Andrew Carnegie: ''The man who dies rich dies disgraced.''

I was chatting with a friend yesterday and we were talking about how to teach our children the value of money. I remembered a presentation I attended years ago when the woman likened money to water… it has a need to flow – there is clean money and dirty money, sometimes it get’s damned up – but spread freely and evenly allows the world to prosper.

My friend said that he has set aside some money to support community programs or charitable works. His family including his children together debate how it is to be spent. Every cent however must be donated or given away in the pursuit of making the world a better place. A great life lesson for children to learn about giving and contributing to others.

We both lamented the importance of role models and how much of our media is full of so called ‘celebrities’ who are not good role models for our children. My friend reminded me of Gerry Harvey’s comments back in 2008…

Mr Harvey said giving money to people who “are not putting anything back into the community” is like “helping a whole heap of no-hopers to survive for no good reason”….

“You could go out and give a million dollars to a charity tomorrow to help the homeless. You could argue that it is just wasted. They are not putting anything back into the community. “

Now Mr Harvey may well have been taken out of context or changed his tune. But the damage has been done – and his comments remain in print. It is really hard to admire someone as a leader if his or her motivation is the accumulation of personal wealth or if they have no consideration for wanting to make the world a better place.

Recently the Sydney Morning Herald article ‘We’ll be richer if our last cheque bounces’ states that

“Only six in 10 of the wealthiest Australians give money to charity and philanthropic causes, according to a 2008 report by researchers at the Australian Centre of Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies at the Queensland University of Technology”

Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett are world famous for not only their charitable contributions but in urging other wealthy people to ‘give back’ to society. As Buffet said (though I did hear George Clooney utter this very line in the movie The Descendants)

”.. a very rich person should leave his kids enough to do anything, but not enough to do nothing”

In fact one does not have to be wealthy to contribute. Australian’s are by nature generous – think of the massive support in recent years to the Brisbane Floods and the Victorian Bushfires. Australia topped the 2010 World Giving Index of 153 countries in terms of people’s willingness to give money, and was third most generous in 2011.

The Employee Engagement Capabilities Report that we undertook earlier this year found that time off for volunteering was the activity most likely to improve an employer’s engagement score – as long as all the other basic employee services are in place.

It is not difficult for every employer to add value to the community – and both will benefit as a result. I wonder if Harvey Norman employees get a day off each year to volunteer somewhere… perhaps someone could enlighten me.

Now the entrepreneurs mentoring retreat is almost finalized and I’m getting very excited to have it all come together. The pre-reading list has been sent to those participating – the program has been developed. Philippa my colleague who has been designing the weekend with me – dragged the top eight ‘ingredients’ for success from me – and has brought them together beautifully in the Entrepreneurs Cookbook – which will form the basis of the work we cover over the weekend

The venue is booked (One of the RedBalloon experience locations – Lilianfels)….

We invited partners to attend – given that most entrepreneurial journey’s have a massive impact on the family and friends surrounding them.

I’m nervous but excited – committed to seeing a massive difference for participants. I believe that those who attend will form their own collegiate and meet some like-minded people that will complete the experience that each individual does not have to be alone on their journey.

We will have group sessions, I will have one on ones with each attendee – and we will have fabulous dinner parties to debate and explore ideas.

Thank you to those who are attending the inaugural weekend on 26 April– a feel we are all on the beginning of a journey – and we get to design our futures.

This US centric article focuses on the evolution of the role men and women are playing in industrialized societies. As I read the article I did feel uplifted – however I had the question sitting in the back of my head – yes this might be true in the US – but is it true for Australia?

In my experience in Australia annually on International Womens Day the same poor figures about participation of women in leadership are trotted out. Our social structures and the way we work have dramatically changed in the last 200 years – yet as a species have we been able to evolve as fast?

Some of the thought provoking ideas from the article:

• “As thinking and communicating have come to eclipse physical strength and stamina as the keys to economic success, those societies that take advantage of the talents of all their adults, not just half of them, have pulled away from the rest.”

• “In 2006, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development devised the Gender, Institutions and Development Database, which measures the economic and political power of women in 162 countries. With few exceptions, the greater the power of women, the greater the country’s economic success.”

• “More to the point, what if the economics of the new era are better suited to women?”

• “Of the 15 job categories projected to grow the most in the next decade in the U.S., all but two are occupied primarily by women. Indeed, the U.S. economy is in some ways becoming a kind of traveling sisterhood: upper-class women leave home and enter the workforce, creating domestic jobs for other women to fill.”

