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Invigorated but a little scared

Tue, 14 Sep 2010 08:20:12 +1200

I just had a wonderful evening with CEOs from some of New Zealand's best companies. The group was brought together by Better By Design to visit some of the USA's best Design-led and Innovative companies. It's going to be an amazing week, challenging I am sure, but an interesting thing happened tonight: if you like, a small distinction became clear to me. There I was talking to Diego Rodriguez a partner at Ideo, a brilliant design company, and Perry Klebahn a consulting associate professor at Stanford Design School, two great people who were truly gracious in the knowledge they shared. To be honest, I was little in awe, I wanted to launch into the Queensberry story, to sell what we do and why what we do matters, but I got stuck. The first reason was, my normal story is an IT-led one, and I was in Google, Facebook and Apple territory so that was going to be hard to get anyone excited about us. The main reason however was I don't really care about that anymore. Sure IT is an enabler, but it comes at what we do from the wrong direction. We make tens of thousands of albums a year, all in New Zealand and every single one different. Not a little different, completely different. Like this one by Johannes van Kan of Virginia and Richard's wedding in Barcelona. This was a truly special event, set in a beautiful church and the story carefully captured and presented by a very talented photographer. So why don't I care about the technology any more? Well of course I still do. It's an enabler, but what I care about more is the fact that, unlike the people we met at a printing exhibition last week, we aren't bragging about having taken all the people out of the manufacturing process. In fact we celebrate the fact that people are crucial to the process. Have a look at this video, and listen to the talk about it on blogs and around twitter, and you realise that there is a yearning in people for 'things that are special', items 'made for them' and for objects 'made with love'. We do this - this is Queensberry - and I am incredibly proud of it. We make albums for royalty, celebrities and the not so famous. And in that moment when we make your album, it is the only one that matters to us. And why am I scared? I'm scared for two reasons. It's easy to get caught up in the technology, and I must admit I am one of the worst. I love my iPhone 4, and in fact right now it looks like Apple threw up on my desk. I love sharing and I love watching my friends and family through Facebook when I can't be with them. But I am also scared because in our desire to share, I think we forget to 'remember'. Throwing images on Facebook is great, but if history is any guide it is unlikely that Facebook will be around when our children or grandchildren are wondering where they came from. I don't really care if it's an album you store them in, but people need to take more care of how they bring these images through the different changes in technology. I'm even more concerned that people start to highlight what's precious. A DVD of images is great, but how does anyone know which people and memories are most important? Your wedding day is precious, it's a carefully staged and choreographed event. Everything is perfect, but sadly with too many people their memories fade as quickly as the flowers, because they don't care about the photography until it's too late. We're ok! Fortunately Queensberry is ok, we have a strong brand and our core message is simple, and heard by the people who get us. We are storytailors, it's not our job so much to tell you how to tell your story, as to help you tell it the way you want it to be. https://www.queensberry.com/blog/ https://www.queensberry.com/mentions/ (function(window, $) { if (!$) { return; } window.qbInitSectionShells = function(root) { var shells = $(root || document).find('.qb-section-shell'); var prefersReducedMotion = window.matchMedia && window.matchMedia('(prefers-reduced-motion: reduce)').matches; var parallaxShells = $(); var observer = null; $(window).off('.qbSectionShells'); if (window.qbSectionShellObserver && typeof window.qbSectionShellObserver.disconnect === 'function') { window.qbSectionShellObserver.disconnect(); } window.qbSectionShellObserver = null; shells.each(function() { var shell = $(this); var animation = shell.attr('data-section-animation') || 'none'; var trigger = shell.attr('data-section-animation-trigger') || 'scroll'; var isParallax = shell.attr('data-section-media-motion') === 'parallax' && shell.attr('data-background-type') === 'image' && shell.attr('data-background-layout') === 'single'; shell.removeClass('qb-section-shell--visible'); if (prefersReducedMotion || animation === 'none') { shell.addClass('qb-section-shell--visible'); } else if (trigger === 'load') { window.requestAnimationFrame(function() { shell.addClass('qb-section-shell--visible'); }); } else { if (!observer && 'IntersectionObserver' in window) { observer = new IntersectionObserver(function(entries, instance) { $.each(entries, function(_, entry) { if (entry.isIntersecting) { $(entry.target).addClass('qb-section-shell--visible'); instance.unobserve(entry.target); } }); }, { threshold: 0.2, rootMargin: '0px 0px -10% 0px' }); } if (observer) { observer.observe(shell.get(0)); } else { shell.addClass('qb-section-shell--visible'); } } if (isParallax && !prefersReducedMotion) { parallaxShells = parallaxShells.add(shell); } else { shell.css('--qb-section-parallax-offset', '0px'); } }); if (observer) { window.qbSectionShellObserver = observer; } if (!parallaxShells.length) { return; } var updateParallax = function() { if (window.innerWidth < 768) { parallaxShells.css('--qb-section-parallax-offset', '0px'); return; } parallaxShells.each(function() { var shell = $(this); var shellElement = shell.get(0); if (!shellElement) { return; } var rect = shellElement.getBoundingClientRect(); var viewportHeight = window.innerHeight || document.documentElement.clientHeight; if (rect.bottom < 0 || rect.top > viewportHeight) { return; } var distanceFromCenter = (viewportHeight / 2) - (rect.top + (rect.height / 2)); var offset = Math.max(-38, Math.min(38, distanceFromCenter * 0.12)); shell.css('--qb-section-parallax-offset', offset.toFixed(2) + 'px'); }); }; $(window).on('scroll.qbSectionShells resize.qbSectionShells', updateParallax); updateParallax(); }; $(function() { window.qbInitSectionShells(document); }); })(window, window.jQuery);

When Empathy Goes Bad

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 01:51:28 +1300

Wikipedia describes Empathy as the capability to share and understand another's emotions and feelings, and is characterized as the ability to "put oneself into another's shoes". This connection to others is both an honorable and natural feeling, but can also often drive us to do something that, is the completely wrong thing to do. Since joining the Fire Service I've seen many situations where peoples empathy for another has not only caused them to be unable to render help, but on occasions has actually put everyone in danger. In a blog post the other day Seth Godin talked about empathy and asked marketers to not assume they know how people are feeling emotionally. His logic was that unless you had had the same experience, how could you know how a person was feeling and that it was therefore dangerous to pretend you do. I agree with this, but in a stressful, high anxiety situation, peoples imagination and emotions can run away on them if the environment is not managed and if people do not control their own state. As we grow, we develop a strong natural empathetic response. It's that feeling that makes us want to rush over and help someone we see struggling, or aid someone in pain. The problem is, if we get caught up in that emotion - we actually lose the ability to help. What I've discovered, partly through training and partly through observation is that there is a space (a period of time) between the stimulus (what happened) and your response to it. For some people that time doesn't seem to exist and they react so quickly, so the challenge is to take a deep breath and take as long as needed to respond appropriately. 'Feel' but don't get caught up It's important to have empathy and show compassion, but you can't get caught up in the emotion of the situation. You help best when you are totally present and strong. What's your role Be clear, "what's my role in this situation", and respond appropriately. At the scene of a car accident it would be a natural instinct to want to help a crying child first and remove them from the situation and give comfort. But to remain effective we must control those feelings, and do what is right. To solve an emotional situation effectively there should be a process that works best The same situation we see on the Fire Ground exist in normal life. To be effective in our jobs, our businesses, and our families, we need to learn to have empathy without over reaction, this allows us to assess and then act in the most effective manner. If not the situation becomes overwhelming and we lose both our clarity of thought and the creativity required to solve the problem at hand. Empathy can become an addiction It feels good to be connected emotionally to people, but it is not always best to be like that. Build a strong emotional muscle to help guide your response as It's a lot easier to assess and react to a situation by looking in 'at it' rather than when you are 'too close'. In business we're required to make big decisions in stressful environments, think strategically under pressure and set an example for our employees. Don't go running into any burning building without taking a minute to control your frame of mind. Cheers, Stephen. 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Crazy Dancing Guy Creates a Movement

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 01:42:06 +1300

Derek Sivers did a talk at TED about this crazy dancing guy and what we can learn from him in terms of leadership, and more importantly about the importance of the first few followers. "If you want a movement, a leader needs the guts to stand alone and look ridiculous". What you really need however is the first few followers, you need to nurture these people as they indicate to the masses that following is ok. Because they help to establish momentum, we need to love and embrace our followers as equals. In the video watch a movement happen in under 3 minutes as Derek dissects some lessons ... BTW This video was shared by the very inspiring Brian Johnson of Philosophers Notes fame. I would thoroughly recommend them for those interested in this sort of thing (function(window, $) { if (!$) { return; } window.qbInitSectionShells = function(root) { var shells = $(root || document).find('.qb-section-shell'); var prefersReducedMotion = window.matchMedia && window.matchMedia('(prefers-reduced-motion: reduce)').matches; var parallaxShells = $(); var observer = null; $(window).off('.qbSectionShells'); if (window.qbSectionShellObserver && typeof window.qbSectionShellObserver.disconnect === 'function') { window.qbSectionShellObserver.disconnect(); } window.qbSectionShellObserver = null; shells.each(function() { var shell = $(this); var animation = shell.attr('data-section-animation') || 'none'; var trigger = shell.attr('data-section-animation-trigger') || 'scroll'; var isParallax = shell.attr('data-section-media-motion') === 'parallax' && shell.attr('data-background-type') === 'image' && shell.attr('data-background-layout') === 'single'; shell.removeClass('qb-section-shell--visible'); if (prefersReducedMotion || animation === 'none') { shell.addClass('qb-section-shell--visible'); } else if (trigger === 'load') { window.requestAnimationFrame(function() { shell.addClass('qb-section-shell--visible'); }); } else { if (!observer && 'IntersectionObserver' in window) { observer = new IntersectionObserver(function(entries, instance) { $.each(entries, function(_, entry) { if (entry.isIntersecting) { $(entry.target).addClass('qb-section-shell--visible'); instance.unobserve(entry.target); } }); }, { threshold: 0.2, rootMargin: '0px 0px -10% 0px' }); } if (observer) { observer.observe(shell.get(0)); } else { shell.addClass('qb-section-shell--visible'); } } if (isParallax && !prefersReducedMotion) { parallaxShells = parallaxShells.add(shell); } else { shell.css('--qb-section-parallax-offset', '0px'); } }); if (observer) { window.qbSectionShellObserver = observer; } if (!parallaxShells.length) { return; } var updateParallax = function() { if (window.innerWidth < 768) { parallaxShells.css('--qb-section-parallax-offset', '0px'); return; } parallaxShells.each(function() { var shell = $(this); var shellElement = shell.get(0); if (!shellElement) { return; } var rect = shellElement.getBoundingClientRect(); var viewportHeight = window.innerHeight || document.documentElement.clientHeight; if (rect.bottom < 0 || rect.top > viewportHeight) { return; } var distanceFromCenter = (viewportHeight / 2) - (rect.top + (rect.height / 2)); var offset = Math.max(-38, Math.min(38, distanceFromCenter * 0.12)); shell.css('--qb-section-parallax-offset', offset.toFixed(2) + 'px'); }); }; $(window).on('scroll.qbSectionShells resize.qbSectionShells', updateParallax); updateParallax(); }; $(function() { window.qbInitSectionShells(document); }); })(window, window.jQuery);

