The January-February issue of Harvard Business Review interestingly examined the science, history and measurement of happiness. No longer is happiness an intangible yet desired state of mind, it’s fast becoming a concept with far-reaching economic, political and business implications. 

The pursuit of happiness was not always a positive widespread notion either, and in the 18^th century a solemn approach to life was encouraged. Many theories are provided to explain this shift in thinking and approach to happiness. My favourite insight came from an eighteenth century historian that saw great improvements in dentistry, which he believed led to an increased willingness for people to open their mouths and smile. In line with this theory, he argued that the famously ambivalent smile of a Mona Lisa most likely reflected embarrassment at tooth decay. Prettier teeth equals happier world. Something tells me it’s a tad more complex, with factors such a religion and the emergence of behavioural economics, which takes psychological research seriously, causing an explosion of research into happiness and wellbeing.

Money can’t buy you happiness

While we’re all familiar with the saying, the money-based metrics of GNP (gross national product) and its replacement GDP (gross domestic product) have been the key measures of national ‘success’. Only now are governments and key economic influencers rethinking this methodology on the basis of three main flaws: it doesn’t take into account all economic activity (such as unpaid housework); it fails to factor in economic and environmental sustainability, and other factors may reflect ‘national wellbeing’ far more effectively than economic output, such as educational achievement and life-expectancy.  

A movement to measure national wellbeing on factors other than GDP would be a huge step. This trend in thinking was fuelled by the example of Bhutan, when previous king Jigme Singye Wangchuck measured not GNP or GDP, but GNH: ‘Gross National Happiness’. Now governments all over the world are rushing to find out how they measure subjective feeling and increase the happiness of their citizens. British Prime Minister David Cameron recently released the first findings from the Happiness Index that sought to measure the happiness of Great Britain.

We’re Happy Little Vegemites

All this got me wondering, if Gross National Happiness were our national indicator, how would Aussies compare to other nations on the happiness scale? After a bit of digging I’ve concluded we’re a country high on smiles. From the ABC’s Making Australia Happy campaign, to the multiple research papers seeking to measure and increase our levels of cheer, it is clear that ensuring happiness is on the agenda.

You’ll be pleased to know that in the World Values Survey only one other country has levels of both happiness and life satisfaction that are higher than Australia by a statistically significant margin.

Exercise Your Happiness Muscle

Harvard Psychology Professor, Daniel Gilbert, argues that achieving happiness is like trying to lose weight: there is no magic pill for instant results. Eat a little less and exercise a little more consistently, and over time it will add up. Similarly, the things you can do to increase your happiness are small and take time, but if you do them every day you will reap the results. Gilbert encourages people to commit to simple behaviours like meditating, exercising, nurturing social connections and practicing altruism. Just like weight lost, happiness is something one must constantly fight for and strive to maintain:

Further reading: http://hbr.org/2012/01/the-science-behind-the-smile/ar/1

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and Ryan Seacrest get excited. Via SMH Online

This year’s CES has revolved around two trends: mobile computing, and the cloud. Most of the gadgets and products making headlines were banking on the upsurge of one (or both) of these trends, and in amongst the “me-too” pitches and awkward celebrities there were a fair few announcements to take note of. Here are some potential game-changers from the CES stage:

Windows 8 officially announced: The OS will draw on Windows Mobile 7’s interface to deliver a more smartphone-like UI and functionality, with Microsoft also foreshadowing aggressive promotion of its critically-acclaimed WM7 in its last CES keynote. In all, Windows 8 seems to present a big step towards convergence as a “one size fits all” hybrid OS, one which will be particularly mobility-focused according to Microsoft. That could mean server-side operations (still mostly on Windows or Linux) could become exponentially more mobile-friendly, offering lots of potential for enterprise-side mobile computing.

Intel goes mobile:  CEO Paul Otellini announces that the chipset giant plans to make a move from “the personal computer to personal computing” by developing smartphone processors in partnership with Motorola. Otellini thinks the mobile devices are now “another computing platform” – something the rest of the world realized quite a while ago, according to his critics. However, Intel’s move into smartphone chipsets could mean a boost to the power, cross-device compatibility and functionality of mobile devices. Lenovo released its Intel-powered K800 smartphone at CES to coincide with Otellini’s keynote.

