Refreshing Websites 🌏🎳🖱 #60

Refreshing Websites 🌏🎳🖱 #60

14 Aug, 2018

Stronger Strategy: Two New Board Seats

Imagine having two seats at your organisation’s board table or your project’s board – one for the planet and one for the children.

In the prince2 project methodology a board is an equal number of customers and supplier representatives – that is, people who’ll receive the result of the project and those supplying the bits to bring it to be. I’ve seen this work well as the two important stakeholders have a voice.

Throw in the planet and the children and BOOM we’ve got the future represented. So simple. So sweet.

Thanks to BFry for the origin of these thoughts by Peta Kelly in this podcast {really worth a listen – go beyond the different language used and listen to the end}.

 

refreshing runwaydigital.com

We’re improving our online sites: runwaydigital.com, samanthabell.com.au, LinkedIn, other social media, better displaying our free resources & frameworks, refining our systems to distribute information and updating our products and services for you.

What do you like? What would you like to see? Shoot us ideas. Thanks

My aim is for brevity, clean design, clear credibility, interesting offerings, and having sites we use as examples to inspire others.

Thanks to Kimberley & Ryan for the inspiration and insight.

Quick LinkedIn Upgrade

I’ve a new LinkedIn look. It only took a few minutes thanks to quick creative from Canva (so simple!). Thanks to Fabien for the tip of the colourful ring around the profile photo to standout in a LinkedIn search.

 

What’s happening online?

Focused, fascinating & humane insights on leading virtual, flexible teams by Tim Buzza. #agile #lean #trust #remotework #highperformance #selforganising #futureofwork #tealorganisation #communication #inclusion #adaptable #mindset

Why you should make useless things.

Go Gus!

Nice one Sammartino ~

Wonderful footage of big mountain skiing with friends. Thanks Daffy.

Thanks FB newsfeed eradicator for this quote:

What’s happening in your world?

As always, wishing you well,
Sam

Voicetech 🙌 👄 👌 #32

18 Jul, 2017

True Shared Economy

WOW! Airbnb is about to turn 9. A great success and service.

They’ve still a way to go though to be a true “shared economy” example as their balance is still skewed towards the guest versus a balance with the property host.

As Airbnb drives for more hosts there’s greater supply of properties and the economies drive prices down. This leads hosts to compete on price and quite possibly opt-out of long term involvement.

The term ‘shared’ economy is about contribution from all players. After staying at a home, Airbnb’s questionnaire is just like a hotel’s. Airbnb has the opportunity to influence behaviour internationally with questions such as:

  • When leaving the host’s home did you leave something that’d delight the next guest?
  • What did you contribute to the home or host for the privilege of staying in their home?

If you’re designing new organisational systems, I imagine you’re putting in place a way to regularly seek and add shared value over time.

Here comes privacy.

As blockchains and other tech comes along to bring about greater individuals’ privacy, there’ll be more exposés on corporations selling data without customers’ full understanding. Quite possibly shared economy darlings such as Airbnb will be in the spotlight.

This gives more insight (watch the first 47 seconds).

#Voicetech

Future Employment

Are you looking unique online? Is your global proposition and bio clear on online sites?

These guys are showing their style via Medium and LinkedIn:

Be inspired to stand out online through this insight.

“think like a supermodel if you want to win from the gig economy”

 

Favourite reads & listens

  • True pop up houses. Endless possibilities…
    [innovation, construction, tech, minimalism]
  • Again Apple shows a humane approach at their new office.
    [Apple, Future of Work]

“…we have lost confidence in offices altogether as nomadic workers huddle in cafés and in their own bedrooms.”

  • It’s good to be laughed at.
    [leadership, VC, Fred Wilson]
  • Wonderful to see a successful Aussie (Qld) entrepreneur in the Blockchain space.
    [fast innovation, ledgers, luxury goods]
  • Engaging overview of business trends.
    [business strategy, future, tech]
  • Imagine computer to computer regulations.
    [Vinay Gupta, Internet of Agreements, future web]
  • Future of work“[your] GigBot will talk to your alarm clock; $10 or $10,000, just name the price that would tempt you from your lie-in.”
  • I’m really enjoying Spotify’s radios. Choose your favourite song and click radio – works well. (I’m not missing Rdio so much now!)

 

For your CEO and senior leaders

“We will definitely see a range of steady, incremental improvements in everyday AI. Online product recommendations will get better, your phone or car will understand your voice increasingly well and your vacuum cleaner robot won’t get stuck as often.” 

“Instead of replacing jobs, our overall quality of life will go up. For example, right now few people can afford a personal assistant, or a full-time life coach. In the near future, we’ll all have (a virtual) one!

“It’s likely that a significant fraction of jobs will be under threat over the coming decade. It’s important to note that this won’t necessarily be divided by blue-collar versus white-collar, but rather by which occupations are easily automatable.”

Great online presence

  • Innocent again come up with a cracker of a headline.
  • The extended list is here and here.

Writing these emails continues to delight me. I’m adding this email and those sent in the past to LinkedIn as articles and possibly on Medium so people checking me out virtually ‘get’ what I’m fascinated by and my approach.

