There are many myths and assumptions about effective communication. Here I dispel the top five I come across through my work: Myth 1: Communication ability is innate. You’re either good at it or not.

So much of what I know about leadership and communication in a crisis I learnt from this man. Today, after 44.5 years working at Yallourn brown coal mine in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley, Ron Mether – my dad – retires. As mining manager for nearly 20 years, he has led his team through natural disasters, union […]

Albert Einstein, the German-born physicist and celebrated genius who developed the theory of relativity said, “The definition of genius is taking the complex and making it simple.” Einstein, the man who also developed the ‘world’s most famous equation’ for mass-energy equivalence (E=mc2), understood the importance of being able to simplify his complex messages to ensure […]

There is a strong link between negative workplace cultures and professional and organisational underperformance. A negative culture doesn’t only make an organisation unpleasant to work in, it directly impacts the quality of service delivered. In some industries like healthcare, it can even compromise the safety of the very people you’re meant to help, treat and […]

In the workplace, your mood, behaviour and the way you communicate is contagious – particularly if you’re the leader. It rubs off on those around you. If you yell and scream when stressed, don’t be surprised if others in your team start responding to pressure in a similar way. If your anger is expressed in […]