From: Georgi Bah [georgi@emkay.com.au]
Sent: Thursday, 30 October 2008 10:52 PM
To: Helen Paige
Cc: Georgi Lange
Subject: The Paige Group E-Newsletter

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e-newsletter 6 | October 2008

It's not too late...
TO ARRANGE YOUR FUN.FOOD.FOCUS CHRISTMAS FUNCTION...
BUT TIME IS RUNNING OUT!  (Call 0403 374 183 or go to our website www.funfoodfocus.com.au)

Welcome

The world is indeed small!.. and the process of 'globalisation', or as Kermally (2002) refers to it 'the economic interdependence of countries' has been at the forefront of my thinking over the past couple of months.

The two primary countries of focus have been Japan and America, with France now moving into convergence.  The reasons for my concentration on these countries will be revealed in various articles in this edition of Ideation, so please keep reading!

However, focus is quite different to impact, and all of us will in some way or other be impacted by the numerous challenges facing the world economy, and the severe global economic downturn.  At these difficult times, we will inevitably go back to basics with our 'business thinking' and that is why the key issues of good leadership, ethical behaviour, and loyal workers remain constant.

In 'sticky situations', Chip Heath's (The Professor of Organizational Behaviour in the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University), research suggests that the 6 basic traits of - simplicity (short and deep messages); unexpectedness (in your message);  concreteness (of images); credibility (will the audience buy the message?);  emotions (case studies that move people); and stories (mentally rehearsing a situation)  assist to provide some  'sticky ideas' for such difficult times. What do you think?

Just a note as you read on - as many of you know The Paige Group has three main branches - AKN - consulting (including World Knowledge Cafes); Fun.Food.Focus (teambuilding and cooking) and TimeMaker (connecting people).

If you would prefer to go directly to our Consulting News - please refer to our In This Edition index.

Just before signing off, due to forthcoming travels, (we're off to do some work in New York on the 10th November, - but please be assured that The Paige Group is in good hands whilst I'm away)...

we wish to take this opportunity to wish all of our valued clients, colleagues and friends the very best of Christmas wishes, and may 2009 be all that you wish it to be.

Helen Paige
Founder and Director

Advance Knowledge Networks (AKN) | Fun.Food.Focus | TimeMaker

NEW RELEASE!!

FUN.FOOD.FOCUS COOKING CLASSES - FOR INDIVIDUALS AND GROUPS

We are pleased to announce further offerings in our 'hands on cooking classes'

Adding to our existing CLASSIC PIZZA MAKING CLASSES we are also now offering

  • EXOTIC THAI
  • THE ART OF CHOCOLATE MAKING
  • JAPANESE SUSHI and
  • HEALTHY EATING

We are VERY excited that our Exotic Thai and Healthy Eating classes will be conducted by Jordan Theodoros, who many of you 'foodies' may remember as the celebrity chef on the Channel 9 Series Sumptuous.
 
Jordan's passion for food has taken him on many travels around the world, including living and working in Burma, and Shanghai as Executive Chef for a major boutique hotel group, and he and his wife Steph Vasileff (who by the way will be taking The Art of Chocolate Making classes), have just returned from their stint at the luxurious five-star Rajasthan Hotel the Armanbagh where Jordan was Executive Chef and Steph - Pastry Chef.

We were pleased to read a fantastic review of Jordan's new Restaurant - Aqua Caf at Goolwa.

We continue to receive great reviews on our COOKING CLASSES - we have some vacancies, SO join now or think about a Fun.Food.Focus cooking class voucher as a Christmas Gift for your wife/husband, secretary or cousin!  View the classes on our webpage www.funfoodfocus.com.au

 

All classes are offered weekly over the month and further details can be obtained by calling us on 8271 1173
or e-mailing ask@funfoodfocus.com.au

 

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NEW PRODUCTS!!

Fun.Food.Focus is pleased to advise that we have the following merchandise for purchase:

T-shirts
Popular 100% cotton,
durable T-shirts
$14.90


Quality Chefs Hats
Look like a real chef in your easy care black 100% cotton twill Chefs hats
$16.90

 

ALL PRODUCTS EMBROIDERED WITH THE Fun.Food.Focus LOGO

To order e-mail ask@funfoodfocus.com.au

Aprons
A perfect solution for the 'home chef'
100% Easy care, durable
$27.00

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THE COMPANY WE KEEP - A Selection of our Client Activities

Fun.Food.Focus in action!

