Am I too old for promotion?

‘Am I too old to go for that promotion?’ asks Mary. At 53 years old or young, she is questioning the possibility of going for a promotion at work. Mary took a career break to bring up her 3 children. She re entered the workplace 7 years ago when her youngest child started secondary school.…

Whose on Board?

It is 8.20 am and I have taken up position in the corner of the boardroom waiting for the meeting to start. I am here to observe the board meeting of a not for profit organisation as part of helping the board with its development and performance. My initial observations include: Of the 11 people…

Crowdsourcing, crowdworking: the future of work?

NaBloPoMo Blog 2 In July of this year whilst engaging with the HR/OD Twitter community I noticed a Tweet from @dds180 (David D’Souza)  about crowdsourcing a Book of Blogs and a call for contributors. Having never been involved in such a project I thought it was a novel idea and sent in my contribution, ‘No…

10 tips to get you started if you are returning to work after a break

It’s Monday morning, Harriet sets off with nervous anticipation for work. It is her first day at work. What’s the big deal? Harriet is not a school leaver or a graduate but a 48 year old mother of 3 children. The eldest is 18 and the youngest entered into secondary education this week. Harriet is a…

What foundations are you laying for the future?

Yesterday, as I dropped my eldest child off to spend a month with a group of strangers in another continent, I experienced a multitude of emotions from tremendous anxiety and worry to pride. My worries ranged from concerns about her safety, her health and wellbeing, about being so far away from home… to immense pride…