20 Sep 2023
Model for change
Dylan Alcott |
Role models can change lives. A ground-breaking campaign by the Dylan Alcott Foundation aims to revolutionise disability representation in Australian advertising.
Leadership
08 Aug 2023
The future of leadership is diverse
Yuri Mariano | Learning and Development Facilitator, ANZ
Embracing cultural diversity in leadership is not only the right thing to do. It’s essential for business growth.
18 Jul 2023
Constantly building the bank of the future
Andrew Cornell | Past Managing Editor, bluenotes
How do you link a bank’s purpose, strategy and business model together when the landscape is changing so rapidly? Shayne Elliott and Antony Strong explain.
05 Jul 2023
Sponsoring talent places influential allies in your corner
Carina Parisella | Innovation & Diversity Editor, bluenotes
When planning your career progression, don’t overlook sponsoring talent – it’s the crucial competitive advantage you need.
17 May 2023
Never too late to find your passion
Maile Carnegie | Group Executive - Australia Retail, ANZ
Many people don’t land their dream job until later in life – so how do you know you’re on the right path?
02 Mar 2023
IWD 2023: A retrospective list
Carina Parisella | Innovation & Diversity Editor, bluenotes
Closing the gender gaps is more than an annual commitment. This selection of stories celebrates the efforts for and by women from all walks of life from all through the year.
01 Mar 2023
Fighting for many happy returns
Carina Parisella | Innovation & Diversity Editor, bluenotes
The barriers preventing women re-entering the workforce are stronger than ever. Here is how to fight it.
01 Feb 2023
Kind leaders achieve greater success
Carina Parisella | Innovation & Diversity Editor, bluenotes
Team Success: The new hard skills are soft
18 Oct 2022
Unravelling a complex corporate structure: ANZ’s Wealth divestment explained
Craig Brackenrig & Adam Crook | Head of Wealth & Program Director of the Wealth Separation, ANZ.
Separating and selling ANZ’s wealth division in multiple transactions was a complicated challenge for the bank. A template completing complex transactions successfully.
11 Oct 2022
Kindness fuels innovation
Carina Parisella | Innovation & Diversity Editor, bluenotes
Jim Hogan, neuro-inclusion pioneer and Google Cloud’s Chief Innovation Evangelist, discusses how kindness can drive innovation in the workplace.
08 Sep 2022
Climate change is a gender issue as well as an existential one
Victoria McKenzie-Mcharg | Strategic Director, Women's Environmental Leadership Australia (WELA)
Leadership in Australia has fallen short when it comes to addressing climate issues. We need a management change. Not just new faces, a new style.
01 Sep 2022
To succeed as a leader, embrace diversity
Shane White | Content Manager, Institutional, ANZ
As the war for talent heats up, good leaders should see an explosion in their diversity statistics – they’ll be rewarded for it.
16 Mar 2022
Elliott: remaining optimistic through challenges
Durreen Shahnaz | Founder and CEO of IIX
ANZ CEO reflects on the lessons he has learned through the pandemic and how he remained defiantly optimistic.
15 Mar 2022
The future of leadership is kindness
Carina Parisella | Innovation & Diversity Editor, bluenotes
Command and control-style leadership will not help organisations attract and retain talent anymore. Now, the focus must be on empathetic leadership.
19 Jan 2022
Leadership: steering the ship through a storm
Farhan Faruqui | CFO, ANZ
ANZ CFO Farhan Faruqui maps his leadership journey and identifies the skills a good leader needs to develop their team.
13 Dec 2021
Read, watch, listen: bluenotes’ 2021 content stocking
Paul O’Sullivan, Shayne Elliott, Antonia Watson and more! | Executives and Directors, ANZ
After nearly two years of lockdown periods spent streaming, reading or listening, we asked ANZ’s executives and board for their top recommendations.
27 Sep 2021
Geminder: running a business is a marathon, not a sprint
Shayne Elliott | Chief Executive Officer, ANZ
Finding the right mix of business and family has been the key to success for renowned Australian businesswoman Fiona Geminder.
27 Aug 2021
The meaning behind leading
Antonia Watson | ANZ Group Executive and CEO, New Zealand
ANZ New Zealand CEO Antonia Watson reflects on the environment for banking, the crucial need for diversity and what makes a good leader.
11 Aug 2021
Elliott: Faruqui has best attributes for ANZ CFO
Andrew Cornell | Past Managing Editor, bluenotes
Newly appointed CFO Farhan Faruqui will bring a depth of knowledge and understanding to role, says ANZ CEO Shayne Elliott.
01 Apr 2021
Improving outlook in institutional banking
Mark Whelan | Group Executive Institutional, ANZ
ANZ’s institutional bank has restructured and built on 150 years of trading in the Asia Pacific. Now economic growth is picking up, the bank is well placed to benefit.
29 Mar 2021
Data, Technology and the Workforce of the Future
Alexis George | Deputy Chief Executive Officer & Group Executive Wealth Australia, ANZ
2020 crammed five years of evolution into one – that was true for workforces as well as technology and business operations.
23 Mar 2021
Beyond Western leadership: lessons from ancient wisdom
Tammy Medard | Managing Director Institutional Australia, ANZ
The era of command-control style cultures has finished. Leaders must create space for collective decision making to engage their teams and achieve results.
08 Mar 2021
Staying Grounded, Dealing with Criticism and Feeling an Imposter
Three of ANZ NZ's senior leaders, all women, have reflected on their roles within the company ahead of International Women's Day.
22 Feb 2021
Blasting through the bamboo ceiling
Julie Chai | Founder & CEO, The Asian Leadership Project
Order of Australia recipient Jenny Taing reflects on leadership and diversity in the financial services sector.
03 Dec 2020
Q&A: facing up to leadership, culture and challenges
Kevin Corbally | Chief Risk Officer, ANZ
ANZ Director Graeme Liebelt reflects on the experiences that led him to the bank’s board and what he looks for in leadership.
28 Oct 2020
Working out how we work
Kathryn van der Merwe | Group Executive – Talent & Culture, ANZ
Ongoing, two-way communication between management and employees is a key factor determining the flexible future of work at ANZ.
08 Oct 2020
The ever evolving shape of work
Rita Newman | Group General Manager, Joiners and Movers, ANZ
While much of the detail of the future of work remains to be discovered, fundamental organisation beliefs and leadership play a key role.
02 Oct 2020
Learning from fires to respond in crisis
Shayne Elliott | Chief Executive Officer, ANZ
There are many similarities between preparing for - and responding to - a bushfire and a pandemic, says emergency services expert.
01 Oct 2020
Put your own oxygen mask on first
Dr David Rock | Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer NeuroLeadership Institute
Uncertainty creates stress and when sustained reduce productivity and focus. But what can leaders do to help during periods of ongoing change?
29 Sep 2020
Focusing on growth at the top
Shayne Elliott | Chief Executive Officer, ANZ
There aren’t enough women in the executive ranks of Australia’s top companies. A cultural shift is needed to create more diverse pipelines of talent.
01 Sep 2020
Purpose creates recovery, societal benefits
Annette Kimmitt | CEO & Managing Partner, MinterEllison
A focus on purpose helped ANZ find a way through initial stages of COVID-19 crisis, says CEO in wide-ranging podcast.
28 Aug 2020
PODCAST: Gonski reflects on time as Chair
Andrew Cornell | Past Managing Editor, bluenotes
Outgoing ANZ Chairman David Gonski opens up about his time on the bank’s board and the challenges of the times in this discussion with bluenotes.
