“What makes you angry?” I was asked this question almost 20 years ago during an interview for an articled clerk position at a law firm in Brisbane, Australia. I was stumped – this was not a question I’d prepared an answer for. I can’t remember how I responded but my answer must not have been convincing because I wasn’t called back for a second-round interview.

I now realise this question was meant to open a conversation about my values and what is important to me. The problem was that I was a 22-year-old woman and the society I was raised in taught me to value being considerate, agreeable and responsible. If I had a difficult message to convey I should do it with a smile on my face so I don’t offend or make the other person feel awkward. I wasn’t meant to be annoyed and certainly wasn’t meant to admit that anything made me angry in a job interview! In fact, if I could relive that experience I’d explain that during those months of interview preparation, the frequent reminders I was sent to NOT to wear trousers (women should always wear skirts to an interview!) made me furious.

As we approach the end of the first quarter of 2021, the end-of-year exhaustion has, like an unwanted house guest, arrived early and is showing no sign of leaving. It’s probably not surprising, considering the eventful start to the year we’ve had and there is certainly a blurring of that “line in the sand” we drew when 2020 came to an end.

As it’s the season for some firms to announce promotions to partnership, you may be wondering whether this is the right route for you.

A number of lawyers I speak to about this topic are ambivalent. They like the work they do but they are not sure whether they want to aim for partnership or bind themselves further to their current firm. They wonder whether they’ll be able to flourish in their environment and, quite frankly, they just aren’t quite sure whether partnership is as good (or bad!) as it’s rumored to be.

I recently visited a workplace where what struck me most was the mood. The office was tense. It was an open plan setting and I bet, had it happened, you would have heard a pin drop. There was no chit chat, no dialogue between colleagues and a strong sense of hierarchy and restraint.

Although I was just visiting, the mood impacted me. I felt instantly exposed and acutely aware that I’d come into the room from a vastly different emotional state. I was excited to be having the meeting but that optimism vanished when I noticed the way I was feeling was deeply out of step with the vibe of the office.

There are many skills I learned as a coach that I wish I’d had at my disposal when I was practising as a lawyer and leading teams.

The power of skilfully listening is one of the most valuable of those skills. This means listening without agenda or judgement, listening with an open and quiet mind and listening without planning and rehearsing a response in my head while I nod along patiently waiting for my turn to speak

Toxic work cultures involving harassment and assault are back in the spotlight but are only highlighting the tip of the iceberg when it comes to dangerous workplaces.

While 39% of women and 26% of men have experienced sexual harassment in the workplace, only one in five people made a report about the behaviour. And of those who did make a formal report, 20% were labelled as troublemakers or were ostracised, victimised or ignored by colleagues. Or, they resigned.