• 20 Apr 2016 11:20 AM | Deleted user

    So my husband subscribes to CEO Update, the most expensive old-school publication ever, which I find entertaining specifically for its old-schoolness. It arrives in all its black and white, mimeographed-looking glory each month, full of association news and association executive job postings. This month’s issue, though, was a bit of a head-scratcher for me, though, as the front page article was weirdly juxtaposed with another article that pretty much cancelled out the headliner.


    The leading article was “Strong personal brand is key to gaining a competitive edge,” which stressed how important personal brand is for association execs. From the opening paragraph that you can read for free, you can see that a career coach says “Developing and cultivating a (personal) brand is really a career-long process….It’s important we take an active role in managing it.” True. The article goes on to stress that, in this day and age, social media and your online presence is everything when it comes to branding yourself and staying relevant, stating that LinkedIn has become the primary source for many organizations when it comes to hiring, and that “the lack of an online presence is perhaps the biggest mistake that many executives make” when it comes to managing their brands and their careers. Excellent advice for anyone currently working and/or hoping to be gainfully employed from now until the Internet implodes.


    Then, on the very next page, is this article: “Not all CEOs are all in–or even on–the LinkedIn network.” This one talks about how many association CEOs feel that the risks and the hassle of having an active LinkedIn presence outweighs the benefits. A different recruiter than the one quoted in the previous article – the one that states how big a mistake it is to not have an online presence – is quoted as saying that he “does not think negatively of someone not on LinkedIn.” Um, ok? So…which is it, CEO Update–personal brand–the key component of which is online presence – is or is not important?


    According to John Graham, ASAE’s CEO, in the LinkedIn is not important article, LinkedIn and ASAE’s Collaborate – is “totally appropriate and smart” for younger professionals working their way up the career ladder….but for executives at his level, networking “around town” is the way you stay marketable. So I–a 47 year-old association professional – re - joined ASAE specifically to be able to access Collaborate – was wrong for thinking that online networking and collaboration is valuable and necessary? Networking “around town” would have been more valuable to me both professionally and in terms of personal branding? I’m pretty sure that it’s appropriate and smart for professionals of any age to have a strong online presence.


    Here’s the thing: even if you love your job and are great at it, in this day and age, you can’t afford NOT to be on LinkedIn and constantly building your resume in addition to your personal brand. Ok, so maybe John Graham doesn’t need to worry about it, but for the rest of us, being invisible online – and not being on LinkedIn or having a bare-bones LinkedIn profile and viewing every connect request as suspect and relegating it to the “ignore” pile – is just not smart, career-wise. No matter how great at your job you are, there are no guarantees in life (ok, short of an association exec’s contract…but even then….) and continuing to view LinkedIn as just another Facebook and/or waste of time is just not a good idea. I’m not saying that you need to log hours on LinkedIn – or any social network–each day or even week, but deluding yourself into thinking that it’s not important is, in my opinion, career suicide, not to mention, bad karma.


    Yes, I just said that – bad karma. How many association execs are investing in private online community platforms for their organizations, seeing them as valuable ways to increase member value and member engagement? Just today I got an email from Higher Logic about a new case study – ASAE – and how valuable their private community, Collaborate, is. But wait…didn’t ASAE’s CEO just say in the CEO Update article that online communities – including Collaborate – are “totally appropriate and smart for younger professionals”….but not for, um, not-younger professionals such as myself or anyone over the age of…who knows what age qualifies as “younger”? What if everyone on Collaborate – or any association online community – thought that online communities are a waste of time unless you’re “younger”?


    The thing with online communities–both public, like LinkedIn, and private, like the one your association is probably either already investing in or about to be launching – is that you have to give to get. If you – or your association’s CEO – thinks that online community is a waste of time, then he/she can’t expect anything different from your organization’s members….or from recruiters in the unfortunate circumstance that he/she finds him/herself job searching one of these days or years.


    Nobody wants to be job-hunting, least of all CEOs. But in this day and age, unfortunately it’s not always up to us and LinkedIn is just a necessary evil in terms of professional credibility the same way a website is for businesses. Again, I’m not saying you need to spend hours each week updating your profile and/or sharing in LinkedIn groups or whatever, but uploading a photo, filling in your profile and not just ignoring every.single.connect request….that bare minimum you do need to do to remain relevant. And to association CEOs who depend on keeping their orgs relevant, here’s the thing: yes, as the figurehead of your association, it is your personal responsibility to remain relevant professionally…and LinkedIn is part of that.


