Women at Work
Anneli Blundell
Marching Forward—One Bold Move at a Time

Women aren’t waiting for change—we’re making it happen.

Throughout this International Women’s Day series, we’ve shared stories of women who challenged the status quo, stepped into leadership, and made a difference. Not by waiting for permission—but by marching forward. ✨

Marching Forward—One Bold Move at a Time
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

The secret to getting people back to the office

The secret to getting people back to the office

The secret to getting people back to the office, is not to get them back to the office. Yep. You read that right. It might not be the answer you want to hear, but it’s the reality.

Of course, there’s a little more to the story but let’s start by ripping the band aid right off. Blanket mandates forcing people to come back to the office, will have dire consequences. Not only will your people resist coming back, they are likely to leave altogether.

Thankfully, over 15 years of studying human behaviour and obsessing about why people do what they do, has shown me that there are other options.

Is the 'best person for the job', the 'best fit for the team'?

Is the 'best person for the job', the 'best fit for the team'?

𝐈𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 ‘𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐣𝐨𝐛’, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 '𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦'? Do you believe in the power of diversity to deliver results? Do you believe in a champion team, or a team of champions? Do you pick the best person for the job even if they are not the best person for the team? Maybe ‘best person’ for the job, isn’t the best person for the team. And maybe that's an equally important measurement. Food for thought. Perhaps we need to broaden our definition of best person for the job, to account for the actual impacts we have on one another – it's how we work together; how we deliver results together; it's how we are made better together that will get real results.

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?

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 right way to give positive feedback

The right way to give positive feedback

Positive feedback can be motivating, uplifting, morale boosting and esteem building. But it can also be a practical tool for further developing skills, if you know how to do it correctly. Read the full article for some examples of how to
'𝑺𝒐𝒘 𝒊𝒕, 𝒕𝒐 𝑮𝒓𝒐𝒘 𝒊𝒕' and cultivate great behaviours in your people with the right kind of positive feedback.

,

Are you sitting down? This is big...very big ;)

,
Are you sitting down? This is big...very big ;)

I have BIG news!I would like to thank my amazing team and mentors who have shaped the business woman that I am today. And to the keepers of my heart, my family -Jason Back, Sienna and my mum, Julie. I dedicate this award to 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 who have trusted me over the years.