27 Aug 2020
Gonski: the time is right
David Gonski AC | Chairman at ANZ
In a letter to staff, David Gonski AC announces his retirement as Chairman of ANZ’s Board. He will be succeeded by Paul O’Sullivan.
26 Aug 2020
Believing in Mike Moore
Peter Parussini | Head of Corporate Affairs New Zealand, ANZ
In this excerpt, ANZ’s Peter Parussini reflects on his time with former NZ Prime Minister Mike Moore and the radical change Moore inspired.
09 Dec 2019
2019 holiday content list: read, watch, listen
David Gonski, Shayne Elliott, Alexis George & more | ANZ leaders
Sit back and relax these holidays with a great book, podcast or TV series recommended by ANZ’s executives and board members.
25 Sep 2019
Government and CEOs: a complex two-step
Tim Nelson | CEO, Korn Ferry Australasia
The relationship between businesses and government is complicated but, if done right, can have benefits for all.
01 Apr 2019
INFOGRAPHIC: recession. Do you know what it really means?
Melissa Currie | Creative Content Producer, bluenotes
Australia’s last recession was a quarter century ago. The economy is very different today but how will it weather the inevitable?
11 Dec 2018
Holiday content list: Gonski, Elliott, Atlas + more!
David Gonski, Shayne Elliott, Ilana Atlas & more | ANZ leaders
Chill out – or swot up - these holidays with a great book, podcast or Netflix series recommended by ANZ leaders.
30 Nov 2018
VIDEO: success is a culture of learning
Carina Parisella | Innovation & Diversity Editor, bluenotes
Businesses have an obligation to ensure their people are learning, expert says – the ones which pull it off will be the ones who win.
15 Oct 2018
Sick babysitters & five tips for the ‘perfect’ work-life balance
Katie Bennett-Stenton | National Marketing Lead, Energy & Resources, Deloitte
Workplaces which provide flexibility are helping staff make the most of their lives – and those of their families.
03 Sep 2018
PODCAST: ethics, banking & striking a balance
Shayne Elliott | Chief Executive Officer, ANZ
Shayne Elliott & Dr Simon Longstaff chat about the complex role of banks in how customers spend their money.
19 Jun 2018
Three big answers to ‘why agile?’
Kath Bray | Managing Director - Retail Banking, ANZ
Look beyond the buzzwords on agile and you’ll see ways it can change a business for the better.
19 Jun 2018
Q&A: Elliott on the healthy chaos of agile
Sally Warhaft | Broadcaster, anthropologist and writer
ANZ CEO explains why agile – and the impact it has had on the bank.
18 Jun 2018
Seeking the chaplains of agile
Penelope Barr | Lead, New Ways of Delivering, ANZ
Demand for agile coaches is outstripping supply. So who are they, what do they do – and why are they so valuable?
30 May 2018
Diversity, boards & the specious theories of threatened species
Andrew Cornell | Past Managing Editor, bluenotes
Two theories against board diversity arose in the wake of recent corporate scandals. Both are wrong.
29 May 2018
Levis and a lifetime of advice
Catriona Noble | Managing Director Retail Distribution Australia, ANZ
ANZ’s Catriona Noble reflects on the mentors who have helped develop her career - and the way she is now giving back to others.
29 May 2018
Elliott & Borghetti: the right way to plan your career
Shayne Elliott | Chief Executive Officer, ANZ
The key to success in the workplace is just being the best at what you do now, Virgin CEO John Borghetti says.
21 May 2018
Trust and the senior executive
Donald Alexander | Senior Lecturer, Charles Sturt University
Research shows trust in CEOs is getting better. It needs to. How can they keep the momentum going?
02 May 2018
bluenotes debate: leadership, diversity & change
Shane White | Content Manager, Institutional, ANZ
A panel of experts share insights into the mechanics of leadership and the importance of reflecting the diversity of your customer base.
24 Apr 2018
Q&A: Elliott on the choice to shape the future
Carina Parisella | Innovation & Diversity Editor, bluenotes
ANZ CEO chats to bluenotes about the origin of ANZ’s purpose and the leadership role of business in the community.
06 Apr 2018
Digital sustainability and the journey
Lindsay Every | Client Partner & Digital Leader, Korn Ferry
Society is pushing ahead with digital innovations, will leaders be left behind?
27 Mar 2018
Dweck: you’re not a growth mindset person (and here’s why)
Shayne Elliott & Carol Dweck | CEO, ANZ & Psychologist and Best-Selling Author
Author Carol Dweck tells ANZ CEO Shayne Elliott there’s a lot of shades of grey when it comes to mindset.
09 Mar 2018
Superchickens, trust & the new way to lead
Farhan Faruqui | CFO, ANZ
Leadership is evolving across all industries as corporations change what it means to be a leader.
07 Mar 2018
REWIND IWD2019: Baby, baby - how workplace pregnancy has changed in NZ
Susana Lei’ataua | bluenotes contributor
ANZ’s new 26 weeks’ paid parental leave is a far cry from the experiences of women in the past.
07 Mar 2018
IWD2018: trekking through the equality jungle
Elaine Bensted | CEO, Zoos South Australia
Everyone has a role to play in driving continual change and encouraging diversity of all types.
07 Mar 2018
IWD2018 PODCAST: bringing success to work
Shane White | Content Manager, Institutional, ANZ
Diversity in business is an asset as unique insights can be drawn from a broad range of experiences.
06 Mar 2018
IWD2018: leaders set sail for the winds of change
Fiona Smith | Leadership journalist
#meetoo changed the world. We speak to four senior leaders about what the new landscape looks like for women.
06 Mar 2018
IWD2018: leadership, leaning poppies and the Drake Passage
Dr Sophie Adams | Clinical Director, Orygen, The National Centre for Excellence in Youth Mental Health
Could the tall poppy syndrome we collectively create and despise actually help us be better leaders?
23 Feb 2018
What CFOs need to know about cybersecurity (and why)
Chris Hockings | Chief Technology Officer, IBM Security
The growing threat landscape in tech has the potential to impact the bottom line.
15 Feb 2018
LONGREAD: boomerang execs come back around
Jessica Mudditt | Freelance Journalist
Will returning executives become the next C-suite trend? There are reasons markets like Australia have never embraced the idea.
13 Feb 2018
Q&A: trust & the social executive
Shayne Elliott & Craig Mullaney | CEO, ANZ & Strategic Partner Development, Facebook
How can leaders do their job effectively in the era of social media? ANZ’s Shayne Elliott and Facebook’s Craig Mullaney share insights.
06 Feb 2018
David Thodey on culture, leadership & change
Paul Presland | General Manager of Small Business Banking, ANZ
Former Telstra CEO chats on podcast about the importance of putting the customer at the centre of your culture.
06 Feb 2018
Six must-have skills for leaders in the digital economy
Leo D'Angelo Fisher | Freelance journalist
The idea technology is something which happens in the IT department won’t cut it anymore.
01 Feb 2018
Groundhog Day (and being a better leader)
Mike Irving | Performance coach
Research shows business coaching delivers tangible benefits to individuals and businesses.
18 Jan 2018
Dylan Alcott: that winning culture
Shane White | Content Manager, Institutional, ANZ
From the court to the office, Open champion says the most vital ingredient of success is culture.
11 Jan 2018
Cadel Evans: work hard, get rewards
Peter Wilmoth | Feature writer
The secret to cycling and career success is the same, according to Tour de France winner Cadel Evans.
08 Jan 2018
The real job of leaders in times of change
Carina Parisella | Innovation & Diversity Editor, bluenotes
The emotional side of change is often overlooked by businesses - understanding it can help staff embrace the new normal.