We were privileged to be asked by ACTA (Adelaide Tourism and Convention Authority) to host their International Guests for a Fun.Food.Focus event during Destination SA (their Business Events Exchange).  A collaboration between Fun.Food.Focus, ACTA, and Mt Lofty House and saw all of us involved in cooking an Australian fusion menu for our guests from China and Singapore and what fun we had! 

As our friends from ACTA said '...the team ... are all very grateful for your sensational support in the famil.  The delegates spoke very highly of the activity and I think Fun.Food.Focus was a winning combination !'.  Vaiva Kubilius, Sales Team Coordinator, ACTA.

A Rustic Italian long lunch was chosen by the administrative staff of Cornerstone College when they undertook a Fun.Food.Focus 'hands on cooking event', for their recent Team Building Day.  After undertaking a 'personality type' activity during the morning, the 35 members, under our chef's guidance, then formed into selected teams to 'outcook' each other, and then share with their colleagues, a fantastic menu including amongst many other great dishes, Abruzzi lamb with green peppers and Kalamata olives; roman style red peppers and fabulous desserts.

The testimonial received said:

'Dear Helen,

I just wanted to take the time to thank you and your team for the fantastic day that you provided for our staff.  Due to the diversity of roles within our group and there being thirty five of us, it is always hard to provide a professional development experience that everyone enjoys and also meets the training needs of the College.

Your program for the day provided an opportunity for many of us that we haven't attempted before and the meal that was produced is still talked about today. 

Please feel free to use me as a referral for your organisation and I have supplied my contact details below should anyone wish to know more of our experience.

Yours sincerely,
Steve Sanders, Director, Business Operations, Cornerstone College'.

....

*****Hear further Testimonials on our Fun.Food.Focus Video****

Let Fun.Food.Focus TAILOR your event ... to suit YOUR requirements...

In This Edition

Quote of the Month

'Every exit is an entry somewhere else'
Tom Stoppard


How does a Fun.Food.Focus
Food Lovers
in the French
Riviera Tour
sound to you?

 

We are very excited to be collaborating with Slowtours in planning
this trip to France in October next year. 
Phone Helen on 0403 374 183 for further details. 

THINK - cooking schools with a Michelin
star Chef; markets; wine tastings; Nice, Monaco... and many other 'foodie related temptations',
and 'personalised small group touring'.


NEWS AND
FORTHCOMING
EVENTS:

Now Available!

Our new and exciting
Fun.Food.Focus 'hands
on cooking and team
building Promotional
Video is now available
for viewing on
www.funfoodfocus.com.au
and receiving very positive
reviews. Have a look...

Fun.Food.Focus
now available
in your State!

(We're receiving
enquiries from
Sydney, Melbourne,
Western Australia and New Zealand - so
why not contact us?)

 

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ADVANCE KNOWLEDGE NETWORKS - Consulting

Department of Further Education, Employment, Science and Technology

Helen was recently engaged by the Department of Further Education, Employment, Science and Technology to undertake a specific research and consultation project in relation to workforce planning and the Commonwealth Government's Productivity Placement Program.  This project was very time limited and required considerable project management capability, the capacity to work with a small team and produce a major report for consideration by the Skills Commission, Chaired by Professor Denise Bradley.  A very interesting and exciting project!

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KNOWLEDGE REPORT

46TH Australia-Japan Joint Business Conference 

Last week was spent in Perth attending the above Conference and presenting a paper on Knowledge Management - Building Critical Resources Within the Company'. It was a great honour to speak to this wide ranging audience of over 300 senior business leaders (including a large contingent from Japan), and their equivalents from Australia, Sir Rod Eddington Chair of the Australian side; Ross Adler, Sam Walsh, CEO, Rio Tinto Iron Ore; Don Voelte, CEO Woodside Energy Ltd; Professor Richard Larkins, VC. Monash University and Doug Bartley, Chairman, KPMG, Victoria; and Chair of the Japanese side Takashi Imai AC, who met to discuss and exchange information on the critical topics of climate change; the demand-supply balance; innovation and collaboration, education, energy and resources.
                                   
