Most of the required tasks and skills are completed in the workplace.
Sharing some advice that is important for you and the traps to stay clear of.
Somehow we get a feeling of being good enough if we are getting things done?
Welcome to the 126th edition of the Aussie Painting Contractor Magazine.
I would like to make special mention to Jim Baker on reaching 69 years of age and contributing almost every month since we started the magazine. Enjoy your holiday and I look forward to seeing the posts you share on your journey. I would also like to thank all contributors that have made this milestone possible. Also, last but in no way least, Anne , who has been here for over a decade and has got the magazine out on time each month.
In this month’s edition I have started a 12-part series, the Importance of Training. It will give you an understanding of what apprentice painters need to be trained in. If your trainer isn’t training and is only visiting onsite to do paperwork? That not training our industry for the future.
Aussie Painters Network have built a training facility specifically for training painters, not other trades. It is available for use by others if they are wanting to upskill or even have trainers training within it.
• Bomikazi Zeka
• Jane Fry
• Jim Baker
• Leo Babauta
• Lisa Farrell
• Mary Cairns
• Meg Elkins
• Nigel Gorman
• Robert Bauman
• Sandra Price
EDITOR
Nigel Gorman
J. Anne Delgado
Nigel Gorman
nigel@aussiepaintersnetwork.com.au
07 3555 8010
'Til next month, Happy Painting!!
How often are you in the thick of it with running your business or an employee does something questionable and you suddenly think ‘do we have a policy for that?’ ‘Should we have a policy for that?’ ‘I meant to get those contracts drawn up/amended/updated’, ‘I need position descriptions and contracts if I’m going to hire more people’?
Get your HR foundations right, set expectations, provide clarity to employees, and reduce risk – make sure all your policies and contracts are up to date.
HR Maximised can provide you with best practice, legally compliant, employment contracts, policies, letters, templates and other HR documentation, to ensure you are able to prevent problems, minimise risk and focus on business as usual.
Easing the paperwork burden – contracts, policies and other documentation. We will develop and review:
• Employment Contracts
• Independent Contractor Agreements
• Employment/WHS Policies
• Position Descriptions
• Letters of Offer
• Termination letters
Our comprehensive Employee Handbook includes a large selection of policies to cover all recommended areas. We will work with you to find the right mix of policies for your business. An example of some of the policies we offer are:
• Anti-Discrimination and Equal Employment Opportunity Policy
• Code of Conduct
• Workplace surveillance
• Mobile Phone and Devices Policy
• Internet, Email and Computer Use Policy
• Company Property Policy
• Leave Policy
• Performance Management and Misconduct Policy
• Dispute Resolution and Handling Policy
• Conflict Management and Grievance Handling Policy
• Bullying and Harassment Policy
• Sexual Harassment Policy
Our Workplace Health & Safety Handbook includes over a dozen policies as well as a number of useful forms and checklists to ensure you are meeting your WHS obligations. Some of these include:
• Workplace Health and Safety Policy
• Risk Management Policy and Procedure
• Incident and Accident Management
• Workplace Drug and Alcohol Policy
• Plant and Machinery Safety
• WHS Responsibilities for an Employee
• WHS Responsibilities for Managers
• Risk Management Plan Form
• Office Hazard Checklist Form
• Injury/Illness/Incident Reporting Form
• Incident Investigation Form
• Work Health and Safety Management Review Checklist
• Job Safety Analysis (JSA)
For a complete list of all our Policies and Forms, please contact us at hr@hrmaximised.com.au
All businesses need to be prepared for further expected rises in inflation, interest rates, fuel costs and staff costs, not to mention the effects of what's happening globally and in the upcoming Federal budget. No doubt this Treasurer will seek to strike a balance between economic reality and honouring election promises.
How that will affect small to medium business will be anyone’s guess. That’s why it’s important to take action now in the run up to the end of financial year, when you can tweak your tax strategies for maximum tax savings. Often, when 30 June comes along it’s too late to take advantage of all available, legal tax saving strategies.
We’ve been noticing a growing variance across our clients and industries they operate in, with some achieving record results while others struggling to maintain their margins and profitability. When margins are being squeezed and the cost of doing business keeps rising, it is more important than ever to make sure you save on tax!
When you create a tax plan, you’ll be looking at your business wholistically. Not only do you get a smaller
tax bill as a result, the process of tax planning will also show you ways to:
• gain clarity on your business's performance
• track your KPI's against prior years, others in your industry and against ATO business benchmarks
• minimise your tax liabilities every year
• capitalise on opportunities that have presented themselves during the year • address challenges that have been experienced during the year
• ensure your business's cashflow requirements can be met
• reset and refocus your business operations as your business and personal goals have changed as a result of the pandemic and the foreseeable challenges
• minimise, rationalise and protect your business operations in areas where we see the most vulnerability
• pause, close down or get your business ready for sale
To ensure you don’t pay excessive tax on your profits, a tax plan will ensure appropriate tax saving strategies are put in place before 30 June 2023. Many of the strategies are required to be carried out before 30 June and cannot be implemented after that date. Tax Planning is something that can make a difference 8 weeks out from the end of financial year. And it works even better if done all year round. Some of the benefits of tax planning include:
• an accurate assessment of your year to date profit, your likely annual profit and the amount of tax payable (assuming no tax planning strategies are adopted)
• allowing discussions on what changes might be necessary in your business to improve profitability, cashflow and long term success!
