Smiles's Blog

Better the Balance, Better the World

2019-03-06T14:11:00.001+11:00

On Friday 8 March, International Women’s Day 2019 (IWD) will celebrate the incredible

achievements of women with the theme Balance for Better.

By raising awareness and acknowledging the important goal to achieve gender balance between men and women, IWD inspires the community to debate and discuss all we are yet to achieve.

This year’s theme resonates strongly with me. The word ‘balance’ best describes what women continue to ask for - and I find my voice amongst their many.

When it comes to discussing and implementing gender balance in our personal and professional lives, we continue to find ourselves at the starting gates. Whether it’s balance in diversity, equality, financial success, positions in the board room, within government, media and sport, the equilibrium favours men.

We continue to have false starts when it comes to gender balance in Australia.

· One of our core political parties, The Australian Liberal Party, consists of white, pale-stale men, preceding as reputation as a boys’ only club.

· Australia ranks 48^th in the world in favour of female political empowerment.

· Women earn 15.3% less than men.

· Women aged between 60-64 will retire on half the superannuation that men will.

· In fact, many women will retire into poverty.

· Women in Australia work an extra 56 days to earn the same money as men for the same job.

· Women spend twice as many hours each day performing unpaid care work.

· 1 woman a week is killed in Australia by her current or former partner.

· 1 in 2 women have reported experiencing workplace discrimination

These facts drive home that what we’ve yet to achieve outweighs what we’ve accomplished to date.

I see that the world is waking up from its long slumber and is demanding balance. Women notice the imbalance in different circumstances and are more confident to call it out. Today, the voice of the people who see inequality is much louder than ever before. The most recent example of public protest being the sister rallies in the USA, opposing Trump, demanding equality and an end violence against women.

Balance for business

We understand balance to be a state of equality and parity – yet our lived experience in business is a long way from this ideal.

Balance is certainly not having one woman on your board, or one woman on your leadership team - where it is impossible to hear their opinion amongst numbers of men. While women remain a minority in leadership positions and on boards, they are working together to present a strong, influential voice that embraces their collective thoughts and opinions.

Recent surveys by McKinsey and PWC have revealed that businesses employing people from different backgrounds are 35% more likely to outperform their competitors. Powerfully, 86% of female millennials will only consider a prospective employer depending on their diversity, equality and inclusion policies.

The conversation about diversity in Australia is very much based on gender and diversity. Balance is not just about equalizing the playing field for women - balance is about more people from different backgrounds, ethnicities, sexualities and abilities.

Even though 1 in every 4 Australian is a migrant, the diversity gap and cultural glass ceiling is very real in Australia. Between 2004 and 2015, placement of women with ethnic backgrounds in executive roles in Australia increased by only .9%. Our multicultural and diverse communities are under-represented in corporate Australia, which has a negative impact on a local, national and global scale.

My journey of being a female leader from a culturally and linguistically-diverse background has been challenging. People see my colour before they see me as a woman, and I have always wanted to achieve more than the opportunities presented to me. I’ve had to work twice as hard to get half as far.

We need to closely look at the issue of balance in business through a different lens. If we can do that, the next step would be to ask the question: how do we shift the current paradigm?

· It starts with our government, communities, business leaders and most importantly, with us.

· Be hyper-aware of the levels of balance in your business.

· Commit to business strategies that will have a positive impact within a certain time frame.

· Make sure your talent pipeline is balanced.

· Connect with those in your organisation who are from diverse backgrounds. Ask about their journey, their challenges and share their stories to gain an understanding and positive connection.

· Engage customers with this vision and your direction towards diversity. It is just as important for them to be aware of your values as it is for you to live them.

· Don’t outsource or make it HR’s responsibility to achieve balance. Ensure your organisation’s business strategy reflects your community and role as a leader.

You can’t be what you can’t see!

In 2013 I was at a breakfast with the Victorian Telstra Finalists and we were all seated around a large round table, each one of us eyeing the other, making mental notes on who we thought would win.

Part of the morning was dedicated to getting to know each other, share who we are, what we did and a little about our businesses. This breakfast was a turning point for me. As I listened to all these amazing women, I realised something about myself that horrified me.

I did business like a man. Upon reflection, the reason I did business ‘like a man’ was quite simple. All my role models and mentors were men. I was a part of the first-wave of strong female leaders with robust opinions and goal-driven aspirations – like most men in business. There are many women in organisations around the country (just like me) that only have male role models. If we are serious about balance, male and female leaders need to make stronger connections with talented female mentors in business and beyond.

Without a doubt, balance is the option we need and deserve as a community. If we can’t see it in our workplaces and our homes, then we can’t be it. If we better the balance, we will better the world. We could make huge gains towards balance if leaders made equality a priority and core to their business strategy.

This is not an issue for our children to fix. It is up to us to ensure that the next generation inherits a better, more balanced world.

#Beboldforchange

2017-03-09T07:46:00.000+11:00

March 8^th saw us celebrate International Women’s Day (IWD) with the theme #beboldforchange.

This day has been celebrated since the early 1900s and is a day where we recognise the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.

Last year’s theme- #pledgeforparity- had me recently questioning whether we saw change throughout 2016 and if we genuinely did take steps to move closer to parity.

· National gender pay gap is 16.2 per cent, down from 19 per cent in 2016
· The fulltime average weekly earnings difference is $260.10
· The gender pay gap in ASX 200 organizations is 28.7 per cent
· The gender pay gap in the sporting industry is 50 per cent
· The average superannuation balance for women at retirement is 52.8 per cent less than men
· The proportion of CEOs who are female is 15.4 per cent
· Out of Melbourne’s 106 suburbs, a single woman can only afford to rent one bedroom flats in just over a quarter of the city.

Equality is a core human value which women have been asking for in every country across the globe for centuries. According to the World Economic Forum, we won’t reach global parity in social or economic terms until 2186.

The 2017 IWD #beboldforchange is a call out to women to step up and boldly ask for what they want. We have come a long way but there is still much more to do.

The IWD 2017 theme this year strikes a chord with me. I believe women are bold; we are bold enough to have children, to leave them in care and go back to work, to go to war and to lead countries. We are getting bolder in asking for what we want, in pursuing our dreams and desires and many of us are bold enough to walk away from what doesn't make us happy. We can be single and do it on our own.

My question is when are Australia’s leaders going to be bold and drive significant and rapid change on the issues of diversity, parity and equality?

The IWD call to action should include a call out to our government and business leaders who have the power to accelerate equality through bold policy making, diverse recruitment strategies, and a moral compass set so high that we start to influence the issue globally.

The current economic gap has a resounding impact, especially on my generation. Now more than ever we need business leaders to model the behaviours and set the tone in their work environments to elevate and positively impact this issue. We need to smash the glass ceiling from the inside.

Targets and quotas to achieve gender diversity have created much debate and this would be an example of a bold move. However, there is a difference between targets and quotas. Targets are measurable objectives set by an organisation at their own discretion. Quotas are mandatory, set externally by anybody that has the authority to impose them. I believe targets are a bold move, if we go down the path of quotas then we will have failed as leaders.

On this International Women’s Day, let’s pledge to be bold leaders, to take action and to do more than ever before.

· Audit your organisation and if what you see is more of you, whether it be in gender or colour, change it

· Measure and be aware of the gaps in your hiring, remuneration and promotion policy

· Find mentors and sponsors for your high potential women

· Be conscious of unconscious bias, we have all been guilty of this

· Measure the results of actions taken

· Importantly, make men part of this journey

Be bold for change also requires us to be bold for action. Without action, we won’t have ground breaking results, we won’t achieve a gender inclusive world, we won’t have responsive and responsible leaders and the gap won’t close until 2186.

My ask is not just for women to be bold for change but for all leaders to be equally bold for change. What conversations can you start with your people? Who can you influence outside of your organisation to go on the same journey as you? What changes can you make quickly that will connect and unite your entire workforce?

Every March 8 we raise awareness about the same issues using different words. This year, let’s be bold enough to deliberately measure the changes we make across our organisation. Not only is this great for business, but remarkable for humanity and memorable for future generations.

Remember equality is not a threat, it is a social, economic, political opportunity.

Women gaining parity, largest pay gap reduction in years.

2016-11-22T08:34:00.004+11:00

Did this headline make your heart skip a beat?

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if this headline was accurate? The sad reality is that it isn’t one I believe I will see in my lifetime.

The research on the gender pay gap released in Nov shows working women earning $27K less than men and, as women climb the corporate ladder, the pay gap can be as wide as $100K.

There has been a 1.6 percent improvement, I am not celebrating this or seeing it as a positive, I see it as leaders ignoring the issue. Companies may have polices in place but are they taking action, because if they were would we not see a higher improvement?

Those few companies that are proactive on this issue, let’s hear from their leaders on the positive impact this is having on their organisation and workforce.

If you google this issue you will find the same numbers, stats, articles, comments, research over the last four years. This is not just an issue in Australia, it’s an issue globally.

Women are told to ask for what you want, lean in, understand your value and what you bring to the table, get better at negotiating, find an organisation that will pay you what you are worth.

Frankly I am tired of hearing this. Here is the stark reality:

Women are getting better at asking for what they want, in fact, the next generation will perhaps nail this. It is the leaders who are not listening or taking action!

