7 TIPS TO MANAGE AND MOTIVATE REMOTE TEAMS

 Hello there,

I had recently bought a business for sale in Sydney when the pandemic started spreading in the country. We had to go in a lockdown as NSW was one of the worst affected states. Anyway, we continued to work remotely but it made me very anxious as I had not yet developed a rapport with my team. It was time to pull up my socks and get in touch with each of them one-to-one to know what they were feeling. I asked HR to conduct team meeting and schedule daily calls with them to discuss all the projects and their work commitments. We also took out time to informally enjoy our discussions and it helped. Here is an article that will teach you all about managing remote workers. 

https://www.business2sell.com.au/blogs/strategy/tips-to-manage-and-motivate-remote-teams

COVID pills, a holy grail vaccine and 'immune fitness': Why there's a virus 'recalibration' coming

 Kerry Chant probably summed it up best: "All of us just want COVID to be gone."

The NSW Chief Health Officer was speaking at a press conference earlier this month and said while the idea of the virus vanishing was not possible, 2022 would be a year of "recalibration".

All states and territories in Australia are now living with COVID-19 and — bar occasional snap lockdowns and lockouts in some Top End communities — restrictions are, generally, being eased. 

Read More: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-02-02/why-the-third-year-of-covid-will-be-different/100763864

NSW's Blue Mountains could lose World Heritage status if Warragamba dam plan goes ahead: experts

 Scientific advisers to the United Nations have delivered a scathing assessment of the NSW government's plans to raise Warragamba dam, prompting fears that the Blue Mountains could lose its world heritage status if the project proceeds.

In a letter to the federal government, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), said raising the dam "appears to be inappropriate in relation to the requirements of the World Heritage Convention".

Australia is a signatory to the World Heritage Convention, and under federal environment law, the federal environment minister is not allowed to approve a project that is inconsistent with the Convention.

Read More: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-02-02/nsw-warragamba-dam-plan-risks-blue-mountains-world-heritage/100793120

Asian Australians' celebrations of Lunar New Year hampered by COVID

 As COVID again spoils traditional Lunar New Year celebrations, Asian-Australians have been forced to keep their usually free-ranging family traditions closer to home.

For Marianne Bogard, who is of Vietnamese and French origin, celebrating both Christmas and Lunar New Year is a highlight because her mixed ethnicity means "double the fun".

However, the Year of the Tiger marks the third year in a row Ms Bogard has missed out on celebrating Tết (Vietnamese for Lunar New Year) with her Vietnamese family in Ho Chi Minh City.

Read More: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-02-01/chinese-lunar-new-year-celebrations-year-of-the-tiger/100796224