Building Business Value through next generation technology!

What a pleasure to listen to Pip Marlow, MD of Microsoft and Tim Reed, CEO of MYOB - both incredibly forward thinking and innovators in their field.

Here are some of their key points with some interesting messages and ideas for all of us!

Pip:

We need to explore the constraints that we have about our work environment. Pen and paper have been replaced by mouse and keyboard.  The new generation coming in to the workplace will expect computers and technology to be more like us.

As business we need to leave Australia a better place than we found it.

Productivity today is growing today more slowly than in the seventies.

The further challenge is that we don't have the working population to replace the aging population.  So we have to think innovatively.  We need to know what are the mega trends that will have an impact on us?

Remember - innovation does not come from technology.  People do the innovation and the technology is just the platform.

As an example: NSW police had as primary job directing traffic.  Then more traffic lights were installed.  Now computers look at traffic flows.  This has enabled the NSW police to move on to doing higher level tasks.  That is what is known as disruptive innovation.

Think about what Microsoft has done with Kinect technology which has been a game changer in that the body is now the controller.  Gesture and voice are used with the connector and this has wider implications beyond the realm of gaming.  Now we can look at patient files without surgeons having to scrub in and out.  It is being used in ways we never thought of – even for rehabilitation purposes.  It is changing the way we are think about collaboration on projects and in different languages.  Innovation is occurring here and now.  Artificial intelligence is on its way!

Think of the first phones and think of the smart phones and what we can do on them.  Think of twenty years time and what will be possible…..

These are the 4 mega trends to be aware of –

1. Mobility

There are approximately 11 million smart phones in Australia.  Initially we used the phone for voice.  Now it is the least used function on our phones.  We can now work anywhere any time.  We are able to get the information when we need it.  The device even knows your location to give additional functionality. 

The new world is an terconnected world filled with Linkedin members and Twitter users.  .  Your next customer can be anywhere in the world.  Websites are being replaced by Facebook pages.  There are different ways of reaching customers and just look at how this has impacted retail.

Suggestion – get your Klout score.

Look in to People 123 – this gives you a digital footprint and you will be able to see who your customer influences. 

2. The Cloud

Not the weather forecast….

The cloud is the democratization of IT. The Cloud allows for every business to have access to computing power that they never had before and that used to be taken care of by an IT department, can now be done in the Cloud.

3. Big data

This mega trend takes the amount of structured data in your CRM and in other databases and matches it to other databases to understand customers.  Data is the next oil and the. more we mine this, the more profitable companies will be.

As an example, it provides tools for us to know when to buy energy and when to use our solar panels - and when we can sell our energy back to the grid.

There will be far richer consumer experiences that will be created through this mega trend.

4. Workplace of the future  

Be at the edge of the next generation workplace.  A workplace with no fixed office and no fixed desk.  Work is a thing you do and not a place you go.  The workplace will engage  everyone and will be activity based working, that is managed on outputs and not inputs. Such as ‘Are you driving customer satisfaction and are you driving sales’. 

Microsoft no longer has landlines on desks.  This enables people to be out with customers.  The company has given back real estate and increased employee engagement by five points.  Remember - Unhappy employees cannot drive Customer satisfaction.

This is the productivity challenge:

We have to be a knowledge economy.  Leaders will need to think differently and will need to disrupt. 

Tim:

Mobility is profoundly changing the way in which we work.  This trend started with email that enabled us to be more productive. And now there are different devices that will have different applications. 

MYOB won't rebuild their system on a mobile device.  They will select particular functions that people will need when they are about and about.  There is no point in doing a payroll application for mobiles but people will want to check their accounts on line.

Mobility is creating a collision between personal and business applications.  That has happened already for SME’s.

MYOB makes good use of Yammer because Social is changing the way we work.  And that is what Yammer does.  I tis for people of all ages and it allows for an idea exchange.  People submit ideas and leave comments for the development team.  Ideas come in from the clients and MYOB is able to deliver far more to what they need.

The Cloud is enabling us to deliver infrastructure at a fraction of the cost.  It can expand and extend your organisation.  Work flows will move across team members, and you can have access to accounts that are up to date.  It will also allow subject and trusted experts to see in to organisation and provide guidance and assistance.

The reminder is – You need to use your change management skills.

This is seen where larger businesses are slower to manage that change in to the Cloud.  It is up to us to make the change easier. 

How often to you go to a bank any longer?  We do more and more on line. 

We have to find ways to automate tasks so that there is time for people to work on higher level tasks.  

