What's more Strine than a kangaroo? Our Year 11 maths teacher was running late one day. While waiting, Charlie, now a successful journalist and author, reached into his bag and pulled out the book Les Stalk Strine (it’s how someone with a heavy Aussie accent says: Let’s talk Australian). He kept us all entertained with rhyming slang. ‘Pass the dead horse’, for example, means pass the tomato sauce. Go figure! It’s all been on the back of the recent white anting post. It was rather popular, … [Read more...]

Sneaking carrots. I've affectionately called these guinea pigs Erving and Goffman - for introducing me to the idea of front stage and back stage all those years ago. Are you one of those people who others tell their secrets to? More than average lately, people have been sharing their warning signs with me, that things are beginning to crack. That their front stage 'positive, polite and professional at all times' self is at risk. Backstage, here's what's really going on: A pain in … [Read more...]

Today I'm working from a special slice of paradise - Mission Beach. It's just south of Cairns, a hop, step and a jump to the Great Barrier Reef in Far North Queensland. I'm here for my friends' wedding. Me and 107 other guests who've come to share their special day. This was the view from my room at sunrise this morning. That's Dunk Island to the right. Views are prime real estate everywhere, and office-land is no exception. When I first started working, in the days before open plan, your … [Read more...]

When thinking about friends at work, it's not as simple as whether you like someone or not. Work relationships are more complex. And here's why. First, there's the personal relationship with a colleague (aka frolleague) and how close you feel. There's a range that goes something like this: Unfriendly. Friendly (eg. acquaintance). Friend. Close friend. Best friend. Intimate (eg. life partner). You might ask yourself if that degree of closeness is too much, too little or … [Read more...]

Turns out 'white anting' is an Australian term. According to the Macquarie Dictionary, the verb means 'to subvert or undermine from within'. What is White Anting? It's namesake, the wood eating white ant (aka a termite), can’t survive in the open. That's why you don't usually see any sign of these pests until it's too late. When you discover the serious damage they've caused. One of my coaching clients had this inkling she was being white anted by one of her peers. Take that gut feel … [Read more...]

Looks like the right Puffin didn't ask the left Puffin what they want first. What is it with those people who don't care as much as you do about doing excellent work? Why don't they? You employ them. You pay them. What more could they want? Well, one thing they certainly want, is to know that you're doing everything you can, to help them get what they want, from the job and for their career. That doesn't mean you pander to their every whim and fancy. It's not about capitulating to … [Read more...]

It doesn’t matter how competent, capable and confident you are. There will always be things you can’t do on your own. It’s why the seemingly smallest of things can make all the difference: A phone call from a friend, especially when you feel a pang of the lonelies. Your boss taking the time to let you know what a great job you did on that presentation yesterday, and what they thought you did so well. The barrista remembering your name and how you like your coffee. It can be … [Read more...]

Scaredy cat It goes by many names, avoidance. 'Head in the sand', 'in denial' and 'turn a blind eye' come quickly to mind. There are more. Why so many versions? Because it's so frustratingly prevalent! The most vanilla, least evocative and most corporate-speak version is 'conflict averse'. And I've been wondering why I have such an aversion to it. And then it dawned on me. If you've ever worked for a conflict averse boss, the type who uses avoidance as a strategy, then you'll know the … [Read more...]