The Latest from Kristy-Lee

Were you like me, and one of those kids who would ask ‘why?’ all… the… time?

My parents must have lost count of the number of times I said ‘but why’ and kept asking and asking and asking until I had a satisfactory answer, and I quite often didn’t.

Our Natural Curiosity

As young ones we are naturally curious, some more than others, but we all have a natural curiosity, and it seems that as we grow older, wiser, more experienced, we stop leaning into that curiosity. We become quicker to make assumptions, to assume we know the answer, to make educated guesses. That serves us well some of the time, but a lack of curiosity can also have its downside – we miss things, we miss the truth, we make false assumptions, and we make decisions based off half-baked information.

The Decline in Our Curiosity

I first witnessed this fading in true curiosity when completing a major research paper for my university studies, when I was studying criminology and forensic psychology. We were looki...

Managing a team shouldn’t feel like never-ending fire-fighting. Yet for many business owners, the dream of having a high-performing, self-sufficient team quickly turns into a cycle of micromanaging, reactivity, and frustration.

I’ve heard everything from ‘it’s like herding cats’ to likening team leadership to a game of Whak-a-Mole. And we all find ourselves there at some point or another.

The good news? You don’t need to burn everything down and start again to make things better.

Small shifts in how you lead can lead to big transformations. Forget about complete restructures or chasing unicorn hires. Focus on these three simple but powerful habits to move from chaos to clarity-and watch your team rise with you.

Why Big Change Isn’t the Answer

When things start to feel stuck, many business owners assume the solution is to tear it all down: hire new staff, adopt new systems, or overhaul the structure entirely.

But in reality, these large-scale changes often create mo...

We’ve come through a whirlwind few years in Australian Industrial Relations, with businesses grappling with some of the most extensive legislative changes since the Fair Work Act was introduced in 2009.

As the dust begins to settle, a natural question arises: are we in for another wave of change?

The short answer: yes - but not to the same extent. That’s the good news.

Still, for business owners and HR leaders, there are several important developments to watch, understand, and prepare for.

What’s Confirmed: Changes You Need to Know About

While the next few years might not bring quite the same scale of transformation, there are still several changes confirmed by the federal government. These are the things we know are happening (or are very likely to):

Minimum Wage Increases

The government is continuing its push to lift minimum wages in line with cost-of-living pressures. While annual reviews are nothing new, we can expect continued support for real wage growth. Fo...

As winter grips much of Australia and the new financial year kicks off, a sense of fatigue seems to settle over many workplaces.

That early-year buzz has worn off, deadlines have drained us, and the enthusiasm we once had might feel like a distant memory. If this sounds familiar, you're not alone - and more importantly, it’s entirely normal. But that doesn’t mean you have to sit in the slump. Now is the perfect moment for a reset.

The Mid-Year Slump: Why It Happens

The beginning of the year often comes with energy, clarity, and drive.

Teams return from their Christmas breaks ready to tackle new goals, strategies, and visions. Q1 feels fun, energetic, light, clear.

But then April hits. With its patchwork of Public Holidays, school breaks, and long weekends, April throws off the rhythm that you had going. By the time May and June roll around, that once-high energy is sputtering. Even if business is booming, internal motivation often dips.

Winter doesn’t help either. ...

Amongst all the noise of the recent federal budget season the federal election cycle, the Australian Government dropped a quiet but potentially game-changing announcement for business owners: the proposed ban on non-compete clauses in employment contracts.

For many, this might seem like a subtle shift, but its implications could be significant - especially for small business owners who rely on these clauses to protect their client base, intellectual property and competitive edge.

Let’s unpack what this means, who’s impacted, and what business owners should be thinking about now.

First, What Is a Non-Compete Clause?

A non-compete clause is a section in an employment contract designed to prevent an employee from working for a competitor or starting a competing business for a certain period of time after leaving your organisation. These clauses often:

• Limit competition within a specific geographical area
• Restrict poaching of customers, staff, or suppliers
• Help protect in
...

