Ever wonder why? Not the every day why’s like: why is there a moon or why gravity or why do my pants feel so tight or why is that old person looking back at me in the mirror when I still feel 18…but why am I? Why am I in this place, in this life in this career, in this existence? What is my job here? Continue reading “A Wandering Why”
In June 2016, Oliver Wyman, the global management consultancy, released its second paper on women’s progress in the financial services sector. The report includes an analysis of 381 financial services organisations globally, including South Africa, and found that at the rate of current progress, executive committees in financial services industry globally will only reach 30% female representation in 2046.
Shocked yet? 2046! How is that possible? Depending on which study you read, women in open economies make up between 47% and 51% of the workforce, so why would they only get to 30% of leadership positions in 30 years’ time? And why is it important that they do? Continue reading “Are women just bored of boards?”
There’s something really special about family holidays, maybe it’s the sleep; or the time; or maybe it’s the sea… whatever it is, the soul is somehow enriched and we most often come away remembering who we really are. It’s the “who really are” part that seems to be my focus right now and then that nagging question: “how do I keep remembering to be me when the holiday is over?” And: “why do I need to anyway?” Continue reading “Same, same but different”
Being a princess has to be the best part of being a woman. I love my mornings faffing and preening and choosing exactly the shoes and the blouse and the skirt and the heels I feel calling out to me for the day; and then changing my mind and starting all over again! For all the challenges of corporate life as a woman, at least we can still feel pretty and feminine; albeit in head to toe black. Continue reading “Daddy’s courageous princess”
I’ve said it before, I love men!
Sitting watching my sons cricket in a gaggle of dads reminds me of why: the banter; the camaraderie the fun; it’s so incredibly appealing! There’s a special kind of energy that a group of men bring. Its tangible and exciting but at the same time completely isolating. Continue reading “The Mowgli Syndrome”
Dear Mr Author of the Urban Dictionary.
I’d like to bring to your urgent attention some inaccuracies of the description currently used to describe a person who accompanies his or her life partner to another city for work. You see Mr Author Sir, its simply not accurate to call us “the trailing spouse” – could there ever be a worse descriptor? Continue reading “A (not so) fond goodbye to the “Trailing Spouse””
The people you spend time with matter. Your views, thoughts and habits naturally become tied to the people you spend the most time with. Since many of us spend most of our time at work, it’s natural that our relationships are built around the people we do work with. It makes sense that you would work with people like you right? Folks that studied similar things, are interested in similar things, can do similar things would naturally find themselves working in similar place. These people become your tribe, your peeps, your team. You’ve probably heard the Jim Rohn quote “You’re the average of the five people spend the most time with,” have you ever considered who these people are or the impact they are having on your life? Continue reading “THE TRIBE HAS SPOKEN”
This post was cowritten by the genius D’ave Meyer who also gets the point just right and makes work such a barrel of laughs. At the FOUNDeRY, we’ve managed to celebrate a few successes in this morass we call corporate innovation (we’re lucky, we live within a brand that gets innovation), and we’re doing things that are actually shifting the business forward. But, it wasn’t easy… Continue reading “How not to fail in corporate innovation…”
2016 has been a year of discovery, of adventure, of breaking boundaries. For many it’s been a year of unparalleled innovation – especially for those of us that live in experimental spaces. We’ve long known that innovation is for the brave – those souls who dare to speak out, the curious ones asking “but who says?” Continue reading “Our book is yet unwritten”
As we travel down the road to banking innovation and focus on attracting incredible talent, it’s becoming increasingly clear that we have a slight problem Houston…it seems that banks have a bad rap! Continue reading “Banking on the future”
Not my usual – but some ramblings in a more serious note for those needing inspiration in this space…
Gender programs are many and varied and, although we are definitely leaps ahead of the bra-burning 70’s, we still have work to do in creating sustainable cultural change in the space of women at work. Here are the 5 Simple Steps I believe can get you to a meaningful cultural transformation. Continue reading “5 Simple steps to creating a cultural shift”
I am a goal addict! As a working mom you’d think trying to get through a day in banking and still fit in mothering a tween and being a wife to my gorgeous husband would be enough – but yet I’m constantly cooking up new challenges to throw into the crazy mix of my life. Let’s be honest my day really has no space for new pursuits but throw them in I do. Continue reading “Five steps to success: having it all – your way”
