We’ve decided to remodel the way we connect people with work opportunities. Worknow as it existed and morphed over the last 18 months, is obsolete. While our purpose for being remains helping people connect with each other and work opportunities, the way in which we intend to do this is changing significantly.
Time to simplify
Somewhere in the development process everything became way too complicated. We became focused on developing systems and process to make a marketplace for work – paid, trade or volunteer – and we lost sight of what was, is and always will be the most important asset: people, talented people.
Skills vs Talent
Talents, we all have them and I assumed that talent could be easily stated so that we could connect people on that basis. Truth is, even now I sit here and can not express what I consider my own talent moreover, I have experienced that I am not alone in the struggle. Skills and interests on the other are easier to describe so perhaps we can connect people and facilitate collaboration on this basis?
I don’t make New Years resolutions. Instead, each year around my birthday and again around new years eve I reassess the balances in my life.
For thirty I chose to make Love and Gratitude my defining state of mind for the next decade. I’ve worked on patience, more than once, no doubt a life long pursuit of mine.
I’ve asked for faith, trust, compassion and for as long as I can remember I’ve been asking God for strength and wisdom. They are not SMART goals, simply a reflection of the better person I hope to be.
Work Balance
This year however I’ve also made some mental notes in regards to the work/life balance I value.
Lacking in balance I have chosen to rectify this by revisiting some very simple fundamentals that I’ve neglected over the last six months:-
Failing to plan, is planning to fail
January is the perfect time to revisit vision, purpose, mission and rework the business and project plans that define my working life. Time now for some serious planning, which as a consequence should also help me make the most of my time and talent by addressing my need for…
A Disciplined Routine
I love the freedom and flexibility that comes with being ones own boss. However, in working from an ocean front location, I’ve found the simplest things distracting this summer. Sunshine and the prospect of waves, distracting. People, distracting. The smell of food from Starfish, distracting.
I really should have taken a holiday, out of town, instead of creating weak excuses to “act” like I’m on holiday at home. Basically, I’ve been wasting time so in order to be more disciplined I’m instigating some simple lifestyle routines :-
Make the most of a great lifestyle
Morning Yoga sessions 30 minutes 3 times a week
Swimming 1.5km three times a week
Surfing at least three time a week
Make the most of the work I love
Get to sleep before 2am
Stop hating on facebook, twitter and blogging and get back to accepting them as a necessary part of my work life.
Back to work Sundays
Non profit Fridays
I was in bed before 1pm last night, up early this morning checked the surf, got my yoga session in and now its simply time to stop blog procrastinating and get back to work…
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Official recipients of DCC Industry Project Funding ~ August 2010
The Exchange_Dunedin ~ Heritage images provided by Dunedin City Archives
Imagine today standing at the exchange being able to see how the original Stock Exchange morphed over the years, imagine being able to look up High Street and view the world at a time when cable cars still operated or across to Nectar café and seeing it also as the retail store that it once was
Kia Ora, ko Renee taku ingoa, Stu Flemming Tim Calder & I in collaboration with Dunedin Venues Management & i-Visit are building the premiere iPhone Application for an open access Augmented Reality Platform.
We will deliver a world class immersive experience that will surprise, delight and provide residents and visitors the freedom to discover and explore Dunedin’s wealth of heritage, arts & culture. This will be a fun and engaging mobile discovery tool that will compel visitors to stay longer, explore further & share their immersive experience of Dunedin, with others.
Princess Street 1879 Dunedin ~ Heritage images provided by Dunedin City Archives
Augmented Reality will enhance people’s perception of time and place. Using a combination of wireless internet, GPS , live video streaming & overlays of video, audio & historic photographs, we can bring to life Dunedin’s heritage & display it to people via their own or hired mobile hardware ~ like this iPhone
We work to establish a presence in a high growth emerging market that is expected to expand from $6 to more than $350 million within the next four years.
• With this investment our city can Lead NZ in the adoption of Augmented Reality media to market our strengths to domestic and international audiences.
• With this investment our city can support the development of an open access platform that local businesses can build content & revenue streams upon: a catalyst for on-going and future collaboration, spanning many of Dunedin’s most talented and creative industry sectors
• With this investment we can raise the public perception of Dunedin as a city at the forefront of technology innovations
The time for AR is NOW we look forward to sharing our work with Dunedin Aotearoa & the world
Today, God willing, my efforts to live the project based, entrepreneurial work life that we encourage for Worknow and the vision we support, for a more collaborative, entrepreneurial, flexible workforce ~ that matches people with work opportunities on the basis of their talents and values ~ will prove either 1) of value in today’s knowledge economy or 2) that I’m not very good at my job.
Augmented Reality | The Exchange 1965 ~ Heritage images provided by Dunedin City Archives
Presentation to Council | Friday 20 August 2010
Kia Ora, my name is Renee Lee: project lead for our Augmented Reality Industry Project. I have more than 8 years’ experience in online development & marketing, I’m a member of the Distiller and co -founder of a couple of tech start –ups here in Dunedin.