• “The postindustrial economy is indifferent to men’s size and strength. The attributes that are most valuable today—social intelligence, open communication, the ability to sit still and focus—are, at a minimum, not predominantly male.”

• “Yes, the U.S. still has a wage gap, one that can be convincingly explained—at least in part—by discrimination. Yes, women still do most of the childcare. And yes, the upper reaches of society are still dominated by men. But given the power of the forces pushing at the economy, this setup feels like the last gasp of a dying age rather than the permanent establishment.”

• “A 2008 study attempted to quantify the effect of this more-feminine management style. Researchers at Columbia Business School and the University of Maryland analyzed data on the top 1,500 U.S. companies from 1992 to 2006 to determine the relationship between firm performance and female participation in senior management. Firms that had women in top positions performed better, and this was especially true if the firm pursued what the researchers called an “innovation intensive strategy,” in which, they argued, “creativity and collaboration may be especially important”—an apt description of the future economy.”

It is worth a read – if for no other reason than to challenge our existing ideas and the language use to stereotype by gender.

I have often been accused of being bossy…. if I was a bloke I would just be considered assertive. And our predisposed view of the world is that men are ‘supposed to be assertive’…. we as a species have a lot of evolutionary development to do to catch up to societies changes.

I’d be curious to know your thoughts on this…

What about a 'Wall of Praise' to support the generational paradigm shift at your work place?

I’m not a big fan of categorizing people by their age and putting a label on them. Years ago I wrote a blog about ‘Generation Why’ – claiming that I was very much a part of the “generation that questions everything.”

I shared recently about my discovery of Pinterest – and how Facebook and Twitter have changed the interface to become more visual. ‘A picture saves a thousand words’… I begin to wonder what the children born this century will experience – how they will communication… perhaps we have only touched the surface in terms of how we connect to others. One thing is assured that technology will continue to be driven by human desires.

I attended a session called ‘De-coding the Next Generation’ by Michael McQueen last week. (An engaging and thought provoking speaker) – I am skeptical when it comes to generalizing about ‘generational differences’. However Michael did a good job at setting the scene and sharing his seven paradigm shifts.  He told us that people born after 1980 are likely to see the following areas differently than those born prior to the 80s.

1. The concept of truth:
   Truth is seen as fluid: Often referred to as ‘my truth’ ie there are different points of view or versions. The word ‘should’ is seen as a judgment and the best way to tell something is to show that it works – and this can be done through story telling.
2. The assumptions of respect:
   Respect is not automatic based on title or position – it is very important, however it must be earned and it also must be mutual. “I don’t care how much you know until I know how much you care.”
3. Communication:
   Language has become far more about function than form – ‘Why use 179 letters when you could use just 79?’ Interestingly OMG and LOL have now been entered into the Oxford dictionary. Language has always evolved – it is just moving faster than it ever has before. ROFL (Rolling on floor laughing).
4. The value of patience:
   Life is meant to be easy, convenient and entertaining. Things do not come to those that wait – they come to those who ask. The downside of this is that often if things do not come easily then it could be considered that something ‘wrong’.
5. The need for affirmation:
   Nowhere more is this the case than in China following the one child policy – in China it is referred to as the ‘Little Emperor’ generation. The need for validation and recognition is paramount. I note that the recognition programs that RedBalloon designs say the all recognition must be immediate and regular – that Gallup claims that people have forgotten any acknowledgement within 7 days. Based on this paradigm shift I would argue the younger the employee the more recognition they will need before they will consider giving their discretionary effort.
6. The future:
   Most young people don’t have a 5 day plan let alone a 5 year plan (argh my teenagers drive me spare as I try to work out what the plans are for the weekend). They want to leave their options open until the last minute. There may be no future so they living for the moment is paramount.
7. Work ethic:
   Laziness is NOT a generational difference – there are lazy people of all ages. People born after 1980 just have different priorities. Friends and leisure are important in the balance of life and as such becomes a priority. Having a sense of purpose and understanding why something is to be done is important.

Subsequent generations are a product of the previous one. And I am fascinated to see that in the US Lenore Skenazy has founded a movement to encourage greater freedom for children – that she has dubbed Freerange kids – but there might well be a whole other blog in that. Perhaps we have been overly protective of our children which has influenced the generational paradigms.