    So break out that headshot from your last Headshot Lounge (because I’m pretty sure every association exec, ever, has one), upload it to your LinkedIn profile and get to accepting some of those LinkedIn connect requests. I promise–most of the people looking to connect want nothing more from you than just what the connect request states: to connect on LinkedIn. It is not that serious – I promise.


    This article was originally sourced from Social Fish and was written by Maggie McGary. 

  • 20 Apr 2016 11:11 AM | Deleted user

    ACE 2016 will bring together some of the top leaders and association professionals from across Australasia. Each will come along ready to share their thinking, their plans and their knowledge. Hear from key note speakers Wendy McCarthy AO, Steve Vamos and Holly Ransom, a number of unique exhibitors and insightful breakout sessions. Early bird finishes March 31, register now to be a part of something great. [CEO ACE 2016 Invitation and register here]

  • 20 Apr 2016 10:17 AM | Deleted user

    AuSAE Networking Lunches offer a great chance to get out of the office and meet new connections in the sector. Each lunch also features an insightful presentation on various topics of importance. Attending a lunch is a great chance to see what AUSAE really offers which is a place like-minded professionals can gather and share workplace challenges and achievements over a delicious two-course luncheon at a great venue. Check out the upcoming lunches below. We would love to see you there!


    Perth | Rebranding your Organisation - How to remain relevant in a changing environment on Wednesday 29 June 

    Debbie Childs (CEO at HelpingMinds) will present on how to differentiate your business or service in the minds of your target market and [more] 


    Sydney | From "Compulsory Union Ticket" to "Membership of Choice" on Thursday 7 July

    Siobhan Hayden (CEO at Mortgage & Finance Association of Australia) will share how the MFAA is improving member engagement and retention within the compulsory membership [more]


    Brisbane | Creating a Behaviour Based Culture on Thursday 14 July 

    Michelle Trute (CEO at Diabetes Queensland) will explore the behaviours you are really wanting your staff and volunteers to adopt in your organisation. How do you define [more]


    Canberra | How to advocate your Members on Tuesday 19 July 

    Genevieve Quilty (CEO at Optometry Australia) will discuss Optometry Australia’s responsibility to raise the united concerns of the sector with decision makers and to influence the necessary changes to support [more]

  • 20 Apr 2016 9:35 AM | Deleted user

    AuSAE has welcomed new members from the following organisations this month.


    Is your organisation on this list? If your organisation is on this list as an AuSAE organisational member but you are unsure if you are part of the membership bundle, please contact the friendly AuSAE team at info@ausae.org.au


    Not on this list? To join AuSAE today please visit our membership information page here.



     Organisation   Membership Level
    Australian Private Hospitals Association Association (Organisational - Small)
    Australasian Fleet Management Association Association (Organisational - Small)
    Australasian Society of Ultrasound in Medicine Association (Organisational - Small)
    Australian Medical Association (QLD) Association (Organisational - Small)
    Australian Medical Students' Association Association Executive (Individual)
    Australian Physiotherapy Association Association Executive (Individual)
    Australian Private Hospitals Association Association (Organisational - Small)
    Building Service Contractors NZ Association Executive (Individual)
    Career Development Association of Australia Association Executive (Individual)
    Childhood Cancer Support Association Executive (Individual)
    Community Networks Aotearoa Association Executive (Individual)
    Diabetes New Zealand Association Executive (Individual)
    Electrical Trades Union Victorian Branch Association (Organisational - Small)
    Institute of Refrigeration, Heating & Air Conditioning Engineers of New Zealand Association (Organisational - Small)
    Master Builders Association of Western Australia Association (Organisational - Small)
    Monte Cecilia Housing Trust Association Executive (Individual)
    Motor Trade Association Association Executive (Individual)
    New Zealand Private Surgical Hospitals Association Association Executive (Individual)
    Planning Institute Australia Association (Organisational - Large)
    Playgroup Queensland Association Executive (Individual)
    Property Council of Australia Association (Organisational - Small)
    Queen Elizabeth Centre Association (Organisational - Small)
    Resolution Institute Association (Organisational - Small)
    Royal Automobile Club of WA Association (Organisational - Small)
    Site Safe New Zealand Association Executive (Individual)
    St John Ambulance Australia (Queensland) Association (Organisational - Small)
    Stroke Association of Victoria Association Executive (Individual)
    Summerfruit New Zealand Association Executive (Individual)
    Thoracic Society of Australia & New Zealand Association (Organisational - Small)
    Venue Management Association (Asia and Pacific) Limited Association (Organisational - Small)
    Victorian Association of Forest Industries Association (Organisational - Small)
    Victorian Healthcare Association Association (Organisational - Small)
    Western Australian Farmers Federation Association (Organisational - Small)
  • 19 Apr 2016 4:14 PM | Deleted user