19 Dec 2017
Elliott: community, causes & social licence
Sally Warhaft | Broadcaster, anthropologist and writer
On podcast, CEO talks about ANZ’s causes and the changing community expectations which led the bank to support a royal commission.
19 Dec 2017
bluenotes debate: collaboration, the key to thriving communities
John Thwaites | Chair, Monash Sustainable Development Institute
Our panel of business and community leaders discuss the role of cross-sector partnerships in responding to society’s most-complex social and environmental challenges.
14 Dec 2017
Leaders: get a growth culture
Adam Canwell | Global Leader, Leadership Consulting, EY
Developing a culture which supports growth is a strategic imperative for businesses.
13 Dec 2017
Summer content stocking: Elliott, Gonski, Dwyer
Shayne Elliott, David Gonski, Paula Dwyer & more | ANZ senior executives
Why limit your Summer to-do list to paperbacks? Enjoy some digital holiday recommendations from ANZ execs.
13 Dec 2017
Content stocking: read, watch, listen
Shayne Elliott, Maile Carnegie, Richard Yetsenga & more | ANZ senior executives
Why limit your Summer to-do list to paperbacks? Enjoy some digital holiday recommendations from ANZ execs.
06 Dec 2017
PODCAST: the gap between boards and cyber risk
Paul Burrow | Security Capability Uplift Manager, ANZ
Boards are told more about cyber risk than ever before, McAfee exec says – but do they understand it?
24 Nov 2017
Testing, learning and finding your skateboard
Christian Venter & Katrina Kolt | New Ways of Working Technology Transformation Lead & Enterprise Agile Coach, ANZ
How do you teach a company the size of a small nation a new way to operate?
17 Nov 2017
blueprints: knowledge is power
Thomas Hounslow | bluenotes contributor
The wealthiest countries are often not the smartest, this interactive infographic shows.
14 Nov 2017
Directors & governance in a time of concern
Diane Smith-Gander | Non-executive Director
Businesses – and directors – need to move purposefully and carefully in the modern marketplace.
02 Nov 2017
The best lessons don’t always come from the top
Andrew Palmer | Head of FIG Australia, ANZ
Helping communities thrive can help put professional achievements into perspective.
24 Oct 2017
What makes up a good board?
Diane Smith-Gander | Non-executive Director
Directors need to contemplate a company’s next big step, beyond the scope of the present strategy.
02 Oct 2017
Leaders, bring out your audacity
Dr Alicia Fortinberry | Writer, speaker and best-selling co-author.
Developing a learning and growth mindset in yourself and others in times of uncertainty requires stepping outside your comfort zone.
21 Sep 2017
Seven steps to smooth CEO switches for start-ups
Tony Rossano | Senior client partner and head of Global Technology Markets Practice at Korn Ferry Asia Pacific
CEO succession in start-ups is markedly different from anywhere else.
18 Sep 2017
Energy security needs national leadership
Mark Stone | Chief Executive at the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Rising power costs are felt by everyone – but the impact they have on small businesses can be devastating.
11 Sep 2017
Podcast: a social and entrepreneurial mindset
David Lewis | Australian business professional and founder of The Mentor List
In the Mentor List’s latest podcast they talk to Jan Owen about unleashing the potential of young people to lead positive change in the world.
01 Sep 2017
blueprints: behind mahogany doors
Thomas Hounslow | bluenotes contributor
PwC’s latest CEO Survey offers insights into not just what the world’s business leaders think but how those views are changing.
29 Aug 2017
VIDEO: squads, tribes & new ways to work
Andrew Cornell | Past Managing Editor, bluenotes
ANZ’s Kath Bray explains on video how ANZ’s new agile method of working will actually work.
24 Aug 2017
PODCAST: inside the mind of truly great leaders
Andrew Cornell | Past Managing Editor, bluenotes
The role of modern leadership is creating an environment of trust and empowerment, Dr Alicia Fortinberry says.
24 Jul 2017
Fixing the feedback loop at work
Jodi Fullarton-Healey | General Counsel, International & Institutional Banking at ANZ
When it comes to feedback at work, everyone wants it but nobody wants to give it.
17 Jul 2017
Leadership lessons from GoT (no spoilers!)
Leo D'Angelo Fisher | Freelance journalist
Betrayal, deceit, false flattery, mind games… don’t worry, we’re not talking about work - are we?
14 Jul 2017
Stronger through workplace challenge and change
Nigel Bowen | Freelance journalist
For financial advisers, staying positive in an environment of massive change and public scrutiny is tough – but can be done.
11 Jul 2017
How to be an agile leader
Andrew Cornell | Past Managing Editor, bluenotes
Ex-MYOB exec says agile leading involves giving up on old ideas of control.
29 Jun 2017
The Goodes oil on culture, leadership & winning
Fiona Smith | Leadership journalist
Champion footballer and Australian Adam Goodes shares reflections on his career and success.
21 Jun 2017
How to have hard conversations with clients
Fiona Smith | Leadership journalist
There’s a number of techniques you can use to make ‘courageous’ conversations at work easier.
19 Jun 2017
Agile is more than theatre: Carnegie
Andrew Cornell | Past Managing Editor, bluenotes
Working agile requires business leaders to be much clearer about objectives, ANZ digital exec says.
30 May 2017
PODCAST: the key to success is persistence - and persistence
David Lewis | Australian business professional and founder of The Mentor List
Figure out what you’re good at and do it over and over again, Dean of Melbourne Business School Zeger Degraeve says.
30 May 2017
Leadership: not the be-all and end-all of business
Kath Walters | Content marketing consultant and freelance journalist
The world needs power followers just as much as it need leaders. There is too much focus on the latter.
25 May 2017
Leaders on becoming a leader
Katie Lahey | Executive Chairman, Korn Ferry Australasia
Senior execs share their experiences and pathways through organisations to the very top.
22 May 2017
PODCAST: Disrupt yourself first
David Lewis | Australian business professional and founder of The Mentor List
It’s not just companies that disrupt, personal disruption can be just as powerful, author and influential management thinker Whitney Johnson explains.
12 May 2017
Gay leaders and the power of role models
Fiona Smith | Leadership journalist
In business the penalties for being different have been all-too obvious. That’s slowly starting to change.
09 May 2017
PODCAST: The future of work is anti-disciplinarian
David Lewis | Australian business professional and founder of The Mentor List
Work Club founder and CEO Soren Trampedach discusses the future of work – and it is essentially evolve or die.
05 May 2017
Pitch Perfect: be your own point of difference
Carina Parisella | Innovation & Diversity Editor, bluenotes
Only 3 per cent of tech firms globally are founded by females. Which doesn’t just sound wrong but in fact delivers poorer economic outcomes.
01 May 2017
Trump: 100 days of theatre and surprising calm
Tony Walker | Author and Political Analyst
Australian officials have resolved to ignore the contortions and build relationships with Trump’s senior staff.
25 Apr 2017
How modern PAs complete the best execs
Leo D'Angelo Fisher | Freelance journalist
Sometime in the early 1980s, a time when most Australians thought espresso was a service offered by courier companies, the media company I was working for lashed out on a coffee machine for the staff kitchen.
24 Apr 2017
Pigeonholes and prefixes: is there still a place for honorifics?
Nick Godber | BlueNotes contributing editor
While the debate around the role of banks in societal issues rages in Australia, the global bank HSBC has announced plans to add 10 new gender neutral titles to their retail bank accounts, allowing customers to choose from non-gender specific prefixes like Mx, Msr and Pr.
19 Apr 2017
Eleanor Roosevelt, cats and professional excellence
Katie Bennett-Stenton | National Marketing Lead, Energy & Resources, Deloitte
Cats are said to have nine lives – but to ensure corporate survival and an upwards professional trajectory it can seem like you need more than nine to keep pace with change.
