Archive for the 'work' Category

Making a difference

Published on 30 April 2007 in ruminatin', meaning of life, renungan and work. 2 Comments

I’ve been thinking about Seth Godin’s post, Ego, for a few days now. Basically Seth says that “People like to be recognized, respected and trusted.” He suggests that “If I come to your fancy restaurant for dinner, why not ask me about some of my preferences on the phone and laser print a menu that highlights some of my faves.” I really like this idea. Imagine having an experience that is customised for you next time you go out for dinner.

As well, I like to be recognised as a repeat customer if I visit a shop regularly. It’s not about expecting freebies or obsequious service though - just a simple “Hello [I recognise you, I know you have been coming here every time you need a {insert item name here}]” will suffice.

This year I was reassigned to a different faculty (or division as they are known at MPOW). I moved from business to science and engineering. Apart from the change in disciplines (challenging enough!) I have found the change very interesting to observe. It’s made me realise how much the interactions and relationships between people matter, and what a huge difference knowing a person makes, even in more formal situations.

By the time I left the business school I had built up a really nice network and had a good grasp of who’s who, what’s what and all the division’s priorities. There were a few moments in the first few weeks in science and engineering when I thought that I must have been crazy to think that this change was going to be a good thing. It was very unsettling to realise that I had no networks, I had no idea who I needed to talk to to get X done, or what people in this new area thought of Y. I had to start all over again.

So what’s all this got to do with Seth’s post, you’re wondering? Well, I’ve been pondering how that added human dimension is vitally important in my job. Besides having the skills to know where to find information, people skills, being interested in the people you’re supposed to be helping also makes a huge difference. Looking like you care (and actually caring) has a very positive influence on your interactions with people (not very profound I know). Especially at MPOW, which is a large university where it is easy for students (and staff, sometimes) to feel like they are Just A Number. I hope I do make a difference to the students I do come into contact with. Remembering that anything I do could make a difference to whoever I come into contact with (students, staff, colleagues) - this is a good thing to keep in mind. Especially when I’m answering that umpteenth EndNote query.

Late post, because I have a day off today.

What we did in Margaret River

Published on 13 March 2007 in Margaret River, Western Australia and work. 0 Comments

I’m so tired this morning I wish I could just upload the pages of my journal here to share what I saw and did in Margaret River yesterday. However it occurs to me that even if I could do that, I didn’t actually have the opportunity to write much yesterday. (I had no Internet access - I’m glad I could Twitter! Not sure what L thought of my frequently-buzzing mobile phone and my regular texting and laughing, though.)

Besides the three hour drive back to Perth, we spent much of the day talking to people. L and I met the staff of the Margaret River Public Library. As their website says, “a unique partnership has been created with Curtin University of Technology to manage & provide printed reference resources” - we provide a range of materials required by our viticulture and oenology students down there, and they house them and make them available to students and the public. I think this arrangement works well, and we’re fortunate that the public library is willing to help support our students.

We also met the teaching and research staff and had a chat about library services available to them. I then met their students and showed them how to find the information they will need for their assignments. It was a good session, I think, with the students asking a lot of questions (even though their lecturer says some of them were initially dubious as to the value of a “library session”). Three of the public library staff members were also there to get an overview of what is available to the students, so they should be able to point students in the correct direction when needed.

We arrived in Margaret River close to 5pm on Monday afternoon. We had a brief wander around the town but most of the shops were closed by then. Impressions of Margaret River? I was struck by how prosperous the town looks - it is a very tourist-oriented town - and it reminded me of one of the wealthier Perth suburbs (like Mt Lawley or Claremont). I wasn’t expecting to see so many ‘fine foods’ shops, designer boutiques, cafes, accessories shops, a Gloria Jeans, even a Dome. The surf shop had a water feature adorning its front entrance. BMW and Peugeot convertibles driving down the main street. Well-groomed couples in clean shiny 4WDs. Fashionable young things wandering around.

We had dinner at the Settlers Tavern. I’m guessing they have an eclectic clientele, as, apart from serving meals using “Margaret River free range eggs” and “organic pesticide-free salad greens”, they also have edamame: “Japanese sushi bar style steamed soy beans (vegan), [served with] Murray River pink salt” (sold out the night we were there), and something called a Joy Burger - ” a big, home-made, crisp vegetarian (vegan) patty on kappadokia Turkish bread… JOY!” for $9.90. The patty is “sunflower/poppy/sesame/pumpkin seeds, lentils, corn, potato, vegetables, chutney”. Sounded interesting, but I’d already ordered bangers and mash (L had fish and chips).

Our motel was quite pleasant, although L found the stream of traffic trundling down the street (it was on the main road, the Bussell Highway) noisy. I found the birds swarming around the bird feeder outside my door noisier! The name, Edge of the Forest, was appropriate, as there was a karri forest just behind the motel.

The rooms were clean and comfortable and smoke-free.

It’s a pity we didn’t have any time to visit the beach or any of the wineries in the area. I’d have loved to visit Cullen Wines - my favourite wines, I think.

The drive down was pleasant, although the roads were pretty busy. There is so much building and development going on all along the coast, I can imagine that in time the stretch from Perth down to Margaret River will be completely built up!

Margaret River trip

Published on 11 March 2007 in Margaret River, Western Australia and work. 4 Comments

I’m going to Margaret River today. Unfortunately this is not a holiday trip, and M isn’t going - instead, a colleague, L, and I are going down there to meet with a number of students and academic staff and provide them with some information literacy seminars and EndNote training. These students and staff are based down there because they are studying viticulture.

We leave around lunch time. The drive should take around three hours, and we’ll be spending the night there, staying at a motel called Edge of the Forest. Tuesday we should be fresh and ready for a day’s worth of meeting and talking with people. The plan is to leave Margaret River for the drive back to Perth around 4pm-ish Tuesday, so I should be home in time for dinner with M and back at work on Wednesday.

I’ve only ever been down to Margaret River once, years ago - on the bus - and we arrived in the late evening, I had a cold, was exhausted, went straight to bed, and we left again before dawn, and I never saw any of the town or its environs. This time I should be more alert and interested and even if we don’t have any time to tour the wineries or go surfing, I hope I at least get to see what the town’s like!

Map borrowed from the Margaret River Resort.