I was scrolling through Spotify one evening looking for something light to listen to and, excuse the pun, ‘spotted’ a pod cast titled ‘The Happiness Lab’. I thought, well that’s worth a try, if this can lift my mood from the gloom of a world pandemic and the thought of Donald Trump being re-elected, I […]

I expect you have heard enough about wage subsidies and other financial impacts of Covid-19 on businesses and individuals. But it has also created, or sometimes forced, other lifestyle changes, including moving to a new house and/or city. Funnily enough, for me, Covid-19 meant my wife was approached for a great new role, BUT it’s […]

As I’m starting to feel a bit like a yoyo – working in the office, working from home,  back in the office, then back to working from home again (you get the picture), I thought I would share some of my thoughts with you. I know there is a lot of positive stuff out there […]

When was the last time you read a book? For me that was about four months ago… too long… I love reading. A bookstore is one of the coolest places in this impetuous society, simply because it always gives me a very quiet environment to pause and take a moment. It is a place that […]

I have been confused by the theme of ‘diversity in the workplace’. Especially it’s identified as culture or gender – so I thought, why not put pen to paper and try and articulate my confusion… The dictionary defines diversity as: Based on the above – does diversity in the workplace mean that the ideal is […]

Are you a parent to be and feeling a bit of dread about the responsibilities laying ahead? Or are you a parent of primary school kids and struggling between your career, kids’ activities and looking after yourself? Or do you have grown up kids and are now second guessing whether you could have done a […]

Coronavirus has had a huge impact worldwide on us as individuals, a society, a workforce, etc. It’s hard to predict now when this crisis will end, despite many countries starting to lift restrictions. Some business activities will return to normal, however there will be some irreversible changes that become our new norm. One such change, […]

Be strong enough to stand alone, smart enough to know when you need help, and brave enough to ask for it. The New Zealand 4-level Covid-19 alert system specifies public health and social measure to be taken against Covid-19. But there’s another system in play for New Zealand businesses… These are of course, very generalised […]

Humphrey Hart, a senior analyst in our Value Added Services team, spent more time than he expected on the Thai border in January… Tomorrow, we were going to cross the border into Myanmar. We were having dinner with Doctor Naing and Aunty Pat, who we knew from their social work with Burmese refugees in New […]

I often hear one of two comments made in the business environment – “don’t’ take it personally” or “its business not personal.” I’ve heard it said about feedback, difficult discussions, restructuring, ups and downs in the workplace – in fact any daily workplace issues. What a ridiculous idea! Work is where we spend the majority […]