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 […]
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 […]
In my practice, I apply the Harthill Action Logic framework as a key teaching tool to help leaders better understand how and why they see and interact with the world in the way that they do. The Action Logic is not well known in Australia, but it should be. Developed by David Rooke and William […]
Giving or receiving performance feedback when an outcome has been below the standard required is an uncomfortable thing to do. For many of us, we recognise the discomfort and we genuinely don’t want to offend or hurt our employee’s feelings. So we end up circling around the issue, giving non-specific or generalised feedback resulting in […]
From the beginning of time, human behaviour has remained very predictable. One of the most predictable aspects of human behaviour is that tension and conflict inevitably arise when two or more people are required to work together to achieve an outcome. That is a good thing. Tension and conflict are necessary conditions to achieve a […]
We never speak about workplace culture when things are going well. Typically, we feel the need to improve culture when the recent past has been rocky or the future looks bleak. Revenues are sliding, costs are rising disproportionately, customer complaints are trending upward or industry regulations have changed and we don’t know how to respond. […]
Do you lead employees who are aged in their 50’s or 60’s? Are you a leader in this age group? This is the golden age of the Baby Boomer. As a cohort, this is the most powerful generation we have known. They changed the rules of the game and continue to do so. But what […]
Several years ago I had a health scare. As a result, I dusted off the bucket list and thought long and hard about stuff I really wanted to do. Amongst other things, I had always wanted to run a marathon. Trouble was, the furthest I had run in my life was 10 kilometres and that […]
Rebecca is thirty and has a good job working for a global logistics company. She is in a stable relationship with a loving partner. Together they could be described as aspirational. They don’t want children yet and maybe not at all. But they do want a great house in a desirable location and all of […]