Dirty Jobs

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 11:36:10 +1300

People with dirty jobs are happier In this movie Mike Rowe from Dirty Jobs does two things, first he talks about a day he worked on a farm and amongst other things docks lambs. I saw this show and couldn't believe he did what he did. I thought it was inhumane and as it turns out initially he did too, but in an entertaining fashion he talks through his learning and explains. The second thing he does is he makes the point that in his opinion people with Dirty Jobs are happier. He puts forward a strong case that following the advice "Follow Your Passion" might be bad advice. For some it will just lead to a life of disappointment and I therefore guess unhapiness. Certainly there are lots of very happy people picking fruit, waiting tables etc so that they can collect just enough money to do what they really love such as surfing in the evening and snow boarding all winter. That's not to suggest these are "dirty jobs", just examples of jobs I no longer want to do to earn an income. They don't meet my needs but do work perfectly for many and therefore support Mikes point. It's an interesting observation and ... maybe it's a crazy addiction but I however am someone that has chosen to persue my dreams through work. Not just in what I do day to day, but also through what I am able to do with the reasources and network of people that result from my efforts. I care deeply about What I do, How I do it and more importantly Who I do it With. Work for me has become one of the ways I express myself, I see our company as a reflection of me. When things are going well, I find it easy to feel good about myself. When the stress kicks in for a prolonged period of time I need to remind myself that "it's just a game", yet sometimes it can get me down. I guess that's his point. If you take it personally, and if you don't keep the self judgement under control it is going to be hard to be happy. Life is always easier when we keep things simple ... when we stay present and we design our lives around what makes us smile. So why is it so easy to build up a story which starts with "I'll be happy when ..." especially when it comes to our work? If I've learnt nothing else from the Fire Service it is this... You only have THIS MOMENT ... Yesterday is gone, tomorrow is still a dream and sadly some people wont even have this afternoon. 'Follow Your Passion' is fantastic advice, but there are so many ways to do this, not just at work. Great family, friends, laughter, work, sports, hobbies. What ever you do life is to short not to enjoy it! 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Apple ... A fan boy's dream. #aperture

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 06:22:26 +1300

Well today, has been a pretty exciting day. Apple launched their latest professional photography software, Aperture 3, and for me it was particularly special as we (Queensberry) were involved in our own small way. After approximately a year of working with Apple, including a trip to Cupertino in October, today's announcement shared information on how professional photographers could buy our wedding albums through Aperture. Using a cleverly developed plugin our clients can now use their favourite image tool to order albums from us. It's not just exciting because we're working with Apple, but I've been an Apple fan boy since I was literally a boy of maybe 9 or 10 years old, when Dad brought our first Apple IIe. I have only owned Macs etc since, our companies run almost exclusively on their gear and our own software is largely developed on Mac workstations. I'm obviously proud. Quoting their website, it's not only great to be included in an elite group of "some of the world’s finest bookmakers" but I get to work closely with a company I have admired for decades. The team there are an awesome group of really nice people, and I congratulate them on the success of a great product. Thanks Apple. :-) (function(window, $) { if (!$) { return; } window.qbInitSectionShells = function(root) { var shells = $(root || document).find('.qb-section-shell'); var prefersReducedMotion = window.matchMedia && window.matchMedia('(prefers-reduced-motion: reduce)').matches; var parallaxShells = $(); var observer = null; $(window).off('.qbSectionShells'); if (window.qbSectionShellObserver && typeof window.qbSectionShellObserver.disconnect === 'function') { window.qbSectionShellObserver.disconnect(); } window.qbSectionShellObserver = null; shells.each(function() { var shell = $(this); var animation = shell.attr('data-section-animation') || 'none'; var trigger = shell.attr('data-section-animation-trigger') || 'scroll'; var isParallax = shell.attr('data-section-media-motion') === 'parallax' && shell.attr('data-background-type') === 'image' && shell.attr('data-background-layout') === 'single'; shell.removeClass('qb-section-shell--visible'); if (prefersReducedMotion || animation === 'none') { shell.addClass('qb-section-shell--visible'); } else if (trigger === 'load') { window.requestAnimationFrame(function() { shell.addClass('qb-section-shell--visible'); }); } else { if (!observer && 'IntersectionObserver' in window) { observer = new IntersectionObserver(function(entries, instance) { $.each(entries, function(_, entry) { if (entry.isIntersecting) { $(entry.target).addClass('qb-section-shell--visible'); instance.unobserve(entry.target); } }); }, { threshold: 0.2, rootMargin: '0px 0px -10% 0px' }); } if (observer) { observer.observe(shell.get(0)); } else { shell.addClass('qb-section-shell--visible'); } } if (isParallax && !prefersReducedMotion) { parallaxShells = parallaxShells.add(shell); } else { shell.css('--qb-section-parallax-offset', '0px'); } }); if (observer) { window.qbSectionShellObserver = observer; } if (!parallaxShells.length) { return; } var updateParallax = function() { if (window.innerWidth < 768) { parallaxShells.css('--qb-section-parallax-offset', '0px'); return; } parallaxShells.each(function() { var shell = $(this); var shellElement = shell.get(0); if (!shellElement) { return; } var rect = shellElement.getBoundingClientRect(); var viewportHeight = window.innerHeight || document.documentElement.clientHeight; if (rect.bottom < 0 || rect.top > viewportHeight) { return; } var distanceFromCenter = (viewportHeight / 2) - (rect.top + (rect.height / 2)); var offset = Math.max(-38, Math.min(38, distanceFromCenter * 0.12)); shell.css('--qb-section-parallax-offset', offset.toFixed(2) + 'px'); }); }; $(window).on('scroll.qbSectionShells resize.qbSectionShells', updateParallax); updateParallax(); }; $(function() { window.qbInitSectionShells(document); }); })(window, window.jQuery);

Rich guys and what they taught me - The Wool Guy

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 10:17:03 +1300

I'm a believer in education, I really am, and my children's eduction is very important to me. I've pursued high-level tertiary education myself, and I regularly attend business and personal development courses. But I'm also a believer in determination, passion and experience. A huge believer in fact, and sitting next to a guy in the Wool business one evening after speaking at an Icehouse event, I was reminded of why... His story went something like this: He was sacked from his first job packing shelves at K-Mart when he was young. I believe he left school early as he suffered with dyslexia and to add insult to injury, as he walked from his job that day, his boss told he would never amount to anything. That comment ignited a fire in his belly. He so badly wanted to prove the world wrong. He now owns and runs a company in the wool industry turning over tens of millions of dollars each year. The key to his success wasn't some fancy education - it was something thats hard to teach - it was pure determination, passion and drive to achieve his dreams. I truely believe some people are born with it. Born with such determination and passion that it'd be hard for them to fail - like Gary van Ner Chuk. I blogged about him a couple of days ago and posted a video in which he explains how school wasn't really for him. His constant 'F' grades told him that. But get this. During the weekends he was down at the mall earning over $2k selling base ball cards each week, and dispite what the education system said about him, he's gone on to become famous and build a company turning well over $60m a year. A lot of people fail in the 'system', but one of the things I've learnt over my career in is that there's no substitute for determination and passion. Someone who's clear about their dreams and has the drive to achieve them, will almost always outsmart someone with only an education. I've also learnt as a father that I'll only influence my children if I have their attention and respect. More important than my children's education is that they learn to focus, to be strong in themselves, to form their own opinions and believe they can do anything. Their self esteem is precious to me. Unfortunately those values aren't always treasured in the education system, but I am certain it will do a lot more for you over the long term than any single university degree. Do you agree? What are your thoughts? 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To play at your whiteboard

