Marie_ClaireAustralia_ February_2017

Dreaming about an overseas

adventure? You’re not alone.

ME research shows 76 per cent

of Gen Y delay “settling down”

to travel overseas.

But along with great memories

and a suitcase full of souvenirs,

40 per cent of overseas travellers

arrive home with their finances

in poor shape, removing that

holiday glow quickly.

A few simple steps can be the

key to avoiding a fiscal black

hole while travelling. First, map

out a daily spending allowance

(something that fewer than

half of us do). It can be easy

to underestimate even basic

expenses like dining out, so

head online to get a firm idea

of various costs before leaving.

Prepay accommodation and

transport fares where possible.

This is a great way to secure

early bird discounts leaving you

with more cash to spend on

unforgettable experiences.

MEBANK.COM.AU

REBECCA JAMES

Senior executive

at industry super

fund-owned bank, ME

AVOID THE

TRAVEL

BLACK HOLE

ME@WORK PARTTNENERSRSHIHIP

Business coach Simone Milasas

reveals what you should never

do when you’re the boss

The

LEADERSHIP

management

1

Micromanaging

“Just because you

have the top job, it

doesn’t make acting like

a tyrant acceptable.

Micromanaging sends

the message that you’re

focused on only one

way of thinking. Show

staff you respect their

opinions by inviting

them to share their own

insights and ideas.”

2

Hiring the

wrong staff

“Hire staff who can

contribute what you

can’t – not those who

are the same as you.

Aim to have movers,

connectors and creators

in your team. Movers

act in ways today that

will benefit the business

tomorrow. Connectors

are problem solvers,

and creators are the

visionaries. Work out

which qualities and

skills are important for

your business and hire

staff accordingly.”

3

Being inflexible

“Businesses that

aren’t adaptable are

limited greatly. If you

planned to have a

business that sold

orange juice and spent

months planting the

seeds only to find the

trees grew lemons,

would you cut the trees

down or change your

business? Being open

to change is key for a

successful business.”

4

Being a

narcissist

“As a leader you should

trust your gut, but this

doesn’t mean having

a big ego. Narcissistic

CEOs often make more

impulsive decisions,

according to a US

study. Assertiveness

does not have to come

with grandiosity.”

5

Judging people

around you

“Judging staff, clients

and customers is never

a good thing. Some

business owners will

evaluate the likelihood

of a client spending

money with thoughts

like, ‘They’re not our

customer profile.’ When

you make judgments

like these you drive

away business,

regardless of whether

you make the feelings

heard or not.”

6

Having

unrealistic

expectations

“Putting pressure

on your staff through

unfair deadlines or

delegating tasks

inappropriately will

lower the performance

of your employees.

Aim for the ‘quality

not quantity’ approach.

Not being overloaded

at work helps your staff

perform at their best.”

7

Thinking you

have all the

answers

“It’s OK to say, ‘I don’t

know that right now, let

me find out.’ Making

snap decisions might

make you appear like

an expert, but can lead

to mistakes. Take the

time to consider all

options and do your

research before making

important decisions.”

7

DE A DLY

SINS

SEE DIRECTORY FOR STOCKIST DETAILS. PHOTOGRAPHED BY PHILIP LE MASURIER; GETTY IMAGES. TEXT BY KATHERINE CHATFIELD. FASHION COMPILED BY MONICA RUSSELL

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