Voxy Lady Magazine

‘Inspiration

VOXY LADY MAGAZINE

from the Female Voice’

in this Issue An International Women’s Day Adventure Stress at Work Kirsty Spraggon – Writes about The emotional intelligence of sales Business Empowerment i The Importance of Effective Risk Management Welcome to the Christmas Issue of Voxy Lady Magazine

March 5, 2012

VOXY LADY MAGAZINE

March 5,

Keep up-to-date with Voxy

In this issue of Voxy Lady Magazine we feature articles by Judith Fordham, Carren Smith, Renee Mill (featured on the cover) and Nola Hennessy. All these speakers are available for consultation, training and keynotes through Voxy Lady.

We are also pleased to announce that Voxy Lady has now gone into print with our own personal private label of emPOWER magazine, www.empowermagazine.com.au Would you like to become known as an Industry Expert? Voxy Lady has teamed up with Alex Pirouz and Jacob Galea who know exactly how you can position yourself as an expert. Please contact bookings@voxylady.com.au to find out more. You can read their bios on the Team Voxy page of our website.

Many of our readers may not know that Voxy Lady represents women keynote speakers, trainers and coaches however we are also advocates for small business. We have expert speakers on everything you need to know about making sure your business thrives in these tough economic times. As well we can help you with branding, marketing, websites and a dynamic web-to-print solution!

Happy reading!

Deb Carr, Managing Director Voxy Lady Women’s Speaker Bureau

For information on Voxy Lady contact Deb Carr www.voxylady.com.au Level 7, 36 Carrington St, Sydney 2000 Australia Phone: 02 8214 6344 info@voxylady.com.au

2012

VOXY LADY MAGAZINE

An International Women’s Day Adventure

By Judith Fordham

Where were you on International Women's Day last year? I was in Port Moresby, the capital city of Papua New Guinea.

Learn More About Judith CLICK HERE I was invited by the Business and Professional Women's Club of Port Moresby (BPW) to speak to a mixed audience of Papua New Guineans and expatriates. Although I'm normally fairly at ease with public speaking [after all that is what we lawyers do for a living] I found the prospect of saying something relevant to this audience rather daunting, particularly because I had never been to Papua New Guinea before, and knew very little about the country.

When in doubt, do your homework: that approach has usually worked for me, so I applied it to this task. What I learned has stayed with me, reinforced by meeting women living and working in PNG1.

I flew in the day before IWD. The flight was early, and whilst waiting for my meeter and greeter (it is inadvisable to venture outside the airport alone for safety reasons) struck up a conversation with a woman from Bougainville. She told me how lucky and proud she was to be a Bougainville woman, explaining that traditional Bougainville society, as opposed to the rest of PNG, is matrilineal: the women’s line determines kinship and the inheritance of land rights. With her words ringing in my ears, my welcomers arrived and presented me with a traditional gift of shell necklaces.

On the way to the hotel, they told me more about the local and national issues. Violence in Port Moresby is extreme. Most expats live in compounds surrounded by barbed wire, hotels and many businesses have armed guards.

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One company will not permit its workers to walk anywhere, and are required to be driven even to go to lunch next door to their workplace.

Nationally, the lot of women is dreadful. Women in PNG face severe domestic violence problems and high rape rates (most unreported), poverty and limited access to education. I spoke with Kim, an ex AFP officer and now a Development Practitioner in Family, Women and Child Rights. She told me about domestic violence in PNG: noses, ears and cheeks lopped off with machetes are typical injuries. 67% of the women in a Law Reform Commission survey in the 1980’s had been a victim of physical assault by a male partner. In one study by the Institute of Medical Research, 60% of the participating men admitted to having pack raped a woman at some time. Amnesty International estimates that 85% of communities lack access to formal justice systems.

In 2006, there were estimated to be over 46,000 people infected with HIV in PNG, with over 60% of those being unaware of their status. The 2006 National AIDS Council Quarterly Report indicates that girls between the ages of 15 and 24 are four times more likely to be HIV positive than their male peers.