The fact that leaders have not collectively addressed this issue and worked collaboratively to make the changes tells me that they are not listening, that they do not understand the impact the pay gap has on women and that we have gone from a conscious boys club to an unconscious one.

I am often surprised by the number of women who do not understand this issue, they remain silent or they simplify the issue. This disrespects women, who are brave enough to voice an opinion. Women often are our own worst enemies on this issue.

So where do we go to next? Targets and quotas do not address the pay gap and this issue is more important than targets and quotas as it addresses the financial independence of women that impacts their buying power, their investment capabilities and their retirement fund.

Would men work for $27,000 less than their female counterparts?
What would happen if 1 in 3 men retired on no superannuation?
What would happen if 40% of single men retired into poverty?
Would a bank tell a man that he is high risk for a loan because he is single?
Would men entering the work force today want to work 4 more years than women before they retire?

Would male graduates today be tolerant of the fact that their financial disadvantage starts now and will be with them at every single stage of their career?

I would suggest that the answer would be no to all the above, so why the hell should women accept this?

For those women out there who think this is not a problem, I urge you to do your research, talk to other women and understand the issue so you may add your voice to it.

Over the next few weeks, more and more will be written about this research, we will hear about it in conferences, yet the reality is that none of this has made a difference to date.

Maybe we need to take action that will create headlines, do we work less hours until we get parity? Do we walk the streets with banners until we are heard? After all we have burned bra’s before….

Closing the pay gap is more important than meeting targets and quotas

2016-11-04T10:28:00.001+11:00

Why, you ask? The answer is simple.

Housing affordability for single women is a key reason why the government and business leaders need to take affirmative action on the issue of Australia’s pay gap.

The ultimate dream for many Australian families is still to own a one-acre block of land. To accommodate this, we have witnessed rapid urban sprawl around many capital cities.

However, there are more of us who are choosing to be single or divorced and are therefore downsizing from dual income to single income households. Women are impacted more significantly when making this choice than men.

The pay gap in Australia sits at just under 19% and there are number of reasons why it exists.

Women are more likely to work in industries that pay less such as healthcare, education, human resources, administration, food services, retail and hotels . More women also choose to work part time, job share or take long career breaks to be carers of their children. Let’s not forget to mention those awesome women who choose to stay at home full time and are responsible for the “unpaid” work of raising a family and running a household.

However, there are many organisations who will pay women less than men with no explainable reason other than the fact they are women.

Have you considered the impact you are having when you pay equally skilled and experienced women less than the male counterparts you employ?

Over the last 10 years, every single market in Australia has seen significant property price increases impacting the lowest income earners, in particular women.

The Council of Homeless Persons has done a study using DHS and ABS data on this issue of affordability for single women in Melbourne.

Out of Melbourne’s 106 suburbs, a single woman can only afford to rent one bedroom flats in just over a quarter of the city.

In March 2000, 72 suburbs were deemed affordable for women meaning we have witnessed a substantial reduction in choice over 16 years.

This is partially due to median rent for a one bedroom flat increasing from $129 dollars to $295 per week.

At $295 a week, many women will be experiencing rental stress, an anxiety caused when spending over 30% of wages on housing.

A single man on an average wage of $1305 a week, can afford to rent in 95 of the 106 suburbs.

There is significant disparity in these numbers.

Affordable suburbs for women include Bayswater, Frankston and Cranbourne.

The majority of the suburbs listed are not inner city suburbs worsening expenses for transport and fuel.

So not only are you being pushed to the fringes of Melbourne to live as a single woman, you are having to perhaps make further choices on where you work and the types of jobs that are available to you.

Given the rate of divorce in Australia, there are increasingly more women who head up single parent families. These women are not only getting paid less but may be in part time employment. Their lack of earning capacity means they too are getting priced out of the rental market.

Public housing is not the answer, with over 200,000 on waiting lists across the country.

The 2011 census indicates that there are over 600,000 single women over the age of 45 on medium to low incomes who do not own their own homes. There are half the men in the same situation. As these women retire they will struggle to pay rent as the cost of living and utilities continues to rise.

So by 2020 we will potentially see:

Increases in the gap between the supply of affordable housing relative to income
A rise in the over-representation of women with children and elderly women who are homeless
Increased stress on public housing

The issue of the gender pay gap has reverberating consequences.

I am a woman born in 1966 and fortunately, retirement for me does not look like living off a government pension.

However, I am a single parent and I constantly am seeking ways to secure long term financial security that my male counterparts don’t seem to understand.

Housing affordability is an issue when I have commitments to my children’s education and well being.

My teenage daughter who will graduate with honours next year will face the prospect of her employer paying her 9.3% less simply because she is female. This will impact where she chooses to live, transport and general living costs.

The issue of affordability for single women in our communities will only get worse unless addressed.

Government and businesses are discussing the need for quotas and targets to ensure equal representation. However, what is the point of equal representation at board and director level if the majority of women in the workplace cannot afford housing?

The ongoing economic impact on single women demands that we prioritise closing the pay gap to ensure we do not continue to marginalise their children, well being or lifestyle. And not only that, but to ensure single women, in particular, have the option to enjoy the same quality of life as their male counterparts.

Culture eats strategy for breakfast

2016-05-25T10:59:00.002+10:00

I am sitting at the airport on my way home to Melbourne. I am exhausted, my body hurts, my brain is fogged, I have had only three hours sleep but all of this fades because my heart is full of joy, pride, love and connections that will last a lifetime.

I have just spent a week on the Gold Coast at our national conference. We broke many records - highest attendance at conference, highest attendance at awards, most award wins ever for Victoria, first wins for many of our offices and agents but what stands out the most has been the leadership, the camaraderie, the celebrations, of a tribe that is connected through values we all aspire to live by and the culture we belong to.

Culture is how we do things here and at Harcourts we do things with our hearts and our heads.

Now you may say I have been drinking the Harcourts cordial and maybe I have. However, having worked in many different brands I know that the culture of an organisation is what keeps people there. People are loyal to culture not to strategy

A strategy is what we put on a piece of paper and although important the reality is anyone can come up with a strategy. It is much harder to create a winning culture. Often if your strategy is poor yet your culture strong you will still gain success.

If your culture is a strong one and people are loyal to it, then you build resilience as a business and when you hit turbulent times, it is these loyal people who get you through.

A great culture creates a competitive advantage, it attracts people to your business, it attracts customers and it becomes part of your brand. Virgin is a great example of this where the culture that Branson has created has become part of the brand and client experience.

I recently attended a lunch where Blake Mycoskie, the founder of Toms Shoes was speaking. For every pair of Toms shoes that is sold, a pair is given to an improvised child. The concept is called one for one – imagine writing a strategy around this.

Toms inspired people to get behind the brand and concept and give back in a unique way, they were able to involve not just their own people but their clients as well.

Harcourts Walk a Mile has become part of our culture. We are able to involve not just our own people but the greater community to walk with us and make a stand against violence towards women.

One of things I have learnt in business is that strategy can be copied, however you cannot copy or duplicate culture. Every organisation has a culture, however for many the culture has just grown or happened, there has been no thought given to it, there is no plan in place, leaders have not asked the question what type of place do we need to create so people want to belong to it. In my team, we bleed blue, and we are proud of it. However, that in turn bleeds into our network, the culture we have created is viral.

Don’t you want to belong to a tribe that makes you feel the way I do, that challenges you to be the best version of yourself, that celebrates your success, that supports you in times of need, that knows the gaps in your business and plans with you to reduce them and leaders who fiercely protect you and have your back every step of the way.

If your tribe isn’t making you feel the way I do after a week of conference and three hours sleep maybe it’s time you considered changing your tribe to one that will.

There is one sure rule in business and that is that culture will always eat strategy for breakfast. If your environment and relationships are toxic it will impact the performance of your business.

So as I boarded my flight homeward bound, looking forward to my head hitting the pillow I knew that I am privileged to lead a brand where the vibe is bold, visionary, exciting, inspiring and connected. We know who we are, what we stand for and where we are heading. The future is truly exciting

Telstra's ethical outage

2016-04-13T11:33:00.000+10:00

Telstra has removed support from same sex marriage!

As an award winner of the prestigious Telstra Business Womens Awards this decision disappoints me. The awards has always been about diversity, excellence and community regardless of ethnicity and sexual orientation. More importantly the awards is about celebrating a group that faces discrimination in the work place. Yet here they are bowing to the Catholic Church and removing their support of a minority group - LGBTI.

It seems religious organizations are influencing corporations, the church supposedly threatening to withdraw contracts from Telstra if they do not back away from their public support of same sex marriage.

Given Telstra's competitors are strong supporters og LGBTI rights where would they go?

Have we gone backwards in time and someone forgot to tell me.

http://www.businessinsider.com.au/telstra-has-removed-its-support-for-same-sex-marriage-allegedly-due-to-pressure-from-the-catholic-church-2016-4

How will you pledge for parity?

2016-03-08T08:08:00.000+11:00

March 8^th 2016 see’s us celebrate International Women’s day with the theme – Pledge for parity.This day has been celebrated since the early 1900s and is a day where we recognise the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.Last year’s theme was “#make it happen” and the question I always ask myself at this time of year, like I have every other year, is what did we change and how much closer are we to parity?