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 10:17:34 +1300

I love drawing and outlining at my white board or in my note book because I connect emotionally with my thoughts so much more powerfully and with more clarity than if I use my computer alone. In this video Milton Glaser talks about drawing while he is drawing, and makes an observation of art schools where drawing has been removed from the curriculum to allow time to learn software. It seems increasingly that students now have the creative tools, but not the emotional connection with their craft. MILTON GLASER DRAWS & LECTURES from C. Coy on Vimeo. (function(window, $) { if (!$) { return; } window.qbInitSectionShells = function(root) { var shells = $(root || document).find('.qb-section-shell'); var prefersReducedMotion = window.matchMedia && window.matchMedia('(prefers-reduced-motion: reduce)').matches; var parallaxShells = $(); var observer = null; $(window).off('.qbSectionShells'); if (window.qbSectionShellObserver && typeof window.qbSectionShellObserver.disconnect === 'function') { window.qbSectionShellObserver.disconnect(); } window.qbSectionShellObserver = null; shells.each(function() { var shell = $(this); var animation = shell.attr('data-section-animation') || 'none'; var trigger = shell.attr('data-section-animation-trigger') || 'scroll'; var isParallax = shell.attr('data-section-media-motion') === 'parallax' && shell.attr('data-background-type') === 'image' && shell.attr('data-background-layout') === 'single'; shell.removeClass('qb-section-shell--visible'); if (prefersReducedMotion || animation === 'none') { shell.addClass('qb-section-shell--visible'); } else if (trigger === 'load') { window.requestAnimationFrame(function() { shell.addClass('qb-section-shell--visible'); }); } else { if (!observer && 'IntersectionObserver' in window) { observer = new IntersectionObserver(function(entries, instance) { $.each(entries, function(_, entry) { if (entry.isIntersecting) { $(entry.target).addClass('qb-section-shell--visible'); instance.unobserve(entry.target); } }); }, { threshold: 0.2, rootMargin: '0px 0px -10% 0px' }); } if (observer) { observer.observe(shell.get(0)); } else { shell.addClass('qb-section-shell--visible'); } } if (isParallax && !prefersReducedMotion) { parallaxShells = parallaxShells.add(shell); } else { shell.css('--qb-section-parallax-offset', '0px'); } }); if (observer) { window.qbSectionShellObserver = observer; } if (!parallaxShells.length) { return; } var updateParallax = function() { if (window.innerWidth < 768) { parallaxShells.css('--qb-section-parallax-offset', '0px'); return; } parallaxShells.each(function() { var shell = $(this); var shellElement = shell.get(0); if (!shellElement) { return; } var rect = shellElement.getBoundingClientRect(); var viewportHeight = window.innerHeight || document.documentElement.clientHeight; if (rect.bottom < 0 || rect.top > viewportHeight) { return; } var distanceFromCenter = (viewportHeight / 2) - (rect.top + (rect.height / 2)); var offset = Math.max(-38, Math.min(38, distanceFromCenter * 0.12)); shell.css('--qb-section-parallax-offset', offset.toFixed(2) + 'px'); }); }; $(window).on('scroll.qbSectionShells resize.qbSectionShells', updateParallax); updateParallax(); }; $(function() { window.qbInitSectionShells(document); }); })(window, window.jQuery);

6 wealthy guys and what they taught me #3

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 05:32:02 +1300

'How did you become so wealthy?' is a question I've asked plenty of people in my life. But the answer I got from a very successful colleague of mine when I worked at Xerox wasn't about a product, or a service, or a sales or marketing strategy. It was about a belief that underpinned everything he did. His answer was this. "I got rich by making other people rich... I add value to peoples lives." He took it upon himself every day, to go out and add value to peoples lives - whether it was his clients', or his customers' or his friends'. Now you're not necessarily going make people rich simply by adding value to them, but by believing you can add value in a way specific to your industry, the wealth in whatever form it may be, will follow. Let me use Queensberry as an example. We add value to our customers by doing three things: 1) Helping our clients make more money - by differentiation 2) Saving our clients time - by offering to do their post-production work or providing tools so they can do things more easily 3) Giving our clients with a better experience than anyone else If our clients don't feel like we deliver on at least one of those areas - we may as well not exist and we wouldn't be flourishing if you didn't add value to your customer's lives in some way. You need to express your care in a way people will value I wrote a while ago about how I demonstrate my love for my wife Sonya by turning her light off for her each night. I do this because I know that she likes me doing it. The same principle applies in business. It's our job to understand how our clients like to be loved and what makes them tick. Then we can go the extra mile and add value in a way they didn't even know we could. At Queensberry, we know it's simply not enough to just add value to our clients' (Photographers) lives as they are not the end user. Their Brides and Grooms are the ones turning the pages of our albums, cherishing the memories and emotionally connecting with the story they tell. It's our goal to add value to them also by providing a treasure that they can remember their day by and hand down through the generations. If we do it right, we might even provide Brides and Groom's with an experience better than they had on the day. Their album is a reflection of the detail, the emotion, the love, the family, the venue... most of which is often just a blur. We're adding value to our clients, by also adding value to theirs. Be clear how you add value to your clients The challenge is to do it in an authentic, respectful and in way that honors people, and real value is only really provided when it's perceived as of value from the other persons perspective. When a Bride and Groom cries when they open their album for the first time, or when our product helps a photographer up-sell to their clients, or when we can help a photographer spend more time with their family by doing some of their work for them - we've added value to their life in a way that no marketing or sales strategy could ever achieve. Cheers, Stephen. 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It's about Eyeballs

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 04:25:51 +1300

An awesome presentation and Q and A with Gary Vay Ner Chuk. In this he talks very powerfully about "Working the Room", His Strategy, And about how the internet is about getting eyeballs. To use his term he is pretty Potty Mouth. But don't get put off by that, he is authentic, deep and extremely passionate. Awesome and thank you Gary. (function(window, $) { if (!$) { return; } window.qbInitSectionShells = function(root) { var shells = $(root || document).find('.qb-section-shell'); var prefersReducedMotion = window.matchMedia && window.matchMedia('(prefers-reduced-motion: reduce)').matches; var parallaxShells = $(); var observer = null; $(window).off('.qbSectionShells'); if (window.qbSectionShellObserver && typeof window.qbSectionShellObserver.disconnect === 'function') { window.qbSectionShellObserver.disconnect(); } window.qbSectionShellObserver = null; shells.each(function() { var shell = $(this); var animation = shell.attr('data-section-animation') || 'none'; var trigger = shell.attr('data-section-animation-trigger') || 'scroll'; var isParallax = shell.attr('data-section-media-motion') === 'parallax' && shell.attr('data-background-type') === 'image' && shell.attr('data-background-layout') === 'single'; shell.removeClass('qb-section-shell--visible'); if (prefersReducedMotion || animation === 'none') { shell.addClass('qb-section-shell--visible'); } else if (trigger === 'load') { window.requestAnimationFrame(function() { shell.addClass('qb-section-shell--visible'); }); } else { if (!observer && 'IntersectionObserver' in window) { observer = new IntersectionObserver(function(entries, instance) { $.each(entries, function(_, entry) { if (entry.isIntersecting) { $(entry.target).addClass('qb-section-shell--visible'); instance.unobserve(entry.target); } }); }, { threshold: 0.2, rootMargin: '0px 0px -10% 0px' }); } if (observer) { observer.observe(shell.get(0)); } else { shell.addClass('qb-section-shell--visible'); } } if (isParallax && !prefersReducedMotion) { parallaxShells = parallaxShells.add(shell); } else { shell.css('--qb-section-parallax-offset', '0px'); } }); if (observer) { window.qbSectionShellObserver = observer; } if (!parallaxShells.length) { return; } var updateParallax = function() { if (window.innerWidth < 768) { parallaxShells.css('--qb-section-parallax-offset', '0px'); return; } parallaxShells.each(function() { var shell = $(this); var shellElement = shell.get(0); if (!shellElement) { return; } var rect = shellElement.getBoundingClientRect(); var viewportHeight = window.innerHeight || document.documentElement.clientHeight; if (rect.bottom < 0 || rect.top > viewportHeight) { return; } var distanceFromCenter = (viewportHeight / 2) - (rect.top + (rect.height / 2)); var offset = Math.max(-38, Math.min(38, distanceFromCenter * 0.12)); shell.css('--qb-section-parallax-offset', offset.toFixed(2) + 'px'); }); }; $(window).on('scroll.qbSectionShells resize.qbSectionShells', updateParallax); updateParallax(); }; $(function() { window.qbInitSectionShells(document); }); })(window, window.jQuery);

My Elevator Pitch

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 09:32:10 +1200

Yesterday I let you know that I was going to take the "31 Days To A Better Blog" challenge and I am getting more and more excited. Day 1 The task for today was to write an "elevator pitch for my blog". This was something that had been on my mind for a while, as I felt I didn't have a strong focus around what I wrote. I genuinely think I could go "toe to toe" and hold my own in a discussion on most of the issues I write about, but I wasn't providing any depth of information. We have deep experience and knowledge in HR, IT, Marketing, Relationships, Leadership, Strategy etc but I didn't want to be an "expert blog" on any one topic as that would be boring for me. I wanted to be a generalist, and share experiences and hopefully inspire. I want to start conversations. So here is my pitch Tui's voice is a blog by Stephen Baugh, a successful entrepreneur who, with his family, runs two significant international companies based in the photographic and wedding industries. This blog covers an entrepreneur's journey through business and technology with tips, observations and strategy blended with a little self reflection and fun. This blog covers a breadth of issues with either a human or business perspective. He shares experiences as assistance and inspiration to others. Why "an entrepreneurs journey"? Great cultures like the New Zealand Maori have passed their traditions, their rules, their inspiration, their culture down through generations in the form of stories and song. I am not going to start singing anytime soon, but I think that is what I am about, in fact I think that's what our business, Queensberry, is about. We tell stories. Our family jokes that when I was brought home as a child it was to a boat yard, to a house built from car cases. Hardly what you could call luxury: we were emotionally wealthy but financially poor. Today we run two reasonably large companies that trade globally as if we were local in each market and live a very different life from the one living in a car case. I don't tell the story of my journey to brag, I don't tell it to say we are better than anyone else, or even that we know better. We are a fairly humble family so I tell these stories so that hopefully they will assist, and even better that they will inspire. We've seen it all As a family running a business together we've seen it all. We've had to deal with difficult family stresses where you wonder if you will get through, in fact we had to meet in restaurants because you can't fight in restaurants. Fortunately we are past that now. We have developed all our own IT infrastructure and now have one that works 24/7 and rivals the world's best. We manufacture, we employ, we've built a software company and we design albums that have been presented to to Kings and Queens. So this blog is simply my story, it isn't a corporate site, it's not polished and some days it will be a little hit and miss, but I do love telling stories and hope you will enjoy them too. Please join me If you care to subscribe to my RSS feed or ideally by email I will over then next few months share a couple of things I know you will enjoy. The first is I am going to finish my series "Business Lessons of a Fire Fighter". I am a Senior Fire Fighter (volunteer) in the New Zealand Fire Service and have had some amazing insights into business through my days on duty. Some past ones have included "Trust" and "Have Courage or Die" Secondly I am going to do a series called "Queensberry Rules". This series will share our business philosophy in a way that is powerfully simple. You wouldn't want to miss it. Finally ... Finally we live in a world that needs leaders, new leaders, strong leaders, people that care about business, the environment and education. I believe I am one of those leaders. The power and value of what I have in my head through years of experience is multiplied if shared. You are my friends and if you get one little piece of value from it, my time will be of value. Thanks again. Please let me know your thoughts. Is my pitch strong enough, is something missing, how could it be better? What stories do you want to hear? And of course thank you. 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Journey of a Thousand Links

