Interchange Bench Blog
Home5 ways to increase your focus: 3 minute read
We live in a world that is accelerating: from our broadband to our transportation, to the fashion we buy, fast food we eat, home deliveries we order, even dating. You name it, we’re figuring out a way to make it happen faster. For many, a fast life is exhilarating and...
You haven’t failed to surprise me 2021!
Twice this year, separately on Zoom and in face-to-face interview, two senior executives started speaking about their Super Powers; as in “my Super Power is problem solving” or “my Super Power is building consensus”. And as those words sprouted forth from their...
Step by step: returning to the office with confidence.
That thought bubble ‘returning to the office’ pops up, and a thousand worrisome considerations rush through my mind. Questions such as: Will I be safe travelling on public transport? Am I not only risking my own health, but the health of my colleagues, just by...
I’m also Covid collateral.
Remember 2019? It was late that year when I took the Melbourne-based role of General Manager for Slade Group and the Interchange Bench. I’d come fresh off an extended break, including giving myself the time to do the Camino De Santiago Trail, to find some ‘me time’...
R U Really OK?
Imagine this: You witness one of your colleagues, a solid performer in their area of expertise, become so overwhelmed with their workload, that they break down during a team meeting (on camera, because we are meeting virtually), when asked, “How’s your week looking?”...
Thriving on Chaos – Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow
As we’re more than half way through 2021 and those of us in Australia enter a new financial year amidst lockdown, the covid chaos of the past 18 months remains a challenge. Like many, I recently moved to a home office after selling my business premises. It took ages...
NAIDOC 2021: On ancient cultures, and modern workplaces
By Professor Deen Sanders OAM Through his eyes… Professor Deen Sanders OAM is a Worimi Man and Lead Partner at Deloitte. He shares his thoughts for NAIDOC week 2021. As an Aboriginal person, it is my deeply held belief that every person benefits from living in better...
NAIDOC 2021: From standing alone to standing together
By John Paul Janke I’ve always had a special connection to NAIDOC Week; it holds such special memories for me. In the 1970s, I remember gatherings and street marches in Cairns with my family and when we moved to Canberra in the late 1970s – attending many community...
What it means to be proud at work in 2021
While you may have seen more colours than usual in your social feed over the last month during Pride*, it’s not always all rainbows and unicorns for LGBTQI+ people at work. Our level of acceptance and comfort varies from occupation to industry, geographic location and...
Our push for better mental health. Are you up for the challenge?
Did you know that one in five Australians will experience mental ill health this year, yet only 46% of people seek help? It’s a complex challenge – for our loved ones and ourselves, but most of all, for the nine Australians who die by suicide every day. That is why I...
Introversion v. Extroversion in leadership. Seems the jury’s still out.
Is it a hidden advantage to be an introverted boss, or as an extrovert do you have additional horsepower in the table stakes of leadership? Prompted by The Hustle’s weekend newsletter, Why Introverts Make Great Leaders, it’s interesting to discover the parrying...
This International Women’s Day, Australian businesses can lead on domestic violence crisis
Domestic violence is a critical issue for the workplace, especially as COVID-19 continues to blur the line between home and office, whilst also driving a documented spike in violence against women. But what are workplaces doing to address the issue? And is it really...