More than filling a quota: The Women who power Digivizer

In light of International Women’s Day, I went searching for inspiration by considering how to find the voice and other examples that represent how we at Digivizer think about people, equality and the future workforce, in amongst the thousands of articles arguing against gender inequality.

There seemed to be a consistent angle the majority of articles were taking. Too many communicate disempowerment, and often reinforce the position that being female would dictate their potential success for the rest of their life. Whilst our lack of progress on all scorecard measures is troubling, we must never allow women to feel that fighting against gender inequality was futile.

“Gender Inequality plagues the business world. Men dominate the executive ranks, and as such women face disproportionate challenges in their efforts to rise to the top…women are egregiously under-represented when compared to men…Misogyny has been knowingly built into corporate structures ran by men, and these influences and beliefs create systems that disadvantage women and prevent them to move forward.”

The author in this article (like many articles published in light of International Women’s Day), in 100 words or less, successfully affirmed her next 1000 words would be detailing how women are victims within the workplace, how our gender prevents us from achieving what’s in our capacity, and how the only people that both victimise and prevent us, are men.

Like so many others, this article seemed to focus too much on what women supposedly can’t do, rather then what they can do- and what they are doing already. Like all societal change, we need to celebrate those who are breaking through, breaking new ground, leading by example and proving gender plays no limiting role.

So this posed the question: Do women really look at their gender as a preventative? Do they view their sex as the only barrier between themselves and success? Are men really what stops us from getting what we want? And are we currently arguing for gender parity the right way?

So taking this idea we asked some of the women who power Digivizer, to answer 4 questions. And these were are our collective answers:

Sanjita Shah (Senior Software Engineer)

What have you done in your life that you are most proud of? I am one of a group of people who have been instrumental in the building, staffing, and running of a school in a small village in Gujarat, India. There was no school in the village and for safety reasons, girls were not allowed to travel to other schools as they were too far away. The school has been running for 18 years now. Children educated in the school have gone on to become doctors, engineers, and teachers.

Who in your life inspires/inspired you the most? My mother. She grew up in a rural Indian village and did not have the opportunity to study. She made up for this lack of education later in life by studying continuously after she got married, and initiated many projects. These included starting the above school, eye camps, cattle shelter, health centers and support for poor families in rural Gujarat.

If you had an opportunity to really get a message through to a large number of people, what would that message be? Always be learning. No matter what age.

And what do you think inhibits or prevents you from telling that message the most? I encourage my friends and family, but don’t have the credentials to pass the message to a wider audience.

 

 

Sarah Purvis (Digital Marketing Analyst)

What have you done in your life that you are most proud of? Doing what I’m passionate about! Working my butt off during high school to get into my degree has been totally worth it. Studying also brought me to Digivizer. Digivizer has taught me so much about myself and my work ethic!

Who in your life inspires/inspired you the most? A podcast I listen to, No Such Thing as a Fish, constantly inspires me to explore the world and keep learning. When I listen to each week’s podcast, I’m constantly awed at the breadth of information delivered in an entertaining manner. It inspires me to constantly explore the depth and history surrounding the things I do, and to question everything around me.

If you had an opportunity to really get a message through to a large number of people, what would that message be? Something I’m really passionate about is representation within the legal system, and the equitable division of power across peoples. There has never been ethnic representation on influential judicial benches and this is something that needs to change in order for other elements of justice to change – namely the nature of police discretion and the overrepresentation of ethnic populations in incarceration.

And what do you think inhibits or prevents you from telling that message the most? The lack of awareness surrounding these issues, and the lengthy time it takes to change these elements. There is a lack of data around this area – the information collated doesn’t acutely reflect the ways that Government policies could be changed through looking from a different lens. What I hope to achieve in combating these issues is spread this message of justice through using the data to support and prove the need for accurate representation of every person within the legal system.

 

 

Caitlin Stonehouse (Senior Communications & Content Manager)

What have you done in your life that you are most proud of? While it’s been cool to have some big achievements in work and life along the way (including amassing a fabulous earring collection), what I’ve been most proud of is that I’ve been true to me and who I am, and I’ve had a lot of fun doing it.

