Leadership: clarity, unity and agility

Washington crossing the Delaware, 1851
Image courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Back in the 1700's the worlds greatest leader of his time stood amongst his followers as a brave, tough and organised leader. This leadership quality not only brought to an end years of turmoil and unsettlement but fittingly ensued the beginnings of a cohesive nation and global spread.

George Washington on the battlefield didn't make all the right decisions -- he is often recorded as "exposing his flanks and failing to reconnoiter the ground". Despite these tactical errors Washington maintain his strategic and big picture approach. He was charismatic, and provided moral strength (and a knack for shared vision) ultimately guiding the United States into the beginnings as a world superpower.

It was this moral strength, an unwillingness to succumb to dictatorship power, and the selection of intelligent, bright mentors and staff to provide the backbone to his strategic decision making which allowed him to become a leader of strength and action.

And whilst George Washington is seen as a great leader, 200 hundred years later Captain Edward Smith of the Titanic is not. Ensuing studies and missives into the actions (or lack of) not just in the preceding hours before the Titanic collided with the infamous iceberg but more importantly after the time of collision the ship lacked leadership. Whilst the captain and his crew believed in the technology of the unsinkable ship as a surety for safety, no one factored in the people. Without the clarity of the situation (the ship is sinking), the unity (the crew working together) and the agility (people are mobilized to act -- get off the ship) the actions of Smith simply and clearly failed.

Bringing these leadership qualities back to our world, what does this really mean for us as managers, social enterprise practitioners and not-for-profit advisors?

Leadership in business -- with social purpose or not -- means the creation of teams which are diverse. These teams of people are more likely to adapt to new opportunities, form partnerships, and see customers and competitors as strategic alliances. And this diversity embraces change as a success of new ideas and a new way of doing business.

Teams and individuals are inspired towards a common purpose supporting peers and the community (business). Teams are strategic in their thinking with the leadership setting the perimeters and the skills for decision making.

And great leaders view work and that environment as enjoyable, important and a place to be happy. They allow their teams to input and work towards the strategic directions of the organisation adding a valuable critique along the way. 

What kind of leader are you -- do you have clarity about the organisational direction and strategic approach, unity with your teams, and the agility to move your team along the path and into the light of success?

Jessica @ Social Traders

Get the best out of probono work

New and burgeoning social enterprises require a compendium of skills to turn a conceptual idea into a sound and robust business model. Existing social enterprises need additional skills as the business grows and develops into new market segments. And all social enterprises – as does business – require a consistent range of advice and services to add to the existing knowledge bank within the organisation.

Finding the appropriately skilled organisations and individuals can be a challenging task. For some enterprises the cost of engaging [buying] the skills may also be a barrier to adopting the new business model or examining a growth opportunity into new markets.

To aid with this capability building, social enterprises often engage skilled probono or volunteer services. A number of online volunteer directories – which match the skill requirements to the business offering – have been developed in Australia alongside community partnerships within the corporate sector. Just of sample of these directories include:

• Probonoaustralia.com.au
• Greatconnections.com.au/Leadershipvictoria.org 
• Goodcompany.com.au 
• Pilch.org.au/volunteer 

However gaining access to skilled volunteers or probono assistance is only the first step in the journey to ensure both your organisation and the volunteer "gets the best" out of this arrangement. And too often these experiences become overshadowed by a lack of understanding of the role, the workload and the outcomes. Often the volunteer develops detailed plans and strategies only to find the organisation doesn't have the skills to implement, or the ability to take up the approach. Or the organisation poorly plans the workload and overwhelms the volunteer with much more than was agreed.

In a very brief summary, here are some of the key issues to be addressed BEFORE engaging volunteer or probono assistance.