• identifying changes that might involve your pricing, your product mix, staff wages and the direction of your business
• determining your direction and goals for the new financial year
You might have heard the saying "Nothing is certain except death and taxes". This may be true, but there
is no need to give the ATO more than you need to. As accountants we work with the ATO, but they are not our clients. You are!
We want you to pay as little tax as possible and that’s our mission. As Kerry Packer said so eloquently at a Senate Inquiry in 1991:
“I am not evading tax in any way, shape or form. Now of course I am minimizing my tax and if anybody in this country doesn’t minimize their tax they want their heads read because as a government I can tell you you’re not spending it that well that we should be donating extra.”
Don’t give the ATO any more of your hard earned dollars than you have to. To find out how you can save tax, click here to download our FREE eBook How To Slash Your Tax Legally.
Please Note: Many of the comments in this article are general in nature and anyone intending to apply the information to practical circumstances should seek professional advice to independently verify their interpretation and the information’s applicability to their particular circumstances.
Upgrading or changing your payroll system comes with a ton of wonderful benefits. Saving time and money, making everyone’s lives easier, and better integration are all good reasons to consider a change.
But if the switch is mishandled, the results can be catastrophic and lead to long-lasting problems. Read on for some tips on how to avoid a disastrous payroll system migration.
1. Give the project the time it needs
It’s true that people may enjoy coming to work. But for most people, earning money is the main reason they seek out employment. Our jobs make the world go round, and support us and our families so that we can afford everything else in life.
Not getting paid, or getting paid incorrectly, is a massive problem for your employees. As a business owner, you want to make sure your employees are paid right and paid on time. This protects your business, but it also protects their happiness.
Changing payroll systems is a huge undertaking. There are many moving parts and people who will be
affected. Make sure to give this project the time and attention it deserves.
Determine what will be necessary to make the transition, understand who it affects, and communicate with everyone involved. The planning process is critical. Treat it as the foundation to making the switch, and the rest will fall into place.
2. Map out integrations
All payroll software will do the basics, but that’s just the beginning of your new system. Learn about what other software will integrate with your new platform. Do your research for what add-ons you will need, and build accordingly.
Your new system will be able to connect with HR software, advanced accounting functions, time tracking tools, and so much more. Envision what your complete system looks like and understand how to get it to all work together.
When you have the full picture from the planning stage, it will make the transition a lot smoother.
The main motivation for implementing a new payroll system is to make things easier. Yet, many businesses overlook the ways that their new technology can help.
It’s easy to lean on old methods for getting things done because they’re familiar, but that would be a mistake when switching to a new payroll system.
Make sure you know about and understand the features of your new platform. This is where the real time, money, and energy savings will come in. Automate anything you can. When these tools prove their worth, your team will understand the reason for switching.
When implementing or switching to a new system, take the opportunity to go over your incoming data. Yes, all of it. Get rid of what you don’t need, while keeping in mind what you have to keep on hand according to any relevant tax agencies.
While payroll software is incredibly helpful, it can only do so much. If you put bad data in, it will spit
bad data out. Go over the information you’re inputting with a fine toothed comb to get the best result.
This phase is critical, and is often overlooked. Before you officially implement anything, make sure to test it out. There’s no quicker way to turn your staff off of something new than for it to work poorly or not at all right out of the gate. Take the time to test now and reap the benefits when you go live.
Deciding to change your payroll system is a big undertaking. But with some planning and preparation, it can be a smooth and rewarding transition. Get in touch if you’d like to learn more about how we can help make payroll easier for you.
Sandra Price
With the cost of living and interest rates rising, a growing number of Australians are struggling to manage their finances. Many are experiencing real financial stress.
But even in the best of times, managing your finances is hard. Every day, you’re making complex financial decisions (some of which carry huge ramifications) and there are more financial products and services available than ever before. Navigating this minefield can be overwhelming and lead to financial anxiety.
Being financially literate helps. But what does “financial literacy” mean in practice?
Here are seven signs you’ve got the basics covered.
Read more: Kids and money: five ways to start the conversation
By tracking your cashflow on a regular basis, you’re ensuring your expenses don’t exceed your income. In other words, you make sure you’re earning more than you spend.
A good sign you’ve successfully managed your cashflow is that you have a surplus or a buffer.
These left-over funds can be used to boost savings, pay off debt or meet other financial commitments.
Cashflow management allows you to assess whether there are opportunities to increase your savings and/or reduce spending. Being able to manage your earnings and spending is a key financial skill.
2. You have a budget – and you follow it
Setting and following a budget requires financial discipline, which is a key part of financial literacy.
By following a budget, you’re putting a measure in place to live within your means and reduce the risk of overspending.
With all the competing demands that come with managing money, your budget can be a tool to keep you on track. And developing this habit over time can empower you to make wise financial decisions.
3. You understand the difference between good debt and bad debt
Love it or hate it, debt forms part of our financial portfolios and sustains the financial institutions we interact with. Knowing how to make debt work for you is a skill and a sign of good financial knowledge. It is crucial to understand the difference between good debt and bad debt.
Good debt is debt used to improve your long-term financial position or net worth, such as a home loan.
Bad debt tends to be consumption-driven and doesn’t have lasting value. Examples include payday loans or retail accounts.
4. You have your money in various places
One of the key concepts of financially literacy is understanding the importance of diversification.