Women have been unable to get seats in government. There is only one female Member of Parliament, Dame Carol Kidu. There is currently an affirmative action proposal gaining momentum to enable the creation of 22 reserved seats for women in the National Parliament. PNG presently has less than 1% female representation in its National Parliament with one woman in a 109 seat Parliament lagging behind the world average of 18% of women in national parliaments and the Pacific average of 13%. PNG may be poised to become the regional leader in this area. If the PNG Parliament passes the enabling legislation, it will be the first Pacific country to introduce special measures for women to be represented in National Parliament.

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Aside from discussions with BPW members, locals and Law and Justice sector workers, much of my information has come from the draft of Siebert & Garap’s Ending Family and Sexual Violence in Papua New Guinea: A National Strategy and Action Plan 2009-2013 and a 1997 speech by Dame Carol Kidu at http://www.pngbuai.com/600technology/information/waigani/ info-women/WS97-sec12-kidu.html.

VOXY LADY MAGAZINE The country is still aligned on tribal lines and traditional roles are very strong, so it is difficult for women to break through.

As Dame Carol said in 1997, Education and access to information gives advantages to the women themselves, and through them, for their families and society. It is a major means of freeing women from poverty and oppression and raising socioeconomic standards… women's education, particularly in many developing societies has been neglected.

Women in Papua New Guinea, like their sisters in other developing countries are the ones who have tended to suffer most from illiteracy, poverty and low status…

As a consequence of increasing poverty, life expectancy for women has dropped in the last decade, infant and child mortality rates have increased and the maternal mortality rate from complications in pregnancy and childbirth in PNG is one of the highest in the world. The statistics reveal the low social and economic status of women and their lack of access to health care information and services to meet their needs.

Women need access to information … World history has shown that the best way to improve quality of life is through education. Literacy teachers and extension workers must become partners in teaching functional knowledge and skills to empower women to have greater control of their own lives and the welfare of their families.

It cannot be disputed that Papua New Guinean women continue to be disadvantaged by traditional attitudes and customs that are not consistent with an egalitarian contemporary society… the majority of women in PNG are not economically, socially or culturally free agents. Male dominance over all aspects of the female's life is still common and indeed still accepted by women as the norm in many instances…

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It is very difficult for an educated PNG woman to find the balance between her traditional role and her modern aspirations. It is like living a schizophrenic life - one personality for the work environment and a different personality for the home environment.

And yet the weight of history still continues to burden the women ... Women continue to be burdened with a disproportionate workload which allows little time for them to even dream of, let alone participate in information and awareness programmes.

The key to emancipation is education. Girls in PNG usually stand behind boys in the queue for education. If a family has scarce resources, it is the boy who receives the education. BPW offers scholarships to young women to complete or further their education. The breakfast at which I spoke was a fundraiser attended by 320 people, men and women, and was sponsored by AusAID and local businesses. It raised a significant sum to underwrite more scholarships.

I met Mabata, one of BPW’s scholarship recipients.

She studied Early Childhood Development with the help of a BPW scholarship and then founded Honeybee kindergarten at her own home. It is entirely self-funded, with 150 students. She proudly showed me pictures of her little graduates in their blue gowns and mortarboards, and of their brightly painted one room library hut. Then she told me they had no books. No books? Vivien from BPW and I went to a second hand shop and bought an armful of books to be passed on to her, but that is nothing compared to what is needed.

Mabata’s story is typical of those lucky enough to be selected: she has taken the investment in her future and returned it to PNG society many times over.

The experience has stayed with me: a land of so much hardship and yet so much potential. It is hard to believe Port Moresby is a mere 1 hour and 50 minute flight from Brisbane1.

1

To change attitudes and customs is a delicate process because the changes need to occur without the destruction of the total social fabric.

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If you are interested in more information, go to http://pngbpwa.wordpress.com/bpw-pngs-scholarshipsfor-girls/ and http://www.cfcpng.org.pg/index.html

VOXY LADY MAGAZINE Stress at Work

By Renee Mill There is a lot of discussion about stress at work. Is it a good thing? Some consultants will tell you that a certain level of stress is good because it provides energy and a push to get things done.

