On Sunday 6 June, my fabulous friend and author, Shan L. Scott and I, hosted our inaugural Brisbane Young Adult Writers meet up, in the lovely leafy western suburbs of Brisbane. It was a little nerve-racking, putting ourselves out there like that and not knowing what to expect. But I can tell you with the small and intimate crowd, it was an absolute hit.
Continue readingAuthor: susancarson
When one door closes…
As I sit to reflect on the crazy year that was 2020, much comes to mind about how lucky I am.
Despite the challenges the world faced in 2020, there is much to be grateful for and much to look forward to in 2021.
Continue readingCOVID-19 and the employment market.
Has anyone lost their job in the current global pandemic and isn’t worried about when they’ll start working again? I suppose there are a small number who are benefiting from the job seeker/keeper arrangements, but, I have been unemployed a couple of times in my career, due to end of contract or moving overseas, and I have always known I would get through it. But COVID is a little bit different simply because of the vast increase in numbers of people competing for the same job.
Continue readingA setback is a setup for a comeback.
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 readingFrom where do you get your inspo?
Inspiration 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 readingLet’s talk about commitment…
It’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 readingWhen is the right time to raise a grievance? Three lessons inside.
Lately 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
Does your workplace have a toxic culture?
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
3 ways to improve your Time Management
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
Thinking about quitting? Here’s why you should
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
