Digital Capability Blog - Helping you Succeed Online

Exponentially increase your opportunities and ideas through co-opetition by using these four Google tools

Co-opetition happens when two or more competitors co-operate to achieve an outcome which they could not do as easily on their own. Co-opetition is based on the notion that the collective knowledge of the group far outweighs that of an individual when it comes to finding the right solution.

StartupStockPhotos - https://pixabay.com/en/children-win-success-video-game-593313/ — CC0 Public Domain by StartupStockPhotos – https://pixabay.com/en/children-win-success-video-game-593313/

In an era where innovation and improved productivity are paramount to the long term survival of a business, utilising a co-opetitive approach makes perfect sense as this approach exponentially increases opportunities and new ideas.

A good example of co-opetition is when Toyota and Peugeot joined forces to create a new ‘city’ car which they each sold as different models. This allowed them to get to market more quickly than any of their other competitors while saving money on their research and development costs.

Today’s technology enables co-opetition to happen as easily as if everyone was working for the same company. It also allows you to work with competitors from anywhere in the world. Google has made this even easier by providing four essential tools to allow you to easily start co-opeting with your competitors today – and they are all free:

Google Hangout as your virtual meeting room

Google Hangout is an online meeting place where you can meet with your competitors just like you would in a face to face environment. Google Hangout has video conferencing, screen sharing, instant messaging and so much more, including being able to record your meetings.

Google Hangout works in your web browser so no special software is required, however, reasonable internet bandwidth (4G or better) is recommended, especially if you want to use the video conferencing or screen sharing facilities.

Google Docs/Spreadsheets as your virtual whiteboard

Google Docs and Spreadsheets are very similar to Microsoft’s Word and Excel, however, Google Docs and Spreadsheets work in your web browser. Google Docs and Spreadsheets allow multiple people to work on a document at the same time. This means you can use these tools during a Google Hangout for group brainstorming or idea formulation.

Google Docs and Spreadsheets tracks all changes made, so you have a history of your collaborative work. As Google Docs and Spreadsheets are ‘cloud-based’, everyone has the original copy of the document or spreadsheet.

CC0 Public Domain by geralt - https://pixabay.com/en/teamwork-team-cooperate-personal-382673/ — CC0 Public Domain by geralt – https://pixabay.com/en/teamwork-team-cooperate-personal-382673/

Google Drive as your virtual share drive

Google Drive is an online file storage space which you can access at any time and from any device which is connected to the internet. This means that Google Drive can act as your virtual share drive as you can share documents with people outside of your organisation. And, this is done in such a way that your competitors cannot see any of your other files. You can also control the level and length of a person’s access.

Google Calendar as your virtual diary

Google Calendar is an online diary which you can use to manage your meeting times and key deadlines with your competitor through shared calendars and using calendar invites. Each Google Calendar invite contains an automated link to your Google Hangout room which is unique to the meeting you are planning.

Google Calendar also allows you to access your Google Drive, Docs and Spreadsheets and Hangout all from the one online location.

As you can see, Google provides the virtual tools to enable co-opetition to happen today, but deciding upon with whom and how you should utilise co-opetition is determined by:

what do you need to do that you can’t achieve yourself?
who has the skills / resources that could help you achieve what you need to do?
what type of people do you like to work with?
what’s in it for your competitor to work with you?

Please share how you are utilising co-opetition to exponentially increase your opportunities and ideas. Or let us know if you have any questions.

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Contact us (email or 0400 732 270) now to find out more about how you can successfully use these four essential Google tools to support a co-opetitive approach in your business to exponentially increase your opportunities and ideas.

Stay up to date with the latest in being successful online by subscribing to our Digital Capability – Doing it Smarter eUpdates or connecting with us online through Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn and Twitter.

Block the drain on your productivity: high-performance outsourcing

Guest Blog by Nina Sochon, CEO of Transformed Teams.

Many business owners know that the growth of their businesses is limited by one person: themselves. Try as we might, eventually every business owner is frustrated by their own limitations.

CC-BY Image from https://pixabay.com/en/photos/frustration/

Even more importantly, we can delay strategically important work while low-value tasks such as administration crowd out our schedules.

Working longer hours to get ‘strategic’ and ‘low-value’ work done works against you in the end – it becomes a drain on your productivity. Organisations such as Stanford, the Economist and Harvard Business Review have completed research on this point. The Economist recently showed that output remained stable after about 48 hours per week.

We need to work smarter, not harder.

Outsourcing provides a low-cost way to free up your time to work on the more important, high-value activities that will sustain your business in the long term. Some businesses I know have employed full-time staff for less than five Australian dollars per hour.

The advantages of outsourcing are many: it allows you to still complete the low-value tasks that are part and parcel of running a business. With your time freed up, you can focus more on developing capabilities throughout the business, establishing networks, strategising about marketing and other important activities that require your expertise.