Here’s what I do know:·        The pay gap here in Australia is at its widest sitting at just under 19%
·        This disparity in the pay gap impacts a woman’s ability to obtain a home loan or save a deposit for a home/investment
·        1 woman a week is killed by her partner or someone known to her
·        Domestic violence is the main cause of homelessness for women and children in Australia (White Ribbon)
·        Diversity of women in the workplace is not currently representative of our communities
·        Women retire on 1/3 less superannuation than their male counterparts (Human Rights Commission)
·        40% of women who retire claim their main source of income as the government pension and they make up 55.7% of the age pension recipients (ABS)
·        Women are still sexualised in advertising, by men the men she works with and business leaders
The issue of gender equality is not unique to Australia, it is a global issue which, according to The World Economic Forum, will take until 2133 to entirely close the economic gender gap and gain gender parity in areas such as economics, politics, education and health.

March 8^th, International Women's Day, provides a global opportunity for everyone (men and women) to pledge support to help accelerate gender parity.

For those of us who are business leaders and managers across the globe, it is our responsibility to ensure that we have balanced leadership structures and boards, not just in regards to gender but ethnic diversity as well. We must be focused on creating environments where women will thrive, be ambitious, gain success and not have the concerns of being labelled, bullied or have workplace bias, colour, cultural background and pregnancy impact their career progression.If we were able to achieve this imagine the limitless potential our businesses would have, not to mention the impact on the bottom line of not just the business but the economies we operate in. We have a large pool of female talent available to us that many are simply not tapping into.

This form of leadership, however, needs to be thought out, focused and produce decisions that are deliberate. We need leaders who will be brave, who will take the lead, who will speak up and speak out and who will commit to taking actions.
Leaders like the former army Chief David Morrison, AO, named the Australian of the Year 2016, his commitment to gender equality, diversity and inclusion is a beacon for other leaders.

Australia is a melting pot of people from all ethnic backgrounds, they in turn have cultural influences in our communities and businesses. Yet in many of our business we are often surrounded by white male baby boomers. Taking into account past migration trends and the current global climate of influences out of China, the next wave perhaps being India and then Indonesia we need to ensure that our businesses are a reflection of the communities we live in.

A lack of diversity in gender and/or race means that we are stifling our innovation, creativity and thinking as well as the important cultural nuances of doing business offshore. Consider what impact will this have on business long term?If you are a male reading this article, understand that you have a role to play in how the issue of gender balance is resolved. It’s simple really, there are more men in leadership roles than women and you have the power to make decisions that will drive change in your business. We need you to become our champions, our ambassadors.

We need to tackle this issue together, side-by-side as partners working together to create better businesses, workplaces, products, cultures and future leaders. However, most importantly, we need to leave behind a legacy we can be proud of for our sons and daughters.

How many men reading this today will take on the role of changing perceptions and behaviours of other men they work with? How many leaders will make a conscious decision to change how their business recruits and supports women through various stages of their careers creating a ripple effect that will eventually become a tsunami of change?

I believe the future is one where we do have gender balance, where our businesses are as diverse as the communities we work in and that businesses leaders who don’t embrace this will run the risk of their business becoming obsolete.

However I do not want to wait until 2133 to achieve this. The world is getting smaller, we are more connected than ever before, individual influence and reach is greater, all of this enables rapid change. If we don’t pledge for parity now and make deliberate necessary changes, when will we? If we don’t take responsibility for equality why will future generations?

Let’s not wait until governments start to legislate for quotas and targets, deep down we all know this is not the right option. We don’t want to operate in a world where equality and diversity is forced upon us, where we will have to tick boxes on who we hire and therefore possibly allowing merit to become secondary as gender becomes the priority to meet a required number.

How will you pledge for parity in 2016? What conversations will you start, who you will influence, what changes will you make in your organisations, who will you mentor and elevate? How will you consciously make decisions this year that will be great for business, remarkable for humanity, memorable for future generations and simply good for your soul?

Your tribe is a reflection of your leadership - are they following or leaving you?

2016-02-24T16:30:00.000+11:00

Your workplace is your tribe, people who you spend significant time with on a regular basis, you may even socialise with them after hours. If you google the meaning of the word Tribe, the most common informal meaning is - a group that people belong to.

According to the Oxford dictionary a tribe is - a social division in a traditional society consisting of families or communities linked by social, economic, religious, or blood ties, with a common culture and dialect, typically having a recognized leader.

So what are some of the elements of a tribe in the work place we need to consider or connect with that will make us stay?

Belonging - Is the place you work create a sense of belonging? Is it where you really want to be?

Think back to the time when you went for the job interview for your current role. When you walked into the office you would have surveyed the building, taken note of the reception area, how people behaved and engaged with the person conducting the interview. When you walked out you would have made a decision as to whether you wanted to work there or not.

Now that you have been there for a while - long or short term, has the reason why you selected your tribe still exist? Have they met all the promises made? Is there a future there for you that will provide you with long term financial security that you will not find anywhere else?

Leader of the pack

The leader of an organisation is often the one who sets the standards of accepted behaviour and performance that becomes part of your culture. They will create drive and change culture; how they behave and manage their people and business affects everyone.

Change needs to be lead from the top. If, for example, our leaders are not interested in training or learning, then neither will the employees. People look to their leaders not so much for what they say but more for what they do.

If you are in a senior position or have been with the business for a significant period of time people will look at you as a leader. Are you behaving like one?

How are the leaders in your tribe behaving, is there mutual respect, do they drive change, is culture important, is your success important to them, have they put in place a plan that will help you achieve your goals?

Creating the right culture

When you open your doors for business on the first day you will have a vision and goals that you wish to achieve. Making a profit is probably at the top of the list and there is a link between creating the right culture and your bottom line.

As your business grows and you employ people you will set in place systems and processes that work and you value. Examples of these are Monday morning sales meetings, Tuesday morning training sessions, caravans, monthly group meetings, professional development days, customer service standards, performance driven teams who celebrate success, where opinions are valued which then become part of your business and culture.

However poor performance, back stabbing, bitchiness, poor decision making can also become part of a culture.

Remember culture is very much about the way we chose to do things and what we value and the messages we send out and receive. Leaders and managers in an organisation impact directly upon this.

Eviction

Recruiting the right people to fit into your culture is important. Induction programs, buddy systems, training programs are various ways to do this. It is human nature to want to belong to a tribe and when we are invited in we make changes to our behaviour to fit in otherwise we get ejected or we choose to leave.

When recruiting from other organisations be aware that what you have created can be changed or diluted and it is imperative that new members of your tribe understand why you do things the way you do.

If an employee does not fit into your culture they will often choose to leave and move elsewhere. Be aware of those that don’t and manage them out before they have a negative impact on the group.

Values

Each one of us has value sets that we take through life and these can have an impact on what we chose to do on a daily basis. We spend our life making choices on what is important, vital, and necessary or a luxury.

As managers and leaders we need to recognise that everyone in the work place has different values and sometimes it may lead to issues or influence decisions that we are making.

There will be lines that people are simply not prepared to step over, recognise this and work with them to find a middle ground.

In a large organisation there are many leaders, they impact and create their own culture within their business units. There is no such thing as one culture in these businesses but as many as the number of managers, directors and leaders you have. How do you build a culture that is strong and evolving – you hold people accountable for the culture that they build in their businesses.

In smaller organisations that manager or director has a direct and immediate impact on the culture of the business. How they behave, the decisions that are made, systems and processes, all play a part.

Cultural change

Culture is taught, learned and shared, it is what we do, think and feel. It rules almost every aspect of our lives and more often then not we are completely unaware of it. Culture within an organisation is important as it sets boundaries on accepted behaviour and allows teams to work with each other.

When trying to change a culture in an organisation you will have people who will resist and form mini armies to fight the enemy, others will simply sit on the fence and may or may not chose to influence parties and those who will embrace changes with enthusiasm with the attitude of ‘bring it on’.

Those who are against change will choose to move on or may need to be encouraged to leave and your fence sitters must make a choice either way.

Leaders and managers play an influential role dependant on their ability, rapport, communication and motivational skills.

Cultural change can be as simple as changing the format of a conference and as complicated as going from a single office to a franchise organisation.

Getting it right

The culture of your organisation can be a competitive advantage as are your people. Many businesses today don’t fully understand the impact of culture and often will simply let it evolve. The issue with this is get it wrong and your business will suffer, get it right however and it will create an environment for your people to thrive in.

Stop and think about what messages you are sending out to your people, what is your culture, has it evolved, are you driving it?

Remember culture is a powerful tool that you can use to drive performance and productivity however if you choose to ignore it and hope for the best the chances are that the tribe will be voting to opt out and join up with your competitors

The Lunch Club

2016-02-15T13:11:00.000+11:00

Last week, on my facebook feed, a post from nearly 4 years ago popped up that had me reflecting on what I call the "lunch club". It was a few weeks before my birthday, nearly 4 years ago, and I took the opportunity to catch up with my girlfriends and yes I know what some of you are thinking right now – a great excuse for a bunch of girls to get together and have a few bubbles. Well that may be partly right I guess but here are some of the other reasons.

The Lunch Club is simply a bunch of business women, majority of whom own their own businesses, getting together for lunch and networking.

However here is the key difference.

