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LE A D I N G T H E WAY
THE MAGAZINE FOR OFFICE PROFESSIONALS
Volume 5
No.1
May 2009
Incorporated in Victoria ABN 68 004 992 527 formerly Institute of Professional Secretaries & Administrators (Australia)
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Leadership amongst uncertainty
Reinvent your career
How to ﬁnd your passion
WELCOME...
Welcome to the first edition of Leading the Way 2009, the
magazine for oﬃce professionals.
Our theme for this issue is “Beyond Tomorrow – Plan for it
Today”.
In the current uncertain economic climate many people
will have either been aﬀected personally or will have had
someone close to them impacted by company restructures,
downsizing or redundancy. While it can be unsettling, such
changes can provide the opportunity for us to re-think our
career and personal goals.
We have chosen to focus this issue on articles dealing
with career change and how to manage and survive the
process with views both from personal and management
perspectives.
The Editorial Committee welcomes contributions from our
members, so please continue to send in interesting and
relevant articles. It may have been something you’ve seen
online, an article from your own state Newsletter, or you
may have heard a fantastic speaker at a function.
We have included one such article – from Sylvia Marina, who
presented at a recent WA Dinner, as well as an article from
Karen Schmidt, who is a forthcoming speaker.
This is my first issue as Editor of Leading the Way and I’d
like to sincerely thank Christine Stewart for her guidance,
patience and support while I have been learning the ropes.
My thanks also to the rest of the Editorial Committee for their
continued support and I would like to extend a warm welcome
to Olivia Glaser who has recently joined the Committee.
Liz Houston
VISION
IN THIS ISSUE...
To be the leading business organisation for oﬃce
professionals.
National President’s Message
Leadership amidst uncertainty
Dealing with redundancy
Reinvent your career
Engaging people during tough times
Ten tips on coping with change
Job security lies within you!
How to find your passion
Redundancy: plan your payout
Career planning - what you need to know
Physiognomy in the workplace©
Sylvia Marina presentation review
Reach for the stars
Memory techniques to get ahead in life
The power of informal recognition
The why, how and how not of 600 feedback
Education and professional development
Get your body buzzing
Track changes in your documents
7th International Oﬃce Professionals Summit (IOPS)
Institute Directory
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
•
Initiating and supporting the continuous
professional and personal development of
our members.
• Promoting excellence in our role as the
leading organisation for oﬃce professionals.
• Advising and contributing to the education
of career-minded oﬃce professionals.
• Recognition and respect in our chosen profession.
Oﬃcial publication of the Australian Institute of Oﬃce
Professionals – ISSN 1448-157
Published by AIOP National Board Postal address:
Layout:
Printing:
PO Box 197
East Brunswick VIC
Tel: (0) 988 9985
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Daniels Printing Craftsmen
Privacy Act 1988 Collection Notice
The Australian Institute of Oﬃce Professionals (AIOP)
is committed to protecting the privacy and security of
personal information collected about you.
The information contained in these articles has
the permission of the contributor and/or has been
included in a previous AIOP National Magazine.
www.aiop.com.au
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EDITORIAL COMMITTEE
Liz Houston
National Editor
Christine Stewart
Jenni Lumsden
Lynne Schickert
Linda Deutsch
Olivia Glaser
AFAIOP - National Editor
Email: nationaleditor@aiop.com.au
FAIOP HLM DipSec Stud PHF
FAIOP GradCertBus AOP
President WA Division
FAIOP DipIPSA HLM
Corporate GCertMgmt
AFAIOP
Editorial Committee at work at a planning meeting:
Left to Right: Liz, Linda, Chris, Jenni, Lynne and Olivia
The Australian Institute of Oﬃce Professionals is not responsible for statements made or opinions expressed in “Leading the Way – The Magazine
for Office Professionals” nor do any such statements or opinions necessarily reﬂect the view of AIOP or its committees unless it is expressly stated.
Beyond Tomorrow
NATIONAL PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Kate Casson
What a lot can happen in a few months. When the
last issue of the magazine was published I seem to
remember things seemed to be going quite well in
our part of the globe, industry was booming, jobs were
plentiful and we could almost name our own salary as
we bargained for valued positions. How six months
can change everything. We all know someone whose
job has been made redundant or aﬀected in some
way by the global downturn. Many employees are
reassessing their current employment and deciding not
to look for that new position or pushing for promotions.
Incumbent positions are being valued more and the
current focus seems to be more on job security and a
steady income. Retirees have also been aﬀected by the
drastically reduced value of super funds, so much so that
many have deferred their retirement, realising that the
pension they thought was adequate may need a little
top up that some extra time in the workforce will fix.
Many of you will remember similar times. In 1992
unemployment reached 10.7% and interest rates on a
mortgage was 17.5%. We are nowhere near these figures
yet, we survived and have enjoyed a boom climate for
many years. So don’t get despondent but instead look
for opportunities.
We still live in one of the best places on earth, so keep
positive. Reassess your situation and take this time to
set yourself up for when the economy takes oﬀ again as
it surely will.
The annual AIOP Oﬃce Professionals’ Day Breakfasts,
held across Australia on Oﬃce Professionals’ Day were
a remarkable success. Judging by the attendances, we
have seen a rise in oﬃce professionals returning to enjoy
the event year after year. Congratulations to all the AIOP
Award winners this year and you can see them on our
Awards Page in the November issue.
The AIOP website has all the current information for
upcoming events and conferences including the
International Conference later this year as well as details
of the Committee of Management in every Division and
Branch and there are many new features to see. You can
keep yourself up to date with what is happening within
the Institute by visiting our website at www.aiop.com.au.
Register online as a member to enable viewing our
membership page to see the latest news.
AIOP is pleased to welcome our new National Partners
Marbig - ‘The Buzz in Oﬃce Supplies’ and Premium
Wines Direct - Australia’s big brands and boutique
labels at great prices! Fast Meetings Co., Executive PA
Magazine and Edible Blooms are also supporting the
Institute once again in 2009 - we thank all of our Partners
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LEADING THE WAY T H E MAG A Z I N E F O R O F F I C E P R O F E S SIONALS
for their generous support and encourage all members
to support them.
As we are aware, 2009 is going to be a tough year and
therefore being an AIOP member will be of more benefit
to you. During these uncertain times it is important
to have a support structure that you can lean on, seek
advice and encouragement to create new opportunities.
So when it comes time to renew your AIOP subscription
this year do not hesitate, in fact encourage your peers
and co-workers to become members and remember
that the membership and functions fees are all tax
deductible. I am encouraged that more members are
applying for Accreditation. The application does not take
long and is a bonus when applying for new positions, or
to use in your current position. Please see our website
for details.
Following on from what I said previously, now is a good
time to upgrade your skills. Refer to the article from
Carole Hutchens, National Education / Professional
Development Oﬃcer, SA Division, for information on
opportunities to further your studies.
Sadly my term as National President will come to an
end at the National Annual General Meeting in October
2009. Nominations for the next National President will
open in July for applications by those who have served
on the National Board in the last two years, (and less
than seven years consecutively) and by 1 July the new
National President Elect will be known. I will endeavour
to mentor the new person into this role which I have
being doing for the past three years.
In January we said a sad farewell to Christine Brown FAIOP
who served as National Administration Director for three
Board meetings and who brought a wealth of experience
to the Board. We also welcomed Naomi McGillivray MAIOP
from Victoria, who, as our new NAD, has received a good
handover from Christine and intends to carry on the
good work.
Our National Finance Director Linda Wray FAIOP also
finished her term of three years and our thanks go to
Linda for a splendid job. Linda has been handing over
to Dianne Parish FAIOP from SA.
Tasmania, Northern Territory and Victoria all have new
Presidents and we welcome Elia Barnett MAIOP from
Tasmania, Jenny Washington MAIOP from Northern
Territory and Judith Fitzmaurice MAIOP from Victoria
to their new roles. Erika Entz (Qld) will continue into her
second year. We thank the outgoing Division Presidents
Yvette Jean (Vic) and wish her our best wishes with her
new baby and also Rachel Willis (Tas) and thank them for
their contribution to AIOP.
Queensland’s Mackay Branch has a new President, Julie
Agnew MAIOP and we thank outgoing Branch President
Kathy Howell.
Welcome also to Victoria’s Bendigo Branch President,
Shirley Turner MAIOP and also Mildura Branch President
Raylene Kemp MAIOP. We wish you success in your
branches and thank outgoing Presidents Beth FrancisWright and Sharon Smith for their tireless support for
AIOP.
I encourage all members to think about joining their
local Committee of Management. I did; you never know
where it leads you.
Since being elected National President I have attended
the AIOP Breakfasts in Brisbane, Melbourne, Hobart and
Perth, the AIOP Conference in Melbourne, ISS Summit
in Gold Coast, AAPNZ Conference in New Zealand,
been invited to join the judging panel of Executive PA
Awards for Executive PA Magazine in Sydney, and the
judging panel of Recruitment Solutions’ Temp of the
Year Awards in the Gold Coast. As part of the National
Board I have visited every state in Australia, some more
than twice. I also attended the International Women’s
Day Luncheon with Quentin Bryce in Perth this year and
have been invited to speak on a variety of topics in my
field on many occasions with Conference and training
companies. As I say, being in any position in AIOP can
open new doors and let you reach new heights that may
have previously seemed out of reach. I am sharing this
with you to encourage you to believe in yourself and to
accept the challenges that you are oﬀered with both
hands and enjoy the ride - don’t just be a spectator.
The National Board this year travels to Darwin for the
Board Meeting in May and to Brisbane for the NAGM
and Board meeting in October.
So plan for BEYOND TOMORROW and believe in your
ability to achieve new goals.
Kate Casson AFAIOP MAICD
National President
Australian Institute of Oﬃce Professionals
BEYOND TOMORROW
Beyond Tomorrow
5
LEADERSHIP AMIDST UNCERTAINTY - HOW TO
MANAGE USING THREE STAGES OF TRANSITION
The dramatic slide in the stability of financial markets came abruptly and brought immediate and widespread uncertainty and
fear throughout the world.
The consequences may well be economic slow down and
long term change in the way capitalist economies work,
governments regulate and value is created.
This situation presents new levels of challenge for you as a
Leader and Change Manager.
A three stage model of Transition developed by William
Bridges almost 20 years ago is more relevant than ever
in helping leaders better understand what is happening,
more eﬀectively manage how they think about events and
respond more eﬀectively.
