What do Mark Zuckerberg and Steve Jobs have in common? Besides being two of the greatest tech innovators of our time, they both shared a special relationship. The two developed a close relationship in the early days of Facebook and often met to discuss the best business and management practices for the company. Jobs was Zuckerberg’s mentor.
Whether you’re just starting out in your career, or even nearing the top, having someone in your corner that you can trust and ask for advice is invaluable. The best mentors have a wealth of experience, are great listeners, and are able to give you practical and well-thought advice tailored to your professional and personal development.
 

 
Here a few things to consider when choosing the right mentor for you.

Personality and values
It’s important to ensure your personality and values align […read more]

When it comes to making a meaningful connection with Gen Y, McCrindle said there are four key elements that advisers should bear in mind.
They must keep things:

real
relevant
responsive
relational

 

 
Keep it real 
Gen Y is a cohort that has seen a lot of hype during their life to date; they’ve been advertised and marketed to more than any other generation and they know when something is inauthentic.
“That’s the quickest way to actually drive them away, is to be inauthentic,” Henry warned.
McCrindle agreed, noting the power of social media means Gen Y will open the door to their friends, whereas, they’ll block the door to an advertiser.
“So, if we can keep it real, if we can build that connection in a real way, almost as an adviser of trust rather than someone pushing something on them, then I think we’ll […read more]

Just because you don’t hold a certain title or have a team reporting to you, it doesn’t mean you can’t act like a leader in the workplace. Not only will you improve your own performance, you’ll start to garner the respect of those around you … who knows, you might even put yourself in line for a leadership role sooner than you think.
 

 
Accountability
Actions speak louder than words, and this tends to be a factor that separates the average from the high flyers. When you commit to something, follow through. You’ll begin to gain exposure and earn yourself a reputation as somebody who can be depended on, because others rely on leaders, right?
It is imperative to also take responsibility for your actions. In today’s dynamic business environment, things are bound to go wrong one way […read more]

As you would have read in our previous post, conducting business with Chinese clients is usually a respectful, delicate and lengthy process. In this post, we’re discussing the finer pointers of negotiation and some tips how to drive a positive outcome for you and your business when dealing with Chinese clients.
In Western business culture, most business relationships start and finish the same way. Person A approaches Person B wanting to do business. Person A makes Person B a proposal. Person A and B discuss the details in a step-by-step manner. Person A and B agree and sign a contract. Person A and Person B begin their business relationship.
 

 
However, negotiating in China has been described as running a race without knowing where the finish line is. Once you understand the roots of Chinese culture, it’s […read more]

You’ve worked incredibly hard on a presentation. You’ve researched diligently and you’re well prepared. As you’re presenting, you feel like your colleagues are on your side. However, out of the corner of the eye, you notice a colleague who isn’t buying your idea. You become distracted as they shoot daggers at you … your blood begins to boil.
At the end of your presentation, your colleague shoots down your ideas in front of your peers. Your heart begins to sink to the depths of your stomach. You feel like your colleague’s critique is a personal attack on your credibility and capability.
Let’s face it, criticism is a fact of life. While usually well-intentioned, it can be pretty difficult to deal with. Unfortunately, if not address properly, it can even get to the stage where it begins to consume every aspect of your life … it adds stress during work hours and invades […read more]

As China’s economy continues to surge and reshape the global marketplace, more and more businesses (domestic and abroad) are realising that doing business with Chinese businesses, consumers and clients is a potentially lucrative affair.
Profound social, economic and cultural changes have created a consumer market that is unlike ever before, and as a result, Chinese consumers are becoming increasingly selective in respect to customer experience and cultural norms. It is imperative that those attempting to take advantage of this opportunity understand and appreciate the nuances of Chinese business culture, etiquette, meeting protocol, and negotiation technique.
Conducting business with Chinese clients is usually a respectful, delicate and lengthy process. In this post, we’re focusing on a few key pointers for the initial stages of formalities.
 
 

 
The initial meeting

Punctuality is essential.
Seniority is […read more]

Chinese visitors to Australia surpassed 1 million for the first time last year and has more than doubled in the past five years.
Yep, Australia is red hot for Chinese tourism. Predicted strategical targets have been smashed and as reported in the Sydney Morning Herald,  “the value of Chinese tourism was initially estimated at between $7.4 billion and $9 billion a year by 2020, but annual spending has already exceeded this and more recent forecasts indicate it could be worth up to $13 billion by 2020.”
 

It’s not just tourism either …
Chinese investment in Australian real estate has surged by more than 400 per cent in just five years … property is now the number one Chinese investment in Australia. It’s even predicted Chinese investors will spend $44 billion over […read more]

Chances are we’ve all experienced some form of Mondayitis before. It’s the common feeling of weariness, sadness, apathy and general distress many individuals feel when starting the Monday morning work week. It’s a pretty horrible feeling, but with a coffee, an email tidy up and the first meeting of the day, the symptoms of Mondayitis generally tend to subside.
In some cases, the symptoms don’t subside.  What happens if Mondayitis doesn’t subside? What happens when Mondayitis turns into Tuesdayitis and rolls into Wednesdayitis and beyond? Although these feelings may be a result of any number of factors, it generally stems from a lack of motivation.
 

 
Increased workloads, high stress, lack of opportunity, and poor pay are major factors for low motivation, which can create a downward cycle. […read more]

More than half of Australians are social media users and the majority of these users are smart phone owners. If you’re reading this, chances are, you’re probably one of them. However the power of both, used wrongly, can be a recipe for disaster. As our smart phones are within reaching distance the majority of time (yep, even when you’re drinking) and the allure of social media is only a few touches and swipes away … you know where we’re going with this.
 

Why it’s important
Back in the good ol’ days, a well-presented resume and interview were enough to land you the job. However, with a quick Google search, both clients and employers are able to easily scan each candidate’s social media channels in order to get a flavour of who […read more]

The network event has gone smoothly. You’ve had a great time, you’ve engaged with a few new contacts and you had a lengthy and insightful conversation with one of your targets. Great! You can probably call the night a success.
Although you’ve nailed the preparation and the event itself, you can’t rest of your laurels just yet. Generally underrated as an afterthought, following-up your new contacts after the event is an imperative step of the process.
According to the New York Times, research shows that almost a third of external hires are from referrals. Additionally two-thirds of new business comes from referrals. Another Nielsen study cites clients are four times more likely to buy when being referred from someone they know and trust.
So, what do you do with your pocketful of business cards? Well, they’re no value if you don’t utilise them. A networking event is just the initial beginning of a […read more]