11 Apr 2017
VIDEO: Can sharing help us beat the robots?
Rita Zonius | Former Head of Internal Digital Communications, ANZ
Want to beat the robots? Speak up. Increasingly, open workplace communication will be a vital tool for knowledge workers hoping to fight off the rise of automation, communications expert Euan Semple says.
11 Apr 2017
ON THE COUCH: Culture, growth and purpose with Shayne Elliott
Andrew Cornell | Past Managing Editor, bluenotes
Does business exist just to make money or is there a role for enlightened self-interest and helping communities work?
10 Apr 2017
Emotional intelligence: a core leadership skill
Leon Gettler | Veteran and highly regarded management journalist
Emotional intelligence - the ability to identify your own emotions and those of others - is now regarded as a core skill for leaders who want to get the best out of their teams.
04 Apr 2017
Engaged people central to cultural change: van der Merwe
Andrew Cornell | Past Managing Editor, bluenotes
Fostering the right culture, nurturing talent inside the organisation and investing in employee engagement are fundamental to the success of modern organisations, ANZ’s newly-appointed Group Executive, Talent & Culture says.
29 Mar 2017
VIDEO: where real leadership happens
Andrew Cornell | Past Managing Editor, bluenotes
The idea everyone can be a leader is a myth, ANZ director Paula Dwyer says, but that doesn’t mean leadership can’t be found at every level of an organisation.
28 Mar 2017
Creativity is a discipline, not a talent – and it could save your job
Stella Walsh | Senior Manager, Digital, Data and Social Communications
In an ever-changing world where automation is a reality changing the employment landscape, what skills should business and individuals be focusing on?
27 Mar 2017
We need to talk about mental health (at work)
Darren Abbruzzese | Former General Manager Data, ANZ
I had a conversation recently with a colleague who spoke of his wife's anxiety issues. Sometimes her anxiety can be quite overwhelming and he's had to take time off work to care for her.
22 Mar 2017
Community demanding more of biz leaders: Dwyer
Andrew Cornell | Past Managing Editor, bluenotes
The role of senior business leaders in broader Australian society is changing as the community demands more of them according to ANZ director Paula Dwyer.
10 Mar 2017
VIDEO: art, business and credit cards
Ha Bui | BlueNotes contributing editor
There is a long history of artists working with business. From the Medicis in the renaissance to institutions like the Catholic Church and now modern corporations, many great and revered works of art have come from these relationships.
24 Feb 2017
Bike lessons, life lessons and learning agility
Tanya Deery | Group General Manager Talent & Culture, ANZ
A couple of years ago we were sitting around the dinner table when my husband, who has an acerbic sense of humour, detailed the annoying habits of a work colleague, to which my 10-year old daughter responded, “Dad, you have such a fixed mindset”.
20 Jan 2017
A new resolve for New Year resolutions
Leo D'Angelo Fisher | Freelance journalist
They may be more honoured in the breach, but New Year’s resolutions continue to be something we hold dear. Setting goals at the beginning of a New Year is both logistically sound and deeply rooted in custom: people have been making New Year’s resolutions since the time of ancient Rome.
16 Jan 2017
Tennis, testosterone and the winner effect
Matt Nicol | bluenotes contributor
The Australian Open crowd hushes as the second set begins. The centre-court match at Rod Laver Arena is all it was promised: the players are ranked nearly identically by the WTP; both showed comparably good form in the run up to the Open; and the first set tie-break was decided by the narrowest possible margin - just two points. It’s anyone’s game! Or is it?
11 Jan 2017
The complete UNDERBELLY 2016
Rod Clement | Walkley Award-winning cartoonist
Throughout 2016 award-winning Illustrator Rod Clement has shared UNDRBELLY, his unique take on the corporate workplace, to a huge reception on BlueNotes.
23 Dec 2016
Summer content stocking: Elliott, Carnegie, Gonski
Shayne Elliott, Maile Carnegie, David Gonski | Chief Executive Officer & Group Executive Digital Banking & Chairman, ANZ
Reading lists are a fixture of the holiday period and BlueNotes’ list last year, sourced from ANZ directors and senior executives, was extremely popular. But this year we thought why limit the festive list to reading?
13 Dec 2016
LONGREAD: loyalty in the age of LinkedIn
Leon Gettler | Veteran and highly regarded management journalist
Employee loyalty is not what it used to be. In fact, it’s been declining for several years.
12 Dec 2016
Performance management is underperforming
Andrew Woolf | Global Human Capital Lead, Accenture Financial Services
Most managers resent the many hours they’re obliged to spend reviewing the performance of their team. Many employees would laugh off these reviews as artificial and retrospective if they didn’t have such an impact on their increases and bonuses.
02 Dec 2016
One question great leaders ask staff - frequently
Mike Irving | Performance coach
People in leadership across all businesses tend to have similar goals - to continually improve productivity and workplace culture. It’s an important issue as business growth can be stunted by a lack of employee motivation.
02 Dec 2016
Go to your happy place: creative space at work
Fiona Smith | Leadership journalist
As the chief design officer for Apple, Jony Ive is one of the most-celebrated and well-rewarded creative thinkers alive. He works from a glass cube, with a laptop and handful of coloured pencils.
25 Nov 2016
UNDERBELLY
Rod Clement | Walkley Award-winning cartoonist
Award-winning Illustrator Rod Clement shares his uniquely quirky take on the corporate world. This week: back-seat executives.
18 Nov 2016
LONGREAD: military leadership, modern leadership
Greg Dodds | Ex-Senior Trade Commissioner, Japan & Vietnam veteran
Major-General Jim Hughes died in his sleep about two months ago. The funeral was well attended but attracted no interest from the media. After all, the Army has dozens of generals so one would hardly be missed, right?
11 Nov 2016
You can’t predict the weather – or politics
Richard Yetsenga | Chief Economist, ANZ
Brexit. An independent dependent Australian senate. Trump. The predictions were all wrong. Why? There is much discussion of growing inequality but an underlying force is social media. By giving voice to those previously without one, social media may have forced fundamental change.
11 Nov 2016
UNDERBELLY
Rod Clement | Walkley Award-winning cartoonist
Award-winning Illustrator Rod Clement shares his uniquely quirky take on the corporate world. This week: work-life balance
03 Oct 2016
The secret to successful long-distance leadership
Daniel King | General Manager Human Resources, ANZ
When my job required me to move from Melbourne to Singapore, the biggest shock wasn’t the new role, new city or new culture (although there certainly was all of that) but the realisation I would have to fundamentally change the way I used to lead.
05 Sep 2016
VIDEO: One swimmer, one team, many contributors
Ha Bui | BlueNotes contributing editor
Test and learn is one of the mantras of modern business but for disabled athletes it is an essential ingredient when there are no templates that translate directly from able bodied programs.
23 Aug 2016
Should you hire robots?
Sarah Dunn | Head of Group Services - Australia, ANZ
With an increasing focus on automation through robotics, digitisation and even artificial intelligence, humanity is in the midst of a new industrial revolution.
23 Aug 2016
VIDEO: what every entrepreneur needs to understand about failure
Felicia Trewin | Head of Strategy & Business Optimisation, ANZ
It’s almost become a cliché for start-ups: fail fast. But according to venture capitalist Brad Feld, prospective entrepreneurs do need to critically reassess their understanding of failure if they are to succeed in the modern world of technology.
19 Aug 2016
UNDERBELLY
Rod Clement | Walkley Award-winning cartoonist
Award-winning Illustrator Rod Clement shares his uniquely quirky take on the corporate world. This week: all the King’s men.
