Everyone understands online meetings are different but how different? What if you miss a visual cue that you would never miss in real life? It could really affect the outcome or relationship.

Meetings online are more or less compulsory in the COVID-19 world we live in but how to we make the most of it? There are many things to cover in a virtual meeting place that just don’t exist in real life. You need to have enough technical talent, decent internet and a quiet space for a start but what else? Here are some things I’ve seen missed.

KNOW YOUR TOOLS
There are so many online meeting tools out there like Zoom, Google Hangouts and GoToMeeting. Each is slightly different. Know how to host and attend each one. The advantages and disadvantages of each tool could be an article in itself so I won’t focus on that here.

Be particularly careful with Google meetings which automatically puts google hangout meeting details in the invite. More than once, I’ve used that link instead of the actual link intended.

If you have slides or other screen shares during the meeting test these BEFORE the call if possible. Make sure you know how to share these on the platform you are using.

Streaming video tends NOT to work on conference calls tools. They prioritise voice over video.

Fumbling with your tools slows down flow and engagement. For critical meetings, I recommend someone drive the tech (a producer) so you can focus on connecting and your message.

MEETING ETIQUETTE
Have your video ON. It creates intimacy. This is difficult when you are in a place with a “busy” or distracting background. Virtual backgrounds can sometimes help here. Keep in mind different cultures have different expectations around video to others.

MUTE your microphone especially if you are in a noisy location. Do you know how to un/mute using the keyboard? Can you reach your keyboard easily? Is the phone app different to the web version? Can people hear you typing or your pet dog in the background?

Watch or listen carefully to make sure you don’t speak over someone.

Mute your computer alerts (esp pop ups) and phone.

Pre-meeting banter and connection often goes missing online. The lack of physical presence means the co-incidental conversation and small gestures of connection like saying hello in the morning aren’t there. Remembering to connect personally is important.

Online meetings can seem impersonal. Make a special effort to connect with everyone in the meeting. Arriving early is sometimes an option.

PLAN YOUR MESSAGE AND OUTCOME
This is particularly important if you are in a team meeting another group. You can’t rely on your typical non verbal cues to your work mates to the same degree on video. You may even need a 2nd “back channel” using a different tool or app to communicate with your team mates during the meeting. This is especially important if your meeting is a demo or has training involved. You can discuss things like who is understanding or following your message or reminders to do or say something.

Other communication cues can be lost in online meetings. Plan your messaging so it is clear, logical and not too fast.

Keep your messages short and allow people time to think about your message. It increases impact if you can be succinct. If you talk too long, it gives others an excuse to do something on the side.

Have a clear process, agenda and next actions by the end of your meeting

Also, what do you want their experience to be? How will they feel when the meeting concludes? How will you instill trust, rapport and credibility without specifying your title or qualifications? They are the minimum to start the conversation, not the end point.

BEING SEEN AND HEARD
Hands are very important for online meetings. Make sure they can be seen.
It’s important to make sure people can see your hands. They can be very expressive and allow you to imply or emphasise along with your voice. This applies in real life too but it’s easy to forget on video. Adjust your camera position if you can. If you move your laptop away make sure you can still reach the keyboard. It may be time to get an external camera or keyboard to achieve this.

Speak clearly and slowly. Some microphones and speakers are better than others and it’s sometimes harder to hear someone online. This is particularly important if you have an accent or naturally speak fast.

Pick a high contrast background so people can see you

Have adequate lighting

Treat your “window” as a stage not an office. What is in the background? Is it distracting? If presenting, step back from the camera, stand up if you can and remember the “Rule of Thirds”.

SPECIAL NOTE about cameras and close ups

Remember a camera is close to your face. All your facial expressions, even small tiny movements can be seen. Reading faces can be easier to do online.

If you are self conscious about your face on screen, some platforms like Zoom have a “Touch up my appearance” option to slightly blur your face.

IF YOU DO TRAINING ONLINE
Below are some tips for online training that also need to be considered

Plan more breaks and learning outcomes carefully
Use energisers more frequently
2 hour breaks for lunch (for multiday training) works extremely well. It stops people doing things on the side while you are talking.
You need a producer to manage technical issues and the platform in general like break outs
Be willing to be flexible with the group
You need a back channel for side conversations with your producer and other facilitators. (Use often, check often)
Communicate often and clearly with your attendees and facilitator before and during the training. This includes agenda, outcomes and break times
Clearly plan your programming and activities early. Walk it through with your team mates beforehand. It’s hard to have side conversations online even with a back channel
Plan and track your multimedia and transitions beforehand. There’s a delay that can impact flow. It there is a tech issue, the flow is impacted even more.

