Career Connections

November 2009
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Hear one of the greatest career stories of our time

Join us at the 2010 CDAA National Career Conference to hear first hand the amazing career story of Li Cunxin – Mao’s Last Dancer . Li will share with delegates insights and reflections on his life’s journey from utter poverty in Mao’s communist China, to selection at age 11 into Madame Mao's Beijing Dance Academy and the discipline, resilience, hard work and determination that made him one of the best dancers China has ever produced. His story of success in the US, followed by his defection and then eventual relocation to Australia as a principal dancer with the Australian Ballet is not to be missed.

For the final two years of his dancing career, Li studied finance at the Australian Securities Institute with a view of becoming a stockbroker. This meant rising at five in the morning to start his daily ballet practise, then racing to the stock exchange by eight. By the time he joined the rest of the company's dancers for afternoon rehearsals; he had already put in a full day's work. Li made a successful career transition from ballet to finance in 1999. He is a senior manager at one of the largest stock broking firms in Australia.

The CDAA national conference, Australia’s premier career conference, will be held from April 7-9 at the Hilton Adelaide. Please join us a sponsor and/or delegate. Details can be found at: www.onqconferences.com.au/pages/CDAA2010.php

What Employees Want

A recent survey published in Human Capital magazine of what employees want, ranked career development highest (28% of respondents) ahead of work culture and environment (20%) and salary and remuneration (15%). * More and more, organizations are benefitting from their investment in career development for their staff through higher levels of staff retention, engagement and productivity.

*Human capital, Issue 7.10, www.hcamag.com

Tips from our members to assist your career management programs

Workplace culture – cringe and fix it by Janice Simpson, Fellow CDAA – JM Simpson & Associates; Janice@jmsa.com.au; t: 03 9332 2504

People leave workplaces they don’t like. Making your workplace agreeable is a challenge but the rewards are limited turnover and all the benefits that brings to a business. Easier said than done, though, to keep good staff and encourage non-performers to leave. One of the theories going round at the moment is about unwritten ground rules, the rules that emerge from the common behaviours in each and every workplace. To uncover the rules operating at your workplace, ask people to fill in possible answers to the statement, ‘Around here, we…’ You may be surprised. Some common responses include:

• around here we don’t bother our manager on Fridays as he’s tense and uptight, expecting a fight over the weekend with his ex-wife about the kids;
• around here we get on with business as usual as the boss doesn’t take any notice unless something goes wrong;
• around here we don’t speak up at staff meetings as nothing changes anyway. Easier to get the meetings over and done with; and so on and so forth.

What are you going to do you do when you discover the rules that operate in your workplace? You can’t go past common communication, but like common sense, common communication is hard to spot.

Here’s some ideas to get communication happening in your workplace:

1. Buy some flowers and place them where everyone can see them.
2. Get rid of the slang in your workplace. No more ‘you guys’ – this phrase is neither Australian nor inclusive.
3. Find out what each staff member’s hot button is. Be assured, football is NOT going to be everyone’s cup of tea.
4. Talk to your staff every day. Make eye contact. Pause long enough to listen.
5. Eradicate or at the very least minimise the internal email – call mini briefings instead when you need to communicate. This gives everyone the chance to learn from you and each other via questions and answers.
6. Leave your door open. Better still, work in the same space as your staff. Transform your office into the space anyone can use for quiet work or mini meetings.
7. Buy some fruit or bring some in from your garden and leave it in a bowl on the communal table.
8. Wash your own dishes.
9. Consider beginning each meeting with a brief reading about something going on in the world. Share the reading around so everyone can have their turn to tell others about things they believe are important.
10. And last but not least, put the ‘L’ back into leadership. Show by example how enjoyable work is.

[For some information about unwritten ground rules, use Google and find Steve Simpson, no relation to me.]

Professional Development with CDAA

Seasons greetings

On behalf of the staff and board of CDAA, I wish you all the best for the coming festive season. May you have a happy and relaxing time with family and friends. I look forward to working with you on the important issues of career developmentthroughout 2010.

Carole Brown, FCDAA

National President

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Career Development Association of Australia

CDAA is Australia’s largest association of career development professionals. Our members work in small business and private practice, education, research, employment services, human resources, rehabilitation, government and community organisations. The work of CDAA members ensures that people can build the skills they need to manage learning, work and life. We assist people across the lifespan in their career development, from early career decision-making to career transitions in adult life and later -in-life work and lifestyle choices.

CDAA welcomes both individual and industry affiliate memberships. Visit our website at: http://www.cdaa.org.au/content/join