 

If we’re not connected, let’s do so by clicking here and here.

Have a fantastic week!

~ Sam

AI 😇💥👌#31

AI 😇💥👌#31

4 Jul, 2017

Welcome to the 31st edition of this email. Did you know you can read past editions right here?

_____

I’ve heard Japan is starting to swelter! On the weekend in Melbourne I started to see my misty breath in the air. The chill is starting to set in down here in the south.

Happily I’m at a snowy mountain right now…

Blockchain technologies and cryptocurrencies continue to awe and inspire me with ideas for the future. Join me in reading these fascinating insights over a coffee and a spectacular view:

“A tipping point could be reached where people will realize ‘that data belongs to me.'”

  • Examples of Blockchain uses beyond money / currency. Thx Lucy. (Claire S – there’s a good Tesla Powerwall example.) 
  • “What if you opened Spotify and paid the artist directly?”
  • “Lots of great things have happened, but overall the benefits of the digital age have been asymmetrical. For example, we have this great asset of data that’s been created by us, and yet we don’t get to keep it. It’s owned by a tiny handful” 
  • “The blockchain is …a platform for truth and it’s a platform for trust. The implications are staggering, not just for the financial-services industry but also right across virtually every aspect of society.” McKinsey & co.
  • How Blockchains will transform markets from master-tweeter Naval.
  • Keep up to date with cryptocurrencies – especially good to read if you’re investing in BTC, ETH etc.
  • Current prices of cryptocurrencies. Last week there were 863 currencies listed here and now…
  • If you’re thinking of investing in Ethereum and aren’t sure where to start, this could inform you. It could also be a bit too heavy on words such as “exchanges”. If so, read below this amazing view…

Book a 45 minute session with me to get a quick-start on learning about Blockchain tech and cryptocurrencies, setting up an online wallet, ask your current questions and receive tailored links.
Get involved fast.

Recent favourite reads & listens:

Great online presence:

Reply to let me know the favourite things you saw this week. I’d love that.

Have a fantastic week!

~ Sam

* Did you pickup my play on letters? bwahahah

Customer Experience 🎶 🐠 😊 #30

Customer Experience 🎶 🐠 😊 #30

22 Jun, 2017

Innovation, ‘Thin Skin’ and Customer Experience.

Ughh. Having ‘thin skin’. It’s not something that’s usually welcome. The thing is, these days the awareness meter is becoming an attractive tool that creates the impressive wisdom required to connect with customers, colleagues and partners for quicker and greater innovation, conflict resolution, learning and longer-term progress. Being able to sense what’s needed, what’s possible, imagining, being open to what’s there… it’s important. If you’re someone with thin skin, tips on how to be emotionally strong include ~ * Choose who to listen to. Feedback is a reflection of the person giving it – you can choose whether to listen to it. * Develop listening to yourself and what’s important. Having thin skin balanced with an openness to relevant feedback is an advantage. It gets you closer to beauty for you and others.

FOR WHEN YOU CAN’T ROADTRIP.

Wander. Roadtrips are great for the feeling of endless time; subjects flow amongst quiet moments. Stops at interesting places. A wander with a friend through your local villages can be similar. I enjoyed one recently, walking though Melbourne’s CBD via a great conversation at the fromagerie at the Spring St Grocer, an affogato at their Gelati Store, seeing wild sights at the Exhibition Gardens, cobblestone streets of Fitzroy, a canoe on Brunswick St, Snow White apples from the organic store, happy people at The Rose sitting outside in winter, seeing the Crumpler staff hurriedly pack up, seeing Spacecraft and a parfumerie’s beauty on Gertrude St. Walking towards town the idea of a movie popped up and off we went to the Kino and afterwards a feed at Yamato. A wander and a wide ranging conversation. Wonderful! Who are you wandering with next?

Let My People Go Surfing ~ Yvon Chouinard

Great inspiration via “Let My People Go Surfing” by Yvon Chouinard… from doing business with future generations in mind, to being more aware of the wider environment, tips on building great cultures and doing what’s there to be done. Wonderful business philosophy for Patagonia employees and perhaps your’s too. Highly recommended. I’ve many favourite comments, here’s a couple:

Yvon was the “outside person” at Patagonia, “responsible for bringing back news ideas. A company needs someone to go out and get the temperature of the world”. “Trash our stuff, trash our planet”

If you don’t get to the book, enjoy these insightful quotes.

Free Thrills.

It’s been a while now that I’ve worn un-matching socks. Until recently, nobody commented (or noticed).

Then I started karate and one of the classes is with under 10 kids who’ve started commenting, with confusion, that I wear un-matching socks.

Good fun.

Smile!