Read more about Renee CLICK HERE However, most people associate stress in a negative way. After all, the definition of stress is: “Mental, physical or emotional strain caused by over work”. In other words, stress denotes hardship, pressure and pushing uphill against gravity.

A sporting analogy clarifies this point. A marathon runner can run long distances. It takes energy and focus and challenges the body. This can continue as long as no joints or muscles are breaking down.

However, runners are advised to stop running with the onset of pain and not push their bodies to the point of damage.

Interview the runner after the marathon and listen carefully. You will not hear words like “stress”, “strain”, “difficult”, “too much” or “breakdown”. You will hear words like “challenge”,” excitement”, “adrenalin”, “focus” , “goal” and “being in the zone”.

Nadal encapsulated this after losing the Australian Open men’s tennis final on Sunday night. It was the longest grand slam final in history, the players were neck and neck throughout and anybody could have won. After the game, both Nadal and Djokovic needed medical assistance for exhaustion.

When interviewed afterward, Nadal said “ We players live for games like these. It's nice to be there fighting, trying to go to the limit. It's something I really enjoy and I always said it is good to suffer.

When you are fit and have passion for the game you are able to enjoy suffering.”

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Utilising poetic licence, and translating Nadal’s English my way, I believe that when he talks about suffering he does not mean suffering in the way it is usually meant. He means pushing oneself to the limit, not taking the easy route and giving it all you have got even if it is not easy. However, if potential for injury would have emerged, Nadal would have excused himself from the game as he has done many times before.

In my opinion, stress is not a good thing and never can be because it denotes strain and potential for injury. Stress should be addressed immediately before long- term, irreparable damage is done.

I believe the word stress should not be used unless strain is implied. It is more beneficial to view your work as an opportunity to demonstrate your passion; to stretch yourself; to push to the limit of your capabilities. When you do, you will feel exhilaration. This excitement comes from a natural tendency we all have to grow, to strive and to accomplish to the utmost of our potential.

Watching your language will assist you because the words you use influence how you feel. Working hard is not a tragedy. Being busy is not the end of the world. Looking for solutions in a time frame is part and parcel of being in the market place.

Drop negative words and substitute energising words (like “focus”, “energy”, “pushing the limits”, “stretching oneself”, “challenge”, “opportunity”, “growth”) and observe how much better you feel in yourself and about your life.

When you begin to see your work as the place where you can grow and expand as a human being and utilise words that express this, you will, like Nadal, “enjoy the suffering”. You will not feel stressed. Rather you will feel more complete and content.

VOXY LADY MAGAZINE Renee’sTips to managing stress in the workplace Work takes up a major part of our day and stressful events are bound to occur. These tips will help you to manage them when they arise: 7. Expect stressful events to arise. They are a part of daily life. When you are realistic, then they do not come as a shock to the system. They are just a normal part of life that needs to be handled.

8. Measure the seriousness of the stressful event.

Ask yourself: “Is this event life threatening?”, “Is my job in danger?’ “Can anything serious evolve from this situation?” If the answer is NO, then do not give the event any more energy. Do not sweat the small stuff. Let it go by seeing it as the triviality that it is.

9. When a situation does have some potentially serious ramification, evaluate if you have any control over the situation. For instance, if your company is merging with another company there is nothing you can do about it. Therefore, instead of stressing about it let it go. Hand it over to a Higher Power. Forget about it and focus on your work. Be in the present and do not extrapolate gloomily into the future.

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13. Socialise. Do not isolate yourself. Having a laugh and a chat with friends is a great stress release. Make appointment times in your diary to meet friends otherwise they may never materialise.

14. Do not resort to binging on alcohol, food, shopping, drugs or gambling. In the long run, these binges increase your stress. One relaxing drink is fine, overdoing it is problematic. True stress relief comes from healthy living both in body and mind.

