Weekly Insights

When time goes too fast

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All around me people are commenting about how fast the year has gone with the wondering ‘What happened to February?’. Of course, we all logically know that time can’t go faster; it just feels like it is going faster. A friend once suggested that this was due to age. Her logic being that when you […]

Can loyalty go too far?

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As the latest edition of the TV show Survivor unfolds you can once again watch the cast members build alliances, ditch alliances and generally scheme and plot their way to the top of the totem pole. Loyalty between the players lasts for a while, but at some stage they know that to win the game they’ll need […]

Is your quest for certainty hindering your career?

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There’s an old saying that the only thing certain in life is death and taxes. It’s a fairly bleak view of the world. Yet it is true there is much in life that’s uncertain. For many of us, uncertainty isn’t seen as a good thing. While we recognise how we live and work is changing, […]

When is enough, enough?

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At the start of the year we are often asked about all the things we want to do during the year. We are encouraged to set our goals, objectives and areas of focus. Now I am certainly one to focus on goals and I love nothing better than a to do list, where I can […]

Are you willing to shift your perspective?

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It’s been an eventful start to the year: bushfires, a President impeachment, virus outbreak and falling share markets. These events unfold with a mix of emotions, varying perspectives and thankfully, often the display of humanity at its best. At the same time, we often witness much vitriol and vehemence as positions on topics are shared […]

Five questions to wrap up

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If you are scratching your head and wondering what happened to 2019 then you can take comfort in the fact you are not alone. It often feels like time is going by faster. While logic tells you that’s not possible, it’s very possible for the days to go by quickly with little time to pause, […]

Is your pre-Christmas holiday deadline real?

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            It’s a couple of weeks until Christmas and no doubt you have a long (and perhaps growing) list of things to do, tasks to complete and projects to wrap up before the end of the year. Are you feeling relaxed and happy, or stressed out wondering how you’ll get […]

Is your negotiation style helping or hindering?

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            Negotiating is a part of life. Some people love it, while others tolerate it or loathe it. Over the years I’ve found most people operate with one of four key styles: avoider, impulsive, peace-maker or fighter: Avoider – this is the person who avoids or delays negotiating to their detriment […]

What’s getting in your way?

We often have a romanticised notion of success, and yet it’s never as easy as it looks from the outside looking in. Everyone has flaws or hurdles that can hold them back. The difference between people who make progress (and those who don’t) is they know how to work through those challenges. Success starts with […]

How competent are you for the future?

In your schooling years it’s likely your learning focused on technical skills and knowledge – being able to write, spell, add and subtract or understand why volcanoes explode and dinosaurs became extinct. Even in later years of study, university or TAFE, and when you enter the workforce the focus is often on technical skills and […]

Are you really choosing?

It’s highly unlikely that you woke us this morning and thought ‘My goal today is to make a really bad decision’. And yet, it can be so easy to make poor decisions. As the field of behavioural economics shows we are not rational beings, and we regularly make imperfect decisions. We make decisions based on […]

Are you forgetting something?

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If you’ve ever been to hospital and had surgery you’ll remember that as you get wheeled into the operating theatre there are a series of checks that occur. The orderly or nurse will ask your name, what procedure you are having, and whether you are allergic to anything. Once you are under, they’ll use checklists […]

Who are you really?

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If you missed it, yesterday was World Values day. Yes, that was news to me too. I didn’t realise we had such a day. Then when I thought about it, I thought ‘How awesome is that!’ Think about it: How often do you spend time consciously thinking about your values? That is, what drives you and […]

Are you saying yes too often?

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Have you ever had a time when you said ‘yes’, and then seconds later got the feeling of dread and regret as you thought to yourself  ‘Why did I just agree to that?” It can be easy to say ‘yes’.  It saves explaining why you don’t want to do something, you worry about letting someone […]

Is winning the only goal?

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Like many Australians, last weekend I sat down to watch the AFL Grand Final, and as with any final there can only be one winner. Naturally, that’s the objective of both sides – to win. But as I was watching the very one-sided game, it got me thinking – Are there times when there are […]

Are you trying to go it alone?

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Johann Hari’s wonderful book – Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression and the Unexpected Solutions, is a stark reminder of the fact that as humans we crave connection. Without connection we feel lost, isolated and that impacts our mental health and well-being. In the book he recounts studies in the US which asks the […]

Are you testing to destruction?

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In manufacturing and industries that develop products, which if faulty could cause serious harm, they undertake a range of testing. One such test – known as a test to destruction – is designed to understand how much stress the product (be it components of a car, piece of machinery, airplane and the like) can tolerate. […]

Are you too focused on the finish line?

It’s the start of a project, a new idea, or a big challenge that you’ve been wanting to do for a while. You’re excited and ready to go, and already thinking about what it will feel like and be like once it’s finished. This enthusiasm makes you feel energised and motivated, but then something gets […]

Do you know the line you won’t cross?

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We all have values that underpin how we think and what we will and won’t do. These values can often be challenged in the workplace. A number of years ago I was working with a client who faced constant pressure at work. The leadership team they were a part of had a toxic culture, and […]

Are you all head and no heart?

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When I reflect on my corporate career there are a few leaders that stand out in helping to shape how I saw myself as a leader and my practice of being one. What I learned was that the best knew when to make ‘head’ based decisions, and when to think with their ‘heart’. It’s very easy […]