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Last year I had the privilege of hearing Meg Poutasi the CEO of the Pacific Cooperation Foundation speak of her experience as a young female leader who transitioned from law into a role supporting her cultural heritage. She shared her feelings of isolation at the top, being perceived as too young to know anything and the personal burden she carries of not failing her people. To follow are her key tips for anyone wanting to succeed in their workplace.

I am buzzing! Morning folks…just returned from a business breakfast with Glen Rohrig (flounder of Rohrig) and Chris Moody (founder of Poppy Cakes). Two amazing people presenting their experiences with branding their businesses and I want to tell you why i got excited.

The career aptitude test (also termed ‘career-building assessment’) is a good tool for you to take advantage of when you are trying to figure out which direction you want your life to go in . Trying to decide what career you want for yourself can be a very daunting task. With so many possible roads to go down, how do you find your path in life? Taking one of these assessments is a good starting point to find what what type of occupation would be good for your personality type.

In recent research conducted by Leadership Management Australasia, nearly 4000 respondents in Australia and New Zealand were asked how they felt about their jobs. The survey revealed more than 60% of the workforce either hated their jobs or didn’t care about their work, as long as they got paid. It showed nearly half were considering looking for a new job while 62% either hated or were ambivalent about their work. (Source: APN).

How do we encourage a baby when they are learning to walk? We celebrate their successes – well actually we celebrate them just trying!

The facts about Switchtasking in business. Has this ever happened to you? You are deep in conversation with a friend or business associate. Suddenly a distraction; the mobile rings, a waitress serves your latte … The distraction ends, you both look up at each other and say, ”What were we talking about?”

When personal values and company values clash, there can be a general 'unease' or 'unhappiness'. People often try to get on with the job and ignore the things they don't agree with, but eventually this gets too much and decisions have to be made...

I recently watched a TED video with Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg and it stimulated my thinking further. If you have started looking for another job it does not mean you have to mentally check out of your current one. This is a common occurrence; most people who have had enough of their current environment will no longer participate fully, will shy away from additional responsibility and ignore any new opportunities that might come their way. Does this sound like you?

When I first started researching business philanthropy I was amazed and shocked to read how many articles openly pitched philanthropy as a marketing strategy. With statements such as ‘boost your business by creating a compelling charitable profile’, it’s plain to see that for some businesses their philanthropic investment is simply ugly lip service.

Have you returned from a fabulous holiday break and realised nothing has changed in your work environment? Does your time on the beach, tramping in the hills or reading on the deck seem like a distant memory? Did you leave work on the 23rd of December thinking "I just need to relax, unwind, laugh with my friends, eat great food and spend time out of the office and then I will feel so much better"? If this sounds like you, read on...

Want to know how you can maximise every opportunity in your current role and get yourself out of a rut? To follow are 3 tips to help you feel energised and actually want to go to work in the morning.

It’s ‘that’ time of year again when we dig out our ‘to do’ list for the last twelve months, enjoy a smug 5 seconds of celebrating what we accomplished and then feel guilty at the remaining actions that we never even got close to achieving. So how are you going to make certain that January 2012 is different? What can you do to make sure that you're likely to ACHIEVE the career goals that you set yourself? What will it take to motivate you to keep going...even if the going gets tough?

Emotional bank account withdrawals and lost opportunities… a common event in many business settings resulting in loss to the individuals and the company. I know this is a common occurrence, and yet it doesn’t need to happen this way.

Who recalls stomping their feet and yelling this statement at their parents as a teenager? Well Jon Bon Jovi sang “it’s my life, it’s now or never”. Are you singing at the top of your voice and tapping your feet yet?! He went on to sing “I ain't gonna live forever. I just want to live while I'm alive,it’s my life!”

You've had a BIG idea but if only other people could see it's brilliance too! We've all had our ideas knocked flat at some stage or other, so why is this and what can you do about it?

Some books can be even more than life changing...they can be life and career changing! Here's one that inspired me to move to New Zealand from the UK, and quit my life in the corporate world.

Redundancy and the impact it has. Have you been hit by the big R? Have you, or someone you know, been made redundant due to the 'current economic climate'. You may have arrived at work one day to discover that you no longer have a place of work to go to.