I was sitting around an outdoor firepit on a still night with two of my favourite women this weekend and we were talking. We talked about how being duped when we were young into thinking that we had equal opportunities to our brothers and could do whatever we wanted to do, created a sense ofContinueContinue reading “The Great ‘Nice Girl’ Hoax”
Author Archives: kirstyagarjacomb
How to Have Both a Partner and Career Ambition
Avivah Wittenberg-Cox, in her HBR article “If You Can’t Find a Spouse Who Supports Your Career, Stay Single”, states that professionally ambitious women really only have two options when it comes to their personal partners – a super-supportive partner or no partner at all. Sadly, her conclusions are backed by research. Commonly, men can beContinueContinue reading “How to Have Both a Partner and Career Ambition”
Seven Things to Consider When Leading Through Change
People responsible for planning and implementing change often forget that while the first task of change management is to understand the destination and how to get there, the first task of transition management is to convince people to leave home. Transition: the psychological process people go through to come to terms with new situations. TheContinueContinue reading “Seven Things to Consider When Leading Through Change”
Doing Your Best and Being a Mess
I want to promote ‘close enough is good enough’, ‘good enough is good enough’, permission over perfection. The shift to a virtual working world (for those privileged enough to be able to do their job online, if they have a job at all) brings a multitude of challenges. Beyond ‘How to lead a team virtually’,ContinueContinue reading “Doing Your Best and Being a Mess”
How Learning About Transitions Can Help Get Through Lockdown: Seven Things You Can Do
Change is situational: a new ‘office’, new processes, new policies. Transition is the psychological process people go through to come to terms with new situations. Change is external. Transition is internal. Most people around the world are in the middle of massive change. How we work has changed and how we live has changed. ThereContinueContinue reading “How Learning About Transitions Can Help Get Through Lockdown: Seven Things You Can Do”
Three Ideas to Connect With, and Own, Your Personal Power
I wore one of my favourite (and expensive, designer brand) dresses to present a workshop a couple of years ago. A participant commented casually, at the airport later that evening that they liked it and asked where I got it. I found myself wanting to tell them “It’s X but I got it in aContinueContinue reading “Three Ideas to Connect With, and Own, Your Personal Power”
The History of ‘Silencing’ Women and Ideas for Redefining Power
In classical Greek and Roman history oratory was by definition a male pursuit and the deeper male voice a prerequisite. A woman who spoke publicly, if it happened at all, was, by definition, not a woman. A friend loaned me this book, “Women and Power” by Professor Mary Beard. Writing about the very long historyContinueContinue reading “The History of ‘Silencing’ Women and Ideas for Redefining Power”
A Great Way to Kick Off Giving Feedback
In an earlier blog I wrote about the importance of seeking feedback for your development. It’s also helpful to know how best to give feedback to those you lead. The feedback sandwich, in which the area for development is sandwiched in between praise doesn’t work so well. You can seem disingenuous. Or people can dismissContinueContinue reading “A Great Way to Kick Off Giving Feedback”
Māori Women Leadership Styles
I presented earlier in September with a Māori clinical psychologist and colleague of mine, Dr Pikihuia Pomare, at the New Zealand Psychological Society’s Jubilee conference in Auckland (NZPsS). We presented some ideas on navigating race and gender in the workplace particularly considering the experience of Māori women leaders. I wanted to share one of theContinueContinue reading “Māori Women Leadership Styles”
How to Get More Feedback. And Yes… You Really Do Want It
Women can sometimes miss out on development opportunities because they are less likely to be offered feedback due to an assumption or fear that women will get emotional or upset about constructive feedback or criticism. (Tips on how best to give feedback, an important skill to develop, is a different blog post!) This means thatContinueContinue reading “How to Get More Feedback. And Yes… You Really Do Want It”
BREAKGLASS COACHING 