Note to self – stop and let it go……

Note to self : STOP MICRO MANAGING! Its easy to see where others may not be doing things the way you want them to, they may not be listening or taking on board the approach you would like but that doesn't mean they are doing it wrong. Of course I could pull their work or …

What sort of leader should I be?

Yesterday I had the great privilege of speaking to a group of year 3 nursing students about what authentic leadership is and my experiences in a managerial role.  I don't usually get nervous when I'm undertaking public speaking but for some reason the butterflies set in just before I got up.  This was a good …

Coaching – yes or no?

A few years ago I met a wonderful lady who, at the time, was in training to become a coach.  Coach within the context of personal and professional development.  This lady went on to become a very good friend after our coaching relationship ended because of the professional understanding and philosophies that we share.  Mid-2015 …

Communities of Practise (COPs)

Communities of practise is a term that has been used irregularly within the organisation of which I am employed by.  It is a term that emerges from time to time, often used by persons with experience of the quality and powerful results such communities can bring through collaboration and cooperation.  So what's the big deal? …

Evidence Based Practise

Working in an educational institute which trains professionals for three specific areas - nursing, education and social work - each of these areas has a requirement for the practitioners to demonstrate that they meet a number of professional criteria if they are to practice which are described as competencies. Within the nursing realm there are …

Strengths based approaches to performance appraisals

The reasons underlying the carrying out of performance appraisals for staff are often drawn from a desire to provide feedback to employees and team members about their performance.  Often times these appraisals are completed on a regular basis, which in my experience, often mid-year and at year end.  Some managers do performance appraisals well in that …

Creating adaptive teams

  At the end of this calendar year the organisation I work for is set to go into a major change in the way that we operate and function.  In the past this has occurred and, in my opinion, was not handled well in that teams were caught unaware of the changes and the resulting …

The great leadership debate

Leaders - born or made?  This is a question that has been around for quite a while and researchers have done the best to try and find an answer to this question.  Ultimately, I believe, that leadership does not originate from just one or the other.  There are leadership qualities and skills that can be …

ATEM Aotearoa 2015 Conference – Leadership Reframed

ATEM is an Australasian group that is made up of persons across many size organisations across Australia, New Zealand, the South Pacific and is now expanding up into Southeast Asia.  The 2015 conference theme was "Leadership Reframed - good vs evil".  Conference attendees came from all the various sectors of tertiary education in New Zealand …

The power of networks

One of the most important facets of career development is learning how to meet people, to interact with them and then ultimately understanding how those people can help you through the positions and power that they hold.  On the surface this may sound like a shallow and callous use of politics to get ahead.  And …