HAL GREGERSEN RANKED AS ONE OF THE WORLDS TOP 25 MOST INFLUENTIAL THINKERS, HE IS A PERSUASION EXPERT A PROFESSOR AT THE YALE SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE MIT LEADERSHIP CENTRE.

Every company wants to be the next Amazon or Apple, the firm with a permanent spot in the news for its cutting-edge products and a name synonymous with innovation. But it takes a special set of qualities to get there, and Hal Gregersen has dedicated his career to finding out what kind of skills, corporate culture and set of practices produce innovative powerhouses. The crux of Gregersen’s argument, spelled out in his new book “Questions Are the Answer: A Breakthrough Approach to Your Most Vexing Problems at Work and in Life” (Harper Collins, November 2018), builds on 200+ interviews with renowned business, technology, education, government, social enterprise, and artistic leaders. This question-centric project surfaces crucial insights into how leaders build better questions to unlock game-changing solutions. Gregerson is also founder of The 4-24 Project, an initiative dedicated to rekindling the provocative power of asking the right questions in adults so they can pass this crucial creativity skills onto the next generation.

While business leaders and employees alike are programmed to look for answers, the real catalyst for innovative change is questioning. The most successful companies are those that facilitate brainstorming and thinking outside the box. Gregersen has devised a three-step methodology, based on his research on the most innovative leaders and firms in the world, which shows how company cultures can be overhauled and transformed to habitually seek (and produce) pioneering breakthroughs.

Gregersen co-authored, with Clay Christensen and Jeff Dyer, “The Innovator’s DNA: Mastering the Five Skills of Disruptive Innovators” (Harvard Business Review Press, 2011), a guide to cultivating the personal skills embodied by the most successful CEOs and entrepreneurs. Having deeply researched and interviewed ground-breaking leaders like Amazon’s Jeff Bezos and P&G’s A.G. Laffey, Gregersen draws on personal experience and rigorous research and analysis to successfully advise the world’s largest corporations. His framework for redesigning a company culture around constructive questioning has been implemented by Chanel, Danone, Disney, Ernst & Young, Fidelity, Genentech and Salesforce, among others.

Digital Women’s Network and Tony McGinn invite you Join them in NYC for the NEW YORK STUDY TOUR and achieve all this and more in 5 days that will help you each year of success in the future. Hal will be working through how Beyond Creativity: to Unlock Innovation.

• The Innovator’s DNA: Mastering five skills of disruptive innovators
• Building a sustainably creative company: Putting people, processes, & philosophies to work
• Catalytic questioning: Daily disciplines to surface the right questions 
• Avoid the leaders dilemma: Why bosses are being told what they want to hear instead of what they need to hear

https://newyorkstudytour.com

Imagine getting a clear perspective on your ambition, defining your business and career objectives and creating strategies to achieve that success all in 5 days!

This New York Study Tour is Jam- Packed Learning, networking, strategy building and gaining insights from the most brilliant minds on the planet !

Phase 1 (pre-tour workshop): Mindset & Mapping your journey. 

Phase 2: Five day Study Tour in New York. Including: Ambition Alignment Workshop; Effective Networking Workshop: Attend the World Business Forum (WOBI) Conference: Business Strategy Masterclass; Leadership Speaking Workshop; and of course sightseeing around NYC and drinking and dining in the most exclusive bars and restaurants this city has to offer.

Phase 3 (post-tour) Refresh & Integration Workshop.

More on Hal
https://www.linkedin.com/in/halgregersen/

Hal Gregersen is a Senior Fellow at Innosight and a former advisory board member at Pharmascience, a privately held pharmaceutical company based in Montreal, Canada. Before joining MIT, he taught at INSEAD, London Business School, Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College, Brigham Young University, and in Finland as a Fulbright Fellow. A Global Innovator, Hal Gregersen is Executive Director of the MIT Leadership Center and Senior Lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of Management. Gregerson works with a diverse set of companies to help them master the challenges of innovation and change, from Chanel to IBM to the World Economic Forum.

He also authored The Innovator’s DNA: Mastering the Five Skills of Disruptive Innovators, which assesses how top tier leaders leverage innovation skills to create valuable new products, services, processes, and businesses. As executive director of the MIT Leadership Center, and Senior Lecturer in Leadership and Innovation at MIT’s Sloan School of Management, Gregersen has created a methodology by which corporate leaders can raise their companies’ levels of creative inquiry, unleash the potential of their employees, and make a meaningful impact on their industries and on the world.

