2025 Inspiring Workplaces Awards now open for entries
Get started
Date posted: 07th July 2020

07th July 2020

Now’s the time to shape your leadership legacy – leading whilst isolated

Now’s the time to shape your leadership legacy – leading whilst isolated

As offices begin to re-open leaders are facing a defining moment as they guide their people through the next few challenging months. Now is the time to start fresh and leave behind any behaviors and practices that didn’t work and redefine the culture of your workplace.

Rachael Robertson led a year-long expedition to Australia’s Davis Station, Antarctica. In this article she shares the three tools she used to build resilience and collaboration in her team.

From the Article: 

  1. No Triangles – the practice of only having direct conversations builds respect within an organization and improves collaboration.

    ‘‘We had a simple rule that went ‘I don’t speak to you about him, or you don’t speak to me about her.’ No Triangles go direct to the source”, Rachael said. For leaders, the practice of No Triangles ensures your time is spent dealing with issues that matter. Those that have the most impact on the organization, not handling personal disputes that burn energy.

  2. Manage your Bacon Wars – Rachael reveals that a significant dispute once threatened to shut down the station: Should the bacon be soft or crispy?

    “One team thought the other team was deliberately cooking the bacon the opposite way to what they wanted, to irritate them. Yet, when I got to the bottom of it, it turned out the Bacon War was a manifestation of something profound and essential: respect between two teams. One team felt disrespected. “said Rachael

    Rachael believes every workplace has its Bacon Wars. They are seemingly small, irrelevant issues that grate on people but build up until they become distractions and affect productivity. She says that after months spent working out of the office, and not having to deal with the bacon wars, as we return to our workplaces, people will be hyper-sensitive to the things they tolerated beforehand and now feel they should have stopped. Now is the time to have a conversation about what these behaviors might be and put a stop to them.

Get the full article online: 3 Ways To Lead Whilst Being Isolated

Make sure to explore Inspiring Workplace’s other content and insights about leadership and Covid-19.