11 Aug 2016
Eminence in a digital world
Andrew Grill | Global Managing Partner, IBM Social Consulting
Many companies employ people who are truly eminent and respected in their field - but nobody else knows about them. A formal eminence program can help identify and amplify these people for mutual benefit.
04 Aug 2016
VIDEO: Olympian lessons: you win or you learn
Andrew Gilbert | Head of App & User Support, ANZ
Seeing failure as an opportunity to learn can help give you an edge in competition and in the workplace, according to Australian table-tennis champion Melissa ‘Milly’ Tapper.
02 Aug 2016
Time to save experience from the scrap heap
Fiona Smith | Leadership journalist
It was the mention of his grandson that killed the job interview for Richard. The 65-year old had just been given the signal the job was ‘in the bag’ and was asked when he could start with a gas drilling company and whether a fly in-fly out work arrangement would be a problem.
01 Aug 2016
Resilience, stress and ultimate success
Natarlie Kierce | BlueNotes contributing editor
Darlene Harrison is head of performance coaching and leadership at the Australian Institute of Sport. She has worked in coaching at the AIS since 2009 and before that held a similar role in the UK for almost a decade.
29 Jul 2016
It’s standing room only in the C-Suite
Leo D'Angelo Fisher | Freelance journalist
When it comes to corporate careers, you know you’ve made it when you gain entry to the mahogany environs of the C-suite. ‘C’ being for ‘chief’ - as in Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Chief Operating Officer (COO), or the big three ‘C’heeses.
25 Jul 2016
The price of Olympic success
Francesca Rizzo | BlueNotes contributing editor
As principal physiologist, performance science and innovation at the Australian Institute of Sport, Shona Halson holds a critical role in the Australian Olympic team. She is director of the Australian Olympic Committee recovery centre for Rio and served in the same role for the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Games.
18 Jul 2016
The inside pass from Fiji’s world-class leader
Joape Kuruyawa | BlueNotes contributing editor
UPDATE: Fiji have secured the country's first ever Gold Medal by winning the Rugby Sevens competition at the Rio Olympic Games. Below, we look back at the secret of what makes the team tick.
17 Jun 2016
A confronting lesson in communication
Sarah Dunn | Head of Group Services - Australia, ANZ
“There were once 25 bankers in the dark…."
12 Apr 2016
Culture should be a shareholder metric
Andrew Cornell | Past Managing Editor, bluenotes
Australia’s banking system came through the financial crisis as well as any in the world. Taxpayers ultimately made money out of a government guarantee program, institutional failure – notably of market-funded mortgage specialists – was digested by the system.
31 Mar 2016
Ten ways to maintain strong corporate culture
Katie Lahey | Executive Chairman, Korn Ferry Australasia
Hindsight is a wonderful thing. After a crisis everyone says they saw the warning signs; the red flags were there, hiding in plain sight, accessible to those closest to them if they had known what to look for.
29 Mar 2016
The secret to leading the perfect team
Jo Mikleus | Former Chief of Staff, ANZ
Many elements make up the perfect team. The key is bringing together depth of experience, global mindsets, external perspectives, gender diversity as well as other dimensions such as leadership, curiosity, passion and drive.
18 Mar 2016
Insurance must adapt to a new kind of customer
Alexis George | Deputy Chief Executive Officer & Group Executive Wealth Australia, ANZ
Over the past few decades technology has changed our lives at an unprecedented rate. For the wealth industry, the convergence of technological and social innovation is pushing us to think and act differently, finding new ways to help people secure their future wellbeing.
17 Mar 2016
INFOGRAPHIC: three steps to the perfect presentation
Paul Edwards | Manager Operations Strategy, ANZ
Sitting through a bad PowerPoint presentation can be a tough experience for all involved. BlueNotes received a great response to Paul Edwards' recent piece showing how to rethink your approach to presentations, kicking off a great conversation in the comments and on social media.
16 Mar 2016
Three fundamentals of effective communication you can't ignore
Dave Halls | Communication expert, international speaker and best-selling author
The cost of poor communication is often far greater than we think. Results from a survey of 400 companies show poor communication cost them a total of more than $37 billion. Other research suggests 30 per cent of projects fail because of poor communication.
11 Mar 2016
Is teamwork bad for your career?
Kath Walters | Content marketing consultant and freelance journalist
There's a fine line between being a 'giver' at work and being a doormat, as Adam Grant explains in his book Give and Take. Whatever side of the line your actions fall makes a big difference to your career prospects.
19 Feb 2016
The unspeakable horror of a bad PowerPoint presentation
Paul Edwards | Manager Operations Strategy, ANZ
The following story contains actual slides presented in actual presentations in professional environments.
17 Feb 2016
Five ways to adapt to globalisation and the changing workforce
Anouk De Blieck | General Manager, Human Resources, ANZ
We live in a connected world. Companies are expanding internationally and customers expect borderless interactions. Services must be simple, agile and tailored. Customers want to choose how, when and where they will interact with businesses.
01 Feb 2016
Ten ways to keep your New Year leadership resolution
Leo D'Angelo Fisher | Freelance journalist
New Year's resolutions might seem a harmless custom – vows to join a gym or learn to do the tango - you know in your heart of hearts will never make it off the to-do list. But why waste the opportunity to make substantive changes?
27 Jan 2016
Ten ways to help your career succeed
Emma Davine | Head of Government & Commercialisation, Transaction Banking
From the ground floor to the boardroom, it's normal in your career - and smart - to always have one eye on the next step. But many feel they are poorly prepared to make a move or are reluctant to take a risk and move outside their comfort zone.
29 Dec 2015
BlueNotes' best of 2015
Andrew Cornell | Past Managing Editor, bluenotes
It's been a big year for ANZ BlueNotes in 2015 as we continue to strike to provide you with the best content at our disposal.
15 Dec 2015
Summer reads: a banker's dozen
Leigh Cohen | BlueNotes contributing editor
Nothing says summer like a good book. As we hurtle toward the holiday period, ANZ board members and executives have shared their top reads with BlueNotes.
15 Dec 2015
Australia needs a massive cultural shift on human capital
Narelle Hooper | Co-Author, New Women, New Men, New Economy
Hubs, incubators and start-ups are all phrases looming large in the innovation policy sphere right now but you have to ask, who is in on them?
11 Dec 2015
BlueNotes debate: social media vs the hierarchy
Shane White | Content Manager, Institutional, ANZ
BlueNotes Debates brings together important voices across the business, economic and social spectrum to thrash out crucial issues of the day. In our latest debate, we pitted experienced executives and social media experts against each other to discover whether the world of social media is upending the C-Suite.
03 Dec 2015
Agile demands a leadership boot camp
Claire Rogers | Former Head of Digital Strategy & Business Performance, ANZ
The digital 'in crowd' speaks a language of its own so when they talk of 'agile' it's not just about getting out of the beanbags in their idea garages. Agile is a way to structure and manage projects and to its proponents – I'm one of them – it promises more successful results. Faster.
25 Nov 2015
Women: visibility a key to success
Amanda Gome | Former head of digital and social media, ANZ
Without visibility and communication skills women, unless taken under the wing of a top male powerbroker, have almost no chance of progressing to the top levels of business.
24 Nov 2015
Dress Down Friday dresses up productivity
Marcia Levinstock | Founder and Managing Editor of Content, Primary Ideas
As my toes wriggle contently in their (Italian, designer) leather sandals, freed from the shackles of sky-high Tom Ford pumps, I praise Casual Friday.