So let’s walk through the Transitions model and explore
how we can apply it to manage successfully in this time of
major change.
The Three Stages of Transition
Bridges’ ‘Transitions’ Model
Transition 1: Understand what has ended
All things change and sometimes they come to an end. For
example, the previous level of certainty in the financial and
banking sector has come to an end. Some might say the
economic ‘good times’ have ended.
Whilst these may sound like negative comments, the first
stage of William Bridges’ model, ‘Endings’, suggests that it is
worthwhile facing up to what is lost or gone.
Managers must be able to quickly grapple with what is
happening at both an emotional and cognitive level so they
can be resourceful. Quite often the psychological transitions
that accompany events need to be just as understood as the
situational shifts occurring. So in this first transitional phase
be aware of how you have interpreted the events, and how
much of your response includes emotions of fear and loss.
Key questions to ask yourself
1.
2.
.
How am I responding to the situation? How is my team
responding?
How much of our response is emotional?
What are the facts or how do I get them?
Transition 2: Discover opportunity in the Neutral Zone
Many leaders instinctively know that people want certainty.
But the second stage of ‘Transition’ is the Neutral Zone,
which is characterised by uncertainty. As a manager it is
worth recognising the ﬂuctuating emotions and sense of
dislocation that major change can bring.
Bridges’ model describes how common it is for people to
feel uncomfortable with uncertainty in the ‘Neutral Zone’
and so many organisations tend to draw back and draw
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LEADING THE WAY T H E MAG A Z I N E F O R O F F I C E P R O F E S SIONALS
within. This holds them in the ‘Endings’ stage longer than
necessary and they can become stuck or slow to react.
The upside of the ‘Neutral Zone’ is the tremendous
opportunities to create new ways of thinking and acting.
Being in unfamiliar ground is a good time to trial, experiment
and explore alternative futures with your team.
Key questions to ask yourself
1. How capable am I of acting decisively while being uncertain?
2. How can we use this change to think and act diﬀerently?
3. How can I help my team see opportunity amidst change?
Transition 3: Getting to new beginnings together
People deal with change diﬀerently and at diﬀerent pace.
Ultimately managers want their people to reach the third
stage of Transition, ‘New Beginnings’, where new ways are
embraced and certainty returns.
It can take a long time for this stage to be reached when
major change occurs. For example, the global economic
crisis may take some years to resolve.
To reach this stage managers must be equipped in how to
guide their group through the previous two stages. Doing
this together will maximise the alignment and commitment
to embracing change as a group, rather than having people
muddle through by themselves.
It requires sensitivity as a leader to the diﬀerent stages
people are at, and close communication with them about
feelings and thoughts, not just expecting them to move on.
Key questions to ask yourself
1. On any given day, where are my people at?
2. How impatient am I to have everyone accept and move on?
. When did I last talk with my team member about their
response to change?
Summary
Using Bridges’ model provides a simple framework to talk
about change and particularly the stages of Transition that
describe natural emotional responses to change.
It can help build greater comfort with uncertainty, and enable
people to seize opportunity by thinking and acting diﬀerently
as a result of the changes happening around them.
For more information, you can read about the Transition
model at: www.wmbridges.com/resources/resources.html
Printed with kind permission.
FAST Meetings Co support many clients through change
to gain organisational benefit, team eﬀectiveness and
individual levels of peak performance.
FAST Meetings Co - Sydney, Australia
Copyright © 2005 - 2008
Phone: + 61 2 9502 2022
E-mail: info@fastmeetings.com.au
DEALING WITH REDUNDANCY
HOW TO SURVIVE RETRENCHMENT
Helen Isbister
Redundancy is becoming a reality for more and more Australians as the global financial crisis takes hold. Uncertain times are
forcing many industries to downsize and cut jobs. It’s a delicate and diﬃcult situation, but you can weather the storm if you
know your rights and understand how to make it work to your advantage.
Know your rights
Redundancy occurs when an employer decides that the job
an employee has been doing is no longer required.
Downsizing could be necessary because of technological
changes, financial restraints, or workplace restructuring
or relocation, and has nothing to do with an employee’s
performance.
Most awards and contracts set out employees’ redundancy
entitlements including required notice periods, time oﬀ
allowances for job search activities and severance payments.
Payouts vary slightly under diﬀerent State awards and are
based on the number of years a person has been employed
at the company. Generally, people who have worked for at
least one year are entitled to a payout of four weeks pay.
Those who have been with the organisation for 10 years
and over are entitled to 12 weeks. Some corporate high
ﬂyers receive very lucrative golden handshakes when they
move on from an organisation.
If you have been with a company for less than a year, leave
due to misconduct or are an apprentice, trainee, casual
or contract worker then you’re not legally entitled to a
redundancy payout.
For some people, retrenchment is a financial boom as they
suddenly receive a lump sum of severance pay and accrued
entitlements. It may be worth seeking professional advice
on what to do with the money, since tax, superannuation
and insurance need to be considered.
If you believe your redundancy is unfair, you can apply
to your State’s Industrial Relations Commission. If the
business has gone bust and can’t pay you any entitlements,
contact the GEERS Hotline on 100 15 040, or email
GEERS@deewr.gov.au, as you might be eligible to receive
money from the Government.
For employers
With retrenchments now a fact of life, employers need
to learn how to deal with them legally, ethically and with
sensitivity. It is important to approach the redundancy
professionally – it isn’t about emotions or performance.
Discuss termination dates and redundancy packages with
the employee. While it isn’t a legal obligation, it would also
be good to discuss financial counselling or recruitment
services. Make sure you keep other staﬀ members informed
about the situation so they know where they stand and can
think about their own futures if need be.
Voluntary redundancy
Sometimes when a company has to lay oﬀ a large number of
staﬀ they will oﬀer incentives for employees who volunteer
to leave. Putting your hand up to take a redundancy is
worth considering – especially if you have already been
thinking about retirement or a change of job. The payout
will generally include a sweetener, and it will definitely feel
better psychologically than if you are dragged kicking and
screaming to the door.
Dealing with redundancy
Being made redundant can be a huge blow to your career
self esteem. Retrenchees can begin to question their worth,
especially if it takes them a while to find a new job. It’s
important to remember that it isn’t you who’s been made
redundant; it’s the job. Especially in the current climate,
redundancy is no longer a dirty word so, whatever you do,
don’t take it personally. Beating yourself up about it will not
get the job back, but it will more than likely stall the process
of getting a new one. Take advantage of any counselling
services, as they will soften the impact and help you get
back on the road again.
Get back on track
It may seem daunting but you have to get back on that
career horse as soon as possible.
Start networking and touch base with all your industry
contacts to see what positions are available. Join recruitment
agencies and keep an eye on what’s being advertised.
Being made redundant can be the perfect time to pursue that
career path you have always dreamed about, or to challenge
yourself in a new company. If the whole industry you are in is
tightening its belt, then be smart about where you set your
sights. While property, finance and retail are particularly
vulnerable to the current economic climate, skills shortages
still exist in many industries. Tailor your skills to a new area
through further training and you could be scooped back
into employment in no time – and with more money!
If your payout is substantial enough, you might decide that
this is the opportunity you’ve been waiting for to start your
own business. You should, of course, do this after some
serious planning and consideration but, if you’ve always
had the perfect business plan in the back of your mind, now
could be the time to go for it.
Don’t be ashamed of your redundancy when putting
yourself back on the market. It’s a world away from being
sacked and most employers agree that it is better to have
one redundancy on your CV than two short-term jobs, both
of which you left of your own accord. Focus on what skills
you bring from your old job and show a positive mindset
about the new opportunities that present themselves.
Printed with kind permission.
Isbister, H.
How to Survive Retrenchment - Dealing with Job Redundancy.
Viewed 4 February 2009
www.careerfaqs.com.au/feature013_dealing_with_redundancy.asp
Beyond Tomorrow
7
REINVENT YOUR CAREER
Nicholas Ricciuti
According to research from the Department of Education, Science and Training, most Australians will change career seven
times in their life. With this in mind, the people at Everybody’s Career Company have put together ten, easy steps to help those
intent on making a career change.
The fact that a ‘career for life’ is now the exception rather
than the rule, and the average age of Australians is now 7,
means that the focus for employers, educators and trainers
in careers is moving from Generation Y – teenagers and
those in their early 20s – back to the older Gen X-ers and
Baby Boomers. By the year 2016, people aged 45 and over
will account for more than 80% of growth in Australia’s
labour force.
This has prompted employers, educators and trainers to
broaden their employer branding propositions and course
structures to actively attract what’s increasingly known
as the transitioning ‘Real Age’ career person. In further
recognition of this trend is the fact that Australia now has a
major ‘Real Age’ career event which will be held on 11 and
12 July 2009 at the Melbourne Convention Centre and the
Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre in October 2009.
Melbourne-based organisation, Everybody’s Career Company,
helps major organisations attract and retain personnel to
their industry, trades and professions. As such it has been
at the forefront of recognising the changing nature and
constitution of Australia’s workforce.
The company oﬀers a ‘ten step’ guide to help those
considering a career change how to go about it.
The guide, along with other useful information for those
considering transitioning their careers, can be found on the
‘Everybody’s Career’ website (see links below).
Step 1. Change
Career change can occur for a number of reasons – from
the anticipated (marriage, empty nest) to the unexpected
(illness, divorce, lay oﬀ) to ‘nonevents’ (a promotion that fell
through).
The forthcoming ‘Reinvent Your Career Expos’ in Melbourne,
Brisbane or Sydney also oﬀer a great opportunity to meet
with company representatives and career specialists in
person (see below for dates and contacts).
Step 2. Reﬂection - SWOT analysis
If you are looking for a career change to advance your own
career, then the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and
Threats (SWOT) analysis is an excellent tool for getting an
accurate and informed view of where you, the ‘Real Age’
career person, are right now. It should be used before
making any decisions about future career choices.
The SWOT analysis asks the ‘Real Age’ career person to
consider the following factors:
• What are your strengths? (eg most marketable skills, what
skills can be transferred to other industries, leaderships
qualities etc.)
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LEADING THE WAY T H E MAG A Z I N E F O R O F F I C E P R O F E S SIONALS
• What are your weaknesses or development needs? (eg,
technical or other training needs)
• What are the opportunities for development within
your chosen career? (eg level of demand for your skills,
upcoming roles you could fill)
• What threats are you facing? (eg competition from within
or outside the organisation, potential for obsolescence
of skills/experience etc)
The analysis will help in clarifying career choices, such as
whether to move into another role within your current
organisation or to exit the organisation.
