using inappropriate language on Facebook.Ford shared a screen shot of their interaction to her 80 000 Facebook followers and tagged Nolan’s employer.

The instinctive reaction is to ban the use of social media at work, but this might not be an option for employers who wish to make the most out of social media as a business tool.

Fay Calderone from DibbsBaker believes there needs to be social media policy that contains clear guidelines on how to responsibly use social media.

“The significant challenge for employers in regulating the use of social media is the blurred boundaries between work life and outside-of-work activities. Historically, courts have been reluctant to allow an employee to be dismissed for activities that occur beyond work hours and employers generally had no right to regulate activities not connected with employment,” she said.

Ms Calderone adds that while employees are increasingly using social media platforms such as Twitter and Linked In to establish and maintain new relationships, policies and procedures must be in place to minimise any risk from using it.

“To minimise any risk and exposure arising from its use by, for example, requiring LinkedIn account settings be set to hide contacts; mandating disclosure of login, passwords and contacts during employment; and/or deletion of employer contacts/account on cessation of employment for any reason,” she said.

In conclusion, the use of social media is certainly blurring the lines between work and private life. What constitutes work activities as opposed to out of hours conduct becomes more difficult to decipher. However, if used properly, employers have the opportunity to enhance their brand and build relationships with their customers or clients. 

The best part of my job as an Assistant General Manager – Production is to create and manage my own conferences from concept to delivery, identify future conference topics as well as giving me a chance to expand my business card collection. Having a bit of a sweet tooth, you will always find me having lollies on my desk or you will catch me browsing on fashion sites during lunch breaks.

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Why we need more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people working in health care

Since the 1980s, the health among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia has drastically declined.

While this health crisis has been known of for quite some time, not enough is being done to improve the situation.

Some statistics show that:

• Life expectancy of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are about 10 years less than non-Indigenous
• Babies born to Indigenous women are almost twice as likely to die within their first year of life
• Cancer is the second biggest death reason among Aboriginal and Torres strait Islander people, and the rate is 1.3 times higher than for non-Indigenous Australians
• Thirty per cent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are suffering from Type 2 Diabetes
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are 5.2 times more likely to self-harm compared to non-Aboriginal people, and more than twice as likely to commit suicide

Despite the severity of the health crisis among Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population, the number of Aboriginal health professionals is shockingly low. Statistics show that there are only 125 Indigenous doctors in Australia compare to 60,000 non-Indigenous.

In order to tackle Australia’s critical health situation among its Indigenous population, one key step is to ensure more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have the opportunity to gain a career in the health sector.

Though many health providers are actively trying to recruit and retain an Indigenous workforce, many struggle to fully engage and retain their workforce, much because a lack of understanding of the Indigenous culture and the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander worker.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people working in the health sector are also often likely to be paid less than a non-Aboriginal employee, and are given the opportunity to progress in their careers.

If Australia really wants to close the gap, and if the health sector is ready to be part of this, it must be a full-hearted commission in order to have any impact at all.

The health sector needs to have a diverse workforce that reflects the diversity of its patients. If the health sector as a whole employed more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the health sector, it would be better equipped to meet the needs of Indigenous patients, which in turn would improve the overall health crisis in Aboriginal communities, while also closing the employment gap.

Mimmie grew up in Sweden and first came to Australia as a backpacker after high school. After travelling around the country for two years she returned to Europe and pursued a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism in London. But the longing for Australia and the sun became too strong. After having worked for some time in the media industry, Mimmie decided to make a change and swap the news for conferences. She now gets to do what she loves the most, meeting new people and keep learning about cultures and issues while producing conferences on current topics.

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Talk to me: the volume of body language

Actions speak louder than words and the people around you are screaming- just not with their voices. A study has shown that only 45% of your message is communicated through your words, the rest is through body language.

By learning to read the body language of those around you, you can listen to what they’re really saying and gain the edge in your next meeting or interview.

Here are some important signals to look out for:

Open palms

When a gun is pointed at us, we raise our arms with our hands open to show that we are unarmed and, therefore, not a threat (though hopefully you’ve never been in this scenario). When we swear to tell the truth in a court of law, we place one hand on the Bible and we raise the other, open palm towards the judge.

The open palm has long been associated with honesty and it filters through subconsciously to our everyday mannerisms. When engaged in a conversation in which we’re telling the truth, we tend to gesticulate with our palms facing outwards.