Otherwise called ‘Business Process Outsourcing’, many businesses in Australia today are sending work to contractors locally and in other countries, rather than recruiting a local employee – the cost of getting started with outsourcing is low and technology has now enabled highly productive working relationships.

Businesses in Australia are joining the global rush to outsource business processes. The trend is driven by a huge demand for technical talent and expertise, particularly in IT, human resources, recruitment and finance. Outsourcing in Australia has also grown to include legal, article writing, and translation services.

Business process outsourcing is growing

Business process outsourcing grew 3.3% from 2010 to become worth $24.8 billion Australian dollars in 2015.

There are several preferred ways to outsource. Often the first type of outsourcing people try is task-based outsourcing. Employers hire an outsourced worker for small parcels of work, through sites like Fiverr, Upwork, Freelancer or Service Seeking.

CC-By image by Kaz: https://pixabay.com/en/people-men-women-man-woman-220284/

The second option is role-based outsourcing, which is when a role is outsourced on a part-time or full-time basis.

If you’re concerned that outsourcing is taking away Australian jobs, a 2014 report by Australian company Salmat showed that nearly 80% of businesses using offshore resources had retained or increased their local staff, with an average increase in their domestic workforce of more than 200%. Rather than taking away local jobs, outsourcing is enabling Australian businesses to thrive so that they grow and spend more on local employment.

Many business owners have a poor experience with outsourcing. One business owner I know pays for the work to be done twice by two different contractors so that he can take the best of both attempts and combine them to achieve a decent result. To my mind, performance that only meets the mark half of the time is not worth the time at all.

How can you achieve your expectations of normal performance and even exceed those expectations to achieve a high performing virtual team?

It is possible to have a great high-performing outsourced team. This is my own experience – I work daily with my executive assistant based in the Philippines and I regularly manage outsourced projects with workers based in the USA, India and Eastern Europe. I have achieved these high-performing virtual teams by paying particular attention to five unique factors.

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Want to know more about how to block the drain on your productivity through high-performance outsourcing?

Join Nina Sochon, high performance workplace expert, as she shares how to utilise high-performing outsourcing for your business in our next on the virtual couch with an expert webinar on Friday 20 November 2015.

Google’s best kept secret for working anywhere, anytime and on any device

Google is more than a web search engine, and one of its best kept secrets is the word processing, spreadsheet and online form programs within Google Drive. Google Drive, at first appearances, only looks like it offers Cloud-based document storage. While this is a very useful feature indeed, within this site is also Google Docs, Google Spreadsheet and Google Forms (and much more) for you to be using.

CC0 Public Domain image by geralt - https://pixabay.com/en/secret-espionage-security-205657/ — CC0 Public Domain image by geralt – https://pixabay.com/en/secret-espionage-security-205657/

But you already have Microsoft Office or similar, I hear you say, so why would you consider either changing or also using these features? Other than they are free, here are some really good reasons why you should be using Google’s best kept secret to be working anywhere, anytime and from any device.

One source of truth

Google Docs, Google Spreadsheet and Google Forms within Google Drive are all web-based programs which allow you to create and edit through a web browser or an app on a mobile device. This means that you can work on a document regardless of the device that you are using. Also, as all changes are recorded, you can view the history of these changes and simply revert a document back to an earlier version.

These programs also allow multiple users to edit a document at the one time, even in real time, without the worry of wondering who is working on the latest version. This means that different people in different locations can be contributing or analysing information without the fear of multiple versions being created. Couple this with meeting online in Google Hangout (or another online meeting room) where multiple users can all be contributing to a document at the same time – now that’s real productivity.

Acts as an intranet and share drive

One thing small businesses and groups struggle with is managing their information and knowledge effectively without investing in costly information management systems. These features in Google Drive, coupled with its online storage capacity, means you can set up and share your business’s information very easily and cost effectively as an intranet and/or share drive.

CC0 Public Domain image from Pixabay - https://pixabay.com/en/photos/info/ — CC0 Public Domain image from Pixabay – https://pixabay.com/en/photos/info/

As Google Docs, Google Spreadsheet and Google Forms are web-based, this also means that all of your information is automatically and securely saved to the Cloud, providing a simple back-up system.

If you need to provide others with a copy of a document, you can do this by downloading the document into many common formats such as: .docx, .xmlx, .pdf, .csv, .txt etc.

These documents can be set-up to be shared as ‘view’ only, or to allow to people comment on a document. These documents can be shared internally, to specific individuals or to the whole world wide web.

Have your own survey tool

The Google Form feature in Google Drive means you can create online feedback and registration forms without having to invest in an online survey tool. If fact, anytime you need people to be filling out a form or providing you with information, you could be getting them to enter the information directly into a Google Form (even via a mobile device). All of this information is then entered in real time into a Google Spreadsheet for you to use however you like.