CONCLUSION
You can make online meetings work. Even training! I did a 3 day Live course online with breakout groups and group exercises last week. You need to plan more up front but I don’t feel it impacts general meetings at all.

Above all, you need to create a sense of connection and belonging. The information may be the reason you are there. It’s the value you create and the way you help people achieve their goals is what is more important. That never changes, no matter what the medium is. Tech can get in the way but it can also bring us together. We just need mastery of this new format like every other technology humanity has invented.

To find out more contact Jon Yeo at bright star

Join us in Melbourne

5, 171 Collins Street, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 3000.
Phone: +61 466 619 631
Email: hello@digitalwomensnetwork.com
Website:https://digitalwomensnetwork.com/

The post Tips for effective online meetings by Jon Yeo appeared first on Women's Networking Events - Melbourne.

I have to be honest. I’ve been intentionally slow these past few weeks.

I’ve sat in long conversations listening to what it means to be human, shared the raw fears of those trying to navigate the unknown, and listened to statements of hope around what people want the future to look like when we finally return to humanly connected living.

I’ve observed and reflected on how the media has portrayed a crisis and how we in turn have reacted through our social media. In short, my observations are:

• Everyone is doing the best they can.
• For many of us just getting out of bed can feel like a big task in the current environment.
• There is a huge guilt associated with reduced productivity especially when you are one of those still in a job.
• Our brains are in survival mode and much of our behaviour is reactionary.
• Equally we are grieving the loss of the life we had and trying to navigate that process amongst everything else that’s going on.
• Focusing on the future and its uncertainty can feel overwhelming, meaning many of us just want to work out how the fuck to get through the next 24 hours.
• Many of us don’t want to buy stuff now, nor do we want to invest in significant professional development. We just don’t have the head space, nor the motivation.
• Working from home full-time with limited human connection (and 2 kids and a dog jumping over you) is not the same as having one day a week at home alone to get some high value work done.
• No one wants to be told what to do or how to feel right now, and understandably so.
• Many of us are looking for simple ways to help us just get through what feels like Groundhog Day
  

All of this has fascinated me. Not in a judgmental way, but in a way that leaves me longing, longing to support people in where they are at right now. Which is why I made a decision to offer free programs to support people in getting through the next 24 hours in a way that is constructive not destructive. I want to amplify feelings of human connection and hopefully sprinkle a little joy.

With that in mind, I thought I might share a really simple exercise to help those who want to bring a little more happiness into each day. So we here go …

What Makes You Happy
We’ve been running a little experiment called Human Hour in the past few weeks. This experiment sees random strangers from around the world connect for one hour on Zoom. It’s a lightly facilitated hour where we cultivate what we are wired for as a species – positive human connection and the sharing of what truly lights us up as human beings.

One of the exercises we undertake during Human Hour is called What Makes You Happy. We ask participants to unlock their mobile phones and scroll through to find one photograph that puts a smile on their face. It can be absolutely anything (so long as it’s clean because they have to share it with the other participants).

Why don’t you take a moment right now and do this before you read on? Trust me it’s worth it!

Now let me ask you – was your photo of your desk at work? How about your computer? Your house? Your car? In my experience, these are not the things that people share in their photos. I’ve now run this exercise with thousands around the world and discovered that happiness is often found in one (if not a combination) of the following areas:

where-is-happiness-found

What I find absolutely fascinating is that all of the buckets we find happiness in are accessible and free in some way (if we get creative and curious enough) even now in a lockdown situation. Many people have shared with me during Human Hour that they find happiness in simple things like:

Not having to travel to work each day has afforded them more quality time with their children. “I can now have breakfast with them” or “kick a ball with my kids at the end of a day”.
They are connecting more than ever with the people they love, not physically but using technology. They are truly grateful that tech like Zoom exists.
How they’re exploring new hobbies like how to bake the perfect loaf of bread or practicing hand stands for the first time or mastering that elusive peacock pose as part of their yoga practice.
For me happiness is found in nature, my son, my dog, humanly connecting, being present and in a moment fully, sharing experiences and positively impacting the lives of others.

