It’s been widely panned as a waste of time, ineffective, and straight-up BS – so why do so many organisations still make their staff participate in brainstorming sessions?
There’s a quieter alternative that research shows is better at yielding more and better ideas.
Last month cybercriminals stole “highly sensitive documents like police checks, child support documents, pay negotiations, HR incidents, immigration sponsorship details, COVID vaccination credentials, tax file numbers, passports and licences” from employees of Pareto Phone, a supplier to many of Australia’s largest and most well-known NFPs.
With data breaches and cyberattacks on the rise, are you one of those employers who also doesn’t have appropriate systems to protect your employee information?
If so, we’re glad to be able to outline the key things that you should be doing today to protect your employee and volunteer data from cyber threats.
Compassion. Integrity. Responsibility. Forgiveness. As a not-for-profit professional there’s a good chance you hold these character traits dear. As the leader in your organisation, they may also make you up to five times more effective.
Almost 80 percent of Australia’s community sector workforce are women, so when the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) surveys its members, it’s keen to know what motivates women at work. Last year a new section called ‘The Environment’ was added to CPSU’s annual What Women Want survey, to explore how work and home life […]
Stress. It’s normal. Every one will feel it at some point, and individuals have their own stress triggers.
At the same time, workplaces have a duty of care to ensure they offer their staff a physically and mentally safe and healthy space in which to work in.
So what could you be doing to ensure that there’s a little less stress in the day for your team, and for yourself?
‘Smart’ sunnies and specs made by household names like ‘Ray-Ban’ and ‘Oakley’ now allow you to take high-resolution photos, record high-definition video, speak with an AI assistant, and more. Facebook owner Meta has sold more than 7 million pairs of its glasses, and Google and Apple are both preparing their own versions. Even Kmart was selling ‘camera glasses’ for just $89 until a few weeks ago.
But there are significant risks associated with the technology, especially when it comes to the workplace. Many models available today are almost indistinguishable from a normal pair of reading glasses or sunglasses, meaning they can record people without those around them realising it is happening – raising serious concerns around privacy and consent. An employee could record a conversation with a colleague or capture information on a computer screen without making it obvious that they are doing so.
We spoke with two experts to unpack how to respond to key risks of employees wearing smart glasses in NFP workplaces.
Imagine discovering that a colleague has been looking at photographs of you in swimming gear, showing them to other workers, zooming in on parts of your body and making inappropriate comments.
Now imagine that, after your employer tries to dismiss them, flaws in the process mean they are reinstated, and you may have to continue working alongside them.
This was the situation at the centre of a recent Fair Work Commission decision. We asked employment lawyer Warwick Ryan about how NFP leaders and HR teams can navigate allegations of bullying and inappropriate behaviour in the workplace, how to prevent problems from escalating.
Organisational knowledge encompasses everything from the judgement built through years of experience to deep and nuanced relationships with stakeholders – and so much in between.
It is often underestimated, sometimes taken for granted and in the worst cases ignored as an organisational asset. And if it isn’t given the thought and attention it deserves, it can create significant organisational problems.
So, how can NFPs identify the knowledge they can’t afford to lose – and make sure it’s shared before the people who hold it move on?
What are the leadership lessons that stay with us long after the books have been read and the courses have finished? In this series, we sit down with some of Australia’s most influential NFP leaders to explore the defining moments and insights that have shaped how they lead.
For our third post in this series, we spoke with Mat Tinkler, CEO of Save the Children Australia. Mat has spent almost a decade with Save the Children, championing child rights in Australia and helping grow its work around the world.
Along the way, Mat’s learned that becoming a better leader isn’t always about learning more – sometimes it’s about unlearning what you thought leadership was supposed to look like. Here, he explains why learning to be more vulnerable has made him a better leader.
Decades of psychology research show that humans have a deep-seated desire to find meaning in what they do. For many, that desire is what draws them to a workplace or a particular job. They want to contribute to something bigger than themselves – by improving lives, supporting communities or protecting the environment.
But that sense of purpose in NFP workplaces isn’t always guaranteed. When job demands increase, teams evolve and day-to-day responsibilities become more routine, it’s easy for the bigger picture to fade into the background.
So how can NFP leaders and HR teams keep that sense of purpose alive for their employees as the day-to-day work becomes familiar?