As many of you may know, www.whitenow.com.au was recently attacked, YES, attacked! – by ‘Aliens from Planet Hack.’ What this means, is the company that hosts our website and emails was externally and deliberately attacked and this effected our website and emails (along with lots of others) for about 6 days. Not good for a web-based business!
Anyway, we are now back, the Aliens DID NOT win!
As with most experiences some good things did come out of it. As an employee of White Now, I was really impressed with the response of those managing the company and our IT resources (Jenny White, Toby Kennett and Andrew Bassett-Smith). There was no time wasted on ‘wringing hands’, feeling sorry for ourselves or laying blame. Our management team was straight into ‘solution- finding’ mode and minimising the inconvenience for our clients and website users. As soon as the problem was discovered, they were onto letting people know as best they could (via Facebook,LinkedIn and twitter initially) and setting up a temporary site so at least our current positions vacant could be seen.
It is really refreshing and inspiring to work for a company like White Now that concentrates on being positive, focused and professional and getting the ‘crisis’ resolved.
This is also a management team that regularly acknowledges the work of staff both publicly and privately – we always know we are appreciated, which makes a BIG difference! So now its my turn to acknowledge them and say ‘you guys ROCK’ and are great to work for!
There is a definite lesson for ‘What to do When attacked by Aliens from Planet Hack’ or any other ‘crisis’ that befalls your business (or life for that matter), stay positive, focused and look for solutions. That way you retain your power over the situation and leave the blame laying alone, get on with the job.
I recently purchased the NEW Colgate Sensitive Pro-Relief Toothpaste that has been advertised widely. Having sensitive teeth, the ad totally hooked me and the next time I was looking for toothpaste I decided to give it a go!
When I first went to use the product I was unable to open the ‘tamper-proof’ cap, so went to my husband for help. In the end, we had to take to it with a knife and cut the secure cap off! Rather extreme for toothpaste!
I thought that this was so dangerous and ridiculous that I decided to contact Colgate and let them know. If we had this much trouble, how would someone like my 84 year old mother in law, with arthritic hands and living on her own, ever get the cap off?! I went onto their website and found the ‘contact us’ section and sent them a polite email describing the problems I experienced. I quickly received back an equally polite email that essentially ‘fobbed’ me off. Oh well, I thought, I won’t be buying that product again, regardless how good the toothpaste maybe, it’s just too hard to get to.
I forgot all about it and returned to another brand of toothpaste with any easy-access cap. This week I received a parcel in the post from Colgate. Seems I must not have been the only one to comment on the cap and they have redesigned it and sent me a tube to trial plus a questionnaire to answer.
Well today I tried the new cap which is still ‘tamper-proof’ but I am pleased to say VERY easy to open and access the toothpaste inside!
All of this really impressed on me how important it is to listen AND respond to customers. I felt great that my comments had been heard and acted on and my further opinion was then sought. I am sure I was one of many people who made comments about the cap, but if no one had said anything and had just never bought the product again, Colgate would have been left wondering what the problem was – the toothpaste? the taste? packaging – WHAT?! By receiving and acting on the feedback they have been able to make a small change and thererfore, hopefully retain customers and gain new customers, when they spread the word.
So, the moral of the story is to firstly let companies/organisations know if you find a problem with their product or service so they can take action – its then up to them. Secondly, if you are that company/organisation receiving that comment, WELCOME it with open arms and see at as the opportunity that it is to make your service or product even better! I will now continue to buy Sensitive Pro-Relief Colgate!
Just recently we had all of the company cars decked out with our company branding! The White Now-mobiles got a purple and yellow wizard, whilst the Social Media-machines received the purple and turquoise Social Wizs, along with web addresses etc, etc!
I personally live in a busy street in the Inner West of Sydney, one that people wander up and down each morning and evening, to/from Victoria Road, to/from bus. The day after my car had been done, it was parked in the driveway as I diligently worked from home (at least that what I told the MD I was doing) and yet it managed to earn the business some money!
