ideas
Had an interesting conversation with some friends recently and it got me thinking about what we work for. In Western societies many of us work, in addition to money and sustenance, for self-actualisation (in a Maslowian sense). Many of us pick work that is meaningful to us and which
ideas
I've been reflecting on the people who've influenced my life. The ones who have shaped my thoughts and helped me to work out what kind of person I am and who I want to be. There's a lot of them. They range from family
ideas
On Wednesday evening I attended the retirement dinner for a mathematics teacher whom I've known and respected for many years. I will not mention him by name as he's a very shy and private individual. This gentleman and his wife migrated to Australia over twenty years
community
As a child I read a story where the main character wanted to be a 'real boy' and not just a wooden puppet. And this choice between being a real person - who connects with other people and things in an open and organic way - and being a puppet
ideas
I attended the Social Business Summit today in Sydney and had the privilege of being on a panel that discussed Transparency - Risk To The Business Or Not? Apart from Nicholas Gruen's excellent incorporation of Hayek into his discussion there was much food for thought. A copy of my
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Companies struggle with how to innovate when their existing business is stable or growing. There is often a perception that innovation requires a lot of investment. However, it has been my experience that it is much harder to innovate in a successful and prosperous organisation than in a leaner and
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Social media and social networking do not reduce the need for good social skills. Rather, the disconnection from physical presence in online communication makes social skills (what some call EQ) even more critical. Some of the recent fracas rebounding across Twitter are a good example of this - covered well by
ideas
It is fascinating to note on this International Women's Day that one of our major newspapers has an article titled "Gender pay gap shows no sign of abating" The gender pay gap can cost women up to $1 million over a lifetime * Women earn 17pc less
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There is a difference between merely engaging in positive thinking and undertaking positive action. On its own thinking is merely an interior act, and only when connected to positive actions does it create new realities. Look at issues like slavery, women's rights, democracy. Changes in each of these
ideas
We do not often share stories about our personal finances (except perhaps to boast of some great success?) but here are some hard won lessons I have learned. My parents were not great savers, subsisting from pay to pay in the way that many workers do. Thus I did not
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For me 2009 goes down as the year other people discovered Twitter. It went from a small and fairly intimate place to hangout to a busy bustling intersection of information, commerce and conversations. It felt almost like moving from a small town to a big and somewhat impersonal city. Some
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This year has been one of great personal challenges for me and my family. To have made it to the end of the year with all of us still on deck is a good feeling. 2009 brought home to me how truly important continued good health is, and how lucky