The delegation imperative: why leaders must let go
"It's quicker if I just do it myself." Sound familiar? If you've caught yourself thinking this way, here's the uncomfortable truth: that instinct isn't...
Analysing organisations through metaphor
In Images of Organization Gareth Morgan suggests that the way we understand organisations is shaped by the metaphors we use. Each metaphor reveals something...
Does your organisation have a sprained toe?
At karate recently, I suffered an injury most grievous: I sprained my left pinkie toe. As a right-hander, this toe is arguably the smallest and least useful...
Beyond artificial deadlines
Most deadlines are human set for no real reason but trying to make sure work gets done. Some deadlines are necessary. End of financial year is not a date we...
No leader is an island
Where does leadership come from? I watched a video of the keynote presentation from the NIODA Symposium of 2020. Dr James Kranz covered various ideas I...
With AI, what should we be focusing on?
Last week, Nicola, Lachlan, and I attended the Yow! Tech Leaders conference in Melbourne. The event was a delight, offering an opportunity to connect with...
Getting back to work after burnout
Most of the people I know have experienced a period of burnout, myself included! Some have even needed years off before they felt able to return to work....
Shifting the blame game: Embracing blameless culture for learning and growth
Recently, I was leading a project and it didn't go as planned. Despite my best efforts, we fell short due to external factors beyond our control. Now, when...
Standardisation or Innovation?
A recent book club discussion took the group into the familiar pros and cons of standardising an organisation’s technology stack or choosing specific tools...
The power of self-narratives
We make sense of the world with stories and narratives we tell ourselves and others around us. Overtime, as we grow and change, so do our narratives. Our truth is not an absolute fact, but rather an interpretation of the story. And embracing this perspective allows us to communicate better with others.
We also interview Nikhil Suresh and discovered his Save-your-relationship shakshuka recipe.
Psychological safety anti-patterns
Psychological safety is one of those evergreen topics: we all know we need it, everybody wants it, but it’s hard to measure and is hard to actually produce....
Decision-making and leadership
The Blackmill book club recently finished reading Will Larson’s excellent book, The Engineering Executive’s Primer. I enjoyed it for a number of reasons and...
A cuppa with Andrea Goulet
What’s been happening? 2024 workshops are sold out! The back half of the year is booked up with so many clients for our workshops that our next available...
What stops us from making change?
When individuals who have been successful in their previous positions step into a new senior role, they are usually required to learn new skills. Whatever got them here is not going to get them further. While it is true that achieving promotions and advancements often require new abilities, the process of acquiring these skills can be challenging.
A cuppa with Allison McMillan and an easy sweet potato and miso soup
What’s been happening? Mental Health First Aid certification Earlier this month, Elle, Nicola, and Lachlan attended a Mental Health First Aid course. The...
Learning from the discomfort
Talking with Mivin Mathew recently, I realised this month is the start of my tenth year doing yoga. I haven't always been consistent. But in the whole nine...
A cuppa with Lauren Clinnick and a mashed potato and mozzarella pie
What's been happening? Empowering Individuals for Team Success workshop We just ran this workshop with collaboration with Tech Leading Ladies this week. Here...
Conflict conversations
You can feel your stress levels rising. The adrenaline is kicking in: your breathing is shallower, your heart rate elevated. You re-check your notes. Again....
A cuppa with Tracy Bongiorno
This week we talk about Sunrise in Sydney next week, a Victorian roundtable, our upcoming workshop, chatting with Tracy Bongiorno, and suggest a maqluba...
Role congruity theory of prejudice towards female leaders
How do I get a promotion? This is a topic that crops up in our coaching practice and workshops. Last month I took part in a panel on levelling up — a career...