REFLECTING ON YOUR SUCCESS IN 2011
Introduction  In this month's edition of The Xplorer we want to encourage you to reflect on what has happened in the past year. Maybe 2011 has been your best year; maybe it has been your worst. So what lessons can you use as a springboard for making 2012 great?
This is the time of year that we're all in planning mode. Whether it be career goals, personal development goals or just getting through Christmas unscathed! Christmas can be the most stressful time of the year but also the most exciting, when families come together and big life decisions are made.
We hope you all have a safe and happy festive holiday and we look forward to working with you to make 2012 your most successful year yet!
The Xplore Team
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Reflecting on your success in 2011
 As the New Year approaches it is the perfect time to take a moment to reflect on your successes from 2011. Many of you may be tempted to put too much emphasis on those areas that you feel have not been up to your personal hopes and wishes. However, I believe it is important to really take the time to celebrate your successes rather than cast wistful glances over your shoulder at those things you wish you had achieved.
As I look at 2011 the key things that I feel have made a difference and given me great satisfaction are the following: Xplore for Success where we made a difference to over 1,000 professionals in their lives and careers, Dress for Success which made a difference to over 1,300 disadvantaged women this year, my family and friends who are so important to me and my own personal development, health and well-being.
Xplore for Success has continued to grow with a fabulous team of senior associates who bring our services to life and provide the opportunity for many people to take some personal time to identify their goals. We have had the opportunity to work with many women (and some men) during the year providing a safe environment for them to consider their careers and also their own personal goals. Xplore offers services in the government sector, the energy sector, health and financial and professional services.
Dress for Success in Sydney has gone from strength to strength with a move to a larger facility in Marrickville (with room for career support program as well as our dressing and styling), expansion of the Outreach program to several corrective services sites and also Gosford, our fabulous gala fund-raising event in October and the growing Australian network including Brisbane, Melbourne, Mornington Peninsula, Perth and Canberra. You might want to consider becoming a member of Dress for Success Sydney (starting at $100 a year which is less than the cost of a cup of coffee each week).
In 2011, I have spent more time with my family including my four grandchildren. It is definitely a wonderful gift to see the next generation growing and having the opportunity to get to know each of them better. I have continued to work towards greater fitness and also undertaken a course on social media. All in all, 2011 is a year which has provided me with many opportunities to do those things that I love.
I would encourage each of you to take the time to consider all that has given you joy in 2011 as a foundation for your planning for 2012. As I look at 2012, I look forward to welcoming our first Senior Associate based in Perth, building more social media components into Xplore, exploring interactive programs to broader our reach, finding a partner to deliver Xplore programs to NFP groups, continue to expand the support of Dress for Success whilst not forgetting myself and my family and friends who matter so much to me.
I wish you a wonderful time over Christmas and into the New Year and encourage you to take the time to reflect on 2011 and plan for the best year ever in 2102.
To find out more about Xplore programs to assist you and/or your organisation to achieve success call our office on 02 9660 4526 or email office@xplore.net.au.
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What stops women from reaching the top? – CEW/Bain Study 2011
 The 2011 Gender Parity workplace survey has been released. Chief Executive Women (CEW) and Bain & Co have undertaken a significant piece of research of 842 Australian business professionals.
The results are astounding and among other findings, the report debunks a popularly held belief that competing work-home priorities is the greatest inhibitor of women's advancement to senior management positions. Instead, the study finds valuing diverse styles is key to women's career advancement through senior management ranks.
Read the report and let us know what you think: What stops women from reaching the top? Confronting the tough issues
Further events discussing this study will be held in Brisbane on 2 nd February 2012 and in Perth on 9 th February 2012. Contact the CEW office for further details cew@cew.org.au.
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Relax, it's Christmas!  The Christmas period can be far from relaxing, it can be a marathon! Gifts to be bought, dinners baked, Christmas trees decorated, visits with family and friends arranged and that's just half of it. At your work everything is wrapping up for the year, people are already in holiday-mode and all you want to do is finish the year with a clean slate, which seems like an impossible task.
No wonder people are edgy during the Christmas season. Disappointments and family squabbles are almost inevitable, but careful planning can minimise the risk. The idea of ‘planning' your holiday may not initially appeal to you but this process can give you and your family more freedom and opportunities to relax.
So what does a ‘real break' look like for you? Try to list 3-5 things that you feel are must-do's in order for you to feel like you've had a break.
Here are a few ideas:
- Go for a long walk at least twice a week
- See a movie
- Read for an hour per day
- Have dinner out with my partner or friends at least once
- Get a massage
Once you have your list discuss it with your family or friends and decide how you can support each other so that you can achieve your ‘real break'. You don't have to schedule to the day or hour but make sure you discuss some possible ‘when's' and how's' in order to facilitate activities or relaxation time.
The main thing is to feel recharged and energized, and ready to take on the new year.
And don't forget to take some time to reflect on your career and decide on what you want to achieve in 2012. There are plenty of resources out there for you to research, this article is a good starting point to get you thinking – Achieving a career plan
Remember, you want to start the year with a positive outlook.
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Xplore Success Stories -
Louise McDougall
 Read Louise's story on how she learned to build upon her strengths to enable her to grow both personally and professionally.
Read Louise's Success Story »
We've had some amazing women and men completing our programs and we want to share their success stories with you. Read their stories self-discovery and learn how they overcame challenges to be successful. Xplore Success Stories
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 Top tips for Talking Money
Around this time of year the subject of remuneration reaches the top of the agenda. Make sure you are prepared for the conversation and you have done your research. These tips cover some of the way you can talk about why money is important, how to identify if you are paid to market and how you raise questions on your remuneration.