Crocodile smiles

Though we invest heavily in creams to soften our wrinkles, the crow’s feet around your eyes mean you’re a more genuine person.  A genuine smile is nearly impossible to create on cue and forced grins don’t quite reach the eyes.

Mirror image

If someone is engaged with you they are likely to mirror your body language. If you’re on a date this is a good assessment of how well it’s going. Try tilting your head slightly. If your conversation partner reciprocates you have their undivided attention.

Crossed legs

Crossed legs are a sign that you’re closed off- mentally and emotionally. If a negotiation is taking place it signals resistance to the conversation. If your boss crosses their legs when you’re asking for a raise, it might be a sign to take a different approach. 

Claire Dowler is a Conference Producer with Akolade. She recently graduated with a double degree: a Bachelor of Journalism and a Bachelor of Media and Communications Studies majoring in International Communication. Claire minored in sarcasm and puns.

A ballroom-dancer who collects salt and pepper shakers and volunteers for animal rescue, you might say Claire has eclectic interests.

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Growth in VET Training for non-trade occupations.

Recently released data published by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) revealed a 4.6 per cent increase in the number of Australians commencing training in non-trade professions from the previous years data.

" This result indicates people continue to get the benefit of learning on-the-job as an apprentice or trainee," Assistant Minister for Vocational Education and Skills, the Hon Karen Andrews MP said. "The Government is concerned, however, with the same data also revealing a drop in the number of people starting an apprenticeship."

NCVER figures show overall apprentice and trainee commencements were down by 3.7 per cent compared to last years data. Growth areas were more likely to be for sales assistants, salespeople and child carers.

"We are actively working to improve the system through a number of initiatives, including the Australian Apprenticeship Support Network - introduced to assist employers recruit, train and retain apprentices while also helping apprentices get the support they need to complete their training, " Minister Andrews said. 

"The Government will invest $9.2 million to fund five new industry-led training models. The project will lead to greater skills development, choice and industry acceptance. Funding of $6.82 million has also been made available to test multi-industry pre-apprenticeship models that are giving young people hands-on industry experience an a pathway into an apprenticeship or traineeship."

For further information on the Australian vocational education and training statistics: Apprentices and trainees 2016 please click here.

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.

Mike’s most recently published story, Seeds of Eden, is featured in the Sproutlings Anthology released in March 2016. Mike is also editing the Anthology – Community: Tales of the LGBTI scheduled for release in June 2017.

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Improving dementia support through program redesign

In January 2016 the Australian Government announced the next phase in a new national approach to programmes and services supporting people with dementia and their carers. Minister for Aged Care, the Hon. Sussan Ley MP announced the restructure, following findings from the 2015 Analysis of Dementia Programmes report.

“What I want to see is a nationally streamlined approach to the design, development and outcomes from dementia programmes and services,” the Minister said at the time. “This will produce better services for people with dementia, carers and also providers, each of whom need to know the range of support and assistance accessible irrespective of where you live.”

Two associations have been selected to deliver a national dementia behaviour management service and streamlined training programme to better support people with dementia and their carers it has now been announced by Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care, the Hon. Ken Wyatt MP.

“In January 2016, Minister Ley announced a redesign of dementia programs, based on the findings of the Analysis of Dementia Programmes report,” Assistant Minister Wyatt says in a press release from the 16^th of September 2016.

“The redesign included a single national provider for the Dementia Behaviour Management Advisory Service to provide specialist clinical support services, advice and information to those caring for people with dementia; and streamlining the current Dementia Study Training Centres and Dementia Care Essentials Program into a single national Dementia Training Program.”

“Following a competitive open market process, a consortium led by HammondCare has been selected to deliver the Dementia Behaviour Management Advisory Service, while a University of Wollongong-led consortium will develop and enhance the skills of the workforce who care for people with dementia under the Dementia Training Program.”

“The new national programs will begin from 1 October this year. During September the new providers will work with current providers to make sure there are no gaps in the service delivery or support,” the Minister said.

With more than 353,800 people in Australia currently diagnosed with dementia-related diseases, dementia is the largest single cause of disability in older Australians and the third largest cause of disability in Australia, over-all.

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.

