Welcome to 2026 where the top 3 pain points for SMEs searched on Google in the last year are;
(1) conflict resolution support for workplaces
(2) workplace communication improvement strategies
(3) leadership development for small business
Followed by;
(4) team productivity improvement consultant
(5) improve team collaboration in small business
(6) workplace accountability training
What could it look like for your business if you didn’t have to search for solutions to these pain points?
2026 is your commitment opportunity to try something different, and your return on investment is not just monetary but to your mental health also.
Welcome to your New Year
#leadershipdevelopment, #conflictresolution, #productivity
(Q) What builds productive teams?
(A) Nurturing your organisation.
Simply put, a collaborative environment where people can safely express opinions and have healthy conversations about agreements and disagreements, is where growth lies.
Why? - Again simply put, Oxytocin is a hormone that our brain releases when we bond with others. From a shared experience of struggle in wartime; to a shared experience of the thrill of a rollercoaster; when we build close relationships with others, we bond.
When we bond, our instinctive survival needs are met and we naturally relax into our environment, instinctively bringing out the best version of ourselves.
The most successful organisations today understand this and nurture this.
Can you afford to overlook this skill in your business?
For ‘yes’ please keep scrolling
For ‘No’ let’s have a conversation
#conflictresolution, #leadershipdevelopment, #communication
How do you manage difficult conversations with high performing employees?
I’ve outlined some key steps below ⬇️
One of the most common challenges I see companies face, is how to manage difficult conversations with employees who generate strong turnover.
No-one wants to lose great employees, but allowing poor behaviour/standards has a long-term negative affect that trickles throughout the organisation.
A simple but effective framework to follow in your one-on-ones is:
Clarify your expectation or standard, you want to walk away with a shared definition of the expectation
Identify specific behaviours, factual not personal.
Share the impact on team, workflow, customers, you, why it matters.
Explore obstacles, what’s unclear, what would help, what’s contributing to this
Agree on what specific behaviour needs to change, what success looks like, any support they need
Co-create a small, achievable action plan and set a check-in date
If you would like a more detailed framework with actionable steps please dm me here
hashtag#leadershipdevelopment, hashtag#framework, hashtag#psychologicalsafety
‘If you want me to fill in a survey it’ll have to be anonymous!’
‘Why won’t my employee’s do what I ask?’
Unknowingly she had just answered one of the survey questions.
I often use surveys when working with larger groups. They can be a useful tool, collecting information is just one part, for some it’s a chance to have a voice.
But sadly the fear of speaking up for fear of backlash or ridicule is still prevalent in 2025.
Blame/ridicule shuts people down.
Shutting people down decreases input and productivity.
Employees and organisations mutually suffer.
In Australia alone, organisations that failed to encourage open dialogue, in a safe and respectful environment lost over $6.3billion p.a in lost productivity and absenteeism.
However building a psychologically safe culture can see from 27% and even up to 50% growth in productivity
It’s easier than you think, dm me to find out
#leadershipdevelopment, #education, #psychologicalsafety.
Although this is quite a broad question, it is one that I get asked from many flustered business owners.
And while there is not a silver bullet answer, I always start with asking the owner to explain to me;
~ Their step by step process of setting their expectations with their individual employees.
~ How they measure and test those expectations?
~ How frequently is this done?
~ Are they trying to do all of this by themselves or do they have a leadership team who carries this out?
There are many layers to getting to the answer of why your employee’s are not doing what you ask.
Start with breaking it down piece by piece and and you will gradually find the answer along the way.
How to fix a toxic work culture
Sadly this is such a regular feeling for many leaders. As with my previous blog on ‘why won’t my employees do what I ask’, there is no silver bullet answer, but instead looking at breaking it down to find the answer.
Firstly culture starts at the top.
What is accepted/tolerated, paves the way for how an organisation believes everyone should behave.
If you turn a blind eye to employees being late; being absent for meetings; belittling others; then you are giving permission for it to continue.
The key ingredient for every successful organisation is Psychological Safety. A psychological safe environment allows for open collaboration; for regular communication; been able to have even difficult conversations but with a mutual respect for all parties involved.
There are healthy boundaries in place, allowing open discussion with empathy and vulnerability across all levels of employment.
Employees are allowed to make mistakes, but also seek to find a solution for the error too. Learning through collaboration is paramount, with a shared vision across the organisation.
These are the opening steps that I would be asking any organisation do they have in place.