The Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Sydney University is conducting a research project empirically testing a theoretical model of organisational culture in relation to diversity and inclusion in Australian workplaces. They are looking for organisations to participate. The research parameters involve 5 people in your organisation to participate in a 90 minute focus group…

Here is great article explaining how air traffic controllers at Air Canada are trained, to prevent catastrophes, in a culture of ‘psychological safety’. The ultimate case against using shame as a management tactic I can’t recall how many conversations I have had with victims of toxic workplace cultures where a culture of ‘blame’ has led…

Mentoring program for emerging leaders in the community and NFP sectors I am excited to announce that as of today, we are taking registrations of interest from those wishing to participate in ‘Stand by Me’, a Mentoring program specifically aimed at building capacity and developing emerging leaders in the community and not for profit sectors.…

An interesting piece of research on what Australian employees think of GPS tracking in the workplace published by the mobile time sheet application company TSheets. While the sample size is not enormous (500 respondents), there are some interesting results that show differences between perceptions and reality. Of those who had not been tracked, 47% said they viewed…

The art of avoiding and resolving workplace conflict – Some practical measures for managers Mary Parker Follett famously described management as “…the art of getting things done through people.” The choice of the word art, not science, serves as a reminder that avoiding and resolving workplace conflict, surely a component of great management, is a similar…

Beware of focusing on personality and presentation Increasingly popular recruitment practices that focus on candidates’ personality and presentation carry greater discrimination risks, HR specialists warn. Most employers are now familiar with the concept of unconscious bias, but Australian Human Resources Professionals (AHRP) psychologist and international facilitator Glenda May says she is “really anxious” about emerging…

Around Australia, and indeed the world, workplaces are experiencing great change. As the number of mobile workers increases and companies downsize, internal dynamics are also changing. employee disengagement is also on the rise. In 2016 a study by Aon Hewitt found that around 8 percent of employees are ‘workplace prisoners’ – employees who stay on…

How widespread is Affinity bias and Stereotype bias in your workplace? James Judge and Glenda May suggest these forms of unconscious bias might be doing more damage than you’re aware of! As we strive for equality and diversity in our workplaces, it becomes even more critical to understand the impact of unconscious bias in the…

A measure all organisations should implement to better manage workplace conflict is to have: concise grievance policies and processes, written in plain language, that are regularly updated, and emphasise a range of options and stages in the handling of conflict. The setting of timeframes, defined roles and proper procedural fairness considerations are also critical from…

The latest annual State of the Service report from the Australian Public Service Commission found that 1 in 6 APS workers had been bullied or harassed in the 2015-2016 year, with the worst perpetrators being colleagues or senior personnel. Verbal abuse was the most commonly reported form of harassment or bullying, followed closely by interference…