Mike’s most recently published story, Seeds of Eden, is featured in the Sproutlings Anthology released in March 2016. Mike is also editing the Anthology – Community: Tales of the LGBTI scheduled for release in June 2017.

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Government aims at welfare to break the cycle of generational welfare dependency.

Aiming to revolutionise the way the Federal Government invests money in the welfare system the Government yesterday announced a new data driven approach to focus on improving the individual lives trapped in the generational welfare cycle.

During a speech at the National Press Club, Minister for Social Services, the Hon. Christian Porter MP said for the first time the government has evidence of exactly what was happening to people in the welfare system, down to very small groups of people

.

“For the first time in history through the Australian Priority Investment Approach to Welfare, we have a clear, transparent and detailed profile of the welfare system,” Minister Porter said.

“This information allows us to identify and target those groups most at risk of long-term welfare dependency. Revolutionary change is required, but required in stages, which shifts the focus onto real people for woo the mere passive receipt of welfare is failing, sometimes spectacularly, to make their lives better.”

The analysis, constructed of collaring welfare information collected over 15 years, along with data from the ABS and other sources, shows the total estimated future cost of the Australian welfare system for our current population at $4.8 trillion.

“The outcomes highlighted from the report are of particular concern for the young people identified. Nobody wants to see a life spent in the welfare system from a very young age.”

The key to developing and creating better policy will be the $96 million Try, Test and Learn Fund. The fund enables organisations to compete for a chance to try a policy that proposes to create a path out of the welfare system.

The fund will be open by the end of the year for not-for-profit organisations, government, social policy experts and industry to pitch their ideas.

“Government will consult on how the Fund should operate to best encourage innovative proposals from a wide range of stakeholders,” he said.

“In the longer term, Government will be looking at innovative early intervention strategies, targeted supports and services for other groups across the Australian population, include for older age groups.

The underlying data from the Australian Priority Investment Approach will help to foster innovation throughout society. Social policy experts and service providers outside Government will also be provided access to the de-identified information developed for the Approach.

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.

Mike’s most recently published story, Seeds of Eden, is featured in the Sproutlings Anthology released in March 2016. Mike is also editing the Anthology – Community: Tales of the LGBTI scheduled for release in June 2017.

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Being valued – perspective from the person on the bottom

“Employees who believe that management is concerned about them as a whole person – not just an employee – are more productive, more satisfied, more fulfilled. Satisfied employees mean satisfied customers, which leads to profitability.” —Anne M. Mulcahy

Who doesn’t like to feel valued, whether as a friend, a family member or as an employee?

I joined the company as a fresh graduate with little to no experience. A constant battle I have with myself is to find my worth within the company. Who am I to make suggestions? What can I offer to the company that no other can?

From speaking to other managers and upper level management in the company, I found some common problems they have is also how to keep their staff motivated and how to help them grow and use their potential to the fullest.

I can’t speak on behalf of every new starter or fresh graduate, but I have spoken to my peers on what keeps them motivated and what makes them feel valued. Here are just some of the points I have gathered:

Feeling Appreciated

Whether it is a big task or small task, we like being appreciated for what we do. The appreciation could be from a task we have completed, a new idea, suggestions (good or bad) or simply our hard work and attitude in learning new tasks.

Mentored

Just like you would expect from a fresh graduate, we have very limited experience. It is important to mentor us and help us grow. Communicate, sit and spend some time with us and provide feedback on our work and most importantly, work WITH US on achieving our goals.

Make them be involved

Although you may feel like it’s a small task or quick meeting, but as a newcomer, it is an eye-opener to be exposed to all aspects of the business and taking on tasks and responsibilities on the way. From the meetings, not only will graduates learn how the business is run, we will also learn how to deal with certain problems.

Trust them

It might feel as if you’re gambling with this one, but you need to trust your staff can be allocated the work and be able to complete it. Feel free to check up on us to make sure we are on the right track but make sure there is a fine line between assisting and micro-managing. Instead of providing us with feedback after every call we make, perhaps do a quick catch up session at the end of the day (and progressively at the end of the week/month) to see how we can improve our pitch.

Be genuine

Although new graduates may be new to the job, but we can certainly tell what is genuine and authentic. Be honest, be true and be human. When we feel the managers are genuine or real people, we can be more open in expressing ourselves.

