Is climate adaptation a science?
This is my pet topic, it has been ever since I started my PhD in 2009 and dived head on into the world of climate change adaptation. I identify as an adaptation scientist much to the dismay of some as there is an on-going debate as to whether climate change adaptation is simply a topic […]
How to maintain and access organisational memory
It struck me the other day when I was speaking with a colleague that institutional knowledge and memory is really retained in people. With institutional knowledge and memory I mean the knowledge about who does what, how things really work, who you need to talk to to get access to particular information. It is the […]
How risk framing, climate and leadership are linked
This past week there was a piece of news that has caught many people’s imagination: the slowing down of Atlantic Ocean circulation. The Atlantic Ocean circulation is a stream that brings warmer water towards north and is the reason why Western Europe can enjoy warm weather during summer. But a new study has found that […]
What makes and counts as “impact”?
All of us aspire to make a difference in something, whether it is in our profession, with our family, with friends, or at a broader scale. But how do we know that we are actually getting there, and our work is having an impact and changing the way things are done or the way people […]
3 daily steps that will make you a more mindful leader
In the past few weeks the universe has bombarded me with different postings about leadership and mindfulness. This does not seem like such a trivial matter that it would warrant a separate blog posting. But it turns out being a mindful leader is not a common practice and it’s hard to maintain especially in a […]
Can we keep a score on climate?
Last week I attended Climate Update 2018 event in Brisbane where we heard from various eminent speakers on the state of climate and what different organisations, such as the Queensland government, are doing in this space. In his presentation at Climate Update 2018, Mark Howden from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change focused on the […]
Why finding a bouncing-ideas-buddy will pay off: the secrets of collaboration
In science and in many related fields, the lone genius assumption persists: that individuals act and think alone, pour themselves over data in solitude and emerge with a solution that is revolutionary and inspirational. Many do buy into this story. Yet, the stories we actually hear are often those of insights that have emerged through […]
Why inclusivity should be the new game in town: Women, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and leadership
We often hear about the glass ceiling that stops women in advancing their careers and how that ceiling, in the era of gender equality, is easier to break through. More and more women are becoming directors, earning degrees, and making significant contributions in science, politics, and everywhere else. Given last week was the International Women’s […]
The fine line between productive habits and stalling points
I came across recently Morten Hansen in Coaching for Leaders episode 337 where Morten discussed his recent book Great at work. Morten’s five year study shows that the most successful people who excel at their work do not work more but less. They are more focused when they work and they also are agile learners: […]
Cyclone Gita and the perils of organising conferences in a changing climate
This past week hundreds of people gathered to Wellington, New Zealand, to attend the second Pacific Climate Change Conference 2018. The conference, organised by the Secretariat of the Pacific Environment Regional Program (SPREP) and University of Victoria, focused on showcasing the latest research in the Pacific Islands and featured several international keynote speakers from Professor […]