We come together as mothers, business women, friends, and sisters; there is no pretence; no judgement; just honesty, trust and the ability to simply be ourselves. We give each other permission to be who we are, to share, and to ask for help, to provide the kick in the butt when needed, to cry to laugh and support each other. We all know that no matter what if one of us was in dire need the rest would be there to help or support.

It is the group that have the permission to pull you aside and dong you on the head with an empty drink bottle (plastic one) because you needed it. (and yes it did happen to me!)

It's almost the same as when we were a lot younger, in fact as young teenage girls, talking, sharing, laughing, crying over a drink or a coffee or an ice cream. Why is it as we get older, we seem to stop doing the very thing that makes women different?

Do you have a lunch club? Why not create one for yourself? How often do you get together with likeminded people, peers from other industries? Are you a member of your institute or chapter. And it doesn't have to be lunch, it can be a coffee, or a drink or an ice cream!

Networking is not about meeting at the local pub it is also about seeking new opportunities, promoting what you do, learning and sharing.

Too often I see businesses and teams who only really mix amongst themselves with no encouragement from management to expand their horizons.

If you only network within your own businesses how are you benchmarking yourself, learning, understanding, how is your industry is changing, recruiting or marketing your businesses.

Remember if the same bunch of people, from the same organisation meet with each other on a regular basis and tell each other how wonderful they are and how fantastic everything is or in fact the opposite you will not be aware of what changes are occurring in your marketplace, potentially become complacent, believe in your own babble and be unaware of your competitors until they bite you on the proverbial.

So start up your own lunch club, have a mix of business and pleasure, attend industry events, be involved – it’s the only way you create change and most of all share and learn

Sexualising women has gone too far

2016-01-13T08:09:00.002+11:00

Imagine flicking through a magazine and your eye focuses on an ad that at first visually looks like most ads- the male model checking out the woman in the sultry sexy way that men in ads often do.

However this time the ad copy is suggesting you spike your best friend’s eggnog while they are not looking!

It’s at this point you hear that screeching sound brakes make when you hit them and the car skids to a halt. What were the marketing, PR team at Bloomingdale's thinking when they created and approved this ad?

This ad ran just before Christmas last year and caused a furor on social media sites across the world.

Firstly if you look at your best friend in that way - you are not best friends. The guy in the ad is looking at her in a very creepy way, not the way my best friend would look at me.
Secondly - eggnog already has alcohol so why would you spike it?
Thirdly - the fact it does have alcohol and they are suggesting the best friend spike her drink indicates something more sinister such as date rape.
And lastly spiking drinks is illegal.

For a store with such high brand equity to place an ad such as this in the public domain in print is flabbergasting stupid.

But they have not been the only ones with such stupidity.

Bud Light earlier last year had to issue an apology after introducing their slogan - "The perfect beer for removing "No" from your vocabulary for the night." Did the marketing team not think about the issues surrounding a slogan such as this and what this was promoting?

Dolce and Gabbana put out an ad which showed a female model being held down by a shirtless man while other men looked on. For many this depicted gang rape and eventuated in the ad being banned in several countries. When you look at this ad, there is nothing about it that entices me to buy their brand and I cannot understand how any marketing team, leave alone a management team thought that this imagery was ok.

As a CEO I support placing advertising in the market place that can be risky or controversial however I would never approve anything that would be offensive to the consumers we are marketing to. You don't want to issue apologies or have marketing that will have a negative impact on your brand equity.

I believe that your marketing has to be relevant to the market place and your demographics. Why put marketing in the market place that 50% of the population will disconnect from.

At a time when violence against women is at an all-time high, there is discussion globally on gender equality and diversity surely it should be the role of iconic brands such as these to ensure their marketing campaigns are respectful and generate positive discussion and debate.

It seems that many marketing teams have perhaps not connected with what discussions are being had globally.

The he for she campaign, Malala recently being named as the Nobel peace prize recipient, the new PM in Canada making a deliberate decision to have 50% of his cabinet as women - why - because it was 2015!

Global change on the issue of violence against women, gender equality and diversity in the workplace that represents our communities are issues that requires leaders in government and private corporate sector to take the lead on.

It also takes CEOs of iconic brands to ensure their marketing is relevant to what is occurring in their markets globally. For far too many years we have seen ads where women are the sexual center piece, play things . Surely we are now mature enough and bold enough to move away from this.

However this recent piece suggests we still have a way to go.

The ditch list

2016-01-08T11:20:00.000+11:00

So, we start another year and I would guess, another set of resolutions that we are determined to stick to.

It seems that New Year resolutions have become something of a “tradition” that we know we won’t really stick to but we all feel the need to make them. It’s about as exciting as eating a bucket of kale really and they seem to have regular themes – lose weight, get fit, give up smoking, healthy eating, reduce debt, make more money…..

In fact research tells us that over 60% of us will discard these resolutions within the next three months – so all those people who lined up to join the gym with me in the first week of Jan we have three months to get fit!

So this year I started thinking a little differently about my resolutions. What did I want to ditch this year? What did I want to do less of? Because the ditch list just may be an easier list to stick to.

So here are some of the items that could be on your ditch list:

Your inner nag

We all have that voice in our heads that creates doubts and excuses like I don’t have time, the market is impacting my performance, I will make the changes next month….. Remember your mind only knows what you tell it, so tell your inner nag to sod off, 2016 can be your best year in real estate, you simply have to put a plan in place that you can follow and be disciplined on the actions you take.

Stop looking for the quick fix

Real estate, like any other job, requires you to have a plan, key success indicators, someone to hold you accountable, updating your skills and an unrelenting focus on the actions that will lead to your success. Every conference or training session I have been to over the last 20 years have all had the same message. Manage your database, make the calls, build the relationships, provide exceptional service, be relevant in all your communications and keep up to date with technology.

Remember no market ever stays the same, consumers have choices, they are knowledgeable, if you don’t have in place any of the above understand simply turning up to work and expecting the listings to walk in the door isn’t going to work long term.

Don’t ignore your personal health and wealth

If you have a business plan, ensure that you have a focus on your personal health and wealth. We all work to create a lifestyle for ourselves, to have financial security so don’t lose focus on this. How many of us stop going to the gym because we get busy at work, we don’t take holidays, we don’t spend enough time with our family and friends. Ditch this in 2016, take control of your diary, plan ahead, remember to be successful at work you need to be fit in mind, body and spirit and have your friends and family around you to support you and celebrate with you.

Staying in your comfort zone

We all love our comfort zone, the problem with this is that often it means we don’t stretch ourselves, we become complacent, maybe even lazy. So ditch the comfort zone, maybe now is the time to put on that PA, to become a commission only agent, to start your own business, to 2x, 3x your income. I believe you almost need to fall in love with the outcome you are looking for as this will drive you to not just get out of your comfort zone but create a plan with actions you will stick to that will provide you with the results.

Ditch Inconsistency

There is a great book that anyone in business should read – Great by Choice by Jim Collins. In this book he writes about the 20 mile march, a concept we use in our business today.

The 20 mile march is about two teams crossing the South Pole, both have the same journey, one however makes it and the other doesn’t.

The team that survived marched 20 miles day in and day out regardless of the weather. They were consistent, that is what made them successful, not the equipment or skill - consistency.

Great sports teams, or individuals have consistency, they practise every day, they have a game plan, and they consider every situation they may get into prior to game day and have a plan for it.

So have a plan and ensure that you march towards your goal consistently every single day.

Don’t be impatient

Creating good habits that lead to success takes time, this is what you are doing when you set in motion your 2016 success plan. Give yourself 3 months to make these changes new habits, stay on track, remain consistent, be held accountable, review the results and be agile in making tweaks along the way. Remember how long it took you to walk or read – years, important things take time. You will have setbacks, however if you plan your 20 mile march then these setbacks will not impact your goals. And learn to chunk, break your goals down into achievable chunks, and don’t forget to celebrate.

So all the best with your 2016 resolutions and in the words of Han Solo to Luke – May the force be with you.

Sisters are doing it for themselves!

2015-11-19T15:20:00.000+11:00

I was at the 2015 National Telstra Awards event last night and the room was simply buzzing. The evening started off with the band singing "Sisters are doing it for themselves".

A very appropriate start to the night. The words in the song - we are standing on our own two feet and we have something to say to you.... truly resonated around the room.

Awards like these help promote gender balance and diversity in Australian businesses. We would all agree that it is diversity of thought drives great outcomes in business.

Last night we celebrated women entrepreneurs, those in start ups, not for profits, private sector and young women in business. Across the country there are businesses being led by amazing women.

However despite the success and celebrations last night the reality is that

the pay gap is over 19% in Australia
the diversity we see in our communities is not reflected in the work place leave alone boards
only 18% of employers have specific objectives to achieve gender pay equality

It is clear that our people systems need to be rewired and we all have a role to play.

Last nights winner Captain Mona Shindy will become a shining light in this issue, of that I have no doubt.
Her speech was eloquent, inspiring and confident. Personally I was thrilled to see a winner who did not fit into the typical white corporate success story. Here is a woman we can all look up to. I cannot believe that the Australian Navy have kept her hidden all this time.

It is Mona's aim to encourage more Muslims to join the defence force, around 100 of the 45000-defence force personnel identify as Muslim, 27 of them in the Navy.