By having your money spread across various places (such as a savings account, property, the share market, superannuation and so on), you’ve reduced the concentration of risk.
This helps protect your wealth in tough economic times.
5. You understand how financial assets work, along with their pros and cons
Financial assets refers to things like cash, shares and
bonds. It’s important to understand how financial assets work and how they can either help or hurt your financial position.
For instance, savings accounts are a safe financial instrument that earn interest on the amount accumulated within the account. But the fact they’re so safe also means that they won’t outperform inflation.
This type of knowledge is an imperative part of financial literacy.
6. You’re aware of your financial strengths and weaknesses
Financially literate people reflect on their capabilities.
When you can appreciate where your financial strengths and weaknesses lie, you can make better financial decisions and prioritise your needs.
On the other hand, being oblivious to your strengths and weaknesses means you miss opportunities to improve your financial health.
For example, perhaps you buy unnecessary stuff when you feel sad. Or maybe you panic when faced with tough financial choices and make quick decisions just to make the problem go away.
Neglecting to reflect on patterns of behaviour can lead to serious and possibly irreversible financial mistakes.
Financially literate people plan for their finances. This involves setting goals for either earnings, savings, investments, and debt management or putting measures in place to protect wealth (via, for example, insurance to protect your wealth against loss).
Setting goals is one thing, but it’s also important to have a system and habits in place to achieve them.
Make sure you understand what you’re trying to achieve with your goals, why the goals are important and how you’ll achieve them.
Boosting your financial literacy can feel tough at first. But tackling your finances head on, controlling spending, participating in financial markets, handling debt, being able to understand financial assets and working towards financial goals can help you feel in control of your financial situation.
Everyone’s financial situation is unique, so none of what I’ve said here should be taken as financial advice. You can find free financial counsellors via the government’s MoneySmart site and if you need help with debt, contact the National Debt Helpline on 1800 007 007.
Read more: Borrowing money isn't always a bad thing – debt can be a sensible way to build wealth
For many years I have been training apprentices and qualified trades people in an array of tasks from putting on a respirator to helping with multi-million-dollar business owners just looking for a different result to what they are getting today.
Let’s start with apprentices. When I first meet them, some are open that they know nothing and are willing to learn everything that our great industry is about. Then I have others that say they know everything about painting and can’t understand why they need to be here. It’s surprising how many think that way. Generally, after explaining what they are here to learn they realise the depth of knowledge they are yet to attain and change their minds.
A Unit of Competency is the smallest component of a Training Package that can be assessed and recognised. It gives a description of the skills and knowledge required to perform effectively to a specific standard in a particular workplace role or function.
There are 29 units in a Certificate III Painting and Decorating Apprenticeship. Not all those units can be completed on the job. Generally, only 14-16 of the units are completed on the job depending on the type of work the employer does. Off-site training is imperative to give the apprentice a full understanding of what is demanded in the painting industry.
In painting and decorating there are 29 units. Each unit has been specifically designed to ensure that the people completing the training, understanding what they need to learn and being competent to complete the tasks within the workplace.
To give you a thorough understanding, I will explain this in groups of units over the next 12 months.
This month I am going to cover 3 units:
• Work Effectively and Sustainably in the Construction Industry,
• Plan and Organise Work
• Conduct Workplace Communication
These 3 units are what are called Core Units and are completed by every apprentice that completes an apprenticeship within the construction industry. Most of the required tasks and skills are completed in the workplace; however, the trainer still needs to assess each student on their merits.
There is theory or what we call ‘underpinning knowledge’ required for each unit.
I am going to take you through some of the ways that these units are broken down into required tasks that are performed in the workplace and then what type of things trainers do to educate the apprentices of industry best practice.
The apprentice must understand Working effectively in a team, investigate construction industry employment pathways and identify and follow environmental and resource efficiency requirements.
If you are preparing the plasterboard walls inside a house, make sure before you leave the truck that you have all the tools and materials to complete the job. You should NOT have to go backwards and forwards getting things you have forgotten.
The student must convey and receive information and instructions, access, interpret and present information and participate in simple meeting processes. There is a theory component, then the training and assessment of this unit includes, them being told to complete tasks and ensuring that they can relay what has been discussed and complete the tasks set in a reasonable timeframe.
In training, I look for and teach a range of techniques. I have the apprentice’s complete tasks together and I teach them about becoming environmentally friendly through using a 3-bucket wash system and an Enviro wash system. I explain to them the importance of the environmental imkpact and how some of the work habits are affecting their future.
The student must determine and plan basic work task activities and organise performance of basic work task.
Once again, there is a theory component which I quiz them on. I also set them tasks to perform in training as a team as well as individually. As I explain to the apprentices, the most important things are not to waste time, concentrate on what the required task is, and using the right tools needed to do the job.
While some of these concepts seem basic and intuitive, it's crucial that every apprentice demonstrates that they have a thorough understanding of these principles to ensure they are starting off with good practices, communicating effectively, and remaining safe and effective on a worksite.
This is the first of a 12 part series that I am writing explaining the process I go through as a trainer.
If you are wanting me to train your apprentice or if you have any questions, feel free to reach out and contact me.
Nigel Gorman info@aussiepaintersnetwork.com.au 1800 355 344 / 07 3555 8010
I’ve noticed that most people (myself included) make complicated task and organizational systems. Today I’d like to talk about why and how to simplify that.