In the mean time – I would argue that no matter what your age – society will continue to change. Our community will morph and evolve – you cannot fight it. You may as well get with the program and be part of the change.

Who did you recognize in your workplace today – young or old – and how great did it feel?

I write my blog because I continue to learn from; books, business leaders, attending conferences – and each of these lessons or insights I need to store somewhere so I don’t forget them. I use my blog as a repository to catalogue what I am learning. In addition I may well have formed an opinion about what I have read, seen or experienced and as such I write about that.

2227 days ago when I wrote my first post I didn’t know if anyone would read it… but I wrote it for myself. As time progressed I realized that in writing and sharing my experiences others could learn from them… it could become a source of education and insights for others.

Kim from Nest Interior Styling - A big congratulations

I received the email [below] and it made my day. We never know the impact that we may have on another – I don’t know how my words inspire or enrage readers, but when people let me know what they thought – it is all the thanks I need to keep doing what I do. A small ‘thank-you’ can go a long way.

“Hi Naomi

I started following your blog after your appearance on Secret Millionaire.  You posted something that struck a chord with me – ‘if it’s meant to be its up to me’.

At the time I was feeling unclear about my vision for where I wanted to take my business – I am a work at home mum & was feeling a little unsure as to my own confidence & abilities in ‘getting myself back out there’ but didn’t know how to get started.

I wrote this to you & you took the time from your schedule to respond, which in my own world was truly appreciated & meaningful.

I have since literally taken your words ‘if its meant to be it is up to me’ & created massive action along with it & have just had the most incredible year unleashing my creativity, learning more about myself & capabilities than I knew I had in me, both on a creative & personal level.

Learning the ‘balance’ of work & home will continue to be ongoing but I do feel really proud of what I have created & excited about where it is all heading in the future.

I have my own blog http://www.nestinteriorstyling.blogspot.com & have been selling my clay tags ‘mud by nest’ online & at local markets – & I am just loving it!

Back in June your blog ‘Humbled again touched me – I am sure you get asked many questions & for lots of advice as a respected mentor to others.

I just wanted to let you know, that sometimes mentoring, like you say does not necessarily mean a long term relationship & it is not just mentoring those at corporate professional levels that can draw inspiration from you.  I am a Work-at-Home-Mum and to me you took the time to acknowledge me & responded personally with some words that got me thinking clearer about the direction I needed to take, & as they say the rest is history!  Your mentoring job for me was done, short & sweet, & for that I genuinely Thank-You.

Have a Magical 2012 Naomi & may all your New Year Wishes come true!

Kindest Regards
Kim”

How wonderful! And this is why I share my journey and what I learn.

My blog is all generated from me… word by word, there is no product placement here. (So please PR agencies stop sending me press releases – I’m not going to write about stuff I don’t have an opinion on or things I don’t know.)

Kim – a big thank you to you for sharing your story and congratulations on creating your business… and I look forward to hearing from others – anyone want to share?

RedBallooners say Thank You by "Paying in Forward"

Friends have commented “RedBalloon is everywhere this Christmas” – and I have answered by saying “we need to be”. It is important for us to remind people of the power of a great gift – how giving the gift of an experience creates the opportunity of sharing great memories with that person. It is up to us to change gifting in Australia forever.

At this time I also reflect how fortunate I am, how lucky we are at RedBalloon – and to remember that we did not do it alone. So as I think how can I show my appreciation to all those who have helped me – perhaps I could ‘pay it forward’…

I am often contacted by entrepeneurs, business owners and professionals seeking a mentor. And I have tended to take an adhoc approach to these requests. The writing of this blog and the book some years ago – together with my speaking, there are plenty of ways that I share what I have learned. Sometimes people have a burning question – something that they just need a sounding board for…mentoring does not have to be a long term relationship.

So I was thinking what could I do to provide a more formal ‘Mentoring’ program. That would be fun, inspiring, educational and life changing. So I came up with the idea of hosting a mentoring weekend.

On 27 April 2012 at one of the RedBalloon Getaway locations a weekend for eight people (and their partners )who have burning questions. We could have round tables, one on one time – themed dinners. (I imagine there will be pre reading – so we are all on the same page)…

Any way if you think it is a good idea, or you would be interested and want to know details – send me an email via this blog by 16 Jan (I am wanting to ascertain if this is something that would be of interest)… also in your email you might want to mention why you would want to attend such an event.

So as we say ‘Good Bye’ to 2011 – Let’s think about all those people we need to thank for assisting us on the journey – and begin to create what 2012 will be.

