Leadership Development
Anneli Blundell
How to get people to do what they ...

Picture this. You have your weekly one on one. Your team member promises to complete the inventory report for the project by next week. Next week arrives and it’s not done. What do you say? Is it, ‘Why didn’t you complete the report?’  If you’re like most leaders, that’s exactly what you’d say. Or at least, it’s what you want to say.

How to get people to do what they promised...without shaming them
Awards
Anneli Blundell
So… yeah… this cool thing just happened 😊🏆

We won!

I saw the call for the awards email and deleted it… Three times.

Then I had a conversation with my client about how well the current Coaching skills program was going. I was feeling quite chuffed!

Then I saw the award email again, and this time I read it.

So… yeah… this cool thing just happened 😊🏆
Leadership Development
Anneli Blundell
Why diverse teams have the worst time

We know that diverse teams deliver the goods. Science knows it. Academia knows it. And anyone who’s worked on a diverse team knows it. But what we don't’ talk enough about, is how it feels to be a part of this diversity. If we are doing our job, showing up with ideas, challenging other team members, and generally pushing ourselves and each other to be brilliant, then diversity feels difficult. There is push back. There is scepticism. There is discomfort. BUT...if we can just hang in there long enough, trust our colleagues enough, and have faith that we all want to make a positive difference, then we can reap the rewards that diversity offers. 

Why diverse teams have the worst time
Anneli Blundell
Celebrating 48 Years of Life: Lessons from My ...

Today I turn 48 (and mark 18 years as an independent consultant in communication dynamics – Wahoo!). Feeling nostalgic about my life, my mind has wandered to my early jobs, and how they shaped my work today. I figured you might get a laugh out of these early jobs so I’m sharing some here. (I guarantee you’ll be surprised by some!) 

Celebrating 48 Years of Life: Lessons from My Early Jobs
Women at Work
Anneli Blundell
The time I stomped my foot to get my way

Holding boundaries is a learnt skill. Saying no, pushing back, being assertive is hard for most people. If it’s something you struggle with, welcome to the human race.

The time I stomped my foot to get my way

gender

What does gender bias 'in the system' really look like?

What does gender bias 'in the system' really look like?

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.

She got the role because she's a woman

She got the role because she's a woman

Supporting women into leadership roles can look, to some people, like a shift in prejudice. But it’s not. Not if the woman ultimately earned the right to be there, too. Gender equality is not just about having more women in leadership roles, it’s about fairly promoting women into leadership roles, then unreservedly supporting them to succeed. There are things each of us can do, as women, as men, and as leaders, to make sure no-one has to hear this line again. You can read more in the full article here.

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.