If you've ever found yourself wondering why your team isn’t quite hitting the mark - despite being full of good people - you’re not alone.

Managing a team can sometimes feel harder than it should. Things aren’t falling apart, but there’s a constant sense of being bogged down in people problems, indecision, and micromanagement.

Here’s the truth: your team likely isn’t underperforming due to lack of skill or effort.

More often than not, what’s missing are a few foundational elements that no one ever taught us to prioritise. And your team? They won’t ask for these things, but they need them to thrive.

Let’s break down the three things every team needs from their leader (even if they don’t know how to ask).

1. Clarity

As Brene Brown says ‘clear is kind, unclear is unkind’ – it’s not just a great quote, creating clarity for your team is one of the foundations of effective leadership. And yet, most team issues can be traced back to one root cause: a lack of clear expectat...

At the time of writing this article, the Fair Work Commission has recently handed down its decision following the Annual Minimum Wage Review process. The process involves the Commission reviewing submissions from various interested parties, including employer and employee representative groups, as well as analysing data relating to wages, such as changes to cost of living and alike.

What is The Annual Minimum Wage Review

Essentially, they are looking to ensure that the minimum wages set out in the Fair Work Act, including the National Minimum Wage, as well as al Award minimum rates of pay, is set at an appropriate level for our current economic conditions.

What Else is Changing

In addition to the National Minimum Wage and Award Rate changes, we are in still the midst of a raft of changes to Industrial Relations legislation, which applies to not only wages, but various other aspects of the employment relationship.

Keeping up with compliance obligations is one of the key pa...

Probationary periods are one of those workplace mechanisms that many employers use without truly understanding their purpose, or their legal limitations.

They seem simple on the surface: a set timeframe to trial a new hire. But scratch beneath that and you’ll find a surprising amount of confusion, especially when it comes to how these periods interact with Australia's employment laws.

Whether you’re onboarding a new team member or reviewing your hiring process, it’s time to unpack what probationary periods really mean—and how to use them effectively.

What Is a Probationary Period, Really?

Most employers view probation as a built-in trial, but that’s not quite accurate. Legally, there’s no such thing as a probationary period in the Fair Work Act or modern awards. There’s no mandatory timeframe. In fact, the term “probationary period” only has weight if it’s specifically outlined in an employment contract.

Essentially, it’s a contractual clause, not a legal safety net. I...

Australia’s employment landscape is in for yet another shake-up following the Fair Work Commission's recent findings on gender undervaluation across several modern awards.

Following the 2024 announcement as part of the National Minimum Wage review process that the Commission planned to undertake a targeted review of specific Awards to assess whether gender undervaluation was an issue, they have recently announced the results of their findings.

This isn't just another round of compliance updates, it's a targeted response to the ongoing gender pay gap, and it's set to impact a vast number of workers, and employers of all sizes across the country. If you're an employer in allied health, community services, or childcare, it's time to take note.

The Gender Pay Gap Gets Real Attention

The issue of the gender pay gap has been debated for years, but recent government and Fair Work Commission efforts are moving from discussion to action. The Commission launched a Gender Undervaluat...

You’ve probably heard of the 80/20 rule—also known as the Pareto Principle. It’s the idea that 80% of your outcomes often come from just 20% of your efforts. In business, it might show up in your client revenue, your sales results, or even your task list.

But there’s one place this principle shows up over and over again—and it can quietly make or break your success: your team.

In many businesses, a small portion of the team is responsible for the lion’s share of results, while another small portion takes up most of the time, energy and attention. And if this imbalance isn’t addressed, it can lead to burnout, frustration, and stalled growth.

Let’s explore what the 80/20 dynamic looks like in a team—and how to reset the balance.

When 20% of Your Team Delivers 80% of the Results

First, take a moment to think about your team. Who are your high performers? The ones who are always reliable, get things done without being asked, and consistently push the business forward?