Is it too soon to be looking for a silver lining?

Is it too soon to be looking for a silver lining

I know these are stressful times. Like many of us, I’ve got aging parents and a lack of loo roll on my mind. But I’m starting to see some upside, and as we know, practicing gratitude is good for your optimism and resilience, so here we go! I’m grateful to COVID-19 for: Making some people […]

The surprising solutions for workforce disruption

The surprising solutions for workforce disruption

Change has changed, and so must we Even if we weren’t in the midst of the biggest disruption in a generation, research tells us that change has changed. Once the ‘critical’ change settles down, we’ll be facing inevitable organisational, social and economic change. I can’t advise on social and economic change, but I do know […]

How I made friends with the idea of working from home

How I made friends with the idea of working from home

It used to make me anxious. Would I lose focus? Get lonely? Eat the contents of the fridge? Do housework instead of paid work? As a leader, I sometimes had the same thoughts about my team when they were WFH too (sorry…). Fast forward a year and a half and here’s a few tips I’ve […]

Is it a bird? Is it a plane?

How to handle disruption in the workplace

Spotting this Qantas livery when I was flying to Sydney a few weeks ago gave me quite a jolt! Were we really flying in a 60yo plane? Of course not – but she sure looked like one. Qantas, what a fun way to celebrate your rich history. Apparently she’s been doing the rounds across Australia […]

5 ways to stand out in #HRTech

5 ways to stand out in #HRTech

The HR Tech market continues to be ablaze; with People-related products emerging at an incredible pace. It’s like Tiffanys at Xmas – a dazzling array of bright, shiny, desirable things. You want them all. You can’t wear them all at once and you probably don’t actually need even one of them, but the allure is […]

Getting the most out of tomorrow

Getting the most out of tomorrow

It’s a leap year this year, so tomorrow – Feb 29 – feels like a ‘free’ day to me. I’ll be making the most of it – education in the morning, beach in the afternoon. But of course if it’s your birthday tomorrow – then it’s a very special day indeed. >>I need to ask: […]

No-one likes a surprise at work

No-one likes a surprise at work

People don’t like surprises; research into emotional neuroscience shows that almost all reactions to surprise are negative. And yet we have traditionally kept org change plans a secret until the last minute – thus by design creating a ‘surprise!’ moment when our plans are revealed. There are loads of reasons for this, ranging from industrial […]

The surprising truth about an all-female executive

The surprising truth about an all-female executive

Last week it was my privilege to facilitate at City West Water. It’s the first time that my stakeholder group has been exclusively female – from the MD down.  I’ve often wondered what an all-female leadership team would really feel like, but I haven’t experienced it first hand – till now. This is what I saw: ► […]

Is this the scariest question in the world?

Is this the scariest question in the world

John Maltby says that the scariest question in the world is “So tell me about yourself……” And he’s right – we all fumble that one when asked, don’t we? You know how easy it is to talk at length about what you KNOW, but it’s really hard to talk at length about YOU? It’s literally […]

How to tackle the horrible middle

How to tackle the horrible middle

No, I’m not spruiking a new diet – I’m talking about change! The ‘horrible middle’ is a phrase coined by Harvard’s Rosabeth Kantor,  who says that change is “90% perspiration and 10% inspiration” Everything looks like a failure in the middle. Everyone loves inspiring beginnings and happy endings; it is the middle that requires you […]