Sun, 16 Aug 2009 00:00:00 +1200

Don’t just sit there! Do something! Over the years I’ve been and done many things. Everyone has. In my case, I’ve been a Xerox salesman, a volunteer firefighter, and a successful entrepreneur. Believe it or not, all these seemingly unrelated personas had at least one thing in common, what I’m going to talk about today, and that is: A bias toward action. What do I mean by this? I mean, if there’s a choice between sitting in a conference room planning what I’m going to do, and getting out there and doing it, I hope that I choose action. This is not to knock planning, discussion, and consensus-building. Believe me, I’ve done my share of those. I know that you can’t reach your goals unless you take some time to define them and plan how to reach them. What I mean is, there comes a time when you need to stop planning, talking, thinking, dreaming, and get out there and make it happen. And, too often people use the excuse of planning or researching to keep themselves from taking needed action. They confuse planning how to do the job with the real job itself. As a salesman, my “real” job was not to sit at my local Xerox office and plan to call on clients; it was to get out there and make the calls. And can you imagine if a volunteer firefighter arrived at the scene of a blazing building, sat down and whipped out his laptop, and began to develop a keen Powerpoint presentation about how best to put out the flames? Good Enough No, there comes a point when your plans are good enough; a point when it’s time to get out into the real world, and make your plan a reality. So whether you’re just starting a business, or you are developing and online business strategy to extend your brand equity, you’re going to have to take action. I know it can be overwhelming at times. You realise just how much you’ll need to do to succeed, and it can freeze you up so you can’t take that first step. The thing to do is try not to think about all the tasks you’ll need to do, and concentrate instead on just doing one thing, no matter how small. Take one baby step toward realising your goals, and you’ll get a boost of confidence and energy. You can use that enthusiasm towards taking your next baby step, and so on. Just do something. And then do another something. And before you know it, you’ll realise all those baby steps added up to that proverbial journey of a thousand miles, and your goal is within reach. 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Branding is as branding does

Sat, 15 Aug 2009 00:00:00 +1200

WHY YOU NEED TO MANAGE YOUR PERSONAL BRAND Something that’s been on my mind lately is the desire to help people succeed in business online. No, I know I don’t have all the answers. But over the years, our two global companies have discovered some answers that work for us, and perhaps they’ll work for your company as well. As always, take what you like and leave the rest! Why you need to manage your personal brand Something that’s been on my mind lately is the desire to help people succeed in business online. No, I know I don’t have all the answers. But over the years, our two global companies have discovered some answers that work for us, and perhaps they’ll work for your company as well. As always, take what you like and leave the rest! To begin with, let’s talk about branding. The fact is, everyone has a personal brand – whether they know it or not. And the internet is a powerful multiplier. It enables people from around the world to develop opinions about you. It’s important to manage your personal brand so that the message others get about you is the one you want them to hear. What is a brand? Many people think of branding as something done by an advertising firm, or at most the marketing department. But in fact the entire enterprise is involved in the development of its brand image. Why? Because every experience the customer has with that firm, from ordering to paying to product quality and service after the sale, contributes to the brand image that customer carries around with him. A brand is everything that a person thinks or feels or believes about the branded item. The brand is influenced by the person’s past experience with the item, what other people say about it and what they can conclude about the brand from the messages it sends out. (Okay, I said “item” there, but you realise that this could be a company or an individual or a service – not just a solid object.) Let’s take Queensberry as an example, since that’s a brand I know from the inside out. When our photographer clients, or their clients, think about a Queensberry photo album, what comes to mind? Here are some of the things I would hope they’d associate with the Queensberry brand: Established. Trustworthy. Genuine. Authentic. High-quality. Artful design. Emotionally connected. Memories made real. Memories to last a lifetime. Now suppose we decided to cut costs by using a lower grade of paper. Or suppose that we delivered 80% of our orders after the promised date. Would our brand continue to convey “premium quality”? “Trustworthy”? Probably not. (Which is why we’ll never do those two things.) And as you can see, neither of those two hypothetical decisions would have been made by the marketing department. One of them would have been made by purchasing, and the other is the result of a flawed production process. The entire company contributes to the brand image. So why do you need a personal brand? Well, as I said before, you already have one. It’s called your reputation. Your track record. The real question is, does your reputation match the reality? Does your real reputation match what you want it to be? Have your “customers” – the people who interact with you,who might hire you and so on – been getting the messages you want them to hear about you? As a personal example, let’s say you’ve applied for a new job. Your resumé is a carefully crafted marketing tool that, in the best-case scenario, sends exactly the message you want to convey, and nothing else. Just like the advertising developed by a firm’s marketing department and ad agency. But remember, it’s not just your resumé – your personal marketing department, if you will – that sends out the messages about you. There’s also how you dress for the interview, your phone manners before and after, whether you’re late or not, whether you’ve been indiscreet on your blog or FaceBook page, and so on – any one of which may send a message undermining your carefully-prepared resumé. Before you take your business online, carefully consider how you’re going to manage your brand. To take your business online successfully, you need to establish yourself as an expert. Establishing a strong personal brand of your own will help you get the word out about your company. I’ll cover exactly how this works in later posts. 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Seven things business can learn from Greenies

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 06:07:09 +1200

I'd like to think that I am more of a Greenie than some of the Greenies I know, so here is the good business stuff you can learn from the environmental movement. Only a little is about being green, and for some this might be only about the profit baby :-) I don't believe it's right to assume business is anti-environment, although our track track record could be better. But what we can learn from our environmental friends is that our environment is a reflection of us ... a reflection of our choices ... a reflection of our behavior and most importantly a reflection of our values and focus. Not the values we talk about to feel good, but the ones we live by day to day. Our environment says more about us than our words will ever say. And similarly your business is a reflection of you. Like it or not, excuses don't cut it ... Your business is a reflection of you. If things are a mess, it's because of how you show up. If things are disorganized then it's because you have not been focused. Not only do you get what you tolerate, you also get what you dream of. So here is a list of seven things a lucky person could learn from a Greenie. Take them to heart and your business will love you for it. #1 Because we can doesn't mean we should Life is about choices, and just because we can do something doesn't mean we should. In just the same way as cutting down rain forests might provide immediate jobs and cheap timber, sometimes we need to take the high road and just do what is right. Leadership is not about doing what's easy it's about doing what's needed. #2 Why so much waste? Many business owners still haven't learned that it's often not just environmentally but also financially good to reduce waste in business. To many it seems hard, and therefore we put progress off until tomorrow, but reducing waste can be as easy as not buying something in the first place. Until my good friend Alkesh taught me a very special lesson. His food bill for a week was a third of ours. We didn't value food as he did and therefore threw so much in the rubbish bin. His lesson was that ... god is in everything ... food is god ... to waste food is to disrespect god. Maybe there is a 'god of profit' in everything. It might refocus things if you started to think you were dishonoring the 'profit god' just by buying unnecessary things or throwing stuff in the rubbish. #3 The future is important too I am so frustrated with executive remuneration around the world. If any one thing has brought this recession about it is the personal greed and 'gaming the system' that has come from remuneration schemes that reward employees for today, without a view of tomorrow. We must, must, must start to have 3, 5, 10, 100 year views of our business if they are to be strong, leadership-based and powerful long term. We need multi generational business. We must find a way to allow businesses to do what is 'right' even if it brings a small dip profit today. Anything else leads to companies being scuttled from within to extract short term value, rather than building value and strength for the future. #4 Burning is not good! You don't hear this so much anymore, but a guaranteed way to lose my respect is to tell me some version of your 'burn rate story'. Telling me how you are going to be losing money for five years while you capture a market is usually complete stupidity, and a waste of resources. Tell me how you are going to give me a return on every dollar spent and I'll be impressed. Words like "above and below the line" must die. Of course nothing can guaranteed a return, and sometimes it's difficult to show exactly how a customer was won, but we need to stop pretending it doesn't matter if a promotion has measurable value. Anything else is waste. #5 Are you proud? Probably pride more than anything else motivates a Greenie ... that is, that they want to be proud of how they did their bit. Did they make good choices and lead by example? Business should be no different. Are you proud of the long term legacy you will leave ... is it sustainable, do you think the grand kids will also be excited and proud? We believe that life is short, and we need to be proud. For us there is a set of measures every decision must go through. This is so simple but also so very very powerful. Does 'x' fit with ... WHAT we want to do ... HOW we want to do it ... and WHO we want to do it with? #6 It's cool to nuture I don't know why we get caught up with nurturing being too feminine ... a sign of weakness or a potential to be compromised. Sorry but that's BS ... It's much harder to do what's right, run a tight ship and care for people, but that's why it's called leadership. #7 Being green isn't a word, it's a way of life I don't mean to sound like I am taking some moral high ground with this, I'm not. Your life is your life and as far as it doesn't effect me, I'm not going to judge. I do however feel that following the points above is a great way to feel good. It's not about having something clever to say at a dinner party, it's about doing what's right and common sense. I promise that the more you do this, the more open and transparent that you and your business are, the better you will be. It's fun, and while it makes you smile inside it is also good for the bottom line. 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Blogger Integrity

