Businesswomen’s Debate – Do Nice Girls Finish Second?
June 30, 2010
by Suzi Dafnis
For the last 12 years, the Australian Institute of Management’s Women in Management Debate has been a great way to network with and learn from sharp business minds.
The 2010 Women in Management Great Debate, titled NICE GIRLS FINISH SECOND, is a light-hearted and irreverent clash of the minds over fine wine and great food with some of Australia’s leading businesswomen (and a couple of men).
The Australian Businesswomen’s Network is proud to be a partner and to offer ABN clients a discount to attend.
The annual sell-out event, in it’s 12th successful year in the ACT, will also be held in Sydney in August.
• Canberra – Friday 2 July
• Sydney – Friday 27 August
More information can be found on our website.
Call AIM NSW on 1300 551 776 to register, and quote coupon code AIMABN to receive your special price.
The speakers will cut straight to the chase on some of the biggest issues facing women in management.
We invite you to attend.
Sincerely,
Suzi Dafnis
Community Director
Nice Girls Finish Second – AIM Women in Management Great Debate
June 25, 2010
Canberra – 2 July 2010
Sydney – 27 August 2010
AIM’s 2010 Women in Management Great Debate is a light-hearted and irreverent clash of the minds over fine wine and great food with some of Australia’s leading businesswomen (and a couple of men).
An annual sell-out event in the ACT for the last 12 years, at this inaugural Sydney debate, speakers will cut straight to the chase on some of the biggest issues facing women in management.
The Australian Businesswomen’s Network is proud to support this event and offer a special price to attend.
An irreverent debate
Alongside the gracious host Julie McCrossin, the panel of business leaders will get nasty, nice and possibly even narky in the name of gender stereotypes.
The stuff of myth or sage advice? Is it because we’re too *nice* that women earn less than men? Do you have to be a b*tch to succeed? Does it really matter who’s on top?
Get your team and clients together for Sydney’s inaugural Great Debate luncheon and find out what some of Australia’s leading businesswomen (and a couple of men) have to say about nice girls and the meaning of success.
Your Host:
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Julie McCrossinJulie talks to people for a living. She also listens and leads panel discussions at seminars, conferences and public forums. She is regularly in demand as an MC for events where she’s valued for the way she actively engages audiences with her warmth, intelligence and humour. |
Event Details:
Nice Girls Finish Second – Canberra
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Friday, 2 July 2010
11.30am – 2.00pm AEST (Check your timezone.) National Convention Centre, Canberra Normally $150 ABN Member Special – $130 per person |
Nice Girls Finish Second – Sydney
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Friday, 27 August 2010
11.30am – 2.00pm AEST (Check your timezone.) The Hilton 488 George Street, Sydney Normally $175 ABN Member Special – $150 per person Call AIM NSW on 1300 551 776 to register, and quote coupon code AIMABN to receive your special price.For more information call AIM NSW on 1300 551 776 or visit www.aimnsw.com.au/greatdebate. |
Does Julia Gillard really believe that “Women Don’t Lead”?
June 24, 2010
by Suzi Dafnis
In a move that puts to bed once and for all her statement at AIM’s Women in Management Great Debate in 2005 that “This is Australia – women don’t lead”, Julia Gillard today made history by becoming Australia’s first female Prime Minister.
In an environment where:
- less than 50% of ASX200 companies have women on their boards
- the percentage of female directors in those organisations is only 8.7% and
- the gender wage gap is steadily increasing,
Ms Gillard’s appointment both inspirational and a very welcome wakeup call to corporate Australia.
“This is Australia – women don’t lead”
Along with ABN Advisory Board members and herVoice champions Amy Lyden and Susan McGrath I’ll soon be writing to Ms Gillard, to congratulate her on her appointment and introduce the Australian Businesswomen’s Network as Australia’s peak representative body for Australian businesswomen and female entrepreneurs.
I’d like to include a list of public policy issues of concern to our members in that letter, so if you’d like your voice to be heard and your issue included in the list, please contact me via policy@abn.org.au, or on 1300 720 120. Or, better still, add a COMMENT below.
Best wishes,
Suzi Dafnis
P. S. The 2010 AIM Women in Management Great Debate will be held in Canberra on 2 July and Sydney on 27 August. I hope you’ll join me. Who knows who will say what?
