Issue 7, January 2003

Happy new year from everyone at M Power. May you be everything you can be in 2003. Welcome to another edition of m news, our monthly e-newsletter. We hope you enjoy reading it. M Power is a consultancy which empowers organisational and individual performance. m-news covers related themes – six quick snippets about business, organisational and individual effectiveness, communication and public relations. Communication empowers. Karen Morath, managing director, M Power The ‘quick six’ for January are 1. A quote we like 2. Tips for success in business 3. Only in America 4. Work we're proud of (shameless self promotion) 5. A great time to plan 6. This month's book review


1. A quote we like Here’s a quote to think about as you ponder what you hope to achieve in this new year. “It seems to me that people have vast potential. Most people can do extraordinary things if they have the confidence or take the risks. Yet most people don’t. They sit in front of the telly and treat life as if it goes on forever.” Source - Philip Adams

2. Tips for success in business Businesswoman and author Marcia Griffin, speaking at a recent Hume City Council Business Breakfast, offered the following tips for success in business. You need a goal/vision/plan/strategy clarity of purpose (you have to know what you want so you can persuade others along the way) systems (how are you going to achieve the vision?) consistency to focus on the positives (be concerned about the things you can change) to be proactive (make your business work by reaching out to customers, rather than waiting for them to come to you) to be creative (get your ideas from people who are creative if you are not) to keep learning (to have longevity and freshness, you need to keep up your formal and informal learning so that you continually add to what you already know) to maintain balance between the emotional, spiritual, community and business aspects of your life to aim to be the best.


3. Only in America
According to news reports, the US Supreme Court is considering investigating whether PR campaigns need to be based in truth!! The thinking is that because American companies are only liable for telling the truth in 'commercial speech', which means in ads or sales promotions, and the blurry line between those and some PR initiatives means there is some opportunity to mislead. There are two great explanations about what some aspects of PR are all about which should negate any need for concern. They are 'doing good things and telling people about them' and ‘establishing and maintaining dialogues between organisations and those they seek to communicate with'. Organisations practising those definitions of public relations are above reproach. The best way to practise public relations is always in truth, whether or not it is legally required.

4. Work we’re proud of (shameless self promotion)
M Power was recently appointed to handle the organisational communication needs of a Victorian Shire Council. We are undertaking an audit of the organisation’s communication function and will structure and implement a program which will comprise general public relations counsel and media and community relations. We are thrilled to have been selected and are already enjoying meeting the challenge.

5. A great time to plan
Take the opportunity a new year presents to get your team together and redefine your organisation's or department's goals, work on teamwork, service delivery, time management or productivity. M Power can design and run a seminar or workshop to meet your needs. When did you last take time out to ensure you are on track?

6. This month's book review
This month we’ve decided to review two books (because we don’t believe that less is more!). One is a timely classic, the other is literally hot off the presses. The classic is The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey, Simon and Schuster, New York. It is perhaps the best book ever written on individual effectiveness. It is timely because new years are wonderful opportunities to build on the previous year, to reinvent, refresh, renew, and of course, resolve. I love the feeling in January that anything is possible and each year make a habit of re-reading 'the seven habits' and hoping this is the year I get it all together. This is an inspiring book and all the better for multiple reads and the attitude that life is a journey and incremental improvement is cause for celebration. The hot off the presses book is Staying at the Top by Ric Charlesworth, Pan Macmillan 2002. You can’t spend $10 (to buy it) or two hours (to read it) better than this. It is only a small book but is certainly evidence that size doesn’t matter! It’s full of great tips about team building and success, written in two parts – ‘being the best’ and ‘staying the best’. To buy the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People from Amazon click here. Ric Charlesworth was the coach of the world-beating Australian women’s hockey team, the Hockeyroos, and he draws on that experience (and more, he’s an incredible over-achiever) to connect sporting and business success. It’s extraordinary. You will want to have a pen and paper with you to take notes while you read. © M Power 2003

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