Such Conferences are a great opportunity, as many of you know, to meet international global colleagues, to discuss and share ideas, thoughts and strategies, and I was privileged to meet many such people in Perth.

Highlights of the Conference for me were the presentations by Professor Ross Gaunaut and Andrew Forrest the Chief Executive of Fortescue Metals Group, on the Responding to Climate Change stream, and Professor Barry Marshall, Nobel Prize Laureate from the University of WA on his work on ulcers and stress and using himself as a 'human guinea pig' - fascinating.

Favourable responses to the talk were received from a number of conference attendees including Profesor Monte Cassim, President, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University. I would be happy to provide a copy of the presentation if requested. Please also contact me on info@thepaigegroup.com.au if you are interested in the presented papers across the topics outlined above.

After the Conference, we took the opportunity to taste some of the fantastic Western Australian food and wines.  Highlights were a memorable degustation menu at The Loose Box in Mundaring, the Margaret River region, and a finale meal at a new restaurant 1907 in Perth, which is recommended.

WORLD KNOWLEDGE CAFE - FOR CARER SUPPORT AND RESPITE CENTRE (CALD)

During September I facilitated a half day World Knowledge Cafe for CALD, for their Forum 'Caring for You, Me and Us'.  This was a fascinating consultancy, as it reaffirmed for me the potential of the World Knowledge Cafe process whereby people are encouraged to listen and absorb what others are saying, rather than just talking! It also reaffirmed that this process is applicable across all sorts of cultures and topics.

With the focus being on Carer support services for a multi-cultural society, over 100 people were present with representation from the Arabic, Hungarian, Cambodian, Chinese, Italian, Dutch, Greek, Jewish, Latvian, Polish, Ukranian and German communities - truly international. 

Over 300 'ideas for action' were collected during the Cafe, and this data was summarised and themed by me and forwarded back to the organisation with many ideas for strategy and for 'pushing on the agenda' in this important area.

*** Helen is available to discuss how hosting a World Knowledge Cafe in your organisation can bring last benefits, both financially and in worker motivation.

MY FORTHCOMING KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT-RELATED ACTIVITIES

Wednesday 19th November 2008
Helen will be leading a Knowledge Cafe with the Gurteen community Knowledge Cafe group in Manhattan, New York.  The topic will be 'The Impact of Social Networking Tools in Organisations'.  I am very much looking forward to meeting with Suzanne Roff the Regional Director for this group and her members in downtown Manhattan and looking at sharing some ideas between American and Australian perspectives on this important topic.  More in the next Ideation. 

This trip also includes a visit to Washington DC and a stay in Newark, New Jersey to visit old friends from South Australia now working in America, where Adam is the Dean and Professor, Centre for Law and Justice, Rutgers University.

Monday 10th and Tuesday 11th February 2008
Ark Conference, for Experienced KM Operators, Melbourne. Helen has been invited to conduct an interactive session for this Conference. More on this later.

 

Helen works with businesses to CONNECT people, ideas and processes.  She is available to facilitate your Knowledge Cafe, strategic planning day, or problem solving session.  She also presents Key Note Speeches and Talks either in-house or at Conferences on various topics including Knowledge Management, and Knowledge Sharing and Harvesting, and Strategic Innovation.

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If you know of someone who would be interested in receiving Ideation, please forward this edition to them.  If you received Ideation from a friend or contact, arrange your own subscription by forwarding an e-mail to info@thepaigegroup.com.au and we would be happy to put you on our subscription list.

Reprints:  You are welcome to reprint these articles as long as the following statement is printed at the conclusion of each reprinted article.  Hyperlinks as below must be included in the quotation.
The Paige Group. Used with permission

Helen Paige
Phone: (08) 8271 1173 or 0403 374 183
E-Mail: info@thepaigegroup.com.au
Visit: www.thepaigegroup.com.au for further details

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The Paige Group - www.thepaigegroup.com.au - (08) 8271 1173 / 0403 374 183 - info@thepaigegroup.com.au

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