BOOKED for Lunch – Obliquity by John Kay – Free Webinar
June 24, 2010
National – 1 July 2010
| If you want to go in one direction, the best route may involve going in another. This is the concept of ‘obliquity’: paradoxical as it sounds, many goals are more likely to be achieved when pursued indirectly. Whether overcoming geographical obstacles, winning decisive battles or meeting sales targets, history shows that oblique approaches are the most successful, especially in difficult terrain.
Pre-eminent economist John Kay applies his provocative, universal theory to everything from international business to town planning and from football to managing forest fires. He shows why the most profitable companies are not always the most profit-oriented; why the richest men and women are not the most materialistic; and why the happiest people are not necessarily those who focus on happiness. An original, widely-applicable concept from one of the world’s foremost economists. Obliquity will be the Tipping Point for the new decade. Join us on 1 July when John Kay takes part in BOOKED for Lunch – Free Webinars with the world’s leading business authors and thinkers. |
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BOOKED for Lunch Details:
OBLIQUITY: Why Our Goals Are Best Achieved Indirectly – National
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Thursday, 1 July 2010 3.00pm to 4.00pm AEST approx. (Check your timezone.) Webinar, from the comfort of your home or office. Free |
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Note: You will need internet access to participate in this GoToWebinar. Call costs may apply if you do not use VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol). Learn more about GoToWebinar.
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About the BookOBLIQUITY: Why Our Goals Are Best Achieved IndirectlyObliquity is the principle that complex goals are best achieved indirectly. This book explains why the happiest people aren’t necessarily those who focus on happiness, and how the most successful cities aren’t planned (look at Paris versus Brasilia). And if a company announces shareholder return as its number one goal, perhaps we should beware: the most profit-orientated companies aren’t usually the most profitable. Paradoxical as it sounds, if you want to go in one direction, the best route may involve going in another. Using dozens of intriguing examples, Obliquity explains how. The Panama Canal, for instance, follows the shortest crossing of America; and yet it starts by following a south-easterly direction. The shortest straight line running from east to west goes through Nicaragua, and this ‘direct’ route is much longer. The people who first found this route weren’t looking west, and they were looking for silver and gold – not oceans. And John explains the ‘why?’ and the ‘how?’ Obliquity is necessary because we live in an world of uncertainty and complexity; the problems we encounter aren’t always clear – and we often can’t pinpoint what our goals are anyway; circumstances change; people change – and are infuriatingly hard to predict; and direct approaches are often arrogant and unimaginative (Did Le Corbusier really think people would ever feel at home in his ‘machines for living in’?) John shows how we can apply the principle of obliquity to our own lives (why ‘muddling through’ can sometimes be the answer). |
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About the AuthorJohn KayJohn Kay is a visiting professor at the London School of Economics and a fellow of St John’s College, Oxford. As research director and director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies he established it as one of Britain’s most respected think tanks. Since then he has been a professor at the London Business School and the University of Oxford, where he was the first director of the Said Business School. He is a regular columnist for the Financial Times and the author of numerous books, including The Truth About Markets and The Long and the Short of It. |
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About the BOOKED for Lunch Webinar SeriesThe BOOKED for Lunch webinar series are free lunch-time webinars that feature bestselling business authors and thinkers. Presented by the Australian Businesswomen’s Network and GoToWebinar these events are open to men and women who seek to expand their business education and to be inspired by thought leaders who will present new trends, big ideas and pose thoughtful questions. To participate all you need is access to the internet. So, book yourself in for the next BOOKED for Lunch series and get ready for some powerful food for thought. |
What is a webinar?
A webinar is a web-based seminar. To participate you need internet access. Instructions will be sent to you on receipt of your registration. This webinar is brought to you by GoToWebinar, Web events made easy. Visit GoToWebinar and start your free 30 day trial today.
What’s Next?
Register through our secure online shopping system. Upon registration you’ll receive confirmation of your attendance. If you have any questions you can send us an email or, call 1300 720 120.
The Power of Influence – BOOKED for Lunch Questions Answered
June 24, 2010
Last week over 700 people from all over Australia registered to attend the BOOKED for Lunch webinar with Dr Robert Cialdini, Author of Influence, The Psychology of Persuasion and Yes – 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive and director of Influence at Work.
Below are audience questions that we didn’t have a chance to answer live. Due to Dr Cialdini’s heavy international workload, Anthony McLean of New Intelligence (Australia’s first Cialdini Method Certified Trainer and guest on the BOOKED for Lunch webinar) has answered these questions based on Dr Cialdini’s research, concepts and ideas.