A Happier and Healthier Reality
Until now, many of us have sidelined these happy moments at the expense of more: more productivity, more success, more material things. What would happen if as a society, we made it the norm for our happiness and wellbeing to be a priority? What if we incentivised each other to bring more of these things into the everyday?

In comparison to a pre-Covid19 world where 70% of employees were disengaged, I suspect we would find more people enjoying their work or doing work that they loved. More people would be happier and healthier. They might not be as financially wealthy, but would that matter if our basic human needs were met and we had more joy in our days? We might also find irony in that by focusing on human happiness, we would discover that the enhanced productivity we’ve been chasing would be a by-product of simply creating the space for more of what matters. What an opportunity!

Want To Know More About BKindred?
BKindred is on a mission to teach 10 million humans how to intentionally adapt, in order to future proof happiness by 2025. We put humans first in a world of technology, skilling your people and organisation to thrive in the future. Learn more about the Intentional Adaptability Quotient (IAQ®) and why it is the new competitive advantage. Are you ready for the future?

Take your free Intentional Adaptability Quotient® Self-Assessment here.

Unlock your IAQ® – The New Intelligence here.

To learn more contact Penny at BKindred

Join us in Melbourne

5, 171 Collins Street, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 3000.
Phone: +61 466 619 631
Email: hello@digitalwomensnetwork.com
Website:https://digitalwomensnetwork.com/

The post Finding Happiness In Just The Next 24 Hours by Penny Locaso appeared first on Women's Networking Events - Melbourne.

There are 6.2 million mothers in Australia and they are responsible for spending $132 billion in this country every year. To put that into context, If mothers were an industry they would be our largest contributor to GDP.

Mothers are powerful consumers who spend for multiple generations. They are also strong influencers on other people’s spending. In fact, research shows that when a woman becomes a mother she is EIGHT times more likely to talk about businesses and brands. So even if mothers are not considered to be your ideal client, their opinions are impacting your sales.

The Marketing to Mums ‘State of Motherhood in Australia’ research report reveals a very grim portrait of being a mothers in Australia today. It is essential reading for employers as well as businesses wishing to attract more mothers (and their families). It demonstrates why Australian mothers feel unsupported, undervalued and misrepresented

There are enormous opportunities to better engage mothers, build stronger relationships and support these women which will grow . Now, more than ever, we need to reflect, review and reinvent the way we communicate and support these women. It’s time for change.

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This free report will be very useful for anyone in our community who employ mothers or wish to attract more mothers to their business as customers/clients.

You are welcome to access it here: https://marketingtomums.com.au/motherhood-report

Join us in Melbourne

5, 171 Collins Street, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 3000.
Phone: +61 466 619 631
Email: hello@digitalwomensnetwork.com
Website:https://digitalwomensnetwork.com/

The post The state of motherhood in Australia by Katrina McCarter 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.

So here we are with three big reasons to join us as we take you on a journey to discover, learn, and grow in the heart of the most competitive City on the Planet.

1. Get into the ‘New York’ state of mind

The Big Apple boasts of a thriving business community and is regarded as the world’s most innovative incubator for businesses. 

As home to a large population of exceptional tech and creative talent, this is where the big industry trends get formed. This tour will bring you front and centre to business innovations as you discover and learn about them from the world’s most progressive minds over five days (November 18th-22nd 2019)

Being the ideal destination for ambitious and creative leaders CEO’s and Business Owners searching for transformative professional growth and development, New York is where you’ve got to be to stay ahead of the curve! 

2. Get a once in a lifetime experience

It may be hard to carve out the time to attend a personal development course because your plate is always full and you’re constantly chasing that never-ending to-do list. But there’s nothing more hindering to your personal or business growth than letting go of brilliant opportunities like this one.  

The New York Study Tour with Digital Women’s Network offers a uniquely personalised experience to align your business and career ambitions through our exclusive pre- and post-conference Business Masterclasses with Tony McGinn from The McGinn Partnership. Plus, you will network with like-minded industry professionals. You will also get first-hand knowledge of what it takes to adapt, innovate, and thrive in today’s ever-changing business landscape. 

3. Gain a brand new perspective 

In this Digital Era in many cases, much of what we do and our interactions with people become restricted to the screen in front of us. This tour encourages you to step out of your “day-to-day grind” and embrace change as a catalyst for business growth and innovation. 

Immerse yourself in innovation hear from the worlds leading minds with us at the World Business Forum conference featuring the most incredible line up over two days these ten leaders will blow your mind. 

