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

The real reason we get angry

The real reason we get angry

Have you ever noticed that when people don't apologise for doing you wrong (big or small), it makes the wrong so much worse... and harder to forgive?

If someone bumps into you aggressively and doesn't say sorry, the slight feels far worse than if they bump into you and then fall over themselves to apologise. Funny isn't it.

But, as I explain in my latest article, the anger you feel toward them is only doing you harm. Hmmm, food for thought....

The only communication style you need to succeed

The only communication style you need to succeed

What's the most effective communication style? When it comes to communication styles, I’ve noticed a human tendency to register two main styles, your own style, and the ‘wrong style’. That’s right. The style you are comfortable with, and the style you are uncomfortable with, no matter what that style is.

In reality, we are not registering the ‘wrong’ style so much, as one that is just different from our own. And the problem with this difference is that we have to work so much harder to hear through that different style in order to get to the substance.

The mark of a great communicator is someone who is flexible. Someone who can adapt their communication style and connect on any level, with any other style.



Did they hear what you said?

Did they hear what you said?

We know that communication is a two-way street. But just because you’ve spoken and the other person has replied, doesn’t mean real communication has occurred. The key for leaders is to figure out how they are being heard, so they can ensure their team members are hearing their ‘meaning’ and not just their ‘message’. The two are not always the same.

This is a common frustration for many leaders. Did they hear me? Did they really understand the importance? Was I not clear enough in my messaging, or did they just not get it?

A good way to double check your delivery, is to check in with what was received to see if there were any gaps between your message and your meaning, based on how the other person heard you.

Read on to see the list of questions you can ask to check for understanding, before it's too late.

The feedback filter - when it's ok to ignore feedback

The feedback filter - when it's ok to ignore feedback

When do you ignore feedback?

How do you know what feedback to ignore, and what feedback to accept?

It's not always easy to discern the quality of feedback you receive at work, and often it takes practice to get it right.

If you've ever struggled with rejecting feedback, or are confused about the validity of the feedback you're receiving, run it through the feedback filter that I describe in my article.

Solo dining – the extreme sport of self connection

Solo dining – the extreme sport of self connection

Solo dining – the extreme sport of self connection - Breakfast, lunch and dinner, all alone, for 4 days. Every meal, on my own. No phone, no book, no companion, nothing. This was my conscious choice when I attended a retreat weekend to relax, rejuvenate and reconnect, a few years ago. The solo dining experience is a great way to find out how you are feeling in the moment. Could you sit in a restaurant for 45 minutes with nothing to do, whilst waiting for your meal? Maybe. Could you do it without feeling self-conscious, bored, embarrassed, frustrated, fidgety? Maybe not. And yet it’s the ultimate extreme sport when it comes to presence, connection and really being with yourself.

The real issue with privilege and why life can still feel hard, even if you have it

The real issue with privilege and why life can still feel hard, even if you have it

Privilege is a topic getting a lot of attention right now. We talk about it in relation to race, to gender, to class, to nationality, to sexual identity, to ability, and the list goes on. But no matter what form of privilege we refer to, there is an invisible element to privilege that can make those with it, feel like they don’t have it. You see, privilege is not just something that makes your life easier, it’s also something that doesn’t make your life harder. It's an interesting concept to get your head around. In the article below, I share some examples of what I mean, and more importantly what to do about it.