And if you have a Gmail account, you already have access to all of the features without having to do anything extra to get started. Simply look for ‘Google Drive’ in the Google Apps section of your Gmail (top right hand corner). If however you do not have Google Drive – then simply register and join here: drive.google.com. If you would like everyone in your organisation or group to be using these amazing features, you should consider investing in Google Apps for Work and get access to even more great stuff.

These were only a few of the great reasons for using Google’s best kept secrets. Share with us some other reasons why you use these features. Or let us know if you have any questions.

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Contact us (email or 0400 732 270) now to find out more about how you can successfully be using Google’s best kept secret to work from anywhere, at anytime and from any device.

Three key reasons for using an online meeting room

An online meeting room is a place where people can meet online just like they would in person to share information or generate ideas.

Most people think of Skype when they think of an online meeting room, but there is also Google Hangout which allows you to meeting online for free. And there is an array of premium online meeting rooms services available such as Adobe Connect, Anymeeting, Blackboard Collaborate, GotoMeeting (GotoWebinar / GotoClassroom) and WiziQ, just to name a few.

At a minimum, a good online meeting room should have the following features:

text chat / instant messaging – where people can ask questions, add comments or share information / links, using text
slide sharing – which allows presentation slides to be viewed by participants
screen sharing – so people can share and interact with their computer screen which other people can see
video streaming – so people can do demonstrations or see each other
recording – to allow the meeting or session to be recorded and viewed at a later stage
uses low-moderate bandwidth – to ensure even people with poor internet connectivity can still participate

Other good features (but not essential) are:

interactive features such as: whiteboards for brainstorming and polls for gathering information / opinions
break-out rooms – so participants can work in sub-groups by going into separate online rooms while allowing the meeting / session host to interact with all groups

So here are three key reasons for using of an online meeting room:

CC-BY image: Arrows showing up (Blender) by FutUndBeidl - https://www.flickr.com/photos/61423903@N06/7382239368 — CC-BY image: Arrows showing up (Blender) by FutUndBeidl – https://www.flickr.com/photos/61423903@N06/7382239368

Increase business opportunities

Using an online meeting room means you can increase your business opportunities by offering your services or training to clients outside of your region. It also means you can employ staff or contract people outside of your geographical location to bring specialist skills into your business.

Communicating with others in an online meeting room is more personal than a telephone call because you can use the video streaming feature so people can see each other (and their body language) just like they would in a face to face meeting. This also allows you to engage with clients and staff through any device, including a mobile phone, to demonstrate how to do something, or make or fix something.

Reduce time and money

Having an online meeting room means that you can connect and communicate with others, regardless of their location. This means you can communicate with people from all over the world, or in the next suburb, without leaving your business environment. This means significant time and cost savings, and widens the number of people you can interact and do business with.

Image from: https://pixabay.com/en/photos/money/

Online meetings are often shorter than face to face meeting, as people are more tasky. Integrated with Google Docs/Spreadsheets etc, using an online meeting room means that people can all be constructing and editing documents all at the same time – now that is amazing productivity.

Improve staff training

Online meeting rooms allow you to deliver better staff training, as these spaces allow people to interact more effectively than in a face to face environment through the text chat / instant message feature. People are much more likely to engage and contribute to group activities if they can do this autonomously by interacting and brainstorming on the whiteboard feature.

Having an online meeting room also means that you can engage trainers and special guests, regardless of their location. They also allow you to record staff training sessions which means that those staff members who couldn’t attend a training session can view a recording, and the recording can also be used as a resource for people to review when they actually need the information, even if they attended the live online training session.

These are just a few reasons why you should be using an online meeting room. Please use the comment box below to share any others that you know about or do.

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Join us for the “Teaching Tips to build your learners’ foundation skills” webinar series on 14-15 October or contact us via email or on 0400 732 270 to discuss how you can fully benefit from using an online meeting room.

Stay up to date with the latest in using online meeting rooms by subscribing to our Digital Capability – Doing it Smarter eUpdates or connecting with us online through Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn and Twitter.

Social proof yourself in less than an hour a week

Having an online social media profile is simply not enough when networking professionally online. You also need to social proof yourself by showcasing who you are without being too “in your face”.

Social proofing yourself is the act of sharing information online which people in your network find useful and interact with. This activity then creates a picture in people’s mind about the type of person (or business) you are which helps you build credibility.

CC-BY Image: social proof by Jurgen Appelo – https://www.flickr.com/photos/jurgenappelo/10867592824

When someone is deciding whether they will connect with you online or, more importantly, do business with you or offer you a job, they will want to know that you are who you say you are (Remember the “On the Internet, nobody knows you’re a dog” cartoon). Social media spaces allow people to find this out quite quickly and easily by allowing them to review your social media profile and activity.