SIMON SINEK, JIM COLLINS, HAL GREGERSEN, KORY KOGON, IAN WILLIAMSON plus, GARY HAMEL, ZOE CHANCE, MARCUS BUCKINGHAM, JANET YELLEN & RANDI ZUCKERBERG 

The prep work, pre-masterclass, networking, and hearing from these leaders will spark your creativity, take home a renewed approach that will bring a new-found perspective and energy to your work from one of the most dynamic cities in the world.

There you have it — three solid reasons to be part of the New York Study Tour this November. Grab this opportunity to be the change you’ve always wanted to see!

Find out more at https://newyorkstudytour.com/ to join us for this personalised and very Exclusive Business Tour. 

The post Three Compelling Reasons to Be a Part of Our New York Study Tour 18-22 November 2019 appeared first on Women's Networking Events - Melbourne.

Simone Biles recently attempted a triple double flip which made history in gymnastics. She is the first woman in history to have made the flip. 

Biles attempted to do the impossible. 

Impossible is categorized as unknown, the unseen and the undone. 

Impossible is nothing, If it hasn’t been done before, push the boundaries and make it happen. Tony McGinn OAM invites you to join him to accomplish the impossible, in the Big City where everything is Possible. Join him and the Digital Women’s Network to attend the 5 Day Tour to NYC, learn from the world’s greatest minds and broaden your horizons. 

Learn more about Tony McGinn and https://themcginnpartnership.com/  or https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonyjmcginn/

Book Now Tap the link to Exclusive tour only 30 places avail! head to our bio for the link or head to our website www.newyorkstudytour.com 

https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/new-york-study-tour-for-business-innovation-leadership-tickets-64647676942

The post It’s not impossible it’s just that no-one has done it yet.. A quote from Tony McGinn OAM appeared first on Women's Networking Events - Melbourne.

LEADERSHIP SPEAKING WITH ILLUMINATED STORY & DIGITAL WOMEN’S NETWORK

Wednesday 21st August 2019 we held Part one of our three part public speaking breakfast series, which was a great success.  Our guests were spoilt with a delicious breakfast provided by Guy Grossi’s Merchant team while listening to Carmen Sederino from Illuminated Story impart many great tips and techniques that will enhance our guests speaking ability as leaders in business.

Carmen shared that a recent study found that 79% of people surveyed find presentations to be boring. And it’s true. How many of us haven’t struggled to sit through dreary and passionless presentations? It happens all too often.   

If you’re the leader of an organisation or team and you don’t come across as a confident and articulate speaker, it will be difficult for you to attract people to be a part of your team or have customers do business with you.  She also discussed the fact that public speaking is a skill you can learn, not just something you are born being great at.  If you’re challenged by public speaking, there are several techniques that can help you overcome your fears.

The presentation concluded with Carmen sharing many great practical tips and exercises that emphasised the importance of tone, pace and body language, to help the group hone and polish their hidden skills and Illuminate the presenter inside them.

If it is fear that is holding you back, it may offer some comfort to know that Carmen mentioned even business magnate and billionaire Warren Buffett admitted to being “terrified” of public speaking early in his career. But he knew that “If you can’t communicate and talk to other people and get across your ideas, you’re giving up your potential”. And, so he chose to conquer his fear. You can, too! 

Join us at one of our two remaining Breakfast Series on public speaking.  If you lead a B2B sales team or are the owner of an organisation the next ‘Improve Your Sales Presenting’ breakfast on the 11^th of September is perfect for you.  Hosted by the wonderful team at Guy Grossi’s Merchant in the Rialto tower, Carmen will not only share techniques to enhance your presentation delivery but take you through a ‘standard’ sales presentation versus a highly effective ‘stand out’ sales presentation.

If you are a female leader or a female wanting to head into leadership then don’t miss our ‘Leading Women and Speaking’ breakfast on the 25^th of September at Guy Grossi’s Merchant.  Carmen will challenge you to stand up and be seen and heard, and to move forward confidently so that you allow others to follow you, or for Senior Management to see the potential lying within.

We looking forward to seeing you soon at our next event or tour,
Cheers Digital Women’s Network Team; Carmen, Angela, Nicola, Amanda, Jesse, Bek, Kelly, Carmel, Hina, Jade, Ruby, Justin & Adrian. xx
hello@digitalwomensnetwork.com 

The post FIRST IN OUR BREAKFAST SERIES FOR 2019 appeared first on Women's Networking Events - Melbourne.