‘An unexamined life is not worth living’

Last weekend I took myself off to Landmark Education to do a newly developed program – called ‘Direct Access’ – and whilst I was not quite sure what I wanted to get out of the program I was delighted to see how the organization has evolved since I was last there seven years ago. This is an organization that has been listening to its customers and the customer touch points were noticeably improved. It made the whole education process so much easier.. and often it is the little things that get in the way of us being able to really get the most from such an event.

The program touched on many aspects of thoughts and thinking… and how human nature means that we on the whole are quite sloppy at it. The question was posed:

“What does it take to think rather than just have thoughts?”

“If you gave up thinking ie using your brain as soon as it gets challenging then you don’t really get to exercise your brain” – Like any muscle it is repetition and strain that develop it – the brain is not different.

“By nature people avoid the strain of really thinking – we tend to take short cuts”…

Thinking about thinking got me thinking – how much do I really do of it… or do I just have random thoughts that fire off, that I latch on to and run with straight away. What does it take to really think something through?

We were given this quote:

“I find for myself that my first thought is never my best thought. My first thought is always someone else’s; it’s always what I’ve already heard about the subject, always the conventional wisdom.

It’s only by concentrating, sticking to the question, being patient, letting all the parts of my mind come into play, that I arrive at an original idea. By giving my brain a chance to make associations, draw connections, take me by surprise.

And often even that idea doesn’t turn out to be very good.

I need time to think about it, too, to make mistakes and recognize them, to make false starts and correct them, to outlast my impulses, to defeat my desire to declare the job done and move on to the next thing.”

William Deresiewicz Former professor of English at Yale, from his lecture to the US military Academy at Westpoint in October 2009

By nature many entrepreneurs are impulsive – we get on with doing things. We have a tiny glimmer of an idea and off we race, ready to change the world. Maybe not all entrepreneurs are like this…

I would argue that it is great to have people around you who can help you see different points of view and to add weight to the thinking process. I suspect this is what coaches do best.

What are your thought about thinking? For instance sometimes I write to help me think; other times I think to help me write.

It made me wonder “what do I miss out on because I am often not ‘present’ as I focus on what my iPhone presents to me. Perhaps it is pretty lonely being a cab driver now – if customers no longer ‘havachat’.

When a plane touches down – many simultaneous ‘ding dings’ chime out demanding the attention of their owner. Most business people seem completely addicted to their phones.

I friend of mine recently lamented that he had been unreachable because he was in an all day meeting – and the response when he did come ‘back to the grid’ was – is something wrong with your phone. People seem to have a high expectation that if they send a message the response will be instantaneous.

I note that I was off air for two days this week – no email, phone, sms or internet. And whilst I had quite a back log of emails and messages on my return– I was highly efficient at getting back to people because I was completely focused on that task in that hour.

Is all this ‘immediate’ communication really giving us the opportunity to do good work? How many emails or text messages are dashed off in haste only to be misunderstood or incomplete?

As the taxi went passed the bus stop I notice that most of the people waiting were all inspecting their mobile phones – not even noticing the existence of the other human beings around them.

In all this urgency to connect – are we not ‘seeing’ those around us?. People who provide us services or who are part of our community.

Last week I was asked by one of the judges in the EY awards – how do you juggle all the different responsibilities that you have – my answer to this question (and it is question that I get often) is be truly ‘present’ – turn off your mobile phone and be with whoever you are with… does this same courtesy extend to those beyond business colleagues, family and friends.

Okay I am taking a personal challenge for the next 21 days to not use a mobile device in the presence of others. And I wonder who I will get to meet and what conversations I will get to experience – and also the added upside of not sending off a one line response to someone with out a considered response…

Let me slow things down – and not rush to everything, and I’m sure I will do better work as a result.

Want to play.

With Lyndsey Cattermole at the EY event.

I have just had the pleasure of being a participant at the Ernst & Young Women’s Entrepreneur Workshop in Sydney. It was a delight to listen to Carla Zampatti share her story of being an entrepreneur committed to women’s fashion and the struggles she faced in the late 60s. Lyndsey Cattermole shared the thrill and sheer determination it took to create her business – Aspect Computing – and Melissa Widner discussed her journey as a serial entrepreneur – and her role now as an angel investor and venture capitalist.

Avril Henry inspired the group with her insights into the traits of an entrepreneur – male or female.