Does social proof work for professional services firms (i.e. law, accountancy, etc.) as testimonials from clients?
(From Katherine)
Katherine, yes it certainly does. But the key is to look at the type of testimonial that you would use. For many professional services traditional testimonials may not do your unique or quality service justice. A greater depth of influence is able to be achieved through the use of case studies that reflect a certain client type, demographic or case load. In preparing to meet with a new or key client, review case files similar to theirs and then highlight where you have done similar work with beneficial outcomes. With many of my professional service clients I encourage them to have their previous clients prepare the case study with just some broad headings for guidance. That way when you present two or three case studies to the new client that most closely reflect their case, they will clearly see they genuine comments that highlight your strengths.
The key is to use case studies from clients similar to the prospective client – similar in background, gender, age, services required, so on. Social proof works best when we can see what others just like us have done, thought or felt in similar circumstances.
How does the principle of consistency (e.g. private ‘votes’) sit with the principle of social proof?
(From Sandi)
Sandi, by private votes I am assuming you mean similar to a Federal or State election or when people vote anonymously in a close boardroom vote.
The research into consistency gives us some insight where researchers have looked at the success of public and private goal setting. In one such study they considered three sub groups:
- those who set no goal
- those who set a goal yet kept it private
- those who set a goal and made it public.
Those who set private goals achieved a similar level of performance as those who set no goal. Those who publicly set goals out performed the other two groups by 60%. This in part was because the subject who made the goal was reminded of it by the group or within the setting where they made the public commitment.
In private votes if the subject doesn’t make a public commitment they are less able to be reminded of it and hence less likely to remain consistent with it. This is of course different if the subject makes their opinions very clear prior to the vote, in which they are more likely to remain consistent with their previous commitments or statements.
To look at the success of public goals and commitment we just need to look to use of Affirmation Boards used to remind people to strive for their goals. On the flip side we just need to look at private New Years Resolutions, where we don’t share them with others, for proof of its failure.
President Obama’s campaign was a great example of Social Proof at play and the use of Consistency in voting. He first got supporters/voters to commit to change – very publicly in large stadiums, by wearing badges and commenting on social networking sites about their desire for change. He then had them communicate this message to their families and friends – go home and tell others we need change. It was the ground swell of support and use of Authorities like Oprah that got others involved. This created an environment when undecided voters turned on the tv, logged onto the internet, or saw people in the street, they saw people like them committing to change and committing to vote. Social Proof says when we are not sure what to do we look to the behaviour of others to guide our behaviour (those just like us).
With the previous election won by less than 500 votes it was well understood that whichever side could mobilise their supporters to vote would win. By getting people to publicly commit to a cause, using social proof as one of the drivers, this ensured they were more inclined to follow through in private and Obama won in a landslide.
As a facilitator/trainer how can I engage my learners in the principle of reciprocation – any examples?
(From Rob)
Reciprocation is critical in the learning process. To get others to open up facilitators must first be open and welcome engagement. If facilitators want respect they must first show respect to their learners, listening to their answers and validating positions. It all depends on what you are trying to elicit from your learners.
Investing in others builds relationships; open them up where none may have existed before. The key here is what you do first matters most. You must create the environment, invite enquiry and give respect before it will come back to you.
It is worth noting that as like begets like, if facilitators are harsh, rude or judgemental towards learners Reciprocity says the facilitator will stand to get this in return.
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What about the power of contrast? It isn’t included in Robert’s work.
Contrast is a phenomenon and not a principle. As a phenomenon it applies to all principles equally. When applying contrast be sure to point it out to your targets of influence. If you don’t draw a contrast for them they will draw it for themselves. Contrast wasn’t addressed in the webinar but it is certainly part of Dr Cialdini’s work and the most important rule with contrast is – if you can’t find one, keep looking, there is one there somewhere.
For a nice subtle example of contrast in yesterday’s Australian Financial Review (15 June 2010) the ANZ Bank had an ad showing that dips in the share market can also be looked upon as opportunities. In the graph they show bridges spanning the dips. Very clever as they subtly show that not all banks are the same and their personal bankers can help borrowers make the most of the good and the not so good times.
I’m interested in hearing how you personally distinguish between INFLUENCE and MANIPULATION – thanks.
