How leaders can build resilience in the workplace The world is changing at an unprecedented pace; nothing is static, certain, or predictable. While change can often be for the better, boosting efficiency and productivity, it can also be a scary and tough time that causes major anxiety for some team members. When the challenges and context are unknown, the resilience of your people to withstand setbacks, pivots, and changes that require constant agility and adaptability becomes paramount to success. In the volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) world we live in, adaptability in the workplace is a key differentiator. Organisations…
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How to increase your influence at work To Sell Is Human, the book by business and human behaviour guru and bestselling author Daniel Pink, argues that people now spend an incredible 40 percent of their time at work engaged in “non-sales selling”—persuading, influencing and convincing others in ways that don’t involve anyone making a purchase. This highlights the necessity in the modern workplace to hone our communication skills and powers to influence. What does having influence in the workplace mean? Why do you want it? And how do you get it? We’ll endeavour to answer these questions in this article…
How to identify burnout at work (and what to do about it) One of the greatest threats to efficacy and engagement in the workplace is team members experiencing burnout. Global studies of the modern workforce indicate that occupational burnout is on the rise with recent Gallup research showing that 76% of employees experience burnout on the job at least sometimes, and 28% say they are burned out ‘very often’ or ‘always’ at work. The consequences of burnout in the workplace are significant for employers, with the same study showing that employees who frequently experience work burnout are 63% more likely…
How to build psychological safety at work Have you ever been in a meeting that lacked open feedback, where nobody seemed to question or challenge each others’ decisions? Have you witnessed meetings that were dominated by certain people or personality types and others in the room were quiet? Or observed people who seem afraid or reluctant to voice their opinions and ideas, so you held your tongue also? Maybe you simply don’t feel included or confident enough to speak up in group settings due to anxiety or fear of embarrassment? These kinds of observations and behaviours are likely the consequence of a…
Have you ever experienced the feeling of not being included in a work discussion, or been reluctant to speak up in a meeting out of fear that what you say might negatively influence how others perceive your competence, and possibly risk humiliation, shame, or embarrassment? These are all examples of not feeling psychological safety, a term coined by organisational behavioural scientist, Amy Edmondson, and defined as: “a shared belief held by members of a team that the team is safe for interpersonal risk-taking“ Through our work supporting organisations to build innovative and collaborative cultures where everyone belongs, we know…
Hi there, Soph here, I hope that you are managing to stay well in these challenging times of change, uncertainty and disruption. While we have all experienced some form of disruption, I strongly believe that we have all been going through different and unique experiences. For some of us the change has been minimal, while for others the change and stress has been extreme and incredibly confronting. This disruption to our ‘normal’ daily lives has required us to lean into empathy, to set boundaries and prioritise self-care. It has also required self-compassion when we have been unable to show up as the best…
It is with great passion that we celebrate International Women’s Day at Inkling. As an organisation dedicated to creating cultures where everyone has an equal opportunity to thrive, we have built strong expertise in gender equity. I have personally been running women’s leadership development programs for seven years now and I’m incredibly proud to say that 50% of women who go through our leadership programs get a promotion, role change or significant stretch opportunity within six months of working with us. But progress doesn’t come without challenge. Despite the success that culture and leadership change initiatives like ours bring, they…
Hey there, With technology, flexible work arrangements and ever-changing workplaces, setting healthy boundaries at work and in our personal lives seems to have become more difficult than ever before. We’ve got our emails synced up to just about every handheld, desktop or wearable device we own, and we’re just one text or Slack notification away from being on call at a moment’s notice. We know that setting boundaries is an essential skill for leaders and teams to develop, and through our work with organisations around the globe, we have seen first-hand the positive outcomes associated with setting and honouring clear boundaries, including teams…
Hi there, While we believe that you can create change in your life at any time of year, the start of a new year often prompts us to consider our goals, resolutions and intentions for the next 12 months. Writing down our goals and outlining a plan on how to achieve them gives us direction and a sure path to follow. Knowing the what, why, and how for your goals makes pursuing them less overwhelming as this provides greater clarity on exactly where you need to focus your time and energy. You only need to do a quick google search…