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Being sure you are paid at a fair rate is important for your personal confidence and sets the foundation for your career prospects for the future. Because each pay rise is often given as a percentage, if you start low each year the gap will get larger. |
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t is better to be at the bottom of a higher grade level, than at the top of a lower grade level because most organisations are more prepared to offer larger increases to those at the bottom of a grade level. |
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Your pay identifies how your skills are evaluated by management – lower pay, lower skills and therefore less likelihood of winning a promotion against others who are paid more. |
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Your remuneration sets a ceiling on the remuneration of those that work for you. By accepting less than you are worth you are capping the remuneration prospects of your team members. |
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As you take more senior positions you may want to outsource more aspects of those areas of your life that you don't like doing. Having the money to do that is important |
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You need to know what you are worth in the open market. Information about remuneration can be gleaned from search firms, online sources and your peers. You can't talk money effectively if you don't have that information. |
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Having a range of search consultants in your network is important not only to glean remuneration information but also to keep abreast of the changes and opportunities in your industry. |
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Remember that your remuneration includes not only your pay, but also your bonus and any other ways that your organisation structures your package. |
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Once you have the information you need about your remuneration you need to be confident that your remuneration matters to you. |
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If you are hesitant to discuss remuneration, put it on your agenda and send a copy to your manager before the meeting. Don't make it the last point. |
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Remuneration is not a once in a year conversation, you need to make sure that your manager and others know that remuneration matters to you. |
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When you have done a great job maybe say ‘I hope you will remember that when you look at my salary'; also ‘from my research I don't believe I am paid to market – please will you review my salary'; ‘I know salaries are on a freeze, however what other ways can you reward my work?' If you are not raising the questions you will likely fall behind |
Read more on Earning What You Deserve and Money Matters on the Xplore website. You'll also find more interesting tips and articles over on the Xplore Facebook page.
................................................................................... [ top ] An executive coach will support you in your career
 Xplore offers professional coaching for women and men to unlock the potential of each individual and to maximise their personal performance by developing self-understanding, building leadership skills, developing flexible communication techniques and building personal presence.
Xplore professional coaching provides an opportunity for behavioural change and personal development. Through a targeted program each participant will have an opportunity to be supported through a process of setting personal goals, discussing behaviours and building confidence whilst defining their personal success targets.
At Xplore we can tailor a coaching program to meet your needs whether individual or organisational. We seek to empower professionals to achieve personal success. We believe that the changes that you may observe will make these employees more proactive and able to grow in their career. This will make them more valuable to your team and your organisation.
Our coaches have a broad range of experience and also facilitate the Xplore programs, their profiles can be found on our website under ' our people'.
For more information about Xplore's Professional Coaching programs call our office on 02 9660 4526 or email office@xplore.net.au.
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Organise your networks for 2012
 Many of you may already be regularly reviewing and updating your networks throughout the year. If you're not then there is most definitely at least one time in the year when you should, that's NOW!
Start 2012 with a clean sheet. Question your networks. What's working? What's not working?
Am I connected to the right people – To allow me to achieve my short term and long term goals? To help me to connect to others I may not already know? Or to support me personally and/or professionally?
Am I getting anything back from my current networks? Your networks should be a two-way relationship. It's time to get ‘culling' if a relationship is not working reciprocally!
Am I wasting time in one network when I could be putting more focus on another? Don't spread yourself too thinly or you will find that you will be ineffective.
As well as our ‘offline' networks, we also now have our ‘online' networks. Here are two networks you can add to your list right now – join the Xplore for Success LinkedIn Group and like Xplore's Facebook page. Connect with others in our community and get involved with group discussions (or even start a discussion yourself!).
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A Dress for Success Story – Thilaka Weerasooriya
 Xplore is an active supporter of Dress for Success, a not-for-profit organisation that assists women experiencing difficulties in achieving self-sufficiency and financial independence. Xplore prides itself on helping others to help themselves and this is why this is such an important cause close to our hearts.
Thilaka Weerasooriya has had a remarkable journey from Sri Lanka to Australia, the place she now calls home. Thilaka's passion and determination to succeed is relentless and has helped to her forge a successful new life with experiences she'd never dreamed of.
We want to share Thilaka's success story as it is a true testament to how supporting others to help themselves can change lives! Read it here.
Dress for Success Sydney is a community-based organisation that is run predominantly by volunteers to dress and offer support and advice to disadvantaged women seeking to re-enter the workplace. Xplore for Success is a proud sponsor of Dress for Success Sydney. Stay informed by joining Dress for Success Sydney social network groups on LinkedIn and Facebook.
Become a member, there are three levels of membership available.
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Helpful Links
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Coleman Greig Women in Business Forum |
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Sphinxx |
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Women in Business |
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Women's Network Australia |
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Women Chief's of Enterprise |
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Success Women's Network |
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Career Mums |
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Ask Her |
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Business Chicks |
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Femail |
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Mums@Work |
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Kiva |
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In the next edition of The Xplorer...
“What are the factors that often make women feel excluded at work and how can you approach them”. We'd like your input on this subject, so head over to the Xplore LinkedIn Group page and let us know your thoughts.
Feel free to send us your recommendations of topics to discuss thexplorer@xplore.net.au.
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