This is where having an active professional online profile works in your favour, as an active social media presence ensures that you will be ‘front of mind’ when people in your online network (or someone they know) are ready to make a purchase (for looking for an employee) in an area which you have something to offer.

But I hear you say, “I don’t have time for that!”. But how can you afford NOT to have time to social proof yourself when your best way of getting new business or finding a new job is through referrals, and the easiest way for people to know what you do is via your social media profile?

So, here’s how you can social proof yourself (or your business) in less than an hour a week.

Have a clear idea about how you want to social proof yourself

To get started, think about how you want people to perceive you online. Generally, this is either positioning yourself as an ‘expert’ or ‘guru’ in your area of expertise or as someone who can be trusted and does what they say they can do.

Switching what you want to people to see you as into what information can you share which will give this impression is important, so remember: its about sharing interesting stuff, not just selling your stuff. For example: if you are an accountant, you would share information online which would make managing people’s finance easier or help them generate more money faster.

CC0 Public Domain image by geralt – https://pixabay.com/en/info-information-tips-icon-support-553635/

Turn perception into an easy web search to bring useful information to you

Once you know how you would like people to perceive you online, eg expert or trustworthy, you then need to work out how to turn this into an easy web search which brings you newsworthy information. For example, a hairdresser could share information about the “latest hair designs” or “managing frizzy hair” etc.

You then use these terms to create a series of Google Alerts (ensure you use the “inverted commas” for phrases so Google Alerts knows to only bring you information on that topic). Google Alerts is a free service which allows you to put out a permanent search on information and have that information delivered to your email inbox whenever new information becomes available. You can then use this information to create interesting posts in your professional social media space.

Scheduling the useful information to social proof yourself

If you get your Google Alert terms right, you can quickly gather just the right amount of information to give you enough content to post at least one interesting thing a day in your professional social media space for the next week. And the best way to do this is to ‘schedule’ your posts for the week all in one hit using Hootsuite.

Hootsuite is a ‘free-ium’ service that allows you to schedule posts and monitor activity. Depending on whether you are using the free service or the premium paid-for service, you can schedule and monitor posts, as well as interact with others in lots of different social media spaces, and for as many social media identities as you like, all in the one online space. You can even do all of this from the Hootsuite app on your mobile phone.

Tracking your social proofing to know what works and what doesn’t

Once you know what you want to post for the week, it is now time to write the posts. If you are using online articles, it’s often best to just use the title of the article if this gets the message across that you are an expert or trustworthy. Otherwise, use a sentence that will grab people’s attention.

If you are using the premium Hootsuite service you can then write your posts in a spreadsheet which can be uploaded into Hootsuite via their Bulk Message uploader. Hootsuite also provides reports on engagement with your posts.

Another great way for you to easily track whether anyone has clicked on a link from one of your posts is to convert the link to a bit.ly link. Bit.ly is a free service which allows you to convert a URL into a shortened link that can be easily tracked. Bit.ly will then provide you the data about how many people clicked on the link and when they clicked on the link. A bit.ly link can also be customised to make them more human readable.

So, you know you need to build more street cred with your online professional network, and now you know how to do this in less than an hour a week using:

Google Alerts to bring you the information
Hootsuite to schedule your posts, and
Bit.ly to track the effectiveness of your posts.

If you aim to create, schedule and track at least one interesting post a day, then it will take you less than one hour a week to social proof yourself and help bring you business or new connections for whatever it is that you would like to achieve. So, what’s stopping you?

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Stay up to date with the latest in succeeding online by subscribing to our Digital Capability – Doing it Smarter eUpdates or connecting with us online through Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn and Twitter.

Getting people’s attention in a social media obsessed world

Networking online helps to keep you front of mind to a wider audience. It also helps to social proof who you are and what you do. This means that when someone is looking for your type of product or service then you will be one of the first people they remember. They will then either research more about you or they will get in contact with you.

Original CC-BY image from Wikimedia Commons - Jumping for Joy - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jumping_for_joy.jpg — Original CC-BY image from Wikimedia Commons – Jumping for Joy – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jumping_for_joy.jpg

In a social media obsessed world, where everyone is sharing everything, getting people’s attention can be tricky, so here are some useful tips:

Help people gain or solve their pain

In a ‘what’s in it for me’ (WIIFM) world, people filter information by looking things which will help them either gain something pleasurable or interesting, or, to help them solve a pain or problem, whether that be physically, emotional, social or financial. So consider whether your online network is looking to gain something or have their pain solved to help you choose the right information to share with them.

Don’t worry about not having lots of information to share. ‘Google Alerts’ can provide you with the latest information of interest as it pops up on the net. This is a free service which trolls the internet every minute of every day, and then emails you with the latest links to information based on the keywords or topics that you have asked it to inform you about.

Inspire or shock

Once you know the theme or interest area which will help your network gain or solve their pain, and you have sourced some interesting links from Google Alerts or elsewhere, you then need to present the information is such a way that it will inspire or shock your network.

