Why I’m doing this now
After stepping away from running a business, I found the hardest part wasn’t the work, it was letting go of the identity that came with it. These are some thoughts on that journey, still at its beginning.
How will Marles’ defence procurement plan make a difference?
No one has cracked defence procurement. How will Marles’ plan make a difference?
Political interference in the public sector, and the accountability void
Here we go again. Both sides of politics claim they want an independent, high-performing APS. Yet neither side can resist the urge to interfere, and the APS leadership seems to continually tread the path of least resistance. The latest is the reported forming by the APSC of a consultative committee with representatives from 11 unions,…
AI, and all that I fear
First published in The Mandarin 26 March 2025 AI, and all that I fear “It’s too new. It’s just guessing. I don’t know how it works. It’s just a probabilistic word generator. It’s taking my job. I don’t know how to use it”, These are a few of the reasons raised at a recent Australian…
Why I left Kiah, and other answers
It has been almost three months since I cleaned out my office at Kiah. I am often asked if I have really left or is it a façade and am I still pulling the strings, and if I have left, why? In short, I have left Kiah and am no longer involved in its operations…
Generalists ARE specialists
As published in the Mandarin 21 March 2025: Why generalists ARE specialists Firstly, congratulations to The Mandarin on their conference last week. It is one of the better conferences I have attended because they had the courage to allow competing ideas to be put forward. It was a bit unusual, the norm being a passing…
Timid, defensive public service needs to stand up, take control of its destiny
It’s on again, politicians throwing stones at each other over the public sector. One side says too many and the other says too few. It’s an argument designed to score points politically, to play to the leanings of the electorate. One is either for or against the public sector. You either think it to be…
Veteran suicide – when doing your best isn’t good enough
It’s the scout’s creed “Do Your Best”, but sometimes doing your best just isn’t good enough. As published in The Mandarin 4 December 2024.https://www.themandarin.com.au/282939-veteran-suicide-when-doing-your-best-isnt-good-enough/ Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles and Australian Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Matt Keogh. (AAP Image/Lukas Coch) When I was asked if I would like to write…
Negotiations aren’t just for negotiators
As published in The Mandarin December 3, 2024 by Kiah MD John Glenn If I had realised this when I first started out my life would have been much easier – everywhere! I would have got more of what I wanted to achieve with much less angst. At home, at school, at work – did…
Getting stuff done – executable strategies
As published in The Mandarin November 1, 2024 by Kiah MD John Glenn Most of us have to get stuff done – at least at work! For some, it’s simply done by managing a process. Start at the beginning, work through the process, end up with an outcome. For most who read this, life is…