Aussie Rules

Be Prepared, one of the most famous mantras, was coined by Lord Baden-Powell, the founder of the Scouting Movement.

Today (1 August) is World Scout Day and many lessons in innovation can be drawn from an organisation that started 101 years ago and has touched the lives of so many people.

Staying relevant in a constantly changing world and absolute clear purpose/focus (i.e. supporting young people in their development so that they may play constructive roles in society) are key drivers for innovation.

The Scout Motto, BE PREPARED, means you are always in a state of readiness in mind and body.

• Be Prepared in Mind by having disciplined yourself to be obedient to every order, and also by having thought out beforehand any accident or situation that might occur, so that you know the right thing to do at the right moment, and are willing to do it.

• Be Prepared in Body by making yourself strong and active and able to do the right thing at the right moment, and do it.

In 2007, Scouting and Guiding together had over 38 million members in 216 countries. Not just those interested in social entrepreneurship should study not-for-profit organisations in how to be innovative over the long term.

(10min 10) Click on “Play” to hear the podcast or click “Get It” to download.

Research by IDC has shown that we’re printing more than ever before. Today on BTalk Australia Phil Dobbie talks to IDC’s Rishi Gai about the influence of document management systems. Can they help reduce this tide of paper that is swamping our office desks?

Add your thoughts and comments by clicking “Participate” at the bottom of this post.

See also:
Document Management: A Practical Guide for Midsized Organizations
A Document Management System Can Help Your Business

Listen to other editions of BTalk Australia here.

(14min 03) Click on “Play” to hear the podcast or click “Get It” to download.

Web 2.0 allows consumers to say what they think about your company. On today’s BTalk Australia Simon Van Wyck, a founding partner of Hothouse Interactive, tells Phil Dobbie that marketers should see this as an opportunity and not something to be afraid of.

Add your thoughts and comments by clicking “Participate” at the bottom of this post.

See also:
Web 2.0: A Marketer’s Perspective On This Misunderstood Concept
How to Use Web 2.0 Inside Your Company

Listen to other editions of BTalk Australia here.

When people say they’re feeling stretched it’s usually said with a degree of exasperation. That’s understandable. However, there is also intentional stretching, where we choose to stretch in order to grow.

This is all about doing what you do, but doing it better. It’s about facing evolution or revolution head-on, not hiding under the desk hoping it will pass. It doesn’t pass, you just get passed up. Ouch.

Here are my Top 5 reasons to stretch yourself, I suggest you ponder each and consider the possible impact to your work of embracing a Stretch Strategy. I’ve added a ‘challenge’ under each…er, because that’s what I do.

1. You’re forced to find new ways of doing things

Once you adopt a Stretch Strategy, it’s simply not possible to accept mediocrity. Those things you’ve put up with for ages scream at you.

CHALLENGE: What are you doing in your work that you’ve being doing the same way for far too long?

2. You move to a different level

When you push yourself to stretch, you inevitably experience new things; you open your mind to new ideas and you often get to meet new people.

CHALLENGE: Accept that you’re in danger of getting passed up…somehow, in some area of your work. What area is that? What might you do about it?

3. Your outlook is altered

Stretching is like inviting Mr Spock to beam you down somewhere new. Boldly going where no one has gone before (they have, but you get the point). A changed outlook is invigorating and brings new energies.

CHALLENGE: In recent times what has contributed most to an altered outlook in any aspect of your life? Whether positive or negative, do you accept there’s been growth?

4. You start a ripple

When you stretch, those around you notice the change. Your clients; your friends; your network. Some will stretch with you, others will run for cover.

CHALLENGE: Look around. Who will come with you? Who will hide? Where does your future belong?

5. You’ll want to do it again

Yes, ’serial stretching’ is a risk you’ll have to face. When a child learns to walk, she walks everywhere: Through puddles, off walls, under supermarket aisles, into other people. You’ll do the same. You’ll grow as a consequence and any bruising will be minor. Trust me.

CHALLENGE: If you get the message about stretching — make a commitment.

(14min 37) Click on “Play” to hear the podcast or click “Get It” to download.

Franchising is the subject of a federal government inquiry due for completion this December. The focus is on unconscionable conduct in the sector.

Today on Btalk Australia Phil Dobbie talks to Adrian McFedries, the Managing Director of legal consultancy DC Strategy, about existing legislation in the franchising sector and what, if anything, needs to change.

Add your thoughts and comments by clicking “Participate” at the bottom of this post.

See also:
10 Things To Know Before Buying A Franchise

Hey, we all make mistakes, right? Often though, the ones that can be the most harmful to our work are those that are easy to overlook.