Who in your life inspires/inspired you the most? I’m incredibly lucky to be surrounded by awesome people who give me mojo every day. My biggest inspirations would be my Mum, my sister, my niece – three generations of brilliant women who continually teach me things – and my best friend. Without their support, encouragement and sometimes tough love, I wouldn’t be where I am today.

If you had an opportunity to really get a message through to a large number of people, what would that message be? Some version of ‘You do you’. There can be so much pressure to be a certain way or to believe a certain thing, but if it doesn’t gel with who you are, you don’t have to take it on board.

And what do you think inhibits or prevents you from telling that message the most? Maybe having a private Instagram account?

 

 

Madeleine Soden (Digital Creative)

What have you done in your life that you are most proud of? Completing my university degree and smoothly transitioning into an industry job has been my proudest achievement. I’m grateful I landed a job at Digivizer, and, whilst it has been challenging, my confidence, personal development and professional skills have flourished. I also travelled alone to Africa, Europe and USA in my gap year: I developed self-reliance, assurance, overcame my fears and learnt so much! I am most proud when I feel I am developing and growing.

Who in your life inspires/inspired you the most? My mum is my best friend, my rock and the most inspirational person in my life. Her kind and genuine selflessness has taught me the importance of treating everyone with respect and compassion.

If you had an opportunity to really get a message through to a large number of people, what would that message be? People often have colossal plans to change the world, to help everyone and fix everything. However, I think that looking after those closest to you is second to none in the pursuit for a healthier community. Consequently, if everyone worked within their communities there would be a ripple effect around our large social climates, and everyone would be looked after.

And what do you think inhibits or prevents you from telling that message the most? My fear of being rejected as well as not having the confidence to speak up inhibits me from expressing my opinions. I need to learn to embrace these vulnerabilities in order to help my own communities.

 

 

Jess Millo (Executive Assistant to the CEO)

What have you done in your life that you are most proud of? Writing and recording two albums with my band is something I am most proud of.

Who in your life inspires/inspired you the most? My dad Mario inspires me with the amazing orchestral music he writes and my writing partner Kitch inspires me when we are writing, singing and performing together.

If you had an opportunity to really get a message through to a large number of people, what would that message be? Avoid buying products that contain Palm Oil (aka Sodium Laureth Sulphate). With the rate of deforestation in Borneo due to palm oil plantations, the Orangutans (along with many other animals) are on the brink of extinction because they will have no jungle left to live in.

And what do you think inhibits or prevents you from telling that message the most? I talk about it with people I know. Although I don’t have the audience to spread the word globally, there are plenty of companies taking action now to help. Every time I choose a product without palm oil it’s helping the cause.

 

 

Anastasia Tighe (Head of Creative Production)

What have you done in your life that you are most proud of? Moving to New York at the beginning of my career. It was out of my comfort zone and it forced me do things on my own as I no longer had my support system around me. I learnt I could achieve anything on my own and that having limited resources shouldn’t stop you from achieving goals as long as those resources are used wisely.

Who in your life inspires/inspired you the most? I have a ridiculously talented mother who has a work ethic to boot. She has taught me that simply being talented or simply working hard won’t be enough to be successful at work, and that it’s harnessing both effectively that will allow you to reap the most rewards.

If you had an opportunity to really get a message through to a large number of people, what would that message be? Wear Sunscreen.

And what do you think inhibits or prevents you from telling that message the most? I’d need to come up with something more creative than Baz Luhrmann’s 1997 Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen), so I probably just need to block out the time more than anything else.

 

 

Chantelle Zhang (Web Developer)

What have you done in your life that you are most proud of? I decided to change my career and completed the relative course in my maternity leave. It was difficult as I had to balance taking care of a new born baby and study (and never have enough sleep!), but I survived it.

Who in your life inspires/inspired you the most? My Grandma, she is a courageous and wise women who achieved a lot in an age where women were discriminated and treated badly in China. She taught me that a women should be independent, courageous and responsible for her life, and to never rely on parents or her husband.

