The gloomy, orange sky in Auckland this week was a disturbing phenomenon. As we started the working year with the Australian fires concerning us, I wondered if this and the many crises we are experiencing now are affecting us and the way we think about the work we do.
Recently we heard that Vodafone is offering staff voluntary redundancy. Most people who take voluntary redundancy have already decided that they are “ready for a move”. There are as many reasons as there are individuals presented with the opportunity for this thinking. My question always is, have they done sufficient self-evaluation and job market analysis? [...]
This morning, on my regular hike up Maungarei (Mount Wellington) I felt particularly inspired. The 360° view of Auckland under a veil of gentle drizzle, the golden seed heads of fennel everywhere and the young fitness coach encouraging rangatahi to push on to the top - made me feel happy to be alive. I get [...]
So said Katy Perry when she was interviewed by Toni Street on Seven Sharp earlier this week. Not being a fan, I didn’t understand or know about Perry’s philanthropic and altruistic leanings. It’s interesting because I’m noticing an incoming king tide of young people like her with similar aspirations. If you haven’t already noticed, there is [...]
Today’s work environment requires a degree of entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship has a wide-ranging definition and application. It is very closely aligned to the word “protean” which comes from the Mythical Greek Sea God “Proteus,” who was known for predicting and foretelling the future and his versatility and adaptability to acclimatise himself to successfully meet and thrive in the future he envisioned.
“Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.” – Carl Jung. The sensitivities and manners required in the workplace develop an adaptive 'self' with behaviours that help us to survive and to fit in. But the deeper aspects of our selves are where our real work lies. Our true character consists of those [...]
It sounds idealistic to be talking about meaningful work. After all, isn’t that the privilege of very few people? These days it seems so. Yet meaningful work is work that we are intrinsically attracted to and committing to that direction could ultimately lead to deeply satisfying work. So why would we not follow what interests [...]
One thing the Western world is very good at is making comparisons. We grow up being compared – within the family, in class, at University and when competing for business. We grow up believing we are being compared. People who are keen to get ahead strive to be compared favourably. As a result of other [...]
Congruence (symbol: ≅) is the state achieved by coming together, the state of agreement. (Wikipedia). Career decisions are more likely to lead to success when they are congruent with who we are and the context of our lives. That is, aligned, or in agreement with the aspects that make us unique; our personal circumstances, individual [...]
Predictions abound that technology is taking over the ‘human’ in ‘human resourcing’. Futurists are predicting a future that is very different to what we have now. Some say that we will have more lifestyle choice and that productive lives will be more about contributing to the well-being of others and the eco-system than working hard [...]