In my previous article, I discussed the insidious and constraining existence of white privilege. White privilege is where we are granted societal advantages due solely to our skin colour. I discussed the expressions of privilege (dominating and reframing conversations) and the darkness that ensues when it goes unseen. On Thursday…

Incredibly disturbing. These were the words Linda Burney used to describe the latest Closing The Gap results[i]. There was some progress on birthweight, preschool enrolments, youth detention and land rights, and all of these advancements must be celebrated. However, critical areas such as children’s development level, children in out-of-home care…

And they are preaching a deadly dogma — “All pornographers are puritans”, says Isadora Zelda in the Fear of Flying[1]. Before this sentence, I was in awe of Erica Jong’s chutzpah. Through Isadora’s search for the zipless fuck, she was effortlessly upending pews in the synagogues that denied women’s sexuality. When I read this sentence though, I began…

How do those who should help become instigators of harm? I have been lucky enough to work for organisations where HR are respected, regarded and even loved by its people. However, I have also experienced the situation where HR are the cruellest, most feared and avoided unit in the whole organisation. Right now I am dealing with this latter situation…

How do you feel about your strategic plan? This may seem like an odd question, yet your emotional reaction to it is integral to its success. In traditional strategic planning processes, so much attention is paid to getting the content right. Great investments are made in gathering and analysing data…

Is it a battle playing out in your organisation? — When I wrote that disengagement was dehumanising, I thought I was being bold and controversial. It seemed a little brash to be equating an HR indicator with the most frightful of human behaviours. And yet, when leaders permit physical and mental harm to befall their people, what other explanation could…

How porn breeds stupidity and cowardly silence…and also leads to erectile dysfunction. — Missy Jubilee presents the films in The Future Sex Love Art Projekt to be an “intelligent alternative to dumb porn.” Calling porn “dumb” may seem simplistic and even childish. But Missy’s words are always chosen with intuition, insight and intention. So while the term may be minimalistic, it holds great…

One of the most dangerous assumptions you can make is that everyone else will know what you mean when you say the word love. The reality is that we all have unique understandings of what love is, shaped by our first childhood experiences. We bring these unique views into every…

Have you ever experienced heartbreak at work? No, I am not talking about the juicy dramas involved in unrequited flirtations around the water cooler. When I speak of heartbreak at work, I mean the deep despair that comes from the realisation that your organisation will not reciprocate the devotion you…