• Women hold 13.7% of chair positions and 25.8% of directorships and represent 17.1% of CEOs and 30.5% of key management personnel (WGEA 2019).
• 35.2% of boards and governing bodies have no female directors. By contrast, only 0.9% had no male directors (WGEA 2018, Australia’s Gender Equality Scorecard).

Here are some insights and thoughts of Samantha’s first-hand experience in creating systemic change in the Royal Australian Air Force. 

How do we remain feminine and be equal/in charge and respected? 

I think we first need to acknowledge and be comfortable in our own skin. You’ll never lead to your potential if you are grappling with trying to fit in and adapt = that takes energy.

Where do we as Females go it wrong or get it wrong? 

We may perceive our environment to be a mans world. In my experience it is the fact that I felt as though I stuck out. And when you stick out, you don’t get the luxury of a bad day, or a good day for that matter, when you stick out, good performance, and poor performance blends in with all performance. And this is a constraint within our organisations. 

What gave you the courage to want to make a changes in the RAAF?

A supervisor who enabled the change to be articulated and developed and ultimately supported.

What drove you to take the action?

The knowledge that if I did nothing, then nothing would change.

Is it women that perceive there is a glass ceiling?

No. But it does depend – how’s that for a non-committal answer?! I feel there are a number of barriers to the progression of women into senior leadership positions. A report released yesterday actually by Rapid Contact into defence Industry, found not only does recruitment pipeline need addressing, the progression and retention required a big focus.

Are women still cutting other women down to reach their own goals?

I don’t believe so – maybe some still feel as though they are surviving, and not able to thrive. Only when given opportunity to thrive can you truly help others.

Here is Samantha speaking at the World Economic Forum earlier this week.

We are delighted to host Samantha Freebairn for a very interactive dining event at Grossi Group Venue – Merchant on Collins Street.

JOIN US FOR SOME GROSSI HOSPITALITY

THREE COURSE DINNER

WEDNESDAY JUL 24, 2019

6PM-9:00PM

AT GUY GROSSI’S MERCHANT 495 COLLINS ST, MELBOURNE VIC 3000

DARING TO LEAD CULTURAL CHANGE, WITH SAMANTHA FREEBAIRN

WWW.DIGITALWOMENSNETWORK.COM

TICKETS;

https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/dare-to-lead-cultural-change-tickets-62246410690

Tables of 10 can be purchased however tickets are now limited, get yours before we sell out.

Earlier in Samantha’s career, she worked as an Air Force Pilot, flying both combat and on humanitarian relief missions. As a highly skilled pilot, Samantha was the first woman in Australia to instruct pilots in the C-17A simulator.

As a Gender Diversity and Inclusion Advocate, Samantha wrote the RAAF policy which enabled her and other women the ability to return to operational flying positions after having children.

Later Samantha was employed as the Operations Flight Commander for 36 Squadron and their fleet of eight C17 Globemaster aircraft.

In 2014, Samantha won the QLD Telstra Business Women’s Award in Business Innovation for her Graduate Pilot Scheme, which incentivises military aviation to women who had never previously considered it. Increase in Female pilot numbers had been stagnant for over 30 years, Samantha’s new initiative resulted in successfully doubling the number of Female pilots in the Air Force in a two-year period.

• 2016, World Economic Forum, Young Global Leader most influential global leaders under 40 years
• 2014 QLD Telstra Business Women’s Award winner, Business Innovation (Graduate Pilot Scheme)
• Wing Commander, Pilot, Royal Australian Air Force
• First Women in Australia to instruct pilots in the C-17A simulator
• Gender Diversity and Inclusion Advocate
• Currently the Deputy Director of the Australian Air Force Cadets aviation and Women’s Leadership Specialist

Never be afraid to speak up and challenge the group norm and unconscious biases. “Samantha Freebairn”

Samantha’s Education & Qualifications include;

• Bachelor of Science degree,
• Masters of Management in Leadership,
• Certified Workplace and Business Coach
• Graduate of Harvard University (John F. Kennedy School of Government) ‘Global Leadership and Public Policy for the 21st Century’ program.
• Operational C-130H Hercules Pilot
• C-17 Globemaster pilot

Today Samantha is a keynote speaker, Wing Commander, Pilot for Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), World Economic Forum Global Leader, Telstra Business Woman, Gender Diversity and Inclusion Advocate, Mentor and Women’s Leadership Specialist the Deputy Director of the Australian Air Force Cadets aviation activities, works and a Business Coach a busy Wife and Mother of two..

