1 min read
Delegate, or rip off the taxpayer
What do you do for work?” Gulp. When you work for the government, sometimes it’s tempting not to tell people. Primarily if you work in local...
2 min read
8 critical self-employment skills - that all consultants need to have
Not everyone is cut out for self-employment. Many people are best served in the safety and security of a traditional job.
2 min read
The future of work belongs to the strategist
ATMs and Strategy When ATMs were first rolled out, economists, politicians, and the media panicked. Automation was to rob bank tellers of their jobs!...
2 min read
Stop being a hero
I've always been a bit of a hero. Beating the odds, I shifted my life story from high school dropout, teen mum, and no-hope foster kid to university...
2 min read
Big questions enable bold choices
Most meetings and workshops are a waste of time. They're full of people resolving trivial issues that could be handled by email or delegation with...
1 min read
When to try new things: 4 options for creating change
This week, I've been thinking about the warning signals that something needs to change. It stems from some work I'm doing around change and...
3 min read
Why are you like this?: how strengths overused become weaknesses
Why am I like this?!" is a bit of a catchphrase in my house. Usually, I’m bemoaning something I’ve stuffed up. Either I’ve messed up my admin, worked...
2 min read
The public service has citizens, not customers
I started a new programme with the senior leadership team at Christchurch City Council last week. One thing I noticed about how GMs communicated was...
6 min read
This is an intervention: it's time to get unstuck
In this post: What to do when you're feeling stuck Strategic leadership: skills to change your life Stop planning, start strategising: how to stay on...
1 min read
If you were them, you'd be a jerk too
Change is hard to talk about because people feel personally attacked. If we're not careful, "let's make it better" sounds more like "You're doing it...
2 min read
3 myths about decisions that need busting
I've been interested in what it means to make good, long-term decisions for a long time. Fresh out of university, I entered a policy career, all...
8 min read
Glen Eira City Council Local Legends Case Study
Working in local government, you’re bombarded by demands from every angle. One key difference between an effective Council and an ineffective Council...
8 min read
Mildura Rural City Council Case Study
In 2022, Mildura Mayor Liam Wood, and Council CEO, Martin Hawson met Alicia at the Australian Local Government Association’s National Assembly....
10 min read
City of Mitcham Case Study
In November 2022, the south Adelaide suburb of Mitcham re-elected Mayor Heather Holmes-Ross to their progressive Council. Mayor Holmes-Ross and her...
1 min read
How to move fast without breaking things
Hi, I'm Alicia McKay, and I'm a serial fast-moving thing-breaker.
7 min read
When progress goes too far: becoming a top woman manager
Over the weekend, I picked up this delightful little read in my favourite Woodville op shop. At first, I laughed. The cover is dated, the terminology...
4 min read
Hope is a terrible recipe for change
The planning fallacy Hope is not a recipe for change How to create realistic plans and strategies
1 min read
People are the problem (and the point)
How much easier would driving be, without all the other cars on the road? How much more enjoyable would going to the supermarket be, without all the...
1 min read
Put your bloody phone down
Hi, I'm on holiday and don't have much time, so here is a quick serve:
2 min read
How to stop being so reactive
One of the most common questions I’m asked in a strategy process – usually toward the end – is about what to do when things change. Because, they do,...
2 min read
3 ways to rediscover purpose at work
I recently admitted to losing my mojo at work, and asked my wonderful Wednesday Wisdom readers how to find that sense of meaning again. WOW, you...
1 min read
Stop being a plastic bag
In American Beauty*, we watch Ricky’s video of an empty, wrinkled plastic bag tossed about in the wind. We follow the bag as it whips about...
4 min read
Wtf, netflix? teenage sex and entertainment
Child Pornography for the Masses At the time of writing, the Number 1 movie on NZ Netflix is Do Revenge. The plot centres on a victim of 'revenge...
1 min read
How to stop being a plastic bag
American Beauty is one of my favourite movies. In one memorable scene, we watch Ricky’s video of an empty, wrinkled plastic bag tossed about in the...