Step 2b. Wheel of life - get the balance right
A week consists of 168 hours. Measure and reﬂect over the
past three months and estimate the time you have spent on
the following eight aspects of your life:
• Business – Career progression activity
• Finance – Investments and other monetary activities
and responsibilities.
• Family – spouse, children, parents, relatives
• Spiritual – Worship, Community, Volunteering
• Physical – General exercise, competition or activity
participation
• Mental – Reading, self learning, formal education
• Social – Friends, outings, movies, having fun
• Rest – sleep, ‘me time’, massage, holidays.
Generally, if any one of these parts of your life is taking
up a lot of your time over a sustained period, other areas
of your life suﬀer. Your career should be your passion, and
contribute to your overall happiness and wellbeing.
Step 3. Learn new skills
When you were working fulltime you probably did not have
the time to update your skill set. Why not take the time now
to learn a new software application, read the latest business
books, or learn a foreign language? Acquiring new skills can
only make you more valuable to a potential employer.
More importantly look for companies who are keen to
oﬀer ‘on the job training’ where you can learn new skills
or upgrade your educational qualifications. A great start
in boosting your confidence. Speak to the HR personnel of
these organisations and ask: ‘What do I need to get in?’
Step 4. Resume
Condensing all your experience into two pages can seem
daunting, but it is an essential part of reinventing your
career. To make sure your resume stands out, here are a
couple of tips to get you started:
You need a clean design that grabs your readers’ attention.
Use action words: ”managed, directed, developed”. Include
outstanding referees. Take the time to do this properly.
Step 5. Cover letter
A cover letter should reﬂect your suitability and interest in
the role advertised. Your cover letter should: be concise and
to the point, clearly link your experience to the job, be no
more than four paragraphs long, and end on a positive note.
Step 6. Market your reinvented self
Work out a plan to market yourself to potential employers
and/or industries. Strategically target the companies you
want to work for with a new, updated resume and covering
letter, marketing your updated skills, experience and
strengths.
Write out a list of your passions – have you always been
a bit of a green thumb? Or have you secretly wanted to
work in fashion, styling the rich and famous? Whatever
your interests, make a list of them, and do some research
into those industries. You might be surprised what you
uncover!
Step 7. Network
People often underestimate the importance of networking
but it can be a wonderful opportunity to meet people and
develop contacts within your chosen industry to gather as
much information you can. More often than not, people are
happy to help.
Step 8. Interviews
Interviews can be intimidating, but there are ways you
can minimise your nerves. Read as much as you can about
interview techniques, and research the company and
its products/services. Make sure you are as informed as
possible. Prepare for your interviews in advance. Try to
anticipate any questions they may ask you and practice
your responses beforehand. Lastly, smile and be confident!
Step 9. Maintain a routine
While you are in the process of finding a new career, try to
maintain a routine. Get up early in the morning, research
and job search for a few hours, network, and don’t forget
to exercise. It will keep you feeling energised and positive
about the future.
Step 10. A fresh start
If you follow these steps, you’ll soon be on the path to your
new and exciting future. When you do get the job of your
dreams, congratulate yourself on all your hard work, and
don’t forget to thank all the people that supported you
along the way.
Where to ﬁnd out more
Nicholas Ricciuti is the Managing Director of Everybody’s
Career Company. Visit www.reinventyourcareer.com.au or
call Everybody’s Career Company on 0 9869 7125 to find
out more about forthcoming expos and ‘Real Age’ career
opportunities.
The ‘Reinvent Your Career’ Expo takes place at the
Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre on 11
and 12 July 2009.
Expos will be held in Sydney in October 2009
and in Brisbane in March 2010.
Printed with kind permission.
Nicholas Ricciuti
DIARY DATES
Conferences
2009 IQPC EA/PA Congress
25-28 May 2009
Sofitel Wentworth, NSW
www.eapa.com.au/ShowEvent.aspx?id=16876
2009 Association of Administrative Professionals
New Zealand Conference
7-9 August 2009
Spencer on Byron (www.spencerbyron.co.nz) Takapuna
North Shore City, Auckland New Zealand
www.aapnz.org.nz
2009 European Management Assistants
35th Annual Conference
18 September 2009
Ljubljana, Slovenia
www.euma.org
2010 AIOP National Conference
Hobart, Tasmania
www.aiop.com.au.
Beyond Tomorrow
9
ENGAGING PEOPLE DURING TOUGH TIMES
Karen Schmidt
In case you hadn’t heard we are now oﬃcially in tough economic times. Many organisations are directing managers to cut back,
focus on the important stuﬀ and forget non-essential activities. They believe that this is not the time to spend money or outlay
eﬀort on activities that are “nice to have”. We all need to get back to basics to ride out the storm.
I agree but I also want to issue a word of caution.
Just because we are experiencing an economic meltdown
doesn’t mean we also need to have a morale meltdown. If
you are a manager or business owner and you believe that
employee engagement is one of those “nice to haves” that
you will be putting on the shelf for now, then you are on the
wrong track. You need to avoid going into survival mode
because it will take you longer to recover . . . and we will
recover.
Market recovery is all about confidence and so is ensuring
your team stays engaged. In these times engaged staﬀ
are even more important because they are a direct link
to the life blood of your business, your customers. When
customers are more cautious about spending money they
are also more careful about who they spend it with so the
type of service that might have been acceptable during the
boom will not see you through the bust.
In fact I believe that now is the time to ramp up your eﬀorts
to keep people engaged. An engaged workforce is a long
term, sustainable competitive advantage that requires
investment in good times and in bad. Just like market
analysts are suggesting now is the time to buy shares rather
than sell them, I am suggesting that now is the time to do
everything you can to attract and retain good people rather
than simply focus on reducing payroll costs.
So what should you do? Now is the time to be talking to your
people. In my ebook “8 conversations that engage” (free at
www.letsgrow.com.au/clients_only: ID: letsgrow, Password:
re-engage), one of the eight conversations is around the
importance of discussing major events with your staﬀ. Our
current situation is what I would describe as a major event,
one that is impacting on the personal and professional lives
of employees at all levels of organisations. Rather than leave
it up to employees to guess what is likely to happen in your
organisation, sit down and update them because nothing
destroys engagement quicker than the rumour mill!
You can also involve your staﬀ in helping to come up with
innovative ways to do business during diﬃcult times.
Whether it is suggesting cost savings, eﬃciency gains or new
products and services more tailored to current conditions,
your staﬀ can be an excellent source of good ideas. Not
only do you get input on business practices, you also help
to create attachment to the organisation because people
who are committed to implementing a great new idea are
less likely to leave when things get tough.
Printed with kind permission.
Karen Schmidt
Karen Schmidt from Let’s Grow! is the re-engagement expert.
Her mission is to help you refresh, reignite and re-engage your
team for success. To book Karen for your next conference or
professional development event contact her on 0411 745 430
or visit www.letsgrow.com.au.
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10
LEADING THE WAY T H E MAG A Z I N E F O R O F F I C E P R O F E S SIONALS
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GIFTS
TEN TIPS ON COPING WITH CHANGE
Rachel Green
1. Be willing to change. The world is moving rapidly.
I suspect that never before in human history have
our lives changed so quickly. So much so that the
people who cope with change the best are those
who will probably thrive and survive the easiest. I
know of people who have lost their jobs because
they’ve been unwilling to change. I know people
whose relationships have broken down because
they are unwilling to change. Be willing to change.
2. Change little things. We are all creatures of habit.
We buy the same colours, cars or clothes. We sit
on the same chair. We drive home the same way
each night. Try changing these small things. Wear
a diﬀerent colour. Put your watch on the opposite
wrist. Take public transport to work. Get used to
change.
. Tolerate the feelings. Change can produce feelings
of discomfort. Learn to tolerate the discomfort. You
don’t have to give in to the feelings. For example,
if you put your watch on the other wrist, and it
irritates you, leave it there. Over time the irritation
will probably go and you’ll get used to it.
4. Keep some things the same. When you’re coping
with big changes, keep some things the same. It
might be that you still go to your favourite lunch
bar, you keep your old car, you get up at the same
time each morning. This can help you maintain
a sense of security, control and stability during
change.
5. Be around positive people. It’s hard to change when
the people around you are all complaining about
the changes. Spend time with the people who are
supportive of the changes.
6. Find out the reasons behind the changes. You may
not want to change because you can’t see a need
to change. Find the people who are instigating or
wanting the changes and discuss their reasons with
them rather than pre-judging them or dismissing
the change out of hand. However, see No 7.
7. Accept change without knowing the reasons.
Sometimes, particularly in the work situation, you
may not know why a change is being implemented.
When you ask the more senior people involved,
they may not know either. Instead of filling with
resentment, which can harm you, sometimes it can
be better to get on with the change and accept you
might never know.
12
LEADING THE WAY T H E MAG A Z I N E F O R O F F I C E P R O F E S SIONALS
8. Understand the transition process. Change can
induce a range of feelings in people. Even good
changes, which you’ve chosen and you know are
the right changes for you can result in anxiety or
fear. These are a normal part of the change process.
I can think of three major decisions I’ve taken in my
life: getting married, emigrating to Australia and
leaving a secure job I’d been in for 10 years. All of
those decisions and changes resulted in anxiety. All
the changes were right for me. All three changes
were some of the best things I’ve ever done. Accept
the emotions, tolerate them and move through
them.
9. Don’t take change personally. When work
changes are forced on you, such as redeployment,
restructuring or redundancy, realise it is not likely
to have anything to do with you. The decision has
probably been made for economic reasons, policy
changes or political manoeuvring and not because
your work has not been valued. The people making
the changes may not even know you! So have a
slogan on your screensaver to remind you: “It’s not
personal. It’s policy”.
10. Take charge of your own change management.
There are organisations, managers and other people
who impose change on others in a very poor way.
As a client said to me recently, “whatever the best
practice in change management is, our organisation
is the opposite”. Workers had not been consulted
about changes, warned about changes or had the
future explained to them. Don’t let poor change
management sweep you away. Take control of your
own change management. Start writing a list of all the
good things you’ve achieved in the past year on the
job. Tell other people the good things they’ve done.
Get together as a group to say goodbye to the good
and bad sides of what is changing. Invent your own
rituals. Just because other people don’t manage it
well, it doesn’t have to stop you from managing it
well.
Printed with kind permission.