She says terrorist attacks, which have hijacked aspects of religious teachings to justify those behaviours have created “fear and uncertainty for others who are non-Muslims”.

“You can be a proud Australian that loves everything about this great nation and still love your roots and love where you came from and straddle both worlds and both communities.
That’s how I live my life and I like to help other people find their way in living those two things,” she said (as quoted in the Muslim Mirror )

Jane Caro closed the night last night by saying "it is something special that it is this winner, at this time, this week". Very appropriate I thought.

I am thrilled at Mona's win simply because I now have a "sister", who is not your "white corporate success story" who will relate to the ethnic minorities, new migrants, refugees and by sharing her story help inspire them to achieve great things. Women's agenda wrote an article on this amazing woman... Read more here

Congratulations to all the other winners last night, you now join an incredible alumni of women across the country, all of whom will have positive impact on the issue of diversity and equality in our workplaces.

Jessica May - Enabled Employment
Marie Piccone - Manbulloo
Kate Thiele - Guide Dogs
Mona Shindy - Royal Australian Navy
Katarina Carroll - Qld Fire and Emergency Services
Catherine Ball - AECOM
Kim Tran - La Belle Peau

Lease Me - the final part

2015-05-24T14:16:00.002+10:00

I want to say that I was surprised at the negative comments made on my last blog, sadly your feedback is an indictment of how often people in our industry get service delivery wrong.

As businesses we seem to constantly pursue that point of difference, how can we better the technology, the training, the marketing to engage the client, when what we really need to do is focus on great customer experiences. The technology, training, marketing, websites that are responsive are all secondary to service/client experiences.

The business that focus's on client experiences will win their business.

So where am I in my leasing cycle.

Well after having viewed a number of properties, I finally found one in Balwyn and move into it next month. Thank goodness say the property managers of Melbourne...:-)

However here are some insights I would like to share with you:

1. We have to ensure that our property mangers and leasing agents are more accountable on returning calls despite the volumes. As an industry we cannot continue to see high volume of calls not returned or clients called at all as acceptable. Managers of departments and business owners need to focus on this area of their business, mystery shop your people, have better reporting and transparency, maybe even call your clients on a regular basis to get feedback.

2. Ensure that you present the home professionally on the internet. Photos of doors, toilets, bathroom sinks, untidy rooms simply have no place today. This was an issue we talked about at conferences over 15 years ago, why is it still happening today?

3. Provide accurate description of the homes, if the third bedroom is too small to use as a bedroom then ensure that you say so. You waste our time otherwise going from inspection to inspection based on the description of the home you provide.

4. Why is there such a disparity on pricing, same suburb, same street, similar homes priced at least a few hundred dollars apart. If listings are on the market for over 10 days at least, you may have the price wrong, don't refresh and say it is a new listing, those of us on the market - KNOW IT ISNT.

5. Leasing agents need to ask better questions, no one has asked me if I have a property to rent. I have an investment property in Richmond, however because I am a tenant, I am considered as "second class". Ask yourselves how many potential listings are you missing out on from your tenants and existing landlord simply because you haven't asked. Every time you go through McDonalds the 16yr old ask, is there anything else, would you like a drink, would you like fries!

6. Have empathy for your tenants. Moving is a very stressful time, as an industry we have to get better at providing support during this time. With so many client services companies and options it seems that we only focus on connections and that's because it is on the application forms.

An example of the level of service we provide, here is what happened at the OFI on Saturday at my property.
I took my son to view it, a number of people turned up as it was advertised and they were told the property had been leased however there may be others that may interest them.
The property I have leased had been for sale, it was passed in on a vendors bid and the owners decided to rent it out.
They choose another agent to do this.
However the agency that was selling the property listed an open time of 1.30 pm Saturday 23/5. A number of people turned up at 1.30pm and yes you guessed it, there was no sales agent there to let them know that the property had been taken of the market.

To say I was appalled at this was simply an under statement. A high profile brand providing this level of service is simply unacceptable.

Surely systems in offices cannot be that poor that this was missed. I suspect it was simply sour grapes or poor management from the three sales agents listed on the board.

Interesting as well that the owners decided not to use the selling agency to rent their property either. How often does that happen I wonder.

To any business owner who reads this blog, why is this rant of mine important enough for you to pay attention.

It is quiet simple really. As an investor, I give you my property to manage and you build your wealth and assets off it. Your business is valued on the recurring income I pay you in management fees. You even have the ability to leverage off the rent roll.

Yet you see it as acceptable to provide the poorest level of service to those who rent my property off you. Tenants ensure that both of us continue to build our assets.

The rent role is your retirement/exit out of the business, my rental property is one of my retirement/exit out of corporate world. The common denominator here is the tenant and your teams are simply not paying enough attention to the service delivery they receive, regardless of the fact there is an abundant supply of tenants.

In each of your market places, regardless of your brand, it would be very easy to become known as the agents that provide the worst service.

Sadly that are far too many similar experiences and stories such as mine to say this has been a one off.

So here ends my blog on my experiences on leasing a property. I now have an 18 month lease in place and the next stress on the agenda is the actual move. :-(

My new property manager said to me, after I had told her about my experiences - there are no short cuts in property management..... wise words I say.

Rent Me? Day one

2015-05-21T10:40:00.000+10:00

I have decided to start this ongoing blog to share with you my experiences as a prospective tenant. I believe that one of the best ways to improve process and service is to be a client of your business or industry. So lets see how the leasing system works for me.

My property manager hand delivered my notice to vacate as she wanted to tell me face to face how sorry she was that I had to move. A very lovely and unexpected gesture. Unfortunately I wasn't at home so she left the notice under the door and emailed me.

One of key areas that many of us often fail to deliver on or understand is empathy on how the client is feeling. We get so busy doing our jobs, processing applications and people that really connecting with what our clients are going through emotionally can become irrelevant.

I have been in my property for over 3 years and for all intents and purposes it is my home. Somewhere in the back of my mind I am very aware that at some point I may have to move however it isn't something we think about at all.

My kids and I have created a lovely home here, the location is perfect and we can afford the rent. We are emotionally tied into this property even though we rent.

When I got the notice through on my email, I actually sat there, disconnected from the teleconference I was on and thought - what do I do now, they are taking my home away! My emotional stress levels kicked into top gear and panic set in as to what now. Where are we going to go, how much more am I going to pay, *$^& I have to pack the house up, this is going to cost me money I hadn't budgeted for, what if I don't find a property..... etc etc

Dramatic - ofcourse, but that is how I felt.

60 days isn't that long a time, especially as over the next 30 I am travelling, so going to inspections will be challenging.

The first thing I did was to jump onto realestate.com and see what was on the market. That is when the full realisation hit in.

Not enough stock and I would need to pay more for the type of property I am looking for.

So started my journey of dealing with my industry as a tenant.

Day one

set up my profile on realestate.com and I trawl through 2 pages of property in the suburbs that I have selected
realise that most property managers take terrible photos, why I am interested in a photo of the tiles of a back yard, or a close up of a toilet, why are we not taking professional photos of properties in the top end of the market?
the hero shots really need to capture my attention otherwise I will skip past it
why do we not have floor plans especially for the top end properties
virtual tours are fantastic but again few and far between
inspection times are not listed on a number of properties, why is it that by Thursday we don't have them listed on the internet so I can plan my Saturday
calls are not answered and certainly not returned, if you have your mobile number listed on the internet then can I suggest to you that if I leave a message I expect you will return my call
a third bedroom is one where I can easily put in a bed and most certainly swing a cat in! Please stop advertising a study as a third bedroom
ensure that your reception staff, who clearly are there to assist you in the volume of calls that you take, are aware of the properties listed and open times. Sample dialogue "umm, sorry you will need to spell the name of the street as I am not sure we have it for rent" Ahh yes you do, its on the internet!
Thurs morning call to find out an open time dialogue - "sorry, we don't have an open time, you will need to call back later today if you want to know when it is open, or keep checking the internet"

I know that regardless of the fact that I am paying top rent, that I make an ideal tenant, 99% of the leasing agents I am dealing with right now are not bothered at all about actually putting me on a database or helping me find a property. I know the volumes we deal with in our industry as I work in it, however as a client, I don't care, all I want is for you to help me find a property.

I have been given 60 days notice, this is day one of my search for a property.

I have met one leasing agent who has returned my call, met me at a time that worked for both of us and I felt really wanted to help me find a property.

One agent out of 10 I have called or met so far.

So lets see what the weekend brings.

Mr Abbotts post Easter to do list

2015-04-08T13:20:00.001+10:00

Alan Jones took Tony Abbott to task on a number of issues recently including ASDA, the potential of a tax on bank deposits and an increase on the GST.

Mr Jones was described as being very direct, passionate and somewhat furious during the interview.

Whilst on my Easter break I read various articles that encouraged me to make my own list of items I would give Tony Abbott feedback on should he appear on my radio show. If I had a radio show of-course...... here they are!

Domestic violence is at crisis point

To date we have had 28 women killed in Australia - another day, another woman dead read a recent headline. Yes the number is unusually high I was recently told, normally it is one woman a week!

The fact that one woman dies a week in Australia is disgraceful, however to have that number double in the first half of the year means that we are at crisis point.

