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How to have fierce mental health conversations at work

What do you think of when you hear the word fierce? Fierce can sound savage and aggressive, but in Roget’s Thesaurus, it reveals the following synonyms: robust, intense, powerful, passionate, eager, unbridled, and untamed. I’m really fortunate to have a mentor who is a very successful CEO of an 8000-employee organisation. When we recently met, […]

Seven savvy Sunday suggestions to build resilience

I have always been a constant learner, and try to stay across the latest research and thinking regarding how we can build individual and team resilience. 1.TED talk: This could be why you are depressed or anxious by Johann Hari I’ve been a big fan of Johann Hari, ever since my friend Glenn Capelli recommended […]

Graeme Cowan’s new speaker sizzle reel and speakers kit

Well today feels like a new day – and as Buddha says “What we do today matters most”. Today, I’m really excited to launch a whole range of new resources and videos. Jenny Thomson (my Business Manager) and I, have been working really hard over the last 3 months to produce a range of resources […]

How to eTrain thousands of employees to be better at asking R U OK? in 20 minutes

In eLearning pilots we recently completed with the University of Sydney and Ernst & Young, and 53 other people from 21 organisations: 94% said they were more confident they could help a mentally distressed colleague, and; 96% rated it 7/10 or above– in how likely they would recommend it to a colleague or friend (Net Promoter Score) We have […]

5 great leadership lessons from our Governor General + 4 others

( Photo: Sara Ross) (His Excellency, David Hurley, me, Naomi Frauenfelder (Tracksafe), Katherine Newton (R U OK?) How do leaders inspire commitment and action? I talked with 5 remarkable leaders in Canberra on Wednesday who are doing this every day. I had the privilege of meeting our new Governor-General, General David Hurley, and his wife […]

29 Great R U OK? Day @ Work Ideas for 2019

(Image: Lisa Nichols, Woolgoolga) As September 12 approaches, many people have been asking me for some ideas to celebrate R U OK? at work. Below are some ideas that have come from a number of sources, including entries in the 2019 Barbara Hocking R U OK? at Work awards, ideas I have put together, and […]

Knowing 40% of doctors are burnt out, should worry us all

In findings just released this week, more than 40% of doctors—and 50% of female doctors—are burned out, according to Medscape’s 2019 research. Every Australian should be horrified by this. Having a son about to graduate from medical school, I am very angry. Although this is USA research, as I reveal below – Australian research and anecdotes, suggest […]

Is self-care selfish?

When we are busy it can be easy to forget our own wellbeing. I’ve made that mistake before and it led to a severe episode of depression. What I learnt is that if you don’t take care of yourself – you can’t take care of others. Self-care isn’t selfish. We have to nurture ourselves to […]

10 Commandments of Truly Caring Leadership

Many people are overwhelmed by the rate of change in the workplace. As we rush into the digital revolution, workplaces can seem less human, and yet we all yearn to feel accepted for who we are. Loneliness at work has become a significant problem. We want to be part of a caring team, have a […]

I CARE: How to support a colleague in distress

Since my recovery from a mental breakdown, I have been on a quest to create a relatively simple approach that anyone can follow to support a work colleague they are concerned about. Before I outline how this approach evolved, it is worth asking – “Is this a problem worth solving?” Why care? The bigger question […]