I was moved today by a simple thank you from a friend…
thanks Renee for showing me I’ve something to offer
Perhaps I’m still a bit emotional from watching Avatar yesterday but her simple note made me cry because it reassured me that this concept – that People are Assets - can and does make a difference in lives and communities.
This talented lady is currently my go to person for anything regarding the preservation of food. She is talented, fun and generous with her time and knowledge. She continues to teach and inspire me.
We volunteered together to provide a preserves workshop last year, in which she shared her time and knowledge about preserving. The connections made from that initial volunteer effort have lead to further connections and opportunities, in an ongoing movement toward community resilience.
It is people like this that make our communities stronger, happier and healthier places to live and enjoy life and I am immensely grateful today for these people who sustain my capacity to live [work] & hope.
Leading yourself; to see yourself as others see you
I attended the launch of the Otago University MBA Mentoring Programme last night and am well impressed with the caliber of talent they have drawn together. It’s an emergent and future focused initiative that will no doubt add immense value for students while allowing business people to give back.
In the official speech Mr Ian Flattery of the MBA, told the story of watching the Lion King and explaining to his youg son the meaning of the word “philosophy” as used in one of the songs.
“Son” he said, “philosophy is about what is important to you, the things that you value.”
“So then your philosophy is work and renovation!”
The charming and funny parable, which speaks of knowing how others see us, was an analogy for the inherent value of the mentoring programme, which creates an environment for the types of constructive feedback that will enhance the leadership styles of tomorrows leaders.
Leadership, the collective capacity to create things of value.
Networking, connecting and collaborating - whatever the purpose - talking and working with others is one of the best parts of my job. Last night I went to represent not just myself and Worknow but also an amazing community that I belong to called The Distiller.
The Distiller is a community of young web entrepreneurs based (primarily) out of the Centre For Innovation on the Otago University Campus. We support and encourage each other, offer feedback and share the highs and lows of the new venture journey, together. It is organic, collaborative business community at its best, one which provides a shining example of an environment
“…overwhelmingly governed by the trust/reputation/community approach…” Source
The Distiller also emphasises for me the collective nature of leadership; the realisation of collective potential, working with others in a concerted endeavour to create something of value to all involved. I am so thankful and immensely privileged to be part of such a great group of people. You guys Rock!
Sailing is an investment of time that I consider a rather noble pursuit but then I am biased because my dad was an avid sailor - John Lee, Skipper of the Leeway – and he was easily one of the hero’s of my life.
leeway: To slip sideways downwind while moving forward.
Yet this adds weight to the fact that I’ve heard several people talking about sailing this year, from simply learning how to sail to planned journeys around the world.
And it is their sense of purposeful adventure and discovery that has inspired my thoughts on the direction of my personal endeavors as well as our company this year.
Time to change tack
I resolved earlier this year to keep a written journal, a common device of those sailing the oceans. Indeed, I much prefer the creative process of writing ones thoughts vs blogging and I struggled immensely over the past week to find the inspiration to add value to our blog conversation so far.
Beside commenting on articles that inspire conversation or challenge my thinking it seems 2009 provided all the time needed to convey our vision, values and service. Upon reflection I realise that I have said all I need to say about Worknow and it is simply time to change tack.
Tacking – Basic sailing maneuver refers to turning the bow of the boat through the wind so that the wind changes from one side of the boat to the other side.
While we maintain our heading, we now power up the sails with the stories of those with whom we collaborate and whose bearing impacts on the work that we do.
Indeed, it is only through the collaboration and support of people, with the vision and creativity to apply Time Trade as a tool to encourage volunteering in their own community, can we hope to reach our way-points.
Ready About
I hope to increasingly use this blog to share the story of those that serve our communities in the most direct sense of the word. I hope, like me, you will find their stories inspiring and thought provoking.
Most importantly I hope to convey the conscious, collective community spirit under which these people and teams operate in order to inspire and encourage us all to volunteer our time and talent on a regular and ongoing basis.
Using the simple tools now at your fingertips just imagine what we can achieve, what change we can effect and the difference we will make when we work now, together for causes that benefit us all.
To build a world class business that helps people and effects change.
“People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it. And what you do serves as the proof of what you believe,”
HOW Worknow
On the basis of our shared values; recognising each others talents and working together in a spirit of trust and collaboration.
EXCELLENCE : We aim to be number one in our field and constantly strive to improve.
SERVICE : Helping people is our passion, exceeding expectations our reward.
INTEGRITY : We keep our promises, treat people fairly and value open and honest communication.
COLLABORATION : talented people, working together for the benefit of each other
BALANCE : work / life – future / present
GRATITUDE : We are thankful for our blessings and embrace both rewarding and challenging circumstances with open hearts.
WHAT Worknow
Work Now is a community marketplace to help people find volunteer and paid work opportunities. Join our talent community and create your talent profile to connect with people and work opportunities.
We, Gen Y, have the information, insight and connections to harness ourselves some rather impressive purchasing power.
Already we use tools like Trade me, to help establish market price and demand. Price Spy to inform us on competitive retail pricing and of course, there’s the ever present forms of social media (facebook, twitter, blogs) that we use to seek out recommendation from the people we trust.
Gen Y … are serious, independent information seekers who expect to interact with products and companies online as a matter of course,” … Their decision process begins and ends online, where they seek information, recommendations and validation…Collaboration is another Gen Y trait. As part of their consideration process, they seek recommendations and validation. Favorite tools include social networking, peer marketing, online support networks, text messaging and blogging. Source
There are always new tools or combination’s of existing tools entering the market. Tools like Bid Rivals, cashing in on the established Trade me culture and auction frenzy around low price deals. While here at Worknow we’ve set out to provide people a more cost effective way to connect with service opportunities.