1. Be very clear about what work you want the volunteer to undertake. Write a position description including the number of hours required to undertake the task, outline who will be working with and supporting the volunteer, and what is expected at the completion of the task such as a report, recommendations, or a strategy.
2. Ensure you understand the legal status of a volunteer. Your organisation is required to have in place a volunteering policy document or hold a copy of the guiding principles of volunteering. Consider key areas such as;

• The legal status of a volunteer 
• Negligence and duty of care 
• Equal opportunity laws 
• Legal checks 
• Intellectual property rights 
• Insurance 
• Confidentiality agreements. 

Additional information regarding these points can be found at:

• Volunteers and the Law
• Best Practice Volunteering

And the National Volunteer Skills Centre also has further details on engaging with volunteers. 

Social Traders has developed an online resource to aid social enterprises and the not-for-proft sector in general with engaging the right people for the right job. There are guidelines and sample documents (position descriptions and confidentially agreements) to help provide the framework for the engagement of your volunteering and probono offerings.


We are also seeking feedback from social enterprise practitioners about their experiences in engaging specialist individuals and organisations. It would be great to get some comments about what went right and what didn't. Include some learnings about your experience too. Either leave a comment below or contact me here.

Get engaged and understand social media

Image courtesy of PR Daily, 2012

There is so much noise about social media, about having a voice and a suite of portals to tell your story. And there is no doubt about social media, it is here to stay in an ever-increasing form.

But how do we - managers and practitioners - keep up to date with what works, and what doesn't. And how do we even begin to understand the impact of social media, the voice for story telling and the audience to follow and listen? And with so much information online and in the press about this topic - from the ridiculous to the obscure - it has become increasingly challenging to comprehend and act with confidence.

With this myriad of information in mind, I thought it was the right time to put some of the social media "news" in context, and map out some thoughts.

Firstly, let's condense and acknowledge that social media is now a major form of communication for both B2B, B2C and C2C. With context social media showcases:

• we live in a young world, with over 50% of the population being under 30
• social media is the number one web based activity
• if Facebook was a country it would be the 3rd largest
• 93% of marketers use social media for business
• 90% of consumers trust peer recommendations.

Accept this and begin to grasp the social media mantra of today.

I will put aside discussion around emails and blogs, as these have been part of some of our lives forever, and for the rest of us, about 15 years.

Social media mostly takes in the form of four mediums; video (YouTube), images (Flickr), social networks (Facebook, MySpace, Google + and LinkedIn), and microbloging (Twitter). Each medium is interactive and compatible with each other (using collaborative programs such as HootSuite ).

However each of these mediums requires a different voice, often has a variety of audiences and tones. To establish your business voice, and/or your customer voice, spend some time playing around with the tone, check on how your audience engages with you. What is working, what is falling flat. Use social media to actively seek partners, customers, and promoters. Dedicate some online time to finding these people and organisations - usually a starting point is compiling a list of those organisation you communicate with off line. These are great for sending a connection to and inviting to like, follow, listen, and look.

To give an example; think about Twitter as a strategic connection with organisations and individuals who are possible partners, businesses and people of influence who will talk about, follow and interact. Facebook on the other hand is often considered as a way to connect with customers - promoting events and competitions.

Twitter is often easier to understand as the character limits of 140 keep messages concise. However avoid using too many abbreviations as these can be confusing and provide a difficult reading experience. The use of # tags and short links can enhance the tweet and align the tweet to a specific audience and group. Some great # tags in the social enterprise sector are:

• #socentau = social enterprise (in Australia)
• #socent = social enterprise (globally)
• #socinn = social innovation
• #socentsummit = social enterprise forum.

Do some of your own research to include additional #tags to your tweet feed - target your town, city and region, your industry and your passions. And before using a #tag search to ensure the tag represents the conversation you wish to engage.

Facebook is the source of much research at present as the changes to "pages" has meant many business have had to re-gig their voice and customer interaction. Some tips on fan engagement are:

• post on Facebook between the hours of 8pm and 7am (can use predetermined scheduling to do this). This non-busy time has shown a higher engagement with likes and comments
• Wednesday and Sundays are good posting days, and no more than two posts per day. Try to stick to no more than four posts per week so as not to overcrowd news feeds
• keep posts short,  be concise and ask questions to get fans talking, and include the use of "fill the blank" questions
• keys words such as coupons and $ off work well
• and use text only and short links to compress links.