Rachel Green
Rachel is an award-winning communication
specialist, author, expert professional speaker,
and emotional intelligence coach.
Visit www.rachelgreen.com for more information.
JOB SECURITY LIES WITHIN YOU!
Joan Burge
In today’s uncertain economic climate, career advisers are receiving numerous requests from employees with questions
such as: How do I survive 2009? I heard our company is downsizing and what if I’m next? Our company already cut jobs
and more are on the way-how do I prepare myself? How do I not feel guilty when my best friend or coworker lost their job?
What should I say to my co-workers who are feeling lots of anxiety?
These are great questions - realistic concerns - and need to
be faced head on.
The best advice is that Security Lies Within You, Not a
Job! And that is great news because that means you have
control. You are at the head of the train determining where
you need to go next, how to maneuver a curve in the track,
and whether to go full speed ahead or slow down.
Fifth - remember “tough times never last, but tough people
do.” That was written by Rev Robert Shuller. He is right.
Stay tough. You are not a victim of circumstances unless
you choose to be. Choose to be a victor and rise above any
negativity.
Good luck. Make it so!
Printed with kind permission.
First - you must see yourself as someone worth investing in.
Far too many employees say that if their company doesn’t
pay for their training or a book or CD, forget it. Investing
in yourself is the best investment you will ever make. It is
something that will go with you the rest of your life and no
one can ever take it away from you.
Joan Burge
Second - own your career. It’s not up to your manager
or your company to make your work life exciting and
rewarding. Those days are long gone. Use your creative
abilities to make your job more interesting. Right now,
maybe interesting isn’t even what you need to do, you need
to hang on to your job. Put your energies into streamlining
processes, saving money, and keeping yourself busy.
A vanguard for administrative professionalism for 35 years and
a bona ﬁde success story, Joan spent 20 years working her way
to the top – starting as a receptionist and eventually serving in
executive administrative positions for Fortune 500 companies
before launching her own business. Having worked on “both sides
of the desk,” Joan infuses that rare perspective into every training
program. Her signature Star Performance philosophy has been
embraced and endorsed by some of the world’s leading businesses
and organisations.
Third - make time during the week to network. Go to lunch
with people you normally would not ask. Broaden and
diversify your relationships. Let people know how great you
really are!
Fourth - encourage others who may be expressing anxiety
or concern. The idea is that being anxious is not going to
change the outcome. It only makes things worse and takes
away energy. It will literally zap you. Focus on the positive
things you can do during the week and put your energy
into things you can control.
Joan Burge is one of North America’s foremost authorities on
administrative excellence and workplace eﬀectiveness, and the
founder and CEO of Oﬃce Dynamics – a premier training and
development provider for assistants since 1990.
Oﬃce Dynamics
2766 Evening Rock St.
Las Vegas, NV 8915
800-STAR-19
OﬃceDynamics.com |
JBurge@OﬃceDynamics.com
Copyright © 2009. Oﬃce Dynamics, Ltd.
All rights reserved in all countries.
Joan Burge
Beyond Tomorrow
1
HOW TO FIND YOUR PASSION
Leo Babauta
If you could do one thing to transform your life, I would highly recommend it be to find something you’re passionate about,
and do it for a living.
Now, this isn’t as easy as it sounds, but it’s well worth the
eﬀort. If you dread going to your job, or find yourself
constantly lacking motivation, or find what you’re doing
dull and repetitive, you need to start looking for a new job.
Staying in your current job will not only continue to make you
unhappy, but you are not realising your full potential in life.
Imagine this instead: you get up early, jumping out of bed,
excited to go to work. You might put in more hours than
the average person, but it doesn’t seem diﬃcult to you,
because your work hours just zoom right by. You are often
in that state of mind often referred to as “ﬂow,” where you
can lose track of the world and time, losing yourself in the
task at hand. Work is not work as many people refer to it, but
something that is fun and interesting and exciting. It’s not a
“job” but a passion.
If you’ve got a job you dislike, or even hate, this will sound
like a pipe dream to you. And if you never put in the eﬀort to
find what you’re passionate about, you’re right: such a thing
will never be possible. But dare to dream, dare to imagine
the possibilities, and dare to actually search for what you
love, and it is not only a possibility, but a probability.
How can you ﬁnd what you’re passionate about?
Here are some suggestions:
Is there something you already love doing? Do you have
a hobby, or something you loved doing as a child, but never
considered it as a possibility? Whether it’s reading comic
books, collecting something, making something, creating or
building, there is probably a way you could do it for a living.
Open a comic book shop, or create a comic book site online.
If there’s already something you love doing, you’re ahead of
the game. Now you just need to research the possibilities of
making money from it.
What do you spend hours reading about? For myself,
when I get passionate about something, I’ll read about it for
hours on end. I’ll buy books and magazines. I’ll spend days on
the Internet finding out more. There may be a few possibilities
here for you … and all of them are possible career paths.
Don’t close your mind to these topics. Look into them.
Brainstorm. Nothing comes to mind right away? Well, get
out a sheet of paper, and start writing down ideas. Anything
that comes to mind, write it down. Look around your house,
on your computer, on your bookshelf, for inspirations, and
just write them down. There are no bad ideas at this stage.
Write everything down, and evaluate them later.
Ask around, and surf for possibilities. Ask other people for
ideas. See what others have discovered as their passions. Look
all over the Internet for ideas. The more possibilities you find,
the more likely your chances of finding your true passion.
Don’t quit your job just yet. If you find your calling, your
passion, don’t just turn in your resignation tomorrow.
14
LEADING THE WAY T H E MAG A Z I N E F O R O F F I C E P R O F E S SIONALS
It’s best to stay in your job while you’re researching the
possibilities. If you can do your passion as a side job, and build
up the income for a few months or a year, that’s even better.
It gives you a chance to build up some savings (and if you’re
going into business for yourself, you’ll need that cash reserve),
while practicing the skills you need. See below for more.
Give it a try ﬁrst. It’s best to actually test your new idea
before jumping into it as a career. Do it as a hobby or side
job at first, so that you can see if it’s really your true calling.
You may be passionate about it for a few days, but where
the rubber meets the road is whether you’re passionate
about it for at least a few months. If you pass this test, you
have probably found it.
Do as much research as possible. Know as much about
your passion as possible. If this has been a passion for
awhile, you may have already been doing this. At any rate,
do even more research. Read every website possible on the
topic, and buy the best books available. Find other people,
either in your area or on the Internet, who do what you want
to do for a living, and quiz them about the profession. How
much do they make? What training and education did they
need? What skills are necessary? How did they get their
start? What recommendations do they have. Often you’ll
find that people are more than willing to give advice.
Practice, and practice, and practice some more. Don’t go
into it with amateur skill level. If you want to make money
— to be a professional — you need to have professional
skills. Get very good at your future career and you will make
money at it. Practice for hours on end. If it’s something you
love, the practice should be something you want to do.
Never quit trying. Can’t ﬁnd your passion at ﬁrst? Give
up after a few days and you’re sure to fail. Keep trying, for
months on end if necessary, and you’ll find it eventually.
Thought you found your passion but you got tired of it?
No problem! Start over again and find a new passion. There
may be more than one passion in your lifetime, so explore
all the possibilities. Found your passion but haven’t been
successful making a living at it? Don’t give up. Keep trying,
and try again, until you succeed. Success doesn’t come easy,
so giving up early is a sure way to fail. Keep trying, and you’ll
get there.
What I’ve outlined here is a lot of work … but it will be the
best investment you’ve ever made. Follow your passion,
and you will be truly happy and incredibly fulfilled. I wish
you the wildest successes of your wildest dreams!
Leo Babauta is a writer, a marathoner, an early riser, a vegan, and a father
of six. He blogs regularly about achieving goals through daily habits on Zen
Habits, and covers such topics as productivity, GTD, simplifying, frugality,
parenting, happiness, motivation, exercise, eating healthy and more.
www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/how-to-find-your-passion.html
REDUNDANCY: PLAN YOUR PAYOUT
Paul Clitheroe
With the business sector beginning to look like a war zone, job security is no longer a sure thing and none of us is safe from the
dreaded tap on the shoulder. Stay calm and make a careful plan for your redundancy payout.
Being made redundant can be one of life’s most traumatic
events, but charting a clear course is more eﬀective than
hitting the panic button.
Most laid-oﬀ workers receive a redundancy payout
comprised largely of unused annual leave plus severance
pay, measured as a number of weeks’ wages.
The golden rule with any such payment is to think first and
spend later. There’s no knowing how long the money will
need to last.
Park it in a cash-management account or online savings
account, where it can safely earn between four and five per
cent. This will also give you valuable breathing space to
decide how to use the cash while considering job options.
Be careful about using large chunks of a payout to reduce
debts such as your home loan. I’m all for paying oﬀ debt, but
unless you have a job lined up you need to be as financially
ﬂexible as possible.
That said, if you can get rid of a high-interest credit-card debt,
you should. Once you get a job, you may want to pump any
money left over from your payout into your home loan.
With a clear idea of how much you have, you can plan your
finances to see you through to re-employment. A budget is
an essential tool here.
Be prepared to slash non-essential spending. If you don’t do
it now, you may be forced to significantly tighten your belt
further down the track.
Get in touch with Centrelink as soon as possible to register
for benefits.
If you’re under 21, you may be eligible for Youth Allowance.
Those too young for the age pension can register for
Newstart Allowance, though this is subject to an income
and an assets test.
The rate is around $450 a fortnight for a single person with
no kids.
Be aware that if your payout includes a component of annual
leave, sick leave or long-service leave, Centrelink may delay
the date on which you can begin to receive benefits.
With these steps taken care of, you’re likely to know how
much you have to live on until you find work.
One of the biggest headaches facing retrenched workers is
keeping up the monthly mortgage repayments.
If you’re ahead with your loan payments, you may be able to
claw back some of the funds via a redraw facility.
If that’s not the case, and meeting the repayments is likely
to be a struggle, see if you can renegotiate the loan.
Lenders will often try to work out a solution, and under the
consumer credit code you should be able to request a delay or
restructuring of repayments, or an extension of the loan term.
Your bank may also let you switch to interest-only
repayments.
All these options are likely to involve fees and charges as
well as dragging your mortgage out a bit longer-but if you’re
in financial survival mode, that’s likely to be a secondary
concern.
As a last resort, you may be eligible for the NSW Government’s
mortgage assistance scheme, under which the Government
makes loan repayments to the lender on your behalf.
