[2008] CPA Australia in Second Life – a success!

With all the nerves of an opening night on Broadway we launched our first foray into virtual worlds on Tuesday 14 October. As I have noted previously the uptake for the session was impressive. Now that we have held the session I am happy to report that the members that attended were treated to a great presentation by two experts on virtual worlds and collaboration, Lindy McKeown and Lee Hopkins.

As with many of the projects that we have undertaken this year (including this community!) the virtual worlds session was very much an experiment to see if we could extract member value from this new technology. We know that one of the important goals for CPA Australia is to create an “anytime, anywhere” culture where our educational offer is as accessible in Beijing as it is in Melbourne.

It was with this thinking that we undertook the virtual worlds experiment and I am pleased to say that the current results for this first session are looking promising.

The first measure was reach. As mentioned above, we must continue to think outside the capital cities to regional Australia and our global members. I am happy to report that at our session we had members log in from Tamworth, Tumut, Euroa, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, the UK and the USA!

The second measure was quality of service. It’s no good reaching every member in the world if the only thing we can give them is a poor experience. Second Life is a relatively new technology so we were unsure of the level of service we could get from the virtual world. On this measure I am also happy to report positive news. Through the entire session all members had full audio and video streaming.

The third and most important measure is member value. Initial feedback from members has been very positive! Here is a sample of what our attendees said directly after the event:

“…More events would be good.”

“Yes, it would be good to use again.”

“I would like to see more events held in this way too.”

“I would like to sere more events like this.”

“I would definitely like to see more events like this please!”

Once I receive the formal evaluation forms from attendees I will have a better view on the member value of this type of immersive learning, but from all accounts it is looking positive.

For more information on CPA Australia in Second life and to watch the full length videos of the session follow this link: http://bit.ly/3GYEH1

And now the moment you’ve all been waiting for…. the highlights of the event!

[2008] Have one more look at that presentation…

When I attend a training or conference session I take a lot of notes. I find it is the best way to keep focused on what the presenter is saying. Unfortunately for me that often means I don’t fully take in the visual aids the presenter has used on screen.

At CPA Congress you have always been provided with a copy of the slides or a handout but in 2008 we have taken this a step further and are providing you with the opportunity to download an electronic copy of the papers for each session from My Online Learning.

Accessing your session papers is easy:

1. Visit the CPA Australia website.
2. Select My Online Learning from the Training and Events menu
3. Click Access My Online Learning
4. Enter your CPA Australia website login details (if you don’t know your login details send us an email to knowledge at cpaaustralia.com.au and we’ll send them back to you with 48 business hours.)
5. All of the sessions you have attended will be listed on the left of the screen under My Courses.
6. Click on the session your interested in
7. Download the files you would like.

If you would like more info please comment on this post or email us at knowledge at cpaaustralia.com.au.

Note: If you email us please replace ‘at’ with @. The email address is presented in this format to reduce spam.

[2008] Improve the bottom line with behavioural education

Organisations that focus strongly on interpersonal skills learning are on average 27% more productive and enjoy 40% higher revenue growth than their competitors, according to a recent study by Accenture.

Ric Willmot says that his experience shows that great leadership is achieved by getting things done through others, which involves so many of the interpersonal skills that we all use every day. But, even if you can identify your own behaviour properly, you won’t change unless you’re willing.

To help companies leverage the inherent value in employees’ work styles, the Executive Wisdom Consulting Group uses the Social Style Model, a tool for understanding basic behaviours and their impact on others, and for building interpersonal skills in business settings. The Social Style Model divides human behaviour into two categories:
1.    Assertiveness and
2.    Responsiveness.

Assertiveness refers to the degree to which a person “asks” vs. “tells” during social interactions. The example Ric Willmot gives is: Do you quietly ask your colleagues, “Would you like to go to lunch?” or loudly announce, “Let’s go to lunch!”?

Contrarily, responsiveness refers to the degree to which a person is introverted vs. extroverted. If you’re angry, do you keep it to yourself or let everyone know how you feel?

Employees must not only have the ability to recognise their own work styles and those of others but be willing to change and adapt.

Ric Willmot will be sharing more about Social Styles at the Brisbane and Adelaide CPA Congresses.

[2008] Improve the bottom line with behavioural education

Organisations that focus strongly on interpersonal skills learning are on average 27% more productive and enjoy 40% higher revenue growth than their competitors, according to a recent study by Accenture.

Ric Willmot says that his experience shows that great leadership is achieved by getting things done through others, which involves so many of the interpersonal skills that we all use every day. But, even if you can identify your own behaviour properly, you won’t change unless you’re willing.

To help companies leverage the inherent value in employees’ work styles, the Executive Wisdom Consulting Group uses the Social Style Model, a tool for understanding basic behaviours and their impact on others, and for building interpersonal skills in business settings. The Social Style Model divides human behaviour into two categories:
1.    Assertiveness and
2.    Responsiveness.

Assertiveness refers to the degree to which a person “asks” vs. “tells” during social interactions. The example Ric Willmot gives is: Do you quietly ask your colleagues, “Would you like to go to lunch?” or loudly announce, “Let’s go to lunch!”?

