Names not Numbers

It's nice when colleagues and those higher-up remember details about you as a person, not you as your work persona.

Over the last week I have been listening to psychologists and other Happiness-at-work experts at the online Happiness at Work Summit.  The more I learn about it, the more I hear people talking about it, I really want to be part of something that creates a great atmosphere for people to go to work in. It's just so important and cannot be underestimated!

Now I know some initiatives to keep your employees engaged and happy cost money, but not everything costs money.   It can be as simple as your positive attitude to someone, your willingness to let someone speak their mind, your smile and acknowledgement of someone or in my case today, my manager's manager remembered I was going on leave and wanted to know why I was still present at a meeting.

It made me feel good for 2 reasons:

1. That he remembered. He's a busy guy and for him to remember, thats nice
2. He saw that I was committed and interested in the businesses goings-on.

Ofcourse, this then has a snowball effect on the rest of my day, talking with others, speaking with people I would normally not have spoken with and culminating in me speaking with the ANZ chairman of our company. Our company has a philosophy of small actions make big differences, today, (maybe not in the same way our company envisioned that but ...) I directly saw that put into action.

Values based Conundrum ...

I was recently booking accommodation in Japan for my upcoming trip when I came across one hotel that stated clearly (& multiple times) that ... "No 2 men can stay in the same room...".

What is a liberal & values driven person to do?

a) Boycott the place by staying elsewhere? And let them know it?
b) Dont stay there but accept that the world is not at the same level as us (not that we are a country to preach gay rights) and not be so ethnocentric?
c) Stay there and accept that the world is not the same everywhere?

d) Stay at the hotel and talk/discuss with hotel staff & other guests about the issue?

I went with b).
Conservative yes, but who am I to go to another country and preach my way? 
I would hate it if the reverse was done to us.

Driving AND Talking

I take a lot of things for granted, but once in a while I get a wake up call and realise how lucky I am.

Another action/activity is now acknowledged in my bank; We take talking to our fellow passengers for granted.

Everyday I drive past a Deaf & Blind school on my way to work.  Normally, it's just another school & another school zone I must slow down for.

Today was different. Today while driving to work, I saw a young-ish man wanting to take a right hand turn & while he was waiting for a gap in the traffic, I saw him communicating with his passenger in sign language.

It dawned on me a few seconds after, that it's only when the car is stationary (waiting at at traffic light, waiting to take a right hand turn, stuck in traffic) that a deaf person can be communicated to if they or the driver is driving.  

Commuter Camraderie

 I have lived in The Hills for most of my life. I have been through its up's and its down's, espcially in relation to our public transport situation.  My breath is not being held and am not expecting some miracle. A train line? What's that?

Most Sydney-siders would know who we are ... we are those that ride the canary yellow bus.  When in the city, you cant help but see them running up and down York & George streets.  

One of the great things I love (if i can call it love) about how we commuters have an unspoken bond in relation to how we are all hard done by, how the bus is always late, the great probability that you will have to stand the whole way!  

I feel that I am forever looking around the bus or checking out the bus que for someone that I know.  I have had many a late night coming back to the Hills and everyone is chatty, discussing their night & jumping into other peoples conversations, laughing at the snoozer and in unison, steering clear of the vomiter.

We gather at bus stops and discuss if the bus has gone, how its always late, will you even get a seat. The dread we share that we're not on the "x". ("x" buses are express buses that go to the city via lane cove tunnel GREATLY reducing the duration of the commute) and even worse, that the bus behind us is an "x".

Our Hillsbus drivers also recognise that its not so peachy commuting in for about an hour (on a good day).

In the past I've had those drivers who are extra friendly and chat to people as they get on and off. There is one on Saturday nights that really pumps up the music as we migrate to the city for the night. Even more fun is Christmas time. The extra joviality of the drivers, the completely OTT decorations with flashing lights, tinsel, ornaments and of course the Santa suit uniform. 

 If the train line was extended to our part of town, it would solve our transport woes, but our camaraderie and opportunites to bond would diminish. The train line is way overdue, its up to individuals including me to keep the camaraderie buoyant.

  

Picture taken from:
http://www.cdcbus.com.au/IgnitionSuite/uploads/images/Hillsbus%5B2%5D.JPG

It's so Springy!

Spring. 'Tis truely here now.

The whole weekend had been such a beautie! I barely spent any waking hours at home or indoors.
Sydney really knows how to pull off an amazing spring day!

I love it how the sun is higher in the sky, you start to wear t-shirts, all the birds keep chirping and you start to crave icy cold beers.

I think I really took a leaf out of my European friends book and enjoyed the outdoors. Travelling around Glebe, Darlinghurst, East Sydney, Watson's Bay

Late afternoon views of CBD from Watsons Bay.

Oh! I was also lucky enough to duck into David Jones this week to check out the Spring Flower Festival. I think there were more people in there taking photos and enjoying the flowers than actually shopping!

No more clinical looking Clinique!

Organ Donation

Confession ... I watch Packed to the Rafters.
The last few weeks, they have talked about one member donating their kidney to another family member.
It's nice, it's sweet ... I cried.

I also yelled ...
The last few weeks, there was nothing said, no info line, no website informing people on where to get more info on organ donation. This last episode, as the 'whats happening next week is playing', literally a 2 second banner popped up saying something about kidney donation.
I yelled at the tv as it was such a token 2 second gesture that I could not read in time.
Shame on channel 7 for not profiling it a bit more.

For more information:
Kidney Donation
Organ Donation

Times are Changing

We’re living in very interesting times.
It’s reassuring to know that the fate of our country does not always rest with the so called leaders of the parties.

Our election took place on Saturday with neither party being elected in the majority. A minority government needs to be formed with the possible collaboration of the 3 (or 4) independents and a Greens member.

After the piss poor and oh-so disheartening election campaign, these independents essentially want to run things with a bit more tact, diplomacy and respect for others in parliament.

They want to actually meet with Ken Henry and adopt more from his tax review. The want to improve question time procedures, instill changes to the way donations are made to the parties and have protocols in government advertising. You would think that these should already be a given.

A couple of years ago I was listening to a speech delivered by Edward De Bono. He spoke of decision making processes and how they should involve a model. Progress through the models steps, gather all relevant information and data, working out all the pros and cons and coming up with a meaningful policy. Our government and opposition are forever finger pointing and hardly ever working together. The last time there was a whiff of bipartisanship it cost Malcolm Turnbull the leadership of the Liberal party (in regards to the ETS).

I’m all for whatever changes these country boys put forward … it can’t get any worse.