Hey there, Welcome to our final Inkling TV for the year, and what a year 2019 has been! Many of us are now just a day or two away from wrapping up work and then it’s straight into wrapping up gifts and spending time with family and friends over the holiday season. It’s said to be the most wonderful time of the year, but for many, it can also be the most stressful. In our final Inkling TV for 2019, our CEO Soph shares with you her tips for how we can all better manage ourselves and our energy this…
Hey there, Soph here with some big Inkling announcements to share with you today – all in the name of growth! Those who have worked with the Inkling team will know that our number one value is ‘Growth’ and we lovingly title this value: ‘stepping into the ring of fire’. It is also a guideline we set for every single person in our coaching and leadership programs. Why? Because it is ONLY by stepping into the ring of fire that you grow. We are committed to assisting people get out of their comfort zone; a place that may seem…
Hi there, Today we wanted to introduce you to the amazingly talented Sarah, an inspiring woman who decided to take action and make changes in her career and life that she would have never thought possible. Public speaking is something Sarah could never in a million years have imagined she’d be able to enjoy, let alone do. As she progressed her career within the engineering industry, Sarah knew that she needed to start owning her expert and sharing her knowledge, talent and passion with others in her sector, particularly with other rising female leaders. Sarah’s main challenges before attending Speakeasy…
Hey there, Today we wanted to talk about a word that has generated A-LOT of buzz over recent years. This word has been cited so often for making a difference at work and in society that it was one of Merriam-Webster’s top four words of 2017. Can you guess what it is? At Inkling, empathy has been part of our values since the very beginning. We believe that empathy is an integral part of becoming a great leader, and it’s something we really love to discuss with those who go through our leadership programs because we know how far reaching the benefits…
Hey there, Have you ever been stuck in a meeting or watching someone present and the speaker starts going into incredible detail – detail you’re not even the slightest bit interested in and is so minute that you actually end up forgetting what the point of their presentation is? Think about how listening to a presentation like this makes you feel – motivated, inspired, even the least bit interested? Our guess is probably not! The issue with presentations that share an over the top amount of detail is that your audience will disengage quickly, and often as the…
Hey there. You know that feeling you get in the morning when you have to drag yourself out of bed, tiredness coursing through your body, standing in the hot shower visualising that first cup of coffee? That one you get when your pushing through the crowds on the bus or train into work, head down in your phone mindlessly scrolling through picture perfect shots of someone you don’t even know standing on a Mexican beach looking like they have all the fun. Or how about that feeling when you get another email, WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger notification pops up…
Hello, Today is World Mental Health Day and I want you to know that you’re not alone – we all have an inner critic that gets us down. I know what it is like to wonder if the world would be better off without you. I struggled through a pretty nasty case of depression and anxiety in my late teens. I also come from a family where there is a strong history of mental illness, so I have watched and supported people who I deeply love fight through very challenging times (mental illness really does feel like a fight!). It…
Hey there, During a trip to London in 2019, I had the opportunity to travel across the gloriously green English countryside to deliver workshops with over 100 leaders. Some of these leaders were well established and very senior, while others were new in their leadership positions. Very quickly we established a guideline for the sessions (one that we always set at Inkling): we would leave hierarchy at the door. This is because they were a group of leaders there for the same reasons; they were seeking greater confidence, clarity and support to be more resilient leaders. They wanted to support…
Hey there, The process of changing is an active one. It asks something of you. You don’t get to sit back and let stuff happen. Implementing change requires you to roll your sleeves up, get your focus hat on and make a commitment to yourself – and often to others – to see that change through. In today’s episode, Inkling Co-Founder & Chief Awakening Officer Dr. Gemma Munro shares 4 super simple tips that you can start using today to increase your chances of making change stick! If you want to learn more practical tools and techniques to…
Hey there, Meet Carolyn. Carolyn came to Ignite feeling like she was lacking direction and left with an incredibly liberating new way of thinking about herself, her strengths and her goals. We caught up with the wonderful Carolyn at the end of Ignite to ask her about her transformation. This is her story. If you’re ready to ignite your career and learn how to maximise your natural strengths, Ignite is the program for you. Our hugely popular and transformative 2 day program is happening in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and London this October. Ignite will help you to develop an authentic…