(From Sandi)
Sandi, this is a question that is asked frequently. Ethics is our cornerstone and it is here the following statement holds true – with Influence you are doing something for the other person; with Manipulation you are doing something to them.
If there is win-win in the engagement this is Influence. If it is win-lose, i.e. you benefit from another’s loss, this is doing something to them and therefore manipulation.
Do either of the speakers have suggestions on how to approach business relationships that do not reciprocate (say, more than one “giving”)? Does it reflect poor groundwork to engage their reciprocity or will some people be immune?
(From Melanie)
In business as in life there are those who will take and not invest in others. Those who are willing to take but not reciprocate are very quickly labelled as moochers, ingrates, etc. None of these are positive labels hence they are often avoided by reciprocating. If you recognise that others are taking advantage and not reciprocating then recognise this self serving behaviour for what it is and stop giving.
It may also be that the industry you are in is where gifts are expected. So instead of giving generic gifts that are expected, gifts with the most impact are those that are meaningful for the receiver, customised to their needs and unexpected. Are your gifts standing out from the crowd or are they just more of the same? This is where true groundwork pays off. Know your target’s values, attitudes and beliefs and customised gifts to them.
If you are giving just to receive perhaps you need to look at the nature of the relationship. Research has shown the receiver values the gift more at the point of receipt and the giver values it more as time goes on. In some instances the reciprocation may take years, decades and in some case centuries. Investing in others builds relationships so it may take time to come full circle. They will get the idea if you don’t give to them anymore.
Has there been any examples of times Robert has found it a little more difficult to influence the outcome and how did he work through it?
(From Ameer)
Recently I had the pleasure of opening a National Industry Conference in Sydney. During the session a gentlemen in the group posed a very interesting question.
“Is everyone able to influenced?”
It was a really good question and my answer in short was “yes“. Some people are easier to influence than others – because they are working collaboratively with you; they want something from the interaction; or it has been shown it is the right thing to do.
However, there are those who defend their position steadfastly, simply won’t budge and you can’t move them in the short term. It all comes down to time and effort.
- How much time do you have to influence the person?
- How much effort will it require for the return you hope to get?
The gentleman then approached me at the conclusion of the session and we went backwards and forwards on this. I discussed responses to Social Influence and what he really wanted out of the relationship.
It became apparent very quickly there was no relationship with the person this guy was attempting to influence and quite frankly he wasn’t interested in putting in the time because he believed it was of no use to him. Experience had taught him so.
No matter how I tried, both subtlety and then not so, this guy couldn’t see that it was he who had to change. If he was not willing to make the first step then of course he would be less successful in influencing others.
Therein lies the irony; this answered the question – not everyone could be influenced because I had a plane to catch and he didn’t want to hear what I had to say.
With time and effort I believe you can attempt influence anybody but “It is what you do first that matters most”. If you are not willing to even try and change you, you can’t hope to influence them – long or short term.
I make heaps of valuable information freely available from my website and newsletter. Is there a danger in being over generous with your IP? Don’t you train them to expect everything for free?
(From Ann)
Ann, this is a really good point. When people come to expect things for free it loses its power. See the above response to Melanie. Gifts that are customised, relevant and unexpected are the most powerful. Instead of giving lots away, tailor the information you give to those you are truly looking to help. A simple message to let them know of something new that you thought will assist them will help to highlight you have done something for them. This makes the information more personalised and shows you have made an effort – triggering the more positive response.
However if you are looking to establish or maintain your Authority, making this information freely available sets you up as a credible source and hence a trusted advisor. So the question begs to be asked, why are you providing the information? Is it to build a relationship or to assist with questions your clients may have? If it is the latter keep the information flowing, just be sure to highlight the time and effort you are putting in to ensure your clients are receiving the best information available.
When you are seeking to break into a new field how do you establish your credibility?
(From Tamar)
A quick and simple way to establish your credibility is to highlight points that are counter to your case, i.e. a potential weakness. You must then follow this up with a related strength, for example “I am relatively new to the industry but my experience in field x allows me look at problems from a different perspective to others, etc, etc”.
Only Authorities highlight weaknesses. Those who are trying to pull a fast one will never highlight a weakness rather just oversell their strengths.
If you get something wrong be quick to apologise, again only credible authorities apologise but then follow this up with how you intend to fix or manage the issue.
You can have as much expertise as you like but without credibility it counts for little.