I’d like to introduce our collaborators; Stu Flemming of Wic Wireless, our technology systems & support expert; Tim Calder, Dunedin Business Entrepreneur & Co Founder of The Distiller. Since our application Dunedin Venues Management Ltd has also provided a letter to formally commit $5500 to this project. Together we propose the development of:-
Augmented Reality | Princess Street 1879 ~ Heritage images provided by Dunedin City Archives
A fun & engaging immersive experience, using mobile & wireless technologies to provide residents and visitors the freedom to discover and explore Dunedin’s wealth of heritage, arts & culture.
Augmented Reality is the overlay of graphics onto a live video stream. The technology basically enhances people’s perception of reality. Using a combination of mobile GPS positioning, live video streaming and overlays of historic photographs we can bring to life Dunedin’s Heritage & display it to people via their own or hired mobile hardware ~ like this iPhone.
We will deliver an open access AR platform and premiere immersive experiences An augmented view of the world that will surprise, evoke and compel users to share their experience of Dunedin, with others. It’s a fun and engaging mobile technology that gives residents and visitors the freedom to discover and explore Dunedin’s heritage, arts & culture.
Augmented Reality | Junction of Princess Jetty 1965 ~ Heritage images provided by Dunedin City Archives
Augmenteted Reality is an emerging global market expected to expand from $6 to more than $350 million within the next four years.
The time for AR is now. At a relatively low cost we can put the experience of AR into the hands of residents and visitors. Dunedin can be New Zealand’s first city to use AR technology to market ourselves to domestic and international audiences.
It has been inspiring and encouraging discovering support from people throughout the heritage technology tourism & creative sectors & I would like to thank everyone that has supported us so far.
I absolutely believe that this project will support and expand the potential of local business and that funding this project will be a strategic investment in Dunedin people businesses, and our city ~ an investment which will support:
Learning & Collaboration | How I apply my talent & time
The most challenging task I’ve chosen to work on is a collaborative project to establish Aotearoa a social investment entity, employing innovative social finance instruments such as Social Impact Performance Bonds.
Our work follows the lead of social finance innovators in the UK such as The Young Foundation & Social Finance who working with Government this month launched Social Impact Bonds as a means to incentivise and reward social investment.
Unbeknown to me at the time, my journey along this path began last May, when I was inspired by and posted the following @Tedtalk by Geoff Mulgan of The Young Foundation to our Company Values page ~
Dear Mr Mulgan, thank you for inspiring & informing our work
It’s a long-term undertaking ~ probably the longest term undertaking of my life, yet I am blessed to be working with some world class talent and am leveraging technology for all it is worth to connect with people around the world that can inform our collective efforts. Our work is informed by the innovative research and work undertaken by organisations such as:-
New Zealand Bluelight Ventures Inc & Judge Andrew Becroft Principal Youth Court Judge of NZ ~ What causes youth crime
“…Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has…” ~ Margret Meade
Our ultimate outcome ~ the establishment of a social investment sector to support and develop self sustaining social enterprises could not be possible with out the work of our collaborative supported by the feedback, insight of those that I have shared our work with.
Family, friends, mentors and advisors. Inspiring, talented supportive people, catalysts of social impact in their own right including representatives of:-
* The Malcam Charitable Trust
* The Youth Wellness Trust
* The University oh Otago
* Otago Polytechnic
* Otago’s Entrepreneur Community
* Anglican Family Care
* Methodist Mission here in Dunedin
* Fellow board members at Te Kupeka Umaka Maori Ki Araiteuru KUMA Southern Maori Business Network
* Fellow board members at Malcam Charitable Trust Foundation
* Kati Huirapa i Puketeraki
* Te Runanga o Otakau
* Te Runanga o Moeraki
* Te Runanga o Hokonui
* Otakau Maori Police Advisory Group
* A3Kaitiaki Ltd
* Dunedin City Council
* Dunedin National MP
* Deloitte Dunedin
* Community Economic Conference
* Waitakere Community Social Innovation Hub
* Nexx
* Chapman Tripp Lawyers
* Foresters Research
* Entrepreneurship101.org/
* The Young Foundation
Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector
Tuesday 7 September 2010; 3.15pm
Release
Community and Voluntary Sector Minister, Tariana Turia, has expressed her heartfelt appreciation to the volunteers, friends and families who have so willingly expressed the hand of manaakitanga in supporting the communities of Otautahi.
“People throughout Canterbury have shown when the going gets tough, the tough get going – putting aside their anxieties and fear, to give their time, skills and energies to others” said Mrs Turia.
“It has been wonderful to see the way people have stepped up to the mark, in their own way. Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu has set up their facebook page to provide the space for whanau to send messages of support; youth groups have also used Facebook to get mobilised – setting up work teams to clear the streets of silt and rubble”.
“And of course the amazing contribution of volunteers in formally organised groupings such as Civil Defence Centres, the Welfare Centres, and the Red Cross has been seen in the long hours of dedicated efforts”.
