The difference between “a CEO” and “the CEO”
A chief executive I worked with in her first year in a new role had a director on her board with a habit. Nearly every piece of advice he gave…
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The wrong story sets overnight
Early in our marriage, my husband had a routine for asking about a night out with his workmates. He would decide he wanted to go. Then he would spend days…
The plan that covers everything and points at nothing
Years ago, I learned to ride a motorbike. I’m not the most coordinated person and my husband has been known to make rude comments about my ability to balance any…
Why some NGOs are slowing down
Senior leaders across health and human service NGO providers, peak bodies and commissioners recently came together for the first Wider Lens session. Different organisations, different seats in the same system,…
Every cut made sense
There was a stretch of my career when I was delivering and meeting expectations but could not have told you what I enjoyed about the job. Nothing was going wrong.…
They changed the decision and kept the relationship
A client of mine had a win recently. A good one. They helped shift a government position without losing the relationship they still need afterwards. They know influence has three…
Preparation is not protection
My work often puts me on a plane. Over the past year I have flown to a lot of different parts of Australia, and a pattern has shown up that…
The message you didn’t know you sent
I have a Coke No Sugar habit, others might say addiction. The sort I keep meaning to deal with and do not. So you can usually find a box of…
The decision that turned out to be three
When I was working with an organisation building a new policy framework for how it enters into formal arrangements with partners and funders, the money turned out to be the…
The risk you can hear but can’t see
A large python turned up in the rafters outside our bedroom. It was close to winter, when snakes are supposed to be slowing down and out of sight. This one…