Ranked one of the world’s 25 most influential management thinkers by Thinkers50 and winner of the 2017 Distinguished Achievement Award for leadership, Gregersen regularly delivers inspirational keynote speeches, motivational executive seminars and transformational coaching experiences. Along with ten books, Gregersen is the author of more than 50 articles, book chapters, and cases on leading innovation and change (with more than 10,000 citations by other scholars). His research has been highlighted in global media such as BBC, CNN, The Economist, Fast Company, Financial Times, Forbes, Fortune, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal.

Gregersen’s tenure at MIT is the culmination of an illustrious academic journey that has included teaching posts at INSEAD, London Business School, Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business, Brigham Young University, and a Fulbright Fellowship in Finland. Prior to his academic career, Gregersen was an advisory board member at Pharmascience, a Montreal-based pharmaceutical company, and he remains a senior fellow at the global innovation consulting firm Innosight.

I invite you to immerse yourself in new ways of thinking that challenge your current mindset to create competitive advantages. harness a chance to develop an organisational culture that will empower success for years to come. Learn cutting edge and innovative ways to build Business success by getting clear on your own ambitions and business alignment and gain a greater understanding of what is the most important aspects in business right now! 

This is a fully immersive experience in this dynamic city which will help you take your Business and personal development to the next level!

To learn more about the Business Innovation and Leadership New York Study Tour head to 

www.newyorkstudytour.com 

Look forward to seeing you there!

Cheers,

Angela Mellak

Founder Digital Women’s Network

Founder- Digital White Space

M:0466619631

E. hello@digitalwomensnetwork.com

Level 3, 162-168 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000 

Gain practical skills and global insights to improve your business or career, there is ONLY HAVE 30 SPACES AVAILABLE – TICKETS SELLING FAST! Invest in your development and join us to Network with a select group of business influencers, c-suite peers lead by Australia’s Global Business Innovator – Tony McGinn OAM.

Learn more at https://newyorkstudytour.com

The post HAL GREGERSEN, Beyond Creativity; Unlock Innovation appeared first on Women's Networking Events - Melbourne.

Simon has been described as “a visionary thinker with a rare intellect,” Sinek teaches leaders and organisations how to inspire people. His bold goal is to help build a world in which the vast majority of people wake up every single day feeling inspired, feeling safe at work, and feeling fulfilled at the end of the day. Simon is the Author of three best-selling books and is fascinated by the people that make the greatest, lasting impact in their organisations and in the world. Over the years, he has discovered some remarkable patterns of how they think, act and communicate and the environments in which people operate at their natural best. 

His unconventional and innovative views on business and leadership have attracted international attention. From American Airlines to Disney and MARS, from big business to entrepreneurs to police forces, Simon has been invited to meet with an array of leaders and organisations in nearly every industry. He has also had the honour of sharing his ideas at the United Nations.

The things I love about hearing Simon speak is that as a fellow marketeer he speaks my language and truth. I adore to see the passion behind how fundamentally he is driven by his cause – in changing the world – he invites us all to think different, challenge ourselves to be better versions of ourselves in order to help each other. Delivered via trust, authenticity and most of all respect for all other humans.

He helps individuals and businesses to think differently, he articulate the steps and speaks the truth about leadership, courage and emotions and human condition. I love how he provides simple and clear examples of how organisations need to change the way they do things, to always appreciate from the customer up and that manager are here simply to help support their staff. All leadership is here to serve, empower and help – which in-turn ultimately supports customers and drives business growth. 

There is a better way and here in Australia being a big island removed from much of the tough global pace, we need to embrace new and better ways to embrace the future and remove the fear of change. We all need to follow the passion that drives us. From my own perspective hand on heart I just love my job and I am honoured to support the people that I work with and manage. As I’m driven by my just cause to help people connect with brands and businesses that are delivering greatness- I get to help companies find and articulate their why and provide experience for customers and staff, whilst improving how they deliver their services and products via marketing and digital communications. I can’t wait to see Simon this November at the New York Study Tour.

Here is my wrap up taken from what I’ve read and watched of his “Infinite Mindset”

How do you win lots of battles and yet loose the war?

It begins with understanding the Playing field, generally there is a beginning, middle and end. However in an infinite game their are known and unknown players, rules are changeable and the rules are to propitiate the game or stay in the game as long as possible. When we pit a finite play with a finite player the system is stable- Football lis stable

When we pit an infinite player with an infinite player the system is also stable. The Cold War was stable as we could not have a winner or a loser and what happens is, one just drops out as they lack the resources or the will to continue to play. They run out of the will or resources, yet the game continues with or without them. The player just leaves the game.

