Organisational reports - be prepared

Presenting a report involves all of the techniques involved in other forms of communication. They all involve getting a message across – and that may involve just your content, but it may also involve a message about yourself.

During any event or meeting or project, store notes on each stage to aid in compiling reports. These may be stored in your PC or laptop, or simply in paper form in a folder. Remember, information not reported is almost as though it never happened.

So a report is vital to the evaluation and growth of the whole organisation. It can motivate as much as it can inform. It keeps members informed so they are prepared for the future and are aware of the past. It gives higher officers the input they need to function effectively and to inform the Board. And because written knowledge can be saved, it is a record for the future.

Report writing and presentation is a vital aspect of any organisational member’s training. It provides practice in clear logical expression. Thoughts are organised so they can be presented in a more meaningful, accurate and complete form. It can also be practice in self-promotion and promotion of the organisation.

Meeting success tip

Before you go ahead with your meeting, ask “Is this meeting necessary?”  Look at alternatives in terms of cost effectiveness, what need is to be filled more effective formats, levels of accountability and the possibility of using policy or procedure checklists instead.  

Communication success tip - constructive criticism

Everyone appreciates constructive criticism.  But it is so much more palatable and therefore effective if it is couched between two layers of well-deserved praise.

More on Communication

Getting Noticed on the net

Getting Noticed on the Net- Web Site Registration
 
Have you "Googled' your Not for Profit and found that it doesn't appear on the search results? Or are you relegated to page seventeen among thousands of competing sites? Correctly registering a Not for Profit with major search engines and web directories is the way to get noticed on the Net!
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Discover the leader within you

"Learn to Lead: Discover the Leader Within You"
Everyone has seen a good leader in action. And, as we have all witnessed, he or she seems to easily create a vision, influence others to commit to the vision and then empowers these same individuals to succeed in achieving the vision.
Additionally, he or she simultaneously wears different hats, acting as teacher, cheerleader, even as a sounding board, as the “team” works to make the vision a reality.
In watching this phenomenon, most of us have wondered: Can strong, effective, productive, successful leadership be learned?
The answer to this question is a clear, definitive “Yes.”
In fact, some leadership skills and behaviors are already present in you. You just have to learn to tap into them fully. Some of them may be foreign to you now, but with a little bit of perseverance and application you can learn to cultivate them.
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Keeping up to date with critical issues

Westlaw Watch streamlines the process for keeping your organization up-to-date on critical business issues, legal topics and competitive matters. This easy-to-use, interactive tool allows the monitoring and management of clips across your organization with the ability to deliver results via e-mail distribution or through seamless links on your intranet or portal. Individual users, a select group of users or the entire organization can receive relevant news or legal information in their preferred format when they want it

Personal Internet surfing at works costs heaps

Personal Internet surfing at work costs Companies over $300 billion a year
According to a new survey by America Online and Salary.com, summarized by Dan Malachowski, the average worker admits to wasting 2.09 hours per 8-hour workday, not including lunch and scheduled break-time. The survey indicates that employees are wasting about twice as much time as their employers expect. Salary.com calculated that employers spend $759 billion per year on salaries for which real work was expected, but not actually performed.
The biggest distraction is personal Internet use by 44.7% of the more than 10,000 people polled. Socializing with co-workers came in second at 23.4%. Conducting personal business, "spacing out," running errands, and making personal phone calls were the other popular time-wasting activities in the workplace.
 
Read the whole article
 

National roundable of nonprofit organisations

Nonprofit Roundtable aims to enhance the extraordinary work and effort already undertaken by nonprofit organisations in Australia. It seeks to promote and strengthen the reputation and recognition of the sector and to increase the infrastructure and capacity of the sector to deliver important economic and social contributions to Australia and beyond. The objects of the Roundtable include:· - to encourage voluntary and philanthropic endeavour · - to enhance the recognition of and promote support for the work of nonprofit organisations· - to provide a national forum for the exchange of information, research and knowledge· - to undertake, initiate or coordinate research to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of nonprofit organisations· - to inform decision makers in respect of issues affecting nonprofit organisations· - to be a voice on issues which affect nonprofit agencies· - to enhance the cooperation and engagement between business, government and other sectors of society with the nonprofit sectorVisit the website

Corporate social responsibility

Corporate social Responsibility  -  Forum 2006

2-3 March Marriott Hotel, Sydney

Corporate Social Responsibility Forum 2006” is a highly interactive two day event addressing strategic issues confronting organisations dealing with the latest developments and challenges in corporate social responsibility. This forum brings together a group of leading practitioners from a variety of backgrounds to discuss key challenges confronting organisations. They will speak candidly about their experiences, sharing lessons on what worked, what didn’t and what the future might hold. Each in different ways, our presenters will highlight the strategies, key programs and the  infrastructure required to:

• Successfully engage stakeholders

• Measure the effectiveness of existing approaches and
identify areas in need of improvement

• Bring the values to life throughout the organisation

• Develop strategic partnerships

• Effectively communicate CSR

• Use CSR as tool for competitive advantage

• Attract and keep the right people

More Information

Launch of Australian Philanthropy Journal

From ProBono Australia



NSW Govt Promotes Corporate Philanthropy

The NSW Government is encouraging greater corporate philanthropy with the launch of a special NSW edition of the Australian Philanthropy journal.DoCS’ Communities Division Executive Director, Sonja Stewart, says that while there are signs that increasing numbers of trusts and foundations ware being established in the State, local research had shown Australians were not giving as much as they could.

