Media Savvy - Media Skills For Rural Women
The ability to lead, persuade and influence are integral skills for effective leaders. The capability of telling a story that inspires, motivates and informs is an essential part of this process. In an age of convergence in the media and increased scepticism over traditional communication methods, a new breed of leader is emerging that sees the media as an opportunity and not a threat. They use the media in a pro-active way to build their community or organisation's image, reputation and identity.Business Review Weekly's cover story "Future Leaders" editorial reported "new chief executives must have better presentation skills, for they will be required to perform in the electronic and printed media. Poor presentation will be perceived as a weakness in leadership, and arrogance or condescending attitudes will only be tolerated while the company is on top," (BRW December 14, 1998 P.14).The WA Rural Women in Leadership program is designed for women 40 years and above to enhance their personal leadership skills through a range of learning modules.I found the women I was working with in a half-day module on "Managing the Media" highly motivated, articulate and committed to community development in their respective regions.My role with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, as both a broadcaster interviewing key decision makers and as a manager providing editorial leadership for program makers, allowed me to observe first hand how effective leaders use the media to get their message across.I now share this knowledge and experience with a range of clients to add value, improve performance and build capabilities. Our company has built a reputation for excellence in media strategy, issues management, change management, market

Being Fired Could Be An Advantage (Part One)
Okay so you are called into the boss’s office. You are fired. No reason. No antagonism. You are stunned and are suddenly out of a job. What do you do now? The fact is that you are not alone. In today’s competitive business economy, major corporations and small businesses alike are announcing layoffs and individual dismissals in record numbers across Australia. This is a terrible blow, especially for men and women who have families to support. This situation also results in many displaced workers who have nowhere to go.Many people say you should look at this unfortunate event as an excellent opportunity in disguise, a chance to stop, catch your breath, and figure out what you are doing with your life. In reality, few people who find themselves suddenly out of work have the financial resources to turn their unexpected time off into a contemplative exercise in self-exploration. Normally, the most important mission of the recently unemployed is to find a new job as quickly as possible. Online searches for jobs these days are common and you will find some extremely good online sites that will help immensely in your hunt for a new job.Two of these sites are exceptional when you are searching for a fulltime position. A site, which I recommend, is OzFreeOnline.com; all you need to do is register to access all the information, post your r?sum?, and get onto the job market right away.Unlike the average job seeker, however, a person who has been ‘sacked’ has not only the substantial stress of job hunting with which to deal but also a very wide range of emotions including sadness, rage, confusion, and despair. If it keeps you sane, have a good cry, but do not let this go on too long; keep in mind that most dismissals are not personal, but are

10 Major Signs of Job Dissatisfaction
The New Year is a great time to analyze your job and the satisfaction you get from doing it. Running the rat race is just that, scurrying around only to find that at the end of the day or week you are still not happy about who you are and what you do. For many people they think exercise, changing their eating habits, or learning a new sport or language will make a difference in their emotional and physical well being. Fortunately for some that’s all it takes, but for others a complete job makeover is the only way.Today, changing employers is nothing that can be accomplished over-night. It may take a year or more because good paying jobs are scarce. There are, however specific things you can do to begin this metamorphosis. You must first acknowledge that a change is imminent and that drastic measures are needed. Below are ten signs that clearly indicate that you need a complete job makeover.1. You become physically ill upon arriving at work or feel the need to drive past the parking lot and return home2. Friday offers no relief, it is just a distressing reminder that Monday looms in the not too distant future3. Work activities are dull and boring and you sit with your door closed or in your cubicle playing computer games4. You physical health is failing, you feel exhausted and listless5. You stop playing office politics and avoid trying to please your boss and keep peace with co-workers6. You come to a realization that no matter how hard you work or what you accomplish nothing satisfies you7. Your promotional options no longer exist; the company has permanently frozen the Human Resource Department8. You go home talking to family and friends about how horrendously unhappy you ar