Hey there, Having a positive outlook is easy when everything is going well, but when life throws us a curve ball or we’re faced with an unforeseen challenge, pessimistic thoughts can sneak up on us and hijack the situation, preventing us from arriving at a positive outcome or even from achieving our goals. When these challenging situations happen, are you guilty of totally personalising the situation and convincing yourself that you’re incompetent or this is all YOUR fault? In this weeks episode of Inkling TV, Inkling’s resident positivity booster and born optimist, Senior Facilitator & Coach Gemma Cunningham, shares 2 of her…
Hello there, Soph here and today I wanted to talk about something that I am consistently hearing in my work with people and organisations all over the world. There’s more pressure on us than ever before, as we’re being asked to do more with less and constantly change in response to our shifting external environment. If you feel exhausted by the amount of change, pressure and busyness in your life, I get it, and trust me – you’re absolutely not alone in the struggle. In this article I want to share with you what I have learnt about navigating through…
Hi there, It’s Soph from Inkling and I am currently in London where we have recently expanded into the UK. One of the things that people have loved hearing about is Inkling’s approach to flexibility and the positive business outcomes that we see, both with our clients and in our own business, when this is implemented well. While we haven’t got it perfect yet, we’re proud of pioneering a different approach to the majority of organisations – and we think that it is one of the secret ingredients to our success. At Inkling we aim to practice what we teach…
Hi there! Gem here. I have a story to share with you that – truth be told – makes me feel a little vulnerable and wobbly. Last year I went through a bit of a tough time in my career. I learned a lot, especially when it comes to consistently ensuring you’re creating a career that feels meaningful and fulfilling. Today, you get to learn from my mistakes! In this episode of InklingTV, I’m sharing my three somewhat unexpected tips to build a career you’re passionate about … and how to keep doing this as the years go on. Watch…
Hello, Welcome to our first email for 2019! We hope you had a wonderful break over the holiday period, and are coming into the new year feeling excited and refreshed. While we believe that you can create change in your life at any time of year, the start of a new year often prompts us to consider our goals, and how we would like our lives to be different in twelve months’ time. You’re probably hearing the phrase “new year, new you” a lot, but we’d like to change that to “new year, best you” because we don’t think that you…
Hey there! Welcome to our final blog for the year, and what a year it has been! At Inkling, you will know that our philosophy is to lean into discomfort in order to grow, and we have certainly done that in 2018. Please join us as we reflect on our journey over the last twelve months. We worked with 2000+ people around the world in our life-changing programs – from Sydney to San Francisco to London The team took 250+ flights to deliver our programs and workshops Our participants and clients gave us a net promoter score of 91.3 (an NPS above 70…
Hi there, Soph here! Over the past few years I have personally been on a journey to create more energy, clarity and calm in my own world, and I am passionate about sharing what I’ve learnt with others to improve their performance, impact, health and happiness. Through my work as a psychologist, executive coach and business owner I have been able to speak with thousands of leaders. What I’m consistently hearing is that people are feeling stressed and under pressure, and that they don’t have enough time to take good care of themselves, or invest in what lights them up….
Hi folks, In this fast-paced digital world we live in, do you ever feel: Like you’re surrounded by people but lacking connection? That you don’t belong anywhere? Like you have plenty of friends but there’s no one you could call to ask for help? Lonely? It might feel uncomfortable to admit it, but the truth is that you are not alone. A recent study from Swinburne University found that one in four Australians are lonely. After this research was released, we asked you on our Instagram if you had felt lonely in the past week, and 57% of you said…
Hey folks, Gem here. In this episode of InklingTV I’m going to teach you 6 words that I have found incredibly useful to manage conflict and have those difficult conversations. I also have a story about Soph and me and how these 6 little words helped us to move past a big, grumpy misunderstanding! I hope they help you as much as they helped us. With love, Gem SPEAKEASY – LAST CHANCE Our final round of Speakeasy for 2018 began this week in Adelaide. We still have a handful of spots available in Sydney (20-21 Nov) and Melbourne (27-28 Nov), so…
Hello, First of all, I want to thank everyone who reached out to us after the launch of Inkling two weeks ago; we’re so happy to hear that our new brand and direction resonates with our tribe! As Inkling evolves we’ll be integrating more neuroscience into our work, so I’m very excited to introduce to you Inkling’s Chief Neuroscientist, Dr. Stan Rodski. In today’s video, Dr. Stan and I discuss how you can use neuroscience to skyrocket your potential in your life and career. Dr. Stan is also going to share two tips that you can begin applying straight away to start feeling more energised,…
I am incredibly excited to share with you, our beloved tribe, the evolution of Inkling.