    Person centred care and the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to the care of older people have been motivating philosophies throughout Catherine Brown’s 30-year nursing career.


    From her involvement in setting up Australia’s first Teaching Nursing Home to implementing a pioneering psychogeriatric service for the Northern Territory Government, Catherine Brown has blazed a trial in aged care nursing.


    Brown has pursued an ongoing interest in nursing leadership and in 2013 became endorsed as a Nurse Practitioner in psychogeriatrics and cognition, one of a small number of NPs in Australia practicing in this area.


    Motivating her work over her 30-plus year career has been a passion for person centred care and multidisciplinary practice and a special interest in dementia and mental health.


    Starting out her career, Brown took an early interest in holistic care.


    Having just completed her nursing training at St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney, Brown took up a position with the spinal injuries unit at Royal North Shore Hospital. It was there, working alongside occupational therapists, physiotherapists and social workers, Brown internalised the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to care.


    “I really took on board that you can’t piecemeal nursing,” she says.


    Following a stint in the medical ward at Katoomba Hospital, Brown worked in a number of aged care facilities, working her way up to director of nursing, including five years as senior manager of The Benevolent Society’s residential services.


    Wherever she worked, Brown saw herself as a change agent – working to embed person centred care in organisations and cultivating an appreciation of further education.


    “I would move on every three-to-five years and take on changing the atmosphere and introducing person centred care,” she says.


    Valuing continuous learning


    Teaching and mentoring staff has been a big part of Brown’s career and in her leadership roles she has strongly encouraged staff to attend conferences and engage with research. Brown is also a Certificate IV trainer in the sector.


    “My whole philosophy has been making sure the staff are educated and skilled enough to push the boundaries, think outside the square, and be really innovative,” she says.


    To this end, Brown was involved in setting up Australia’s first Teaching Nursing Home with Australian Catholic University in the late 1990s, with the aim of encouraging a learning environment in aged care and staff participation in research.


    She has also had a long involvement with professional associations, the Australian Association of Gerontology (AAG) and the Psychogeriatric Nurses’ Association Australia and has sought to build a bridge between research and practice, and between the clinical and social.


    A new frontier


    Pursuing a deep interest in dementia and psychogeriatrics, Brown moved to the Northern Territory in 2009 to set up a new psychogeriatric service for the NT Department of Health, a role that she says changed her. “I became more of a listener then I was because you would sit under a tree on a milk crate and listen to stories and understand true person centred care.”


    Considering the vast geography and limited resources, mentoring and upskilling frontline staff was a key part of ensuring the sustainability of the service.


    “You would go out [to communities] and give them the resources and the skills to do person centred care,” she says.


    “Whether it meant delivering meals on wheels from the back of a truck or taking a packet of salt so you could teach someone how to wash out mucky eyes with just some salt and clean water – it was empowering staff to keep someone in their community.”


    In their shoes


    Brown is also passionate about delivering experiential workshops as a tool for embedding person centred care, and was recently engaged by Catholic Community Services NSW/ACT to conduct workshops with 580 of its frontline staff.


    Experiential learning is a key part of understanding and practicing this philosophy because it asks staff to step inside the shoes of a person with dementia, and to move beyond surface labels, she says. The simulation workshops encourage staff to feel “the impact of the confused mind and the challenge of being set up to fail constantly.”


