The current COVID-19 pandemic is a global catastrophe on a scale that we’ve never experienced in business. It has forced choices upon us that a year ago we never thought possible – community versus economy, health versus wealth, freedom versus conformance, prioritising who to save and who to let die. In Australia, we are turning […]
I’ve been watching the global pandemic data accumulate for months now. Like many, I’ve been trying to make sense of trends and patterns. Where is Covid19 having the most impact? Who will be affected? Who is managing it best? There appear to be increasingly predictable causation branches that can operate independently, but dramatically increase in […]
I was chatting with someone last week who was trying to solve a work problem. I suggested that they speak to a certain person in their business to get that colleague’s perspective, to which I was bluntly told, “I’m not going to speak to her, she’s not strategic.” The response surprised me. I found it […]
The descent begins with the signs of disengagement: Missing deadlines; Not letting go of issues or re-prosecuting decisions that have already been made; Deficit language and constantly finding fault; Sarcasm, cynicism; As it progresses, they become quiet, and increasingly invisible: Physical separation from others – arriving last to meetings, sitting at the end of the […]
If HR and Risk Management were single people looking for meaningful relationships and stumbled across each other on Tinder, they would probably swipe left and move to the next potential match. What they don’t realise is how compatible they are. They are both dog people, they love to keep fit, travel, cook and both believe they have […]
Thanks to the Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry, board directors and executives across Australia are dissecting organisational culture. This is simultaneously a blessing and a curse. As a two-decade leadership and culture professional, I am delighted to see this most critical area of organisational life, one that I […]
Employee engagement and organisational culture are different things. Whilst most of us believe that we know this, few of us are able to describe the differences and fewer still can apply strategies to achieve a lift in one or the other. What I have observed after two decades working in this field is that front line […]
I get my take-away coffee from a busy little laneway café. It’s good coffee, served by two diligent and friendly characters called Roy and Gus. There is a casual familiarity. When it’s quiet (which is rare) they are happy to chat. When it’s busy (mostly) they give a knowing nod to acknowledge your presence, mentally log your order and get […]
The debate about work-life balance continues to circulate. Each fearless generation insists they can find the mythical ‘balance’, only to later concede defeat. It’s quite easy to make bold predictions when the see-saw has few items that require balancing. Once the joys and trials of marriage, parenthood, mortgages, elder care, retrenchment or illness beset the […]
What is an expert culture? Expert cultures exist in absolutes. There is a way of doing something that is the right way and then there is everything else. In this world inputs are valued as highly or higher than outcomes. Rules abound and are generally clear. Where they are not, outliers are made aware of […]