Archive for June, 2007
June 20, 2007 at 9:20 pm · Filed under Public Relations, Australia
My palms are sweaty. I know my voice will break when I speak. It’s time to re-enter the classroom. But this time it’s not as a student. Starting in July I am teaching a course at RMIT.
We face a real skills shortage in Australia. The decade of economic growth and lure of exotic Asia dry the pool of skilled candidates. We have repeatedly paid recruiters when looking for talented professionals.
One long-term way to overcome the issue is to increase the capabilities of new entrants to the workforce. RMIT has a fantastic undergraduate communications programs - it’s probably the best in Australia. This semester I am proudly joining the faculty to teach one course. Titled, “Social Context of Professional Practice,” this is the final course for students before they earn their degree. It requires students to undertake a dedicated research project - and attend lectures on issues relevant to public relations practitioners today.
It’s been some time since I was in a classroom, and while I’ll gladly present before any company’s board, I am intimidated by the prospect of keeping the attention and interest of undergraduates.
Any tips for a “soon-to-be” teacher? What did your favourite teacher do to keep you engaged at school?
June 13, 2007 at 2:49 am · Filed under Australia
In Australia right now is Robert Amsterdam, a London-based lawyer representing Mikhail Khodorkovsky. The Khodorkovsky injustice requires more space than I’m able to dedicate - but in a nutshell, one of Russia’s welathiest and most influential men was jailed by Russia’s president Vladimir Putin.
Amsterdam has a simple message - by embracing Vladimir Putin, Western nations turn a blind eye to human rights abuses. The jailing of Khodorkovsky is politically motivated. His treatment shows the deterioration of Russia’s independent, democratic institutions.
And Australians can rightly ask - so what? What’s it mean for us?
As a democratic nation we should be outraged by human rights abuses. Yet we tolerate other nations in the interests of trade. Look at the run-around the Dalai Lama received when trying to get an audience in Canberra! But beyond the heart the changes in Russia can start to hit Australia a little lower down - in the wallet!
Russia is one of the world’s top mineral exporters, and with the new powers Putin is giving state-run enterprises these national companies will be able to seriously under-cut Australia’s exports. Putin is creating a new business model for Russia’s businesses.
In Japan’s edition of Newsweek today, Amsterdam is quoted as saying Putin is a thief. He’s stolen Khodorkovsky’s life - he’ll be after Australia’s exports next!
Track Mikhail - he may be a proverbial canary in a coal mine put in place to signal major change to Russia’s democracy. Let’s hope he’s able to fly the coop soon!
June 4, 2007 at 2:22 am · Filed under Workplace
In a book on the challenges of managing workplaces today, author Anna Maravelas talks about the rise of tension and stress in society. She lists a number of unrelated statistics that make it appear as if we’re mid-epidemic. From road rage to attacks on referees at sporting events to poorly mannered children - it’s a daunting compendium.
We don’t need to go to the movies to realise life has changed since Forrest Gump sat on a bench pondering the simplicities of life. Last month I read Bill Bryson’s The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid and then this past weekend watched a film called My Dog Skip. Both reflect back on a lost era when times were simpler and the biggest challenge was winning friends and surviving school.
I won’t deny life has gotten a lot harder and a lot more complex. I thought it might be the rise of email, mobile phones, Blackberries and other productivity-enhancers. But then again every era feels faster and more rushed than the simpler times that preceded it. Imagine the horror of life during World War One as mechanised warfare took a toll greater than any cavalry every could. Or the hubub of the Industrial Revolution compared to life on the farm. Or the demands my father faced in boom-time America after WWII. Every day is faster than the other - every modernisation sets us up to be more productive.
But I didn’t intend this to be a rant or cynical post. Let me move on…
What is refreshing about Maravelas’ work is her ability to take away the complexity and focus instead on the actions of the individual - herself included.
“In reality, most conflicts are the results of predictable errors made by very conscientious, well-intentioned people. Surprisingly, and somewhat annoyingly, I found the same patterns in my own behavior.”
Her central argument is that men and women are innately good and want to do good work. Politics, misunderstandings, pettiness and other human failings get in the way. She then outlines ways to overcome these difficulties in any work environment.
It’s starting off as a good read. The simpler the insights, the more profound the impact they have.
My palms are sweaty. I know my voice will break when I speak. It’s time to re-enter the classroom. But this time it’s not as a student. Starting in July I am teaching a course at RMIT. 
Thanks for visiting!