ARMs race begins: And as Intel goes into mobiles, smartphone chip-makers prepare to enter the PC market. Qualcomm (which makes most of the ARM chips in non-Apple smartphones) CEO Paul Jacobs says Windows 8 will allow his company to break into the PC/laptop/server market. That means we could see PCs and laptops with always-on functionality and substantially higher battery life – not to mention more efficient and resilient datacenters and server racks. If that happens, the cost (both energy and monetary) of running private clouds or setting up cloud services could be greatly reduced.

Cloudy outlook: Netgear, D-Link, Lenovo and Acer will all be unrolling cloud services for home and personal use. Most of the services provide personal clouds for consumers to control their devices and content remotely, as well as potentially offering remote access to home “functions” (like D-Link’s security cameras) via the cloud. Those could sync with technologies like LG’s Home Appliance Line, a series of “smart” whitegoods which autonomously manage your household and communicate you’re your smartphone. With all the new services being announced at CES we can expect consumers and SMBs to really start taking notice of the cloud.

Ultrabooks: have been the big product trend at this year’s CES, suggesting the smartphone-led trend towards compact computing power is pushing devices on both ends. Personal and business users alike seem to be pushing for lighter machines which can still handle processor-intensive tasks, and the influence of the iPad seems to have spurred most manufacturers into rolling out machines with a similar ethos (if not look and feel). Lenovo upped the ante with its high-performance IdeaTab K2 and IdeaPad Yoga, both of which drew rave reviews from journalists. Incidentally, the Yoga will run Windows 8 upon release – a nicely co-ordinated announcement on Lenovo’s part.

Flying cars: Future vehicles are going to be in the cloud. Mercedes Benz’ “MBrace2” system will connect cloud-based apps and smartphones to its vehicles, allowing motorists to run locative and social media apps from the car. New apps (allowing you to lock your car remotely, run diagnostics, track valet parking etc) will also be available and synced with vehicles, with the system already being installed in the SL class (full rollout is expected in 2013). OnStar and Verizon are also working on a cloud-friendly Chevrolet which can stream data and media content to individual consoles via 4G. It’ll also let drivers run apps which control their “smart” home functions and manage energy consumption more efficiently.

What were your game-changing picks from CES 2012?

Text 100 (www.text100.com) is a global public relations consultancy firm with a footprint across 31 countries worldwide.  We work with many of the world’s leading technology, internet and digital lifestyle brands with a client portfolio that includes IBM, Lenovo, Gumtree and Yahoo7!, among many others.

Our people centric culture, fun and results-driven approach and an unwavering focus on delivering client satisfaction have resulted in a plethora of awards over the years, recent ones being: Winner Global Award for Best Blogger Relations 2011 Global SABRE Awards, Best in Category for B2B Marketing Campaign 2011 PRIA Golden Target Awards, Winner Consumer Launch Campaign of the Year 2010 Asia Pacific PR Awards, Excellence Award Best Use of Digital 2010 Asia Pacific PR Awards.

We are looking for a bright and creative self-starter, who has a passion to grow in the challenging and exciting field of Public Relations to join our team in Australia.

PUBLIC RELATIONS COORDINATOR
(Australia)

This is an entry-level PR position responsible for supporting the implementation of PR campaigns and achieving results for clients.  Your responsibilities will include conducting research, media interaction, maintaining and tracking account information, compiling reports, writing and translation work.  You will also maintain accurate and up-to-date press lists, track media opportunities and actively search for and read up on competitive information that will be of value to the PR team and to clients.

While supporting the PR team, you will observe and learn from your colleagues to attain a good understanding of all basic PR tactics including press releases, press tours and press conferences.  You will learn how to interact and build relationship with the press, understand how the press works and develop the ability to work effectively with journalists.  You will also have opportunities to attend journalist briefings, analyst meetings and client meetings with your seniors.