15. Improve your skills. Keep learning. It will keep you focused on a positive future. It will help you feel competent and ready for new challenges should they arise. It will assist you to stay interested in living life well.

16. Be flexible. When you can adapt to change and roll with the punches, you can cope better with stress. Being rigid makes you brittle and leads to strain.

17. Nurture your soul. Pray. Meditate. Practice mindfulness. Join a support group. Sojourn with nature. Attaching to your soul opens you up to your infinite potential which in turn assists you to cope.

10. When you do have some power in the situation, think carefully about what action to take. Do not be impulsive. Get advice, and then take action.

Find a solution because sorting out a problem goes a long way to relieving stress.

Stress management is not difficult. It is a skill that can be learned and is basic common sense. What it does require, is for you to be disciplined and apply these tips in an ongoing way even when there is no obvious stress.

11. Keep your life balanced on a weekly basis. Do not overwork. Nurture yourself. You cannot run on empty. You certainly cannot combat stress without fuel.

Like exercise, if you stay fit, when you need to have extra strength it is there. Similarly, when you have trained your body and mind to be stress resilient, external stress will have minimum impact.

12. Exercise daily if possible. Exercise is a wonderful stress reliever and keeps your body fit to fight stress. If you can’t commit to daily exercise, then three times a week should be a minimum.

VOXY LADY MAGAZINE

Business Empowerment

By Carren Smith

The Business of People, in business!

Lets face it, we are complex creatures and when we combine people with business, we get an extraordinary mix of results, experiences and of course, challenges!

Read more about Carren CLICK HERE Too often we’ve looked at people in business like a ‘skin bag of skills’ specifically engaged to deliver a service or a product. We never really stop to give consideration to the reality that the person is actually a complete ‘personality package’ who brings to the workplace their relationships, their home life, their cat, bird, fish, and family. The point I’m making here is that we can never separate the person and personality from the position they hold.

One of the greatest assets a business can possess is to hire and relate to each individual as a ‘complete package’ and to empower the person to continuously improve in all areas of their life, not just in their role. We are holistic creatures designed to create and experience life in every moment, and our workplaces are a ‘part’ of this experience.

Innovative workplaces accept this reality, and build environments to support both the individual growth and the professional development through this ‘complete package’ methodology.

We are seeing more often a trend towards flexible working arrangements. Part time roles, job share, work from home arrangements, all in the name of achieving that sometimes illusive work/life balance.

This is just the start in a brave new world for human resources with a more holistic approach to employment being sought after and expected by educated and skilled employees.

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How often do we hear people leave their business or jobs because it’s ‘boring’ or ‘not fulfilling’? The primary reason this occurs is because the job is single focused on the task as opposed to being holistic and providing creativity and experiences which enhance all areas of the person’s life. To attract and retain the best workers, employers now have to go to new lengths offering things like further education, health and wellbeing services and social experiences with colleagues. Financial reward is no longer the sole motivation for employees, keeping managers on their toes in this delicate juggle.

The basic human desire is to contribute and make a difference, so listen up!!! Find a way to meet this need in your work place and you’ll find yourself with a team who are committed, enthusiastic and engaged. Who knows, this may very well be one of the answers to the GFC!!

Carren Recommends Reading:     

Excuses Begone by Dr. Wayne Dyer The Realisation of Being by Eckhart Tolle Tomorrow’s God by Neale Donald Walsh The Success Principles by Jack Canfield Language and the Pursuit of Happiness by Charlmers Brothers

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VOXY LADY MAGAZINE

THE IMPORTANCE OF EFFECTIVE RISK MANAGEMENT

By Nola Hennessy Effective risk management is essential to sound business management outcomes. It is also essential to achieving

2012

Our most recent Australian (and international) standard for risk management, AS/NZS ISO 31000:2009, and its accompanying handbook on ‘Communicating and consulting on risk’ (HB 327:2010) are sound reference documents upon which to base the development of an organizational risk management system. From this enterprise level risk management system, subordinate systems (including policies) related to your specific risk domains can then be developed and implemented throughout the organization.

consistency, and sustainable C O M M U N I C A T I O N

efficiencies and effectiveness, in an organization’s business practices.