Task systems that are over complicated require a lot of overhead work — if you have to spend a lot of time organizing and going through your system, you’re spending time on the system that could be spend doing something more meaningful.
Having better productivity systems doesn’t make us more productive. Actually being able to do the hard stuff isn’t down to the system — it’s down to your ability to face uncertainty and resistance. And that’s something you can train in — but it won’t be found in a productivity system.
Having better organizational or note-taking systems doesn’t make us more organized. It is busywork to distract us. Rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.
Why do we spend so much time figuring out our systems and making them so complicated? It’s simply fear. We’re overwhelmed and afraid we can’t handle it all. We think if we get a better system it’ll be the answer we need to start crushing things. We are afraid of dropping one of the many balls we have in the air. It’s simply fear, and everyone has it.
What I’m going to share here is a simple system — it’s not meant to be the perfect system, or the one you have to adopt to start crushing things. It’s meant to be a simple model that can show how simple things can be.
But perhaps more important is the mental view of tasks that underlies this simple system. I’ll talk about that as well. And then I’ll get to the most common obstacles or objections to this kind of simplicity.
Here’s the system: make a single list of your tasks. One List. Put everything you have to do here. Each day, pick some things from that One List to focus on. That’s the system.
Go through your emails, and for each one that’s been sitting there, add a task to the One List. Star the email and archive it so it’s out of your inbox. Repeat until your inbox is empty. Do the same with messages you haven’t responded to because they contain a task or decision. Emails and message apps aren’t meant to store your tasks.
Maybe you have a bunch of things on your computer desktop. Go through those and put them on the One List.
Go through your Ten Thousand Browser Tabs and take the tasks each one represents, put it on your One List, and bookmark and close the tab.
OK, now you have One List. Things should be a lot simpler (some possible additions are below in the last section). There’s a good chance you’re feeling overwhelmed. That means we need to talk about the underlying mental model of this One List simple system.
The reason why a long list is overwhelming is because underneath the task list is a view: 1) we think this is a list that we need to finish; and 2) we fear that if we can’t finish it or at least stay on top of it, we will be inadequate in some way. We base our self-worth and safety on whether we can finish this list … but it’s too long to finish! In fact, a task list will never be done, even when you die.
This is an unhelpful mental model that produces stress and overwhelm.
Instead, I propose a different view: Tasks are options that we can use as we create the art of our lives.
Imagine you have a big palette of paints, and you get to use them to paint your art on a canvas. You don’t feel like you need to finish all the paints on the palette, right? It’s not a matter of getting them all done so you can avoid feeling inadequate.
Instead, the paints are your supplies for making art. They’re things you can dip your brush into, to create the art of your life.
You can have fun with your art. You can fully express yourself and the deepest truth of yourself. It’s a whole different game.
Just having One List is perhaps too simple for people, so let’s take a look at some possible modifications based on questions you might have …
Q: The list is too long, how do I find focus?
A: Have a shorter Today list. Pick things from the One List and put it on the Today list. Do that at the end of each day for tomorrow, so you can start your day with a plan already done.
Q: How do I choose what to focus on each day?
A: If you’re struggling to decide what to put on your Today list … you might be struggling with uncertainty. This can cause a lot of people to get stuck, because if you don’t know … then what? I would encourage you to stay for a minute in this stuckness, in the “I don’t know,” in the uncertainty. The answers will come to you if you sit in the not knowing for a minute or two. It’s good to create a daily ritual where you create
your Today list for the next day … and in that ritual, allow yourself to sit for a moment to get some clarity on what to add to the list. And as you create the list … allow it to be like creating art out of your life!
Q: I never end up finishing my Today list, what can I do?
A: If you are creating art and you don’t finish it … what do you do? You might continue to work on it tomorrow. Or abandon it and start afresh! Or incorporate some of it in your next art piece. But not finishing it isn’t a problem. It’s just a part of the process.
Q: What about meetings, calls, appointments?
A: I like to put those on a calendar instead of a task list. So the calendar can be a part of the simple system. I check my calendar the evening before to see what I have coming up, and again in the morning.
Q: What if I want to have all my financial tasks in one place, all my calls in another, all my errands in another, etc etc?
A: That’s fine! One List is just an example. If you want to have One List for your main work tasks, but another list for your finances and administrative tasks that you do on certain days, go for it. Just keep it fairly simple.
Q: What if I find myself dropping tasks and feeling disorganized?
A: If you were painting a huge canvas, and you kept forgetting to paint certain parts of it … what would you do? Probably you’d set aside some time to paint those parts, if they’re important. Sometimes they’re not important, so you don’t set aside the time. So you can decide how to work with that. The bigger problem is the feeling of being disorganized. This is simply a feeling. It’s a feeling of chaos, of change, of not having everything in perfect order. Can you create art with that feeling?
Leo Babauta ZEN HABITS
This may seem a very strange question to ask, and from my understanding of relationship building, being resilient is having the quality of being able to be bent and stretched in all directions whilst being able to bounce back to your original form, when the pressure is off. We need to be able to do this to achieve what we want to achieve. Being flexible is so important when we are in business today. Being able to see another’s point of view and recognising that the way they think is just as important to them, as your point of view is to you.
So, how resilient are you? Being resilient comes in many forms and learning how to bounce back is very important. Dealing with hardship and being able to hold your head high and staying honest to yourself is number one. As business owners we need to learn to be tough on the inside, to have ‘stickability’ and not fold when things get hard.