Inspiring your network can be done through motivating quotes or updates about good news stories. Shocking your network can be done through facts and figures which puts the fear of god into them or similar. Knowing whether to inspire or shock your network will depend on who you are trying to connect with online. These inspirational or shock punches doesn’t have to be just words. Think images, video and useful links.

CC0 Public Domain image from Pixabay by PublicDomainPictures - https://pixabay.com/en/photos-sharing-transfer-laptop-315170/ — CC0 Public Domain image from Pixabay by PublicDomainPictures – https://pixabay.com/en/photos-sharing-transfer-laptop-315170/

Give to get

People are so used to getting things for free online such as free email accounts like Gmail, Hotmail etc, and free social media sites like Facebook and LinkedIn. With that in mind, consider what you give people to get their attention in the way of information, checklists, how to videos etc.

The spin off of giving away something online which people find really interesting or useful is that it could go viral. That is, people share what you have given them with their network, and then their network does the same to the point that it could be seen and shared by hundred, thousands or even millions of people. Now that kind of exposure has got to be useful right!!

Share and care

Social media has moved the internet from a one to many mode of communication to a shared community space. This means you can connect with people everywhere and with the most unlikely people such as major influencers, key decision-makers and even celebrities. To be a part of the social media community though means that you need to share and care about your network.

People in your network don’t just want to hear from you, they want to speak with you and know that you care about them. You do this by sharing, retweeting and liking the posts your network puts out. This doesn’t mean that you need to share or like every post. What is does mean is you should share and care about posts that relate to the first three points of this post (eg pain/gain, inspire/shock, give/get) and that you know will be of interest to your network.

Go beyond social media

Social media offers amazing ways of getting people’s attention online, but these spaces are not the only places that you should be networking with people online. The web also offers other ways to do this, such as writing blog or vlog (video blogs) posts, doing online presentations or giving away free images, and through personalised and targeted email communications. This will ensure you have a diverse online footprint.

Also, don’t forget your offline networking like attending local business events and having coffee meetings. Make sure you take your business cards with you which have links to your online profiles so you can continue the networking with the people you meet face to face online.

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Stay up to date with the latest with helping you succeed online by subscribing to our Digital Capability – Doing it Smarter eUpdates or connecting with us online through Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn and Twitter.

If flipped = blended, and MOOC = e-training, then could online = gymnastics?

More and more educators are taking the leap into offering their programs as elearning.

CC-BY image: bs-iv-folie-6-gruppenarbeit by algogenius - https://www.flickr.com/photos/59939034@N02/5476290876 — CC-BY image: bs-iv-folie-6-gruppenarbeit by algogenius – https://www.flickr.com/photos/59939034@N02/5476290876

Elearning is “learning conducted via electronic media, typically through the internet” (Oxford Dictionaries). There are many different kinds of eLearning. Michael Coghlan talks about nine models of elearning. One of these models which is becoming quite popular is the ‘flipped classroom’.

The flipped classroom happens when face-to-face class time is used for the actual application of learning rather than the delivery of content. So, what was traditionally done for homework is now done in class, and vice versa. Online environments are then used to deliver the content via different means: text, slides, video, audio etc.

When speaking with educators about the ‘flipped classroom’ model, it becomes apparent that ‘flipped learning design’ is really a fancy name for ‘blended learning’. That is, when face to face education and training is supported by online learning activities and resources. So the term “flipped classroom” is just a catchy way of saying blended learning, an elearning model which has been around for a long time.

On the world wide web (aka the internet), catchy terms rules. Think MOOC. If you haven’t heard of this acronym yet, MOOC means Massive Open Online Course. Major universities and other consortia are going nuts over this elearning model. Check out this list of MOOCs: https://www.mooc-list.com/. MOOCs (well, MOOCx) are really just very large cohorts of learners doing e-training – that is, learners absorbing content and doing activities without any human facilitation or interaction.

This led me to think: if flipped = blended, and MOOC = etraining, then could online = gymnastics? That is, could the term “gymnastics learning” be the next great way of describing when someone develops a course where all of the learning and assessment is done online, and involves interacting with others? This makes perfect sense when you consider that gymnastics involves “the performance of exercises requiring flexibility, balance and control”?

Here’s my thinking:

OpenClipartVectors - https://pixabay.com/en/rings-balance-gym-gymnastics-man-150491/ — CC0 Public Domain image: OpenClipartVectors – https://pixabay.com/en/rings-balance-gym-gymnastics-man-150491/

Delivery requires a full routine

Asking learners to participate in online learning requires the educator to choreograph a full program of work. They need to know what the learner will have achieved before they start so you can shape the learning and activities so the learners are all dancing to the same rhythm.