Conditions apply, though. To be eligible, your mortgage
must be below $50,000 and your annual income less than
$90,000. The maximum help you can expect to receive is
$20,000 a year.
To find out more, visit www.housing.nsw.gov.au or call
1800 806 65.
Paul Clitheroe is a founding director of financial planning
firm ipac, chairman of the Federal Government’s Financial
Literacy Foundation and chief commentator for Money
Magazine.
Paul’s tips
• Avoid making hasty decisions about how you’ll use a
redundancy payment
• Parking your payout in a cash management account or
online saver lets you earn interest of around 4% to 5%
while providing valuable breathing space
• Be careful about using a large chunk of the payout to
reduce debt. This could leave you strapped for cash if you
don’t land another job quickly
• Take stock of your overall savings and draft up a budget
to see you through to re-employment
• Get in touch with Centrelink early. Any unused leave
component of your redundancy payout could delay the
time it takes to receive any benefits
• If you are struggling to make interest repayments talk to
your lender before they start calling you
Note: While this article was originally written for a NSW
audience, check your local state government website for other
assistance programs.
Source: Clitheroe, P, 2008
Redundancy: Plan Your Payout - viewed 4 February 2009
www.careerone.com.au/news-advice/job-hunting-advice
Beyond Tomorrow
15
CAREER PLANNING - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Kate Southam
If you are planning to change careers, begin by researching the options available to you. Research sources include books,
websites, career expos, newspapers and professional or industry groups.
Websites
Career Proﬁle Library features hundreds of articles
profiling people and their jobs. The A-Z list is incredibly
varied. As real people were interviewed for the stories, the
Career Profile Library provides real life advice on why a
particular job is satisfying.
My Future is one of my favourite Websites. A collaboration
between the Federal Government and State and Territory
Governments, this site provides a snapshot of what is
involved in diﬀerent job roles. Go to the home page, click
on The Facts (top right), then Occupations then type in the
job role that interests you. This will bring up a profile. You
can then drill down to State/Territory specific information.
Job Outlook is a section of the Australian government
site Job Search. It provides top level information on
the demand for a certain skill set and the salary range
for specific job roles. Job Explorer is another section
of the same site. It breaks down job roles into skills and
knowledge required, tasks and related job roles.
Job Juice is predominately aimed at young people and
is great for school students. Sections include “Choose a
direction”; available support programs, a young person’s
rights at work and more.
Job Guide enables parents to download a special advice
guide on how to help their child make career decisions.
Also check the Wednesday and Saturday employment
sections of newspapers and clip any career profile that
interests you.
Books/DVDs
Career FAQs is an excellent book series. Each book focuses
on a diﬀerent career option and the reason I like these
books is because they are so comprehensive and draw
on ‘real’ information from ‘real people’. The Career FAQs
team assigns a diﬀerent author to each book who then
interviews ‘real’ people either doing the job or employing
people doing the job. It looks at the tasks involved in a
particular job, the education and training required, career
path information and much, much more. There are more
than 40 titles including books on accounting, banking,
publishing, nursing, digital media, teaching, psychology,
design, advertising, health, building and construction,
marketing - and the list goes on. There are also specialty
titles such as Work from Home, Going Global, Extreme
and Saving the World.
What Color is Your Parachute? by Richard Bolles (note the
American spelling of color/colour) is still considered the
“bible” of career choice. However, browse the ‘business’
or ‘personal development’ aisle of your local bookstore for
other titles. Australia has many good home grown authors
as well.
16
LEADING THE WAY T H E MAG A Z I N E F O R O F F I C E P R O F E S SIONALS
Manage Your Own Career by Victorian-based Warren
Frehse and published by Pearson Prentice Hall is full of
good ideas. The book includes a ‘career check up’ to help
you bring a sense of “... energy, renewal, and a sense of
purpose back into your working life.” The book also
promises practical steps and real life case studies to help
you work out what type of work is a ‘natural’ fit for you,
how to tap into your ‘hidden talents’ and transform midcareer into satisfying solutions’.
Another good source is Bill Lang’s DVD Winning the Career
You Deserve.
Specialist Advice
There is also quite a bit of specialist career information
around. For example, famous music director John Foreman
has written Your Guide to Unlocking the Australian
Music Industry, the CSIRO have a Website on careers in
the food industry and the Australian Institute of Food
Science has FoodWorX about science careers in the food
and beverage industry.
Associations are often very active in providing information
on career options. Also, some associations oﬀer discounted
membership to university students and graduates. What
better way to make valuable contacts?
There are too many associations to mention here in full
but some examples would be:
•
Australian Computer Society
•
Public Relations Institute of Australia
•
Australian Institute of Marketing
•
Engineers Australia and
•
Australian Human Resources Institute .
•
Australian Institute of Oﬃce Professionals
Some professions or sectors have several associations
such as accounting:
•
Institute of Chartered Accountants of Australia
•
www.ﬂyhigher.com
(The ICAA’s site for school students and grads)
•
National Institute of Accountants
•
CPA Australia
Libraries
Make use of the State Library or regional reference
library nearest to you. Australian libraries keep Australian
yearbooks, magazines, books and newspapers published
in a particular State or Territory. For example, if you were
interested in media then the State Library is the place
to go to view an otherwise costly tome like the B&T
Yearbook, which lists all the advertising agencies and
media organisations in Australia. There are a great many
industry directories and trade magazines that provide a
great source of information on people, companies and
trends in a given industry sector. Make use of our libraries.
Career Shows
Use the Career Diary section of careerone.com.au to
check out the dates for career shows in your State. When
you visit a Career Expo, make sure you quiz exhibitors
about the job roles and career paths they oﬀer; entry level
positions as well as mid-career change entry roles; training
and development opportunities and the roles they
anticipate will be most in demand in their industry. You
will find a link to Career Diary in the left hand navigation
column.
Graduates
Recruiting season for gradatess is getting earlier every year
but March to May is peak career show season. Don’t wait
until your final year to start attending shows and grilling
employers on the career paths they oﬀer and what they
want graduates to oﬀer in return.
People you meet
When you meet people doing interesting jobs, don’t be
shy about asking questions. Most people love talking
about themselves and what they do.
Key questions would be:
1. What’s involved in your job?
2. What sort of qualifications and personality traits do
you need to succeed at the job?
. How did you get your job?
Study options
The TAFE handbook can be found at most news agencies
or use the Internet to find your closest TAFE. University
websites are also a great source of information.
Printed with kind permission.
Kate Southam,
Editor of careerone.com.au
Beyond Tomorrow
17
PHYSIOGNOMY IN THE WORKPLACE©
Sylvia Marina
Face reading, as it is known is a tool that assists us to better understand ourselves and to be more conscious of our communication
and interactions with others. ‘Physiognomy’ the art of understanding faces is the study and interpretation of a person’s face.
Swiss pastor Johan Caspar Lavater (1741-1801) wrote “Essays
on Physiognomy for the promotion of the knowledge and the
love of mankind”. Originally in German language this was
translated into English by Thomas Holcroft at the beginning
of nineteenth century.
My formal study of Faces began when I was studying health
sciences. I came across the work of Michio Kushi ‘what your
face reveals about you and your health’. As I studied the
face from a wellness point of view, my interest increased to
discover the face reveals so much more than just the health
of the body!
Johan Casper Lavater was regarded as the founder of
the modern Physiognomy for his tremendous work in
this subject. These essays became a *vade mecum “to be
consulted when hiring staﬀ, making friends and establishing
business relations”.
Making a decision to employ or be employed, adopt, partner
or marry, has always been a huge undertaking. The belief
that there are facial guides to moral disposition and their
application to the workplace, persist today.
If Face Reading is an important issue for employers, it is
even more important for workers. To better know your
boss from the very beginning will help you to give a better
impression on the first meeting with him/her. This is even
more important if both are opposite at key characteristics
such as race, sex, politics, etc...
On the other hand, to
have by the same way a good relationship with your work
colleagues will help you to raise your career by profiting
from creating alliances, developing synergies, etc...
What about the customers? If you have work related with
sales, you soon learn that diﬀerent customers need diﬀerent
tactics. At first glace, understanding their modus operandi
would be an advantage!
Mmm, and about the person who sits opposite you at the
breakfast table? And those who share your personal space!
How better would you understand your spouse, children,
adopted and step children, your family, and colleagues
if you knew what their structure meant. Physiognomy is
not about reading expression, it is about understanding
structure.
Understanding what the inverted ‘V’ of the eyebrow means!
Full lips in conversation with thin lips, ﬂared nostrils, no ﬂare
… Your face never lies, the truth of who you are is written
for all to see. Extreme high positioned ears versus mid or
low position. Why not understand who you truly are not the
person you became through other people’s expectations
and conditioning.
If, for example, you are trained to do analytical tasks and you
have high arched eyebrows you would need to find harmony
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LEADING THE WAY T H E MAG A Z I N E F O R O F F I C E P R O F E S SIONALS
for your life outside of your analytical thinking environment.
Otherwise you will exhaust yourself searching and trying to
exact the work/life balance; life for you becomes a constant
internal anxiety through to physical and/or vocal drama.
Your learned behaviour is to be ‘in control’. Actually your
natural instinct yearns for spontaneity and excitement.
Face Reading helps you to understand your customers:
who they are, how they think, where they come from, how
to address them, what they like or dislike, how they behave
in certain situations.
Physiognomy, the art of understanding faces and people,
gives you the tools for open communication, to recognise
another’s needs, what they want and how they want it (for
example what to do or not do in a certain situation), what will
be more suitable for them, etc... this creates synergies among
colleagues, contributing to a more eﬀective and productive
team. It limits potential conﬂicts, avoids disputes, eliminates
sarcasm, increases productive communication, generates
happy individuals and harmonies in the workplace.
An understanding of your face structure, increases selfesteem by understanding and appreciating your individual
unique features and DNA is, the way it is, and at certain
times in a person’s life they wish some aspects were
diﬀerent. With deeper understanding of yourself you learn
to appreciate your qualities and take advantage of them.
When you understand the truth of ‘’who you truly are’’ your
confidence increases. No more hesitation, no more guessing
about your career or life purpose. Once you know who you
truly are, you understand your talents and choose careers
that are meaningful and satisfying.
*vade mecum “a useful handbook carried about for reference’’
Sylvia Marina
International speaker and master workshop leader Sylvia
Marina is a charismatic educator, regaling audiences with
eye-opening moments of new awareness. She captures the
audience attention.
