Bored at Work? Pay Attention
Publication: Career Development | Employee Engagement | leadership | Meaningful Work | workplace boredom
You are three slides into an update when you realise you stopped listening two slides ago. Your eyes are on the screen. You may even look attentive, but your mind has quietly gone elsewhere. Or perhaps it is the report you have written so many times that it has become almost automatic. The meeting where you know what […]
From Colleagues to Connection: Why Work Friendships Matter
Publication: Employee Engagement | Team culture | trust and connection | workplace connections | Workplace Friendships
Workplace friendship is easy to dismiss as a nice-to-have: good for morale, helpful when it happens, but not something leaders need to actively consider. However, that view is increasingly out of step with how we experience work today. KPMG’s 2025 Friends at Work research found that 45% of employees surveyed feel isolated and alone at […]
psnews.com.au: Why mandated work fun is often an emotional drag
Publication: Employee Engagement | Leadership Development | Psychological Safety | Workplace Culture
Michelle Gibbings, a leadership speaker in Melbourne, says organisations often try to motivate their employees with mandatory social hours and team-building exercises that often do more harm than good. She suggests better ways of creating workplace joy. This article was originally published by psnews.com.au The emotional baseline people bring to work is heavier than many […]
You Can’t Mandate Joy At Work, But You Can Create The Conditions For It
Publication: Employee Engagement | Leadership Development | Psychological Safety | Workplace Culture
The emotional baseline people bring to work is heavier than many leaders realise. Gallup’s global data revealed that 39% of adults reported feeling worried for much of the previous day, 37% felt stressed, and 26% reported sadness.¹ That context matters for leaders. Team members don’t leave their emotional weight at the door. They carry it into […]
HR Daily: Strategic Framing Required for 360 Feedback Success
Publication: Employee Engagement | Feedback Culture | Leadership Awareness | Strategic framing
Dr Michelle Gibbings was recently interviewed by HR Daily, where she discussed the importance of strategic framing and leader self-awareness in driving 360 feedback success and improving employee engagement. You can read the full article here. Leaders’ self-awareness can have a big impact on the success of engagement and retention efforts, but ensuring they view […]
INTHEBLACK: When learning and development gets personal
Publication: Adaptive Learning | Career-aligned development | Employee Engagement | Learning and Development
Michelle was interviewed by INTHEBLACK’s Megan Breen and explains how personalised learning and development based on employee choice, flexibility, and ownership drives higher engagement, uses adaptive learning technology, and supports career-aligned growth for better outcomes. Sitting in generic workshops or ticking boxes on outdated online platforms is no longer enough to attract and retain staff. […]
Smart Company: No silly business: What every employer needs to know ahead of end-of-year parties
Publication: Employee Engagement | End-of-Year Parties | Leadership Responsibility | Work celebration
The work Christmas party can either boost or harm your team’s morale. In this article for Smart Company, Michelle shares essential insights every employer needs to know ahead of end-of-year parties to ensure the event strengthens employee engagement, supports organisational culture, and fosters team cohesion. When well planned and executed, the end-of-year work celebration is […]
HR Leader: 6 Steps for Leaders to Manage Entitled Employees
Publication: Employee Engagement | Leadership Communication | Managing entitled employees | Team dynamics
Thanks to HR Leader and journalist Kace O’Neill, in this article Employees who display self-serving behavior can disrupt team dynamics. Thanks to HR Leader Kace O’Neill, Michelle shares leadership tips on managing entitled employees, focusing on leadership communication, team dynamics, and employee engagement. HR Leader recently spoke to careers and leadership development expert Michelle Gibbings […]
Bite Magazine: Workplace flexibility
Publication: Employee Engagement | Practice Leadership | Workforce Management
Thanks to John Burfitt and Bite Magazine for inviting Michelle to share her insights on workplace flexibility, emphasizing the importance of workforce management, practice leadership, and employee engagement in fostering open conversations that define individual flexibility while aligning with business needs. Workplace flexibility has emerged as a key expectation of employees in the post-pandemic landscape. […]
IIDM: Christmas Parties – A Leader’s Guide On How To Make Sure They’re Fun For All
Publication: Christmas Parties | Employee Engagement | Leadership Guide
In this Leadership Guide to Inclusive Christmas Parties written for the International Institute of Directors & Managers, Michelle explores how to transform the annual office celebration into a cornerstone of employee engagement. From setting a professional tone to fostering a sense of belonging, these essential tips ensure that your Christmas parties are not only enjoyable […]