I’m talking about mistakes to do with such issues as:

• responding efficiently and effectively to inquiries
• satisfying the real needs of our customers
• asking questions and researching issues fully before taking action
• listening to what’s being said, rather than making assumptions

So how do we make sure we spot our mistakes and more importantly, learn from them?

The answer is to adopt a simple, three step process:

1. Pause

Get into the habit of pausing during the day — just for a moment or two — look at what you’ve been doing; how you’ve been working and how you’ve responded to issues and challenges.

Pausing gives us time to look at something after the event and question if it could have been done differently, could have been done better. By pausing in this way we can often see a mistake and rectify it before it does any serious damage.

In business, particular times to practice pausing can be after meetings; as we prepare for presentations, as we compile proposals, documents or letters. In other words, put a pause ‘around’ the most important aspects of your business.

2. Acknowledge

Step two is where we get to be tough on ourselves. Look closely at what’s not going according to plan; look at any business relationships that are a bit uncomfortable; consider any situations you’ve been involved in that appear to have worsened as a consequence of your involvement.

Acknowledge your part in the issue and head quickly to Step Three.

3. Take the learning

Finally, get clear on what you will do differently next time and if necessary, develop a procedure to ensure the lesson is learned. Try asking yourself:

• What else could I have done?
• How might I behave or respond if confronted by the same situation again?

Learning from mistakes can be the difference between good and great. Pause awhile and commit to change.

(14min 54) Click on “Play” to hear the podcast or click “Get It” to download.

Email marketing is going through a change. With so many companies bombarding us each day, the open rates of campaigns is on the decline.

Today on BTalk Australia Phil Dobbie talks to John Merakovsy, the Australian General Manager of Experian CheetahMail about how to ensure that your campaigns are focused and relevant.

Add your thoughts and comments by clicking “Participate” at the bottom of this post.

See also:
Do’s And Don’ts Of Email Marketing
Email Marketing A Powerful Tool
The 5 Cardinal Sins Of Email Marketing

(8min 12) Click on “Play” to hear the podcast or click “Get It” to download.

Ready for a change? Are you at the stage where you think you can get more out of your life? Is your job dragging you down? Well, the good news is it’s never too late to change. That’s a message from a book by Alison Haynes called “Change: How to Kick Start Your Life and Refresh the Spirit” (published by Murdoch Books).

Today on BTalk Australia Phil Dobbie talks to Alison about what drives change and how you can embrace it.

Add your thoughts and comments by clicking “Participate” at the bottom of this post.

There’s lots more about career change on BNet. Click here.

In the course of pursuing new business and growing relationships, it is of course necessary to expend time. Okay, that’s hardly a revelation.

The thing is, we need to keep a handle on it. Our clients and prospects must know what we’re doing, why we’re doing it and how far we’ll go. Spending time is fine as long as we’re clearly valuing it.

From time to time we’ll inevitably be pushed to go further and it’s in our response to this that things can get tricky. The moment we go further — without at least clearly flagging it — we risk devaluing our services.

Good, strategic giving is when we add value without being asked. The Giving Trap is when we discount our services or weaken the perception of our value by going too far.

Let’s take the scenario of a consultant who gives a free one-hour consultation as part of her business development strategy. Nothing wrong with that. I do it myself.

But what are the implications when she’s so keen to hook a client she lets a one-hour session turn into ninety minutes…without saying anything?

Compare that with a free one-hour consultation where at around fifty minutes, realising it’s going to run over the hour our consultant pauses, makes clear she is about to complete the hour and offers an extension of thirty minutes.

Spot the difference? In the first scenario she’s in danger of signalling a lack of respect for time and creating a potentially damaging precedent in the eyes of a potential client. In the second, she’s highlighting the value of her time and adding value by giving more.

From which position would you most like to begin a new relationship?

(24min 37) Click on “Play” to hear the podcast or click “Get It” to download.

Six Sigma is a business improvement pioneered by Motorola, embraced by General Electric and now used by many large corporations throughout the world.

Today on BTalk Australia Phil Dobbie talks to Alan Skinner, a six sigma “black belt” from the Faculty of Business at the University of Technology in Sydney. It’s designed to drive efficiencies, but can its rigorous approach also stifle innovation?

Add your thoughts and comments by clicking “Participate” at the bottom of this post.

See also:
Effective Project Management With Six Sigma
Critical Decision Making With Six Sigma Cause & Effects Analysis
Following A Data-Based Approach In The Six Sigma Decision Making Process