Last week I wrote about intimidation and bullying. But it is such a critical, often unresolved, issue in schools and workplaces we need to keep the discussion going. The impact of bullying on the brain Neuroscientists studying the impact of bullying on people’s brains have discovered emotional trauma can literally short-circuit people’s ability to recover. Emotional […]
There’s always a premium paid to “honesty” in life and the workplace, but as we’ve all experienced, one person’s honesty is another person’s red flag. Truth is not necessarily absolute; part of the “conversation” we have in democracy is that invariably people are going to disagree somewhere along the line. Very often, clashes are triggered […]
“Democracy is a conversation” – that’s one great line in the otherwise rather maligned film, Batman versus Superman. It’s also one of the world’s big conundrums, as Winston Churchill acknowledged and recent times have demonstrated. Just because we’re surrounded by “conversations” (online and elsewhere) doesn’t mean the majority of us are good at it. Rather the […]
For as much as we’ve become such a “selfie” conscious culture, it’s amazing how few people have any awareness of their own bad body language. When others display bad body language – act, not avoid. Eye-rolls This is a huge no-no, irrespective of what’s going in a meeting or mediation. Let’s hope you’re not the […]
As small businesses and startups proliferate, so too do toxic behaviours. Whether we’re talking SMEs or global conglomerates, all too often, excuses are made for toxicity. Not even volunteer organisations are immune. No matter if we’re doing it “for the good of …” or because you and your shareholders are focused on profits, poor boundary-setting […]
The one thing that all companies have in common is relationships, external and internal. No company is truly successful while stuff-ups of the following kind are occurring. Looking and behaving like a victim Unless you’ve resorted to plastic surgery or Botox, our faces eventually reflect our personalities and can be a huge giveaway, particularly if […]
Do you ever wish certain people would just stop talking? Conversely, if you’re a person who thrives on talk, you may not appreciate the many different “sounds of silence”: musing, the meaningful pause, contemplation, pouting/sulking, brooding, hesitation, day-dreaming …. Quiet is restful, necessary for everyone’s emotional, mental and physical health. It’s useful to understand these […]
A recent incident gave me a glimpse of what divides us in our workplaces, as well as in wider society. My grandkids (five and eight) were enjoying a kids’ dinner served on skewers at a Melbourne cafe on a warm summer’s evening – a new year’s treat. A huge beetle was flying nearby and at […]
We often focus on personality problems and interpersonal difficulties at work, and sometimes invent creative reasons for why productivity is low, or lower than we think it should be. But maybe there are basic physical flaws that are impacting the way we work –for example a more ergonomic chair and desk relationship. I was delighted […]
