George Magazine

inspiration culture with one part of our market may not be very popular with others! HOW DO YOU MAINTAIN A WORK-LIFE BALANCE? Marina: I think for women in business today they need to realise that if you're in an organisation that doesn't support you, then you're in the wrong organisation. I work hard and I take the laptop home on the weekend. I would rather be home to have dinner with my children during the week and then open my laptop at nine o'clock than have to sit in the office and have to miss all of that. Andrew: Good planning and trying to maximise my efficiency at work is the key. Remove unnecessary bureaucracy and processes and once you've established the framework, give your teams the latitude to do their job without interference. decisions at times and locations that suit them. [Customers can] validate claims and information far more easily than has ever previously been possible. WHAT 'OLD-FASHIONED' TOOL OR RESOURCE DO YOU STILL REGULARLY RELY ON? Marina: When I started out in journalism your contact book was everything. So the journalists who were most envied were the ones with the big, fat contact books. I still have my Rolodex because people still give out business cards; it's a form of business etiquette. Andrew: We can never replace personal communication. Obtaining a clear and thorough understanding of [customers'] needs, desires and motivations is the only way you can hope to deliver solutions that really give them what they are after. HOW DOES POPULAR CULTURE INFLUENCE YOUR BUSINESS? Marina: In the media we follow a lot of trends that begin with popular culture because they are brought to life for a mass market by celebrities and television programs, and even in books. Andrew: I don't think popular culture has a significant impact on what we do across our business. As the demographic profiles of our marketplace vary so greatly, what would be considered as popular WHAT BUSINESS STRATEGY DO YOU IMPLEMENT TO ENSURE THE SUCCESSFUL DAY-TO-DAY RUNNING OF YOUR BUSINESS? Marina: I make lists of the things I need to do. In my line of work no two days are the same but I'm a mad planner—I write things in advance, I organise meetings well in advance, I have weekly meetings with my team members and monthly strategy meetings with the various partners to ensure that I'm across everything. Andrew: Have clear plans, a great team of people and provide a working environment that encourages your entire team to strive for great outcomes. Seek input and ideas from others, ensure you engage all stakeholders in solutions, celebrate achievements and use problems as a chance to improve and be better. WHAT IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO PROMOTE KEY BUSINESS MESSAGES? Marina: I think it's really important to know where your customers are. If your customers are online on Facebook or LinkedIn, then you need to be there. Some businesses make the mistake of wanting to reach eyeballs rather than being targeted about where the brand is being placed. Andrew: Tailoring communication to your market in a way that ensures that their interests are met is essential. This means that you may need to vary the forms and channels of communication to ensure maximum effectiveness. WORKPLACE PRODUCTIVITY In business today, productivity is everything. Research indicates workplace productivity is still one of the top priorities for most (78%) large Australian organisations. Recent data shows productivity improvements are seen as very important to achieving important organisational objectives in both the private (43%) and government sectors (31%). So how do you get the most out of your employees? 1. 2. Focus on connecting people 5. Set productivity targets 3. Focus on innovation 4. Attract and create an engaged workforce Invest in technology Source: 2012 Telstra Productivity Indicator ANDREW COCKS, CEO, RICHARDSON & WRENCH george.inspiration 47

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