If you had an opportunity to really get a message through to a large number of people, what would that message be? Live to the most of your life, it’s never too late to do anything.

And what do you think inhibits or prevents you from telling that message the most? Haven’t had the right chance.

 

 

Stephanie Seebacher (Content & Community Specialist)

What have you done in your life that you are most proud of? I think for me it was finishing uni. Both my parents finished high school in year 10 and hadn’t gone on to do further study. I honestly wasn’t the most amazing student at school. So while adding the additional years of study straight after school was super daunting – I managed to finish it and come through with a lot more faith in my own abilities.

Who in your life inspires/inspired you the most? My mum is definitely one person who has always inspired me. She uses her free time to care for others and fully supported, encouraged and nurtured my Christian walk. Her passion is also inspiring. She spent three years of her life volunteering with her football team (South Sydney Rabbitohs) when they got kicked out of the Rugby League competition in the late 90’s. While many might think this wasn’t a revolutionary sacrifice, it taught me that when there is something important to you, it’s worth sacrificing time and committing to.

If you had an opportunity to really get a message through to a large number of people, what would that message be? I think it would be – as humans, we need to be more aware of the implications of the things we do. Whether it’s the words we say or the actions we make towards those around us (both close friends, but particularly strangers). We need to think about the implications of that, of the potential damage you can have on someone else.

And what do you think inhibits or prevents you from telling that message the most? I think as a society – and with social media in particular, we have almost dehumanised others. To the point where there is almost no awareness that there is someone with feelings on the receiving end of the comments and actions that we take. I don’t think that it’s something that one individual can change – its a wider problem. But I think that there are small changes that we can make and be conscious of how we treat people and speak with people.

 

 

Lilli Lo Russo (Social Content & Community Associate)

What have you done in your life that you are most proud of? Never being afraid to speak up. I know this sometimes gets me in trouble (well, a lot), but I am proud that I have never refrained from vocalising my thoughts and opinions. Whether it be for a social justice cause or as simple as what I want for dinner, I am proud that I speak up when it matters.

Who in your life inspires/inspired you the most? My little sister, Eliza. She is 15 going on 30, and has achieved more in her little life time then majority of retired adults. Lizey teaches me every day to be unapologetically yourself, and to reach for the stars- because you can achieve anything you put your mind to! (I’d attach everything she has achieved if I could, but surely LinkedIn has a word limit).

If you had an opportunity to really get a message through to a large number of people, what would that message be? There is never a time limit (or quite frankly, any other limit) on learning. Everybody should always keep learning, and nobody should be exempt or prevented from education.

And what do you think inhibits or prevents you from telling that message the most? Nothing really, except I don’t have access right now to a large audience to tell that message. But I do have access to those that I know already, and all big things start small…so I guess that’s where I’ll start!

 

 

Brodie Smith (Content & Community Specialist)

What have you done in your life that you are most proud of? In the space of 9 days in 2016, I wrote an 80,000 word fiction novel that has formed the basis of a series I’ve been steadily working on ever since. These days the series stretches over more than a million words, and the first chapter was recently named a finalist in a magazine competition! That’s what I’m most proud of – that I’ve persevered with this project, and not just abandoned it in a drawer, like so many other stories I’ve written over the years.

Who in your life inspires/inspired you the most? I find a lot of inspiration in different people and things every day. Some days I get blown away by the kindness of my friends, and that inspires me to be a little bit kinder. Some days I am inspired by someone in the office having a particularly clever idea, which motivates me to learn and try new things and share my own ideas.

If you had an opportunity to really get a message through to a large number of people, what would that message be? It gets better. And then it gets worse, sometimes. But then it gets better again! And you’ll never know what it’s going to be like tomorrow unless you’re there for it.

And what do you think inhibits or prevents you from telling that message the most? The social imperative to not share the bad things? Everyone wants their lives to look Instagram-perfect and I am definitely not immune to that. It’s hard to share the bad things. I’m currently working on that with family and friends, and there’s no way I’m comfortable sharing stuff like that in public and online. I think we all need to get better at being real online.