You see, a lady wandering past my driveway on her way to her part time job in the city noticed my car and something about the little bare-bottomed Wizard (oh, I forgot to mention – Social Wiz and Wiz have dropped their cloaks in the name of promotion) drew her attention to the message plastered ALL OVER my car! She then proceeded to look us up on the web once she got to work and made contact with us through our “enquiries” email. The rest, as they say, is history……….she has signed up as a client and we are working hard on designing, developing and delivering a social media strategy and presence for her business.
I have always been an advocate for NOT plastering a car with stickers (more from an obsessive-compulsive stand point when it comes to my cars), but since Social Wiz and I have started ‘driving around’ town together, he and I have started to gain quite a lot of attention and not due to my poor driving, I might add.
So, if you happen to see one of the White Now-mobiles or Social Media-machines out and about, give us a wave or let us know where you saw us. And if you are ever thinking about getting your car covered in naked bottoms or just stickers in general……..I can tell you from experience that it works!!!
Recently I have noticed a few articles discussing the predicted trends for the workplace and how we will work in the future and was interested to note that some of these trends already apply here at White Now!
Forecasters predict that women will account for 46 % of the workforce by 2020, more Australians will work part time, the median age will be 38 and more of our colleagues will be over 65, thanks to a growth in ‘grey power’. Women will hold more management roles and our leadership style is expected to become more collaborative, motivational and engaged.
There is also a trend towards what is being termed as ‘workstyle’ (rather than lifestyle) where you fit work AROUND your personal life and family commitments. Makes sense as more and more, both partners are in the workforce and the responsibility for care of children is being shared more equally. And who says you have to get your work done between 9am and 5pm – what about the rest of the hours in the day and night??
‘Workstyle’ allows the worker to attend school events, go to the gym or attend appointments in traditional work hours, do an intersst course and work when and where it best suits them – perhaps from home after the kids are in bed, in the early hours of the morning or on the weekend. It means that the worker is always ‘on’ but with the ability to work around other commitments whether that be family or other interests and use ALL the time available to them.
With access to the internet and mobile communications tools, we can now work from almost anywhere and at anytime so work and life can intersect and ‘seep’ into each other.
This was one of the things that attracted me to working with White Now, having the flexibility and tools to manage my work and life and make the most of both. I was interested and pleased to realise, when reading these articles recently, just how forward thinking this company is!
While not every job can operate this way, (hard to deliver great face to face customer service from home or when your venue is closed!) there still may be opportunities for greater flexibility and incorporating some aspects to give ourselves or staff more of a ‘workstyle’ lifestyle. Start the conversation with your Manager or staff and find out what could be a ‘workstyle’ for both!
Being happy at work, having an enviable workstyle, may just be how we will measure our career ‘success’ in the future!
The end of a year is certainly a time for reflection on what has happened this year and what we would like to do differently or how we would like to be different in the new year. So, many of us will make New Years’ Resolutions for the year ahead and there will be plenty of articles appearing in newspapers and magazines with advice on ‘how to keep your resolutions,’ such as; write them down, tell a friend, post them on the fridge or even register them on a website www.newyearsresolutions.com.au.
Apparently 69% of Australians make at least one New Years’ resolution yet less than a quarter actually stick to achieving our goals! One suggestion I saw recently is to only make short term resolutions (say 3 months at a time) rather than for the whole year, then review them regularly and make the next one – could work.
Along with the old year we want to get rid of the old us, our old job, our old habits and bring in new, fresh and exciting ones! Resolutions tend to be around improving our fitness, health or appearance, becoming better people, giving up smoking and other bad habits, saving money and getting that new job. Having worked in recruitment for a number of years I have certainly seen an increase in both ads and applications for jobs, occuring in the ‘New Year’ and this is certianly true here at White Now. Whether this is due to holidays and festivities finishing, people making New Years’ resolutions to get a new job, or a combination of both, I’m not sure!
For me, I am still deciding on what my New Years’ resolutions will be and how I will ensure I achieve my goals. I’m sure straight after Christmas I will swear off food and alcohol – but I doubt that will last long! Then all of a sudden it’s Easter and life is busy and nothing has changed and ‘what were those resolutions again?’