All these values help us gain confidence and make us feel good that we seem to be contributing in a positive way. It will also help bring our best attitude to the role, become more productive and try to learn more and achieve higher. 

Being brought up in a typical Chinese family in Australia, Vivian takes pride as an ABC (Australia-born Chinese) where she happily embraces both the Chinese and Australian cultures. 

In high school, Vivian wanted to become a fashion designer, however she has developed a passion for running events after working backstage for multiple live shows. Prior to starting at Akolade, Vivian worked 4 years in the wine industry and she misses the wine tasting sessions and openly drinking on the job. As the Marketing Coordinator, Vivian enjoys using her creativity to design unique and fun campaigns for each event. In her spare time, Vivian loves to spend time with her two adorable pets; a cat and a dog. 

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Are you working for a psychopath?

We’ve all had the boss we ‘joked’ about being a psychopath but new research shows we were probably right. 

The study revealed corporate leaders had similar rates of psychopathic traits to the prison population- up to 21 per cent.

While they make up the minority, their natures can wreak havoc on the organisation for which they are working and, as their employee, your mental wellbeing.

If your boss exhibits any of the traits below, start running.

• The fear factor

A psychopath will motivate you through fear, rather than reward or respect. A normal boss seeks to improve their employees, a stark contrast to their psychopathic counterparts who seek to destroy. And did someone say micro-management?

• Prince (too) Charming

They might be a git to you but when they’re meeting prospective business partners they easily engage with witty banter to charm their prey into thinking them a delightful person.

• Liar, liar

Psychopaths are prone to dishonesty. Once one lie is told, it won’t be long before they’ve woven their web. The risk of their lie being found out doesn’t worry them, they can just cover it again with another lie.

• Not guilty

The psychopath rationalises their behaviour, regardless of its effect on others. They easily deflect blame with conjured excuses and you’ll never catch a psychopath apologising for their actions. A psychopathic boss will have no problem throwing you under the bus to prevent their own reputation being sullied.

When dealing with a psychopath, your best defence is to think like one. By recognising that they are driven by power you can show them that they have none over you.

Claire Dowler is a Conference Producer with Akolade. She recently graduated with a double degree: a Bachelor of Journalism and a Bachelor of Media and Communications Studies majoring in International Communication. Claire minored in sarcasm and puns.

A ballroom-dancer who collects salt and pepper shakers and volunteers for animal rescue, you might say Claire has eclectic interests.

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How technology helps shape supply chain management

The technological revolution has impacted the way we do business in immeasurable ways, and supply chain is no exception. Advances in technology and systems create opportunities to increase efficiency, speed and accuracy in supply chain management.

IT systems, digital and cloud technology and even augmented reality are making their mark and helping drive supply chain management forward. Here are some examples of how technology helps shape the supply chain of the future.

The impact of cloud technology and data on improving supply chain efficiency

According to Supply and Demand Chain Executive, cloud technology is driving efficiency and offering new opportunities to improve decision making in supply chain management.

Joe Evangelist, executive vice president at Transervice Logistics Inc said real-time data is a boon for supply chain managers.

“When I can get real-time actionable data captured, it maximizes my ability for on-time delivery,” he says.

“It then empowers my dispatch team to make these critical and efficient decisions. I have drivers that are under hours-of-service constraints, I’ve got equipment that must meet strict maintenance requirements. I’m no longer constrained by the limits of the data crunching on a normal server-based system.”

Improving collaboration and leadership through digital technology

Gary Hanifan, managing director at Accenture Strategy, wrote about “digital trendsetters” for Supply and Demand Chain Executive.

According to Hanifan, “In today’s digitally disrupted world, a highly efficient supply chain is no longer enough. Digital customers expect uniquely tailored experiences that are not only delivered on demand, but also customized to their always-evolving preferences and performed at hyper speed.”

Hanifan says these trendsetters are helping transform supply chain by “doing digital differently”.

“They understand the importance of looking beyond their four walls to collaborate, manage risk and create optimal experiences. By engaging proactively across a broad and fluid ecosystem, trendsetters are tapping into partners’ digital strengths and ideas to drive significant innovation.”

Taking augmented reality to the next level

If current news coverage is to be believed, every man and his dog has lessons to learn from Pokémon Go. Apparently supply chain is no different, according to Alexandra Cain, writing for the Sydney Morning Herald.