    She believes this type of training should be mandatory for all staff – from cooks to gardeners and care workers, and should be considered “just as important as training in infection control and outbreak management.”


    While cost is a perceived barrier, she says the investment is worth the change in attitudes, communication style and reflective practice.


    “It’s been a great career. I have enjoyed getting staff though further education and changing environments and philosophies of organisations to embrace person centred care.”


    This profile appears in the current issue of AAA magazine (March-April). 


    This article was originally sourced from Australian Ageing Agenda and was written by Linda Belardi.

  • 19 Apr 2016 4:00 PM | Deleted user

    The Australian Medical Association fears patients would use online health services in preference to their local GP if a trial proposed by a Chinese company is approved by Prospect Council.


    Prospect Mayor David O’Loughlin discussed the deal with executives from Hisense during a trade mission to Shandong this month.


    He said the company, which is the third-largest TV manufacturer in the world, was keen to trial the service in Prospect because of the district’s high-speed fibre internet connections.


    The AMA is concerned about the potential deal and says patients should seek advice from their GP instead of overseas doctors.


    Mr O’Loughlin expects to finalise a deal with Hisense in the next four months but said it was too early to say when the technology would be available.


    “(Hisense) have technology that can offer diagnostics right to someone in their own home,” Mr O’Loughlin said.


    “We want to provide the best support for people possible at their house.


    “Whether the diagnosis would come from a doctor in Australia or in China is still a question to be answered.”


    The cost of the deal had not been discussed yet, Mr O’Loughlin said.


    AMA state president Janice Fletcher said the organisation “would not advocate that people look offshore for medical care and treatment”.


    “The use of technology to support patient care is a growing area,” Ms Fletcher said.


    “However, this is only suitable in certain circumstances, in conjunction with the patient’s normal care and support from their local GP.


    “The checks and balances are there to protect patients from substandard care, and are one of the reasons we have a very safe health system.”


    Ms Fletcher said if Prospect and other councils wanted to support online medical services, they should consult local GPs first.


    Health Minister Jack Snelling was unavailable for comment.


    Mr O’Loughlin said Hisense was interested in trialling its traffic management software, which controls red lights, in Prospect and possibly Adelaide’s CBD.


    Any deal would also include Hisense trialling new products, such as smart TVs and smart fridges, in Prospect before releasing them to the wider Australian market.


    “They want to use Prospect as a learning experience to improve the designs available to Australia,” Mr O’Loughlin said.


    “Every house and every business in Prospect has fibre internet and this will allow them to monitor consumer behaviour.”


    This article was originally sourced from Adelaide Now and was written by James Hetherington. 

  • 19 Apr 2016 3:53 PM | Deleted user

    SUNSHINE Coast charities and not-for-profit organisations collect almost $600 million a year through donations, bequests and grants, with higher education and the fight to save children from the sex slave trade among two big winners.


    Data from the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) has shown people dig deep for the region's 429 registered not-for-profits, which received $44.7 million in 2014.


    The data from that year's statements which registered charities submitted to the ACNC showed Sunshine Coast charities and not-for-profits had a combined gross income of $585.6 million.


    Almost half of that - about $287.3 million - went towards expenses, including wages, for about 7000 dedicated employees.


    Government grants made up about 56% ($328.4 million) of the total income from Sunshine Coast charities and not-for-profits while 7.6% ($44.7 million) came from donations and bequests.


    The remainder came from other sources.


    Data from the ACNC also showed which charities and not-for-profits recorded the highest donation amounts and who were the largest beneficiaries of government money.


    Destiny Rescue - a Sunshine Coast charity which rescues children from human trafficking and sexual exploitation - recorded the region's second-highest amount of donations with $3.4 million.

    Queensland state manager David Bermingham said the organisation aimed to direct 70% of donations to overseas projects while the remaining 30% covered administration, fundraising and awareness.


    Charities, both local and across the globe, played a vital part for humanity, he said.


    "These organisations work on the ground in areas that bureaucracy is not able to reach.


    "They see the work that needs doing and fulfil the need by getting in and getting it done."


    Mr Bermingham said generosity towards Destiny Rescue had a lot to do with the "Aussie spirit" of supporting the underdog.