Requirements:

• BS/BA in Communications, PR, Journalism, Marketing, Advertising or Business arepreferred;
• Excellent writing, communication, translation and Internet research skills;
• Proficient in MS Word, MS Excel and MS Powerpoint;
• Possess an interest in media and online communications;
• Able to thrive in a fast-paced environment and keep a sense of humor;
• Positive attitude, ability to multi-task and can work independently and as a team;

Are you are looking for a dynamic and fun work culture, where you can Facebook, Twitter and Skype while working because it is important for your work?  Do you want to broaden your experience partnering with global great brands?

If your answer is “yes”, then do send in your CV and a letter of motivation, together with current and expected salaries to karen.wells@text100.com.au.

Everyone wants the same thing from what they do. (from here)

A lot of my friends have trouble figuring out what I do with my time. Until recently, I’ve simply told them I’m a journalist. Most people know (or think they know) what a journalist is. Journalists write the things they read and talk about. If I say I’m a PR professional, I usually get a blank stare and a response along the lines of “oh…is that like journalism?” In many ways, I think it is.

Journalism is about a lot more than just writing things. So is working as a public relations practitioner. Both involve careful management of relationships so they last the distance. Both deal with tight deadlines across multiple projects requiring precision handling. And both are in the business of getting a message across as powerfully as possible.

Most of my fellow students either want to be journalists or PR practitioners. To them, there’s a world of difference between the two, in everything from ethical responsibilities to requisite personality types. But to me, the distinction feels a little artificial. I tend to think of journalists and PR practitioners as two breeds of “communicators”, who connect people to information that will help them work, live and think more fruitfully than before.

Communicators have similar goals, values and means of doing what they do. They believe in the value of building relationships and sharing what they know, both for them and the organisations they serve. They’re convinced of the importance of both the medium and the message – even if they’re not one and the same. They’d rather be asking questions than giving answers. Being a communicator isn’t so much a job as a mindset. Whether you’re a journalist or a PR practitioner or a blogger whose only reader is your mother (hi Mum!), being a communicator is literally full-time.

I’m still at the beginning of my career, and I don’t know what I’ll be telling my friends when they ask me that same question in five or ten years’ time. But I already see myself as a communicator first and foremost, and “Journalist” or “Content Developer” or “Golden Keyboard Warrior” second. I’ve worked with Text 100 first as a journalist looking for a story, and now a PR professional helping develop those stories for other journalists. In both capacities my “job” has been essentially the same: creating compelling content which interests and excites people. And I still find myself asking the same questions and looking for fresh angles in everything I do.

As a bona fide Textie I will eventually have to explain to my friends that journalism and PR are not, in fact, one and the same. But nor are they as different as many of my classmates would like to believe. Which, at least in my opinion, makes things pretty interesting.

Here’s an excerpt:

The concert hall at the Syndey Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 9,100 times in 2011. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 3 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.

Text 100 Team

On Thursday 8th December, the annual Text 100 Xmas party saw the Sydney team boogie the night away in true Studio 54 style. Afros, disco sequins and mojitos abounded, as we felt a bit of Night Fever, there was a little bit of Kung Fu Fighting and we even had a few Dancing Queens.

As always, the details of the Christmas party were a tightly guarded secret. So in the lead up to the party speculation was rife amongst the team, and some guesses started to get a little bit too close to the truth. To throw everyone off the mark, we decided to have some fun and play a little Christmas prank on our dear ACs Michaela, Anna and Mezzi. You can watch what we did here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xaa0-rZnrxk&feature=youtu.be

So after the horses, roller skates and boats were taken out of the equation, people may have been a little relieved with the actual destination! After we’d ‘fro’d, frizzed and glittered ourselves up we jumped in the Chrysler Stretch Limos and took the scenic route to the fabulous Uccello Ristorante at the Ivy for a delicious Italian dinner.

P.Dutty

Ev and Brad cruisin'

After an amazing meal and some very well chosen wines, we transitioned from the restaurant to our very own private cabana by the Ivy Pool!

Uccello

The rest of the night included plenty of cocktails and dancing (while trying to avoid a fall into the pool), some slightly intoxicated trouble making by certain members of the team who shall remain unnamed, and lots of laughs! 

