Tips and diplomacy for managing the reactive world your Executive relies on you, to tame. In a high-velocity office environment, it’s often not the planned tasks that derail the day; it’s other people’s urgency. As the executive assistant, you stand in the gap: you absorb, deflect, juggle, coordinate, and try to protect your executive’s capacity to think, plan and lead. You’re the calm in the storm, even when the storm is caused by last-minute fire drills, conflicting pr

There’s something deeply satisfying about seeing 0 unread emails . For some, it feels like freedom. For others, strangely… confronting.(“Surely I’ve forgotten something.") But here’s the truth: Inbox Zero is not the goal. Inbox Hero is. Being an inbox hero has nothing to do with the number of emails in the inbox (unless it is out of control) and everything to do with mastery, clarity, and a reliable system that takes care of your tired brain when it’s running on low battery.

We’ve all been there; you can see what needs to happen, but don’t have the title or authority to make it so. Maybe your boss is the bottleneck. Perhaps a colleague is holding off on a decision. Or you’re leading a project where everyone has an opinion but no one is accountable. Welcome to the world of influencing without authority — otherwise known as herding cats in a suit . In today’s fast, flat workplaces, titles don’t move things forward; influence does , and the abilit

In past roles, I spent years as a firefighter — not the hose-and-helmet kind, but the kind who ran toward every “ASAP,” “urgent,” and “quick question” like it was a five-alarm blaze. The truth, I eventually realised, was that 90% of those fires weren’t real. They were just smoke from someone else’s stress. Those years taught me a valuable lesson: reacting fast isn’t the same as adding value. True effectiveness comes from knowing which fires are worth fighting — and which are

If there’s one thing we hear from clients across the APS and corporate world, it’s this: “We’re all running flat out.” Deadlines. Competing priorities. Meetings that stretch the day and minds that don’t switch off at night. But here’s the thing — resilience isn’t about running faster, working harder, or pushing through. True resilience creates the space to recover, reset, and refocus — to sustain high performance without burning out. Resilience is more than coping. Many peop

Whether you’ve spent years working FIFO in mining or serving in Defence, one thing’s certain — you know discipline, routine, and teamwork...

As we all know, Artificial intelligence isn’t on the horizon — it’s already at our desks. AI is reshaping how we work at a speed few...

For those old enough, remember the days of desks buried under paper? Piles everywhere — documents you meant to read, notes you didn’t...

In today’s workplaces, it often feels like the only way to keep up is to keep going — back-to-back meetings, no lunch break, and an inbox...

If you work in government right now, you’ve probably heard the phrase “do more with less.” Less money in the budget. Less opportunity for...

Recent studies suggest Australian knowledge workers lose up to 600 hours per year, over 15 work weeks, to interruptions and inefficient scheduling. Meetings, once a vehicle for collaboration, have become overused, poorly structured, and draining for many teams. Compounding this is the “infinite workday” driven by constant connectivity: employees can receive more than 90 emails daily, often outside core hours, fueling a cycle of reactive work and eroded focus time.

…and what to do about it. You start the day with a plan. You check your email. Someone pings you on Teams. A meeting gets dropped into...

Sounds familiar? You’re not alone. It’s that sinking moment at the end of a crazy day — when your calendar was full, your inbox...

Whether you’re a monarchist, a republican, or somewhere in between, the idea of leadership is front and centre in moments like these....

Today, on International Receptionist Day , we’re putting the spotlight on a group of professionals who too often fly under the radar—...

When Treasurer Jim Chalmers identified productivity as the Australian Government’s top priority for the third quarter, the response...

In a world where work has never been more digital, fast-paced, or complex, many professionals are struggling to keep up. Despite access...