How many more women need to be killed before we see leadership and action at a National level from our Governments.

We have talent at various organisations, CEO's, Directors, who run crisis centres, people who at the coal face of this issue. Why are we not getting them together with our leaders to find a solution?

We have talent within organisations, resources available, but it seems we do not have the will to make it happen.

Sack yourself as Minister for Women

You appointed yourself as Minister for Women; I fail to understand what made you think you were qualified to take on this role.

I suggest you sack yourself from this role Mr Abbott. While you have been the self appointed Minister

the pay gap in Australia has increased to over 18%
more women are dying from domestic violence
there has been a lack of women represented at Government level
there has been a lack of leadership on the issue of gender equality

In fact the recently elected Victorian Premier has made a commitment that he will appoint 50% of women to all Government boards and Victorian courts between now and 2018. Now all he needs to do is build the freeway and he will have my ongoing support!

Why however is this push for equality on boards, based on merit, not happening at a national level.

Understand the pay gap has impact on Government budgets

Why have you not called for a summit of leaders, CEO's, directors from industries around the country to discuss the issue of gender equality and how can we become world leaders on this issue? You are after all the Minister for Women. What does that even mean?

We know that the issue of an increasing pay gap has an ongoing impact on the number of women who will be relying on Government hand out's post retirement. So it is very much in your interest to start conversations leading to change.

So Mr Abbott, yes my feedback is short and focused on issues relating to women, but I am a women and I will judge you on these.

Perhaps Michaela Cash should be allowed to take a much greater lead in her role, be given the mandate to push for change, form think tanks to find solutions and encourage businesses to implement agreed reasonable solutions.

I have heard Ms Cash speak, she comes across as passionate, however is perhaps a "lame duck" given who her boss is.

Women's safety is everyones issue!

2015-03-31T12:19:00.003+11:00

Like many of you, I woke up to the news on Tuesday the 30th of March that another woman had been killed, her 18 year old daughter injured and her husband in custody.

Did you know that as of Jan this year we are losing 2 women a week to domestic violence?

Did you know that domestic violence is the key cause of homelessness for women and children? Many women however don’t leave due to fear and the inability to support themselves. 1 in 4 children bear witness to violence against their mothers and are often hurt simply trying to protect them.

Many of the women killed this year had DOV’s against their husbands/partners and just as many were young innocent victims.

These women are our mothers, daughters, sisters, wives, girlfriends, friends and colleagues and they all deserve to live in safety, free from violence and abuse.

On Friday the 8th of May, join me in the “Harcourts Walk a Mile in their shoes” and help raise awareness on the issue of domestic violence. Join the walk

We have partnered with White Ribbon and all funds raised will be donated towards their school’s program. If we can influence the next generation to make a different choice and understand that violence is simply not OK then we will have a long term impact on this issue.

This year we have Rosie Batty – 2015 Australian of the Year – who sadly lost her son Luke last year as our ambassador and walking with us on the day.

If you are unable to walk and would like to donate please click on this link. Donate here

If you have items we can auction off at events to help raise money please email or contact me directly on 0403 271 676

This is no longer an issue any of us can ignore, when we are losing 2 women a week we are at crisis point, it is time to make women’s safety everyone’s issue. The more voices we have, the more likely we are to make a difference.

Join me and together let’s give voice to the women who no longer have one and make a statement that violence is simply not OK.

Not There!

2015-03-11T17:23:00.000+11:00

Faces of women were erased from billboards and websites around the United States as part of an awareness campaign for International Woman's Day.

The campaign was called "not there" and was led by Hilary Clinton, Chelsea Clinton and Melinda Gates.

It was a simple concept, very clever and dramatic. Where you would normally see the picture of a model or an actor you saw nothing. It was a very powerful way to visually display the issue of gender equality and generate discussion.

It was also a great way to remind all of us that even though we have made great gains, which must be celebrated, we still have a long way to go.

In Australia we still have many issues to resolve, the pay gap, domestic violence, homelessness, less superannuation for women, reliance on government assistance upon retirement, lack of buying power across sectors such as real estate, bank loans, rental properties and the list goes on.

I constantly ask the question whenever I am asked to speak on this topic, if we are not equal than what are we?

Given the level of discussion being had across the globe why is that the issue of equality is not part of an ongoing global agenda?

The United Nations is now pushing for gender equality by 2030, that is only 15 years away.

Wow do we have some work to do and quickly.

As women thrive, so will humanity but if girls are held back, the whole world will feel the pain, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned the high-level opening of the United Nations body tasked with the promotion of gender quality and the empowerment of women.

In her UN speech, Hilary Clinton said that the issue of gender equality will remain the greatest unfinished business of the 21st Century.

IWD is an interesting day, it is a day of celebration of that there is no doubt, however are we disengaging men in the process? How many male global leaders came out on that day and made affirmative statements on what they were going to do to tackle the issue of inequality?

Frankly as a woman, who has experienced the many issues of inequality, I am over the speeches, what I am interested in is what are the key steps global leaders and businesses taking to meet the UN call of equality by 2030?

How are we engaging men, how are business ensuring a more balanced environment, how are ASX companies engaging more women on their boards, how are CEO's changing the mindset's and cultures of their organisations, how are governments working with groups and businesses?

I want to know, globally, which countries and businesses have gained headway into this issue, what did they do, what were the results, how can we duplicate initiatives into our businesses rather then re-invent.

How are we, at family level, ensuring that the next generation, our sons and daughters, understand the issues we are facing, the gains we are making, the legacy we are leaving them and the role they play from their teenage years onwards around this issue.

We have a lot of work to do over the next 15 years and if we are truly going to make a difference then everyone needs to be involved. Each one of us needs to start a ripple, leaving it to the next generation, acceptance, making statements such as "its not so bad" is no longer acceptable.

Male leaders, CEO's, Directors, fathers, husbands, brothers, friends must start to empower women in their lives for change to occur.

I am excited that we have leaders focused on deadlines, I am excited because I know what happens when we set deadlines, we may not meet it to a 100%, but we will get gains towards it. And any gain is better than none at all.

Lets hope that the "not there" campaign in 15 years, becomes part of history, where we remember a time where we fought the good fight and won and our children, grand children and future generations simply learn about inequality as part of their history lessons and never have to experience it.

International Women’s Day 2015 - #Makeithappen

2015-02-27T13:52:00.000+11:00

On March 8th we celebrate International Women's Day. A day that is now set aside globally to celebrate the economic, political and social achievements of women, past and present.

This day is about our mothers, sisters, wives, daughters, friends and girlfriends.

20 years ago women who celebrated this day perhaps had a very different vision or hope in mind as to where we would be on this issue of equality.

I am the same. My desire is to ensure that the legacy I leave behind my daughter and son is radically different to where we are today.

As we near closer to the 8^th of March, IWD is indeed a day that should be celebrated. Our gains have been many however there is still a long way to go.

I believe it is time for us in Australia to consider how we overcome some of the following issues:

· The gender pay gap in Australia is 18.2%, the highest it has ever been. In WA however-the boom state- with the highest cost of living, the gap sits at 26.4%.

One of the reasons for the pay gap is that women are more likely to work in industries that pay less such as healthcare, education, human resources, administration, food services, retail and hotels. Conversely men dominate industries such as mining, finance and engineering which have traditionally been better paid.

There are also more women in part time work, they job share or are taking a career breaks.

Let’s not forget those women who choose to stay at home and are responsible for “unpaid” work.

And there is of course the ongoing issue of many working women carrying majority of the household burden.

Although there are many companies who have lead the way on this issue, including representation of women at leadership levels and on boards, we still have a long way to go.

One of the consequences of the pay gap is that women are retiring on 1/3 less superannuation than their male counterparts (Human Rights Commission). A recent study by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare shows women over 55 are increasingly seeking homelessness assistance.

A woman born after 1966 aged 45-49 has an average superannuation of $60,618 vs $102,358 for a male.

40% of women who retire claim their main source of income as the government pension and they make up 55.7% of the age pension recipients (ABS).

Regardless of gender, neither amount is enough to retire with now that we live longer.

Given the rate of divorce in Australia there are more women who head up single parent families. Many of these women’s lack of earning capacity has an impact on areas such as housing affordability. They are being priced out of the property market regardless of whether they are buying or renting.

Banks see them as high risk and they often don’t get the level of lending they require and sadly many will often be screened out as appropriate tenants in favour of higher paying applicants.

The 2011 census indicates that there are 600,828 single women over the age of 45 on medium to low incomes who do not own their own homes. There are 373,794 men in the same situation. As these women retire they will struggle to pay rent as the cost of living and utilities continues to rise.

Over the last 10 years, every single market in Australia has seen significant price increases impacting the lowest income earners, in particular women. This increases the risk of homelessness and housing stress. Affordable and accessible housing is critical and we need to find a way to supply affordable homes without reverting to the fringes of Melbourne, away from jobs and adequate transport.

Public housing is not always the answer, as this is also under stress with over 200,000 on waiting lists across the country.

· Domestic violence is the main cause of homelessness for women and children in Australia (White Ribbon). In 2015, two women a week have been killed, up 100% from previous years.

According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, in 2013 32% of all clients receiving assistance from homelessness agencies were escaping domestic and family violence. 63% were women and 19% were children under the age of 10.