So good luck with any resolutions you make, may you achieve your goals and may 2011 be everything you want it to be!
Like any doting grandparents, we love spending time with “our boys”, aged four-and-a-bit and sixteen months, but as they live in Sydney and we live in Adelaide it’s usually a few months between visits. I suppose I shouldn’t be, but I’m always surprised at how they’ve grown up since I last saw them. This time I just couldn’t believe the grasp that the four-year-old has on technology.
Now, I come from a generation that grew up without much technology. We didn’t even have television when I was my grandson’s present age. And even by the time I finished my education and went to work only big companies could afford computers which needed a climate-controlled room with access restricted to authorised technicians wearing white coats. There was no such thing as a personal computer, let alone a laptop or notebook. I always had a secretary to do my typing and I would have been well into my forties before I learned, reluctantly initially, to use a computer. While I was working I kept myself reasonably up-to-date but since I retired five years ago, I’ve got rather left behind.
Kids today of course, like my grandsons, start using technology almost from the day they’re born and there are so many products that just weren’t around even a few years ago. I’m thinking of things like iPhones, iPods, iPads, XBOXs, Wii, Wi-fi and so on, most of which I don’t have a clue about. Let’s face it, I even have trouble turning on the television!
But it’s all second nature to my grandson. He couldn’t wait to show me how to use his Dad’s iPad . He was able to demonstrate all the features like how to view photographs, play music and so on. He also knows full well how to order and download applications – fortunately, he also understands that he’s not allowed to and that he needs a password which has been withheld from him.
When it comes to games, he’s in his element and has hand-eye coordination that I envy. He keeps asking me to play with him but he’s so much better than me that I bore him. So far, I’ve destroyed the Batmobile in Lego Batman, lost Indiana Jone’s treasure and broken both Kung Fu Panda’s legs. I’ve now been banned before I do any more damage!
Friends of our age sometimes ask what we think of kids and computers. Well, I’m all in favour. Properly used with appropriate parental guidance the computer is a marvellous educational tool, while the ability to keep up with and use technology is an absolutely essential skill today. Goodness knows what the future will bring; the likely advances are beyond my imagination but the kids will have to cope and the best time to start is now.
Formulating a dynamic Action plan to translate dreams to reality
“All the flowers of all the tomorrows are in the seeds of today”
The first step in developing an Action plan is to stop and think! Before taking any action, it is vital to understand the purpose for the action, and ensure that the steps you take are aligned with your core values and visions. It sounds like stating the obvious, yet there are many people whose daily actions are actually moving them further away from their deepest desires! The clearer you are about what is important to you, the more dynamic your action plan, and the more likely you are to be energised to take action.
There are countless ways to devise an Action plan, and here is a framework for you to adapt to suit your specific situation. Turn off your phone, put on some relaxing music, take some paper and coloured pens, and answer the following questions:
What is my current reality?
Where am I now? What decisions and habits have brought me to where I am today? What resources do I have available? What are my existing skills and strengths? What gives me energy? Which parts of my day do I truly look forward to? What support do I need right now?
Where do I want to be?
What is the main vision for my Action Plan? What do I want to achieve? What will I see, hear and feel to know that I have been successful in achieving the goal / vision? Is this vision an expression of one or more of my core values?
What perceived constraints do I have, eg time, money, or other resources?
What habits do I have that may get in the way of achieving my goal? What are my limiting beliefs about being / doing / having the desired result? What if the opposite was true? What support do I need to release these constraints?
What are my gifts, talents and strengths?
When have I been successful at achieving something I desired? What qualities do I have that will benefit me for the future? When was I truly energised and excited about what I was doing? What was present? Is my current vision aligned with my strengths and talents?
Write my desired outcome using the SMART method – old, but good! Make it Specific, Measurable, Action-oriented, Realistic and Time-framed. Write it in the present tense as if it is happening NOW!
How do I get there?
Think of all the possible things you could do to take you closer to achieving your goal, no matter how small. Write down all actions you may need to take to achieve your goal. At this step, focus on generating and writing as many different options and ideas as possible. Take a sheet of paper and write more and more ideas, just as they come to your mind. While you are doing this, it is important not to judge or analyse. This is a brainstorm, choosing the most appropriate steps will follow!