Problems arise when you pit a finite player with an infinite player – one is playing to win and one is playing to keep playing. They make profoundly different choices which ultimately results with the finite player finding themselves in a quagmire. Running through will and resources trying to win. For example, the Vietnam war, the USA was fighting to win, north Vietnamese were fighting for their lives, the US ran out of will and resources they were fighting the wrong game.

This gets us thinking about context – business, politics and education.

“What game are they playing?” There is no such thing as winning in business, there’s no such thing as winning global politics, definitely no such thing as winning in Education.

Yet, if we listen to the language of too many organisations they don’t know the game they are in.  They talk about “being the best”, they talk about being number 1. They talk about beating their competition. They talk about the salaries people could earn. Yet if people aren’t taught at university how to think differently, how to challenge the norm and be inventive where will they learn this?

The problem is there is no such thing as coming first, any metrics that we choose, where that be ranking in a magazine that has made arbitrary choices about how to rank your Universities or colleges – You had no say in, or another university that declares they are number 1 in x and number one in Y (all the while we haven’t agreed on the timeframes or metrics). It is just all smoke and mirrors- if you are playing by these rules it becomes more and more difficult to maintain the resources to say in the game. Money is becomes more difficult which now seems to be the primary objective which it never was.

Even the will of the people to commit their blood, sweat and tears to see your organisation advance into the future- the staff, the teachers and even the students will stop.

A couple of years ago I was speaking at a Microsoft education summit and Apple education summit. The vast majority of the senior executives at Microsoft spent the vast majority of their time presenting talking about how they were going to beat Apple. 

At the Apple conference 100 % of the senior executives spent 100% of their presentations talking about how they were going to help teachers teach and how they can help students to learn.

One obsessed in where they were going, one was obsessed with their competition- not hard to guess who was in a quagmire!

At the end of my time Microsoft, they kindly gave me a zoom which was at the time their answer to the iPod touch, its beautifully made and worked great. So when I finished at apple I was chatting to Employee number 54 to be exact! I couldn’t help myself and told him that Microsoft gave me their Zoon and stirred the pot to say it is so much better than your iPod touch- and he said I have no doubt- the conversation was over.

The infinite player understands – sometimes your competitor has the better product and sometimes you have the better product. Sometimes you’re ahead and sometimes your behind both there is not such thing as best of first or beating your competition. There’s only ahead and behind- the reality of an infinite game is you are only competing against yourself, the objective everyday how do we become a better version of our own institution this year to how we were last year. 

How do we improve the quality of our culture?

How do we improve the quality of the way we provide the services we claim to be providing? 

We have to be constantly improving, improving, improving like there is no end game. It’s a game of constant improvement. Which means if we have to completely rethink about leadership for the infinite game- how should we be leading for the infinite game?

How do we improve ourselves that is the main point- of being in the infinite game as we don’t have the same metrics as everybody else and were not necessarily playing to the same ends.

There are 5 elements to the infinite game;

Just cause (why does your organisation exist?- each organisation is different cultures there are cultural norms that wrap around sense of purpose, cause or belief.) A just cause is so just you would willingly sacrifice to be a part of it, turn down higher page job, willing to go on trips work later hours but it feels worth it. Apple believed people can set up to big brother – that’s why it attracts creative and thinkers. It’s not about achieving a goal, it’s not about winning, it’s about the milestone on the journey. We sometimes us vision, it’s nothing to do with vision of a dollar amount- Great organisations understand their just cause- they are so just that people would be willing to sacrifice to see the advancement of that cause. ‘Believe in what you’re doing “ vision of the future that does not yet exist- the people you want to attract believe your vision of the future. Because they want to be around people that want to build that does not yet exist- or you will be judged on superficial things.) shortermism. Just causes are things we believe in- people before profit. Gives our lives and our work meaning. We don’t have to create a vision we have to find a vision. 

Trusting team– it’s all because of the people, we can tell when someone is working on commission vs someone who enjoys what they do. People who love their job, higher order thinking. Managers ask how staff are doing, if they need anything to help me. I feel I can be myself, we feel we can make mistakes our bosses – create an environment my staff can work to their natural best and people can trust each-other- trusting teams. We rely on leaders setting the culture. We need teams that can put there hands up and say I need help without any fear without retribution (lying hiding or faking) they will not Amit – guess what happens to organisations that don’t have trust? They have people that turn up to work everyday lying hiding and faking. United airlines is a perfect example, a few years ago everyone remembers the story about how a passenger was dragged off the aircraft with broken nose, concussion teeth. The staff 100% knew that was the wrong thing to do, to stand by and not step in. They all stood back as they feared getting in trouble more than the feared doing the right thing. They stood back and watched. People need to feel safe, and agency to be. Who benefits customer and company. We know that our sense of enjoyment from our work, doesn’t come from work life balance or how much yoga we do. Our sense of enjoyment stress we have is all about our sense of control -when we feel we have control over our job, if control is taken away from us- that what increases stress dramatically for human beings. If you want to have an infinite game you must have trusting teams.- people willing to help each ire of admit when they have things wrong- only if the organisation gets things wrong.