Often women will make the choice to stay in unsafe relationships as leaving will result in potential homelessness.

A national survey of 409 leading Australian business (Telstra Business Awards Alumni) women has found stopping domestic violence against women is the top priority for women in Australia in 2015. (Survey conducted by Telstra)

So by 2020 we potentially will see an:

· Increase in the dwelling gap of affordable housing (supply and demand vs income)

· Increase in homelessness in which older women and women with children will be over-represented

· Increased stress on public housing

Equality is not just about the pay gap, however the issue of pay gap has reverberating consequences.

I am a woman born in 1966 and fortunately, retirement for me does not look like living of a government pension. However I am a single parent and I constantly am seeking ways to secure long term financial security that my male counterparts don’t truly seem to understand. Housing affordability is an issue when I have commitments to my children’s education and wellbeing.

I am however in no way marginalised and I have a strong voice and opinions with skill sets that I can carry across industries.

The theme for IWD 2015 is “make it happen”.

· What will it take for leaders around the globe to unite to “make it happen”?

· What will it take for CEO’s around the globe to unite to “make it happen”?

· What will it take for leadership teams around the globe to unite to “make it happen”?

Because if we don’t unite now than when will we? And if we not equal then what are we?

The ongoing impact on women, in particular, demands that this occurs or we will continue to see women and their children marginalised.

How will I “make it happen”?

I believe that to truly change this paradigm, women need to engage men and invite them to join us.

We need to work with men who empathise with the issue and are prepared to stand shoulder to shoulder with us and influence others. We need to find male sponsors in our work places.

I will #makeithappen by continuing this conversation, on line, off line, with family, with friends, work colleagues both male and female.

Revolutions start as a ripple, start your ripple today and affect change that will have an impact.

Let’s not leave this issue of inequality as unfinished business in our lifetime.

Repeal of carbon tax is PMs key achievement. - really Mr Abbott where would women be without you!!

2014-12-22T18:32:00.001+11:00

Really Mr Prime Minister.

Naming the carbon tax as your biggest achievement for women in 2014 because you think we are so focused on the household budget shows how out of touch you are.

The two issues, carbon tax and achievement for women, are so far apart Mr Abbott that you could sail the Titanic through it.

Lets look at issues you could have tackled that would have been seen as achievements.

The gender pay gap in Australia is at its highest at 18.2%. Perhaps working with business leaders - male and female to reduce this would have been seen as an achievement.

Women retire on less superannuation than their male counterparts. Perhaps focusing on the gender pay gap and paid parental leave would change this.

Oh and lets look at the issue of paid parental leave. This is now unlikely to pass the senate. To bring women back into the workforce perhaps look at making childcare more affordable through tax rebates.

More women today go to university however it takes us longer to pay back hec's fees as we leave to have yes you guessed it - babies. And until men start having babies i cant see this issue resolving itself.

One woman a week dies in Australia killed by a partner. Domestic violence is on the increase. Sexual assaults are on the increase. Violence against women is the biggest cause of homelessness for women and children.

We still lag when it comes to women being represented at board level and in government.

There are only 2 women on the front bench yet 30% of Mr Abbott's government is women.

Oh wait he has just doubled the number of women on the front bench - from 1 to 2!!

In fact if we are so occupied with budgets why not appoint a female treasurer.

We are 80 years away from gender equality, what an opportunity to lead the change that needs to occur. A male Prime Minister leading the charge on the issue of gender equality, setting the agenda, leading the discussions, influencing male CEO's and Directors and walking the talk!

As a women, I am focused on the issues above as well as my household budget, however my household budget does not define me, gender equality does.

At this rate Mr Abbott you will lose the female vote and only have one term in Government.

Just as an FYI I am yet to see any cost reduction in my bills.

Coca Cola in HOT MILK !

2014-12-02T11:05:00.001+11:00

Yes you did hear right, Coca Cola has ventured into the diary market and has launched their new milk product called Fairlife; which by the way won’t be in Australia anytime soon.

I don’t know about you but the thought of Coca Cola producing milk just doesn’t fit for me, a thought I find quiet scary actually.

Does that mean that kids will drink more milk simply because it is made by Coca Cola?

However let’s put this unusual concept aside, I was intrigued by the criticism that Coca Cola came under due to their marketing and advertising campaign.

Many have taken to social media and slammed their advertising campaign as sexist and degrading to women.

It was an interesting angle for Coca Cola to take given the global discussions being had about gender equality.

There is no doubt the ads are very clever, memorable, it has got people talking and most importantly the women are not naked. However it doesn’t take much to imagine them naked. Some of the pictures, such as the woman ironing and standing on a scale are unnecessary however on the whole the girls in the ads look stunning, sexy and gorgeous. And all for MILK!

I remember the Got Milk? ad where the women has a glass of milk in her hand and white substance on her lip, that was suggestive and provocative.

Interestingly they also used men with the same concept.

Personally I think they should have had a mix of male and female models, buffed up men with milk tastefully draped around their crown jewels would have been perfect.

For far too long, women have been sexualised in advertising products and if marketing companies are going to go down this path in a tasteful way then use both men and women.

There is no doubt Coca Cola is an iconic brand, their foray into the milk market will perhaps increase the consumption of milk in the USA where the product is set to launch next month. It will cost you twice as much to buy then regular milk but Coca Cola expects it to become popular.

My question to you is do you see these ads as sexist, are we being too sensitive or have we been desensitised as the reality is that there are a number of ads on the market that are far more sexist than this one.

Time votes to ban "Feminist"

2014-11-14T13:47:00.004+11:00

Time magazine is running a poll as to which words should be banned and the word feminist appears on the list.

I had to read the list twice and slap myself to believe that they had actually put this word on there.

And perhaps what surprised me the most is over 45% of the readers had voted to do away with the word. Who are these people and what in god’s name are they thinking.

At a time when the debate is rich and engaging at a global level, we have a well-respected magazine place it on a “ban” list.

Why is the word “boys club” not on the list!

We are in an era, I believe, where the word feminist is no longer seen as a dirty word, feminism is seen as a movement, a demand for equality.

Because if we are not equal than what are we?

We are not bra burning, male hating monsters. We are level headed, smart, entrepreneurs who simply want equal representation at leadership levels, equal pay; not be among the world’s poorest, or refugees or be the victims of domestic and sexual violence.

We believe in and demand social, political and economic equality. And what may I ask is wrong with that?

For a moment let’s imagine if we did do away with the word. How would we describe ourselves then?

For a long time so many were afraid to be labelled feminists, I was one of them, not anymore, as more and more men and women join this movement it becomes richer and stronger and it starts to create a ripple effect, a revolution that will inspire and demand change.

We cannot be feminists quietly, by ourselves, in our own time, the movement requires men to join us to ensure that we have significant impact and influence.

I grew up in an environment where girls were not encouraged to be themselves, were spectators rather than participants, their ambitions were denied, their aspirations were only around marriage, yet the men were the opposite. And in many places in the world this culture still exists.

In Australia the debate is rich around the gender pay gap, which is currently at its highest, women in senior leadership positions, on boards and of course whether we legislate on quotas and targets.

So for Time magazine to put this word on a list of potential words to be banned is sadly a reflection of where we stand globally on this debate of equality.

The disappearance of this word would mean that we ignore, forget and deny generations of good men and women who have fought for us to have the right to vote, the right to work and now we fight for gender equality.

I would prefer to ban words such as “paygap”, “inequality”,” housewife”, “sexism”, “sexual harassment”

At a time when this is a global debate, why is gender equality not on the G20 agenda?

Our Prime Minister could easily lead this discussion and it is one that is worthy of a discussion at this level. However Mr Abbott has not been proactive on this issue. Women in Australia will retire on 40% less superannuation then men, they will pay more interest in their university loans then men simply because they will have children.

It will be 2089 before we achieve equal pay globally. That is 75 years and almost 3 generations away. We cannot let this happen, this is not the legacy I want to leave my children.

We all know that the issue of gender equality is not just a fight or an issue for women.

Yet the answer to the issues lies in the hands of our leaders. Our male leaders. Who if any of them will have the courage to actually start the ripple?

Ripple Affect

2014-11-12T16:13:00.001+11:00

It is common for women to ask men to " put themselves in women’s shoes and consider how it would feel to be a woman." We hope that by asking men to do this they will have some empathy towards us.

To date, I don't believe, that this has worked very well. Men don't seem to be able to put themselves in our shoes.

Maybe we need to ask a different question because men are certainly not “feeling” what we do.

Perhaps the question needs to be “how would your life be different if you were born a woman”?

This question gets men to actually consider the ‘biases’ against women and how they would react to them if they were against them.

To help our male counterparts understand what it would be like to have been born a woman here
are few thought starters:

In many countries being born a woman does not equate to the celebration of a new life, it equates to being a burden on the family which may result in your death as an infant, if you are kept alive then education may not be your privilege, becoming a child bride may be or worse being sold into slavery. Your male family members will often decide your fate and if you choose to defy these it may result in your death.

You may be one of the 70% of women who make up the world’s poor, where you are a victim of systematic discrimination in education and healthcare, you may have never learnt to read and write, be the one in three that is a victim of abuse or forced into labour.

You would have had to fight for the right to vote and now that you have it, fight for equal pay and equal employment opportunities.

