I feel inspired and motivated by this development; the Chinese century is certainly no myth, and I'm excited to be a part of it!
Friday 30 March 2012
Rio Tinto Media Release
Yesterday in Singapore, Rio Tinto became a member of the new China Beijing Metals Exchange (CBMX). As indicated by the Rio Tinto Iron Ore Asia president, Alan Smith, this further reflects the exciting future ahead for China trading market trends. This development represents a sustainable iron ore trading platform, and provides tangibility to trade over and above the amount already exported.
I feel inspired and motivated by this development; the Chinese century is certainly no myth, and I'm excited to be a part of it!
This image was taken in Guilin, China - July 2010
I feel inspired and motivated by this development; the Chinese century is certainly no myth, and I'm excited to be a part of it!
Friday 23 March 2012
The Chinese Challenge
Last week, I asked a colleague at work whether there had ever been any discussion around generating the Rio Tinto websites in other languages such as Chinese or Indian; the company's largest importers of iron ore. She replied with a defiant 'no' - and informed me rather matter-of-factly that there was no interest and no point as English and French are the most widely spoken languages in the world.
Of the 7 billion people on this earth, over 1.3 billion are Chinese, and 1.1 billion are Indian.
Only 65 thousand are French.
Sometimes, it is so difficult to imagine numbers so large as that of those in the billions. One only needs to think of the entire population of Australia... being less than that of Shanghai. China's largest city has over 30 million people.
For a company to attract the attention of every single person living in this country, they would only need to resonate with 1.7% of the population of China.
Of the 7 billion people on this earth, over 1.3 billion are Chinese, and 1.1 billion are Indian.
Only 65 thousand are French.
Sometimes, it is so difficult to imagine numbers so large as that of those in the billions. One only needs to think of the entire population of Australia... being less than that of Shanghai. China's largest city has over 30 million people.
For a company to attract the attention of every single person living in this country, they would only need to resonate with 1.7% of the population of China.
Tuesday 20 March 2012
It's a matter of life or death
Two days ago, my friend committed suicide. He fare-welled his friends after a Saturday night out, went home, and hung himself. The news came as a huge shock for everyone - no one even suspected that he was depressed.
Last week, a close friend's sister was killed instantly in a car accident. She swerved for a car that braked suddenly to turn, and the car rolled twice; taking her life. She has left behind a family that feel cheated, and two young children that will grow up without knowing their mother.
Both of these cases have rocked me. In particular, the suicide. What could really be so bad that one feels the need to quit first and foremost? More importantly, without telling anyone.
Death before one's time is always unfair; always too soon. However, the death of Mitch Constantine feels so different, knowing that he made this decision himself.
Every year, approximately 2000 Australians die by suicide; this rate has been steadily decreasing over the past decade; contradictory to the supposed 'youth suicide epidemic'. Men generally commit suicide at a rate four times that of women, however women attempt to commit suicide more frequently.
Suicide can have devastating impacts on friends, family, colleagues and potentially the whole community. This death has questioned my perception of the people close to me; perhaps "Are You OK?" day isn't such a stupid idea after all.
Life is a precious gift. It is precious to those who are living it, and those who are graced by the living's presence. One should not feel cheated in losing a loved one before their time; but thankful for the time spent with them.
Last week, a close friend's sister was killed instantly in a car accident. She swerved for a car that braked suddenly to turn, and the car rolled twice; taking her life. She has left behind a family that feel cheated, and two young children that will grow up without knowing their mother.
Both of these cases have rocked me. In particular, the suicide. What could really be so bad that one feels the need to quit first and foremost? More importantly, without telling anyone.
Death before one's time is always unfair; always too soon. However, the death of Mitch Constantine feels so different, knowing that he made this decision himself.
Every year, approximately 2000 Australians die by suicide; this rate has been steadily decreasing over the past decade; contradictory to the supposed 'youth suicide epidemic'. Men generally commit suicide at a rate four times that of women, however women attempt to commit suicide more frequently.
Suicide can have devastating impacts on friends, family, colleagues and potentially the whole community. This death has questioned my perception of the people close to me; perhaps "Are You OK?" day isn't such a stupid idea after all.
Life is a precious gift. It is precious to those who are living it, and those who are graced by the living's presence. One should not feel cheated in losing a loved one before their time; but thankful for the time spent with them.
Wednesday 7 March 2012
Adapting to Change
"It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change" - Charles Darwin
Humans are a creature of habit; having to change our behaviours and patterns is frustrating because it removes us from our comfort zone, and instills a feeling of powerlessness. Whilst certain people will promote their love of new beginnings and surroundings, I have come to realise that we only truly embrace a change that is made on our own terms.
Adapting to change is one of the most essential life skills a person can have. Three out of four employees will demonstrate significant difficulty adapting to change; this costs a business money. Change, however, is crucial and an unavoidable repercussion of progressive growth.
Some of the obstacles we face - according to psychologist, Dennis O'Grady - may include:
Humans are a creature of habit; having to change our behaviours and patterns is frustrating because it removes us from our comfort zone, and instills a feeling of powerlessness. Whilst certain people will promote their love of new beginnings and surroundings, I have come to realise that we only truly embrace a change that is made on our own terms.
Adapting to change is one of the most essential life skills a person can have. Three out of four employees will demonstrate significant difficulty adapting to change; this costs a business money. Change, however, is crucial and an unavoidable repercussion of progressive growth.
Some of the obstacles we face - according to psychologist, Dennis O'Grady - may include:
- Fear of the unknown
- Fear of failure
- Fear of commitment
- Fear of disapproval
- Fear of success
Basically, humans are reactively frightened of change. We adopt a sense of panic; presume a loss of control. Predict a feeling of failure if we commit to goals associated with the change. Begin questioning "what do I really want?" and realising that the imposed change may eliminate our options. Even when we accept the change, there is the underlying feeling that questions our expectations; if I change, what other demands will be expected of me, and can I sustain this success?
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