Productivity is not about working longer hours.  We are low on the scale as compared with  other countries.   We cannot stay in the industrial relations part of this debate and we need to move in to an innovation debate. 

The rate of productivity is declining because of our current education sector. 

We need to think about the training and the university system.  Education is a continuing thing and ongoing activity.  We need to develop and deliver courses around what industry needs and make them digestible to what people really need.  We need skills for this century.  There needs to be a tighter connection to the workplace from the school. 

Give the kids digital ink!  Pull down the walls of the classroom.  In the tertiary space use distance learning. 

By not getting women in to the sciences and computers and  we are also missing out on so much participation.

Another extract from Better, Best, Brilliant!

I am so excited that "Better, Best, Brilliant - your essential guide to brilliant design and delivery" is finally available!  The book provides trainers with some incredible insights in to the foundations that you need to have in place for sessions that shine and also sets out some session plans for trainers who want to take learning experiences to the next level.

1.       Base your training on self-directed workgroups There is substantial research emerging in the school sector that students who have access to a computer with a browser and access to Google, are able to educate themselves well.   The implications of this for adult learning are also immense and surely reinforce that the trainer is not at the centre of the training process. Create the opportunities for participants to learn on their own: 1. Provide projects with instructions so that participants can do research on the internet to find the appropriate information. The project can be extended as you send them out to find subject matter experts in the organisation and from the outside whom they interview to learn more and understand how this knowledge is applied in working environments. 2. Set open ended challenges using problems that do not have easy or readily available solutions.  Create clear directions and guidelines and then set the group off on a pathway that opens them to suggesting exciting and innovative solutions. An excellent framework to train them on in order to resolve the challenges is the one proposed by the Institute of Creative Problem Solving: http://www.creativeeducationfoundation.org/

2.       Pilot or trial of the session If it is a major roll-out of a key program or process, it is sometimes worthwhile running a trial version so that you can receive the feedback and make necessary inclusions or exclusions of content or of delivery.  There are often areas where ‘you don’t know what you don’t know’ and by designing and delivering a trial session, you become more aware of where adjustments need to be implemented in terms of the needs of the participants or their team. If the program is highlighted as a pilot version, the lessons learnt are easily accumulated and fed back to designers and trainers to ensure that there is continuous improvement.  There is nothing worse than having trainers deliver a program that is already ‘set in stone’ and cannot be manipulated based on on-site requirements and student needs or relevance to the business. Ask for honest and constructive feedback to enable you to make the relevant changes – and keep ears open to listen to these suggestions and recommendations.

Finalist in the AITD National Training Excellence Awards for 2012!

And here is why I am so excited that we have been nominated as a finalist for the AITD Excellence awards for Excellence in a Resource - we were nominated for our development of the WORKVILLE portfolio for the Certificate IV in Training and Development.  

1.  Management Consultancy International has taken a major step forward for trainers completing their Certificate IV in Training and Assessment, one of Australia’s most important vocational qualifications.  This qualification underpins the successful outcomes for students in all sectors on the economy – and yet there have been barriers to entry, low completion rates and concerns about the quality of the standards of delivery.  The innovative resource developed by our MCI team has had a significant and demonstrable impact on completion rates of participants and has encouraged entrance in to the program from trainers new to the profession.  

2.  The resource takes a giant step away from traditional assessment tools that are usually designed in the format of ‘tick and flick’ or as long theory-based assignments.  

3.  The resource is not filled with ‘bells and whistles’ – it is simple, effective and creates the possibility for all types and levels of trainers to complete this essential vocational qualification in a fun and focused way. 

4.  The resource removes the barrier to entry by making use of a story format and students are welcomed in to the simulated environment of WORKVILLE. 

The MCI resource ensures that as participants become more involved in the story, they are motivated and energized to complete the evidence, even where there is repetition of certain elements.

5. 

National Average for the completion Certificate IV in the education field, as suggested by research from NCVER (May 2011) is about 46.5%

Completion rate of students at MCI prior to the introduction of the Story format assessment tool was approximately 82%.

Since the introduction of the assessment tool using the WORKVILLE format, the completion rate has soared to over 90% and in dedicated groups such as Flight Centre and John Holland, it is often 100%.

What does Sister Angela Mary AO teach us about business?

Sister Angela Mary AO was the CEO of the Mater Hospital Group for 22 years. She never earned a salary. Why not? She is a nun!
Sister Angela Mary is now 87 years old and is a true level 5 leader. What can we learn from her? How does a nun get recognized as a top business leader?
Her messages are:

1. Use your full potential and be an influence for good. All the education you have will count for nothing unless you can give of yourself and unless you put yourself in another persons situation.