Cain says augmented reality, the signature technology behind Pokémon Go, is the way of the future for supply chain. Augmented reality will allow businesses to track their goods more efficiently, for example.

“A more advanced version of this technology, drawing on these augmented reality tools, will soon help power optimised supply chains, allowing businesses to view all the supply chain's moving parts, giving them the ability to know exactly where their goods are in real time,” Cain says.

Christian Berechree joined Akolade’s production team in May 2016. He has a Bachelor of Media and Music and a Masters in Journalism.

Christian is a musical theatre geek and a new dad, and he’ll happily spend hours telling you about either or both of those things.

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How resilient people bounce back from disappointment or setbacks

When we give in to negative emotions, with actions like disappointment or feeling deflated or defeated, over the course of time they become entrenched and they shape the way we see the world.

Fortunately, it is not only negative emotions which when repeated become entrenched, in fact positive emotions can become just as entrenched. So the challenge is can we make optimistic thinking and experience a habit in our lives?

The challenge is to change the way we talk to ourselves in at least 3 ways. Firstly, focus on the benefits in any situation. Secondly, seek the valuable lessons rather than the mistakes. And thirdly, rather than drown yourself in the negative emotions, focus on the task to be completed to move forward.

Now let’s look at these 3 strategies in greater detail. The first strategy involves looking at the benefits within the situation. Optimists look for the benefits in every situation, even in the face of setbacks. They are utterly committed to extracting value from the situation and have a confident expectation of success. Being optimistic is not only about wishful thinking or putting on a happy face no matter what occurs. Stress is inevitable and the only things, which we have in control, is our response to stress. By focusing on the benefit in the situation and identifying the positives, we create an opportunity of noticing and recognising a range of alternatives which allows us to move forward more positively to solve the problem.

Secondly, optimists are always keen to focus on lessons to be learnt. Instead of focusing on mistakes within certain situations, where they punish themselves over errors of judgement or mistakes, , optimists choose to focus instead on the values to be learnt from the experience. If you think of a difficult situation that you faced or a setback, rather than punishing yourself for the mistakes you’ve made or a negative experience, choose instead to focus on the lesson that you’ve have learnt. This will give you something of value to take forward in the future.

Our last and final strategy involves focusing on the task. You know what it’s like when you have faced a setback or disappointment – the overwhelming emotions, fear, regret or even anger – can sometimes paralyse us and limit our options of moving forward. Optimists instead choose to focus on the task that needs to be completed, to change the situation and move it forward.

The key challenge is how do we free ourselves of the negative emotions and focus concretely on the practical challenges in the immediate situation. A clear vision of your end goal – what is it that you’re trying to achieve – will do more to generate energy, sharpen your focus and empower you to improve your performance. 

The best part of my job as an Assistant General Manager – Production is to create and manage my own conferences from concept to delivery, identify future conference topics as well as giving me a chance to expand my business card collection. Having a bit of a sweet tooth, you will always find me having lollies on my desk or you will catch me browsing on fashion sites during lunch breaks.

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The future of Australian cities and towns lies in open data

At its most basic, open data refers to our ability to access and reuse information from our government as freely as possible. It’s a concept long grounded in our public records and freedom of information laws. However, the term itself is only has only become known within the last 6 years or so. In that time, we have seen explosive load of buzzwords like big data and high value data but very little open data. In addition, as millions of dollars are poured into government IT budgets, the barriers to data access are not just technical, they’re cultural.

Although much of our political activism is focused on national issues and our identities, there’s an ever growing gap between the Federal government and the rest of us. Of course, the federal government has a profound impact on our lives but that impact is remote, separated by kilometres, media and layers of bureaucracy.

Our days and nights are spent living, working and sleeping in the reality of cities and towns. Cities and local governments present us with unparalleled opportunities for us to see our needs, frustrations and ideas recognised by our government and act. To see our values made visible in the society that surrounds us.

In 2014, local information freedom fighters not only got DC’s neighbourhood association online, they also liberated the legal code behind the city itself. Before the local freedom fighters took on this challenge, DC residents in order to read their laws had to navigate their way through a complicated, proprietary web experience or pay $800 plus tax and shipping to get access to information. Today, anyone can read DC’s laws online - for free. Increasingly smaller communities are trying to democratise their data. For example, in 2014, South Bend Indiana with population of 100 000 people became the smallest city in the America to pass an open data policy.