The post Our sit down with World Economic Forum Global Leader, Wing Commander for RAAF Samantha Freebairn appeared first on Women's Networking Events - Melbourne.

Our Daring to Lead Cultural Change event is born from Samantha’s first-hand experience in creating systemic change in the Royal Australian Air Force. Samanthas work has been globally recognised in 2016 by the prestigious World Economic Forum, where she was identified as a Young Global Leader, and Most influential global leaders under 40 years old; for her outstanding leadership drive and qualities. Further her entrepreneurial flair has also been recognised Across Australia by Telstra in 2014 by taking out the QLD Telstra Business Women Award for Business Innovation of the Air Force’s Graduate Pilot Scheme.

We hope you can join us;
DARING TO LEAD CULTURAL CHANGE
WEDNESDAY JUL 24, 2019
6PM-9:00PM
INTIMATE DINNER AT GUY GROSSI’S MERCHANT
495 COLLINS ST, MELBOURNE VIC 3000
TICKETS ARE SELLING FAST;
https://events.humanitix.com.au/dare-to-lead-cultural-change­
https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/dare-to-lead-cultural-change-tickets62246410690­

https://youtu.be/_nzah964_Sg­

Samantha is one of the top Pilots in the World, hear her from this week speaking in China;

Earlier in Samantha’s career, she worked as a Air Force Pilot, flying both combat and on humanitarian relief missions. As a highly skilled pilot, Samantha was the first woman in Australia to instruct pilots in the C-17A simulator.

As a Gender Diversity and Inclusion Advocate, Samantha wrote the RAAF policy which enabled her and other women the ability to return to operational flying positions after having children.

Later Samantha was employed as the Operations Flight Commander for 36 Squadron and their fleet of eight C17 Globemaster aircraft.

In 2014, Samantha won the QLD Telstra Business Women’s Award in Business Innovation for her Graduate Pilot Scheme, which incentivises military aviation to women who had never previously considered it. Increase in Female pilot numbers had been stagnant for over 30 years, Samantha’s new initiative resulted in successfully doubling the number of Female pilots in the Air Force in a two-year period.

• 2016, World Economic Forum, Young Global Leader most influential global leaders under 40 years
• 2014 QLD Telstra Business Women’s Award winner, Business Innovation (Graduate Pilot Scheme)
• Wing Commander, Pilot, Royal Australian Air Force
• First Women in Australia to instruct pilots in the C-17A simulator
• Gender Diversity and Inclusion Advocate
• Currently the Deputy Director of the Australian Air Force Cadets aviation and Women’s Leadership Specialist

Samantha’s Education & Qualifications include;

• Bachelor of Science degree,
• Masters of Management in Leadership,
• Certified Workplace and Business Coach
• Graduate of Harvard University (John F. Kennedy School of Government) ‘Global Leadership and Public Policy for the 21st Century’ program.
• Operational C-130H Hercules Pilot
• C-17 Globemaster pilot

Today Samantha is a keynote speaker, the Deputy Director of the Australian Air Force Cadets aviation activities, Women’s Leadership Specialist and works and a Business Coach.

The post Meet one of the Top Pilots in the World and learn how she created change in the RAAF. appeared first on Women's Networking Events - Melbourne.

Rupert started by sharing his own story, how it all started in Christchurch, NZ.  Rupert was dyslexic as a child,  and only interpreted the world visually.  He dropped out from school and moved into design and development at a very young age, setting up a branding workshop early in his career, and building a website development company in NZ. He then sat on the digital agency One Fat Sheep for a few years before coming across oneof the early apps using AR to augment a 3D house on a smartphone. The idea blew his mind and he thought how he could do it better.

The journey started with Rupert going to the company Hell Pizza and creating first 3d zombie on a pizza box. Inspite of it’s growing popularity around the world, AR wasn’t a very scalable business for the demand.

Not losing hope, Rupert then saw massive opportunity to build a platform where clients could build their own AR apps, and that’s how he came up with Plattar!

Here’s a wrap up of the rest of the evening that Rupert spent answering questions from Angela and the inquisitive audience.

So how has AR penetrated into various industries enhancing visualization, to empowering audience to problem solving?

