Leadership Development
Anneli Blundell
What does gender bias 'in the system' really ...

When it comes to gender equity, the most elusive part of the problem is the invisibility of the real problem – the second-generation bias that pushes implicit bias underground. This kind of bias is the policy and procedure and the ‘way we do things around here’ that gets woven into the fabric of the organisational culture.

Implicit bias however remains in the shadows. Hard to spot until someone deliberately shines a torch on it. It’s time to get our torches out and shine a spotlight on the hidden obstacles for women. Those that are stuck in the systems, ingrained in our cultures and waiting to create confusion about what’s really going on for women at work.

What does gender bias 'in the system' really look like?
executive coaching
Anneli Blundell
How to tell if you are actually coaching your ...

The upshot of the distinction between closed and open questions, is that it can tell us if we are actually coaching our people to explore their own ideas and solutions, or if we are feeding them answers they can try, through closed questions.

How to tell if you are actually coaching your people (or just think you are)
Women at Work
Anneli Blundell
Why are women's voices overlooked and ...

Communication is a critical workplace skill. It is a way to contribute value, demonstrate knowledge, influence outcomes, build relationships and build your leadership brand – unless you’re a woman. Then it’s not so straightforward.

Enter the Gender Penalty….

When men speak up, their voices are valued. When women speak up, their contributions are often challenged. This makes being seen and heard a constant battle for women in the workplace.

This dynamic means men are likely to speak up and women are likely to be shut down. Not only are women silenced in their speech and discounted in their contributions, they are accused of not ‘sounding like a leader’. When women communicate, their voices, styles and speech patterns are unconsciously compared to the male model – and often come up lacking in credibility and authority.

Why are women’s voices overlooked and undervalued? Why does society hear women differently when they speak? What can we do about it?

In the workplace, women are routinely interrupted, talked over, ignored and overlooked. Women’s ideas are discounted, and their competency is assumed to be lacking compared to men.

Contrary to the common perception that women talk more than men in the corporate setting, the reverse is true. In mixed groups, women speak less than men. This isn’t because they don’t have anything of value to say, it’s because they can’t get a word in edgeways. Men are given more space to talk, and they take up more space when they do talk.

Why are women's voices overlooked and undervalued?
Awards
Anneli Blundell
I won! I won! I won! Yes, THREE times!!!

OMG OMG OMG!!!‌

On the 7th October I attended the gala event for the ABLE awards (Author Book Launch and Expo). The night was a celebration of books launched this year as well as the announcement of their annual book award winners.

I entered three categories. And...I WON THREE CATEGORIES!!!! Can you believe it??!! I’m still pinching myself. I am over the moon!​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

I won! I won! I won! Yes, THREE times!!!
Women at Work
Anneli Blundell
The Motherhood Penalty

Women who have children are more likely to be the primary caregiver. As such, they will either take a career break or work part-time in order to raise their kids. This means less money comes in each week, lower pay and less superannuation. I mean it literally when I say care is costing us.

The Motherhood Penalty

International Women's Day

What Grace Tame can teach us about our own leadership style on International Women's Day

What Grace Tame can teach us about our own leadership style on International Women's Day

You no doubt heard the reports, saw the photos, or watched the video. There was our Prime Minister, in a very public moment, being given the cold shoulder by the outgoing Australian of the Year, Grace Tame. It was clear, she was ‘not happy Jan’. Now, I’m not going to talk about whether that was the right thing to do, or the wrong thing to do by Grace. I’m not here to talk about the cause she is fighting for (weird I know, given it’s an IWD article), nor the politics of the day that led to this uncomfortable moment for the nation. Nay my friends. I’m here to talk about what we can learn about our own leadership style based on our personal reaction to that moment. In this article, I explore a common leadership need to 'shave off the edges' to help people fit in the box and 'do better at work'. But are we really helping?