 

 

Francesca Meliton (Community Engagement Manager)

What have you done in your life that you are most proud of? Buying my dream car (Mazda MX5) and using it in amateur motorsport. I didn’t think it was possible so it was epic making it happen using my own skills and power. I’ll be back at the track this weekend!

Who in your life inspires/inspired you the most? Probably my parents because they didn’t want me to just be academically successful but be successful in anything I choose to do. My dad always told me that you can’t put a price on knowledge.

If you had an opportunity to really get a message through to a large number of people, what would that message be? A simple 3-part message: Don’t let fear hold you back. Make mistakes. Learn.

And what do you think inhibits or prevents you from telling that message the most? I don’t think there’s anything that prevents me from telling that message. It’s something I’ve tried to instill in students I’ve taught or tutored as well as people I’ve trained in my working career. The toughest part being a living example of the message.

 

Ingrid Stockley (Head of Office & People Operations)

What have you done in your life that you are most proud of? Being a mum.

Who in your life inspires/inspired you the most? My parents. Fiercely independent, hard working people who came to this country with nothing and left an amazing legacy. I miss them both every day.

If you had an opportunity to really get a message through to a large number of people, what would that message be? Be your authentic self always, if people don’t like that version of you, they are not your people.

And what do you think inhibits or prevents you from telling that message the most? Nothing really- however you can’t put experienced heads on young shoulders, it’s something people have to subscribe to or learn along the road of life.

 

Emma Lo Russo (Chief Executive Officer)
What have you done in your life that you are most proud of? Starting and then growing Digivizer to the size and opportunity it is now. Doing it whilst raising my three amazing kids and enjoying the support from my gorgeous husband has shown that all I wished for could be achieved.

Who in your life inspires/inspired you the most? I do gain great inspiration from what Bill & Melinda Gates have achieved and how they have given back to society. It is very human, very altruistic but also demonstrates how they exercise their great smarts and influence on the world and bring a great element of honesty, sincerity and achievability to an entrepreneur such as myself.

If you had an opportunity to really get a message through to a large number of people, what would that message be? The only person limiting your growth is yourself. If you focus on adding value to as many people as you can whilst simultaneously looking to continuously learn yourself, you will always stay relevant, engaged and fulfilled.

And what do you think inhibits or prevents you from telling that message the most? Like many women, I used to lead by example.. I have since learned if you grow people you grow your business and you grow yourself. So that means taking the time to stop and focus on others.

So after feeling inspired, what did these answers reveal?

  • That being a woman has not “prevented them from moving forward” in sharing the messages they felt passionate about.
  • They didn’t think as a woman they “faced disproportionate challenges” to achieve what they hoped for in the future.
  • That nobody thought as a woman they were “egregiously under-represented when compared to men”.
  • Not one answer stated that being a woman prevented them from achieving what they were proud to have already achieved.

The key thing if anything we need to work on is building the confidence to communicate the key passion and key lessons and mandates that will help all women live the passion and life they want to live.

There is no denying these 13 women and their histories are a microcosm of the female experience, however it is clear that reading about the incredible accomplishments and aspirations of these 13 women, inspired me much more than the previous 13 articles I’d read.

We need to change the debate. If we consistently blame the cause of female misrepresentation on men, then we indirectly reinforce that our experience as women is completely in the hands of males, and the ideal of gender unison fades further into the distance.

We are all much more than an underprivileged and under-represented group of females. We are women who are smart, driven and compassionate. We have the ability to cultivate whatever future we want. We are women with impressive resumes, incredible experiences and fierce goals. We are also women who support each other’s individual differences, goals and success.

The Gender debate, needs to move a lot further than a debate on gender. We aren’t dealing with a powerful man and a powerless woman. We’re dealing with two, equally unique and capable genders who are asking to be given the same opportunities as each other. And this is the mentality we should all have whenever fighting against gender inequality.

The Financy Women’s index revealed this morning we are still 12 years away from financial equality. To achieve this it is critical that we instead highlight the great work and examples of women to ensure we expect, ask and obtain to make equality the norm.