Thanks for the questions. If you want to stay up to date with the latest research and Persuasion in Australia feel free to follow me on Twitter or my Facebook Page – Principles of Persuasion Australia (see below).
| Twitter: | twitter.com/anthony_mclean |
| Facebook: | facebook.com/pages/Principles-of-Persuasion-Australia/111613942215724 |
| Website: | newintelligence.com.au |
City of Sydney Awards – The search is on for Sydney’s best businesses
June 23, 2010
The search is on for Sydney’s best businesses.
Nominations are now open for the 2010 City of Sydney business awards.
This year, Sydney’s best bike business will be recognised for the first time. This new category acknowledges the increasing number of manufacturers, distributors and retailers of bicycles and their accessories in the Local Government Area.
Lord Mayor Clover Moore. Awards new category - Best Bike Business
The City of Sydney Business Awards celebrate the best small businesses in the City of Sydney Area. It has 20 categories, including cafes and restaurants, retail beauty, healthcare and fitness, specialty retail, tourism, IT, and Education and Environmental Businesses, that will share in $25,000 in prizes.
“There are more than 20,000 small and medium businesses across the inner city who are the heart of our local villages by driving economic growth, employment and connecting communities. The awards acknowledge business leadership in sustainability, fair trade and social responsibility, as well as compliment our Sustainable Sydney 2030 plan. I encourage all local businesses to enter,” said Lord Mayor, Clover Moore.
Eligible businesses include those employing less than 200 full-time employees within the City of Sydney Local Government Area. More than 600 businesses were nominated in 2009, attracting more than 35,000 votes. “The fate of more than 600 businesses will be put into the hands of local residents and shoppers to tell us their favourite businesses and start voting,” stated Lord Mayor.
The winner of the 2009 Takeaway Food & Catering Services Award, Fresh Catering’s Director Peter McCloskey said, “The Awards gave us an opportunity to profile our business in front of a whole new market.”
Nominations opened 16 June 2010 and close on 30 July 2010.
For more information, to nominate and vote go to www.sydneybusinessawards.com.au
Media Contact: For more information about the Business Awards contact:
Leanne Lincoln 02 9265 9910 or llincoln@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au
Do you think social media is overrated as a small-business marketing tool?
June 21, 2010
This poll is part of the Australian Businesswomen’s Network commitment to advocate on behalf of its community. The ABN’s herVoice initiative was established by the ABN in 2008 to give our community a voice about issues that impact on its members’ business, lifestyle, interests and wellbeing.
Learn more about our advocacy program here.
No. The shortest word to write; the hardest word to say
June 19, 2010
By Cat Matson, Alito
I’m frequently reminded of the importance of saying ‘no’ in favour of giving space to the things I want to say ‘yes’ to … but I do find it quite challenging. Particularly when so many of the things I say ‘yes’ to still fit within my strategic focus. It’s easy to say ‘no’ when you’re clear that something doesn’t get you closer to your goals… but how do you say ‘no’ when it’s something you really want to do?
In a recent blog post, Scott Gould provides what he calls ‘a lesson in no’ via Rich Quick (as an aside – is this guy destined for greatness with a name like that or what?!?).
Rich’s key point is that he often wants to say ‘yes’ to help out a client or friend, to get a sale over the line, or ultimately to be nice. I relate to that. Big time.
The problem is, when you say ‘yes’, the things that are already on your plate often suffer. An existing project is delayed, you compromise your service delivery or prices, or, more often-than-not in my case, I end up working too late into the night, affecting my sleep and therefore mood, tolerance, productivity, and worse-of-all, my relationships.
As Rich argues, when you say YES to things you should say NO to, you let people (or yourself) down.
Saying ‘no’ to everything that isn’t 100% ‘it’ for you right now is a powerful way to deliver quality … and to maintain your own personal sanity.
Saying ‘no’ then also needs to include saying ‘no’ to the parts of your business that aren’t your core strength. Up until now, I’ve always written all my own marketing copy. I think it’s good … and many people tell me I write well. But I’ve recently hired a copywriter to re-write my website copy. Oh. My. Goodness. The difference she is making is extraordinary and makes me realise that whilst I may be ‘good’ at something doesn’t mean I am the ‘best’ person for the job.
So how do you know what to say ‘yes’ to in your business?
- Develop what my colleague, Robin Dickinson, calls a ‘Diamond Focus’ for yourself within your business. What is THE thing in your business that YOU do best and that yields the best return on investment?