Learning to cope when life throws us a curveball is not always easy. Sometimes it takes experience and courage to be able to stand tall and shrug off what sometimes can hurt us deeply. Learning to stand up for oneself, especially when we are young, can be difficult. Dealing with resilience shows people around us how we deal with adversity and will give a very big picture of us as an individual to those who are wondering how we cope with difficult times. In business partnerships this is a very important factor when choosing someone to work with closely.
I am sure you are aware, like most of us these days in business, that there will be many ups and downs as a normal part of living. As business owners we suffer from more stresses/traumas in life than ever before.
Our world is moving so fast today and we have to be able to keep up and learn how to manage our crisis’s better as they come in many forms. We see this in the extraordinary number of people struggling with depression, people who work too long hours and those who have not learned how to be resilient. For me, I was fortunate to learn this skill very early in life and will be forever grateful to my parents as it has stood me in good stead over many years.
We need to understand that we are all different and our challenges in life are unique to us as individuals. As our experiences are very different and our learnings from childhood were different. We find that everyone has different resources in coping and how long it takes them to bounce back from things that are stressful to them.
Do not judge others on how you as an individual react to things. Be aware and acknowledge that others will react differently through their tough times and do your best to support them when and if you can. Learning how you yourself cope with the stresses and strains of life can support you to be even more resilient in the future.
Research has shown that many factors and circumstances in life promote how resilient we are. It may be a supportive and stable family, being positive and having an optimistic view about life, or our sense of worth, the groups either social or as a community that we belong to, our good relationships and sense of belonging, and/or our positive relationships with people we care about.
Some of the behaviours that are common to resilient people are that they see opportunities in all things, accept change as a part of living, keep things in perspective by being realistic, maintaining positive relationships, finding strategies to support themselves when things are tough, and/or by taking action to achieve what they want. They are happy to talk and get help when they are struggling with life, and importantly, they develop an attitude of tolerance, acceptance and flexibility.
There are of course many more behaviours and factors that are common in how we cope with life. Do you understand and see where your resilience comes from?
If you are struggling and wondering how you can develop a more resilient life I would suggest that you develop a better self-awareness by understanding
how you cope emotionally with ‘you’ when you have a crises by being aware of how you react to them. More than likely it is a learned behaviour from your young years that do not serve you now that you are an adult.
It is important that you understand your needs, joys and frustrations, your goals, values and beliefs whilst understanding your individual limits. If you can view your life from a bigger picture, away from your challenges at any time this will help. By understanding how you ‘self-control’ and when you do not is a major factor in watching your behaviour.
If you know your strengths and responses to situations that affect you, you will learn to understand how you can change any current behaviour that is not serving you. Your style of coping relates usually to your early learning history. What was your ‘habit’ as a child, as discussed in the Enneagram, that supports you to gain what you want from life as an adult and is not self-serving? In fact, it can be very destructive to you and your relationships.
May your future bring you an ability to be able to move through your challenges in life easier by understanding what makes you who you are and what serves you better.
The quick short answer is definitely no… at least not in the near future anyway. As the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) continues to grow across various industries, many are questioning whether commercial lawyers in Australia could eventually be replaced by AI. While AI has the potential to greatly enhance the legal profession, experts say that it is unlikely to fully replace commercial lawyers in Australia anytime soon.
Commercial lawyers are responsible for advising businesses on legal matters related to their operations, such as contracts, transactions, intellectual property, and regulatory compliance. Whilst AI can assist with certain tasks related to legal research, document drafting, and contract review, there are several limitations to its capabilities when it comes to commercial law.
1. Commercial law requires a deep understanding of business operations and industry standards. Commercial lawyers need to have a solid understanding of business law, corporate governance, and the commercial environment in which their clients operate. Whilst AI can provide legal information and guidance based on pre-existing data and patterns, it is not able to understand the unique circumstances of each client’s business operations.
2. Commercial law requires creative problem-solving and strategic thinking. Commercial lawyers need to be able to identify legal risks and find solutions that align with their clients’ business objectives. AI can generate responses based on pre-existing data and patterns but is not able to provide the same level of creative problem-solving and strategic thinking that human lawyers can.
3. Commercial law involves complex negotiations and communication with clients, stakeholders, and other legal professionals. Commercial lawyers need to be able to communicate complex legal concepts in a way that is easily understood by non-legal professionals. Whilst AI can generate responses based on pre-existing data and patterns, it may not be able to provide the same level of communication and negotiation skills that human lawyers possess.
4. Commercial law involves ethical considerations and professional responsibility. Commercial lawyers are bound by strict ethical guidelines and must adhere to a code of professional conduct. AI provides legal information and guidance, it can't provide ethical or moral guidance the same way that a human lawyer can.
Whilst AI can certainly enhance the work of commercial lawyers in Australia, it is unlikely to fully replace them in the near future. The legal profession requires a unique set of skills and qualities that are difficult to replicate with AI technology. Commercial lawyers in Australia will continue to play a crucial role in providing expert legal advice and guidance to businesses and will remain an essential component of the legal profession for many years to come.
To get further information as to how Rise Legal can assist you in reviewing a commercial lease, book in for a free 15-minute consultation with one of our lawyers.
After 30 years in the Painting and Decorating Industry I thought I would share with you some of the goings on of what a trainer does and what I do.
Over the last few months I have been travelling around Qld to different events trying to help you find staff while keeping the Painting Industry in Qld at the forefront of people’s career choice.