Stewart says that with approximately 7,000 Not for Profit organisations providing community and social services in NSW, the potential for collaborative partnerships between these organisations and the philanthropic and business sectors is almost limitless.She says the NSW Government has recognised this great potential for cross-sector collaboration to make a significant contribution to the people of NSW; whether through direct financial assistance or donations, or businesses providing in-kind resources or encouraging their employees to volunteer their skills to non-profit organisations.Stewart says that combined with the growing interest in Corporate Social Responsibility in recent years, it is hoped that this new publication will spark further interest in this area.
The NSW edition focuses on philanthropy in NSW and includes a number of articles show casing partnerships between the philanthropic and business sectors, and NSW Government agencies.It provides excellent examples of how government agencies and the philanthropic and corporate sectors can collaborate on projects that contribute in to community and individual wellbeing.One innovative and successful project is the Lawyers Encouraging and Assisting Promising Students! (LEAPS!) mentoring program which has been making a difference in the lives of vulnerable young people in NSW since 2002.
Through this project, which is run through a partnership with the NSW Department of Education and Training and the Sydney legal profession, selected students are partnered with lawyers and other employees of participating firms and meet regularly to discuss career and life goals.

DoCS contributed $16,500 to the cost of producing the special edition. The journal is published by Philanthropy Australia, the national membership and peak organisation for trusts and foundations, and is usually distributed three times a year to its members.An electronic copy of the journal is available at www.communitybuilders.nsw.gov.au

How to give to your community

The new Giving Bikes page is just the latest in a series of improvements made to the Australian Giving Centre, which is supported by our alliance partner Westpac. The Giving Centre now has information on just about everything you need to know when it comes to giving to your community: from giving money and time, to giving organs and blood, to giving blankets, clothes and furniture, land, computers, and mobile phones. It’s
online at www.ourcommunity.com.au/giving

Nine Steps of Planning in your organisation

Nine Steps of Planning in your Organisation

Even though everyone in your organisation may be fairly aware of what is to be achieved, and what your organisational goals are, the goal-setting, planning process is useful to focus awareness on the aims and processes and to ensure that everyone knows exactly what their roles are. These steps can also be used in any decision-making situation, or any problem solving session.Planning, must, however, never stop. It is constantly adapting to new situations.1. Assess the situation2. Select objectives and strategies to realize objectives. 3. Develop action plans for entire long-range plan4. Develop detailed action plans for current year5. Establish a way to monitor activities and insure feedback (reporting).6. Develop a budget and implement ways to meet funding requirements.7. Measure performance; analyse feedback; compare progress with plan.8. Act on findings: give green light to successful activities, take corrective action when needed.9. Signoff on completed plans - abandon ones not achieving your objective or when the objective changes (as they do).

Leadership Success Tip

No person will ever be a great leader who does not take genuine joy in the success of those with whom they serve.

Fundraising - is hand-written best?

Steve Hitchcock discusses whether hand-written addresses on the outer envelope and hand-written notes inside are worth the expense and bother:
"Almost all of the organizations we work with at Mal Warwick & Associates are using some form of hand-written mailings. The percentage of donors who respond to these mailings is very high -- two, three, or even four times as high as in response to conventional lasered or printed appeals. These hand-written appeals -- which cost two, three, or four times as much as a standard appeal – are ….  Read on

The WHODO

The WHODO

Before you walk into a meeting, send an email or start a call, take a minute to think about what you want to achieve.1. WHO are you talking to? This is the decider, your prospect, the person who, by direct action, can get you the result that you want.2. What do you want that person to DO? This is your call to action – the single, specific action you want him to take.

Meeting success tip

Before you go ahead with your meeting, ask "Is this meeting necessary?"  Look at alternatives in terms of cost effectiveness, what need is to be filled, more effective formats, levels of accountability and the possibility of using policy or procedure checklists instead. 

Meeting success tip

 
If you want everyone's opinion, take note of those who have said nothing.  When everyone is quiet, ask those people for their ideas. 

Communication upwards

The Inside Advantage
Have an important decision to make? Your employees know more than you think. Open the lines of communication and get valuable advice from those who understand your company best.
The biggest challenge in communicating with employees today is not coping with a culturally diverse work force, overcoming the impersonalization of e-mail or battling information overload to get your message across. Instead, it's getting employees to trust you and offer ideas for improving the business.
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Negotiating confidence

 

Negotiating can be a challenge. Sometimes we watch successful negotiators at work and wonder if it is an ability they were born with. But with a little time, information and preparation you can head for the negotiating table with confidence. Ten Steps to Win-Win Negotiating.1. Be prepared. Define your objectives and use lateral thinking to brainstorm possible ways they can be achieved.2. Research the other party’s objectives and brainstorm the methods they may use. “Find the edge” – any pressure points or hidden agendas. “Information is power.”3. Prepare yourself and the way you use the venue. Choose your seating for power, your clothes and your attitude. 4. Establish a cordial relationship on opening the meeting. Specify the aims of the meeting.5. Raise less contentious issues first.6. Promote harmony, minimise the negatives and articulate areas of commonality. 7. “Win-win” means compromises on both sides, so be prepared to bargain. Start with two lists – your must-haves and your might-haves, and start with a higher level than you expect to obtain. Highlight the contribution of your concession to the other person’s objectives. 8. Be prepared to release information at times beneficial to your cause. Use silence. 9. Listen for surprises.10. Articulate the agreed outcomes and any timelines, or they may collapse. Use detailed preparation and the win-win method and you have the tools to approach negotiation with confidence.

Follow a Leader to Become a leader

Follow a Leader to Become a Leader
When it comes to managing your employees, your leadership style directly affects your success. Put your business on top by following these proven HR strategies.
One of the best ways to become a great manager is to follow the example of another great manager. Adapting a "best practices" approach to managing your employees may be one of the best ways to excel in your market or industry. By studying what the top 10 percent of U.S. companies have in common, researchers have identified five HR practices these companies consistently use that make them successful. And each process, system or approach is a practice your company can easily adapt.
Read On: >>>