Change Management Checklist – Give Your Change Program a Quick Health Check
Approach to ChangeHow is your change initiative going? Are managers and employees singing from the same hymn sheet or are you seeing constant bickering and recriminations? Are positive results emerging for all to see or is your organization’s performance going backwards? Is your program meeting targets and deadlines or is money and time being continually sucked into a black hole?Whether you are implementing a new local accounting system in your department or your organization is embarking on a comprehensive culture change program, it makes sense to take a breath and review how you are traveling. Here is a quick eighteen-point checklist that you can use on your current change project. You can either answer the questions on your own, or better still, get your team in to discuss the answers as a group.The following questions are based on the CHANGE Approach © to managing change in organizations. This approach recognizes that a disciplined process is required for leading and managing change, from the initial good idea to eventual institutionalization of the new way of working. These six phases of the change process are: Create tension Articulate why change needs to happen and why it needs to happen within the planned timeframe.↓ Harness support Get on board the key decision-makers, resource holders and those with the potential to subvert the change process.↓ Articulate goals Define in specific and measurable terms the desired organizational outcomes.↓ Nominate roles Assign responsibility to specific individuals for the various tasks and

How to Start a Mobile Oil Change Business; Strategic Planning
Every automobile with a reciprocating engine needs an oil change to remain in good running order. So it stands to good reason that an oil change business might be a good one to start. Of course opening up a business with a location on a busy street and going through the planning process can be a real bear, no to mention set you back half a million dollars.For this reason many have considered starting a Mobile Oil and Lube Business instead of operating out of a fixed site location. As the Founder of The Oil Change Guys; a mobile oil change franchise business, folks looking to get started often ask me for advice. One recent notable inquiry of this type came from Virginia, a state which our firm has chosen not to register in to sell franchises, asks some very good questions which you might wish to consider for yourself if indeed you are thinking of starting a mobile oil change business.“Dear Sir, I have been thinking for the past 2 weeks about doing mobile oil changes. This seems like a very good business, as well because everyone must do it and if you can do it for less than stationary businesses, it is a no brainer for the customer. And if I must charge more, then many wealthier people will still go for it because they don’t have to worry about forgetting or taking time out of their day to go do it.”Indeed the gentleman has observed the need and desire of the local consumer base near him. He rightfully noticed that there is costs savings in going mobile for this type of auto service business and has already found a target market or segment of the local demographics he wishes to provide these services too. Furthermore this entrepreneur has a plan already formulating in his head, much the same as you might if you were to consider suc

Let's Not Forget About The Little Guy
Every business has to start somewhere. What truly makes this country great is the freedom of enterprenuership that every one of its citizens have. Capitalism at its best signifies the power of a single person to reach monumental goals and turning a simple idea into a huge corporation. But in our pursuit of this glorified state, have we snubbed the little guy?Corporate earnings are billions of dollars a year for executives and shareholders. Online companies such as eBay, PayPal, Google, and Blockbuster have crushed the little guy beneath the giant wheels of change. What would have been important to the small companies as they used to be is a far cry from the values that these corporations embrace today. Will it always be this way? Change is inevitable, but does it really take stepping all on the individuals that got them there in order to succeed? It’s as if once a certain dollar amount is reached in net revenue, the blinders go on, and the company loses touch with the little guy.EBay, Inc. began in 1995 with one little guy’s idea on a better way to garage sale, as a way for his girlfriend (now his wife) to trade Pez dispensers online. By 2001, more than $9 billion in merchandise was sold via the auction monster. Now, eBay Inc. is the biggest internet marketplace, reporting a gross profit of $2,656,894 for 2004.In an interview with eBay’s founder Pierre Omidyar in BusinessWeek Magazine, Senior Correspondent Robert D. Hoff asks a pertinent question:Hof: "It seems ironic that eBay started out intending to level the playing field for small businesses and individuals, and now eBay is a big corporation. How do you make those jibe these days?" Omidyar: "It sure is ironic. I like to think we're a different kind of big co