Worthy adversary/rival – first you must identify a company or an individual who is better than you, this helps you to identifying your own shortcomings or weaknesses. Seeing all of their strengths are all of my weaknesses. It’s much easier to hate than admit weaknesses, but this is the opportunity. When someone that is better than you in your industry or better in your company. It’s not that we should try to beat them, you should learn from them admire them, respect them, study them, as they are revealing our weaknesses it gives us the tools to improve. The game is not to beat them, its to stay in the game as long as possible. Apple initially had IBM then they dropped out the game then they had Microsoft -now its google and facebook interns of privacy- a worthy rival gives us the opportunity to see their strengths and identifying how we can improve. They give us tool to better ourselves and our companies. Healthy competition allows you to see yourself and to work harder to be the best you can. It’s not about creating internal competition, rivals are good, better leaders I want to be like that person or business- they make me insecure they are so good. A tool for constant improvement. Fall behind this year and work and work, create an organisation that will outlast, this is about building strong foundations looking long term. In the short term money is simply fuel for the car, we don’t buy cars to just make the car go, we don’t buy cars to buy more fuel. We own cars to go somewhere . It’s the same thing as an organisation- organisations exist to advance something – the money is simply there to make things go. We are seeing this horrendous fear to bring money in at the expense of something else – THERE IS AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF SHORTERMISM and MASSIVE amounts of rationalising – “it’s just the game we are in, we just have to do it. If we don’t somebody else will.”

Existential flexibility /Relaxable playbook they players disappear, can you stay in the game? The capacity dramatic shift in strategy because you find a better way to exist. Apple in the 80’s they were doing well and one day they visited Xerox park, they showed the leadership team this new graphic interface – you just use a mouse and click on folders. You didn’t need to learn code to operate the computer. Steve jobs cause was to empower people to stand up to big brother this is way more powerful to fulfil that cause, he understood that more people would have access to the technology as they don’t have to learn a computer language. So he said immediately we have to invest in this graphic user face thing – and one of the executives said “the voice of reason” we can’t- we have already invested millions of dollars and countless man hours in a completely different direction, if we do this we could blow up the company. Jobs said better we should blow it up than someone else. That decision was so profound it became the macintosh, a technology that is so profound that the entire windows software is designed to look like a macintosh. It’s the reason we all have computers in our homes today because of that decision. The outside world you look crazy to abandon something that is working and chase something that may not – but to the person driven by just because it’s so easy for them that staying on the path they are on will lead to death. This decision is the obvious choice and the money means nothing. Because it means survival and the ability to continue to thrive. Existential flexibility George Eastman was also a visionary, decided he wanted to be an entrepreneur wanted to be a land prospector and he was told take a camera to prospect the land. So he didn’t go on the trip but took up the hobby of taking pictures, so created a plate to then he created the film. Flys to UK to a technology show to showcase is film and it was a huge hit. But nobody bought one, for professionals the quality was not high enough. So unlike every other entrepreneur instead of going back and making it 100% – he was committed to his just cause “he wanted to make it easier for the rest of us” and knew there is an entire market that doesn’t care about the quality of the pictures- it was the average person. Because of George Eastman we all take pictures of our families on holiday. He went on to create Kodak. Went on to be one of the richest people in the world up there with the rocker fellas he passed away in 1935. The company he started however in 1975 invented the digital camera- when the young man showed to executives- they complained about the quality then said nobody wants to look at the pictures on a screen. Then they suppressed the technology for fear it would cannibalise film sales. They were the company that made all the chemicals, film, the paper all the all the cameras and they couldn’t imagine how to reconfigure the whole company for something different. They gave themselves 10 years and knew that someone would figure out the digital camera. And they did nothing over the 10 years. Yes the new technology emerged. Then they made billions of dollars licensing their patients to the digital camera and then when there patients ran out three years later they went bankrupt. Because they didn’t have the capacity for existential capacity, if your not willing to blow up your company the market will do it for you. Limited runway. They had the just cause, they chose to abandon the cause, they chose to do something finite to protect the certainty of the future vs doing something that they know is the right thing to do in the long run. That’s the capacity for existential flexibility.

