Articles
A moment to reflect, and move forward
People tend to put a lot of pressure on themselves at this time of year to get things done – finish that report, wind up the project, clean the windows, buy all the gifts, attend all the Christmas parties and prepare for the perfect holiday season. It is worth assessing every item on all our lists – both mental and actual, and ask ourselves “does this all need to be done?”
Refresh, Re-energise and Renew
With the chaos of the year behind us, I think everyone is looking forward to the holiday break. Time with family, friends, and some much-needed relaxation. The past two years have been tough on many people. The surprising part is that some leaders have thrived through this period while others have really struggled.
Communicating in the digital era
While we either have or are contemplating a return to our offices, digital communication, whether that be email, messaging, Zoom or MS Teams is here to stay. Being effective in how we use these different communication tools will be critical to high performance and team management.
Leading Hybrid Teams in a Flexible Environment
This is a subject that has almost come to rival talking about the weather… do you want to continue working from home and will your organisation allow it? Whilst working from home is not a new concept to some, organisations have generally been slow to embrace this possibility due to uncertainty on what the impact would be on performance.
Surprising conversations with senior leaders
I have coached senior leaders across the public sector for over ten years now. Over the years, these conversations have covered many, many subjects. The three recurring themes are establishing a network, managing a diary effectively and dealing with imposter syndrome.
Leadership in the Moment
2020 has been an amazing year. I had been stretched before, but this year has presented a whole new range of challenges. From the bushfires and hail of January through the initial wave of Covid-19 and home schooling… It is safe to say my skills as a Company Director, Leader and mother have been pushed.
Leadership and Productivity
When considering the product of the pandemic on my team, it is not clear how it has affected them. The affects are deeper, more insidious and less obvious. The question I consider is, while it is easy to link the disengaged behaviours to the pandemic, why then can’t we rationalise a way out of our feelings and into productivity? We are smart people, I have a capable team… why then are my people so hard to motivate right now? How can I help them move forward?
Self Care: an attitude, not a to do list
Self-care is getting a lot of airplay right now. Society is recognising the toll that COVID-19 is taking on our mental wellbeing. Self-care is promoted as one of the ways we can manage and mitigate the impacts. It can look different for each individual, and may include physical exercise, mindfulness, social connection, hobbies, contribution, nutrition and sleep. How can we add ‘self-care’ in, without adding to the to-do list?
Wellbeing in the workplace – authentic relationships
Wellbeing is more important than ever. Organisations have long recognised the importance of supporting employee wellbeing, and the resulting positive impact on engagement and team performance. How do leaders prioritise their own wellbeing, as well as the wellbeing of their teams in our ‘new normal’? Let alone managing all the caring responsibilities and the wellbeing of loved ones…
Leadership in Challenging Times
My role as a leader is to help my team meet their objectives and thrive but I have a nagging thought in my brain… How do I lead my team when I am feeling overwhelmed and like I have had no break at all? How do we find the resilience to lead, teach, correct, influence and inspire, all while using a thread of kindness and integrity, when our energy levels are tapped out?
Trust Me…
So, what is trust? The definition from the Oxford Dictionary is “Firm belief in reliability, honesty, veracity, justice, strength etc. of person or thing”. This could potentially mean that if we believe someone is not reliable, we also believe they are not honest, and vice versa. This can lead us to possible errors in judgement.
The power to influence: what does it take?
In the words of Barack Obama…“one voice can change a room”. In the world of management and leadership, the ability to successfully influence, in all directions, both internally and externally, is paramount. So what does one need to consider to become the ultimate influencer and to get the decisions you need to advance your agenda?
Middle Managers: Key Change Agents
Organisational change is widespread in the public sector. Yet despite this, goals sought through change are often not met. This is often due to resistance to change. Whether you believe that resistance is good or bad, the likelihood of resistance is such that change processes need to be managed. Change agents can manage this and the most effective change agents in the public sector are middle managers.
Do you have trapped or devoted employees?
Organisational commitment is one of the most poorly understood aspects of human resource management and yet, it has a direct and powerful impact on employee performance. This blog explores how commitment can support or hinder organisational performance.
Finding your inner authentic leader
The Greek philosophy phrase ‘To thine own self be true’ captures the essence of authenticity. Authenticity is about being honest and true to yourself, and being aware of what motivates and drives you but how do you discover your inner authentic leader?
The language of leaders – Part 1
Humans are linguistic beings. We cannot exist separate to language. Even if there is no-one else in the room, we are using language…
Middle managers – the lost generation?
Middle managers are key to an organisation’s performance. They are the conduit between the senior executive and the organisation’s strategic directions…
Leadership and learning
Being adaptable, agile, good at change management are all essential leadership tools. But what does that actually mean?