Her interactive presentation increases communication,
both during and after your event. Essential interpersonal
skills for all relationships, personnel to client, team building,
leadership, management.
Tel:
Int Tel:
E:
W:
Post:
(08) 9457 76
+61 8 9457 76
speaker@sylviamarina.com
www.sylviamarina.com
PO Box 755
Applecross WA 615
SYLVIA MARINA PRESENTATION REVIEW
PHYSIOGNOMY – FACE LANGUAGE
Debra Barber
Sylvia Marina presented on the topic of “Physiognomy Face Language” at the launch of the AIOP WA Division
Oﬃce Professional of the Year Awards on Tuesday February 2009. Sylvia’s presentation was informative
and entertaining with no-one leaving the function
without taking away some new found knowledge and
having a good laugh.
In her presentation, Sylvia covered many aspects of the
face and how we are able to tell certain things about a
person from their facial characteristics. These were a
few of the diﬀerent aspects Sylvia covered on the night:
Shape of the Face
Square face: These people have a natural confidence
but not a lot of patience.
Long-narrow face: These people have a learned
confidence. Take time to educate them, they learn
quickly and they will be forever grateful!
Round face: These people need to remember that not
everybody just knows!
Brows
The long-straight brow, the Chevron Brow (inverted V)
and the high arched brow. One point that stuck out
was that people with the Chevron brow need to satisfy
their creativity and fulfil this aspect in their personality.
Brows are the emotional part of your life so keep yourself
healthy and happy and devote time to your creativity.
Also, it was amazing how many people in the room saw
to be true that people they know or work with that have
a high-arched brow tend to be drama queens! hook
nose has great benefits! You know how to make money
and how to manage it well. Do you know anybody like
this?
Space Between the Eyes
By measuring the width of your eye and bringing
that measurement across to receive a corresponding
measurement between the eyes. There were three
possibilities:
Same: Even focus – these people are fine and see both
sides of the story.
Narrow: Narrow focus – within stressful situations, these
people need to broaden their view making it deeper.
Wider: Broad focus – these people look at life as if it
were a landscape. Under stress you need to bring your
experience into manageable focus and sometimes make
it smaller.
The Nose
The nose tells a whole diﬀerent story again! With a short
nose meaning that you like to have fun first and enjoy
the fun in everything. A long nose means you are good
in business while the hook nose has great benefits! You
know how to make money and how to manage it well.
Do you know anybody like this?
Beneath the Nose
If you have a deep groove underneath the nose and it is
prominent then you are sexy and naturally learn new skills.
As each of us studied the diﬀerent aspects of the faces
of those on our tables, there was much chatter and
realisation to see that the art of reading face language is an
insightful skill to possess! What a wonderful presentation
it was and hopefully the members who couldn’t make it
have gained something from these points.
Debra Barber is a Member of the WA Division of AIOP and
2008-09 Program Convenor. Debra runs her own business
“On-line Personal Assistants”. For further information visit
www.opas.com.au or email dbarber@opas.com.au.
Beyond Tomorrow
19
20
LEADING THE WAY T H E MAG A Z I N E F O R O F F I C E P R O F E S SIONALS
REACH FOR THE STARS
Tricia Margrie
Failing to plan is planning to fail – so to help enhance your career achievements you need to plan how to get there.
How do you get to where it is you want to go? How do you
achieve things - professionally and personally? Do you ﬂy by
the seat of your pants, hope for the best and perhaps end
up disappointed because you didn’t get what you wanted?
Or do you think about what you want to achieve and how
to go about it? In other words, you set goals.
Goal setting when done correctly, will enable you to
methodically work your way towards achieving your desired
outcome(s). And a way to help set goals correctly is to make
them SMART goals. Each goal should address the following
criteria:
S pecific
M easurable
A ttainable
R ealistic
T imely
and equally important your goals should be written down!
Speciﬁc
Goals should clearly identify what you want to happen.
Specific details will help you to focus your eﬀorts and define
what you are going to do. Start by documenting what you are
going to do. Use action words such as organise, coordinate,
build and lead for example. Why is this important to you at
this time and what do you want to accomplish? The why
of your goal will be your motivation to be successful. And
how are you going to do it? For example, a young footballer
wants to be chosen by a league team at the national draft
- how will he do this? By training more often and harder,
improving his strengths and weaknesses of his game.
Realistic
This means ‘do-able’ not ‘easy’! You may be taken out of
your comfort zone, however the skills required to do the
work are available to you. Your knowledge and skill will
be tested but it won’t break you. Devising a plan of how
to achieve your goal makes it realistic. Although your goal
must be ‘do-able’, be sure to set the bar high enough for a
satisfying achievement.
Timeframe
You should also set a timeframe for your goal. Putting an
end point on your goal gives you a clear target to work
towards. If you don’t set a timeframe, your commitment will
be too vague and you will find there is no urgency to start
taking action now. The timeframe must also be measurable,
attainable and realistic.
So whether you are setting goals for your professional
or personal life, ensure they meet the SMART criteria and
write them down! Be sure to refer to them often, measure
your progress and update if required. Because we all know
how quickly things can change in today’s fast paced world
and your goals should match your life!
Also published in ExecutivePA Magazine,
Feb/Mar 2009.
Trisha Margrie, MAIOP
National Business Development Oﬃcer
Measurable
Your goals need to have measurable progress so you can
see the change occur. If you can’t measure it, you can’t
manage it. How will you know if you have reached your
goal? Be specific! I want to increase the number of onehanded pushups I can do in one minute by the end of the
month. Just wanting to get better at doing pushups is not as
measurable. Also by establishing set criteria you will be able
to measure your progress, stay on track and spur yourself
on from the achievements you have made along the way.
Attainable
If you set a goal that is too far out of your reach it will be
very diﬃcult to commit to doing. However a goal that will
stretch you (take you out of your comfort zone) but with
commitment you feel you can do it, will be attainable.
You will begin to develop the skills, attitudes and financial
capacity necessary to reach your goals. The feeling of
success which this brings helps you to remain motivated as
well!
Beyond Tomorrow
21
MEMORY TECHNIQUES TO GET AHEAD IN LIFE
Greg Frost
Forget your grocery list, people’s names, or directions often? Well believe it or not, you don’t have to be blessed at birth
with a photographic memory. After following just a few simple techniques, it’s possible for anyone to enjoy an increased
memory capacity. Here are various types of photographic memory techniques to hone your memory skills.
Memory techniques are very simple, and can be used to
improve your mind and your life. Learn how to enhance
your mind to impress your friends or your boss for that
pay raise!
Imagine being able to remember your grocery list
eﬀortlessly, without rote memorisation! The human mind
is complex, and with understanding and some memory
techniques you will find that knowledge is ingrained in
your mind, and recalling it will be a breeze.
Connection Technique
The connection technique creates meaning or a link to
an event or fact that you know, thus allowing you to
recall it easily. An advantage of this memory technique
is that it makes use of common information that you
know and thus makes it unlikely for you to forget the
information once the meaning has been attached. For
example, it is easier to recall an address of 2612 Memory
Walk, by linking it to Boxing Day, which falls on the 26th
December.
Mind Mapping
An equally easy and potent technique for training your
mind is through mind mapping, which is based on how
we think and recall information. This memory technique
uses your entire brain by linking ideas and processes.
By forcing you to put down on paper your thoughts, it
forces you to focus your full attention to the information.
The usage of visuals through colours and pictures also
reinforces memory.
Repetition
This is a simple technique often used to remember
something by focusing your entire attention on it. The use
of repetition entrenches the information in your long term
memory. By doing so, you are able to avoid the common
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LEADING THE WAY T H E MAG A Z I N E F O R O F F I C E P R O F E S SIONALS
mistakes many people make – forgetting things because
they did not remember them in the first place.
Mnemonics
Mnemonics are a form of memory tool that trains your
entire mind to store and retrieve information through
the use of association. Language is an important aspect
of recalling information, and mnemonics in the form of
rhymes or familiar trigger words can serve as resources
to your mind. You can link the main ideas or information
that you need to remember in a story, or via the use of
acronyms. An example would be Roy Of York Gave Birth
in Vain, an acronym for the colours of the rainbow – Red,
Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo and Violet.
Simple day to day activities such as reading is also a
great way to improve your memory by exercising your
mind. By learning and using any of the techniques
above, you will soon find yourself able to rely on your
mind more than ever. The capacity of our memory is
virtually unlimited, and by matching new information to
things already in our memory, you will be able to train
your mind into being a reliable store of data.
Printed with kind permission.
Greg Frost
About The Author
Greg Frost is a leading innovator in the memory
field, and he specialises in helping people improve
and develop their photographic memory. To find
out more on how to deal with memory loss, learn
advanced memory techniques, and have all your
questions regarding memory answered, visit this site:
www.photographic-memory.org
whatever office products
you are looking for, our friendly
service helps making your
choice a lot easier.
visit www.officechoice.com.au
for your nearest store
THE POWER OF INFORMAL RECOGNITION
In today’s workplace, many oﬃce professionals say informal recognition for a job well done is a great morale builder.
Here are some tips for recognising and rewarding achievement.
Most organisations have some way of publicly
recognising major achievements. A lot of this recognition
takes place during the scheduled awards segment of a
monthly or quarterly company meeting. The CEO, or one
of the department heads, reads a prepared description
of the noteworthy deed, and then the person being
recognised stands for a round of applause.
This kind of formal recognition is important, but it
falls short in a few areas. First, the achievements being
recognised are likely to be several weeks old, if not
older. Second, this type of recognition is generally
reserved only for major accomplishments. Third, since
some company functions inherently have a higher
profile than others, the same groups of people tend to
be recognised over and over.
Real-world recognition
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to shut down
the business for an hour and herd the whole company
into an auditorium to recognise achievement. The true
power of recognition is hidden in the spontaneous,
informal celebration of achievement within your own
department or team. Instead of waiting for the next
company meeting, recognise outstanding behaviour
when and where it happens.
Suppose you found out that one of your network
engineers was paged early this morning when one of
the servers crashed. Try picking up a bag of bagels or
doughnuts on your way to work, and then walk down
her hallway, pulling several of her co-workers out of their
oﬃces along the way. Then, thank her sincerely in front
of her peers for making the whole team look good by
getting to the oﬃce and getting the server back online
so quickly. The whole aﬀair will cost you about five
dollars and fifteen minutes of your time. But you’ll be
hard-pressed to find a way to build more camaraderie
or earn more goodwill.
