FranklinCovey to tackle technology management at Expo

April 16, 2014

Internationally renowned FranklinCovey, best known for its training based on Stephen Covey’s The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, will present for the first time on the Sunshine Coast when they deliver a workshop on better managing workplace technology and using it productively at this year’s Sunshine Coast Business Expo on 29 May.

With a report* from McCrindle Research showing Australians spend an average of over 10 hours on electronic media each day, and statistics from a recent Servcorp Good Business Study** indicating many Australian business owners and managers believe the heightened use of technology at work is resulting in the loss of the ‘personal touch’ with clients, one could be forgiven for questioning whether technology is more of a hindrance than a help in the workplace.

Sunshine Coast Business Expo Chair Ross Hepworth said the introduction of new technologies had undoubtedly altered the business landscape both locally and across the globe, and the upcoming technology management workshop would come as a welcome relief for many Sunshine Coast business owners.

“The reality is that our reliance on technology is increasing exponentially, with the average time spent on electronic media each day having risen by more than two hours since 2008,” Mr Hepworth said.

“While the round-the-clock connectivity delivered by media like mobile phones and tablets is great for keeping business operators up-to-date, it also makes it all-too-easy to get distracted rather than focusing on the tasks at hand.”

“It’s not uncommon to hear local business owners commenting that their mobile phone practically rules their life, so the FranklinCovey workshop will provide them with the skills to regain some control.”

Mr Hepworth said he was thrilled to be welcoming time management and performance improvement experts FranklinCovey to the Expo in May and believed the 2014 program was shaping up to best the best yet.

“It’s a real coup to have FranklinCovey involved with this year’s event — we know their philosophies have a very strong following on the Coast and having them here for the first time is very exciting. The firm has developed such a strong reputation around the world for its work in improving workplace performance and we feel very privileged to have Lindsay Bridger from their team leading a workshop here on the Sunshine Coast,” Mr Hepworth said.

“With media personality Lisa Wilkinson already secured as a keynote speaker on day one of the Expo and the FranklinCovey workshop scheduled for day two, I expect tickets to this year’s event will sell at a record pace.”

Richard Holtgrefe, FranklinCovey’s 5 Choices Practice Leader said content for the workshop, titled ‘Rule your technology, don’t let it rule you’, was based on FranklinCovey’s The 5 Choices to Extraordinary Productivity course and would encourage participants to consider whether technology currently heightened their productivity and performance or distracted them from achieving their daily goals.

“We first focus on getting people to think about technology and how they use it before delving into techniques for controlling technology to both enhance productivity and lessen its impact on quality time spent with family and friends,” Mr Holtgrefe said.

“The reality is that many people lose important minutes and even hours every time they delve into the computer or smartphone which leads to a lack of productivity and a feeling of being overwhelmed and burnt out. The workshop will provide participants with valuable techniques to maintain control of technology, enabling it to accelerate performance, productivity and effectiveness, rather than the contrary.”

The FranklinCovey workshop which will be held between 10am and 1pm on Thursday, 29 May in the auditorium of the Mooloolaba Campus of the Sunshine Coast Institute of TAFE. While workshop attendance is valued at over $300, tickets for those attending the Expo are on sale at only $79 and include morning tea.

A limited number of sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities still exist for those businesses looking to have a presence at the Expo. For more information or to purchase tickets to the FranklinCovey workshop, please visit www.scbizexpo.org.au.

// Ends.

Sources
* Australia: The Digital Media Nation, McCrindle Research, 2013.
**Servcorp Good Business Study, Servcorp, 2013.

Media contact — Maya Gurry, Fresh PR & Marketing
P: 0410 109 102
E: maya@freshprm.com.au
Interviews with FranklinCovey workshop presenter Lindsay Bridger and Sunshine Coast Business Expo Chair Ross Hepworth available on request.

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