Don’t limit the argument to woman vs man, and don’t reinforce sexism by repeating all the reasons why females are apparently inferior.

So no more articles and arguments on all the things women apparently are prevented from doing. Let’s instead celebrate the women who lead, who do fabulous thing and who are changing the world for the better. The more we celebrate the many amazing women, the more we inspire others and the more this becomes the norm.

This article was written as a team collaboration. Thank you to Lilli Lo Russo for leading this project.
This article was also published on LinkedIn

Key Speaker for Government’s “Women in Global Business” Conference

Emma is invited to speak and present a case study as to the key ingredients to achieving global success at the July

Women in Global Business Speaker Series.

Here are some of the details being shared to promote the event:

Australian women will have the opportunity to hear from prominent women who have succeeded internationally at the Women in Global Business Speaker Series in July and August.The annual event held in states and territories across the country will feature speakers from a variety of industry sectors, providing businesswomen with practical advice on venturing overseas.

Women in Global Business national program manager, Cynthia Balogh, believe the event is beneficial in helping women overcome international barriers, particularly those in the Middle East.

“The Middle East presents quite specific barriers for women; some of the Asian and South American markets can do the same,” she said.

Balogh told Dynamic Export the event offers business owners the opportunity to learn and network with like-minded people.

“It’s an opportunity to see their role models, who have often had quite tough journeys to expand their businesses into those market places, women often learn from seeing role models. It helps them overcome some confidence issues, whether it’s personal confidence or confidence in business,” Balogh said.

Digivizer CEO, Emma Lo Russo, who will be speaking at the Sydney event can relate to the personal challenges women face when growing their business.

Lo Russo believes the event will provide shared mentorship and allow women to learn from real-life experiences.  “Having real honest examples of what works, is quite empowering. Instead of feeling like you have to navigate the unknown or have a goal and do it alone”.

Details & registration for the event can be found here :

Thursday 26th July 2012

8.30am – 12.30pm

NSW Trade and Investment Centre, Level 47, MLC Centre, 19 Martin Place, Sydney

I’ll post more about my key points to achieving international success here soon.

Hope powering change

Last night I attended the Sydney Festival event Hope 2012 with the theme “Citizens seizing the day”.

My name is HopeSocial Media was hailed as one of the agents of change.  Certainly it has made it possible even in oppressed societies for citizens to reach more people and help gain momentum and support for their plight and desired change (think recent people lead change in Egypt as well as community support generated for those affected by QLD Floods, NZ & Japan Earthquakes etc).

However social media really only represents an easy, low-cost, high reach and engagement channel.  It is not the channel that brings change but the opportunity it presents and the people who engage within it and the messages they share.

Listening to the personal stories of the great speakers last night and those across Australia, there were some common and consistent messages that suggest a blue print for bringing about change. They point to the cause of which the channel is only the conduit:

1) Hope Powers Change – you must first genuinely hope to bring about change . Hope then provides the fuel and momentum for you to continue in the face of adversity, inequity, barriers, and power imbalance. Hope also binds people together behind a common cause.

2) It starts with the first step – no matter how small, everything you contribute to bringing change no matter how small can make a difference.  The benefits of taking 1 minute of your time, showing or demonstrating your encouragement and support, donating something small (time, message, money, resources).  Just taking an action can generate, add-to or complete some great act of change in someone’s life. It has the added benefit of impacting you positively too.

3) Look for, understand & stand for basic human rights – equality, freedom, opportunity  for everyone – how can you ensure this is enjoyed by everyone. Identify how many of your rights you take for granted that are not available to others.  Identify the basic human rights that are being challenged all around the world including in our own back yard (and our legislation).

4) Connect directly with people affected – it is too easy to be disconnected from the person and people who needs help.  Listen to their story.  Listen to their hope.  It is impossible to ignore and will help you know the right action to take.

5) Have Courage – it requires courage to stand up, have a voice, be counted and more importantly to act.  It starts with the courage to ask yourself “why is this happening and what can I do to change it?”

It felt easy to applaud those making changes last night however significantly more difficult and uncomfortable to ask ourselves how much are we doing at the individual level to bring about change.