Courageous leadership (willing to sacrifice the short-term for the long term- profoundly believe in cause.) leadership not rank- authority but we wouldn’t not follow them. Leadership is the acceptance of the awesome responsibility to create an environment for people to work at their natural best. The senior people are to take care of the people who work in the organisation. If they feel their needs are met and the organisation has their interests in mind, they will follow the leaders and believe in the just cause. If they don’t feel their backs are not protected or they will do what the culture provides them- they protect themselves from you the company and not a leader (these leaders are just people with titles just the rank and authority).

Think about what your legacy is, do you want to be known for how much money you raised- Top fundraiser or do you want to be known for the service you provided to the people who followed you to support your just cause? make a difference?

We all need to ask ourselves how do we become a better version of ourselves?

Join us Tony McGinn and the amazing cohort of leaders wiling to challenge themselves and hear first hand this November Simons’ thoughts of how to Lead with an Infinite Mindset, Simon will also look at;

• Unraveling the link between biology, anthropology and great leadership
• Why great leadership transcends authority: Understanding the behaviours, values and characteristics of true leaders
• The Infinite Game: Players come and go, rules are changeable, and there is no defined endpoint
• Understanding the mindset to stay ahead and outlast any competitor

November 18-22nd 2019 at the New York Study Tour

Imagine getting a clear perspective on your ambition, defining your business and career objectives and creating strategies to achieve that success all in 5 days! 

Digital Women’s Network and Tony McGinn invite you Join them in NYC for the NEW YORK STUDY TOUR and achieve all this and more in 5 days that will help you each year of success in the future. 

It’s 5 days of Jam- Packed Learning, networking, strategy building and gaining insights from the most brilliant minds on the planet !

Phase 1 (pre-tour workshop): Mindset & Mapping your journey. 

Phase 2: Five day Study Tour in New York. Including: Ambition Alignment Workshop; Effective Networking Workshop: Attend the World Business Forum (WOBI) Conference: Business Strategy Masterclass; Leadership Speaking Workshop; and of course sightseeing around NYC and drinking and dining in the most exclusive bars and restaurants this city has to offer.

Phase 3 (post-tour) Refresh & Integration Workshop.

Learn more at https://newyorkstudytour.com

Learn more at https://newyorkstudytour.com

The post Simon Sinek, Infinite Mindset appeared first on Women's Networking Events - Melbourne.

Living in The Age of Technology, and working as a technology consultant, might lead one to believe that interpersonal relationships are not as important as in “the old days”. Contrary to this misperception, consultants understand the reality:  society living and breathing by their tech toys renders human relationships more important than ever.

A consultant is in a unique position to create client satisfaction and, therefore retention, because we interface with the client on a daily basis. A large segment of what we do is gathering requirements. While requirements gathering is an integral piece of ensuring the IT solution is what the client needs, it is also an opportunity to create a human and social rapport with our client. Similarly, as fundamental as the client interaction is to our business, equally significant is an association with colleagues. Building a strong, unified team is a key ingredient to the success of the firm.

Why is creating social rapport important in the business world? Four reasons: loyalty, image, word-of-mouth, and a high-performing team.

While delivering quality services and product is inherent to success, most people also want to do business with someone whose company they enjoy. When you have had a positive interaction with a local shopkeeper, are you not interested in visiting their shop the next time you require a similar product? When someone remembers your name, that you have recently gone on holiday, that your child started school, are you not endeared to them? This friendliness creates a loyalty because you feel good when you see this person – along with the fact that their product or service answers your need.

A technology services firm wants to project an image of proficiency and precision. Clients want to feel assured their infrastructure is in capable hands so their employees can get on doing the work that they do. Proficiency and precision are sound, but not exactly cosy, traits. For instance, Spock is great when logical but we really love him when his human half comes out, do we not? It is the surprise and delight we feel, when an ordered and reasonable creature shows his soft side, which is engaging. The image of exactitude coupled with warm approachability is a winning combination for a technical consultant; clients feel understood and cared for, as well as expertly supported.

How often have you solicited the advice of a friend when seeking a new practitioner? People like to work with others who come recommended by a trusted source. Certainly, negativity and sour experiences spread but everyone loves a good, positive story. A friend recently recounted her happy amazement over a terrific call centre experience with her bank. My first question? Which bank. Word-of-mouth is a powerful, and free, advertising tool. Consultants, given their role as liaison, are in prime position to deliver experiences that get clients talking. This same approach applies to the partner companies; building great relationships with partner companies widens the field of value available to clients.