In a world awash with online and mobile tools, it’s no longer a question about HOW to connect, it’s about knowing with WHOM we connect.
We humans are social creatures, so finding and connecting with other people – in part nature and in part need – is a process that is continually refined and enhanced.
Today’s online world has become a social space for seeking out and facilitating human interaction with the growing power of social search seen with the launch of twitter lists.
Literally, millions of lists created to organise diverse topics – Dunedin (location) Distiller (Group) Volunteering (Industry Sector) – as a collection of who, rather than what.
Worknow, connecting talented people with work opportunity
We’ve combined tools to help people find and connect with work opportunities based on their talent profile. A community marketplace using the familiar bid, buy and feedback system to help people find and bid for work on paying projects and offer time on volunteer work opportunities. As a community member you can use social networking tools to:-
Showcase your talents, skills and work experience, your values, interests and more…
Search and be found, based on the information you choose to share
Connect, communicate and collaborate with people of common purpose and vision
Build your online CV and living work history, a testimonial to your talents, skill and experience.
Please let us know what you think. Either via the Work Now forum or the User Voice Feedback tab located on the left side of your screen. Thank you all for your patience and support.
Using video and the recent 350 Climate Actions we sort to portray the the integral role social media plays in connecting and engaging with Gen Y volunteers.
Lani’s reputation preceded her, as did we in the Workshop format, so at the very least everyone coming to see her would have to sit through our presentation first.
We didn’t exactly stick with the abstract submitted but it was reassuring to see that at least three points that we made around Gen Y Volunteers:-
the use of social media
collaboration vs control
work experience
Were confirmed in person by the talented young volunteers (14 – 17yrs) that accompanied Lani on the road trip up from Dunedin.
Although we did not use the opportunity to discuss our own project hopefully between ourselves and the Otago Volunteering crew we provided some first hand insight into the collaborative and visual style of Gen Y volunteers.
Thanks toVolunteering NZ for the opportunity to attend and be heard.
Saturday 24th October 2009, International Day of Climate Action
This weekend I was absolutely inspired by the collaborative efforts and talents of our young people driving action and solutions for climate change. The leadership that encouraged and inspired action is living proof that Gen Y is a growing force for positive change.
The creation of a Spring Food Festival, that drew more than 15000 visitors to the Dunedin Railway Station on Saturaday, shows that collaboration – with a focus on solutions vs. problems – is the best way to get individuals, communities, countries in fact the entire planet to unite for the common good.
For more information on the wonderful work of 350 teams around aotearoa and the world check out some of these links:-
It’s time to provide greater recognition for all types of volunteer community work because while it’s not the kind of work that “pays the bills” it is the efforts of volunteers in our community, every single day, that connects and holds our society together. Massive Respect.
This simple fact is the basis for forming Worknow. Whether as a freelance contractor, outsourced supplier, trades person or community volunteer we simply wanted to make it easier for people to find, connect and work together.
Time Trade especially, is based on recognising that we all have talents that could be used to help others and recognises that networking technology has made it easier than ever to match need with talent.
From teaching someone a new laungage, to walking a dog, weeding a garden or lending a listening ear – someone somewhere, often closer than you think, needs exactly what you have.
Time is our common, finite resource, which is what makes it such an effective measure of value. What you choose to do with your time, defines who you are and what we are suggesting is that by giving it away helping others, you not only become a contributing citizen but by law of karma, you may find it comes back to you when you most need it.
We are Social Creatures, we need Community
We believe todays networking technology can help harness the collective potential of communities, groups and dispersed teams. Indeed our Worknow team is evidence that todays social networking tools can bring people together to collaborate and create new projects, business and we hope work.
A social network [online community] enables participants to make themselves known to one another and to communicate more effectively. It allows one to establish their identity online, to post their credentials, and to provide other information for others to see. It also can track correspondence and behavior within the network, establishing one’s reputation and enabling an impersonal medium to serve as a tool for building a matrix of trusting relationships that can lead to collaboration and coordinated action on many levels Tom Greco
We are gathering a community of talented people willing to collaborate and build shared intelligence in more entrepreneurial and flexible ways. I invite you to join our journey today by adding your talents to the collective potential.
Until I am measured I am not known but oh how you miss me once I have flown
When I was ten my cousin Hemi gave me “The Hobbit” to read. Ever since I read that first book J.R.R Tolkien has been one of my favorite authors. His genius and talent for fantasy, heroism and adventure, while rivaled, is not surpassed but I did not fall in love with Middle Earth at Chapter One. No, it was not until Bilbo meets Gollum and the riddles begin that I knew I was on to something epic.
I love riddles, puzzles and logic games. They appeal to the part of my nature that loves to solve problems and find answers.
History shows riddles have been used throughout the ages for everything from children’s games “Ring a Ring a Rosey” to matters of life and death. But in the context I now set out to use them I hope that they will simply help people think about some things, a little more. “What things?” you ask. Which is of course, the answer.
Until I am measured I am not known but oh how you miss me once I have flown
CLUE:090909@9:09
Obvious, too easy? As the title of this post indicated I do not provide answers here. This is only a post for posing questions. If you would like to confirm the answer to this riddle you could Google it, or join a community movement upon which the answer to this riddle is founded and measure yourself the value of ______?