Here is a snapshot of what you can expect to see from us in the future:
Have you ever been really excited about something, maybe it was a career change, promotion, or a big move? But when you shared the news with someone, not only were they not happy for you, they had something really negative to say about it?
Today we come to you with a super quick blog to share some exciting news….drum roll please!
If you’re feeling uninspired, like you don’t know how to take control of your career, unsure where your strengths lie, or that you lack the confidence to take the next step in your career; this video is for you.
Do you find yourself focussing a lot of time and energy on everything that’s missing from your life? With thoughts running through your head like “Why don’t I have a better job?”, “Why didn’t I get that promotion?”, “Why don’t I have more money?” or “Why don’t I have a loving relationship?”, and the list goes on and on.
It’s difficult to make our highest contribution at work and at home when we’re exhausted. Many of us know, deep in our bones, that we need time to just BE. The issue is that there are many rational excuses why we cannot take that time now.
Today Gem has a juicy video to share with you on the theme of playing bigger in the world. It’s no coincidence we are talking about playing bigger because today we are announcing Inkling Women’s launch into the United Kingdom with our first Speakeasy program in London. We are beyond excited!
This might be something that you reflect on often, or perhaps the concept of legacy is one that is new to you. Getting clear on your legacy is important because it brings meaning and direction to your work, and helps you, as a leader, to set the tone for the culture within your organisation.
In this video I’m going to explain the upper limit theory, and then I’ll share my two top tips for overcoming your own upper limits.
A few weeks ago, I shared with you my top tips for attracting and selecting the right talent to your organisation, today, I’m going share the second part in this series.
Something that often comes up in our workshops and coaching sessions is that people are constantly waiting for someone to rescue them. They’re waiting for someone to notice how hard they’re working and to give them the opportunity they’ve (secretly) been yearning for.
Through our workshops we meet so many women who struggle to allow their true selves to be seen in the workplace. There is a real fear of being excluded, judged, seeming weak or unprofessional, and ultimately of being deemed incapable of their job.
We know from working with thousands of amazing women that a big part of inspiring women to step, speak up and lead is helping them to understand their strengths. Strengths are your secret weapon to a having a fulfilling and successful career!
Today we are launching #WeTwo, a powerful movement that shines a light on stories of men and women working “two-gether” to encourage each other to step up, speak up, lead, and become champions of change in the workplace.
Have you ever been cut off in traffic and then spent the rest of your drive absolutely simmering? Or maybe a client has sent you a nasty email and it’s ruined your whole day? This is a sign that you’re getting stuck with negative emotions, and the good news is we are here to help!
Today we wanted to share something with you that is hot off the press…our 5 Tips for Being an Engaging Public Speaker!
We are so excited to embrace 2018 and all it has to offer, and hope you are ready to do the same!
So you’ve recovered from the food coma, the bin is full of wrapping paper, and you are pleased to know that you won’t be hearing Jingle Bell Rock again for a good eleven months. Your mind drifts to New Year’s Eve, and you begin to mull over potential resolutions, and wonder what next year might hold.
Well here we are, our final blog to you for 2017, and what a year it has been! Grab a cuppa and join us in reflecting on our journey over the last twelve months.
Can you indulge me for a minute? I’d love you to ask yourself a simple question.
Next year is going to be the biggest year yet for Inkling, with public workshops running across FIVE Australian cities. Read more to view our 2018 Public Program Calendar!
Do you find yourself needing the approval of others? Gem will share 3 tips to help you to reduce the worry and create the freedom you deserve.
Do you ever tell yourself stories that hold you back? When you are grumpy or stuck in a funk, ask yourself: What story am I telling myself here? And what story COULD I tell myself instead?
During the month of May, the Inkling Women team are focussing on health and wellbeing. This weeks homeplay is to practice some breathing techniques each morning and every hour during the day. Check out today’s blog post for three techniques to reduce tension, change your mood and increase your productivity…
In this episode of Inkling TV I talk about a phenomenon that I see holding us back from living courageous and authentic lives. Yes my friends, I am referring to the ‘what will “Everybody” think’ story.
Do you have a nasty voice in your head that says mean and destructive things to you? Does this voice hold you back; convince you that terrible things are going to happen; tell you that you are not enough, never will be enough and that ultimately you are going to die old and alone?