17 Nov 2015
A dressing down for dress down Friday
Leo D'Angelo Fisher | Freelance journalist
A lot of men seem to have decided it's time to discard the tie for work. Yet, in most cases, they still wear a suit. Frankly, it just isn't a good look. It is a rare man indeed who can get away with wearing a suit without a tie. Those who can would probably look fetching in a barrel and braces...
02 Nov 2015
The price of perks
Marcia Levinstock | Founder and Managing Editor of Content, Primary Ideas
One of the first questions we ask when we first meet someone is “What do you do?"
23 Oct 2015
Three simple ways to lead in a foreign environment
Anouk De Blieck | General Manager, Human Resources, ANZ
Someone once told me Russians are like coconuts. It didn't make sense until I arrived in Russia.
20 Oct 2015
The social enterprise shift in Hong Kong
Tom Cropper | Freelance Social Enterprise Journalist
Last year the eyes of the world turned to Hong Kong as the Occupy Central movement set up camp in the city's financial district. However, elsewhere a much quieter revolution is taking place in the form of social entrepreneurism.
19 Oct 2015
There is no stopping progress (unless you have a lot of cabs)
Alex Kewley | Director, Client Insights & Solutions, ANZ
Seeing the black cab drivers lined up in London to protest against Uber earlier this year got me thinking: there is no stopping progress (although in the short term you can obviously cause traffic jams).
15 Oct 2015
How business can help stop domestic violence
Andrew Cornell | Past Managing Editor, bluenotes
Australian of the Year Rosie Batty has become a tireless and poignant protagonist in the campaign to raise the profile and lower the human cost of domestic violence since the tragic death of her son at the hands of his father.
14 Oct 2015
'Gut feel' leadership is dead
Amanda Gome | Former head of digital and social media, ANZ
Recently one of the smartest executives I know, who is always ahead of trend curves, looked at me bewildered. “I can't keep up anymore," he said. “I don't know how."
14 Oct 2015
Creative approach required for jobs of the future
Peter Booth | Provost and Senior Vice President, Sydney University of Technology
Australia's largest trading partner, China, has a strategic focus to shift from 'Made in China' towards 'Designed in China'. Australia's 4th largest trading partner, South Korea, has established 17 major innovation centres in 17 major cities across the country to quickly develop its creative economy and creative industries.
25 Sep 2015
Your leadership strategy needs to change
Martin Reeves | Senior Partner, The Boston Consulting Group & Director, Bruce Henderson Institute
It's no secret the pace of change today is head-spinningly fast. The stakes are higher than ever: one third of US public corporations will not survive the next five years. In the declining number of industries that remain stable and predictable, the classical approach to strategy and leadership taught in business schools still applies.
18 Sep 2015
From noodle-shop floor to career banker
Ayesha de Krestser | BlueNotes contributing editor
It's often said Lady Luck plays a rather large role in determining those who make it in life and those who do not. Luck though seems to never have played a role in the life of May Khansyla - yet that hasn't stopped her being named one of the United Nations' most inspiring women.
15 Sep 2015
Hong Kong's female entrepreneur revolution
Su-Mei Thompson | Chief Executive, The Women's Foundation
When you look closely at the big issues around women in business – particularly entrepreneurial ones - they often don't lie with the women. It's the men we need to fix.
02 Sep 2015
Why we will happily pay for news
Jason Murphy | Publisher, Thomas the Think Engine
Some news websites have always charged for access, like the Wall Street Journal.
28 Aug 2015
Social enterprise: business or philanthropy
Tracee Hutchison | Writer, TV and radio broadcaster
Social enterprise has been the buzz-word of corporate social responsibility and the philanthropic sector for some time. In essence, these are businesses with a social purpose and there are now about 20,000 of them in Australia, part of a growing international movement.
19 Aug 2015
Don't fight flexible work. It's productive. And it's already here.
Susie Babani | Former Chief Human Resources Officer at ANZ
A couple of months ago the CEO of my company declared all roles should be flexible. We've had policies on flexible working for a number of years but usage was sporadic and very much depended on a “Leadership Lottery” - if you had a leader who "got it" then flex was just part of the day to day norms and no big deal.
06 Aug 2015
How to make the most of your unicorn moments
Fred Schebesta | Co-founder and Director, finder.com.au
We've all watched from the sidelines as other companies receive massive attention for their public reaction to newsworthy events, with some gaining huge social followings or new business growth as a result.
05 Aug 2015
Stop asking women to change
Pam Rebecca | Former General Manager of Digital ANZ
Acceptable wisdom seems to be that for women to be taken seriously as business leaders they should only speak on business issues and studiously avoid addressing the so called work-life balance or the challenges of juggling a career and a family.
31 Jul 2015
Five workplace pregnancy tips for mothers (and another five for managers)
Andrew Medard | Founder and Managing Director, amge+
One of the most delicate challenges for female employees and all managers is pregnancy and maternity leave. Sadly it has become a taboo topic women feel they can't be open about and one many managers are afraid to raise with employees.
29 Jul 2015
How to succeed with CEO succession
Jonathan Harvey | Former Group General Manager Executive Development, ANZ
Recently an iconic Australian company, Woolworths, has had its approach to succession planning scrutinised in the public domain as a result of the sudden resignation of its chief executive. That's hardly the first time succession has been under the microscope, indeed there's been several instances since, both here and offshore.
29 Jul 2015
Why we all must be champions of change for gender equality
Mike Smith | Former Chief Executive Officer, ANZ
Earlier this year I was fortunate enough to present Serena Williams the winner’s cheque after she won the Australian Open final for a sixth time. What made it particularly satisfying was that the cheque was for the same amount as Novak Djokovic’s the next evening.
20 Jul 2015
How to tell if you're a good leader – or a bad one
Leon Gettler | Veteran and highly regarded management journalist
What exactly makes a great leader? What are the qualities of a superb boss? These are important questions because what worked 20 years ago will no longer cut it in today's workplace.
13 Jul 2015
The ageing elephant is an advantage
Bruce Hassall | CEO, PwC New Zealand
An ageing population is one of the key megatrends affecting New Zealand, Australia and most other developed countries. Like most megatrends it's often viewed as a threat, an ageing elephant in the room.
10 Jul 2015
Sleep well, sweet dreams – and career success
Marcia Levinstock | Founder and Managing Editor of Content, Primary Ideas
Those of a certain age may well remember one of those slightly twee advertising campaigns for breakfast cereals asking “How many do you do?”. It referred to the number of healthy Weet-Bix in your breakfast bowl each morning.
01 Jul 2015
Can machines control company culture?
Mark Evans | Managing Director Transaction Banking, ANZ
We're all fascinated by how radically technology may change our lives in the future. From the smartphone to driverless cars to 3D printing we're constantly rethinking how gadgets might make daily life easier.
30 Jun 2015
Five ways social media is shattering the glass ceiling
Amanda Gome | Former head of digital and social media, ANZ
High-profile recruiter Heidi Mason knows who's who at the top end of business. As managing director of Russell Reynolds Associates she often meets with major companies to discuss candidates for executive and non-executive roles in the financial services industry. One of the key attributes she looks for these days is digital experience and capability. Social media is a key part of that.
26 Jun 2015
How the buzzword virus is killing business
Jane Grace | NZ Content Manager, ANZ
I'm a socially awkward child. I'm sitting in the corner of the classroom drawing pictures in the back of my library book while my classmates play games outside and the school counsellor hovers in the doorway with a concerned look on her face.