The intrinsic nature of a consultancy is fluid and it can therefore seem difficult to cull a sense of community within the company. We are not all in the same place, with the same people, every day. One may work with a fellow consultant only once and never be on the same project with them again. This fact is the very reason relationship building is so important from an internal perspective. Owing to the crucial ability for a consultant to arrive in an unknown environment and immediately add value, feeling comradery and backing from within the company is tantamount to success. Open communication, coupled with routinely scheduled time to connect with colleagues, creates the platform from which to build a solid team. Consider arriving at a party where you do not know anyone and then discovering that one of the guests is your cousin. Given your shared background, you have an immediate connection and feel more at ease. They may know others at the party and introduce you. Suddenly, you are talking with a group and enjoying the party. This is the same value returned from building relationships within the firm:  when landing on a client site where other of your firm consultants are in place, the team can be relied on to help navigate the terrain and quickly achieve client goals.

In essence, regardless of our role as consultants on client sites, we are all in Customer Service and everyone is a customer. Each of us has not only the opportunity, but also the obligation, to build rapport and leave a lasting, positive impression on clients and colleagues alike. When we present a unified team, and take the time to connect on a personal level, we leave behind a positive image worth mentioning. This positivity yields client and employee satisfaction and retention, ensuring success on projects and a healthy bottom line.

Our guest blogger Elizabeth Blackley is a dynamic IT Business Analyst and Change / Problem Manager with over 20 years of experience in the public and private sectors, spanning various industries including investment banking, publishing, real estate, and legal services. She is adept at working with cross-functional and multidisciplinary teams, creating alignment between stakeholders from multiple levels of the organisation. Having defined, built, and improved business processes throughout her career, Elizabeth has a wealth of experience to draw upon, especially when paired with her innovative approach. Elizabeth specialises in obtaining outcomes by identifying and resolving problems, engaging in diplomatic client relations, and vendor and contract management. She displays a strong customer service focus.

The post The Importance of Relationship Building appeared first on Women's Networking Events - Melbourne.

As a tribute to the women who have shaped our lives, we at the Digital Women’s Network have all put something together to celebrate our wonderful mothers!

Georgina Last.

• I grew up in the UK.  My mother died from cancer when she had just turned 38 and when I had just turned 8, so my memories are quite vague of her and I’ve learnt a lot about her over the years from my family (I was the baby of the family).
• What was your mum like ? Mummy was 4ft 11in, the youngest of 8 children from an Irish Catholic/Protestant(!) family and had the sense of humour to go with it.  My father recalled that she loved her gin and tonic, and my sister recalls her enjoying sitting in the breakfast room reading a magazine and smoking a cigarette (it was the 1960s!).
• How is she helped to shape your identity? Whilst my mother was the shortest in hers and our family, she had great determination and a cheeky sense of humour which made her a big presence in our family and community.  All through my life, my uncles and aunts and my father always commented that I was so much like my mother.  Personally, I think I have a long way to go, but I’d like to think my determination and sense of humour have been shaped by my mother.
• Was she a career woman? if not, how has she helped you making important decisions? Back in the late 60s/early 70s the definition of being a career woman was that you went back to work after being married and having children, which my Mother did.  Whilst my father was a managing director of a company in another town, my Mother was a secretary for, I think, a local legal firm.  Unfortunately, she passed away long before being able to help me make important decisions.  Here, my father and my sister played a big role.
• What is the most memorable moment between you two? I must have been about six.  One Saturday morning, after our usual family food markets shopping, Mummy noticed that “Mary Poppins” was being rerun at the local Odeon Cinema and decided there and then that we were all going to go and watch it!  Despite protestations from Daddy (he lost!), we left the shopping in the car and went to watch the movie.  It was the first time I had seen “Mary Poppins” and I remember loving every minute of it with Mummy fully into it as well. It’s a movie I have continued to watch throughout my life and introduced my daughter to, and always feel close to my mother when I do.
• Other things that you would like to talk about. Whether you are fortunate to have a mother or not, or even to be a mother, I truly believe as a female, it’s critical for our confidence and growth to have positive, engaging, ethical and fun-loving female mentors and role models in our lives.  For me, after my mother died, this began with my sister, who is 9 years older than me, and one of my aunts.  Now I have the support of a network of amazing women from incredible backgrounds which is balanced with male mentors and role models.
• Whilst my Mother only lived for the first 8 years of my life, together with my father, they provided me with love and values which have supported me throughout my life.  As a mother now to a 22-year-old daughter, I’ve had the privilege to get to know her as a person, and she’s been in the unfortunate position of someone who’s not really known what they’ve been doing as a mother, but who’s just made it up … and tried to have a bit of fun along the way!!