Learners need to master different apparatus

Interesting and interactive online learning has learners using a range of equipment (aka tools) as part of the learning performance such as discussion forums, wikis, glossaries, etc.

There are individual and team events

Participatory online learning involves individual and team (group) activities such as having learners individually reflecting in their online journal or blog while working with others to thrash out issues or planning activities through webinar rooms or online chat sessions.

Individuals have to master the routine

Online learners usually don’t have face to face contact with their teacher but are given instructions on how to access and master their online learning routine, and supported at a distance to undertake the course.

These analogies show that, like gymnastics, online learning requires “flexibility” of time, the “balance” of actions and the “control” of the routine. So when you next think about delivering online training, see yourself and your learners as a gymnasium troupe working together to achieve a desired outcome which can be quite spectacular!

I am sure there are other analogies which could connect the world of gymnastics to the world of online learning, so please share them in the comments section below.

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Contact us (email or 0400 732 270) now if you would like to know more about how to implement gymnastic learning, flipped classrooms or MOOCs. Also, check out our ‘elearning implementation mentoring service’ or join our “Flipped Learning Design Program” which kicks off in Sydney on 27 August.

Stay up to date with the latest in succeeding with elearning by subscribing to our Digital Capability – Doing it Smarter eUpdates or connecting with us online through Facebook, Google+,LinkedIn and Twitter.

Extend your network through social media online groups

CC-BY image: 3D Social Networking by Chris Potter https://www.flickr.com/photos/86530412@N02/7975205041

The World Wide Web is a place of give and get. This means you get the most from being online when you interact with others and share what you know to exponentially grow your network of colleagues and customers.

The explosion of social media sites, such as Facebook and LinkedIn, is testament to this. With 14 million Australian Facebook members alone, these social media sites offer a wealth of opportunities to network and meet like-minded people through their online groups.

Being a member of a social media online group provides you with a convenient and easy way of learning, sharing and connecting. This activity will not only widen your network, it will help you keep up to date in your area of expertise or interest.

So here is how you extend your network through social media online groups:

Set yourself a reason why

CC-BY image: Why? by Bart Everson - https://www.flickr.com/photos/editor/6698208975 — CC-BY image: Why? by Bart Everson – https://www.flickr.com/photos/editor/6698208975

We all have limited time, so before deciding which social media online group(s) to extend your network, set yourself a reason why. Your reason why may be to get more leads or it may be to find people interested in collaborating with you on your next business venture. It may simply be to stay ahead of the pack on what’s moving and shaking in your industry. Whatever it may be, ensure you link it to your overall networking goals.

By working out what you are aiming to achieve through networking with others online will ensure you are not wasting your precious time being involved in discussions and activities which don’t meet your needs. Your reason why will also allow you to stay focussed on what is important.

Select the right group(s)

There are a multitude of social media online groups, ranging from business networking groups to industry/topic specific groups. Draw on your reason why to help you narrow down which social media online group(s) you will join. If you can’t find the right group, then start one yourself as there’s sure to be other people looking to network on the same theme or topic as your reason why.

Don’t feel that you need to join a group that has the most members. Networking is a numbers game but consider quality over quantity when selecting your online group(s). If the group posts are ‘open’ then review the posts of the group to gauge relevance and the regularity of the group’s activity before joining. Don’t feel you have to stay in the group if the group’s interactions are not meeting your needs.

CC0 Public Domain Image by geralt - https://pixabay.com/en/face-empty-woman-wait-waiting-time-66317/ — CC0 Public Domain Image by geralt – https://pixabay.com/en/face-empty-woman-wait-waiting-time-66317/

Be an active member

Joining a social media online group for the first time can be very daunting. It is like going to your first networking function with people you have never met, so approach it in the same way. Start by introducing yourself and stating the reason why you have joined the group. If you are not comfortable with this in the first instance, don’t be afraid to just ‘lurk’. That is, watch how the group interacts with one another to understand the group’s etiquette before contributing to any conversations.

Like all good networking, always ask questions of the group to find out more about who they are and what they know. Remember, there’s never a stupid question. It’s all about learning and networking. Asking questions also helps to create conversations and means information that benefits others will also be shared. Take the time to respond to other people’s posts, as well as, share interesting information that others would find useful.

Stay on top of the activity

Not many people have the luxury of constantly re-visiting their social media online group(s), so have the group’s activity come to you. You can do this either through email alerts or by receiving alerts through the social media app on your mobile phone. This way you can monitor which of the group’s activities are relevant to you without having to dedicate large amounts of your time.

Reassess your reason why

After participating in the social media online group for a while, take the time to reassess whether your reason why has been met or whether it needs to be changed. As we learn and grow our networks, our need for more or different information or networks changes, so evaluate whether your activity in a social media online group is helping your reach your overall networking goal. This may involve exiting the group and/or find more groups.

