2 min read
What got you here won't get you there
Apparently doing the same thing and expecting different results is the definition of insanity. I think that applies to 'doing more of the same thing'...
Wednesday Wisdom (4)
2 min read
Make peace with problems
Let me paint you a picture of a workshop I facilitated recently. Fourteen senior leaders crowd around the boardroom table of an artful...
2 min read
Money isn’t everything: how to uncover false constraints
What would you do if you won Lotto? I bet you know the answer to that question, and that you've had this conversation at least half a dozen times...
1 min read
How to tame talkfests: focus prompts for frustrated facilitators
Man, I get sick of people talking sh*t. To be fair, it’s an occupational hazard. I run strategy and leadership workshops, where people are used to...
5 min read
Your 2020 digest
It would be easy to treat 2020 a bit like a regretful purchase – you know, when you throw the receipt away without looking at it or stuff your...
1 min read
Take risks to make progress
Most turtles live almost half of their lives inside their shell. Every time they sense an enemy, or the weather’s no good, they retreat and wait. I...
2 min read
6 ways to stay on track when things turn to shit
When I was at university, I was a broke single mum. Funds were tight, and I was a militant budgeter. I’d sit down and create detailed household...
4 min read
That restructure will not fix your organisational culture
In a client mentoring session on Friday, I was looking forward to hearing how a job interview had gone. After an extended secondment and a long...
6 min read
Why change gets worse before it gets better
Angela, a Wednesday Wisdom reader, asked me to write about the immediate impact of organisational change on productivity. She wrote:
1 min read
Don't worry about your culture
I hear a lot about organisational culture. It’s pretty trendy, and seems to be blamed for a full spectrum of ills at work. Makes sense, it’s nice and...
1 min read
Freshen up your focus
If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that priorities shift. As we returned to our homes, spent more time with our families, watched our health more...
2 min read
How to convert a cynic: assume positive intent
As a facilitator, I can spot a cynic a mile away. Their body language is pure resistance: folded arms, suspicious expressions, and deep sighs. They...
4 min read
Public sector leadership in quiet times: readiness
I wrote a Wednesday Wisdom last week, that I had to do an emergency withdrawal for on Tuesday night, after the Prime Minister’s COVID announcement. I...
1 min read
Practice makes autopilot
I invest in professional development for three days every three months and head off to business school in Australia. Those three days are always the...
3 min read
How to find your calm
“You should sit in meditation for 20 minutes a day, unless you are too busy, then you should sit for an hour.” -Old Zen saying I’ve talked a lot...
3 min read
How to take calculated risks: 3 key steps
Fear Is Like Alcohol .. because it makes parties more interesting. JUST KIDDING.Fear is like alcohol because it clouds our judgement. And when we...
2 min read
The problem with authentic leadership
Authenticity is all the rage right now. Companies all over the world are proudly proclaiming how inclusive they are: "bring your whole self to work!"...
3 min read
Inciting incidents
As I assume you've noticed, The Queen died last week after 70 years as the reigning monarch. In that time, she saw a lot, including:
7 min read
Why women are so bloody exhausted right now
This week, I had a great question from a Wednesday Wisdom reader. J wrote: "I'd like to ask for advice - especially as a woman - on how to not get in...
2 min read
Strategic leadership: 3 ways to be less operational
Fire fighters have a demanding job. On the one hand, they do all the stuff that we expect in a crisis – like turning up and fighting a roaring blaze...
1 min read
Time to light some fires
Firefighters have a demanding job. On the one hand, they do everything we expect in a crisis, like turning up and fighting a roaring blaze. Behind...
3 min read
Work towards the grain
One of my coaching clients is an exceptional leader. She has a rare combination of strategic, systems-focused perspective along with a burning desire...
1 min read
It's ok to upset people
I've always struggled to set boundaries. I've been a mother since I was 16 years old, I've been living independently since I was 13 and I spent much...
1 min read
Go off plan but stay on strategy
When I was a broke student and single mum, I remember doing countless household budgets to try and keep on top of things. I’d put the ideal budget...