What is the very next step I must take towards achieving this goal / vision?
Arrange the steps in a logical, chronological order and put a date by which you will start each step. Try to set yourself weekly goals: what research you will do into jobs, what skills you will concentrate on learning etc. It’s also a good idea to get into the habit of planning a timetable each evening listing your steps for the next day or two.
Each action step should include the following information:
Whatactions or changes will occur;
Whowill carry out these changes;
By whenthey will take place, and for how long;
What resources (i.e., support, skills) are needed to carry out these changes;
Which core valueis being expressed by taking this action
Create a collage or metaphor of your vision, and keep it in front of you every day. It is a powerful reminder when the going gets tough.
Celebrate the milestones! Remember to acknowledge yourself and others as you accomplish each step along the way.
“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds that you plant” –Robert Louis Stevenson
This AMAZING piece was written by our AMAZING guest blogger Karynne Courts from Values Connection. Ph +61 2 9983 0755
Here at The Now Bunch, we would like to consider ourselves pretty up-to-date with technology or more specifically, ‘Information Technology’ and all of the bits and pieces that revolve around hardware and software.
We have all been running iPhones for a little while now as they enable us to do SO MUCH more than anything else we used prior. And then recently, we all became the proud owners of iPads. Now I genuinely believed that I understood the tech that is doing the rounds at the moment, at least I thought I did right up until I was hooked in on a webinar that explained some of the things that you can do with an iPad to make better use of your time and therefore manage your business better!
I have never been a believer in ‘information for the sake of information’ and so I have been tentative in the uptake of some forms of Information Sharing and Applications that seem to bombard you with info and are therefore difficult to manage. That was then, this is NOW (as they say). Since receiving my iPad and then watching the webinar, I have installed a range of applications that allow me to gather MASSIVE amounts of information and more importantly they provide me with the tools I require to MANAGE that information in a timely and informative manner that is fun, exciting, educational, developmental and USEFUL!!! And because I actually manage the information in a tactile manner (swipes, pinches, taps, etc), I am finding that I retain a lot more than I imagined!
The age of information is well and truly upon us and so there is no point in trying to solve today’s problems with yesterday’s knowledge. You need to remain current and informed! The iPad enables me to do this and it does so in an efficient, easy and intuitive way. With the introduction of our new business, Social Media Now it’s important to be current at ALL times and so the iPad enables us to do that. I am not suggesting for a moment that there will not be alternatives to the iPad (HP; ASUS; Toshiba and others are all madly scrambling to get theirs to market – another fact I learnt via my social media applications through my iPad) and I am not here to do a sales pitch on this particular offering from Apple. However, after just a bit over a week with my new toy and I can tell you that I have:
Discovered more useful info than ever before that relates to MY business (eg. social media links and website coding plus STACKS MORE)
Been able to reply to clients more quickly and efficiently (eg. whilst on the bus I managed to post an advert in response to an email confirmation)
Managed my time better (eg. single calendar changes on a cloud ensure ALL my devices are totally current)
Remained in contact with my family that are overseas & interstate better (eg. skyped my sister in the UAE whilst on the bus, whilst posting pictures/videos of the kids for grandma & grandpa in SA so that they can quite literally witness the kids growing up as it happens)
Caught up on all my latest sports news in approximately 15 minutes that would normally take me a couple of hours through a new app [Reeder – in case you are interested] – (eg. the world of Formula 1 via blogs/posts/SM/RSS feeds)
Taught myself all there is to know amount about Social Media and how to quickly and easily find and read relevant information (eg. provided our IT Geek with coding that I was told about through a random website that generates information for ME based on my likes and dislikes)
Remained in contact with a range of clients during ‘down-time’ (eg. emailed people that I had been in touch with for a while whilst I was sitting in the Physio’s waiting room)
Started reading a ‘self-help’ book that I downloaded
I could go on and on and on and on (some of you may feel like I already have)! But I won’t as I might burst from the excitement (which wouldn’t be pretty…………….ok, ok! which would be even LESS pretty)….