Angela Mellak

• I was born in Liverpool England, My Mum is Jeannine Turner, she had me when she was 22. We migrated to OZ when I was 5, during that time my Mum lost her Mum to cancer.
• What is/was your Mum’s personality like?– My Mum is a little fire cracker! Born in Liverpool England she is a strong minded women, very kind hearted supportive and has a true adventure spirit (though a doesn’t have the confidence to go alone)
• How is she helped to shape your identity? My mum has shaped my identity through being passionate about her background and values, she is upfront and calls a spade a spade.
• Was she a career woman? if not, how has she helped you making important decisions? From a young age my Mum was successful at school and in the workplace, she really did enjoy being in a positive environment and found it easy to make friends at work – which she values. Coming to Australia as a skilled migrant was not easy, culturally things are vastly different. My mother is sharp, smart and great with numbers and process, she is a real doer but suffered a lack of confidence and was bullied a lot by mean men who were intimidated by her fast thinking and honest approach. Sadly she put up with horrible work situations for so many years, which took a long time to recover from emotionally and mentally – I think she stayed in these workplaces because of the fear to take a risk and jeopardise a stable income. Upon reflection this shaped me to take risks, be open to new opportunities and if I didn’t like what I saw or how I was/am treated – I would just walk away, remove myself or quit. Furthermore it made me never want to regret any situation and also work to empower women around me and stand up to bullies.
• What is the most memorable moment between you two?There are so many! Two of my favourites are going to concerts together from Michael Jackson and when I was living in Santorini Mum and dad coming to visit- we left dad at home one night with sunburn and danced the night away like two teenagers !!
• Other things that you would like to talk about. I’m blessed to have such a role model and friend, I hope that I can learn and pass down lessons to my children in the future as my Mum has done me.
• The other Mother I have in my life is my Mother-in-law who is just the kindest, most wonderful, woman. Sadia is her name she lives in Morocco and though we can’t speak the same language we share the most important language of Love. She is strong, takes no-nonsense, hardworking, generous of spirit and full of happiness and laughter. She brought up 4 boys mainly alone with her husband off around the country working. All her boys are kind, warm and respectful.

Jeannie & Angela Saida & Angela 

Kate Duckworth,

• My Mum was the kind of woman that opened her house up to everyone and never stopped smiling. She had a band of ‘adopted children’ who were usually our friends having issues at home who needed a home cooked meal, a warm bed and a hug. This will be my first mother’s day without my Mum, she passed away very fast in June last year from an extremely rare degenerative brain disorder called Creutzfeld-Jakob Disease.
• How is she/has she shaped your identity? Mum taught me to ‘treat others how you’d like to be treated.’ She helped me shape my beliefs around the importance of family and friends. She taught me that people don’t remember what you said, they remember how you made them feel. For her she always wanted to people to feel loved and comfortable. She possessed a feminine energy that taught me to embrace my femininity in a male-dominated world.
  
• Was she a career woman? if not, how has she helped you making important decisions? Mum believed her core purpose was to be a mother. She was a stay at home Mum for many years until she went back to work at a school where she cared after many others. The most important thing Mum taught me in decision making was to always put yourself in the other person’s shoes. Empathy is a core part of marketing and sales and this is something that I credit to my career.  She never understood how she brought up two extremely career driven and academically driven daughters. However, I know that the support she gave us by being home every night after school, cheering us on at every event and making sure we had the tools we needed to be the best versions of ourselves is how I managed to find my dream career at a young age.
  
• What is the most memorable moment between you two? My favourite memory with my Mum was in the hospital last year before we knew that she had CJD. She was having internal seizures on and off and was losing her mobility and speech. We had no idea what was happening to her. The two of us were sitting in her hospital bed and she suddenly demanded that I play Florence and the Machine’s ‘Dog Days are Over.’ When the song started a huge smile came over her, all her fear disappeared and she started to sing and dance to the song. I joined in, overwhelmed by her happiness in this moment. I remember looking around and the other 3 people in the ward had also joined in clapping and singing to the song. Mum couldn’t really pronounce the words properly and the others didn’t know the words so there was a moment where were were all just making noise, dancing and laughing and my whole body was covered in goosebumps. Mum deep down knew she was dying and she managed to fill an entire room of very sick people with joy and laughter. The memory of that moment still gives me goosebumps and puts smile on my face. She was a special woman.  
  