It matters not how much we have done to support required changes in the past, only how much we can do moving forward.

I reflect on the great George Bernard Shaw quote:

“The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.”

It points to the need to stand resolute and that we must first look to ourselves as the instruments of change.

May 2012 be your year.  Allow Hope to power the change you desire.

Choosing the right mentor

carriergoodwill1

I was recently asked what someone should look for in a good mentor.

The first thing to do is to recognize the value in engaging a good mentor or coach to help you hold yourself accountable for developing yourself and taking your career to the next level.

The value of seeking a career mentor is in how they can help you bring clarity to your career goals over the near, medium and long term, to help you prioritize your next steps towards your goals, how to strategize and evaluate options in light of your goals and values, and to help you stay accountable to the path you wish to take.  Through formalizing this relationship with someone, it provides a regular, safe and confidential sounding board to bounce your fears, aspirations and future challenges.

Finding the right mentor is based on how inspirational they are to you, how experienced, how insightful and how good they are in facilitating the right discussions. High Emotional Intelligence would rate as the key characteristic of a great mentor and just as you would look for a great employee, you want in a great mentor someone who has demonstrated that they are smart, talented, have a history of delivering great results and have built many great relationships and people through their leadership and association.

Finding the right mentor is based on how inspirational they are to you, how experienced, how insightful and how good they are in facilitating the right discussions. High Emotional Intelligence would rate as the key characteristic of a great mentor and just as you would look for a great employee, you want in a great mentor someone who has demonstrated that they are smart, talented, have a history of delivering great results and have built many great relationships and people through their leadership and association.

In a busy working world, it is too easy to rationalize to ourselves what we do and why we do it.  Much harder to rationalize to someone else. Particularly if they are asking you the right questions and you are looking inside yourself to provide the right answers.

Both you and they will know when you are making excuses or seeing things through a narrow field of vision.

If you want to take your personal life or career to the next level, it may be time to engage a mentor. The benefits of having someone else push, question, strategize with you through mentoring can only lead to greater success.

Working for pressure or pleasure?

Piggy BankSocrates said “The Life which is unexamined is not worth living”.  Just as you empty your piggy bank to count the coins to determine how much value you have created, it is a good thing to tip your life upside down and shake it around to allow you to view it from a few more angles and evaluate the sum of your life value.

However unlike the coins that have a predetermined value, the value we place on all the individual and collective “life” experiences can be viewed very differently and uniquely by each person.  The most important evaluation is the one you place on it.  How do you measure the value of your total life experiences against all aspects of your life:  Family, Professional, Health, Financial, Spiritual, Social, Intimacy and Community?

The sum of where you are today, and how you got here, is not measured by time and does not predetermine the course of the total life balance and value.  What got you here, might not get you to where you would like to end up. Time is not measured in minutes, hours and days in a life value, but rather by what you do with your time.

Which comes to the question, what are we working to generate?  Are we working with clear purpose?  Towards something that will give us a great sense of peace, happiness and satisfaction?  Have we truly evaluated the value we are looking to generate? The legacy we would like to leave? And importantly, how to get there?

Many executives and people I know talk of the “treadmill” they are on.  Even more so at the start of a calendar year when there seems to be a lot more “getting started” meetings, new activities, education and sporting schedules to be slotted in.  People feel just as they are getting into the swing of things, planning for the new financial year begins, and before you know it you are working hard to deliver a number of things with hard deadlines and pressure to deliver on multiple goals, commitments and resolutions.

Since I often feel the weight of the number of balls I choose to juggle, I recently asked myself this question “am I working for pressure or pleasure”?  This shifted things for me.  Although I set out (in a pretty determined way) to work for pleasure both personally and professionally, doing what I love, with people I love, for people I love; I can get hooked on the pressure and use that to drive outcomes.  Before I know it I realize I am working to the rhythm of pressure, and forget that I want to work for pleasure.  My experience tells me I can achieve far more and enjoy it far more along the way, when I work for pleasure.