Contrarily, responsiveness refers to the degree to which a person is introverted vs. extroverted. If you’re angry, do you keep it to yourself or let everyone know how you feel?

Employees must not only have the ability to recognise their own work styles and those of others but be willing to change and adapt.

Ric Willmot will be sharing more about Social Styles at the Brisbane and Adelaide CPA Congresses.

[2008] Finding a way through the Crisis

I have been keeping a close eye on the news around the global credit crunch and associated market volatility and am alarmed at what the papers are telling me.

Am I to believe that the global economy is on a cliff edge and about to plunge us into a global recession not seen since the great depression?  Is there hope that the US  legislators can provide a solution?   I certainly hope so, and as Mr Paulson, US Treasury Secretary, says this issue is “much too important to simply let fail”

The other issue that has caught my attention relates to climate change. Prof Garnaut says globally we must reduce carbon emissions by 25 per cent by 2020 although seems sceptical of the international community’s ability to pull this off.

The amateur economist in me suggests there is a direct relationship between finding solutions for our financial crisis and our ability to mitigate carbon emissions. On the one hand, the potential costs associated with the global meltdown, combined with lower economic activity in 2009, will put significant pressure on our ability to absorb the the economic costs of the proposed Emissions Trading Scheme.  Just how can these be balanced?  As Prof Garnaut says, “Financial crises are short term phenomena… Climate change is a long-term structural issue”

On the other hand, perhaps this is the golden opportunity for climate change issues to be embraced as an economic downturn should reduce the demand for oil and it’s price, giving some breathing space for economic recovery.

I think that doing nothing in both issues will result in even greater economic costs which we simply cannot ignore.   My proposition is that we accountants should be in control  – would it have happened under our watch?  We can Think + Create the right solutions!

I am looking forward to CPA Congress for guidance and answers. There are several speakers speaking on these issues which for me should bring this into perspective. In particular:

Mark Vitner, Managing Director and Senior Economist, Wachovia Corporation (US)
Riding the tide of a US economic downturn – what impact will it have here?
Monday 13 October 9.00am – 9.50am

Bob Carr, Former Premier of NSW
NSW 2020 – can we sustain our growth?
Wednesday 15 October 8.30am – 9.20am

Ernst Ligteringen, Chief Executive, Global Reporting Initiative
Beyond the numbers – the value, challenge and future of non-financial reporting
Wednesday 15 October 5.30pm – 6.30pm

Brett Janissen, Executive Manager, Asia-Pacific Emissions trading Forum
Exploring the impact of emissions trading on the Australian economy
Monday 13 October 2.00pm – 3.00pm

I look forward to seeing you at Congress!   Let me have your take on the current turmoil and the days ahead.

Ron Switzer FCPA
Director NSW Division

[2008] The buzz is building in Queensland!

It’s the countdown to CPA Congress 2008 – and the buzz is reaching fever pitch!  We’re eagerly awaiting 4 action-packed days at our new, bigger venue, the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre.

In so many ways, this is CPA Congress as you’ve never seen it before – our President Alex Malley FCPA is an avatar in Second Life, we have an online community for members, a blog and much more.

This will be my third CPA Congress, and the diary is already packed full of sessions. So which ones will be the highlight for me?

At the top of the hit-list is  Keynote 1 – Beyond the numbers – the value, challenge and future of non-financial reporting with Ernst Ligteringen, the Chief Executive of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). We’re bringing Ernst over from Amsterdam at a crucial stage of the public debate on environmental and sustainability issues.

I’m really excited about this particular session – not only because it’s the first time the GRI has visited Australia, but also because it’s a rare opportunity for our Queensland business leaders to hear more about business sustainability from a world leading authority. For more info on the GRI, check out: http://www.globalreporting.org/

I’m also heading to Keynote 3 – Wedged between local strength and global weakness – the economic outlook.  International Economist Mark Vitner, one of the USA’s most prolific sources of wisdom on economic trends, will be joined by an outstanding panel of local economists and The Australian’s Peter Switzer, so this is a session not to miss.

One of the great things about this year’s event is the smorgasbord of topics on offer – if it’s relevant to our members, it’s probably on the menu!

As a non-accountant, one of my main interests is effectively managing my Queensland team.  So I’m also focussing my attention on the management-skills topics in the concurrent sessions. I’ve registered for:

D3 – Reporting to Management – how to simplify management decisions
F4 – Managing and motivating finance teams
I2 – Powerful people profiling – understanding behaviour to drive performance

And for some general knowledge areas:

G3 – Climate Change and Business – the risks and opportunities
K3 – Superannuation Update – a must see for anyone in public practice or advisory or even for yourself

For our more ‘visual’ amongst us (me included!), the colour-coding guide makes it really simple to see what sessions are tailored especially for your area of work.  Check it out on page 10 & 11 of the program.

Two of my favourite events are the Free Community Sessions and this year’s are possibly the best yet – and free to attend.

Watch this space for more information, or check out the program to book your seats now.

I’ll be hosting sessions too – and in-between all of this, out there meeting our members.   If you have a chance, please say hello or drop by the CPA Australia stand and chat to our Queensland staff.

Until next time,

Judy McGrath
Director – Queensland