You may be the victim of violence, in Australia 1 woman a week dies from domestic violence and 1 in 3 have experienced violence of some sort.

You would have had to give up your career at some point to have your children and yes just imagine giving birth.

More often than not, the role of ensuring that the household is still functioning will be your responsibility. And yes your husband will potentially be coming home late most nights.

Every month you will of course have your periods, you will bloat, have tender breasts, feel grumpy, tear up and often be in pain.

Every two years you will have to have a pap smear.

Then at some point you will go through menopause.

You will retire on 40% less superannuation than your husband if you are in Australia

You will pay more interest for any loans you may have taken out to complete your university degree simply because you will choose to take a break and have kids

The common language you will hear is that you have to ask for what you want, lean in, learn how to do business like a man, letting go of the guilt.

In the workplace you may be described as bossy, bitchy, aggressive, and often be accused of sleeping your way to the top.

You will have to work harder in business to gain the promotions that your male counterparts currently get.

You will feel enormous guilt over just about everything.

Everything you wear will be commented on and judged, how you do your hair and your makeup, nails, shoes....the list will go on.

You will spend a lot of money getting most of your body waxed to ensure that you are virtually hairless for your partner as this seems to be the trend today

Oh and of course there is the whole weight issue. If you add on a few kilo’s your male partners in life and work will no doubt notice it and comment. Note also that the waist line of your male counterparts seems to grow in girth yearly

Now of all the above were not challenging enough lets add to the mix the following

o Under representation in the media

o No such thing as a cheap haircut

o Under representation in politics

o More likely to be harassed in public

o At worse other women will not support your endeavours

So, if you were born a woman, some of the challenges you may face , depending on where you are born, will be around gender equality, gender pay gap, violence, poverty, hunger, homelessness, trafficking, under-representation at all levels.

Given all the above, how many men would choose to live the life of a woman.

Not many I would suggest. Who in their right mind would want to deal with these issues?

If the thought of being born a woman is not one that any man would want why is it that men are not championing the issues we face louder than women are, why are they not leading the charge more aggressively than woman are.

There are more men around board tables, directors and CEO’s of companies, surely the issue of gender equality should be an easy one to fix if these men truly understood what their life would be like if they had been born a woman!

Common ground between politicians and real estate agents!

2014-11-12T12:22:00.002+11:00

I attended an event recently where the keynote speakers were political analysts discussing the upcoming Victorian State Elections.

What I found fascinating and interesting was the focus on the changing face of the electorate and the key ways politicians now had to engage with them to gain their vote.

Simply being the local politician who represented and followed the party line on policies wasn’t enough.

The electorate today is more informed, has access to information or data and they demand a connection with party policies and the politicians. There are, in fact, more swinging voters than ever before and the youth coming through question everything.

As I sat and listened to the speakers, I was amused at the irony of how the issues politicians face are not dis-similar to ours in real estate.

How do you get people to know you, like you and trust you, to vote for you or select you as their listing agent?

It was suggested, by one of the speakers, that if political parties had call centres that employed nurses, teachers or mums to make calls or even door knock suburbs to share with the constituents the virtues of a political party and their polices they would obtain far more engagement then what they currently do. It’s the power of third party endorsements – sound familiar.

If these political campaigners then used social media to comment or share their views and experiences, they would obtain even more cut through with their constituents.

Believe it or not, if political parties did consistent DL drops with a message that the consumer connected with and then door knocked they would get buy in.

What I found fascinating was the key issues political parties’ face is identical to what we face in real estate - having a database that is up to date and called and marketed to in a consistent manner.

To quote one of the presenters – if a politician had an up to date data base, that was consistently called, who connected with the consumers and ensured that people understood his/her key message and the benefits of voting for him/her; then that politician would be more likely to win an election!

Database connection was more powerful and engaging than any TV, newspaper or radio advertising.

As agents we do have an advantage over politicians – we are perhaps more trusted!

On a serious note however most agents work in farm areas and you don’t need to have an entire state on a database; just everyone from your farm area.

The issue then becomes more about consistently marketing to your database with a message that people are going to connect with and consequently, select you as their listing agent.

Time and time again it has been proven that there needs to be a balance between success and connective marketing. The consumer needs to know that you understand their needs and you are the right agent to list with because of your success.

The reasons why people sell or buy homes are upgrade, downgrade, death, divorce and change in financial situation. Why not create marketing around these key messages linked in with your success?

Using social media not to market properties you have listed, sold or leased but more about what you are putting back into the community and have others endorse your success.

Lastly the concept of a call centre or lead generator shouldn’t be out of the question. Why not have someone call your database on a regular basis to constantly keep it updated, connect with your constituents and find you leads.

The research we conduct at Harcourts consistently shows that we are selected as the listing agent because the vendor knew the agent; was referred by family or friend; had used us before or simply contacted the local Harcourts office. Given these are the reasons it is important you have a mix of the following as part of your ongoing prospecting plan:

Consistent calls to your database
Success marketing
Connective marketing
Social media presence
Boards in your local market
Advertising in your local press

It is much easier for us to build a database, relationships and become the agent of choice than it is for a politician to do the same and get elected.

Virgin's unlimited holidays

2014-11-07T10:49:00.002+11:00

We are constantly discussing flexible workplaces, engaging the next generation of workers, hot desking, having people work from home and it seems that Richard Branson has gumpzed us all by announcing that his staff can have unlimited holidays.

The Virgin staff in the US and UK head office will receive unlimited leave on the proviso their work is up to date. The focus, Branson states, is on getting the work done rather than the 8am-5pm hours.

An interesting paradigm shift for employers and employees.

Employees are being held accountable on the fact that when they take their leave their work is 100% up to date and that everyone is across what they are responsible for and their time away will not in any way damage the business or their careers.

The idea is to create workplaces that boost morale and drive productivity. Virgin is not the first business to head down this path.

The positives are clear, employees, you would assume, will be less stressed because they are taking regular breaks which then impacts positively on their productivity and the bottom line.

As employers we don’t have to set times for annual leave or pay out those who choose to leave. I would also assume that long service leave would no longer be applicable.

The key positive impact is from a recruitment perspective. You would assume that this would be attractive to potential employees when assessing who or which brand they want to work for.

It seems that by allowing employees to take unlimited breaks what we are testing here is the trust we have in each other and whether unlimited leave actually does equate to productive motivated team members.

The jury is still out on this I feel.

The reality is that yes we are much more productive before we go on leave. While on leave however almost all of us check emails so we don’t return to an overflowing in box.

If you work in a team environment and take regular breaks it means that someone is constantly having to pick up your work. No different to what happens when you take your required leave now however it is only for a fixed period of time.

If you are given the choice of unlimited leave, how often will you actually go? And given Branson’s criteria – you will not damage the business or your career, you would perhaps not actually take any extra leave.

We have held onto the traditional 4 week leave for far too many years in my opinion. With the use of technology and access we have to each other across the globe I believe it is time for business to reassess leave entitlements.

If we didn’t want to be as extreme as Branson, however still make changes and attract people into our businesses or sectors, perhaps consider

· 6 – 8 weeks leave vs 4 weeks

· 1 week leave to work for a not for profit

· The day off on your birthday

· The day off on your child’s birthday

· The day off on your spouse’s significant birthday or event

· Flexible work days

· Ability to work from home

Annual leave is something we can change per business or group or industry.

If we all agree that employees who are less stressed and tired are far more productive, that the traditional 4 weeks leave needs to be changed, then as employers we each have the ability to change the landscape on this and perhaps attract and retain the best people in the process.

Letting go of the excess baggage

2014-10-30T15:00:00.001+11:00

Life is a series of emotional experiences varied by the effect of our environment, people we meet, family, friends, lovers, partners and the list goes on.

These unique experiences play a role in shaping who we were, who we are and who we are about to become.

Many of the experiences we collect in life are memorable, treasured and when we recall them fill our hearts with joy and love.

However, from time to time, we do encounter moments or events that impact us deeply. Experiences that hurt us to our core and give us so much pain we just wonder, how are we going to move on.

This can cause us to stop, curl up, change who we are, become cautious and suspicious. We know that we never want to feel this way again.

What we do as we heal is we package these emotions and fear and we let it impact who we are becoming. Most emotional upheavals cause us to change who we are or the direction we may be heading in.

We can become angry, distrustful, we have triggers that take us back, a word, a tone, a sound.

At an extreme we end up in therapy, we can battle self esteem and confidence issues, we may have breakdowns or suffer depression.

I have had experiences in my life that have taken me to the edge.

Its an interesting place to be.

What I have discovered however, is the human spirit and strength, is an amazing thing.

Once you decide to step back from the edge you have the ability to rebuild your life with colors that are strong and vibrant.

Part of the rebuilding though, no matter what emotional experience you are walking away from is to say thank you for the lessons and let go of the fear, the anger, the suspicion.

You attract into your life what you give out. You have the ability to manifest the outcome. So be very careful of what you do put out.

When new people come into your life make sure that the baggage you carry, and we all do, is light, full of love and care, lessons that have been learnt and you are ready to create new experiences and lessons.

Its a bit like going on holiday. Only take the things you need not the whole house.

So let go of the things that don't need to be taken to the next destination.

Who knows what you may find waiting for you if you are just open to it.