However the most important component of social media is to find the one or two or three mediums that suit you and your organisations. Play around with the voice and engage with your community. Do it and do it well.

Finding the tools to match the trends for 2012

2012 has launched itself with aplumb -- there was the spectacular New Years Eve fireworks in Sydney, and Melbourne's fizzle with the arts centre catching fire. There has been blistering heat and torrents of rain but alas we made it through and now begin to buckle down for a year of achievement and expectations.

To get everyone in the mood, it is timely to look at what is beyond January, what trends will impact our business, and what consumers will demand of us and our services. And for this, many thanks to the global network of trend spotters.

In no particular order, consumer trends for 2012 will be all about;

• Point & Know -- this is the instant visual information gratification brought into the real and visual world with objects and people.

• Emerging Materialism -- embrace the brands that push boundaries. 2012 will encompass products, services and campaigns from emerging markets in frank, risque and non-corporate ways.

• Screen Culture -- the explosion of touchscreens, smartphones, tablets and "the cloud" will see a screen culture which is pervasive, personal and much more interactive.

• Recommerce -- trading in old products is considered the new buying.

• Idlesourcing -- this is all about simple and effortless smart sensor broadcasts of what "I" am doing and where "I" am. Idlesoucring is the self promotion and sharing to improve products and services.

• Flawsome -- awesome brands behaving humanly.

• Cash-less -- Finally it has arrived. Players such as Google and MasterCard are building whole new eco-systems of payments, rewards and offers around mobile technologies.

• Bottom of the Urban Pyramid -- global companies catering for the lower-income citysumers of 2012.

• Eco-cycology -- brands innovatively recycle all its products responsibility.

• Dealer-chic -- hunting for deals, the thrill of the find and the pride it instills is what consumers desire in 2012.

• DIY Health -- new apps and technologies which monitor and track consumer health.

• Red Carpet -- rolling out the red carpet (hotels, theme parks, even entire cities) for our Chinese visitors and customers, the new emperors of today's consumerism.

So what does this mean to social enterprise managers, those that work with and support the social enterprise sector, and of course the Government of the day? Consumer trends don't cut across all consumers; they are specific, age defined, locational, and cultural (see Red Carpet). To apply consumer trends it is important to determine if there are innovative products or services which can be developed to offer a certain customer segment. Also engage and speak the language of those consumers already "living" a trend -- this will help you understand the trend and those consumers who are part of it.

Now is the time to get rid of the blocks which prevent you and your business from seeing new ideas, understanding customers and the opportunities which are waiting for exploration. Head out and enjoy the offerings of 2012.

All the best
Jessica@Social Traders

Just imagine .....

.....what our lives would have been like without that first Mac experience in the early 1980's, or the fun of an iPod, iPad or iPhone app which plays our favourite songs, films, shares our ideas, and our twitters. As a society we have embraced and fallen in love with all this funky technology which barely registers on our psyche anymore as we flip, slide and tap away -- all day, everyday. Behind this fun and inventiveness was an entrepreneur -- a thinker that was not bound by convention, or the limitations of the known.

We all acknowledge former Apple founder and CEO Steve Jobs for his enormous and unparallelled contribution to the way we interact online, store our photos, and do our business. Steve Jobs stands tall in his achievements but not alone.

There are many examples of pure inventiveness, entrepreneurship, and unbounded thinkers amongst the social enterprise sector. Examples such as the two retired farmers who used the income from a section of farmland to begin and maintain an emergency response unit, when no State or Federal government would kick in the funding. Such as the community who invested in the only petrol station in town to keep the town alive and thriving. And such as the development of high-tech mailing and printing equipment to engage young people in fulfilling employment. Such as, such as.......

The list continues across every community, region and sector. Have a think about some of your own inventiveness, or others you know of. Come on over to the Social Traders facebook page and lets bring these entrepreneurs to light.