    "Australians are the sort of people that are prepared to stand up and say 'that's not right. What can I do?'."


    If Destiny Rescue did not exist, thousands of children would still be working in the sex trade in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, the Philippines and India.


    University of the Sunshine Coast was the only charity to record a higher amount in donations, accounting for about 17% of the region's total donations pool, with about $7.5 million.


    Mercy Ships Australia was third highest with $3.2 million.


    The university was the region's largest beneficiary of government grants, receiving about $169.1 million.


    It was followed by Sundale Ltd, with $25.5 million, and IFYS (Integrated Family and Youth Services) Ltd with $19 million.


    Wishlist, also known as the Sunshine Coast Health Foundation, raised $1.2 million in donations and received no government funding in 2014.


    Chief executive Lisa Rowe said money raised from paid carparking at Nambour Hospital covered administration costs, which allowed 100% of donations to be used whenever something was needed, whether it was a new piece of equipment, a music therapist to help patients, or training for staff.


    She said the work Wishlist did for the region's hospitals was like the "cream on top", to enhance a patient's experience at hospital and to ultimately reduce the need for people to travel to Brisbane for health care.


    The work charities did was humanity's way of effecting positive change, Ms Rowe said.


    "The work of charities across this world is important to us as humans, because it's the vehicle to effect positive change in a world where there is so much need," she said.


    BY THE NUMBERS

    • 436 charities and not-for-profits were listed in the Sunshine Coast region.
    • About 58% of these (total 251) recorded donations.
    • Less than a third (total 128), received government funding.
    • Total income from Sunshine Coast charities and not-for-profits was $585.6 million.
    • Total expenses were $524.9 million.
    • 7028 people were employed by charities and not-for-profits. 2529 were full time.

    Source: 2014 annual information statements registered charities submitted to the ACNC.


    This article was originally sourced from Sunshine Coast Daily and was written by Pamela Frost. 

  • 19 Apr 2016 3:48 PM | Deleted user

    The Mortgage and Finance Association of Australia (MFAA) has received a record number of submissions to its revamped Excellence Awards.


    Starting this year, the MFAA’s Excellence Awards will be integrated with the nationwide Broker 2020 events as state-based awards ceremonies ending with a national awards ceremony. The association has also introduced five new categories aimed at including a wider range of MFAA members.


    MFAA CEO Siobhan Hayden says broekrs have responded well to these changes with the number submissions four times greater than what was received last year. In total, there are over 240 finalists.


    “We asked members what changes they wanted and this included state-based events and an easier awards submission process. However we still wanted to maintain the quality required in the submissions,” Hayden said.


    “Other interesting changes include the significant level of support for key categories outside of the general broker categories with both Young Professional and Best Newcomer awards attracting a large number of submissions. This interest is a positive sign for the industry as new and young talent demonstrate a real engagement with the industry.”


    The judging process was conducted by volunteer industry professionals at senior levels. Most awards were assessed by three different judges and an average of the scores was calculated to decide the list of finalists.


    “This is the largest list of finalists in the history of the MFAA’s Excellence Awards, and we are now working hard to verify the information so that we can deliver a great set of events across the country,” Hayden said.


    “We’re grateful to everyone who participated, from members who submitted to the judges who reviewed those submissions.”


    This article was originally sourced from Australian Broker and was written by Julia Corderoy. 

  • 19 Apr 2016 3:39 PM | Deleted user

    Fifty prominent Australians, including the former governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia and the president of the Australian Council of Trade Unions, have written an open letter to Malcolm Turnbull asking him not to cut company tax and to make fairness the cornerstone of the upcoming federal budget.


    “Cutting programs which support needy Australians to give more tax benefits to companies is not fair,” the letter, which appeared in newspapers on Wednesday, read. “A serious tax reform package designed to be fair should address as a priority the current generous tax concessions to the top end of town.”


    “The pursuit of equity and fairness must lie at the heart of our national goals,” it said. “Collecting more tax, more equitably, will make Australia a better place to live and work.”


    Senior members of the government have signalled that cutting company taxes remains a live option for the 3 May budget.


    Executive director of the Australia Institute, Ben Oquist, warned that option would be “fiscally irresponsible”.


