How do you respond when you are faced with adversity and setbacks? Are you a “Why me?” or a “Sh!t happens, why not me?” type of individual? Setbacks can be anything – it might be an accident, a relationship or marriage breakdown, loss of a job or business opportunity, or the death of a loved one. But it’s also a perspective and how you decide to handle setbacks greatly influences what happens next.
Continue readingInspiration is such a personal thing. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure and all that, and it’s important you understand what inspires you and where you get your positive energy from.
I am still reeling from an inspiring virtual book launch that was held yesterday! The launch was to celebrate the release of the third instalment in the spellbinding Second Sight Series, See Us, the debut trilogy from my amazing friend and author, Shan L. Scott.
Continue readingIt’s about time you put finger to keyboard…
Pen to paper, hands to netball, digits to paintbrushes, pedal to the metal. How often do you commit to doing something, and then you wake up one, two three years later, and you still haven’t cleaned out that cupboard and your pantry still has items 10 years past their use by date? Whether or not you were successful, do any of the following commitments stand out to you as items you have committed to doing at some stage of your life?
Continue readingLately I have come across a spate of individuals who have been too scared to discuss the truth about their feelings, simply because they “don’t like confrontation” or “don’t want to rock the boat”. Fair enough, we all want a harmonious culture and for everybody to cooperate and get along. But these decisions to withhold the truth actually result in major detriment. In other words, saying nothing but expecting change is totally the wrong thing to do. Continue reading
A positive workplace culture is critical to an organisation’s ongoing success and can in fact be a competitive advantage when it comes to attracting new employees. How would you describe the feel of your workplace when you walk in? Continue reading
Throughout my 15 year HR career, I have always been responsible for the appraisal piece of a business – this involves a wide range of practical tasks including organising and implementing the appraisal policy and process; training managers and subordinates on what is involved; how appraisals should be conducted; how to give feedback – both positive and negative; and then finally a training needs analysis based on the “development” or “improvement” areas identified for each individual as a result of their performance. Continue reading
So it’s early on in a new year, and hopefully you have had some time to sit back and reflect on the year that was. Hopefully you have set your goals to achieve in 2017, and being early Feb, you are well on your way to achieving them. Part of this goal setting might be about actively seeking the next stage in your career, or simply looking for a new job. Continue reading
Are you under scrutiny at work for performance or disciplinary reasons? A couple of weeks ago, I was asked by a friend to be the support person for someone facing disciplinary action for misconduct. In the days that ensued, I had two separate client cases – one misconduct, one performance – and both resulted in termination of employment. Neither of the two individuals in my latter meetings had support people with them, and it was obvious that they were totally unprepared at all stages of the process. Continue reading
If your boss told you to [profanity] off, what would you do? Would you:
The New Year is a time for us all to reflect and reassess our goals in life, and a US survey reported that more than half of workers look for a new job after January 1. In my book, 101 HR Hot Tips: Handy Secrets for Success in the Workplace, I discuss passing your probation in HR Hot Tip #34, but I thought it an opportune time to extend on this HR Hot Tip! So if you’re starting your new role about now, or in the near future, here are four more tips to ensure you maximise your chances of passing your probation: Continue reading
