• The Spring 2009 edition of globalNEWS
• Making strategic planning (with 700 people!) a success story
• How 90 farmers and friends found new hope - in a big tent
• Hearing is not listening!
• High-tech and high touch
• A tip for agenda item presentation
• Gandhi and effective communication
• Looking for needles in haystacks
• We still like feedback...

The Spring 2009 edition of globalNEWS
We're not yet certain that Spring has sprung here in Canberra: we've just experienced our coldest September day for more than 40 years. However, the grass is growing and we fully expect that all heating systems will be turned off after that horse race that's held in Melbourne in just over a month. This is the time when everyone gets busy, and it's no exception here at Global Learning. To help you along the way, we offer some juicy tips for effective communication, finding the right staff, learning how to listen, and more!

Making strategic planning (with 700 people!) a success story
'Inspirational'… 'I loved the way we were all listened to'… 'It has supported my confidence and ability to take on new challenges…' These were comments from some of the 600 staff members from UnitingCare Children, Young People and Families who attended a packed two-day conference in August 2009. The conference was the final event in an eight-month project to develop their three-year strategic plan. How can more than 600 people work together to define an aligned, powerful direction? A key element was iMEET!, Global Learning's conference support platform. Read on for more... [more...]

How 90 farmers and friends found new hope - in a big tent
The challenge: find common ground among a highly diverse group of 90 farmers and associated experts who are tackling the urgent problem of restoring Australia's much-degraded land. All in one weekend. In a big tent. With the weather hot – and the wind high. Promoted and led by the former Governor-General, Michael Jeffery, 'The land restoration imperative: many pathways, one goal' was organised by the ANU's Centre for Dialogue and Global Learning. Delegates to the Kioloa conference left the September weekend optimistic, having indeed found much common ground. So what did they work out? Follow the link for more... [more...]

Hearing is not listening!
Research shows listening is the most important communication skill - but the one least taught. We are taught: Writing 40% Speaking 30% Reading 20% Listening 9% Mass Listen 1%. But what we need to use is different: Writing 14% Speaking 16% Reading 17% Listening 32% Mass Listen 21%. 'Listening consists of being mindful, hearing, selecting and organising information, interpreting communication, responding and remembering.' [Tom Hobbs, Chapman University]

High-tech and high touch
Meetings, whether they are large conferences, strategic planning events or learning workshops, can be made dramatically more effective and efficient through the combination of high touch (powerful leadership and communication) with high-tech (supporting technology). This accelerates the meeting process, establishes a high degree of accountability, legitimacy and transparency, and accelerates reaching alignment and making decisions. The use of effective meeting technology such as the iMEET! platform turns meetings from a necessary evil (as viewed by some) into an organisational process which satisfies participants, delivers tangible outcomes, and moves business processes forward - rapidly. [more...]

A tip for agenda item presentation
Prior to the meeting, confirm the overall procedure with the person setting the agenda. Also, seek coaching from a respected colleague or manager to ensure a better chance of approval and useful discussion. At the meeting, divide the time between a period of divergence and a period of decision-making for each agenda item. Divergence tests your proposal, and frames the issue. Encourage convergence to frame the decision-making and action, seeking consensus through inquiry, and presenting steps to implementation. If consensus is not possible, develop a process to retest the situation.

Gandhi and effective communication
Mahatma Gandhi understood the power of effective communication and used it to become one of the world's finest leaders. He conceived a theory of non-violent communication that advocated four key steps: speech and action, maintenance of relationships, openness, and flexibility. Gandhi's remarkable leadership legacy was in the power of conversing with people in person.

Looking for needles in haystacks
In its ten-year history, Google has grown into a dominant global organisation. Google attracts more than one million applicants a year. They hire 800 people per month, using an algorithm to evaluate candidates who would normally be screened out by typical assessment tools. The algorithm identifies candidates who resemble existing top performers. The interview process identifies people who are 'smart' for Google, and rarely follows conventional question/answer routines. Google advises potential applicants to 'just be themselves' when fronting for an interview, which is often described as 'intense'.

We still like feedback...
Please feel free to talk back to us. Ask for more information or links. Comment on our news. E-mail your feedback to us, and if you like globalNEWS, let your friends know and invite them to subscribe, too! Subscription details (and how to unsubscribe) are found here: [more...]