- Get very clear – crystal in fact – on what that thing involves. If it’s writing, for example, writing what? when? for whom? where?
- Recognise that all other things fall outside of that diamond focus… and therefore, need to be treated with appropriate ‘lower-priority’. Outsource or delegate as much ‘other-stuff’ as possible. What you can’t, deal with it as effectively and efficiently as possible to minimise ‘lost’ time.
How then do you say ‘no’?
- Practise. Yes, for most of us it’s awkward to say ‘no’ at first but we can get the hang of it. I’m often reminded of the clarity of intent of a toddler. When asked to do something that doesn’t suit him right now he has no qualms with saying ‘no’ (repeatedly in fact). As frustrating as those ‘nos’ are for parents, we would do well to learn from them toddlers are VERY reluctant to let anything distract them from their ‘current’ priority.
- Offer other options. Recommend another provider, suggest another solution, or, if it is something you can do but you can’t do it ‘now’, offer an alternative schedule – “I’d be happy to help you with that, however, my schedule is full for the next 3 weeks.”
- Be clear on your scheduling comittments. A friend recently started adding appointments to her diary not only for the actual meetings she needed to attend, but also preparation time and ‘action-time’ afterwards. Knowing that out of any meeting would arise a series of tasks / follow-up, she now blocks out the time in her diary to do that at the time of scheduling the meeting. That means she can’t get so booked up that she doesn’t have time to ‘do the work’ that arises from the meeting.
Ultimately, saying ‘no’ requires clarity – clarity of intent, clarity of available resources and clarity of what you’re willing to do (and what you’re not willing to compromise on).
As a friend recently put it to me, as I was contemplating saying ‘no’ to something I felt passionate about yet still felt conflicted about the time committment required, “Who would you prefer to be letting down? Those particular people or yourself and your family?”
What do you think? How do you say ‘no’? And how do you know what to say ‘no’ to?
MORE GREAT POSTS BY CAT MATSON
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Cat Matson - AlitoCat Matson ignites the performance of small business owners, their teams and ultimately their businesses through a range of robust mentoring, coaching and education programs. She is a strong advocate for practical, pithy and ‘real’ business advice and loathes the ‘one-size-fits-all’, ‘you-too-can-be-widely-successful-if-you-just-follow-OUR-system’ approach taken by many ’so-called’ business experts. Cat runs Alito with her husband Keith who provides synergistic and smart accounting expertise to their clients who enjoy having streamlined business advice across all key areas. When not working, Cat enjoys spending time with her two young boys and reading interesting business books and biographies.
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Paid Parental Leave Scheme Gets the Go-Ahead
June 18, 2010
by Amy Lyden
Australia’s first ever paid parental leave (PPL) scheme was passed by Parliament yesterday. Australia was one of only two OECD countries (USA was the other) which did not have a comprehensive PPL scheme.
What the PPL covers:
The PPL will commence 1 January 2011 and will include 18 weeks paid leave at the federal minimum wage ($569.90 per week or about $15 per hour). This will be taxable. The PPL will be funded 100% by the federal government, with an estimated net cost of $731m over five years.
Eligibility
- Expectant mums must earn no more than $150,000 per year to qualify and work at least 330 hours in 10 of the 13 months before their due date (around one day of paid work a week).
- Families electing to participate in the scheme will not receive the Baby Bonus (except in multiple birth cases) or Family Tax Benefit Part B during the 18 week PPL period.
- Families will have the option of signing the benefit over to stay-at-home dads if mothers want to return to work.
- About 148,000 Australians will be able to claim the benefit every year.
Points of Contention:
Burden on Small Business
Businesses will need to act as paymaster for the PPL scheme, not the government. Many believe that administering the scheme will place yet another burden on small business and may even result in an additional potential discrimination against women.
Where’s my Super?
The PPL scheme does not include superannuation payments. Women are already disadvantaged greatly compared to men in this area because of their broken work patterns mainly due to having families. Businesses must pay super to all employees – why shouldn’t the government? It is time the government recognises the gap in retirement saving between men and women and not add to the problem.
Summary:
The PPL scheme is certainly a great start to helping support working families. Is it enough to make a significant impact to working families in the long term? I don’t know yet but at least the government has taken the first step.
HAVE YOUR SAY: Take part in a nation poll on this issue.
