Mel writes a weekly blog, where she shares her tools, strategies and insights on how to achieve sustainable success without burnout - now on SUBSTACK
What’s the ONE thing you can do to prioritise you?
A big part of being fully connected is knowing what’s going on with our bodies, and looking after ourselves from a medical perspective.
Benefits of a mini-break
Not only does this provide a mental boost, but it’s also great for motivating us to achieve short term goals.
Success isn’t luck
I believe luck is a mix of being observant, grabbing opportunities, taking action and being optimistic.
Why I loathe the question ‘What’s your guilty pleasure?’
Many ‘guilty pleasures’ involve you putting yourself first. And for too many, putting yourself first is seen as an act of selfishness instead of an act of self-care.
How good communication helps avoid the cost of misunderstanding
One of the greatest benefits of having a leader who understands how to communicate with conviction is that they save their organisations a lot of money.
Are you listening to the warning signs?
Life provides us with plenty of warning signs when it’s time
to slow down
Virtual workplaces are here to stay
Virtual workplaces are here to stay, whether employers like it or not.
Do you communicate with respect and professionalism?
I’m listening to a couple of businessmen chatting and one of them has remarked “I don’t know why it’s so hard for people to communicate with respect and professionalism”.
Getting to know your audience
Richard Branson says communication is the most important skill a leader can have. I’ll go one step further and say it’s the most important skill a human can have. Communication encompasses so much more than merely telling people what you want them to hear.
How much time are you spending outside?
One of the things I’ve noticed during Covid is that I’m appreciating spending time outside a whole lot more than I ever used to.
Reducing my reliance on my phone
In my last blog, I wrote about Jumanji and how it’s full of life lessons. This week I’m continuing with my Jumanji love! #nospoilers
What I learned by puppy-sitting
Over the weekend I puppy-sat Max, my brother’s beautiful 18-month-old labradoodle. He had asked before and I’d declined for two main reasons – I know nothing about dogs and I’m allergic to a long list of animals.
Why leaders should have social media
Are you also glued to Twitter each day for the commentary around Victorian Premier Dan Andrews daily media conference?
Why you should rest your brain during the day
When I first started working from home about 14 years ago, I promised myself I would take a proper lunch break every day. Which means one of my favourite daily habits quickly became sitting on the couch while having lunch with Oprah, and after a few years, with Ellen.
Communication as we progress through COVID
As many of us start to return to traditional ways of working and, in some cases, reopen for business (lots of love if you’re in Victoria and heading back into lockdown), it’s critical that we communicate and connect in a way that genuinely engages our employees and our customers.
What does it mean to connect authentically?
Brené Brown tells us that “authenticity is a collection of choices we have to make every day. It’s about the choice to show up and be real. The choice to be honest. The choice to let our true selves be seen.”
How well do you listen?
In my recent post Are you asking the right questions?, I explored different types of questions, how to ask personal questions, and why we need to ask them.
Are you asking the right questions?
Asking questions can stimulate ideas, solve problems, develop trust and build your relationship with your team, even when working remotely. In this blog, I share my thoughts on the kinds of questions we should be asking to show support for our team members and how we can approach asking them.
4 pillars of communication that connects
One of the things I’ve noticed over the last few weeks is that some organisations are very aware of what their people (staff, stakeholders, suppliers and customers/clients) are going through and some are most definitely not.
How can we disconnect to reconnect?
Ten days ago I was in Melbourne getting ready to walk on stage at ConnectingUp’s annual conference to deliver the closing keynote. Delegates had spent three days learning how to ‘’Transform” their organisations using technology and best-practice.