At the risk of sounding melodramatic, I can honestly say that the iPhone has been the single biggest change in regards to my personal use of technology and I reckon it pales in to insignificance next to my iPad as this has become both a personal AND a professional necessity!!! My gut feel is that I have not even scratched the surface of what I will be able to do on it and with the onslaught of cloud computing (Google it if you haven’t heard the term), the opportunities are endless.
So, the technology is here to stay. That’s a given………
The sheep station where I spent my childhood was a three hour drive from the nearest town over dusty unsealed roads. The town had nine hotels and two grocery stores, and we only went there every six weeks or so to stock up on our supplies. Living in such a remote area meant we needed to be self-sufficient and resilient. We had a vegetable garden, sheep and cattle for our meat, and we kept hens for eggs.
Every year, we would order our hens from the city poultry farmers. They were only young, not much more than a year old, and were already considered “burnt out” by the egg farmers. We would order four dozen at a time – for about 20 cents (1 or 2 rand) a chicken!
We would drive the three hours into town and pick them up from the rail depot. They were transported in large cardboard cartons with little air holes cut out. We’d bring them back home, tie the dogs up, and open the boxes.
Out would fall the most bedraggled creatures we had ever seen. They were often featherless, their crests pale and shabby and their claws overgrown. They had spent their entire lives inside a cage in tin sheds under intense 24 hour artificial lighting, and were expected to lay to maximum capacity – sometimes two eggs per day.
They had never seen the sunshine or felt the earth beneath their feet. Some of them even had their beaks removed to prevent them from pecking their eggs. We let them out into the yard to learn how to be chooks – to pick at the green weeds, scratch for worms and bugs, and cluck at each other. After only a couple of weeks, their crests became a deeper, healthier red, their feathers grew back, and they even “walked taller”.
The most amazing thing was that they started to lay eggs again.
When we create environments that focus on who we are, that allow us to express our values and nourish us, then our natural talents and energy are released. The impossible becomes possible, and results exceed expectations.
By focusing on the who – allowing them to be the best they could be, the “what” came naturally. Of course they would lay eggs – that’s what hens do. So instead of saying “now go off and lay lots of eggs”, we let them rediscover how to be real chickens – and laying eggs was a natural consequence.
How often in workplaces do we ask our people to lay more eggs – turn the lights up, increase performance, keep producing – with the threat of replacement if they slow down? If we focus more on the nurturing of our people, providing the environment that allows them to be the best they can be, then the natural consequence is for them to do whatever it is they do. Trust that if they are healthy, stimulated, encouraged, and believed in, you will have all the eggs you need!
Organisations, governments, and individual consumers pour millions of dollars into working out ways to lay more eggs – bigger, cheaper, faster, quicker, more! We are constantly offered tools and gadgets that are supposed to make our lives better, yet we become involved in a cycle of replacing the unnecessary to do the necessary, and we lose the ability and sometimes even the knowledge of doing things for ourselves. Tools that are supposed designed to “make it easier” have made us less productive, and many people are burnt out, exhausted, tired, sad, depressed. In order to shift the focus from maximizing egg production to cultivating healthy and happy chickens, we have to challenge the assumptions and beliefs that have created our current situations.
It is not about being a better leader, which suggests that you have something “missing”, it is about recognising the qualities that already reside within you, and allowing yourself the courage to peel away the masks and layers to reveal the infinite creative energy of your real Self. The most courageous journey is the “inner journey” of self awareness.
By embracing and expressing the qualities that reside within, we develop comfort with ambiguity, confidence in uncertainty, and a willingness to celebrate diversity.
A leader is a person who serves through being trustworthy, inspirational and passionate. Leadership is not about role, position, salary, or authority. It is an innate quality in everyone, and leaders are at all levels of the community, family, and work place.
We lead how we live, and how we live our life is the way we leave the world.
Welcome to our guest Blogger – Karynne Courts from Values Connection who has donated her time to Blog for you some great lessons.
