Category Archives: People at work

I was struck by an interview with Lucy* a few days ago as she described her work (paying her dues to society) as part of the ground crew setting up for WOMAD (World of Music, Arts and Dance – 17-19 … Continue reading →

“A cause without committed people gets nowhere and committed people without a unifying cause go nowhere.” Robert Waterman Some focus on the uniqueness of individuals but I prefer to remind myself about the truth of what all people have in … Continue reading →

M&A failure rates are as high as 80%, with evidence indicating that a significant contributing factor is neglect of the human element across the whole range of business relationships. “M&A is still regarded by many decision makers as an exclusively … Continue reading →

This week a One News feature read: “Kiwis disgruntled at work.”  Right Management surveyed 2000 New Zealanders finding that workplace satisfaction (engagement) has plummeted from 42% to 36% over the last 3 years. (Plummeted?) Would you be happy as a … Continue reading →

Reflecting on the last couple of weeks,  I’m reminded that people (and organisations) have an extraordinary tolerance for  %^#&*. Like the boiled frog. People only act to deal with the %^#&* when things bubble over. When often it’s too late. … Continue reading →

They say if you pay peanuts you get monkeys. Well, believe it or not, we can learn something about how organisations succeed from monkeys.  A few weeks back, I sat for about half an hour observing an extended family of … Continue reading →

Listening to managers at an interpersonal skills workshop this week reminded me how crucial conflict negotiation is to business success. It is inevitable that people see things differently. Different views challenge entrenched thinking and may reveal blind spots and invalid … Continue reading →

A participant at a workshop this week (let’s call him Person A) showed exasperation describing an important client (Person B) – someone he has known for many years, who appears to value his advice, yet frequently charges off in the … Continue reading →

Today, the head of the United States Institute of Health and Productivity told TV ONE’s Breakfast programme how the issue of presenteeism adversely affects business performance. Sean Sullivan defined presenteeism as “employees whose ability to work is compromised by a … Continue reading →

For a business to be successful, it needs “all hands on deck.” How would the All Whites go if players kept “taking smoko” – literally or just mentally? In business, there is a virtual scoreboard – our actual results are … Continue reading →