23 Jun 2015
How we can all help fill the female talent pool
Marion Fulker | CEO, Committee for Perth & Adjunct Senior Research Fellow, University of Western Australia
Gender equality is a hot topic nationally and internationally at the moment. In my experience, a discussion about diversity in any form quickly becomes a conversation about gender and this is probably because we haven't yet created an equal playing field for 51 per cent of the Australian population.
23 Jun 2015
Letterman, Cara Delevingne and the lure of corporate journalism
Andrew Cornell | Past Managing Editor, bluenotes
At his peak in the mid 90s, David Letterman, the American talk show host, had around eight million viewers for his nightly variety act. Eight million people tuning in at the same time, households together around a TV screen.
19 Jun 2015
Gender balance in boardrooms – canapés or childcare?
Catherine Fox | Journalist and author
It was hard to ignore the talk of paid parenting leave and childcare costs in Australia with federal budget announcements about changing the system and those calls to stop 'double dipping' from employer childcare schemes.
04 Jun 2015
Five things mentors teach about leadership
Michelle Rayner | Former Executive Director Strategy, ANZ
Traditional leaders tend to focus our attention on developing only the 'best' people or those with the highest level of potential. This assumes we know how to find talent based on textbook selection criteria and processes. But are we overlooking our future leaders because we are not looking in the right places?
03 Jun 2015
Valuing quality journalism in corporate publishing
Paul Edwards | Manager Operations Strategy, ANZ
Two events in the past week have had me thinking about journalism and the new world of social, digital and mobile. The traditional homes of journalism are being eroded while new opportunities in corporate publishing and the collaborative economy are yet to establish sustainable funding models for quality journalism.
26 May 2015
Gonski on Gonski
Andrew Cornell | Past Managing Editor, bluenotes
ANZ and Coca-Cola Amatil chairman David Gonski has been approached many times over the years for an autobiography or memoir of his storied corporate life. The subtext of the offers though, Gonski suggests, is it wasn’t actually him they were interested in.
21 May 2015
How to have difficult conversations with your staff
Leon Gettler | Veteran and highly regarded management journalist
Being the bearer of difficult news is the toughest job for any manager. Whether you are retrenching people or giving an honest no-holds-barred performance review, these conversations are regarded as one of the most difficult parts of any job.
20 May 2015
Benevolent bias - a new way of making poor people decisions?
Susie Babani | Former Chief Human Resources Officer at ANZ
I have an hypothesis about the glass ceiling. It is not, as is generally assumed, something women suddenly bang their heads against after 25 years of hard slog, ongoing promotions and successful performance in the corporate world - causing us to just be pipped from the very top jobs.
19 May 2015
How to identify the saboteurs of change
Tareq Muhmood | CEO Korea & Managing Director Global Subsidiaries, ANZ
Having spent the last six months meeting treasurers and CFOs across different geographies, from China, Hong Kong and Japan to Singapore and Australia, the constant theme that came out was 'change'.
18 May 2015
BlueNotes Debate: Brand journalism – what's the problem?
BlueNotes reporter |
BlueNotes Debates brings together important voices across the business, economic and social spectrum to thrash out crucial issues of the day. To celebrate BlueNotes' first birthday, we asked a collection of Australia's most-respected journalists if corporate reporting can ever win one of journalism's highest awards.
14 May 2015
How good leaders make hard decisions
Zeger Degraeve | Dean, University Melbourne Business School
For 11 consecutive years, a high profile American investor achieved 12 per cent return annually for his clients. His reputation attracted investors from all over the world. Year after year, the returns outperformed the market. In 2009, this leading business figure was jailed for 150 years. His name is Bernie Madoff.
08 May 2015
The only way to get more women on boards
Amanda Gome | Former head of digital and social media, ANZ
Global diversity campaign 30% Club has launched in Australia, aiming to lead the nation's most influential company directors in a push to see women make up 30 per cent of ASX200 boards by 2018.
05 May 2015
How much does your free lunch really cost?
Fred Schebesta | Co-founder and Director, finder.com.au
From nap rooms and free massages to ping pong tables and giant slides, innovative companies such as Google and Facebook offer amazing office perks and they do it for one simple reason: the value they get in return.
05 May 2015
Forget quotas, diversity campaigns are better for women on boards
Amanda Gome | Former head of digital and social media, ANZ
Global diversity campaign 30% Club is launching in Australia, hoping to lead the nation's most influential company directors in a push to see women make up 30 per cent of ASX 200 boards by 2018.
21 Apr 2015
Isles of smiles: Pacific resilience and community in the face of catastrophe
Vishnu Mohan | Former CEO Pacific, ANZ
Humans are resilient. Our ability to face adversity, regroup, adapt, recover and thrive again is nothing short of remarkable.
15 Apr 2015
A Note from the BlueNotes Publisher...
Paul Edwards | Manager Operations Strategy, ANZ
We have been publishing BlueNotes for a year and it has been an extraordinary venture. But not just for us here at BlueNotes, more broadly in the world of communications – of all hues.
14 Apr 2015
Happy cows = happy staff
Anouk De Blieck | General Manager, Human Resources, ANZ
Happy cows make great pictures. They're also more productive. But there's a fascinating extra dimension to animal welfare: farm staff are happier. And that's a virtuous circle as it leads to higher engagement by the employees, who in turn look after their animals better – from both a welfare and productivity perspective.
08 Apr 2015
Performance alone won’t get you ahead
Jonathan Harvey | Former Group General Manager Executive Development, ANZ
I first came across David Thompson on a business trip to London. A book he co-authored, Trust Unwrapped – A story of Ethics, Integrity and Chocolate! was in my room with a sticker on the front reading “Take it. We trust you to pay for this book” and a web address.
25 Mar 2015
Good leaders need to know when to change
Phoebe O'Sullivan | BlueNotes contributing editor
Leaders must embrace change and take advantage of the new technologies shifting their relationships with their customers, according to industry veteran and Microsoft chairman John Thompson.
23 Mar 2015
How do you hire the best - and is it worth it?
Sarah Court | ANZ Head of Human Resources New Zealand, ANZ
'The war for talent' is a phrase that has become something of a cliché but in essence it's true: in competitive industries it's hard to hire brilliant people.
19 Mar 2015
Lack of women on boards restricts perspectives, outcomes
Amanda Gome | Former head of digital and social media, ANZ
In celebration of International Women's Day earlier in March, one of Australia's leading company directors Paula Dwyer, chair of ASX100 groups Tabcorp, Healthscope and an independent non-executive director at ANZ, spoke with ANZ's head of digital and social media Amanda Gome at Melbourne's Alexandra Club.
17 Mar 2015
What the heck is human capital?
Juliet Bourke | Partner, Deloitte
This week I was giving a conference presentation. I give these a lot. As usual, the MC introduced me to the audience by reading out my bio and stumbling over the standard description that comes after my name: “Partner, Human Capital, Deloitte".
12 Mar 2015
The new world for India’s women leaders
Pankajam Sridevi & Vasanthi Srinivasan | Managing Director Bangalore Hub, ANZ & Associate Professor, Indian Institute of Management
Before International Women's Day, the managing director of ANZ's Bangalore hub Pankajam Sridevi sat down with associate professor at the Indian Institute of Management Vasanthi Srinivasan to talk about the state of play for women in the workplace in India.
10 Mar 2015
The make-or-break moment for new leaders
Jayne Opperman | Former General Manager Technology, ANZ
HP director and veteran of 30 years in the industry Ann Livermore believes leaders new to the role must remember leadership is about feedback, not running a red line through everything.
05 Mar 2015
Cracking the confidence code – Time to move on from thinking “you were just lucky”
Suzette Corr | Group General Manager Institutional Human Resources, ANZ
“How many more studies do we need to know that men overestimate their potential and women underestimate theirs –when facts show their performance is on par?"