There is no right or wrong answers or evaluations when examining your own life.  The key is to evaluate it regularly and to make it meaningful to you.  To consciously maximize the value you are looking to generate.  To gain pleasure in what you do so that you can achieve more of what it is you want to do.

If you see your life as a piggy bank made up of multiple experiences, against each aspect of your life, with each holding a personalized value, how are you going against the total value you are looking to generate?  What will you change?

When One Business Just Isn’t Enough: How to run a portfolio Business

Emma was recently interviewed by Suzi Dafnis of Australian Businesswomen’s Network.  Here she introduces Emma to her network as:

“For many of us, running one business is more than enough. My guest today runs two businesses. Emma Lo Russo is an experienced innovator, organisation leader and marketer. She has brought together her experience gained from leadership positions across a broad spectrum of industries to two businesses.

Digivizer, a business that delivers the digital footprint of the people you know (i.e. your clients) and the people you should know. Digivizer looks at who you should connect to through social media and Validity Coaching, a collective of experienced executive coaches.

Emma joins me to talk about the pros and cons of running a portfolio business, that is, a collection of businesses. We look at:

  • Does running two businesses impact the effectiveness of one or more of the business?
  • How can a split focus help you get better business results?
  • What are the challenges of running more than one business, and how do you overcome them?

Enjoy this interview with Emma Lo Russo.”

http://www.abn.org.au/site/article/Video-When-One-Business-Just-Isnt-Enough-How-to-run-a-portfolio-business-Emma-Lo-Russo-interview

How do people experience you?

I recently made the decision to switch from PC to Mac for my business platform.73434520

Everything about the experience – from walking into the store; interacting with the technology; enjoying the broader synergies with our iPhones and iPads; the ease in which I am able to connect and share content with my family and business colleagues; the stories, sharing and understanding offered by the broader Apple community – has lead me to think about the importance “experience” plays in our decision making.

Every single part of my exposure, interactions, associations – my collective experience with Apple – is always positive, enjoyable and exceeded my expectations.

The relationship between our experiences and our feelings are key drivers to the decisions we make.

Just like a product or company brand’s true value is in the eye of the consumer and how it is perceived in the market place, our personal brand is really valued by the experiences people have with you and the perceptions they then form.

Today, there is much talk about the importance in investing in personal branding.  Spending time to understand and shape what we represent as individuals, how we represent our core values and articulate our unique selling proposition.

Asking people to stop and think of how they may be viewed and the disparity to how they wish to be viewed, can certainly grow self-awareness and can influence behaviours.

How people view, interact, associate, and do business with you, are all opportunities for people to “experience” you.  The experience they have with you is far more important in determining their evaluations of you and the decisions they make that concern you, than anything else.

Considering how meaningful, enjoyable, interactive, and valuable the experience people have of you is as important in the social web as it is in our personal dealings.

When you consider the ease in which we can connect, associate, interact and share on the social web, do you consider what experience people are having of and with you?  Is it consistent with the experience they would have with you and you would hope to deliver in person?

It certainly makes an interesting point for reflection:- what experience are people having when they see, read, or exchange something with you? Or in more simple terms: – How do people experience you online as well as in person?

Compliance vs Engagement

goldfish-taking-actionDoing the basic job required of us, in most cases, is easy to do.  In fact we can often do much of what we do without having to really engage, invest and stretch ourselves. 

We learn from an early age to follow instructions. To have our creative thinking ordered with a set of pre-determined decisions to create structure, harmony and order. 

Certainly it helps to learn the consequences of taking actions that are outside of what is expected of us. However do we consider the dangers to progress if we merely look and teach others to comply?

How often do you hear “I do this because that is what is asked of me.”  Or “I don’t do this, because the rules say not to.”  In business we can often provide more processes, instructions and parameters to reduce risk and error margins, but what happens when it stops people from thinking or taking ownership all together?

In this past week, I saw two separate cases where perfectly intelligent and capable people were discussing a problem within their working environments.  In being challenged as to why they did not see those problems as ones they could solve, the dutiful responses were offered around it not being their job, it wasn’t done that way, there was red tape, a usual way to solve this etc.