(Source: Karynne Courts, Values Connection (see www.valuesconnection.com.au for more inspirational stuff or to purchase the book – Journey to the Blue Road … an amazing book by an amazing person!!)
I had an ENLIGHTENING experience recently. I’m NOT ashamed to blatantly praise a company through this blog as they simply deserve it. In turn I’m not going to ‘name and shame’ those who have no idea what good service means.
Recently we were looking for a person or company who could help us her e at The Now Bunch with systemizing and organizing our computers, wiring and cables in our offices. We were about to receive new desks in 3.5 weeks and needed to get this sorted prior to their arrival. This seemed enough lead up time to secure someone to help us for a couple of hours !
We have over 1400 friends through our different Social Media channels so we thought we would go to them and ask for referrals from them so that they could continue to build relationships as well. We posted a simple call out “Who knows of a good electrician or data cabling person or company who can help us sort our office out ?”.
We received many replies back which equated to 7 names/companies for us to contact. Being as diligent as we are and respecting the advice from our ‘friends’ we contacted each of the 7 suppliers. It is important to note that with everyone we talked to, we let them know that they had been recommended by a current client of theirs. Here is the outcome from each;
Suppliers 1 & 2: We left a message on the voicemail of 2 suppliers and neither called back.
Supplier 3: This guy said he was busy for two weeks but would call in a week to book us in – he never called back.
Supplier 4: They took down all our details (the wife of the sparkie was on the end of the phone) and she promised that her husband would call back either that night or in the morning. He never called back.
Supplier 5: We called him and he did not have a pen, so I said that I would text him my name and number and also email him with our details, which we did. He was very happy with that, but …. You guessed it, he never called us back.
Supplier 6: We called this company who said that they would send someone on Friday at 10am. We waited. No-one showed and no-one called. We never heard from them again.
Supplier 7: this company promised that they would drop in the next day on their way back from a job but they did not show. I called them again and they apologised and said that they would call me on the next Monday. They never called. I spoke to them again and they promised that they would call the next day to organise a time, they never called.
I was over it and it was now only a week until our desks arrived. I just wanted to give someone money to do some work !! With cap in hand and frustration oozing, I went to Toby, our CEO and asked if he knew anybody. He said that he had used a guy when he was at Tradies who owned a company called WED Group. The guys name was Matt Worthington. Toby said that he always did what he promised he would do. Toby gave Matt a call. Here is how the journey with the WED Group went …..
Matt promised Toby that he would call me the next day before 10am. Matt called me at 9.30am.
Matt said that he would send someone out the next day to have a look and see what our needs were, and if one of his team could not, then he would come himself. He said he would be at our office at 10am. At 9.30am we received a call from Matt to confirm that he would arrive at 10am. He was there on time and in person !
Matt let us know what was needed, the time frame it would take, the approximate costs and what we needed to do prior to his team returning. Matt then sat down at the computer and logged into his online appointment system and locked us in for a suitable time which was only 3 days later. Perfect – it would be complete before our desks arrived. Matt confirmed that he would be at our office at 7.30am on the Friday.
The day before our appointment, Matt called to reconfirm his visit the next morning. The next morning, we received a call at 7am from Matt explaining that he was caught in traffic and would be about 30 minutes late. He arrived at 8am as promised.
Matt wasted no time in completing the job
Matt and his team presented well (in uniform) and were polite and thoughtful to our business needs.
When Matt was leaving, he noticed that there was a problem with an electrical source that may cause a problem in the future (yep – a fire). Matt fixed that at no further charge !
Basically, we were blown away that this company, who I had never heard of before, did everything that they said they would. That is all that I asked for ! How can I give back to a company that simply did the right thing by us and demonstrated exceptional service? Firstly I bought the team Vietnamese pork rolls for lunch whilst they were in the office (every blokes favourite lunch I think), I then drafted a banner for them to advertise their services with us and now I am writing to tell the world about them. This is what great service does to others. People like me want to put others on a pedestal when they go beyond the call of duty. Don’t you want to tell everyone about truly exceptional service? Congratulations Matt Worthington and your team. You blew us away ! It is a pleasure to have met you.