2. Life is dynamic - but we can't react automatically. Listen carefully so you know how to respond. Do not repeat the past. Believe in the business but it is not unchangeable. Prepare for change. Prepare to be comfortable with being uncomfortable.

3. Learn from other disciplines. Be flexible and look broadly.

4. "While CEO of the Mater , I never considered if I was male or female. There was a job to be done." Do not get over stressed about being the only woman in the C Suite. The community out there expects ethical and practical outcomes.

5. Who we become depends on the choices we make!

Sister Angela came to Australia from Ireland in 1947 as a teacher. She gave life to God. In 1948 dispatched to the Mater to be trained as a nurse. Initially she did not want to go there. She never knew that this is where she would end up. She never thought she was prepared to be the CEO.

"What we decide to do determines what comes next."

6. Religious organisations were conducted as family businesses and positions not advertised widely. Sister decided to advertise all jobs and the Sisters who worked hard for the Mater felt as though they had been sold out. This was a high price was paid for this decision.

When you face problems and where there is no clear solution, be guided by your conscience. Remember Thomas Moore - don't forsake your private conscience for the sake of your public duties!

7. For all the women in leadership roles, remember what Marc Anthony said of Shakespeare's Julius Cesar:

"His life was gentle, and the elements so mixed in him that the nature might stand up and say to all the world, 'This was a man.'"

Let someone say of all of us, 'this was a woman!'

Sister Angela Mary had the courage to swim against the tide and that is also part of personal branding and strong leadership.

What does Lady Gaga teach us about business?

Lady Gaga and business - does not sound like a great combination....  But there are so many valuable lessons that we can gain from the way in which she conducts herself and what her skills sets are.

I recently attended an amazing reunion and retreat with some highly driven women from our Harvard Business School group.  Our guest, Professor Peter Little Deputy Vice Chancellor

QUT, presented us with the case study of Lady Gaga and there were indeed some very interesting learnings that were drawn from her life, her experiences, her marketing and music.

1. Lady Gaga is constant with being consistent with her brand. 

Have you got a brand and do you think you need one?

Brand is a business construct.  If you do not have a brand, your reputation is less refined.  If you are trying to persuade people around you to engage with you and if you are aspiring to be a leader, you need to pay careful attention to your personal and business brand.

2. Gifts are critical to your journey through life and the expression of these are so important. Each person has gifts that need to be respected.  Reflect and identify your gifts or risk being a fraction of what you could be.  Sometimes need to have a mentor who identifies your gifts for you.

Lady Gaga nurtures her gifts.  She has imagination in using her gifts.  She has a vision for using her gifts.  Find what your gifts are and get a vision for them.  Lady Gaga marshals her gifts and can see the world around her with incredible clarity.  In the world where we area saturated with information, to be able to pull the curtains apart and really see the world, is very impressive. 

Gifts are the core.  Identify them and nurture them.  Have a vision for them and exercise them.  Share your gifts with the world.  You don't want to say later in life that you did not give things a go. 

3. Lady Gaga builds a sense of community with her followers. She also asks where we are going together.  She is in fact a powerful sales person who has a clear narrative. 

Do you build a narrative that aligns with your values?  This involves telling the story of what we are going to do in simple language.  The story also needs to be consistent for those you are trying to convince.   What is the story if you want the organisation to have the right culture?

People won't just follow you.  Communicate a vision for the organisation and how you are going to get there.   You need a narrative that is right for the time.  Draw people in to pursuing the narrative. 

4. Lady Gaga also gives us a lesson in modernity.  She fully understands global markets and the increasing impacts of technology.   She has the ability to appeal to 25 million people worldwide who follow her.

Think of the demise of Kodak, Nokia and others.

In 1980 you would have invested in Kodak as they had incredible market penetration. Think about Nokia and the disruptive innovation of the iPhone.  Nokia went in to decline and is no longer the number one mobile phone company in world.  Even in 2012, you would back Nokia to produce a mobile and distribute it better than anyone.  But what they missed is that mobile became an interface with digital.  Production engineers were at the helm of Nokia and ignored the smart phones. 

Darryl Lea is an other example - an iconic chocolate maker.  They had stores all around the country and produced the same product range for past 85 years.  Others started to nibble away at market share and they were squeezed from the top and the bottom.  They failed to see what was happening with the new generation of consumers.

Then you see Lady Gaga.  What does it say about the modern competitive world?

If you want a thriving business you have to adapt to the new world.  