Eﬀective recognition must be aimed at a speciﬁc
accomplishment
Don’t waste your time naming an “Employee of the
Month” or other such arbitrary designation that doesn’t
mean anything to anyone. There are plenty of real
victories out there to celebrate, and they come in all
sizes. Do lots of little things for the people on your team,
as well as providing some medium-and large-scale
rewards.
Don’t lose sight of the importance of cash, as there’s
always going to be a place for bonus checks and
other forms of monetary reward for outstanding
behaviour. But there are many other ways to reward
deserving employees, and they need not be expensive.
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LEADING THE WAY T H E MAG A Z I N E F O R O F F I C E P R O F E S SIONALS
Gift certificates to restaurants, a round of golf, or an
afternoon oﬀ — gestures like these can be extremely
powerful. If you know the members of your team as
well as you should, you can customise rewards that will
really hit the mark. Use your contacts to get great tickets
for a concert or a ball game that will thrill one of your
outstanding employees. Once you figure out exactly
how to reward individual members of your team, you’ll
probably discover that the giving is as rewarding as the
receiving.
Rewarding the low proﬁle player
Many companies have a key individual within the
organisation who is great at what he/she does, and who
is highly regarded by his/her co-workers, but who never
gets any recognition. Perhaps he/she has low-profile
duties, or you never notice the great job he/she is doing
because they are doing it right. If this is the case with
someone you work with, do something about it!
These are exactly the kind of people that need to be
recognised, for two reasons. First of all, they deserve it.
Second, they are surrounded by co-workers who think
the world of them, and they’re confused as to why your
organisation doesn’t reward people who so obviously
deserve.
To remedy this all-too-common situation, start by
showing up at lunchtime with an armload of pizzas, and
declare that lunch today is in honour of the outstanding
employee. You’ll be sending the message that you’re
plugged in enough to know how important this person
is to your team and your organisation.
Recognition is one of the most powerful, yet
underutilised, tools in the manager’s tool bag. Reward
outstanding behaviour when and where it occurs, do it
creatively, and target it to the person being recognised.
You’ll be amazed at the resulting increase in team
morale and overall productivity.
Source – In Touch
NSW Division Newsletter June 2008
THE WHY, HOW AND HOW NOT OF
360-DEGREE FEEDBACK
Joan Lloyd
A 60-Degree Feedback Process is a great tool for giving leaders clear feedback from their peers, employees, and managers. It
creates strong motivation and specific focus to improve skills and performance.
Competencies are clearly spelled out expectations for a
certain role (a leader) or a job (sales associate). They go far
beyond a job description to create a template for “ideal”
performance. This tool can then be used for things such as
hiring, day-to-day coaching, training and development and
performance reviews.
Once individuals know what the expected competencies
are, the next question is, “How am I doing on them now?”
Many organisations put these competencies into a format
that can be used as a feedback instrument. Then they use
the instrument (survey) to gather “60-degree feedback”.
This refers to getting feedback from people all around you;
your boss, your peers and your employees.
Gathering feedback from colleagues has many advantages.
In addition to receiving valuable feedback from your
manager, it’s also extremely valuable to know what peers
and employees think. Receiving 60-degree feedback is
more comprehensive and less prone to individual bias, since
there are multiple perspectives. For example, a manager,
who may have thought that his boss was just being picky
about his communication skills, will begin to take it seriously
when everyone around him is also suggesting that he needs
improvement in that area.
But there are pitfalls to avoid when developing and
implementing competencies and a feedback system like
this. If it isn’t done well, the damage control will overshadow
any good that may have come from it. Here are some things
to consider:
• Create a participatory process, where representatives help
to establish the competencies and how they will be used.
If this process is done “to them,” rather than by giving
them some control, there will be more resistance during
implementation.
• Make the competencies as specific to the job as possible.
The more generic they are the less eﬀective they will
be. In addition, the competencies need to be written
in behavioural language, so everyone knows what the
competency means. For example, instead of “Eﬀective
sales skills,” include some behaviours, such as, “Builds trust
through accountability, honesty and follow-through,”
or “Looks for additional ways to help clients solve their
business problems before, during and after the sale,” or
“Makes realistic commitments for themselves and the team,
and does what it takes to keep those commitments.”
• Use the feedback for coaching and development rather
than for a performance review or to weed out ineﬀective
managers. Although it can eventually be folded into the
performance review process, it creates less defensiveness
if people have a chance to work on their skill gaps
before they are evaluated on them. It isn’t fair to surprise
employees with a performance review on expectations
they haven’t seen before.
• No matter how open your organisation’s culture is, people
are reluctant to be honest unless they can give feedback
anonymously. Later, if managers are genuinely willing to
discuss their feedback openly, individuals will come forward
with their personal feedback and advice. For this reason,
most 60-degree feedback processes are conducted
utilising an online survey tool, created and administered
by an independent third party experienced in 60-degree
feedback processes. This experienced consultant will
create your customised 60-degree feedback tool and
guide you through the process, including independently
gathering and tabulating the feedback for each manager.
• Give the data and any summary report back to the
manager, not to their boss. Hold managers accountable
for creating an action plan that they will co-develop with
their manager. The plan should include how they plan to
leverage their top strengths and how they plan to improve
their weaker areas. The plan should also include how the
boss can help with that development.
• An overall report on the organisation’s strengths and
development needs can be used to determine what the
training priorities are, what should be included in a core
curriculum and where training dollars should be spent.
• An independent third party can also provide help to a
manager who is struggling with his/her feedback and
what to do about it. If they are unfavourably surprised by
what their peers or employees think, they will probably
appreciate guidance in how to approach their colleagues
for more clarity.
• Managers should meet with their manager at least once
a year to go over their action plan and discuss progress.
The best career development happens on the job, so it’s
important that managers play an active role by coaching
their employee, giving them new and challenging
assignments that will play to their strengths and develop
weaker areas.
Companies are realising that more sophisticated performance
management has a bottom-line pay oﬀ and individuals are
demanding more coaching and development on the job.
Systems like these can be a win/win for everyone.
Printed with kind permission.
Joan Lloyd
Joan Lloyd is an executive coach, management consultant,
facilitator and professional trainer. Email your question to
Joan at info@joanlloyd.com.
Visit www.JoanLloyd.com to search an archive of more
than 100 of Joan’s articles. (800) 48-1944
© Joan Lloyd & Associates, Inc.
Beyond Tomorrow
25
EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Carole Hutchens
2009 is a year of lasting achievements for self improvement and self knowledge.
Whether you follow Western or Chinese astrology, 2009
is a year of eclipses when we gain new insights into our
lives. Now is the time to consider education and learning.
Whether learning something new or improving your
existing knowledge, there is a wide range of courses
available to meet the need. A one day course may start
a new hobby or interest. This interest can be further
developed through formal study and can lead to increased
opportunities at work, taking your career to a new and
exciting level. For instance an interest in photography will
not only improve your family and holiday photographs, but
also lead to work in a related field of employment where
your photographic skills and experience add background
to your administrative skills. Many future employees
require administrative skills as administration is now often
everyone’s responsibility.
Undertaking further studies will keep you up to date with
changing trends such as those in oﬃce administration, or
to develop new expertise. As an Administration Oﬃcer I
undertook a Graduate Certificate of Business Information
(Electronic Records Management) to gain a better
understanding of this new area. Recognition of my existing
knowledge and expertise resulted in gaining credit for half
the course, enabling me to complete the remaining units
in one year, gaining all Distinctions. During the year, my
position changed to pick up Public Relations duties. My
previous experience with organising AIOP functions and
a short course in Journalism led to the opportunity to do
this! I am now formalising my public relations knowledge
with a Graduate Diploma in Public Relations. At the
completion of this course I will have increased knowledge
and experience in two diﬀerent areas where I can take my
career to the next step while utilising my administrative
skills.
AIOP can oﬀer education tailored to oﬃce and
administration work while still allowing you to “specialise”
and increase your knowledge of marketing, law or
accounting etc through its agreement with Charles Sturt
University. You can study AIOP/CSU Certificate of Business
(4 units, of which 2 are available as recognition of current
skills experience); AIOP/CSU Diploma of Business (an
additional 4 units of which 1 is available as RPL). Included
are several pathways where marketing or accounting
studies can be pursued right up to Bachelor Degree of
Business Studies (Administration). The list of subject
choices in each course is on the AIOP website.
A shorter, one year course is oﬀered by Swinburne
University of Technology – a Graduate Certificate in Business
(Executive Administration). There are three compulsory
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LEADING THE WAY T H E MAG A Z I N E F O R O F F I C E P R O F E S SIONALS
units and one elective. AIOP has an agreement with
Swinburne for AIOP members to receive free textbooks.
The Institute is also pursuing a national agreement with
Train to Succeed, an organisation which looks at your
existing skills and experience and advises on educational
qualifications you qualify or nearly qualify for. Train to
Succeed is a registered training organisation which can
provide the on-line learning required to complete the
qualification. This is an excellent opportunity to formalise
your skills and experience without committing to a long
program of study.
Many organisations will help fund an education program
where the course of study provides benefits to the
organisation as well as the employee. Some organisations
will fund your studies while others will refund for the cost
of study on successful completion of each unit.
In 2009 you have an opportunity to make this a year
of lasting achievements in self improvement and self
knowledge whether personal or career oriented.
Carole Hutchens, AOP DipIPSA FAIOP
National Education / Professional Development Oﬃcer,
SA Division
GET YOUR BODY BUZZING
Julie Meeks
Think your body’s not performing to its potential? It might be time to change the petrol you are using.
Have you ever tried eating 20-0 diﬀerent foods every day? It
is not an easy job but the food we eat gives your body fuel to
function. When we don’t give our bodies the right type and
amount of foods, it’s like trying to run our car on unleaded
petrol when we should have used leaded petrol. We should
be consuming between 20-0 foods every day to ensure an
adequate amount and variety of essential nutrients. Most
of us perform the bulk of our work, recreation and family
obligations between 7am and 6pm, yet many people insist
on eating the majority of their food after 6pm. Our muscles
and brain cells thrive on having a steady, constant supply
of fuel available and this means it’s really important to eat
regularly and not skip meals.
Many people try and take a short cut and get their energy
from elsewhere. ‘Energy drinks’ such as Red Bull, V, Lift Plus
and Black Stallion have ﬂooded the market with a vengeance.