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Building foundation skills through vocational training: fact vs myth

Guest Blog, originally posted at LLN and VET Meeting Place, an intersection of LLN and VET Practitioners

Myth: By teaching the vocational task (e.g. hairdressing), all learners build competence in both the vocational task and in the foundation skills needed to perform that task.

Fact: To develop foundation skills, some learners need explicitfoundation skill-building strategies merged into vocational programs

So what are explicit foundation skill-building strategies?

The key word here is, ‘explicit’. To be explicit is to be proactive and make foundation skill development in our vocational training both obvious and

highly visible

… i.e. explicit.

We can’t just hope that if we concentrate on teaching the vocational task, foundation skills will come. They may, but with many learners they may not.

How can I get started?

To get started, adopt a dual-delivery focus to your vocational training programs. Focus on:

How to build vocational skill – e.g. ability to cut hair, AND
How to build the foundation skills needed to perform the skill at work – e.g. speaking and listening skills needed to converse with clients while cutting hair; numeracy skills needed to calculate the bill for the hair treatment.

Devise training strategies that cover both vocational skill and foundation skills.

Here’s a 2 step process to consider

Explore the training content foundation skills
Explore how you can reveal the foundation skills ‘how to do it’ steps’

1 Explore the training content foundation skills

What do the learners need to do?

Look at the task from a different perspective. Instead of focusing on the task only from the perspective of the what you intend to deliver, align your reflection towards the foundation skills and ask, when the learners do this, what will they actually need to do? What skills or knowledge are involved with this task?

For example, what is involved with:

recording case notes?
developing spreadsheets?
completing this project?
costing electrical installation?
analysing policy documents?
preparing a speech?

Ask, what will the learners actually need to do to complete the tasks? What skills and knowledge are involved to be able to perform that task? If you find examples helpful, here are some resources describing foundation skills within a mix of industry, and government roles.

2 Explore how to reveal the ‘how to do it’ steps

You may think it’s obvious, but for many learners the foundation skill ‘how to do it’ steps are invisible. It may feel odd, or uncomfortable, but finding your voice, or a resource, that reveals the foundation skill ‘how-to-do-it’, can make all the difference to learners really ‘getting it’ and being able to apply, and transfer the foundation skills, or not.

Tasks seem so natural to us, we forget that we have a subset of procedures, strategies, specific skills and knowledge enabling us to do the task so seamlessly. Have theAustralian Core Skills Framework (ACSF) and Core Skills for Work (CSfW) easily accessible. The performance descriptions will help to clarify what is involved – the skills and knowledge.

Locate resources that reveal the skills and knowledge involved. For example this Youtube focus shows and explains the fundamentals of writing a paragraph. The Queensland Council of Adult Literacy Tutor Tips provide a range of foundation skill ‘how to do it’ strategies for trainers. For example, if your learners need to develop report writing skills this report writing pdf reveals the structure, features, purposes of this text type.

If you would like to know more about building foundation skills through vocational training, join the team from LLN and VET Meeting Place at this upcoming workshop…

“Build it in: How to merge foundation skill development with adult education and training”

7 August 2015, Sydney

Access the details here or download the workshop flyer

___________________________

This guest blog was written by Ann Leske and Chemene Sinson of LLN and VET Meeting Place

Ann Leske

Ann has a Master in Education and has been involved in education and training for 16 years as an Adult Language Literacy and Numeracy teacher, Project Manager, Researcher, and innovator. Ann has prepared and contributed to published outcomes that have influenced others and provided new approaches. Ann leads professional development and consultations across Australia which enabled workplaces, RTOs, and LLN and vocational education and training (VET) teachers to obtain LLN insight and confidently approach LLN delivery. Ann has also taught LLN and VET teachers the current Language Literacy and Numeracy Certificate IV units and Graduate level qualifications

Visit Ann’s LinkedIn page for more information.

Chemène Sinson

Chemène is a learning and development consultant who specialises in TAE qualifications and other non-accredited programs. She has extensive experience consulting, designing and delivering TAE Certificate IV and Diploma programs for various private, community, government and industry-based RTOs. She has written a suite of learning and assessment materials for the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment purchased by more than 100 RTOs to date. In recent years she has focused her own professional development on language, literacy and numeracy development through VET.

Visit Chemène’s LinkedIn page or her website for more information.

Which social media sites should I spend my time networking?

It’s now common knowledge that social media sites are great places to be networking and sharing what you do online. The whole premise of social media sites started around social networking as they allow you to grow your connections exponentially, without geographic restrictions.

Connecting with others via social media allows you to build social proofing or ‘street cred’ which leads to increased connections as well as opportunities to research and test new markets and ideas, and learn from others.

CC-BY Image "Australian Social Media Site Stats" by Digital Capability — CC-BY Image “Australian Social Media Site Stats” by Digital Capability

The top five social media sites (minus the blogging sites) in Australia at the moment are Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter (Social Media Statistics Australia, May 2015). But it doesn’t pay to be involved in all of them as the audience that you are targeting to connect with are not in all of these sites.

