Blog

Brace for impact

I once asked an international development expert what she really wanted from a corporate partner. Her response wasn’t what I expected. Rather than ask for a large amount of money for more programs, she said this. ‘There’s a copper mine ...

From helping to belonging

Motivation is a very personal thing. At my son’s high school the librarian had the challenge of inspiring teenage boys to read books. Rather than set them homework or threaten detention, she set up a book club where they could ...

A drop in the ocean

It’s 12C and raining in Melbourne and I’m feeling smug about having booked my first holiday to QLD in years. I know that mentioning my holiday will test the business partnership as Sharon holds the fort in her thermal onesie. ...

Rethinking the costs of partnerships

The economist Adam Smith believed that free markets were the best way to create an efficient economy. Our individual self-interest, with everyone working to serve themselves will ensure that we all have the goods we need. But the ‘invisible hand’ ...

Flogging a dead horse

I’m an incurable optimist. That’s probably why I once did a basketball bootcamp despite being only 5ft nothing tall. In my younger days I had a boyfriend who was 6ft 4 inches and that really tested my optimism. He was ...

Competing on value not price

We all love bargains. That’s why retailers are constantly promoting sales online or in-store. Years ago there used to be only the after Christmas sales, when people camped in the street to be first in line. Now there are the ...

The great customer resignation

This weekend’s election shows that results don’t always meet expectations. Life has a way of delivering unexpected or disappointing outcomes. Think about giant Freddos that aren’t really that big after all, the miracle grapefruit diet that didn’t work or Bridgerton ...

Getting out of your comfort zone

We humans are all creatures of habit. That’s why we go to our favourite restaurant and end up ordering the same thing each time. Or we open the wardrobe and wear the same 20% of our clothes. We just know ...

Best dressed for partnerships

“You are not going out dressed like that!” I can hear my mother’s words echoing in my head from my teenage years. It’s fair to say I experimented with a bunch of outfits that ranged from fashion forward to downright ...

Always be opening

The British businessman James Goldsmith was famous for his many wives and amorous adventures. He once offered this advice after his third marriage, “if you marry your mistress, you create a job vacancy”. When partnerships managers finally get to a ...