Establishing the Context

Risk Identification

Risk Analysis

&

M O N I T O R I N G &

C O N S U L T A T I O N

Read more about Nola CLICK HERE Each risk domain (finance, reputation, health and safety/people, security, environment, legal etc) within an organization’s governance model is equal in its opportunity to help ensure business continuity.

The key issue arises however when an organization must decide, at times of external and internal priority, what risk domain is to have funding precedence over another. There is no risk domain more likely to generate emotive responses in this regard than work health and safety. Yes, it is one of many people-related risks an organization faces, but when all said and done the health, safety and wellbeing of your people and those who visit your workplaces is the single-most important risk domain to manage in ensuring your organization’s viability.

Your workers are your greatest asset. Without them to deliver core capability your organization will not be able to deliver on its vision and intent; it will not survive or thrive in a competitive market. Aside from the absolute right of every human being to be ‘safe’ at a workplace and the moral obligations each and every one of us has in keeping workplaces free from harm, the reputational risks arising from poor management of health and safety risks have brought many organizations undone very quickly.

Risk Evaluation Risk Assessment

R E V I E W

Risk Treatment

Figure 1: AS/NZS ISO 31000:2009 Risk Management

Effective risk management in an organization, as articulated in the Australian Standard, is supported by processes designed to: 

establish context;



identify sources of risk (e.g. hazards, threats);



analyze the risk;



evaluate the risk; and



treat the risk.

It is also supported, as explained in the Handbook, by resolving differences in both perceptions and understanding. An organization needs to first understand what its core business really is before it can manage the associated risks. The risks need to be documented and then reviewed annually, through all layers of the organization, so that they are aligned to the organization’s strategic plan at all times. Every business unit within the organization must be referencing the same strategic directional documents in order for it, as a whole, to stay on track in meeting enterprise objectives.

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. “Careful adherence to ensuring an adequate risk management framework, the risk management principles and the risk management process described in AS/NZS ISO 31000:2009 will assist in this………applied properly, the risk management concepts in the Standard reveal that risk arises from, and is defined by the organisation’s (or individual’s) objectives. If the range of, and differences in objectives is not first made transparent, then it is to be expected that there will be a variance in perception of both the nature and scale of the risks.”1

The intention of any sound risk management system, that seeks to strengthen the organization rather than weaken it, must be to see risk management embedded in every pore of the organization – in every system and process – and with every individual at every organizational level.

Never underestimate the power of your workers to put life into your risk management system. It is through their combined efforts in action, adopting a risk management mindset at all times, and voluntary adherence to organizational policy requirements that the real value of a sound risk management system will be seen. Educating your people, the public, your external stakeholders and government about your enterprise intentions and systems will take you one giant step towards ownership of the process, by all involved. The organization holds the vision…………………..risk management and the people who ‘own it’ will keep you in business.

© Serenidad Consulting Pty Ltd 2011

March 5, 2012

For more information on the outstanding speakers in this magazine visit us at www.voxylady.com.au Australia's only women's speaker bureau. Our expert women speakers come from all areas of business, politics, finance, women leaders, marketing, sales, communication, customer service, inspiration, motivation, networking, team building, health, fitness, family, time management, business owners, entrepreneurs, authors, indigenous and corporate speakers. Voxy Lady supports both Corporates, Associations and we are advocates for small business growth.

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About Voxy Lady Women’s Speaker Bureau Our expert women speakers come from all areas of business, politics, finance, women leaders, marketing, sales, communication, customer service, inspiration, motivation, networking, team building, health, fitness, family, networkers, time management, business owners, entrepreneurs, authors, indigenous and corporate speakers. In 2011 Voxy Lady was chosen as a finalist in the 2011 Stevie Awards in the category "Women Helping Women".

www.voxylady.com.au

2012