In January after a couple of weeks' holidays, I hit the ground running training apprentices for their first week back while employers weren’t ready for them, or they were still on holidays themselves, then off to North Qld, between Proserpine and Rockhampton where I saw another 17 apprentices over the week.
Then it was February before I knew it, and I was off again with a few days in Hervey Bay teaching the next generation of painters. I would like to thank the Hervey Bay Rugby League Football Club for allowing me to train in their facility. With over a dozen apprentices in that area I spend most of the week working in the town. Then just to finish off, I ran a Try a Trade Day followed by a Careers afternoon.
March got even busier with The National Association of Women in Construction NAWIC, Women on Tools Breakfasts. In the month I attended NAWIC events at TAFE in Brisbane, Wagners HQ in Toowoomba and I was invited to be on the panel at the event held at Bristol Paints Store and Total Tools in Hervey Bay. Whilst in Hervey Bay I took the opportunity to do scaffolding training with the apprentices I train in the region. Then what a way to finish off the last day of my working before a couple of weeks off, I attended the Palen Creek Jobs Expo and spoke about possibilities within the painting industry, followed by an afternoon and evening event on the panel for She’s
Got Skills held at the Busy School in Salisbury. This was an event run by Busy Sisters and Busy at Work. Then finally holidays relaxing on the beach at Byron Bay for a couple of weeks.
What a slap in the face it was 1 week back though! Already I am thinking, ‘what holiday?’
April, more training, training, training and then next week I hit the road again and head to North Qld stopping in Cairns, Townsville, Proserpine, Mackay, Rockhampton. It might sound like a holiday but, behind the wheel of a truck pulling a trailer, isn’t all it's cracked up to be. Next month I’ll report back on how the trip went!
If you would like me to train your apprentices, just give me a buzz or send me an email and I will see what I can do.
Nigel Gorman nigel@aussiepaintersnetwork.com.auAt present I’m sitting in an ‘up-market’ barber’s chair donating plasma in a Red Cross facility, so I have 45mins spare to write the next article for the Aussie Painters Magazine.
The term ‘69er’ had a very different meaning to me in my younger years. Now that I have just turned 69 years of age, I don’t quite see the humorous side of it. When I was 20, I thought 50 was old, and then 40, 70 was very old. Now that I’m only one year away from that figure, I’m not sure what Old really is. Maybe 90!
Anyway! I thought I would look back to my years as a business owner and share some advice that is important for you to think about and the traps to stay clear of.
You are, ‘Not Just A Painter’. You are a business owner. So, look the part and be the part of someone that knows and cares what they are doing.
Learn from others
Don’t think you know everything. The best way to build a successful business is to take close attention
on what others are doing. You can learn from their successes and failures.
When in business it’s always tempting to purchase new equipment and have all the ‘Bells and Whistles’, but I strongly suggest holding off until you can really afford it. For instance: If you’re occasionally using scaffold or a spray gun, then just hire them for a while and add the cost to the quote. I did this for the first few years of business which helped build up my bank account. Also, personalised number plates and 1800 numbers are not at the top of the list of things to have, so wait until you have excess money available.
Don’t assume that having a reasonable amount of money in the bank that you’re doing well. Many businesses make the mistake by not allowing for future bills. The biggest items would be the Quarterly BAS Statement, Superannuation and of course the dreaded Tax bill. Then there are the yearly items like insurances, registrations, and accountancy fees. Budget yourself for them so you know when and what expenses are due.
There seems to be a mindset for many painters that they must have a large crew to be considered successful. This is very untrue. In most cases, big headaches come with big businesses. You have to be a very business minded person to organise a lot of staff and a lot of jobs, so this doesn’t suit everyone. I personally know many painters that work by themselves and are very content. They have no stress, work when they like and have plenty of time to spend with their families.
It’s hard I know when new in business to have continual work ahead of you. The obvious solution is to work for project builders, which is fine if you choose the right ones. Make sure they pay regularly and on time. It is also important to keep track on how long each individual job takes. When you calculate the hours taken, divide that into the contract price (minus the materials used) and it will show you what you are making per hour. With this in mind, you need to know what your break-even cost is to operate your business. If it’s more than what the builder is paying you, then you are running at a loss, so get rid of them.
We all know that the customer isn’t always right and the worst thing you can do is to argue with them. This will just hold up payment and attract negative feedback to their contacts or on Facebook. Take a deep breath, listen to what they are saying, calmly put your case across and come to some agreement you are both happy with. If it’s a rectification you don’t agree with, spend the time to fix it. Even if it
costs you time and money, you are better off leaving the job site with a satisfied customer as they’ll appreciate your professionalism in handling the situation.
These are the best means of advertising to increase your quote leads and acceptances. People just love to read positive reviews which takes into an account, the person they choose. The more testimonials you have, the better it is.
Your ‘present’ customers are also your ‘future’ customers, so give them a courtesy phone call or email every now and then. Ask how the paint job is holding up and if they need any more work done. This is also to ensure they think of you straight away when recommending a painter to someone.
Good tradespeople are hard to find at the best of times, so consider investing in an apprentice. You may feel that this is a huge commitment to start with, but you will see the benefit after only a short period. So think ahead and remember, apprentices will become fully qualified after 3-4 years and this will alleviate your labour problem in the future.
Jim Baker www.mytools4business.com
There have been a number of cases in the press recently which have highlighted the risks to business owners of not following the correct processes and procedures when either terminating or disciplining employees.
