In theory at least, power is a neutral concept. It can be used for good or ill. The word however tends to be associated with aggressive misuse such as: over powering or standing over those lower down the heirarchy , taking up more space, physical or verbal, than fair sharing would dictate, seeking or accepting […]
A tongue-in-cheek look at the menu that 2018 has served up to us! The gravy train The banks and insurance companies get the 2018 Gravy Boat Award. Billing dead customers, selling worthless policies and taking large commissions and bonuses for their efforts. What should we learn? Financial incentive schemes […]
Like many people, I welcomed Uber with open arms as an alternative to taxis. I love opening an app on my phone and having delicious restaurant food delivered to my door, like magic, 20 minutes later, or the possibility that I might find someone online who can come and put up those bookshelves that I […]
Given that the average full-time worker spends more than one third of their waking hours at work, your experiences in the workplace have a big impact on your overall enjoyment of life. Unfortunately, experiencing toxic behaviour in the workplace is quite common. In 2016 research by Dr Lindsay McMillan, 14% of Australian workers described their […]
So we thought we’d start this week’s blog post with a quick and topical quiz for you! Thinking about the Liberal Party’s behaviour last week in Canberra, were you: (a) horrified (b) shocked (c) apathetic (d) none of the above. Regardless of your response, you may in any event have found yourself quoting the political […]
What’s the “noise” coming from your team? Is it a happy, harmonious humming along sound, or something a bit more discordant, and one that, over time is getting louder? If the latter, then here’s a few more diagnostic questions for you. Do you have a work group where there is a constant barrage of low […]
So often when we are asked to undertake an investigation into allegations of problematic workplace behaviour, it becomes clear that it was all about the “how”, rather than the “what”. 1) How adept and skilled were the team members at responding to a range of stressors which may influence behaviour? 2) How competent was everyone […]
Identifying when the workplace, or a team, is heading ‘downward’ or showing signs of negative momentum, can sometimes be tricky. As an employer, you don’t always have visibility over the extent and causes of workplace problems. Bad behaviour and dysfunction can be hidden within teams, geographic areas, functional groups, or management hierarchy. Some of the […]
Bad behaviour and conflict are common in Australian workplaces. In a major 2016 survey, 14% of Australian workers described their workplace environment as ‘toxic’, 20% had experienced major problems in communication with a co-worker or boss, and 50% reported that they have experienced one or more serious incidents of conflict or other negative conduct at […]
As you may know, the latest impact of our current post-Weinstein awareness of sexual harassment has been the announcement last week by the Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Kate Jenkins, of a national inquiry into sexual harassment in Australian workplaces. It was interesting to note that Commissioner Jenkins specifically identified that “the global conversation about sexual harassment […]