1. We don’t care what other people think about us (and the older we get the less we care)
2. We have trouble imagining failure
3. We embrace adversity and difficulty
4. We take more risks than others – they are not careless risks – they are measured
5. We manage and mitigate our stress – we use our stress, and don’t think of it as a hindrance to a problem
6. We are there for the long term
7. We will sacrifice almost anything to achieve our vision
8. We have the ability to express ourselves and gain support from others

Senator Kate Lundy then spoke with us – and alas an opportunity was lost – we got government rhetoric and the party line. This was a chance to listen to 50 of Australia’s leading female entrepreneurs about our greatest challenges in creating big businesses. (And these challenges are probably not all that different to why there are not more women in leadership roles.)

Each of the three entrepreneurs mentioned in their presentations the constant battle of parenting and growing a business.

I have known Lyndsey for many years – in fact as a young girl she was a role model to me. My mother spent much of her career as a systems analyst with Lyndsey’s business Aspect Computing. Mum had said to me when I was at University “If Lyndsey can do it you can too”. We all need role models – someone to lead the way, and drag other women with them.

So when it came to question time – I was on my feet – asking for insights into their beliefs on the way forward with childcare for Australians.  All three resounded that at the bare minimum we MUST have tax deductible childcare to enable women to continue with their careers.

Avril Henry pointed out a section of the Tax Act that states (and I paraphrase) that a tax deduction is available to those expenses incurred to enable employment – hence Avril argued that the Tax Act already allows for ‘tax deductible childcare if it means that enables a woman to work’. However, the tax commissioner does not agree with this definition of the term.

Gillian Franklin, CEO of the Heat Group simply stated that this is the number one issue facing growth for the economy – and a formal review of the costs/benefits needs to be undertaken.

(I was thinking to myself – the more women working – the more tax that is paid – and the more people who are working in childcare – they will be paying taxes too) and everyone will have more spending power so the economy will grow.

The Senator’s response – we have introduced paid parental leave. Senator Lundy completely missed an opportunity to listen to entrepreneurial women – and to make a difference to the conversation. Less party line would have given her some credibility…..

Well done Ernst & Young for putting on such a worthwhile event. We look to you to keep the conversation going and pushing for a review of childcare in Australia. And good luck in getting this government to listen.

Goals for women
IF Naomi Simson‘s goal is to get more women on boards, she should start by not denigrating the role of parenting. ?The women’s movement has failed in what should have been a prime goal — to recognise and elevate the role of caring — whether it is for young children, the disabled, or the aged.? We have a highly feminised carer workforce languishing at the bottom of the pay scale, and capable women facing difficulties returning to the workforce after having ‘wasted’ years bringing up children.

Instead of supporting these women, high profile businesswomen such as Simson compound the problems by categorising the role of parents and carers as something that fails to contribute to society. ?I can’t think of a better way to contribute to society than raising healthy and confident children. I can’t think of a better way to hone organisational skills, to understand your own strengths and weaknesses and to learn patience and levelheadedness. ?It is time that powerful women took the lead in elevating the role of parenting, and promoting it as an asset rather than a hindrance to a career.

Brigitte Dwyer, Sandgate, Qld

I was glad to hear from Brigitte, because her letter highlights the emotions around the issue of gender and women’s role in the workplace. I do not denigrate the role of parenting. Nor have I ever said parents or carers fail to contribute to society. Parenting and teaching are one of the greatest contributions we can make, and I concur with Brigitte that the pay scales are not commensurate with the important role all carers play. What my article in The Australian was attempting to highlight was how hard it can be for women to contribute back to society through the workplace once they have had children.

Mixing business and family - sharing the journey with my daughter at the EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2011

The point I make is all about choices. The reality is – currently – after the birth of a second child it becomes even more difficult for parents to manage the expense of childcare and maintain a career. Not everyone has the financial freedom to choose not to take paid work once they become a parent. And while parenting teaches you so many valuable lessons about yourself and your organizational skills, it may not give you the outlet to practise the vital medical skills you studied long and hard for when you specialized in oncology because that is a passion you hold outside of your role as a parent. That is the point: many parents want the flexibility of staying connected to their chosen field because they personally feel that connection helps them be better parents, feeds their passions as well as helping financially.

Brigitte – thank you for adding to the debate. There is no easy answer, and each family has their own set of circumstance. What we seek are choices that work financially. One of my most precious roles is that of mother. But I know I can be a great mother experiencing the joy of parenting as well as working – after all, I started my own business so I could do that.