1 min read
The new normal
We're hearing the phrase “new normal” a lot this week. That’s a funny one isn’t it. I’ve never been much of a fan of normal… but this week, I get it....
Wednesday Wisdom (3)
1 min read
Make the minimum viable decision
What are you tangled up in knots about right now? I bet you've got a decision weighing on you. Whether it's a job offer, a location change, a...
1 min read
How to make tricky decisions
The average person makes 17,000 decisions a day. Most of those are easy, like what to have for breakfast or what time to leave for work, but some are...
4 min read
Understanding idea technology
Idea technology, a term by Barry Schwartz, is an excellent framework for thinking about the ideas that drive our thinking and decisions.
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
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
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...
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...
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...
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...
2 min read
Fast decisions in uncertain times
When our future is uncertain and our workload is high, we need leaders who can make big decisions fast. As we start the COVID leadership autopsies...
3 min read
Values-based living: the hardest and easiest path to peace
When I was 25, I left my job with two kids, a mortgage to pay, and a husband on apprentice wages. I'd left my policy job in frustration, looking for...
3 min read
Fear is universal but action is personal
Being a person is pretty scary, to be honest. If you're a mildly anxious human like me, you might face a frequent war with your brain as it churns...