brian donovan

Are you embracing the obstacles?

https://www.defenderofdreams.com

Xavier is pursuing his dream to travel the length of Africa in his old Land Rover Defender. As someone with Cystic Fibrosis, his aptly titled mission, Defender of Dreams Expedition, is to produce a documentary that will raise the profile and awareness of the condition for a global audience. This was anything but a linear progression from idea to reality. He has dealt with all kinds of obstacles, starting with his own health. He embraced the reality that because of his Cystic Fibrosis, his days may be numbered fewer than many of us.… Read more

Does your work give you fulfilment?

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Dianne was in danger of burning out. When she was not doing reports on her group’s performance or sitting in meetings, she was talking on the phone and checking emails. Her former colleagues were more guarded since she became their boss. She felt unsupported and isolated. She was not sleeping well and her health was suffering.

Her breakthrough came when she realised that she did not need to have all the answers. That was something that had bugged her since her early days as a technical expert.… Read more

Are you doing great work?

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Andrew was a control freak. He was a smart guy and could quickly see the solution to most problems. He had been a great technical expert and was known for his prodigious output. But since moving into leadership he continued the formula that had served him well as an individual contributor. He believed that it was quicker to solve problems himself than explain how it should be done. He regularly complained that it was hard to find good people.… Read more

Are you dealing with ambiguity?

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The future of work will either be cataclysmic or exciting. The robots could take all our jobs, or maybe there is an exciting future ahead for those of us who are willing to upskill. That is the ambiguous conclusion of the speakers at the Future Work Summit this week in Melbourne.

Either way, the impact is profound. The World Economic Forum has described the era we have now entered as the Fourth Industrial Revolution which, “….is characterized by a range of new technologies that are fusing the physical, digital and biological worlds, impacting all disciplines, economies and industries….” However, Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum has grave concerns: “that organizations might be unable to adapt; governments could fail to employ and regulate new technologies to capture their benefits; shifting power will create important new security concerns; inequality may grow; and societies fragment.”

How is Australian industry placed to address the strategic challenges of this new era?… Read more

Are you dealing with the non-performers?

Photo by Pierangelo Ranieri on Unsplash

When Paul weeded out some non-performers in his organisation, his team breathed a collective sigh of relief. He had exhausted the carrot tactics of encouragement and positive feedback but had deferred the stick approach, thinking that his team may react badly. On the contrary, once he acted decisively, they were upbeat and told him that it was about time. What Paul had not realised was that there was a rising tide of discontent amongst his team members.… Read more