Amy Lyden - Advocacy Advisor – Australian Businesswomen’s Network
An entrepreneur and specialist in ecommerce and online strategy, Amy has had over 13 years of practical experience in these areas. Launching her first website in 1998 Amy was at the forefront of an online revolution without even realizing it. Within a year this site became and remains today a #1 ranking site and global community of pet lovers that attracts over 4 million visitors a year.
This Australia-based business, Bow Wow Meow, now sells product online to over 100 countries worldwide. Amy sold this business in 2007 and turned her energy to the nonprofit sector.
Amy is the recipient of numerous business awards including the 2006 NSW Telstra Business Women’s Awards for Innovation, the 2002 National Telstra Business Award and the Leading Women Entrepreneurs of the World Grant.
Amy is an Ambassador and former Chairperson for the Australian Businesswomen’s Network, an organisation that supports female entrepreneurs. Amy was also invited to serve on the Commonwealth Small Business Council, an initiative by the Federal minister for Small Business.
Amy is currently the CEO of Australian Scholarships Foundation, an organisation that facilitates scholarships for education and training for people who work in the nonprofit sector. Amy is passionate about using technology to connect people globally for positive change.
| Email: | amy.lyden@gmail.com |
| Twitter: | www.twitter.com/amylyden |
| LinkedIn: | www.linkedin.com/in/amylyden |
| Member Profile: | See Amy’s Member Profile |
Past Behaviour Predicts Future Behaviour – The Importance of Reference Checking
June 18, 2010
By Kristy-Lee Johnston, Footprint Recruitment
How thoroughly and regularly do you do your background checks on applicants before you hire them? If you are sheepishly admitting to yourself that it’s not as often or as thorough as it should be, or you are proudly admitting that you feel they are a waste of time and energy, here are some reasons why background checking is still as important as ever.
Reference Checks are a vital tool in assessing the suitability of your applicants. They provide insight into an individual’s past behaviour in the workplace, and we all know that past behaviours is the best possible predictor of future behaviour. Reference Checks are not a waste of time if they are:
1) Completed verbally;
2) Done thoroughly;
3) Conducted with the right person;
4) Specific to the key duties, outcomes and attitudes required in the role.
Here are some easy to implement tips to help you get the most out of your reference checking:
- Make a form / standard list of questions that you wish to ask. That way, you can be sure you are getting consistent information about each applicant and from every reference check
- Ask questions that are important to you; punctuality, reliability, suitability for your role, ability to get along with others, willingness to work back etc
- Don’t just confirm employment ask questions that are relevant to your role. This may include ability to follow instruction, ability to answer customer queries, efficiency, ability to learn new tasks, or their aptitude with numbers.
- Complete at least two reference checks
- Make sure you are speaking to the applicants’ previous manager / supervisor. You can check this by making sure you call a company’s land line and check the managers’ title before they put you through.
- If something from a reference check doesn’t add up, investigate further!
At the beginning of the Reference Check, it is advisable to put in some form of a disclosure statement, advising the referee of the applicants rights under the Privacy Act to access the information.
It is because of this that there is a common misconception that reference checking is a waste of time as ‘referee’s only ever say good things’. Those of us who have done enough reference checking know that this is not the case.
In most cases, the referee will be honest and give factual, non emotional and specific answers if you frame your questions correctly. Others may simply refuse to do a reference check or to answer specific questions. This is a sure-fire red flag that there are issues. In a few cases, they may offer to provide an ‘off the record’ comment that may be very insightful!
So what about written references? To put it simply, in many cases they are not worth the paper they are written on. Whilst most applicants are very genuine, there are those who are not. With the technology available these days, getting hold of a company logo and / or letter head to prepare a reference on is not all that difficult.
And what about if you can’t do a verbal reference check? Well, my advice is to be very, very careful before hiring. If you are unable to contact a referee, have a good look at the reasons why. It is very rare in my experience that an applicant cannot track down a previous manager or supervisor somewhere. So, if they are unwilling to hand over the details, there is probably a reason why.
MORE GREAT POSTS BY KRISTY-LEE JOHNSTON
- 7 Ways to Fast and Thorough Resume Screening
- How will Henry affect your hiring choices?
- The etiquette of making a job offer
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Kristy-Lee Johnston - Footprint RecruitmentKristy-Lee Johnston is the Director of Footprint Recruitment, a Central Coast based Recruitment and HR agency which is run by locals, for locals.
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