Advice and Opinion - March 2026

  • The Future of Work Will Be Fair — Or It Won’t Work

    Posted on Friday, March 13, 2026 by Carol Edwards — No comments

    The workplace is changing faster than at any point in the last century. Technology is reshaping roles. Hybrid working has dismantled traditional office structures. Artificial intelligence is rewriting job descriptions. Generational expectations are shifting at speed. But beneath all of this transformation sits a deeper question. Will the future of work be fair? Because if it isn’t, it won’t work. ...

  • When Feedback Becomes Bias

    Posted on Thursday, March 12, 2026 by Carol Edwards — No comments

    Feedback is supposed to help people grow. It is one of the cornerstones of professional development. It shapes careers, builds confidence and identifies potential. Organisations rely on it to decide who progresses and who stalls. But feedback is not neutral. It is delivered by people. Interpreted by people. Framed through perception, expectation and experience. And when those perceptions are ...

  • The Invisible Tax on Underrepresented Professionals

    Posted on Wednesday, March 11, 2026 by Carol Edwards — No comments

    Most organisations now talk openly about diversity. They celebrate representation. They publish inclusion statements. They highlight diverse leaders in internal communications. But beneath the visible commitment sits something less discussed. An invisible tax. It is not written into contracts. It does not appear on pay slips. It is not included in performance objectives. Yet many underrepresented ...

  • The Politics of Professionalism

    Posted on Tuesday, March 10, 2026 by Carol Edwards — No comments

    “Be more professional.” It sounds neutral. Reasonable. Sensible. But in many workplaces, professionalism is not a fixed standard. It is a cultural construct — shaped by history, power and expectation. And like all constructs shaped by power, it is not neutral. Professionalism determines who is taken seriously. Who is considered leadership material. Who is labelled difficult. Who is described as ...

  • Who Gets to Make Mistakes at Work?

    Posted on Monday, March 9, 2026 by Carol Edwards — No comments

    Every workplace claims to value learning. Leaders talk about growth mindsets. About failing fast. About innovation requiring risk. But watch closely what happens when mistakes are made. Some people recover quickly. Others are quietly marked. Some errors are framed as “stretch moments.” Others become evidence of incompetence. The difference is rarely written into policy. But it is real. Because ...

  • Emotional Intelligence Is No Longer Optional

    Posted on Sunday, March 8, 2026 by Carol Edwards — No comments

    Emotional Intelligence Is No Longer Optional For years, emotional intelligence was treated as a “nice to have.” It sat quietly alongside technical ability, strategic thinking and commercial awareness. It was often described as a soft skill — useful, but secondary. That hierarchy no longer makes sense. In diverse, fast-moving workplaces, emotional intelligence is not a bonus. It is a core ...

  • The Myth of Meritocracy

    Posted on Friday, March 6, 2026 by Carol Edwards — No comments

    Most organisations describe themselves as meritocratic. It’s a reassuring idea. The best talent rises. Hard work is rewarded. Performance determines progression. Success is earned. On the surface, meritocracy sounds fair. It suggests that identity, background and circumstance do not matter — only contribution. But the reality inside many workplaces is more complicated. Because merit is rarely ...

  • The Unwritten Rules of Work — And Who They Favour

    Posted on Thursday, March 5, 2026 by Carol Edwards — No comments

    Every workplace has rules. Some are written clearly in handbooks and contracts. Others are embedded in training slides, performance frameworks and corporate values statements. But the rules that shape careers most powerfully are often unwritten. They are understood rather than explained. Observed rather than taught. Passed down through behaviour rather than policy. And they are rarely neutral. ...

  • Leadership Doesn’t Look Like It Used To — And That’s a Good Thing

    Posted on Wednesday, March 4, 2026 by Carol Edwards — No comments

    For decades, leadership followed a fairly predictable script. The leader was decisive. Unapologetic. Assertive to the point of dominance. Confidence was visible and constant. Doubt was hidden. Emotion was restrained. Authority was rarely questioned. That model shaped corporate culture for generations. It rewarded those who spoke first, spoke loudest, and projected certainty at all times. It ...

  • When Diversity Becomes a Tick-Box Exercise

    Posted on Tuesday, March 3, 2026 by Carol Edwards — No comments

    Most organisations now talk about diversity. They publish statements. They update their websites. They mark key awareness dates. They share images that reflect inclusion. On paper, progress looks strong. But in many workplaces, the lived experience tells a different story. Because there is a difference between talking about diversity and building it into the structure of how power, opportunity, ...

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