In reality, they had become compliant.  Stopped thinking, stopped ownership, stopped engaging with the broader objectives and motivations for their companies and themselves.

It didn’t take long to unlock their thinking and to see alternate ways to own and solve the problems they were facing. 

Unfortunately once I started looking for examples of compliance over engagement elsewhere, I started to see it everywhere – in customer service across multiple businesses, in my children, and in me.  It has made for an interesting point for reflection.

Key to solving passive compliance is engagement ourselves and encouraging engagement in others.  It is not enough to just observe or be present.  Not enough to comply even if it gets you over the line and off the hook.  What is required of us is to really engage with a problem you see and view it as something you can own, influence and drive towards a solution. 

In these cases I refer to this week, by engaging with the problem didn’t mean these clients had to make the problem their own completely and feel the pressure to solve it on their own. 

In both cases it was enough to shift the thinking from it being someone else’s problem to being “our problem” to solve.  And to get them thinking about how they could lead and influence change.  To think about possible options and opportunities.  

Seeing the bigger picture and not being hamstrung by barriers – perceived or real, allows for progress. 

By engaging fully with what you are hoping to achieve and not the process of getting there, promotes critical thinking and creativity. It brings action and results.

Where do you need to switch gears and move from compliance to engagement to really generate progress?

The Try> Apply> Fly Approach

Man flying over sleepers.  Photo by Lois Greenfield.A key part of mastering something is practice.

As children we understand this concept as we try time and time again to do the perfect cartwheel, learn to ride a bike, catch a ball or master a popular dance move.

As we get older, we recognize and appreciate mastery in others, and will often choose to step aside to allow other experts to show the way.

Although I am a big believer in recognizing and playing to people’s strengths and working to your own, it worries me to see so many adults defer or give up before they have given something new their best shot.  A best shot can mean quality of preparation and at least a solid period of dedication in learning and putting into practice.

In Malcolm Gladwell’s book “The Outliers – The Story of Success”, he introduces the 10,000 hour rule. 

The basic premise is that it takes 10,000 hours of dedication to your craft or skill before you are likely to really master or become a “superstar” at it.  He also adds, to be a true Outlier, it probably takes 10,000 hours plus talent and a timing opportunity before you really make it into the Outlier league (those that truly stand apart from the rest of the high achievers).

The more involved I am in successful businesses or with people who have achieved success, the more the pattern for success and mastery of something is evident.  And it is not just spending time (or 10,000 hours) working on something.  It is more their approach.  An approach based on continuous feedback, learning, finessing, trying and applying.

Stories shared by successful people often have the same theme: they tried, they learned, they applied their new skills, they tried again, and applied their learnings, until eventually they mastered what they set out to do. 

Even when they achieved what they first set out to do, they went back to the same cycle of try>apply>fly to reach new heights.

Yes, they experienced fear.  Yes, they experienced failure (often many times), but they all had the approach of continuing to try and not giving up until they succeeded.

Seems like an easy lesson for each of us. 

You need to be happy to continuously Try and Apply to really Fly!

Excuses! Excuses! Excuses!

Is Time linear by Philipp KlingerIs it this time of year? Are people so busy that the topic becomes such a key one to cover and to revisit? 

I ask these questions because I note over the past fortnight there has been a marked increase in the number of articles around time and priority management. It feels like every business and management article or blog is covering this theme. No real new stuff, some very good stuff, but still there are a whole lot of words and opinions around what you need to do, how you need to think, what steps you need to take.

My preference is not to add much to this well covered theme… I have too much else I have prioritized to do first….but I can tell you simply the answer is in the following:

  1. YOU OWN YOUR TIME. 
  2. YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MANAGING YOUR TIME.
  3. ONLY YOU CAN KNOW HOW BEST TO MANAGE AND USE YOUR TIME.
  4. DON’T LET OTHERS TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR TIME
  5. WHEN YOU REALIZE YOU ARE OFF-TRACK, REVISIT THESE AFFIRMATIONS.

There is one more thing to remember – you always have a choice – so please, no more time-wasting or excuses. 

Plan for what you want to do and just do it!