There seems to have been a shift away from following more robust, traditional disciplinary processes; and this has seen more businesses ‘cutting corners’ to expedite the desired outcome. Unfortunately, this has resulted in several employers being ruled against for not demonstrating procedural fairness. The bottom line is that when dealing with complicated issues, in order to reduce the risk of litigation (eg an unfair dismissal or general protections claim), a clear, fair and well documented process must be followed.
There is a wealth of information, resources, guidelines, professional advice and support available to managers to help navigate and manage these inevitable situations. However, people leaders often don’t feel confident enough to tackle these issues; are too quick to act, or don’t follow professional advice. Acting hastily can often lead to crucial steps in the process being missed, and even if you think your decision is justified, a lack of process could be considered harsh, unjust or unreasonable to the employee. It can be challenging dealing with conflict or under performance, but it still needs to be done properly!
Time and time again, Fair Work has ruled that there were sufficient grounds to dismiss an employee, however because the process undertaken by the employer to affect the dismissal was determined to be unfair, the dismissal was not upheld and the employee was reinstated.
If you need support in the areas of misconduct, employee discipline or dismissals, don’t take the risk and cut corners – give us a call and let us help your through the process the right way.
Mary Cairns hr@hrmaximised.com.au
I’ve noticed that so many of us are incredibly focused on getting stuff done. Productivity systems and tools, anxiety about being behind on all the things we have to do, a complete focus on all the stuff to do, at the exclusion of all else …
But here’s the thing: if you ever get really really good at executing and getting stuff done … you realize that it’s an empty, meaningless game. I’m a testimony to that — I’m very good at getting things done. And I can absolutely crush my task list for months on end. And at the end of all of that, I still don’t feel much more satisfied.
There’s some satisfaction in getting a bunch of things done, but that’s not what really drives us. What drives us is fear — fear of what will happen if we fall too far behind, if we drop all the balls we
have in the air, if we can’t get a sense of self-worth through accomplishment. Our fear is really about what it will mean about ourselves if we don’t get stuff done.
That fear never goes away, no matter how much you get done. It’s like a sex addict who has a ton of sex, and still doesn’t feel fulfilled, and has to go get more. We’re addicts who are never fulfilled.
What would happen if we decided not to play that game? If we could set aside for a moment the fears that drive us, the hope that we’ll ever finish everything, the hope that we’ll somehow get a feeling of being good enough if we are good at getting things done?
What’s beyond all of that?
I don’t know the answer, but here’s what I’m finding:
• First, that the moment is perfect, and getting stuff done is not required in order to achieve peace, freedom, happiness, play, joy, curiosity, connection, love, or anything else I truly desire. I can sit right here and be present with the wonder of the present moment.
• Second, even though nothing else is needed … there’s stuff I want to create! I want to make a podcast, for example — and that’s my motivation for getting my butt in gear. Not to get stuff done, not to keep all the balls in the air, not to keep my head above water … but to create what I’m committed to creating in the world.
• Third, I can play any game I want to play. I could play the game of checking things off my task list endlessly, but that’s not very fun after awhile. Instead, I can make up other games — what about getting on calls with people and discovering their life’s purpose together? Or finding out what their heart wants most? Or bringing love to whatever is getting in the way of that? Or maybe I could discover a new game today that I’d like to play.
• Fourth, my heart wants to express itself in many ways. It’s expressing itself with this article right now, but it might want to express itself through a podcast, through a call with a coaching client, or by go outside and enjoying movement in nature. This is so much more satisfying than the game of getting stuff done.
• Fifth, I’m finding sacredness in each day. In the work that I’m doing, and in not doing anything. In conversations with people, and in conversations with nature. In my heart’s expression of love, and in the fears and struggle I face. This is so much richer than just focusing on getting stuff done. And I’m finding the sacredness in getting stuff done that matters to me.
Those are a few observations I’ve found in the space beyond getting stuff done. What might you find there?
Organisations have become more accountable to their customers, shareholders, and employees.
Increased safety improves the bottom line, and the links between a safe working environment and enhanced productivity are proven.
Safer workplaces result in better processes, because it sets the standard for greater efficiency and increased ingenuity all ‘round.
Above all, it saves lives. Workplace safety increases productivity, makes organisations accountable, and protects the entire team.
As processes become faster, deadlines get tighter, and customers demand greater efficiency, the worksite has become a hectic hive of activity.
But these increased expectations can make it all too easy to cut corners, and the safety of Aussie job sites is now more important than ever before.
SafeWork Australia recorded 194 worker fatalities in 2020 alone, with machinery operators and drivers representing the highest number of fatalities, and labourers, managers, and technicians and trades workers close behind.
That’s why SURVIVAL - a 33-year, Aussie family businessis dedicated to ensuring every worksite has the right first aid equipment on hand.
“It’s clear that worksites need to ensure they’re never caught short, because when you’re in the trades industry, the chances of accident or injury are very real,” says SURVIVAL’s CEO, Mike Tyrrell.
“And despite the latest advances in technology and an increased awareness of the associated risks, these sobering stats from
SafeWork Australia show us that even more needs to be done.
“We know that providing immediate, effective first aid to people injured on the job can reduce the severity of their injury or illness.
“And even more than that – it can save your life, or that of a mate,” adds Mike.