    “Proponents of a cut to the company tax rate continue to promote claims of long-term, trickle-down benefits without identifying the immediate impact to revenue and in-turn essential services,” he said. “In fact, a five point cut in the company tax rate would deliver a projected $27 billion windfall over ten years for the four major banks alone. This simply makes no economic sense and would put Australia’s revenue base at risk.”


    Former governor of the RBA Bernie Fraser told ABC Radio the “trickle down” theory of tax cuts is “discredited”.


    “It doesn’t work and history shows it doesn’t work that way,” he said. “It’s even more untrue and unfair if those company tax cuts, if they were to be made, were made at the expense of cutting back on some necessary service spending. That would be the unkindest cut of all.”


    He pointed to the lowering of company tax over the last few decades, saying it has not had an impact on making society more equitable.


    “What it’s done is increase the profit share, and that’s increased over this period, at the expense of the income share,” Fraser said.


    The national president of the ACTU, Ged Kearney, said Australians want the government to address corporate tax avoidance.


    “Australians are sick of being told they must live within their means and accept cuts to services while our government allows big business to skirt their responsibilities,” she said. “The ACTU will run an aggressive campaign this election to make sure Australians realise the truth about corporate tax because it’s robbing us of the revenue needed to fund hospitals, build new schools and invest in infrastructure.”


    She pointed to an online Essential poll of 1,010 people that found only 9% think the current tax arrangements are working. Nearly nine out of ten respondents supported the notion of a national anti-corruption body that oversees matters of tax avoidance, similar to New South Wales’

    Independent Commission Against Corruption.


    Other signatories to the letter include the president of the Uniting Church, Stuart McMillan, Nobel prize winner and former Australian of the year, Peter Doherty, and a number of prominent academics.


    This article was originally sourced from The Guardian and was written by Shalailah Medhora. 

  • 19 Apr 2016 3:30 PM | Deleted user

    Australia's mango harvest has wrapped up, with the last pieces of fruit coming off trees in Victoria and New South Wales, as well as some farms in Queensland that grow a super-late variety called Brooks.


    Australian Mango Industry Association chief executive Robert Gray said demand for Aussie mangoes had been strong throughout the season, meaning growers received some of their best and most consistent prices ever.


    He said the size of the national crop was also much better than initial estimates.


    "It's now looking more likely that we're not going to be down as much as we thought and we might even approach similar quantities to last year, so we might finish up with around 9 million trays," he said.


    "That would put it up there with about the second-biggest year we've ever had.


    "The feedback I'm getting from both growers and retailers is the average value of fruit sold and paid back to growers were up on last year.


    "Growers in the Katherine region [NT] are telling me they probably had the highest returns they've ever had in terms of dollars, so a combination of quantity plus price."


    Industry and export markets expanding


    Mr Gray said the mango industry was in a stage of growth with new plantations being developed, older plantations yielding more, and recently-established orchards starting to come into production.


    He said the 2015/16 mango season was one of the industry's biggest for exports, with more than 12 per cent of the national crop sold overseas.


    He said plenty of fruit had gone to established markets such as Singapore, Hong Kong and the Middle East, and also into new markets such as America.


    Mr Gray said by the year 2020, the industry was aiming to export 20 per cent of the national crop.

    Looking ahead, the current wet season in northern Australia has delivered below-average rain and above-average temperatures, which is not ideal for mango trees, but Mr Gray said industry should remain confident.


    "It's [the next season] going to be bigger and better, whether that's in volume I'm not sure, but what we're seeing is, that if volumes are down, prices are starting to make up for that as long as we focus on quality," he said.


    "So whatever crop is thrown our way next season we're going to maximise the value of it."


    This article was originally sourced from ABC Rual and was written by Matt Brann. 



The Australasian Society of Association Executives (AuSAE)

Australian Office:
Address: Unit 6, 26 Navigator Place, Hendra QLD 4011 Australia
Free Call: +61 1300 764 576
Phone: +61 7 3268 7955
Email: info@ausae.org.au

New Zealand Office:
Address: 159 Otonga Rd, Rotorua 3015 New Zealand
Phone: +64 27 249 8677
Email: nzteam@ausae.org.au