Kate, Mum & Sister 

Kelly Dang

• My Mum is a superwoman and I think if she had the opportunity like what she had given to me, she would definitely achieve more than what I could do.
• How is she/has she shaped your identity? My Mum is a housewife and dad is a famous businessman who ran his own company with over 300 staffs. that said, She always presents herself confidently and she is always amazed me with her skills to connect with different people regardless their social statuses. I think that’s the most valuable trait that I inherited from her. Being able to connect with people naturally is not easy to learn and trained and I am grateful for that.
• Is she a career women? if not, how has she helped you making important decisions ? She is not a career woman. She could not give me any career advice but she always supports me for whatever I decide to do. I am quite stubborn and I think that’s all I need at the end of the day, someone who supports and is with me regardless whatever I choose.

Kelly, Mum & Sister 

Lorna Berry

• My Mum is a generous amazing lady.  She grew up in the north of Scotland born just before the war broke out.  In 1966 my parents migrated and then to Aus in 81.  She is kind loving
• How is she/has she shaped your identity? She is loving and supportive she worked hard both in and out of the home.  She has taught me so much
  
• Is she a career woman? if not, how has she helped you making important decisions? My mother returned to work the day my brother started school.  She was told that she would be able to work in her profession in NZ. She was devastated that she could not.  She worked in office jobs cleaning and in a fabric shop.  When we came to Australia she did a refresher course and was soon working back with children and families as a Mother Craft Nurse.  In her 50’s she upgraded her qualifications.  She actively encouraged me to get a qualification when I left school and has always been supportive of me working or studying.  She also helps with children when needed.
  
• She still works as a volunteer in an op shop 2 days a week where she has had letters from customers talking about her generosity
• What is the most memorable moment between you two? Her support of me when I became a Mum for the first time was amazing she was so much help and love. She most recently talked about my wedding and that she cried when she saw me on my dad’s arm
  
• Other things that you would like to talk about. Mum has taught me so many things she is one in a million.  She taught me to knit to cook and they are things that I love to do with her. On mother’s day we have a tradition of having a baking day together
  

Lorna, Mum & Dad 

Bernadette Cullen

• My Mum is the most caring and giving person who has no much love in her.
  
• How is she/has she shaped your identity? My Mum has raised me to be independent and to be able to rely on myself. Her kindness and caring nature has also helped shape my identity as I care so much about the people in my life and will do anything to help them.
  
• Is she a career women? if not, how has she helped you making important decisions? My Mum is now “retired” but runs my brother’s café and was able to turn it from a non-profitable business to be thriving and sustainable. My Mum has taught me that the things worth fighting for will be hard and challenging but the end result is worth it!
  
• What is the most memorable moment between you two? My most memorable moment is when I helped my Mum fight and beat breast cancer. We helped each other so much throughout this time and it brought us together even more.
  Berine & Mum 

Jasmine Lim

• My Mum loves music and live performance with a cup of coffee. She also always put her children first before her.
  
• How is she shaping your identity? She always wanted to be strong and perfect. It made my standard always high for everything. I found it I am too tough on myself sometimes.
  
• Is she a career women? if not, how has she helped you making important decisions ? In her day my Mmum was a piano teacher. She was always like “do whatever you want to do” so there were quite good and bad points. I have to learn it’s my life and my choice with consequences.
  
• What is the most memorable moment between you two? There was a  moment that we were on the way to pick up our puppy. Both were so excited and we love dogs.  We had been waiting to have one for a while. We just knew this puppy would be our family before even we saw the puppy. We were so happy!!
  
• Other things that you would like to talk about. When I was young I thought it is normal to receive unconditional love from Mum but now I see she has done so much for me and she is an incredible woman. I feel very lucky that I am her daughter.
  Jasmine & Mum 

• How is she/has she shaped your identity? By instilling morals and valuable lessons. By being supportive and encouraging.
• Is she a career woman if not, how has she helped you making important decisions? Yes, she has taught me to work hard, be strong and persistent.
• What is the most memorable moment between you two? There are many. Mostly just our friendship where we talk about everything and rely on each other.

Brianna Russo, My Mum is the definition of amazing! She is the most generous, caring and thoughtful human on the planet.

• How is she/has she shaped your identity? She is constantly giving me confidence, encouragement and support in everything I do.
• Is she a career woman if not, how has she helped you making important decisions? Mum helps me weigh up all options prior to making important decisions, together we look at the negatives + the positives. Without her certain decisions would be very hard to make.
• What is the most memorable moment between you two?We have had so many memorable moments together, one of which was when Mum agreed to come bungee jumping with me because I was too scared to go alone – what a legend!

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