Favourite reads & listens:

  • Blockchain introduction:1. Satoshi’s original Bitcoin paper is definitely worth reading – even the Introduction on the first page as it explains the role of blockchain / cryptocurrency and going beyond third party trusted sources. Especially important to read if you are a consultant advising clients. 2. This Forbes podcast: “The blockchain is about to transform every trust-based interaction of our lives, from financial services to identity, from health care to our Internet of Things devices. In this podcast, host Laura Shin talks with industry pioneers across tech, financial services, health care, government and other sectors about how the blockchain and fintech will open up new opportunities for incumbents, startups and everyday people to interact more efficiently, directly and globally.”More blockchain reading is here.
  • Fascinating: 48 hours in VR.
  • Alexa buys Wholefoods
  • Heads up Facebook [thx rosshill]“Treat Facebook as the private walled garden that it is. If you want something to be publicly accessible, post it to a real blog on any platform that embraces the real web, the open one.”
  • Help kids thrive.
  • Delighted to see the tiny homes trend take off. Check out the beauties: here and here.
  • Another inspiring image of future transport. We’ll start to realise how restricted we’ve been with a steering wheel and seats facing forward. Thanks Elon and the Boring Company.

Great online presence:

  • ABC Australia r+d’s entrancing website and their megatrends report which clearly articulates the trends ABC is aware of through their work of engaging with and providing interesting watching for their customers for decades to come.“if you’re aware there’s a computer there, we’ve failed.” Bill Buxton on Invisible design
  • This may have you dream up your next project.

The Surfcoast conditions continue to be wonderful, Nic’s just done her first 4 days of yoga teacher training, a few of us are celebrating the passing of a big-hearted friend, others, a family member. Nick’s home at the end of the world (!), Ross and Anne are NYC’ing, SJ’s in AUS, Wends is dealing with a (happy) unwell child, a few friends are sick (maybe from the change in the seasons), two friends are preparing for interstate relocations at the end of the month… much happens as the globe turns. Wishing you and yours well and happy,

~ Sam

RunwayDigital.com

P.S. Interesting natural phone amplifier (from Russell in reply to the last newsletter).

System Integrity ☀ 🌳 😎 #29

6 Jun, 2017

Sunshine for you…

Enjoy little things: a patch of sunlight or the smooth feel of using a fountain pen.

Quick! Fly somewhere!

Kind ideas.

Get something out.

Pick up surfing.

Be excited about the Southern Hemisphere snow season or the Northern Summer or puffins!

(System) Integrity.

My regular coffee shop, Patricia’s, provides me an incredible experience each time I visit: an underlying interest to provide the exceptional, warm welcomes, happy staff, delicious, stylish products (taste, cups, spoons), fascinated sourcing, a sense of community, lots of awareness / care / kindness, fun and delight (including randomly provided tastings), and a sense of openness.

With such integrity throughout there is a constant focus on the customer experience.

I spotted this in Jony Ive’s foreword in the “Designed by Apple” book. It sums up this idea:

Your turn. Create integrity throughout. Aim high!

Hear’s to your incredible success and recognition Bowen (Patricia’s Founder)!

When you visit Patricia’s, look up and spot the Sunshine…

Redefining “Work”.

John Hagel’s SXSW presentation is a simple, wise, calm view of employment opportunities and threats owing to machines. He reminds that in a traditional sense work is creating replicable, tightly specified, efficient processes and outputs. Who’s best to do these? Machines.

John also mentions microsourcing / outsourcing and how this drives individuals’ unique expression (which is great) though John suggests the ‘gig economy’ will be transitional as activities can be defined and given to machines. Having worked with Virtual Assistants, I found myself nodding.

We’re in the time of working out the next version of work. This is one of my favourite (pretty quick) presentations. Enjoy!

Still anxious about robots and automation? Relax, it’s been happening for ages (cruise control, radio to Spotify/Rdio etc). It’s helpfulness and role is directed by you, by us, as humans. Do what you need to feel empowered (including replying to me here!).

Making Progress.

Writing emails like this gives me a chance to reflect on things that are working for me and pass them on.

A favourite for managing progress is having a ‘returning email’ system. When I buy something and receive an email, I return the order confirmation email to me and set the date to just after the expected delivery date. Usually the email pops up and the order has been delivered – though if not, the email returning has me address.

I can also write an email to someone confirming something important they’ll be doing, click the Boomerang “return in…” checkbox at the bottom of the email and it’ll return at the ETA. …then I don’t have to think about it until the email returns.

I use Boomerang in gmail and gmail’s inbox app on my iphone to return emails.

What tips work for you?

Pump Up The Volume.

It was fun today seeing Apple is releasing a new speaker system. It reminded me of a simple idea I’ve used on the fly – put your iPhone in a tall bowl and it amplifies the speaker. Yay!

Favourite reads & listens:

  • Curious about cryptocurrencies, the Blockchain, Bitcoin, Ethereum and more? Tim Ferriss’ latest podcast is a great introduction. It’s co-presented with one of my favourite thinkers in the world – Naval Ravikant – who kindly simplifies complex topics as they arise. A more advanced watch or listen on the wider context on the future of cryptocurrencies and finance is Brian Armstrong at this week’s Token Summit (thanks rosshill)
  • Alastair Humphreys’ newsletter.

 

Great online presence:

Have a fantastic week from an increasingly chilly Melbourne!

~ Sam

RunwayDigital.com

P.S. Travel links are Aussie/Asia-biased x