Balkin Coaching Leadership Insights

It's winter in Sydney, typically a time when we get a bit slack with our exercise goals. Despite the fact that it's cold and wet, we all know we still need "to move it, move it". Reel 2 Real Click here for my favourite recording of the song from the movie Madagascar Photo by Chander R on Unsplash I am currently coaching a marketing manager in a multinational who has just been promoted and has the responsibility of realigning the strategic focus of his new team as part o

We are entering the era of flexible of working hours; diversity and inclusion; flat structures, job crafting, and truly global teams. All of these practices are based on principles like trust, fairness, and appreciation of individual differences and have been made possible in some way by technological innovation. Yet sometimes it seems that these advances in technology have both enabled and limited our wellbeing. “I want to ride to the ridge where the West commences gaze a

Photo by Indian Yogi (Yogi Madhav) on Unsplash "The time to relax is when you don't have time for it." Jim Goodwin (Irish football player) Last week, I was working with a group of senior executives who were preparing to deliver challenging messages relating to dramatic organisational change to their staff. All were mindful that no matter how much preparation they had undertaken, on the day it would be stressful, and their role was to be informative, empathetic and supporti

Photo by Alan Hurt Jr. on Unsplash Take a moment and recall the first time you achieved something that you felt was significant in your personal or professional life. Remember the positive emotions associated with the achievement, that feeling of joy that made you smile, and perhaps even jump in the air. Typically, when we make a career or business decision, we need to embark on a specific course of action for at least 6 months or more to really notice any significant imp

“Sometimes it creates embarrassing situations, as it did for Joel, a mid-level executive. He felt so bored that he snuck out of his office one afternoon to see a movie. When it was over, guess whom he ran into coming out of the same theatre? His boss.” Douglas LaBier Photo by Filip Mishevski on Unsplash In my last blog I briefly touched on the idea that someone can be busy but bored, and that boredom may cause us to make decisions for the wrong reasons. I do believe it is

Photo by Marc Rafanell López on Unsplash There is a constant push for change in order to disrupt markets and be ahead of the competition. Kodak and Nokia are repeatedly presented as examples of cautionary tales of what may happen if companies do not embrace innovation. However, is change always necessary and recommended? Did the Australian banks go too far by diversification? Should the large accounting firms be pushing into new markets by acquisitions? My expertise is