Sun, 02 Aug 2009 11:51:18 +1200

I'm new to blogging and although I have seen consistent and significant growth in unique visitors, I have been keen to find tips to grow my blog quickly. I've spent my spare time over the last few weeks researching and what I have found scares me. There are lots of ways to grow visitor numbers and one of the most heavily promoted is back-links. The benefit of back links is that search engines give greater ranking to sites that have lots of back links as these links are seen as votes (endorsements) from other sites. Of course this makes sense and like everyone I will be doing my best to develop back links of my own. My concern however is how some bloggers are going about this. What I have seen is the setting up of fake websites, commercial organizations doing the same and arrangements where a group of bloggers agree to swap "Digg nominations", "Technorati Favs", "Stumbleupon Recommendations" etc. I understand the desire to build web traffic quickly, but if you use this method, at what cost? My belief is this ... - If you make a recommendation without knowing what you are recommending you loose credibility and risk linking yourself to people who reflect badly on you. - Quick traffic volumes don't necessarily translate to longer term volumes. - This is not building a network of friends that can support and help you. - Most of these people don't even visit your website, do you really want a recommendation from someone that doesn't know you? - To other bloggers and your readers you risk looking like a fake! What time horizon are you working too? If you are in this for the long term, isn't it better to put the work in and build a network of reliable links and develop your reputation as someone to be respected and listened to? In the long term I am certain this will yield dividends, especially if you hope to have your readers take advantage of recommendations you make. Please don't get me wrong, I am not saying you're a bad person or dishonest ... I also have tried this myself before I thought through what I was doing and stopped. I am just asking you to think carefully before you give away your valuable recomendations, favs and links. Good luck and enjoy your time on line. UPDATE : Here is a great post that offers lots of options for blog promotion (function(window, $) { if (!$) { return; } window.qbInitSectionShells = function(root) { var shells = $(root || document).find('.qb-section-shell'); var prefersReducedMotion = window.matchMedia && window.matchMedia('(prefers-reduced-motion: reduce)').matches; var parallaxShells = $(); var observer = null; $(window).off('.qbSectionShells'); if (window.qbSectionShellObserver && typeof window.qbSectionShellObserver.disconnect === 'function') { window.qbSectionShellObserver.disconnect(); } window.qbSectionShellObserver = null; shells.each(function() { var shell = $(this); var animation = shell.attr('data-section-animation') || 'none'; var trigger = shell.attr('data-section-animation-trigger') || 'scroll'; var isParallax = shell.attr('data-section-media-motion') === 'parallax' && shell.attr('data-background-type') === 'image' && shell.attr('data-background-layout') === 'single'; shell.removeClass('qb-section-shell--visible'); if (prefersReducedMotion || animation === 'none') { shell.addClass('qb-section-shell--visible'); } else if (trigger === 'load') { window.requestAnimationFrame(function() { shell.addClass('qb-section-shell--visible'); }); } else { if (!observer && 'IntersectionObserver' in window) { observer = new IntersectionObserver(function(entries, instance) { $.each(entries, function(_, entry) { if (entry.isIntersecting) { $(entry.target).addClass('qb-section-shell--visible'); instance.unobserve(entry.target); } }); }, { threshold: 0.2, rootMargin: '0px 0px -10% 0px' }); } if (observer) { observer.observe(shell.get(0)); } else { shell.addClass('qb-section-shell--visible'); } } if (isParallax && !prefersReducedMotion) { parallaxShells = parallaxShells.add(shell); } else { shell.css('--qb-section-parallax-offset', '0px'); } }); if (observer) { window.qbSectionShellObserver = observer; } if (!parallaxShells.length) { return; } var updateParallax = function() { if (window.innerWidth < 768) { parallaxShells.css('--qb-section-parallax-offset', '0px'); return; } parallaxShells.each(function() { var shell = $(this); var shellElement = shell.get(0); if (!shellElement) { return; } var rect = shellElement.getBoundingClientRect(); var viewportHeight = window.innerHeight || document.documentElement.clientHeight; if (rect.bottom < 0 || rect.top > viewportHeight) { return; } var distanceFromCenter = (viewportHeight / 2) - (rect.top + (rect.height / 2)); var offset = Math.max(-38, Math.min(38, distanceFromCenter * 0.12)); shell.css('--qb-section-parallax-offset', offset.toFixed(2) + 'px'); }); }; $(window).on('scroll.qbSectionShells resize.qbSectionShells', updateParallax); updateParallax(); }; $(function() { window.qbInitSectionShells(document); }); })(window, window.jQuery);

Customer service. Do the right thing, show them you care!

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 05:12:59 +1200

Why oh why do people find providing good customer service so hard? I guess probably for the same reason so many people struggle with relationships, that is that they co-exist, rather than truly throw themselves into the situation in the effort to find a real connection. Don't get me wrong, I don't believe that the customer is always right, they often aren't but in that moment they do deserve to feel significant and cared for... Often that just takes a little empathy and a smile. Why is it that when people talk about great business they can rattle of a list of companies specializing in various business functions, but when you ask who gives great service they scratch their head? When you say best at innovation, Apple ... Best at supply chain management, Walmart ... Best at lean manufacturing, Dell. Ok I know in the USA people will often say Nordstrom for great customer service, but you often get a sense that there is a pause and people have to think about it. I was at a seminar last month with Keith Cunningham (brilliant by the way) and, when talking about staffing and how to get people to be effective, he had a simple set of rules which he expected his staff to follow. Although he spoke in a more general way I think they relate perfectly to how to deliver good customer service. They are ... Do The Right Thing! What that means will vary, but basically people expect you to be trained to do the job you are employed to do, and of course there a basic rules in society that also dictate the "Right Thing". If you can't do the right thing, because maybe you don't have the experience, then Do The Best You Can. Simple, put a little effort and common sense into doing your "Best". And finally if all else fails, and this is probably where many people let themselves down, Show Them You Care. We can't always give people what they came for and sometimes we will let people down. But in that moment, show a little love, and let them know you care that they have been disappointed. It doesn't take much, and with a little education, or creative thought to find an alternative, that bad situation might just turn into the foundation for a great relationship for life. (function(window, $) { if (!$) { return; } window.qbInitSectionShells = function(root) { var shells = $(root || document).find('.qb-section-shell'); var prefersReducedMotion = window.matchMedia && window.matchMedia('(prefers-reduced-motion: reduce)').matches; var parallaxShells = $(); var observer = null; $(window).off('.qbSectionShells'); if (window.qbSectionShellObserver && typeof window.qbSectionShellObserver.disconnect === 'function') { window.qbSectionShellObserver.disconnect(); } window.qbSectionShellObserver = null; shells.each(function() { var shell = $(this); var animation = shell.attr('data-section-animation') || 'none'; var trigger = shell.attr('data-section-animation-trigger') || 'scroll'; var isParallax = shell.attr('data-section-media-motion') === 'parallax' && shell.attr('data-background-type') === 'image' && shell.attr('data-background-layout') === 'single'; shell.removeClass('qb-section-shell--visible'); if (prefersReducedMotion || animation === 'none') { shell.addClass('qb-section-shell--visible'); } else if (trigger === 'load') { window.requestAnimationFrame(function() { shell.addClass('qb-section-shell--visible'); }); } else { if (!observer && 'IntersectionObserver' in window) { observer = new IntersectionObserver(function(entries, instance) { $.each(entries, function(_, entry) { if (entry.isIntersecting) { $(entry.target).addClass('qb-section-shell--visible'); instance.unobserve(entry.target); } }); }, { threshold: 0.2, rootMargin: '0px 0px -10% 0px' }); } if (observer) { observer.observe(shell.get(0)); } else { shell.addClass('qb-section-shell--visible'); } } if (isParallax && !prefersReducedMotion) { parallaxShells = parallaxShells.add(shell); } else { shell.css('--qb-section-parallax-offset', '0px'); } }); if (observer) { window.qbSectionShellObserver = observer; } if (!parallaxShells.length) { return; } var updateParallax = function() { if (window.innerWidth < 768) { parallaxShells.css('--qb-section-parallax-offset', '0px'); return; } parallaxShells.each(function() { var shell = $(this); var shellElement = shell.get(0); if (!shellElement) { return; } var rect = shellElement.getBoundingClientRect(); var viewportHeight = window.innerHeight || document.documentElement.clientHeight; if (rect.bottom < 0 || rect.top > viewportHeight) { return; } var distanceFromCenter = (viewportHeight / 2) - (rect.top + (rect.height / 2)); var offset = Math.max(-38, Math.min(38, distanceFromCenter * 0.12)); shell.css('--qb-section-parallax-offset', offset.toFixed(2) + 'px'); }); }; $(window).on('scroll.qbSectionShells resize.qbSectionShells', updateParallax); updateParallax(); }; $(function() { window.qbInitSectionShells(document); }); })(window, window.jQuery);