This is the transformative power of open data. It is the restoration of civic capability – that feeling that we as individuals cannot only learn everything about the world that surrounds us, we can also contribute to the quality and the completeness of this knowledge.

Our cities are drivers of commerce and innovation. Municipalities are at the heart of our culture and society so that it makes sense for them to be at the heart, driving vision for what it means to have an open government. If you are a policy maker, you need to work with your city to create policy and plans for open data and technology that have a long view so that these things don’t die with every administration change.

It is a new era of increased transparency and democracy where data is no longer in the hands of private and commercial companies. The future of Australia’s cities lies with open data. 

The best part of my job as an Assistant General Manager – Production is to create and manage my own conferences from concept to delivery, identify future conference topics as well as giving me a chance to expand my business card collection. Having a bit of a sweet tooth, you will always find me having lollies on my desk or you will catch me browsing on fashion sites during lunch breaks.

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The AEA: Assertive Executive Assistant

The beep of your alarm wakes you at 6am- seemingly 5 minutes after you shut your eyes. You thumb through your emails on your phone as you down some muesli and coffee which will see you through to lunch (which you will eat at your desk). The day is a flurry of emails, memos, meetings and phone calls.

The requests come in tidal waves; “Can we reschedule our meeting even though it’s meant to be in 5 minutes?”, “Could you just rustle up an overview of this 30 page document? I don’t have time”, “Another EA is away for today, you’ll have to cover for her.”

The questions are never ‘where would you like to go with your career?’ or ‘in which areas do you feel you would like some training and development?’

Executive Assistants are predominantly female and, as a gender, we are generally less confrontational and demanding than our male counterparts. We are less likely to negotiate our wages, ask for the promotion or express ourselves when we feel we are given the short end of the stick. We are, however, more inclined to focus on the needs of others – a notion ingrained from a young age as we’re primed to be mothers and carers.

We dream of being handed that glamorous, high-paying job which is accompanied with a company car. The reality is that our boss is not going to smile kindly at us and hand us the keys to a Mercedes. EAs and PAs have to be assertive in expressing what they want and why they deserve it.

Being aware of your own personal rights is the first step to becoming assertive. You may feel you aren’t taken seriously in your role because you are ‘just’ an EA. By seeing yourself as more than ‘just’ an EA but as an executive member of staff upon whom much of the organisation’s success depends on, you will be able to acknowledge your own rights and the value you bring.

Assertive does not mean aggressive. You will walk a fine line between aggressive and passive. You may have someone pushing to get in front of your executive and you’re at the end of your tether. By respecting the needs and wants of those around you (including yourself) and being open and honest, reasonable people will have little ammunition to use against you.

Choose your extra responsibilities wisely. As the reliable backbone of your organisation, you are likely often approached with requests to take on extra projects. Consider which tasks will benefit you or your executive. If it’s a high end project which will enhance your skillset and set you apart from your colleagues, it might be worth the extra workload.

While Executive and Personal Assistants work behind the scenes, this doesn’t mean you have to be submissive. You are the gatekeeper to your executive. You are their protector, their advisor and their partner. Own your title and what it entails. Take your career into your own hands.

Claire Dowler is a Conference Producer with Akolade. She recently graduated with a double degree: a Bachelor of Journalism and a Bachelor of Media and Communications Studies majoring in International Communication. Claire minored in sarcasm and puns.

A ballroom-dancer who collects salt and pepper shakers and volunteers for animal rescue, you might say Claire has eclectic interests.

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Why online services need to prioritise cybersecurity and customer experience

As more and more of our everyday services and activities move online, cybersecurity becomes an increasingly important consideration. It’s quite daunting to think about the amount of sensitive data we enter into online forms and systems.

As we bank, shop and fill out the Census online, we regularly input everything from birthdates, credit card information and valuable passwords.

This isn’t just the way of the future; it’s the way of the present. The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) is rolling out its “Digital by Default” approach, making online services the first stop for all their dealings with the public. Service NSW has done the same. So have the banks.

As we use these online services, it’s important they’re not only safe but also convenient. Banking online should be no more complicated than walking into a branch and carrying out a transaction. Buying clothes from a brand’s website should be just as user-friendly as entering a store and dealing with a sales assistant, if not more so.