The end of the year is only a few weeks from now. From all at Social Traders we wish you a peaceful time and fabulous new year.


Jessica @ Social Traders

There is a time for chocolate and there is a time for work

The range of enterprises within the SES project show just how imaginative the people and communities of Australia are; recycling, maintenance, building, cafes, catering, wineries, fashion, multimedia, and so much more.

The 37 social enterprises we are working closely with across Australia -- in regional and urban areas -- has provided insight into the everyday-ness of  people involved in social business experience; the barriers, the opportunities and the breadth of scope and learnings which are obtainable and extra-ordinary.

Mahesh -- our business development adviser -- spends much of her time working with individuals within the sector. She is teaching and coaching through the development process of useful financial management processes; identifying meaningful key figures, how to capture these figures and most important of all, how to interpret and use this information.

Providing this hands-on approach will train enterprise managers and increase their capabilities to effectively control and manage the business. And refining business concepts may open up sustainable funding options -- either through grants (many have already embraced these) and low interest/no interest loans.

Social Traders has been working closely with two Social Enterprise Development and Investment Funds (SEDIF). The two funds -- Social Enterprise Solutions and Social Enterprise Finance Australia (SEFA) -- deliver community finance to create sustainable pathways for the social enterprise sector. Both these funds open up opportunities for new and existing social enterprises, non profits and individuals to access finance in a fair and equitable manner. Take some time to examine these offerings and match business ideas with finance opportunities.

The depth of enterprise and the need to provide a vehicle for social procurement has led Social Traders to develop the Social Enterprise Finder (The Finder), Australia's first online social enterprise directory. Registration is free to all Australian social enterprises and will allow Government, the corporate sector and the general public the means to actively search for social enterprises to engage and procure.

 

Social Traders defines social enterprise as businesses that are led by an economic, social, cultural or environmental  mission consistent with a public or community benefit; trade to fulfill its mission; derive a substantial proportion of income from trade; and reinvest the majority of its profit/surplus in the fulfillment of its social mission.

In the spirit of Tasmania

Social Traders headed south in October to support Tasmania's burgeoning social enterprise sector. With Oak Tasmania, TasCoss, UTAS Institute for Regional Development, and Tasmanian Regional Arts collaborating with Social Traders to present to a forum to over 60 interested people, the national social enterprise space was able to highlight the opportunities for communities and governments to support and foster the sector.

The day was able to bring together and provide guidance to Tasmania's social enterprise sector, allowing discussion and actions to be determined. A major outcome for the event has been the development of a networking group to continue movement in this area.

Whilst in Tasmania, the national social enterprise sustainability project team was able to meet and explore ideas with some of the Launceston and Hobart based enterprises. Visiting the highly innovative "Castle" program (flat packed castle accommodation for young people), the Northern Suburbs Community Centre (boxed produce to low income earners), and TOOL (training in woodwork and crafts) provided great insight into the opportunities and barriers the social enterprise sector faces.

The SES project team will be providing a range of hands-on and strategic assistance to these social enterprises in the coming weeks.

Why them and not me?

With SME's leading the way in creativity, innovation and design, how is it that some just seem to "get lucky" whilst the rest of "us" don't? What is it that sets these two groups apart - is it really down to luck, to personality types, or is it more ingrained and intrinsic that determines outward success?

With special thanks to smartcompany.com.au - a regular news feed I follow - I have plated up some insight into the "why them and not me" scenario.

Top smart SME tips from around the world....

Carolyn Creswell of Carmen's Fine Foods keeps her team happy by employing an office nanny to do errands, believes in lunch sharing and arranges for her staff cars to be washed every couple of weeks - "you create greater long-term productivity and dedication to your business if your people love working there".

The famed creative thinker Edward de Bono says everyone should have a creative thinking hit list stuck to their computer, and each organisation have a "listen and receive" ideas person to gather these creative thoughts.