Trust

Sun, 12 Jul 2009 01:25:41 +1200

Without a doubt the currency of the Fire Service is Trust. Without it all emergency services, and especially the Fire Service, would struggle to operate. I am sure it's true in all countries that the Fire Service almost always tops the chart of "Most Trusted Occupations", and I'm very proud to be a part of an organisation with that quality. This is important, not just between us and the public but also amongst members of a crew. Our job can be dangerous and you need to be able to rely on the people you respond with, and your ability to trust their integrity and courage is essential ... If not, "Who's got your back?" Stephen Covey in his book "The Speed of Trust" says that transactions that occur where trust is high happen faster and cheaper. We rely on this when on calls to allow us to take control and get the job done quickly and effectively. This point can be demonstrated by contrasting two stories: Scenario #1: One day I responded to a call directly from home to a young woman having a serious asthma attack. I arrived about 6 minutes before the rest of my crew and therefore only had myself, my uniform and conversation to make a difference. She was Status 2, which basically means "really sick", but on arrival you could see a definite sense of relief from the family along with a look of desperation from her for me to do something quickly. The important thing here was that my uniform, which clearly displayed Fire Rescue, gave me immediate credibility with her and her family. If I had turned up in a pair of shorts and a tee shirt, time would have been wasted explaining who I was and building that trust. All I could do was build on that trust by showing empathy, confidence and gaining her focus and talking her towards a more controlled mode of breathing and relaxation. This was an extremely dangerous situation for her, but as trust was established immediately I could be effective without wasting time. Of course when I saw the uniforms of the Ambulance Paramedics, I was relieved myself because I knew I could trust them, and because they had the necessary drugs the woman so urgently required. Fast forward a couple of months to Scenario #2. I was again responding directly to a call from home. On arrival I found a man in cardiac arrest, but after a very short period of CPR his heart beat returned. So short a time in fact that I thought I must have made a mistake. Again I was awaiting my crew and without monitoring equipment. My instinct however was that the situation was cardiac, despite his wife's insistence that he had too had had an asthma attack and collapsed. A short while later a Paramedic arrived and my uniform, combined with my uncertainty, worked against me. I wasn't the expert, the Paramedic was, and as a result I lost some of his trust. He disregarded my diagnosis and focused on the asthma with little effect. I don't blame him for this, I was a little uncertain; but still, the ambulance crew didn't take my advice seriously because I was "just a fire fighter", as opposed to being a "fully trained paramedic". Later that day, while on another job with that crew, they told me I'd been correct and the man had in fact had a heart attack. To me, the business learning is this... Trust does speed up transactions and reduce their cost, so don't under estimate its power. But you can't just demand Trust, or talk about it to get it. It must be earned and nurtured. It will not occur in your organization because you ask for it, or because you talk about it at meetings... Trust is subjective... Trust is based on gestures, symbols and behaviour, not just words. Do you live and work with integrity? Does trust ease your transactions or do you abuse relationships by talking about values you don't live up to? Where you give trust to people or organizations, is it deserved and are you clear what to "be trusted" means? In the following video, you'll see fire crews working together as teams in extremely challenging and dangerous situations ... It only works where trust exists... What will you do today to improve the level of organisational trust you have so that you can go to the extreme together tomorrow? UPDATE 11th July 2009 Just read this great post by Justin French on Trust (function(window, $) { if (!$) { return; } window.qbInitSectionShells = function(root) { var shells = $(root || document).find('.qb-section-shell'); var prefersReducedMotion = window.matchMedia && window.matchMedia('(prefers-reduced-motion: reduce)').matches; var parallaxShells = $(); var observer = null; $(window).off('.qbSectionShells'); if (window.qbSectionShellObserver && typeof window.qbSectionShellObserver.disconnect === 'function') { window.qbSectionShellObserver.disconnect(); } window.qbSectionShellObserver = null; shells.each(function() { var shell = $(this); var animation = shell.attr('data-section-animation') || 'none'; var trigger = shell.attr('data-section-animation-trigger') || 'scroll'; var isParallax = shell.attr('data-section-media-motion') === 'parallax' && shell.attr('data-background-type') === 'image' && shell.attr('data-background-layout') === 'single'; shell.removeClass('qb-section-shell--visible'); if (prefersReducedMotion || animation === 'none') { shell.addClass('qb-section-shell--visible'); } else if (trigger === 'load') { window.requestAnimationFrame(function() { shell.addClass('qb-section-shell--visible'); }); } else { if (!observer && 'IntersectionObserver' in window) { observer = new IntersectionObserver(function(entries, instance) { $.each(entries, function(_, entry) { if (entry.isIntersecting) { $(entry.target).addClass('qb-section-shell--visible'); instance.unobserve(entry.target); } }); }, { threshold: 0.2, rootMargin: '0px 0px -10% 0px' }); } if (observer) { observer.observe(shell.get(0)); } else { shell.addClass('qb-section-shell--visible'); } } if (isParallax && !prefersReducedMotion) { parallaxShells = parallaxShells.add(shell); } else { shell.css('--qb-section-parallax-offset', '0px'); } }); if (observer) { window.qbSectionShellObserver = observer; } if (!parallaxShells.length) { return; } var updateParallax = function() { if (window.innerWidth < 768) { parallaxShells.css('--qb-section-parallax-offset', '0px'); return; } parallaxShells.each(function() { var shell = $(this); var shellElement = shell.get(0); if (!shellElement) { return; } var rect = shellElement.getBoundingClientRect(); var viewportHeight = window.innerHeight || document.documentElement.clientHeight; if (rect.bottom < 0 || rect.top > viewportHeight) { return; } var distanceFromCenter = (viewportHeight / 2) - (rect.top + (rect.height / 2)); var offset = Math.max(-38, Math.min(38, distanceFromCenter * 0.12)); shell.css('--qb-section-parallax-offset', offset.toFixed(2) + 'px'); }); }; $(window).on('scroll.qbSectionShells resize.qbSectionShells', updateParallax); updateParallax(); }; $(function() { window.qbInitSectionShells(document); }); })(window, window.jQuery);

Blogging - The hardest thing I have ever done

Sat, 11 Jul 2009 10:13:52 +1200

The presentation by Merlin Man and John Gruber was called 149 Surprising Ways to Turbocharge Your Blog With Credibility. In reality it was a discussion about authenticity and how you blog. It brought into focus what I've been thinking about for the last couple of months and made me realise what I have been trying to deny for a while now. That is that blogging is probably the most difficult thing I have ever done. I'm used to being successful, but blogging hurts I've had a blessed life. By blessed I mean we worked like crap to provide a great product, have awesome experiences and try like hell to add value to other people's lives and help them be successful. We've worked hard to make our "good luck", and with my blog I'd like to think I'm doing the same. I'd be the first to admit that I'm not a brilliant writer, but I do share what's deep inside and allow myself to be vulnerable so people know I'm being real in the hope that they might also benefit from my experience. The reward so far has been an analytics graph that makes my heart sink. I swear visiting analytics is like a crack habit. You go from a high of seeing a post get 10k+ page views one day to the low of watching the graph dwindle over the next week because you haven't found time for another post, or because the next story doesn't get as much traction. LOL it's like going from Rooster to Feather Duster. It scares the shit out of me as I am used to seeing the whites of people's eyes What I find hardest, is that I can't see how people react. I know from analytics that people do read what I write, but I don't know who those people are and, when they finish, I still haven't made the site focused or sticky enough and most don't come back. Face to face, I can see you laugh or cry, and when you walk away I can call you back, even tackle you to the ground. Online though, that's not an option, and I struggle with the fact that you are anonymous and I haven't got you to subscribe or participate through comments yet. Being a leader means finding your voice, but what about being humble? Seth talks about developing a Tribe, being a leader, and the fact that the world needs leaders. I work with a group of people who are leaders. They develop Lovemarks and care passionately about the clients they work for and the treasures they create. But we were taught to be humble, to be soft spoken, even self deprecating. We were taught that it's not our role to toot our own trumpet, but in a world where companies treble their story and consumers halve what they believe, does that work anymore? We think so ... but we will need to lead our tribe, not merely participate in a community. The old rule needs refining. I am their leader, or a least one of our leaders, but have struggled to find my voice. I believe however that what the industry will see over the next few months and the coming year, is that we are finding our voice and are passionate about the industry we work in. We are passionate about working with the best photographers in the world to tell stories together, to document the coming together of families and to help people remember forever. So, what is my priority ... what do I love? My realisation is that my passion is human connection, love, community and people interacting with people. Even the technology I love and use is all about enabling connecting. My community is not the 1000 odd families that live with me here in my suburb of Laingholm, but the global village I have been a part of now for over 20 years. I love and admire photographers, their craft and the challenge they face weekly as story tellers as they capture the beauty of each family, individual and wedding. I love the business, both mine and helping them with theirs. I love the brides and grooms who value what we do, those that care enough about their own story to have it captured by an artist like Brett and then have that story told in a Queensberry for 'their future' to enjoy and treasure. And I love blogging too Maybe it's the crack high, maybe it's the challenge, maybe it's some narcissistic need to make it work, but I love blogging too. It's really about the connection, it's about talking with people, it's about's getting outside of yourself. 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The Umbrella of Rapport

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 04:36:51 +1200

Imagine if there was something that, if you did it consistently, would improve all relationships completely. Wouldn't that be amazing? I don't want to overstate it, but I think the concept of the "Umbrella of Rapport", might just be that powerful, so please enjoy. Today I came across some notes from an internal presentation that I did for our sales people last year on how they might improve their relationships, in this case with our clients. Part of it included this powerful idea. I don't take credit for it, I first heard it from Tony Robbins, but I have added my own thoughts below. In my opinion the price of entry in business today, includes a number of things without which you won't even be considered. These are: - Being professional - Being trustworthy and reliable - Being educated - Working hard - Having a plan for success To stand out you need to do even more, which is where rapport comes in. SO WHAT IS THE UMBRELLA OF RAPPORT? Essentially it's the idea that you must base all your interactions around the idea of building and maintaining rapport ... If you do, life is good, if you don't you get wet. Imagine for a moment that you aren't in a negotiation, but you are the gentleman above walking with his partner. For both of you to share this umbrella he must assume the responsibility of keeping both of them dry, not just himself. Life is generally the same, in that we must all take responsibility for the rapport we have with others, and not take it for granted, because as soon as it's broken relationships become strained. So let's look at this example from a few different perspectives. What if ... - One is party is small and the other big? Suddenly we have different needs, these needs must be honored. - One person is walking fast while other wants to go slow or stop all the time. We all know that this can be really frustrating, but if it's a fact we must allow for it: otherwise this is a guaranteed way for one of you to be wet and pissed off. - Whose responsibility is it to maintain rapport, who is in control? The person holding the umbrella (running the negotiation) or the other person. The truth is we both need to take care. - What if you must break rapport? Maybe the man decides he must run for the car. Maybe in life everyone's needs can't be met, or a difficult message needs to be delivered. Is breaking rapport justified and how might it be recovered? - Who sets direction? - Who must be the most careful? Image how your marriage might be if your first goal was to love and honor that person, to build and maintain rapport before trying to meet your own needs. You would suddenly see that we travel at different speeds, have different needs, and both must work at communication. Image if you "loved" your customers, or should I say treated them with love, making rapport the central goal first, before the sale? What would those relationships be like, what would being at work be like? Sadly I think most of us are fairly careless when it comes to the rapport we have with others, myself included at times. We are successful often due to good luck rather than good management, and that's what makes this concept so powerful. If you dare to be different, if you dare to throw your heart into your relationships first, you stand out as a shinning light in comparison to everyone who's just going through the motions. Further Reading Rapport in education Rapport in sales In dating ... Please forgive me for this example :-) Rapport with your coffee I hope you enjoyed this, I'd love to hear your own stories and what you think, how about sharing below? 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Being an Entrepreneur - How not to travel