Mrs Turia was particularly enthusiastic about the local time-banking scheme in Lyttelton. Ten percent of Lytteltonians have signed up to the challenge of checking on the elderly, providing drinking water, helping the Fire Brigade and creating that necessary central space for people to come together.
“Time Banking is a wonderful concept that grows self-help by trading skills in a community. Members of a Time Bank share their skills with other members within the community and are given time credits for the work they do. They can then “cash-in” the credits they gain to get the services and support they need”.
“This is a great example of community resilience and the generosity of spirit that helps everyone to get through the trauma of events as they have unfolded, in the wake of the Otautahi earthquake” said Mrs Turia.
Aspiring Social Entrepreneur | Proactive Volunteer
I’d like to think of the 60+ hours a week I volunteer as the work of an aspiring social entrepreneur, having labeled myself as such is rather vain of me when really I’m just a very proactive volunteer.
Volunteer or social entrepreneur ~ either way, it works for me. I get to do what I love in my own way, on my own time, in hopes that the work I do now, will eventually pay off in terms of actually helping other people.
For me, volunteering is as much a part of my life/work landscape as my friends and family. I am immensely grateful to be surrounded by talented, passionate people that encourage and inspire the journey. That said, I would not suggest I have a traditional outlook on volunteer work.
While I do collect for the Red Puppy Appeal, attend charity music events for the likes of Sea Shepherd and volunteer my social media skills for 350Aotearoa ~ volunteering is about the 60 hours+ a week that I invest as work experience in order to create my own future work/life path.
my talent and time | pursuing the dream
It is as true for me as anyone else on this planet that our most valuable personal resources are our own talent and time. Importantly, you get to decide how you value yourself and how you apply your time and talent. What we have to give and gain from this life is up to us to decide.
On that basis, I’m going with a “priceless” valuation on my time and talent:) I work because I hope that what I do is of much greater value to me than a monetary value might prescribe. From Worknow to Augmented Reality to Social Development Banking & Funding models to communities like the Distiller and the Social Innovation Hub as well as work on the board of trustees with KUMA ~ the Southern Maori Business Network and The Malcam Charitable Trust Foundation. It may seem eclectic, but all this unpaid work caters to my aspirations to help people using technology to connect and harness our collective potential
the highs and lows of being “unemployable”
One could point out that I am unemployable ~ which in the traditional sense of a 40hour work week would be an understatement. No “employer” would pay me to do what I do, there is no job description that would comprehensively cover what I set out to achieve or my methods for doing so.
The stigma attached to the label of being “unemployed” is sometimes a challenge. It’s difficult to explain what I do in any quick way except to say that I volunteer, a lot. To quickly summaries my work life often strips from my description all the passion and well being I enjoy. To explain in even basic detail often means a five minute spiel all about me and the amazing talented people I know.
I sometimes struggle to share with the fact that I love my job, that I don’t get paid and actually could achieve nothing without the many many people that I work alongside. Some days I feel like a fake and it’s easy to see why no one pays me. Other days it all just comes together, it makes sense and I absolutely trust that I’m on the right path. If it is about the journey vs the destination, then I’m loving the ride.
Project based work life
Although only one of my current projects Worknow, is all about supporting my project based work life. Perhaps through determined belief and in living the lifestyle we promote I can show that volunteer work experience ~ choosing what you love and applying your talent to achieving your dreams ~ does pay. Perhaps not immediately, perhaps never in terms of cold hard cash but in so many other ways, that money could not buy.
If you aspire to entrepreneurship and work life freedom, if you seek to discover and live your talents and life with passion and joy then potentially, we can help. Your talent profile here will help you connect with the growing number of people that share our work life outlook . Tell us about your talents and skill your interests and values, and we’ll match you with work opportunities. What do you have to gain? that is up to you to define.
Our company values are by nature idealistic, intended to help us lift our game and aspire to excellence. However, I just noticed that they also underline our ability to deal with situations when we fail to exceed expectations .
# Integrity: We keep our promises, treat people fairly and value open and honest communication.
Honestly, major fail on our part
Kia Ora
Hey I understand you’re working with Jolyon in Timaru on the time bank and that you guys had a go at using our system the other day while it was way out of whack, which is really unfortunate. I promise it’s not normally so error ridden.
Last Thursday, we finally put the paid work marketplace live. This requires shifting a whole lot of new code from our staging to live website. As you experienced, like Jamie & I did here too, there were some major errors.
While http://worknow.co.nz registered all the changes http://www.worknow.co.nz was still hosting the old website. This lead to a whole raft of problems & a pretty major Fail on our part ~ all due to a very small error on our Domain Name Server(DNS).
Sorry that you guys had such a bad initial experience. I beg your understanding that as volunteers, building this site part-time we had only just begun to pick up on the faults ourselves, when Jolyon got in touch.
We have fixed the DNS issue and all should be back to operating as normal. We are also working to build you your own separate marketplace and if we haven’t completely lost your interest, please take a second look, have a play and yeah make your call now that what we offer, is working.
You guys are welcome to call or email me anytime with questions, feedback or criticism. Appreciate your understanding.