27 Feb 2015
Being visible is key to being a leader
Victoria Kanevsky | Contributing editor, BlueNotes
One of Asia's most influential women in banking and finance has urged aspirational leaders to make clear their value in the workplace if they want to be successful in a tough business world.
27 Feb 2015
Virtual leadership requires real leadership
Tareq Muhmood | CEO Korea & Managing Director Global Subsidiaries, ANZ
I recently enjoyed a coffee with a treasurer of a major US firm in Dubai. She is a leader I admire (and in fact I'm trying to encourage her to write the next version of 'lean-in' or 'pull out' :) ).
We became involved in discussing how we both lead virtual teams located around the world and what we have learned.
29 Jan 2015
The five things that define great leaders
Mike Smith | Former Chief Executive Officer, ANZ
It doesn’t matter if I’m meeting with seasoned executives or recently arrived graduates, one of the most common questions I’m asked by employees is what do I look for when identifying emerging leaders.
29 Jan 2015
A bar-room brawl on gender diversity
Jonathan Harvey | Former Group General Manager Executive Development, ANZ
Gender would be irrelevant when hiring if we lived in a perfect system where unconscious and conscious bias didn’t exist. But we don’t, Jonathan Harvey writes. So what can be done?
29 Jan 2015
Decisions are the lifeblood of an organisation
Leo D'Angelo Fisher | Freelance journalist
Managers who can’t make decisions – it seems counterintuitive. Someone can build a management career by not making decisions? But we’ve all worked for them, so we know they exist.
28 Jan 2015
Old school leaders
Felicity Costigan | Journalist and Not-For-Profit Consultant
You really know you’ve made it when your old school gets in touch to invite you back to address the students.
23 Dec 2014
A year – almost – in BlueNotes
Andrew Cornell | Past Managing Editor, bluenotes
Twelve months ago, when I’d been at ANZ a couple of weeks, BlueNotes publisher Paul Edwards had a couple of central ideas about the yet-to-be-named online publication I’d been hired to edit.
19 Dec 2014
The ‘phenom’ of Lydia Ko
Charles Happell | Managing Director, Happell Media
Having won more than $US3 million in prizemoney before her 18th birthday, Lydia Ko’s problem is now what to do with it all.
18 Dec 2014
It’s party time :(
Leo D'Angelo Fisher | Freelance journalist
Given all companies now are perpetually on the scrounge for excess expenditure items to expunge from their organisations, here’s an idea: scrap the staff Christmas party. No good comes of them: tarnished reputations, conversations that can’t be unhad, warm beer. And bad dancing.
17 Dec 2014
Why bankers should write novels
Harrison Young | Banker, company director & novelist
An Army man, a regulator, a banker, a director. Pinstripes and sensible grey hair. Harrison Young is not the most obvious candidate to write novels his publisher describes as “an elegant mixture of humour, sex and wisdom”. So BlueNotes asked Harrison, should more bankers be novelists?
16 Dec 2014
Does how you look at work really matter?
Susie Babani | Former Chief Human Resources Officer at ANZ
In one of the more interesting social experiments I can think of, a male Australian breakfast TV presenter has confessed to wearing the same suit every week day for a year. (He did get it cleaned!).
15 Dec 2014
Six ways effective leaders cut through the noise
Rita Zonius | Former Head of Internal Digital Communications, ANZ
Attention: people leaders. Do you know what a zettabyte is? If you don’t you should, because the zettabyte is competing with you and grabbing the attention of your teams.
26 Nov 2014
Beware badly-heeled advice in planning your career
Nicole Franklin | BlueNotes contributing editor
As a young woman in the early stages of my career, I’m often drawn to articles and studies produced by high calibre institutions that give career advice. At a time when I’m both excited and anxious, these sources help to provide certainty, reassurance and inspiration for what might be possible over my working life.
30 Oct 2014
Attention managers: we need to talk
Leo D'Angelo Fisher | Freelance journalist
When somebody decides to change employer, chances are that high on the list of reasons will be dissatisfaction with their immediate manager.
23 Oct 2014
Traditional leaders face their Waterloo
Susie Babani | Former Chief Human Resources Officer at ANZ
Leaders can no longer lead with command and control. Here’re five things employees look for in leadership.
14 Oct 2014
Employers investing in mental health can get more out of employees
Jennifer Farmer | bluenotes production editor
Almost 45 per cent of Australians between the ages of 16 and 85 experience a mental health condition at some point in their lifetime. That's almost half the population.
13 Oct 2014
Six things you need to know about leading digital change
Pam Rebecca | Former General Manager of Digital ANZ
As someone who has been interested in computing and technology since I was a teenager (in the days when a teenager interested in technology was so not cool), I cannot imagine living in a more exciting time as the world makes a tectonic shift towards digital.
10 Oct 2014
Why being visible matters to women in leadership
Suzette Corr | Group General Manager Institutional Human Resources, ANZ
I would rather break a leg than do self-promotion. So when I was invited by ANZ CEO Mike Smith to take part in a new program called Notable Women, I felt a bit uncomfortable. Even the title made me cringe.
30 Sep 2014
Who’s driving your leadership?
Suzette Corr | Group General Manager Institutional Human Resources, ANZ
Years ago I had a colleague who had a plaque on her desk that read, “If it’s meant to be, it’s up to me”. I found it vaguely irritating and dismissed it as pop psychology.
25 Sep 2014
Three things leaders need to know about big data
Colum Rice | Partner, PwC
The use of data and analytics is driving real change in the way companies operate and how critical business decisions are made by their leaders.
18 Sep 2014
Philanthropy: are we getting better at it?
Andrew Cornell | Past Managing Editor, bluenotes
In this second of our in-depth series on the Passion and Science of Giving, internet entrepreneur and dedicated philanthropist Daniel Petre delivers a forthright analysis of philanthropy in Australia.
17 Sep 2014
Culture takes leadership and leaders need culture
Susie Babani | Former Chief Human Resources Officer at ANZ
I’ve just returned from a visit to London, where the newspapers continue to regale with stories about financial institutions failing their stakeholders - employees, customers, shareholders, communities and regulators.
26 Aug 2014
Where are all the women in the Aus media?
Belinda Gaskell | Communications Manager
BlueNotes Debates will bring together important voices across the business, economics and social spectrum to thrash out where the issues lie. They’ll be important but colourful affairs – and Monday’s first stoush was a case in point with Sex Discrimination Commissioner Elizabeth Broderick, company director and gender activist Carol Schwartz, the Australian Financial Review’s Mike Smith (with the event opened by his namesake from ANZ) and BlueNotes associate editor Amanda Gome.
25 Aug 2014
Why aren’t we recognising notable women at work?
Mike Smith | Former Chief Executive Officer, ANZ
When I signed up to the Male Champions of Change (MCC) initiative, along with a group of other Australian CEOs and Chairs, I wanted to contribute my influence to help improve gender equality in business.
25 Aug 2014
Aus sex discrimination commissioner: six ideas for better gender equality and better companies
Elizabeth Broderick | Former Australian Sex Discrimination Commissioner
Six themes for better gender equality in companies – and better companies
06 Aug 2014
Banks are best run by generalists
Jonathan Harvey | Former Group General Manager Executive Development, ANZ
"Who are the generalist bankers at ANZ"? That was the first question I was asked by Mike Smith in his first year as chief executive. I was the new head of Organisational Capability.
ANZ Board Minutes: the full series
Andrew Cornell | Past Managing Editor, bluenotes
bluenotes in wide conversation with ANZ’s Board of Directors in the Board Minutes series.