Knowing which sites you to spend your time networking will ensure that you are interacting with the right audience and not spreading yourself too thinly in terms of time and quality of connecting.

Here are the best sites to spend your networking time based on the largest five Australian social media sites for your industry/sector:

For the retail industry – gravitate to Facebook

The retail industry is considered to be a business to consumer business model and the biggest social media site where Australian consumers frequent is Facebook. Facebook, with 14 million Australian members, offers many opportunities for retailers to connect with their customers, as people hang out there like they do in a pub or cafe, catching up with friends and family.

Facebook allows you to directly connect by ‘friending’ people through your personal profile, or through a Facebook business page. Either option allows you to post interesting content such as inspirational images, quotes, freebies or bargains that individuals can benefit from and which pique people’s interest in your business. Alternatively, you can join relevant Facebook groups to share and connect with others.

For the professional service industry – gravitate to LinkedIn

The professional services industry is considered to be a business to business business model that provides professional services (business and financial services etc) to other businesses. The best social media space to connect with key business decision makers is LinkedIn.

LinkedIn has a lot less members than Facebook with just over 3.5 million Australian members, but offers the same networking opportunities through personal profile, company page or by joining relevant groups or sharing blog-like posts. Information shared through LinkedIn is much more professional and business like (ie there’s no cats and babies pictures on LinkedIn). Interesting posts about job or business opportunities as well as research or professional development opportunities that lead to endless and exciting possibilities can be found in LinkedIn.

For the knowledge service industry – gravitate to Twitter

The knowledge service industry is considered to be both a business to business / business to consumer business model, as this sector helps people either/or improve their existing knowledge (through education and training) or manage their knowledge better (through systems and processes). People in the knowledge service sector gravitate to Twitter because information is shared in digestible bite-sized posts (140 character limits per tweet) that can be filtered easily through #hashtags, trends and lists.

CCO - Public Domain image by Stux — CCO – Public Domain image by Stux

You can have a personal and/or a business profile in Twitter but they are two completely separate profiles, unlike Facebook and LinkedIn which require you to have personal profile before you can have a business page. Although Twitter is the smallest social media kid on the block with only 2.79 million Australian members, Twitter does provide great opportunities to quickly build connections and share knowledge online as this is where people of influence as well as journalists and bloggers hangout to source and share their breaking news.

For the personal service industry – gravitate to YouTube

The personal service industry is considered to be a business to consumer model as it requires a person to do something practical for another person which they could do themselves if given the right information (eg landscapers and interior designers etc).

People in the personal service industry sector gravitate to YouTube, as this social media space allows them to visually share the tricks and tips of their trade through video. Those in this industry that do this well make a secondary (or primary) income through online advertising on their YouTube channels. YouTube, with 13.75 million Australian members, is a force to be reckoned with in terms of creating a network of dedicated followers, while learning from the best.

For the personalised experience industry – gravitate to Instagram

The personalised experienced service industry is considered to be a business to consumer business model, as it helps people create great times through food and drink (hospitality) and living memories (tourism). This industry also lends itself to sharing these experiences through photos, so people in this industry gravitate to Instagram.

Although still an adolescent compared to Facebook and YouTube with only 5 million Australian members, Instagram has tripled its membership from 1.6 million in just 12 months (Social Media Statistics Australia, May 2014). Instagram allows you to visually share how you provide the personalised experiences people are desperately seeking in socially connected world.

Image: How do you use social media to attract the right people to your business? by Debbie Tranter

Remember social over sales

Whichever social media site you choose to go with, remember social media is about being social and not selling, so make use of your time in these spaces to connection with others and get to know people. This involves two-way communication. That is, showing an interest in what others are doing and saying online.

Don’t feel you have to exclusively spend your time in one social media site as networking in more than one social media site increases your opportunity to grow your network faster, so consider which site offers you the best features to share online who you are and what you do.

________________________________________

Contact us (email or 0400 732 270) now to find out which social media sites that you should be spending your time networking online.

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Building foundation skills through vocational training: fact vs myth

So what are explicit foundation skill-building strategies?

highly visible

How can I get started?

Here’s a 2 step process to consider

Explore the training content foundation skills

Explore how you can reveal the foundation skills ‘how to do it’ steps’

1 Explore the training content foundation skills

2 Explore how to reveal the ‘how to do it’ steps

If you would like to know more about building foundation skills through vocational training, join the team from LLN and VET Meeting Place at this upcoming workshop…

“Build it in: How to merge foundation skill development with adult education and training”

7 August 2015, Sydney

Access the details here or download the workshop flyer

This guest blog was written by Ann Leske and Chemene Sinson of LLN and VET Meeting Place

Ann Leske

Chemène Sinson

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