At the European Information Security Summit 2016, leaders from the BT Group, Nationwide Building Society and others came together to discuss the delicate but crucial balance between cybersecurity and customer experience.

Nationwide Building Society group risk director Michele Faul discussed the expectations customers have of their banking experience.

"People expect their bank to be safe and secure, and we have not yet really seen the effect of a cyber attack successfully on a bank and we're all working very hard to keep it that way," Ms Faull said.

"What not everybody does yet is make the link between the hoops they feel they have to jump through to use the product and how they make that product safe."

I recently experienced what can happen when cybersecurity is prioritised over usability when attempting to login to my PayPal account. At some point several years ago, I took over my mum’s PayPal account. For whatever reason, PayPal allows email addresses to be changed but not names or phone numbers, so the account is a strange mix of my details and my mum’s. Mum supplied her phone number when originally signing up and I added my mobile number as an added layer of security, and to ensure I could be contacted if I needed to be.

For whatever reason, when I tried to login recently, PayPal said my account had experience “unusual activity” recently, and asked me to confirm my identity. Generally, this isn’t an issue – in fact, it’s kind of great. I’m glad to know PayPal is this thorough about protecting my information and funds.

The issue arose in how PayPal chose to confirm my identity. They decided to phone me and provide a unique security code. The problem? They wanted to use mum’s home number, provided way back at the start and never removed. Even though I had provided my mobile as a backup, there was no option to request a call to my mobile instead. It’s not exactly the end of the world but it’s annoying to coordinate with Mum to be at home, ready to take a call from PayPal and provide me with a security code.

First world problems, I know, but this is an example of cybersecurity being prioritised over customer experience. I finished that experience extremely frustrated with PayPal, wondering why they hadn’t ironed out this particular bump.

Undeniably, attacks from hackers are a serious risk to be considered when dealing with online services. However, reputational risk and the customer’s experience also needs to be factored in.

Christian Berechree joined Akolade’s production team in May 2016. He has a Bachelor of Media and Music and a Masters in Journalism.

Christian is a musical theatre geek and a new dad, and he’ll happily spend hours telling you about either or both of those things.

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How to use data for evidence decision making

Australian companies are trying to focus on extracting the financial value from the customer they generally collect in the course of their operations. Big data analysis or the mining of extremely large datasets to identify trends and patterns is fast becoming business practice. Global infrastructure technologies has also matured to an extent, the reliability, speed and security are all typically robust enough to support the seamless flow of massive volumes of data.

What are the strategies that allow companies to navigate this rapidly changing landscape and succeed at the business of data?

Companies increasingly perceive data as a strategic resource and many are already generating revenue from the data they own.

Data has become a strategic asset in all aspects of government daily operations. Now more than ever, there is enormous opportunity for agencies to leverage analytics to gain new insights and innovate in ways agencies couldn’t before. Big data is changing the way government agencies interact with the citizens for which they serve. While public sector agencies recognise data as a strategic asset, many are still struggling to accelerate agency performance with actionable data.

Multiple barriers confront companies working to generate real revenues from the data they own including security concerns and regulatory restrictions. What are the best ways to successfully overcome these barriers?

CEO of Datacoup Matt Hogan, “There are certain industries like finance and advertising are further along  from a data analysis and utilisation stand point, and can consume massive quantities of data to inform or instruct on business decisions,”

Rosaline Chow Koo, Founder of ConneXions Asia says evidence based decision making is the way of the future. “Without data how do you make the decisions? It’s otherwise just an anecdote from whoever speaks the loudest,” said Ms Koo.

Research shows that perhaps some anxiety around sharing data and changing the mindset of individuals towards data.

 “Currently in the world people are not used to taking a step of aggregating their data and selling it. I think if we can get people of the hurdle one way or another to be comfortable with their process to lead to a far better data interaction in the long run,” Mr Hogan said.

While government agencies should do more to integrate data considerations into their strategic planning, investment and growth initiative - used in the right way, data has the potential to benefit companies and their customers alike. 

The best part of my job as an Assistant General Manager – Production is to create and manage my own conferences from concept to delivery, identify future conference topics as well as giving me a chance to expand my business card collection. Having a bit of a sweet tooth, you will always find me having lollies on my desk or you will catch me browsing on fashion sites during lunch breaks.

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