These products have been promoted to various groups but
primarily appeal to athletes, children and teenagers.
However, a newspaper recently reported on an incident
that indicates they might be attracting an entirely new
target group. Armed robbers.
“A youth’s heavy consumption of the energy drink Red
Bull could explain (but not excuse) in part why he robbed
a supermarket at knifepoint, a judge said yesterday. The
court was told that before the robbery the youth was
drinking up to 11 cans of Red Bull per day which would put
him in a state of caﬀeine intoxication leading to impaired
judgement and delirium”.
Most authorities agree that the safe daily upper limit for
caﬀeine is 00mg for the average person. Eleven cans of
Red Bull contain 880 mg.
There is no doubt that caﬀeine is a stimulant and can give us
some energy but it cannot be sustained and it is obviously
not advisable to head down the track of the armed robber.
The human body uses several types of fuel - protein (from
our muscles), fat (stored as fatty tissue) and carbohydrate
(stored as glycogen in the muscles and liver). The main fuel
for our brain is carbohydrate, stored as glycogen in the liver
and muscles. When stores are low, blood sugar levels are
also low. This is when we feel tired and lacking in energy,
making daily living, especially exercise – very diﬃcult.
Foods rich in carbohydrate include bread, pasta, rice, potato,
fruit, cereals, milk and yoghurt. Some of these foods need
to be eaten at each meal to give our brain and muscles a
continuous supply of fuel.
Despite popular belief and current diet trends, there is no
merit in having a diet with no or little carbohydrate as this
will result in fatigue and does not promote fat loss in the
long term.
The F Word
You can aﬀord to eat a much larger volume of food if your
fat intake is reduced
Bowl of pasta with tomato based sauce 3g of fat
Big Mac with regular fries
52.5g of fat
Chicken and Salad Roll
4.5 g of fat
The importance of eating can often take a backseat when
times are tough but this is when a good diet will benefit us
most - to give us the endurance we need to get through it all.
Printed with kind permission.
Julie Meek.
Julie Meek is degree qualified in nutrition and health
promotion and is an Accredited Practising Dietitian and
member of the National Speakers Association Australia.
Julie coaches corporate and sporting teams in how to be
their best with good food.
julie@juliemeek.com.au
www.juliemeek.com.au
0411 188 996
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LEADING THE WAY T H E MAG A Z I N E F O R O F F I C E P R O F E S SIONALS
TRACK CHANGES IN YOUR DOCUMENTS
Have you ever emailed a document to the boss or a colleague so they could review it only to have the file returned to
you barely recognisable because that person made a lot of changes to the text or formatting? I know how tempting
it is to just hand them a printout and a red pen and let them have at it versus sending out your precious electronic
document. Inexperienced hands can turn a few changes into a revision nightmare.
But you can avoid these types of problems by using
Word’s Track Changes feature. Track Changes allows you
to lock a document so that the recipient can make all the
changes they want and Word will keep watch over your
treasured work by tracking all the modifications done to
the file. When it returns to you, you can jump through
it and accept or reject each of the changes made to the
document.
This is especially useful if the editor attempts to apply
direct formatting changes to your file rather than using
proper styles.
Track Changes notations will tell you what has been
done so you can adjust the formatting without ending
up with a mess of styles and manual formatting.
Even better, you can also apply a password to the Track
Changes lock so no one can attempt to turn it oﬀ unless
they know your password. Additionally, if more than one
person will be reviewing the file, diﬀerent colors will be
used for additional editors so you can see who did what.
To start using Track Changes, click Tools > Protect
Document. (In Word 2007, click the Review tab on the
ribbon and click Track Changes.) If you are using Word
2000, click Track Changes on the dialog box that displays.
Enter a password if you wish and click OK. If you are using
Word 2002 or 200, the Task Pane will appear.
Click the checkmark under item 2: Editing Restrictions.
Click the drop down and choose Track Changes. Then
click the Start Enforcing button that will appear. A dialog
box will display where you can enter a password. If you
don’t want to use one, ignore it and just click OK to
dismiss the dialog box and start the tracking.
Now, if someone adds a word, it will be
underlined. If they delete something, it’ll be
crossed out. If they make formatting changes,
it’ll be noted. Note! Formatting changes cannot
be tracked in Word 2000. Additionally, in
newer versions of Word, you can also restrict
changes to formatting by choosing the
item 1: Formatting Restrictions.
When your document is returned, click
Tools > Track Changes (or the Review
tab in 2007) to access the accept/reject
features.
Important note! Be sure to accept or
reject all changes before emailing the
file to a client so private comments
cannot be seen by others.
Printed with kind permission
Reprinted from The Executary,
the monthly newsletter of the
Association of Executive and
Administrative Professionals
by permission of the editor.
For more information,
visit www.theaeap.com
To laugh often and much;
to win the respect of intelligent people and the aﬀection of children
to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;
to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better,
whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition;
to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived
This is to have succeeded
Ralph Waldo Emmerson
Beyond Tomorrow
29
7TH INTERNATIONAL OFFICE
PROFESSIONALS SUMMIT (IOPS)
Trinidad & Tobago and NAAP will be hosting the 7th International Oﬃce Professionals Summit from 28th June – rd July 2009. The
purpose of the Summit is to bring together oﬃce professionals from all over the world to receive information and establish action plans
that will impact the profession. In 2009, the Summit will ratify the Strategic Plan which was put forward in 2006 in Qld, Australia.
The theme of the Summit is “Reaching for the Stars…….
The Sky is the Limit” with the tagline “Leaving a Legacy”.
These participants will also be able to provide some critical
feed back to the Association leaders which will assist them
with their decision-making.
The logo, theme and tagline were developed to encompass
the core values of accountability, respect, integrity and
team spirit.
The Summit will formally commence with an open forum
where delegates and participants will be exposed to a “soulsearching” day of Professional Development Workshops.
Over the next three days, discussions will focus on topics
currently being proposed to the International Advisory
Committee from Members worldwide. The groups will
continue discussions and bring back to plenary sessions
their conclusions. At this forum the Strategic Plan will be
ratified.
Each day will also see some outstanding facilitations and
motivational coaches engaging the attendees in special
activities to begin the day. This will also provide attendees
with an opportunity to network. It is important for as many
Associations as possible to be represented and contribute
to the debates in order to give a balanced view of global
issues aﬀecting the oﬃce/administrative profession.
For enquiries relating the Summit - please contact:
AP Secretariat & Events
Company Limited
Facsimile:
or
Telephone: +868 62-8010
+868 79-251
+86868-5008
+868 76-5144
+868 627-054
+868627-4028 (Attention: C. Maxime)
Website:
www.naap-tt.org
Email:
cmaxime@np.co.tt
cacspice@hotmail.com
sybil.valentine@nwrha.co.tt
charon.maxime@hotmail.com
Post:
PO Box 1241, Wrightson Road,
Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago
9
0
LEADING THE WAY T H E MAG A Z I N E F O R O F F I C E P R O F E S SIONALS
INSTITUTE DIRECTORY
Wherever you are around Australia there is a Division or Branch close by to help AIOP members access the benefits of
their membership and attend local functions. See the list below for AIOP established links worldwide. Full information
regarding AIOP can be found on our website www.aiop.com.au
National President
Kate Casson, AFAIOP
Email: kate@electrosolve.com.au
National Administration Director
Naomi McGillivray, MAIOP
P O Box 197, East Brunswick VIC 3057
Email: nationaladmin@aiop.com.au
National Finance Director
Dianne Parish, FAIOP
132A Collins Street, Clearview SA 5085
Email: dlgp@internode.on.net
National Business Development Officer
Tricia Margrie, DipBM, MAIOP
Unit 2/1 Ormonde Avenue, Warradale SA 5046
Email: nationalbdo@aiop.com.au
National Editor
Liz Houston AFAIOP
PO Box 311, Subiaco WA 6904
Email: nationaleditor@aiop.com.au
WESTERN AUSTRALIA DIVISION
Jenni Lumsden, GradCertBus AOP FAIOP
PO Box 311, Subiaco WA 6904
Email: presidentwa@aiop.com.au
South West Branch
Wendy Mekisic AFAIOP
Locked Bag 1, Busselton WA 6280
Email: wendy.mekisic@busselton.wa.gov.au
SOUTH AUSTRALIA DIVISION
Pat Kriel, BA GradCertEd MAIOP
PO Box 983, Kent Town SA 5071
Email: pkriel@ozemail.com.au
TASMANIA DIVISION
Elia Barnett, MAIOP
GPO Box 857, Hobart TAS 7001
Email: elia.r.barnett@gmail.com
VICTORIA DIVISION
Judith Fitzmaurice, MAIOP
GPO Box 4598, Melbourne VIC 3001
Email: presidentvic@aiop.com.au
Bendigo Branch
Shirley Turner FAIOP
PO Box 505 Bendigo VIC 3550
Email: Bendigo@aiop.com.au
Mildura Branch
Raylene Kemp AFAIOP
PO Box 929 Mildura VIC 3500
Email: Mildura@aiop.com.au
NEW SOUTH WALES DIVISION
Carmencita (Menchie) Youla, FAIOP
GPO Box 3167, Sydney NSW 2001
Email: menchie.youla@iml.com.au
Newcastle Branch
Glenda Kociszewski MAIOP
PO Box 2225, Dangar NSW 2309
Email: branchNC@aiop.com.au
QUEENSLAND DIVISION
Erika Entz FAIOP
PO Box 5146, Algester QLD 4115
Email: presidentqld@aiop.com.au
Darling Downs Branch
Mary Wells, FAIOP
P O Box 28, Darling Heights QLD 4350
Email: wellsm@usq.edu.au
Mackay Branch
Julie Agnew, MAIOP
The Dome, 134 Victoria Street, Mackay QLD 4740
Email: julie@jadecorporate.com
Ipswich Branch
Amanda Bulow, MAIOP
PO Box 864, Booval QLD 4306
Email: abulow@palladio.com.au
NORTHERN TERRITORY DIVISION
Jenny Washington MAIOP
GPO Box 2420, Darwin NT 0801
Email: jenny.washington@ntschools.net
AffIliated Associations Worldwide
•
•
•
•
International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP) – www.iaap-hp.org
Institute of Qualified Professional Secretaries (IQPS) – www.iqps.org
European Management Assistants (EUMA) – www.euma.org
Association of Administrative Professionals in New Zealand (AAPNZ) – www.aapnz.org.nz
Beyond Tomorrow
31