Personal & Professional Development

If you've arrived at Professionelle, well, you're clearly taking an active interest in your own personal and professional development.  This is what this site is all about!

As you can see most of our themes are about this very broad topic.  But, from time to time we have articles that don't necessarily fit squarely in any given theme, and that's were you'll find them.

Here, you'll find articles on far ranging development issues from how to get airtime in meetings, to book reviews of research-based 'self-help' books that have the potential of really making a difference to your development.  Sarah's personal favorite is 'Learned Optimism' read her review to find out why,  

We, at Professionelle, pride ourselves on having content that is relevant and timely.   As one of our members told us:

"I rate you site highly.  It is very professional, the information is very relevant and helped me make the decision to change my work model!"

We hope you agree.

Latest articles

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  • 25 April 2013 By Galia Barhava-Monteith Comments: 0
    Interview with Marisa Fong, Chair – Professionelle Foundation

    As well as being the new chair of the Professionelle Foundation, Marisa Fong is a fantastic role model for working women all over New Zealand. Marisa shares with Galia BarHava-Monteith some of her core values and keys to success as well as some of the obstacles she has had to overcome.

  • 14 April 2013 By Mandy Gallant for Halogen Software Comments: 0
    Nurturing your career development

    This article looks at four key ways working women can take control of their careers and help them grow and thrive, regardless of their employer’s commitment to professional growth. If you're in the early stages of your career, Mandy's tips could be particularly useful to you.

  • 22 March 2013 By Sarah Wilshaw-Sparkes Comments: 1
    Lean in - but prepare to be leaned on

    Struck by the reception of Sandberg's book "Lean In", and by the angry reaction to Mayer's ban on teleworking, Sarah explores the drivers of the often negative reactions to successful women who speak up and lead from the front. Gender bias and tokenism make for a toxic mix. As Sarah asks, should we encourage our daughters to "lean in" to succeed if it comes with the challenge of being "leaned on" down the track?

  • 14 February 2013 By Sarah Wilshaw-Sparkes Comments: 0
    Salary negotiations: reframing for success

    One reason women hesitate to negotiate salary is that it feels like a stressful win-lose situation. Mentally reframing the negotiation to a collaborative conversation is one of three ways suggested in this piece to increase effectiveness in ways that should feel authentic to many working women.

  • 03 February 2013 By Nicola Rowe Comments: 5
    Cast out fear!

    In these dangerous modern times, a woman would be foolish to walk through a park at night, right? Actually, no. Nicola's research reveals that times are getting safer and the stranger in the dark park is far from the likeliest attacker of women.

  • 28 January 2013 By Anne Elder-Knight Comments: 0
    6 Steps to Higher Productivity

    We'd all love to be more productive at work and beyond. It's an essential part of making headway with our goals for more health, wealth and happiness but it's also hard with all the distractions in modern life! Anne - who admits she struggles to be as productive as she'd like to be - has read widely on this topic and here shares six of the top recommendations made by productivity experts.

  • 21 January 2013 By Galia BarHava-Monteith Comments: 2
    Health, Life, Work... and all that

    Galia is on the way back to good health after a huge battle with a rare disease. She says it's time to repay people's kindness by sharing the coping strategies that brought her to this point. Also, knowing that many women deal with health issues on a regular basis, she has written this article to encourage us all to share our stories of what has helped us get through.

  • 12 December 2012 By Penelope Peebles Comments: 0
    Professionelle in Practice

    A long time member, Penelope Peebles reveals how Professionelle has added to her connections and professional development and generously shares the lessons she has drawn from her interactions with us and what we offer. She also has a call to action for us all!

  • 12 December 2012 By Sarah Wilshaw-Sparkes Comments: 0
    End of 2012 Reading Round-Up

    As the year winds to a close, it's time to share some of our favourite pieces of fresh research and also thought-provoking articles from the last 12 months.

  • 11 November 2012 By A Professionelle Member Comments: 3
    A Sad Thing Happened

    Our friendships with women can run very deep, and the loss of such a friendship through death can be hard to bear. A Professionelle member here celebrates a great woman friend who shared and understood her personal and professional lives - and mourns her loss.