The Australian Institute of Management is calling for nominations in its Young Manager of the Year award... do you know someone who may fit the bill? Read More

Management attitudes and practices - and not policies - will dictate the success of the Paid Parental Leave scheme, according to new research by coaching and development consultancy Family Matters.  It should come as no surprise that the research found attitudes and biases play a significant role in return to work decisions, with 5 key management attitudes identified: Read More

If you work for an IT or software company, there’s a good chance your job is at one of Australia’s best workplaces, according to the new Best Places to Work list out now in the BRW (you can access the full list here with more info on their operations and locations – note: a subscription is required - and I've also provided the Top 50 list below).  Google tops the list this year, little surprise if you’re familiar with their open, innovative workplace concepts. But what of the other players on the list?  What makes them the best of the best? Read More

I know I do.  I like sitting where there's natural light but not too glary; where I can get eye contact with people entering the room and roughly in the middle of the boardroom table wherever possible so I'm "amongst the energy"...  It turns out I'm not alone and that most people exhibit territorial behavior when they take seats in public places, limiting themselves to small areas so they don't have to "renegotiate" seating arrangements with other people. Read More

The PwC Private Business Barometer found that for the second consecutive barometer, sourcing talent was the top issue facing employers, in light of predicted growth throughout the country.  Read More

Wondering how you can achieve more at work?  I was intrigued by this study of six companies which shows that 21% of managers without formal power send redundant messages — for example, an email message after a face-to-face meeting — compared with just 12% of managers who have formal power.  Read More

She heads up a workforce of 85,000 individuals; 820 restaurants with annual turnover of $3billion; and 20% of the take away market. But Catriona Noble, CEO of McDonalds Australia describes herself as “an accidental leader”.  Whether or not you’re a fan of the Golden Arches, you’ll have to agree that the passion and drive of the woman at the helm is nothing less than impressive.   Read More

With billions of emails being sent daily around the world, it's no wonder we're feeling a little "inbox overload".  And if you're feeling the weight of it, imagine being Bill Gates: the Microsoft founder receives – roughly – 4 million emails per year!!!  Gates presumably has minions to sort his inbox, but others confront an abundance of emails daily that demand to be answered... the biggest culprit being those intra-departmental emails that seem to inundate us constantly. Read More

“Nice girls get the corner office”… “Nice girls finish last”… “Anything she can do I can do better”… “Hot Tips for Career Chicks”… all great books with great tips on how to fix the women… but how do we fix the employers who have failed to find, develop and keep the best women on their teams; and create more of the ones that do this well? Read More

Thanks to those of you who responded from around the world to my post about Transfemational Leadership and why a feminine approach to leadership is essential for success in 2011.  Since I wrote this post we here in Australia are in the wake of the Queensland floods, Australia's most far-reaching natural disaster, with Queensland Premier Anna Bligh, our Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Governor General Quentin Bryce all standing side by side to lead our nation through the impact of the disaster and now the recovery.  While there isn't much to celebrate about so many people losing so much, it's been wonderful for Australians to observe that - yes - women are every bit as capable as men at leading in times of crisis.  It’s not that everyone would have doubted this; yet in what is historically a very macho colonial culture seeing three capable women at the helm goes such long way to challenging and changing the stereotypes of leadership. Read More