SURVIVAL’s Director of Marketing & IT, Jordan Green, says the company is constantly looking at ways to make first aid more accessible for people in trades and other 'hands-on' professions.
“In addition to our line of first aid products, we’ve just released the latest update to our free iFirstAid app, which features step-by-step instructions and video resources to guide people, including trade professionals, through common emergencies,” says Jordan.
“Our SURVIVALSWAP audit compliance program also ensures worksites remain stocked and compliant – without the headaches or hassle.”
For the best first aid for your workplace, visit survival.net.au
TikTok allows video up to 10 minutes, but says surveys show almost half its users are stressed by anything longer than a minute. An Instagram video can be up to 90 seconds, but experts reckon the ideal time to maximise engagement is less than 15 seconds. Twitter doubled the length of tweets in 2017 to 280 characters, but the typical length is more like 33 characters.
It’s easy to get sucked into short and sensational content. But if you’re worried this may be harming your attention span, you should be. There’s solid evidence that so many demands on our attention make us more stressed, and that the endless social comparison makes us feel worse about ourselves.
Studies show a range of psychological benefits from book-reading. Reading fiction can increase your capacity for empathy, through the process of seeing the world through a relatable character. Reading has been found to reduce stress as effectively as yoga. It is being prescribed for depression – a treatment known as bibliotherapy.
Book-reading is also a strong marker of curiosity – a quality prized by employers such as Google. Our research shows reading is as strongly associated with curiosity as interest in science, and more strongly than mathematical ability.
And it’s not just that curious minds are more likely to read because of a thirst for knowledge and understanding. That happens too, but our research has specifically been to investigate the role of reading in the development of curious minds.
Read more: Too many digital distractions are eroding our ability to read deeply, and here's how we can become aware of what's happening — podcast
Our findings come from analysing data from the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth, which tracks the progress of young Australians from the age of 15 till 25.
Longitudinal surveys provide valuable insights by surveying the same people – in this case a group of about 10,000 young people. Every year for ten years they are asked about their achievements, aspirations, education, employment and life satisfaction.
There have been five survey cohorts since 1998, the most recent starting in 2016. We analysed three of them – those beginning in 2003, 2006 and 2009, looking at the data up to age 20, at which age most have a job or are looking for one.
The survey data is rich enough to develop proxy measures of reading and curiosity levels. It includes participants’ scores in the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment tests for reading, mathematics and science ability. There are survey questions about time spent reading for pleasure, time reading newspapers or magazines, and library use.
To measure curiosity, we used respondents’ answers to questions about their interest in the following:
• learning new things
• thinking about why the world is in the state it is
• finding out more about things you don’t understand
• finding out about a new idea
• finding out how something works.
We used statistical modelling to control for environmental and demographic variables and distinguish the effect of reading activity as a teenager on greater curiosity as a young adult. This modelling gives us confidence that reading is not just correlated with curiosity. Reading books helps build curiosity.
Studies show a high correlation between media multitasking and attention problems due to cognitive overload. The effect is most evident among young people, who have grown up with social media overexposure.
US social psychologist Jonathan Haidt is among the researchers warning that high social media use is a major contributor to declining mental health for teenage girls:
Boys are doing badly too, but their rates of depression and anxiety are not as high, and their increases since 2011 are smaller.
Why this “giant, obvious, international, and gendered cause”? Haidt writes:
Instagram was founded in 2010. The iPhone 4 was released then too — the first smartphone with a frontfacing camera. In 2012 Facebook bought Instagram, and that’s the year that its user base exploded.
Book reading helps teenagers grow into more curious adults. Shutterstock
Gloom and doom-scrolling
Does this mean if you’re older that it’s too late to start reading? No. Our results relate to young people because the data was available. No matter what your age, deep reading has benefits over social-media scrolling.
The short-term dopamine rush of scrolling on a device is an elusive promise. It depletes rather than uplifts us. Our limbic brain – the part of the brain associated with our emotional and behavioural responses – remains trapped in a spiral of pleasure-seeking.
By 2015, it was becoming normal for 12-year-old girls to spend hours each day taking selfies, editing selfies, and posting them for friends, enemies, and strangers to comment on, while also spending hours each day scrolling through photos of other girls and fabulously wealthy female celebrities with (seemingly) vastly superior bodies and lives.
In 2020 Haidt published research showing girls are more vulnerable to “fear of missing out” and the aggression that social media tends to amplify. Since then he’s become even more convinced of the correlation.
Social media, by design, is addictive.
With TikTok, for example, videos start automatically, based on what the algorithm already knows about you. But it doesn’t just validate your preferences and feed you opinions that confirm your biases. It also varies the content so you don’t know what is coming next. This is the same trick that keeps gamblers addicted.
Try the following:
• Carry a book at all times, or leave books around the house in convenient places.
• Schedule reading time into your day. 20 minutes is enough. This reinforces the habit and ensures regular immersion in the book world.
• If you’re not enjoying a book, try another. Don’t force yourself.
You’ll feel better for it – and be prepared for a future employer asking you what books you’re reading.
If you are having difficulty choosing between your phone and a book, here’s a simple tip proven by behavioural science. To change behaviour it also helps to change your environment.
Meg ElkinsSenior Lecturer with School of Economics, Finance and Marketing and Behavioural Business Lab Member, RMIT University
Jane Fry
Postdoctoral research fellow, The University of Melbourne
Lisa Farrell
Professor of Economics (Health Economist), RMIT University