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 02:57:18 +1200

Over the last 6 months or so I've been to France, UK (twice), Australia (3 times), Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, USA (3 times), and if you are based in New Zealand like me that's a lot of flying. For a lot of people that sounds glamorous, and on occasion it can be, but seriously, the inside of a hotel room in Paris isn't much different from one in Las Vegas and if you don't get out of it you could be anywhere. I've just got back from a course in San Antonio (Texas) and by the time I left I felt like a caged rat. In 8 days I only got outside my hotel 4 times, and that was to cross the road to get some lunch. In February I was in Las Vegas and saw the sky only once in five days and that was to cross the road on our way to dinner. So what went wrong? When I go away, I tend to load up with catch-up work to do in the evenings, you know the sort of thing – where you haven't been able to get something off your plate for ages. This time I never even got to do that. The course was 10-12 hours a day, we had a software launch at home I was helping with, and when I did have a spare moment I worked on an ebook I have been writing and want to publish soon. Let me be a warning to you! Do that for 8 days, or even worse, once it becomes a way of life, you watch your health deteriorate, your frustration levels rise, your productivity drop and realise there is good reason for being overweight. Not to mention the absence of any fun. It doesn't need to be like that, and last week was certainly a turning point for me. I've been doing this long enough, I should know better. What should you do instead? Don't lock yourself in your room. Take time out to discover the city you are in. Some of our staff make sure they plan at least one 'key' experience, whether a special meal or a show. This ensures the travel stays fun and they have wonderful stories to share. Don't eat in the hotel, and especially room service. Discover your surrounding eateries. Whether it be as simple a visiting the local Whole Foods or a Thai restaurant, the quality of food will likely be better, healthier and hopefully cheaper. If you can, enjoy the walk there as you will get to see the sights and stretch your legs. Network. I did get to network with people on the course, at breakfast and over lunch, but from experience I have found spending time over dinner is much more effective for establishing long term relationships. That is when people really unwind, share stories and have fun together. Make sure that on at least some nights you go out and discover the city with your new friends. Don't over commit. Travel, and the job you have gone to do is work enough. Try to focus and giving this thing 110% of your focus and look after yourself. You will do a much better job there, and be twice as effective when you get home. Having said that, there can be a lot of downtime so make sure you take a good book, your iPod, our some basic work to kill the time. Use the pool or gym. I know it can be more expensive staying in a hotel with a full gym facility and pool, but it is well worth it. Get up early, do a good 30-60 minutes on the bike or treadmill and you'll have full energy for the day and jet lag will be a thing of the past. Ignore family. I don't really mean ignore your family, but telling yourself you miss them, and want to be home, is not going to make the trip go any quicker. It's just going to make you miserable. I find this is easier said than done, but you need to focus on the job at hand and keep your thoughts with you. Plan your contact and use services like Skype to stay in touch. Your family should know you love them, and that you will be home safe soon. Sleep, sleep, sleep. With all the work to be done, the networking completed and the change of time zones, this can be a challenge. But sleep is crucially important to your health, your ability to concentrate and, if you are doing a course like the one I was, then there is a significant link between sleep and learning. My tip for long distance travel is to try to keep normal hours when you get there. Don't be tempted to go to bed at 10 am when you arrive because it's 10 pm at home. Stay up until at least 8-9 pm so you get a good night's sleep. Once you get to around that time, and as soon as that wave of tiredness hits, it should immediately be lights out. If you push on to watch the end of the movie you are going to be up for hours and in real trouble. Anyway enjoy your travels, be more responsible than I have been, make sure you enjoy yourself and good luck with your travels. 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Being an entrepreneur - War Stories

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 02:51:36 +1200

Yesterday I wrote about how not to travel. To be sure, living stupidly out of balance as I've been is damaging to your health, depressing and unsustainable, but working 9 to 5 doesn't seem to work either. Being careful, never putting in extra effort when required, will almost always cause an enterprise to flounder and it's not the making of good "War Stories". In my office is a bookshelf full of business books and autobiographies, and at home I have shelves full of the same. You never read, "Well we started the business, it all went well and I made it home early every night." Instead the stories start with tension, stress, heartache and personal sacrifice. Being scared and defying the odds is what makes a good story How about this advert for explorers to join Shackleton's race to the South Pole, a challenge that saw another group, led by Sir Robert Scott, doomed to an icy grave. Incredibly, 5000 people evidently applied to join the team. "Men wanted for hazardous journey. Low wages, bitter cold, long hours of complete darkness. Safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in event of success." You change the world by expecting the unreasonable I'm not sure what it's like at Apple now, but stories of the development of the first Mac are flavoured with people sleeping under desks, living on pizza and Coke, day in day out, month in month out ... People not just developing a product, but a team hoping to change the world. - Richard Branson didn't build Virgin by just talking about music, or by just talking about a record company, he did it by living his dream day in day out 24/7, even selling music from the boot of his car. He did what he had to do so that one day he and his people would change the world. Sure it was play hard ... but it was also work hard. - Mother Teresa's story is not one of personal comfort, it's one of self sacrifice. She influenced the world by putting herself last. Putting her needs behind those people she served. - I am completely unreasonable with myself. We don't measure ourselves against our neighbours, or even our competitors, but against people like these that have already changed the world. Will money make you happy? I have a friend who, whenever you talk about working hard, says, "Money won't make you happy". What she doesn't understand is, it's never really been about the money. It's about the challenge, the excitement, about making a difference. It's about changing the world ... it's about creating something legendary. But are these stories just the lies we tell ourselves? Steve Blank wrote this story about lies entrepreneurs tell themselves which I agree with and have from time to time told myself. The truth is, however, living your dream leads to a passionate life, but pursuing them and working hard is not an excuse for not prioritising family, friends and the people you love. Life is for living and one's mission will end up empty and with regrets if being out of balance remains your way of life. Just be careful, because when you care more about others, or about your mission more than you do about yourself, it can be hard to see that things are "out of balance". 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Twitter made me sick

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 02:40:34 +1200

Ok, I have just made myself feel sick on Twitter by un-following most of the 3000 people I was following because I simply found myself in a situation where I was overwhelmed by the tweet traffic generated by that number of people. As much as I carefully considered my reasoning for doing this, pushing that delete key on Twitter Karma, has certainly left my hands shaking. If you find that I am not following you now I am very sorry. If however we've been talking directly I'll re-follow you over the weekend once the the delete process has finished. I just couldn't keep up with the wild stream of updates, direct messages from spam robots and most importantly I kept missing the valuable messages and updates I wanted to see. Drastic action was required. Overwhelm has become a theme recently, but simplicity and presence are now my focus You will have noticed in my post about "Being an entrepreneur and how not to travel" that I basically burnt myself out on a recent trip, and while this is true, it would be more accurate to say that I have been doing this more and more over recent years. So much so that last year I had to take a couple of months off due to sickness caused by stress and exhaustion. Fortunately people have been pointing out that I am heading there again and as I don't want to go through that once more need to prioritise. Fine ... But why so ruthless with twitter? I joined Twitter for the conversation, to make contact with people with whom to socialise, and keep up to date with information. During that time I have been deeply honoured to have built a pretty big following, and for much of the time I automatically followed people back, I guess to be polite. That was great in the beginning, but as the list grew, it became harder and harder to keep track of the people I was actually interacting with, and by now I can't even see what people say unless they specifically reply to me because the stream of tweets moves to fast. What started to as fun, soon turned into something of a burden as it makes me feel disrespectful if I don't also get to see what these friends are saying, and of course I'm having only half the fun. It was never about talking at people, it needs to be about talking with people. How I used Twitter started to change the day I found myself in trouble as I started to think more consciously about twitter spam, follower ego and how much noise there was. I love the service and love how you can interact so easily with people but felt there had to be a better way. Simplicity and focus. I'm hardly the first person to do this for example Loic Le Meur, a high profile geek and founder of Seesmic, did the same and deleted 23,000 followers, and although Tsudohnimh proposed a great solution for dealing with a large number of Twitter followers, I didn't want another system. In a post on needing to have fun, if you want to be creative I introduced a book and time management system called Zen To Done. This is now becoming a way of life for me at work. You will see it even in the fact that my blog looks different, it's simpler, cleaner and by changing it's focus slightly, it lowers the expectation of me by allowing me to be myself. I'm sorry I am again sorry that I can't follow everyone, but I believe strongly in being present with the people I am with and therefore if you interact with me on my blog or twitter, I will with you. Say hello, let me know how life is treating you and what makes you get up in the morning and if you're interested I'll do the same. Alternatively if you prefer just to listen, that's cool too. Until we meet, have an awesome weekend and all the best. 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6 wealthy guys and what they taught me #1