5. You must learn every day.  Jim Collins says that we must have "productive paranoia".  We must just assume things are going to be tough in the future and that drives us towards innovation. Lady Gaga fully understands this and engages with her audience in very different, non-traditional ways.  She was able to build 'followship' by building mass intimacy with her followers.

In every interview, Lady Gaga emphasises how she dedicates her life to her fans, her "little monsters."

 How do you build followership?

Gaga strives to be the best she can be - did you improve during the last year?

5 Vital reasons why you should be undertaking a Mini MBA!

5 Vital Reasons for Undertaking a Mini-MBA

Matthew was becoming increasingly frustrated in his role as a manager of a large division at a manufacturing company. He felt as though he had reached a career ceiling and had been advised by his mentor to gain some form of business qualification so that he would have more opportunities for progression. He felt he was not quite ready to undertake an MBA as he thought it was a huge time commitment and it might be a step too far for him.

Are you too looking for the next step forward in your career? Are you seeking to gain a more complete and well-rounded sense of the business environment without the commitment of intensive study? These are two of the main reasons we hear from our many applicants who understand the benefits of gaining a business management certificate or as we like to call it, a Mini MBA. 

Here are the 5 vital reasons that you too should be undertaking studies towards a Mini-MBA:

1. Gain credibility and to increase your sphere of influence – in the fast-paced business world, those who have subject matter expertise, but who do not speak the language of business, finance and marketing are at a severe disadvantage. Your broader understanding from a holistic perspective of the ins and outs of how business functions and the inter-relatedness of different spheres is essential if you want to fully engage in meetings and have your views recognised.

This is what the mini-MBA provides – the complete overview of all aspects of the business cycle so that you gain the confidence to be able to convey your interpretation and standpoints in order to be able to influence others. You are empowered with the language, jargon and insight in to the functioning of organisations so that whether you are in the public or private sector, you gain key leadership skills.

2. Set yourself apart with a valuable addition to your CV – Research indicates that those managers who hold an MBA have a competitive advantage when it comes to career progression *1 - and they also make a serious difference to the organisation’s results. There is no question that besides the perceived prestige attached to holding higher level qualifications, your organisation benefits as you are able to deal more effectively with challenges that continue to arise.

There is obviously the advantage of possibly receiving higher remuneration – and research indicates that those who do hold higher level qualifications can earn up to 40% more than those who do not.*2

3. Take a small step towards a full MBA – A full MBA is a massive commitment in terms of time, workload and energy. Some of our applicants for the mini-MBA tell us that this management certificate is less daunting and will give them an opportunity to evaluate whether they are indeed suited to the full MBA.

Because of our link with the highly regarded Southern Cross University there is the opportunity to get advanced standing in the full MBA and this creates an attractive option. The business-school style environment of the mini-MBA also provides you with a sense of the lecture style and group work that is expected in the university business school setting.


4. Try out your skills in a simulated environment – gain the theory and the practice – What participants value highly in the mini-MBA is the ability to mix both theory and practice in terms of management and leadership concepts and strategies. It is an excellent way of learning the important theoretical models and then by working in a simulated environment, you are called on to make decisions that determine the successful outcomes of the business.

It is not often that we have the luxury of hindsight when it comes to making judgment calls and in this mini-MBA simulation, you have the advantage of playing out challenges, dealing with change and understanding the broader implications of the decisions you make. As top leaders well know, if the incorrect decisions are followed, the path to organisational success becomes far more difficult – yet, it is so tough to always make the right call, given the highly complex nature of organisations, the pressures and stresses of the business world and the inter-relatedness between all aspects of the economy.

5. Network with other managers and leaders – One of the key leadership skills is to have a wide and diverse network that is not restricted to your own sector of the marketplace. The top-level professionals in the mini-MBA program are drawn from all sectors and are equally keen to establish business relationships and connections.

You have the opportunity to mix with like-minded managers who are able to provide examples, lessons learnt and experience to ensure that you gain insights and establish long-lasting networks that could be useful to you at stages of your career.

As you work in teams through the different challenges of the program, you develop a common bond that stands you in good stead in your career. 

For more information on the mini-MBA offered through Management Consultancy International, please call 1300768550 or email info@mci.edu.au

Have a look at a short video of the simulation that you will participate in during the program - 
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYJ-son79ag&feature=youtu.be
Source:

ww.cesim.com
 
*1http://www.businessweek.com/business-schools/the-mba-advantage-07112011.html


*2 http://www.topmba.com/articles/news-and-features/mba-pay-averages-40000-more-undergraduate