Phillip Weinman - Australia's ultimate serial entrepreneur - beleives it is always about the people never the business, never the product. And when finding the right people, David Snoad of Pinz uses "bring a friend to work" to find the best people in the industry. "When we need people, our staff are the first point of contact".

Costa Anastasiadis of Costa Gourmet Pizza engages with online customers through daily conversation - "if you call a friend and they don't call you back, you give up in the end".

Young Rich List entrant Dorry Kordahi beleives he sells a service not a product. Founder of merchandising and marketing company DKM, he used Richard Branson's "Power to Act" theory to go out and meet his customers, and uses that relationship to gain leverage.

"We grow people from within, because I focus on my people and I look after them, and they look after me", says Abraham Hatoum founder of clothing alteration franchise LookSmart Alterations.

Entering industry and "peoples choice" awards will gain traction for your product of service said 99Designs entrepreneur Mark Harbottle. Mark used his nomination to reach out to customers through social media to gain winning votes. And whilst on social media, engage with one or two forms and do it well. James Griffin of SR7, an online reputation management group, says "pay attention to what is being said about your organisation online. Use people interaction to reinforce positive comments whilst addressing the negative".

And the final entrant for advice is Peter Ritchie,mMcDonald's Australia ex-chief executive. Peter says by providing the "extra service the customer will notice it, and you get the credit".

Whilst this is a mixed bag of advice there will be one or two or three that resonates with you and your business. Just run with it ....

Are you a social enterprise in Tasmania?

Social Traders takes a lead role in supporting and nurturing social enterprises across Australia and will be co-hosting a forum in Cambell Town (Tasmania) for a conversation about the challenges, experiences and opportunities surrounding the social enterprise sector. All the details can be found here.. Tasmanian Social Enterprise Study: A forum for Tasmania’s social enterprise sector.

Match social outcomes with economic reality

With the pressures of economic realities, social enterprises have entered a new phase in the Australian landscape. Working towards often seemingly clashing goals, the sector has seen the need to regularly review and revisit social objectives.

Harnessing these thoughts, the Social Traders SES project team headed to the north eastern coastal areas of Byron Bay and Nambucca Heads.

Armed with 17 years of small business financial management, and a desire to make things right, Social Traders Business Development Advisor Mahesh with public relations expert Jessica arrived in Byron Bay on a sunny afternoon to spend time with the crew at the Byron Bay Community Centre.

If looking for an example of how community has pulled together the vital ingredients to build a cultural and social hub for a town bursting with transient people, here it is. Byron Bay Community Centre is a refurbished original building in the centre of town. It plays host to a delicious choice of arts and theatre productions, cultural creations in artisan markets, is the home for community businesses including local radio and counselling services. Add to the mix 200 homeless regulars - who arrive weekly to collect fresh produce from local farmers, feast upon the warming foods of local cooks and have a place to be welcomed - the building is central to Byron Bays sense of purpose.

And if all that is not enough - just ask the 300 volunteers who work every month in making the centre open, close, be warm, be happy and safe.

Amongst all this activity and intent is the Community Table Cafe - a burgeoning social business which creates freshly baked goodies, brews chai tea over two days to enhance the flavours, and presents the funkiest chilli choc this side of Barcelona.

Heading South towards Sydney, the team slid through the rain delighting Mahesh with a brief viewing of native 'roos to the area. Taking a right off highway no.1, Nambucca Pride Cafe appears through drips of water.

This training and employment cafe works with disadvantaged people from the local area providing a formal and practical training experience, driving skills leading to licensing, and most importantly, the exposure to real employment opportunities.

Using this training platform to create healthy low cost meals for the community, preparing homemade packaged meals to take away, and skilling groups of young people in budgeting and cooking, has enabled this cafe to make a place for itself in the Nambucca community.

Facing the barriers of matching social objectives with economic sustainability has meant so many social enterprises need to review, revisit and re-engage with their social aspects to achieve the long term goals. It is tough, it is challenging - however with the right focus and skills the balance between the social and economic will become complementary.