• Retail – Customers can see a product in their own context, e.g. customers wanting to buy cushions can see how it would blend in their own environment before picking a colour or design.
• Training – might want to look at empowering people to do something different – be guided step by step on how to put a plug together
• Fashion – Brands like L’Oreal are already using AR showcasing how to put on make up on virtually.
• From visualisation to empowerment to – problem solving
• Medicine – AR is also being used in medicine where students are able to touch a human brain without really touching a live body!

Why should you incorporate AR into your digital strategy

In the future, there will be digital layers of information overlaying everything in your real life. This additional layer will be able to enhance your daily life in ways that we can’t even comprehend right now. Upon waking up in the morning there will be inspiration for what to eat projected across the content of your kitchen cupboard. Transport information available to you on your dining room table and upon reaching the office, interactive 3D meeting content displayed for you and your colleagues.

We imagine a world with Augmented Reality, and in the future mixed reality, where  people will be able to design and replace everything around them to create their perfect environment. Cloudy day? Give yourself blue skies! With the integration of AI and geolocation, we could improve people’s safety by keeping users informed through real-time data if they are in an unsafe location and provide them with an alternative route or safety precautions to take.

So the crux is that the technology is coming, according to Deloitte, 88 per cent of mid-market companies (firms with annual revenue of between $100 million and $1 billion) were using some form of virtual or augmented reality as part of their business and the AR market is projected to reach $117.4 billion by 2022, as indicated by Markets and Markets research. What this means to marketers is consumers will start to see companies employing this technology for consumer experiences as the norm, just as websites have been. So starting your learning curve now will mean that you will be a leader in your space and already be much more advanced compared to your competitors.

Hopefully by 2018 AR can be experienced through the web and users won’t need to download an app anymore.

What are the 5 steps for somebody to incorporate AR and VR into their lives?

The first thing any business should do to establish if they need this technology is to understand where it can add value to to their customer experience. This can come in many different ways for different businesses.

1. You can make it an important part of your mobile strategy where consumer engage with your content through campaign or in stores experiences.
2. You might also add augmented reality to the ways that consumers can make their purchases.
3. The business might bring it in as the only way new staff or existing staff get inducted and also training on new OHS procedures.
4. It could become the new way that company wide announcements are made, instead of getting emails that no one reads employees would receive a postcard on their desk with a special message from the CEO to the Christmas party for example.
5. If you are producing a lot of printed material you can bring that media to life in a digital sense, allowing your take that offline activity online.

How can AR help people?

The digital reality space is continuing to expand with the likes of Apple, Facebook, Google, Microsoft and Alibaba investing billions of dollars over the past year into the AR/MR/VR industries.

This growing scope of opportunities means that hardware companies, software developers, designers and brands can all benefit from the new ways that people interact with products and environment around them.

We are already seeing amazing and useful, wearable hardware coming from Microsoft. Coupling this with the advances in mobile phones that will allow mainstream smart devices to analyse and measure the surrounding environment,  we will start to see even more powerful applications of AR for all industries.

Plattar has worked to establish an early client base with many industry leaders. With these companies joining us to pioneer on the Plattar platform, we have proven the potential for AR technology across multiple industries.

A comprehensive but by no means exhaustive list of practical commercial opportunities includes:

• Product Visualisation: Allowing consumers and businesses to see your products before purchase and reduce returns.
• Training: Providing effective, memorable training experiences
• Marketing: Present your products, services and brand through engaging and interactive experiences.
• Property: Allows customers to virtually walk through property outside of open homes.
• Design: Visualise and experience products before production.
• Education:  Subjects come to life through real-time interactive lessons and material.
• Tourism: Create engaging digital layers for the customer to drop on top of the existing experience.
• Instruction and Repair: Reduce mistakes and improve servicing quality with up to date instructions and information.
• Operations productivity: Allow plant room floor to access and action upon real-time data without having to be near a workstation, increasing efficiency and reducing liability.
• Body modifications: Visualise how that tattoo or piercing looks before purchase.
• Print media: Add a digital layer to the content already presented to customers and increase outcomes.

Rupert finally closed with what’s to come in 2018:

According to Gartner and other research firms Augmented Reality has survived the hype and is fast becoming part of our daily lives. Pokemon Go and Snapchat have brought AR to the mainstream and validated what was promised. We are still in the early stages with three important enabling technologies on the horizon:

1. Truly Mobile web AR
2. 5G internet
3. Smart vision glasses

The post WRAP UP : Augmented Reality – The next media revolution appeared first on Women's Networking Events - Melbourne.