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 02:33:08 +1200

I went to a Robert Kiyosaki - Rich Dad, Poor Dad seminar a few weeks ago, which got me thinking about the wealthy men in my life and what I have learnt from them. Six came to mind almost immediately as they had taught me some very deep and fundamental lessons. The seminar itself was fairly disappointing apart from hearing Emi Kiyosaki talk about how to avoid regret, but like all things it did prompt some self-reflection and fortunately reminded me of these lessons. These men are all different, but in some ways the same They are by no means the richest people I have known, and might seem on the surface of it completely different. They include a property developer, two Xerox sales people, a Xerox dealer, a wool merchant and the last is my Dad. You'll notice from that list how significantly Xerox features, and that is because although I largely hated my time working there (seven years), it was a wonderful training ground in communication and sales. Two crucial skills that need to be mastered if you wish to have a successful business. My Dad is included, not as some shallow suck-up to one's father, but because as part of a two person tag team, he and Mum have done more to develop my entrepreneurial ability, standards, world outlook and competitive streak than anyone else. They have brilliant insight, some of which I would like to share, but they'll have to wait nervously till post #6 to see what I have to say :-) So what do these people have in common? They are all all self made people ... they are all ambitious ... they all have high standards ... they all live outside themselves and add value to others ... and most importantly they all became successful, not by honouring "the rules", but by making them. Les Harvey property developer - the unlikely rich guy That's Les in the photo, complete with sailor's hat and jumper. He must have brought a new jumper for the photo shoot as my memory is that the one he normally wore was much older, and his hair always messy. He was the unlikely rich guy because to many people he looked more like he lived on the street rather than as the owner of a significant portion of Auckland's central city. When I read the book The Millionaire Next Door I immediately thought of Les. There were no airs and graces with him, no flaunting his wealth; he was almost cagey as to which buildings were his. I liked that humbleness, and noticed how it sparked more curiosity than if he had been flashy. Lesson #1 - Set your own rules When I worked at Xerox, the corporate uniform was strictly imposed, and peer pressure even encouraged you to spend significant money on cars and suits. Looking right, looking successful, keeping up with the Jone's. I know as entrepreneurs, we sometimes have to play the part, wear the suit and behave as expected, but what I love is being able to be like Les. That is, being myself, wearing what I want, getting past the pretence and setting my own rules. Lesson #2 - Love the company, not the product Les's "product", at the time we were in there ,was Parnell, as a community of souvenir, craft and speciality shops. Shops like ours (Earthworks) were his bread and butter, the innovators that became one of the first companies in New Zealand to battle for and start Sunday trading. We made Parnell a destination, something for the cafe's to base themselves around. When the opportunity arose to raise rents to a point that was no longer economic for us, he didn't get caught up in the old model, he didn't get confused by his allegiances to people who had supported him for 15 years – he just moved on. I kind of admire and feel bad about that, all at the same time, but truth is, he kept his business strong by adapting and moving with the times. That clarity is supremely important. Thank you Les It's not a complicated story, but certainly one that has influenced me since my time watching and learning from you as a child and teenager. Hard work, frustration and lots of responsibility may be a potential downside of being an entrepreneur, but being able to be the sailor and captain of your own ship, setting your own direction and making up your own rules is definitely a bonus. 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6 wealthy guys and what they taught me #2

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 02:32:12 +1200

Yesterday I introduced the fact that going to a Rich Dad Poor Dad seminar had me thinking of the wealthy men in my life. I started by talking about Les Harvey the unlikely property developer and how he taught me to 'set my own rules', 'be humble' and 'love my company more than my product'. One of the most successful salesmen I worked with at Xerox was a guy called John Burke (Burkie). It's been almost 15 years since I last saw him so I have no idea what he does today, but the lessons he taught are still with me. He is a great guy and I really appreciate the time he spent working with me; he was a hard working person and is certainly someone I deeply respect. Lesson #1 – Information is power I can remember as if it were yesterday, sitting out in the back of the Xerox offices discussing what was needed to be successful in business and especially at Xerox. The theme was that Information Is Power. The more you know, the more powerful you are. The trick being if you know more than anyone else you are valuable, you are needed. Know more than anyone else, and be incredibly good at using that information and the sky's the limit in terms of your ability to negotiate your terms. Lesson #1 – A bonus I've held that value in the forefront of my mind since that day, but it has evolved into an even more powerful version. In my opinion information shared is much more powerful than information kept to yourself. Of course there is some information you must keep confidential, but living your life sharing information, enabling others and exploring possibilities through conversation is infinitely more exciting and rewarding. The real beauty of sharing information and ideas is that, unlike most other resources, you still have it after you have given it away. Lesson #2 – Understand your pay plan John's second great lesson was to teach me to 'know my pay plan', by that I mean understand the numbers, know how you are paid. If you are on commission know exactly how it is calculated and what gets you that bonus. I swear John and I earned more per dollar of equipment sold than most other reps, because we always knew exactly what we had to do to maximise our commission rate. Most people just sold what they could, but we focused on what we needed. One month I even brought a $2000 fax machine on the last day of the month, because it earned me a $10,000 bonus! If I hadn't been concentrating that would have been a costly disappointment. The important thing to remember is you can dramatically and easily increase the profit of your business if you focus on what is important, but to do that you must know your numbers and know how and where your money comes from. 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Why can't you be more creative?

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 06:22:35 +1200

Why can't you be more creative? well, maybe it's because we aren't having fun!. Play, according to Tim Brown, is a crucial part of fostering creativity, and in the following inspiring video he talks about "play", a topic he is obviously very passionate about. From the TED website : At the 2008 Serious Play conference, designer Tim Brown talks about the powerful relationship between creative thinking and play -- with many examples you can try at home (and one that maybe you shouldn't). It's not just about "play" it's about having fun. Lets face it, through life you will probably spend more time at work than any other single activity except sleeping. Surely therefore you would want to enjoy your work, make a difference and have fun. You will spend more time with your colleagues than your spouse, so it's ironic that often a person will spend years searching for their perfect companion, and then just settle for a pay check and the guy in a cubical next door. Not me ... its hard to find the line between my work, my private life, my family, friends and colleagues ... my work is a crucial part of my life, it's a passion, it's a form of self expression and it is also my hobby. At Queensberry we do our best to have fun, there is "Project Life", a program promoting wellness and community participation, massages every so often, birthday leave, Kabab Friday, Our Cultural Day, a Mello Yellow Lunch, stress balls, celebrating successes, the netball team, Basket Brigade, and of course our Social Club and Chrismas Celebrations etc. I wouldn't however say we've perfected "safe" communication however. Although we aspire for it, and would put right any upset caused we've got a little way to go before I could look you in the eye and say everyone speaks their mind without fear of criticism. The idealist in me wants to tell you this happens already, but we have a very passionate environment, people are deeply and emotionally connected to the cause and care strongly about how things should be done ... that brings challenges. One of my favourite people to watch on TV is Gordon Ramsay. Once you get past the theatrics he's just a guy who cares passionately about his craft, about people and wants to help people reach their potential. It's different, but in a weird sort of way, what happens on his show is a bit like Queensberry, and fortunately that comes together as an awesome, creative team changing the world they life in. To stay creative and passionate you need to ... Have fun Here are a few resources to use in your company. What about boss tennis, or you could consider peoples wellbeing, and of course make sure you schedule it by putting fun days in your calender. Finally to keep it fun, maybe there needs to be some rules Be inspired On the TED website there is a group of presentations called

In trouble on twitter

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 01:56:03 +1200

I found myself in trouble on Twitter this morning ... ok "in trouble" might be a bit strong, but a tweet I received did make me realise something I was doing was causing offence and of course don't want to do that. In my "Direct Messages" (inbox) I received the following tweet. At first I thought #DM meant "Deep and Meaningful" ... what no deep and meaningful conversation?, what a weird thing to say ... but then I realised more seriously that they meant "Direct Messages". So what happened, and why is this important? juhasaarinen seems like a pretty cool person. Certainly they have an interesting blog, and write good articles. I followed them as I wanted to follow their tweets, and I guess they followed me in return. All good until this point. The problem was I use a service call Tweet Later, and had set up an 'Auto Direct Message' to say "hello and thank you for following me", in it I pointed harmlessly to my blog. Tweet Later is a service for managing your tweets, and other twitter activity. As I got busier on Twitter, and the number of people following me grew, I found it more and more difficult to respond and say thank you in a timely manner. I thought it more polite to send an 'auto thank you' quickly than attempt to send a personalised one knowing in most cases I probably never will. I realise now that's wrong. Twitter is about a conversation, I joined and love it because I get to connect with our clients who are photographers, my friends and people in the Wordpress community ... actually anyone that wants to say hello. Auto responders might be efficient but they aren't personal and they aren't about conversation or entertainment. With Twitter being overwhelmed with spam, it also sends the wrong message about who you are. So my thanks goes to juhasaarinen for this reminder ... DM Auto Replies are now turned off ... Tweet Later however is still helpful in many other ways." Having said that, is their response being short sighted? I don't want to give with one hand, and then take away with the other. The learning is certainly appreciated, but I do think the response could be a little short sighted. If something about my profile made the "follow" worth while in the first place ... is an instant "un-follow" necessary. Of course I respect their right to, and appreciate that setting standards is important, but I think a persons previous updates and blog etc says a lot more about them than a single #DM message. Which brings me to another service I enjoy Twitalyzer is really interesting. It allows you to review, at least from Twitalyzer's perspective, your behaviour on Twitter. The Idea of Generosity is clearly important in a conversation as it shows how much you contribute. On Twitter this is done by sharing information (links) and by re-tweeting (RT) others. I'm therefore reasonably happy with those figures. I don't care to much about velocity as I spend as much time there as I want, and don't want to spam my followers. The 1500 tweets a week, that this is measured against seems exceptionally high so question if this measure is set realistically. In terms of 'clout' and 'influence', I guess we all want to have some influence over the people we communicate with and therefore took most interest in those being so low and that's where this service has so much value. If I cared about influence, and wanted to be a "Twitter Star" then it tells me