The temptation to get on with it
Communication Rita Zonius Communication Rita Zonius

The temptation to get on with it

In high school, I had a biology teacher called Sister Kath. She was a lovely, loud nun with a knack for making it VERY CLEAR when something mattered. As we worked through our biology textbooks, Sister Kath would have us mark particular passages with a yellow highlighter, signalling the subject matter most likely to turn up in our exams. During practical classes, she would project her instructions from the front of the lab as we dissected rats and tried to persuade baby chicks to imprint themselves on us. When a room full of teenage girls became impatient and wanted to rush through whatever assignment or project was in front of us, Sister Kath would say: “Girls, if you want to do something quickly, do it slowly.”

Read More
Monkeys, circuses and caring too much

Monkeys, circuses and caring too much

There’s a phrase I’ve come to appreciate more and more over the course of my career in communication.

If you’ve worked with me, you’ll have heard me say it many times, especially when you’re freaking out and the stress levels are rising about something so infinitesimal that I feel the urge to calm you down, tell you to breathe and gain some perspective.

“Not my monkey, not my circus.”It’s my reminder to keep some perspective about what really deserves my energy.

Read More
Make the link: It’s not as obvious as you think

Make the link: It’s not as obvious as you think

Sometimes, in the push to prove we’re strategic, we overlook the slow and steady work that earns trust and builds influence and ultimately leads to having that seat. The discipline of reinforcing how work connects to strategy might feel dull, but it’s what helps people with short attention spans make sense of change and shows leaders the value of communication done well.

Read More