Some cool cats

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some more cool cats

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anna and Mezzi

...and AK with the infamous Roberto

All in all it was another memorable Text 100 bash (except for a few hazy memories towards the end of the night.) And it wouldn’t be a true Text 100 party, without the next morning aftermath. Kudos to Anna for making it in to the office :). 

The morning after

Merry Xmas guys! Love Niki and Rach xxxx

x1 Full-time graduate Account Co-ordinator

x1 Full-time Digital Community Manager (Account Executive level)

If you are keen and want to know more please email your CV to karen.wells@text100.com.au

In the meantime have a great break from everyone at Text Australia!

]]> http://text100sydney.wordpress.com/2011/12/22/text-100-australias-top-viral-videos-of-2011/feed/ 1 simonfitzgerald http://text100sydney.wordpress.com/2011/12/19/working-remotely-may-be-harder-than-you-think-but-its-possible/ http://text100sydney.wordpress.com/2011/12/19/working-remotely-may-be-harder-than-you-think-but-its-possible/#comments Mon, 19 Dec 2011 06:05:28 +0000 simonfitzgerald http://text100sydney.wordpress.com/?p=1716 ]]> There are many reasons why we are increasingly seeing more and more options for employees to work remotely. These include but are not limited to increased workforce flexibility, managing morale, improved productivity and cost savings on office space and technology.

As technology continues to evolve and proliferate in the workplace and businesses mobilise their operations, there are a number of challenges organisations may face in managing and supporting remote working. Indeed many of our clients this year focused on the knowledge leadership trend of Workplace of the Future and the issues organisations face in not only managing this business shift but exploiting it for the benefit of the employee, and its customers or clients.

With this in mind and because I myself spend a large amount of my time working remotely from Adelaide and commuting to Sydney every few weeks, I thought I’d list my 8 top tips based on my experience to help you negotiate some of the remote working challenges:

1. Have a dedicated workspace/office
There is no point in trying to work remotely from your lounge or dining room. The blur between personal and work time may sub-consciously become increasingly hard to distinguish if you do. Ensure you have a dedicated workspace or room that is used solely for the purpose of your occupation. That way when you start your working day you can close the door and instantly be transported to an office environment.

2. Utilise Instant Messaging and VoIP technology
Sometimes it’s easier to send someone an IM message than call them to get a response to a quick question. Applications such as Skype also allow you to set your status so that if you don’t want to be disturbed you can bluntly say so. You can even leave status updates such as ‘Out for a coffee run on mobile’ or ‘On a client conference call’ to let your contacts know if it’s appropriate to contact you and if they can expect a response. Additionally, video calling technology is only going to get better as ubiquitous infrastructure such as the NBN is rolled out and overall network quality is improved.

3. Social networking
Talk to your colleagues regularly on social media to ensure you’re engaged with them on a completely different level. Use Twitter to share non-sensitive important articles or pieces of information with your colleagues quickly.

4. Ensure you have a strong mobile network signal
There is nothing worse than dropping off an important client call at the wrong time.

5. Communicate often with your colleagues
Set up weekly calls even if you think it’s a little overkill – it will force you and your team to become even more organised than they probably were before. This is important as some things can’t be covered in an email or an instant message and it allows you to bond with your team over the phone. You can also hold video conference calls via Skype or via Google+ Hangout video calls where you need to see two or more people.

6. Manage timezones
If you’re working in a different timezone to your team see if you can adjust your daily start time and finish time to correlate with where your team is based to enhance collaboration.

7. Benefit from BusinessApps
Heard of YouSendIt of Dropbox. These applications allow you to share large files where email or a connection over a VPN simply won’t do and it makes sharing items such as video footage, photos, Prezis or large PowerPoints simple and secure.

8. Know when to switch off
The danger, and this is sometimes where I struggle, is justifying an extra hour or two at work at the end or the start of the day because you’d only be commuting anyway if you were in your head office. Ensure you’re disciplined to know when you should finish work and make sure you close the office door behind you.