People. Integrity. Results.
Ron is currently a Director and an Executive Consultant with Merit Solutions. He also collaborates with Julie Cork and Associates in the delivery of the Practical People Management program to Queensland Government clients. Since 1990, he has consulted as a coach to senior executives in leadership, culture and organisational change. Previously, Ron was a full-time lecturer in human resource management and organisational behaviour at undergraduate and postgraduate levels at Griffith University for more than a decade.
One of the key outcomes of mindfulness is self-awareness – awareness of our own words and actions and their impact on others. Action learning contributes to self-awareness because it involves working on real problems in real time with a supportive group that is prepared to challenge assumptions, beliefs and perceptions. Action learning thus engenders self-awareness [...]
Mindfulness underpins active listening, positive feedback, corrective feedback and congruence – it is an essential skill for shaping team culture. Mindfulness means being present in-the-moment by paying attention in a purposeful manner. In essence, mindfulness is awareness – about ourselves and others. It’s being aware of our own reactions and tuning into others and their [...]
In times of monetary constraint, it is critical to ensure that your organisation achieves a real return on investment (ROI) from training and development activities. Much has been written about the visible ROI of action learning (http://www NULL.meritsolutions NULL.com NULL.au/learning-and-development-2/productivity/what-is-action-learning-really/) in terms of improved productivity, increased sales or services, reduced costs and innovation. However, very [...]
Merit Solutions introduced a Manager Support Forum in September 2012 for managers in the Queensland Public Service (QPS) who were experiencing change and associated staff losses through downsizing of the QPS. We were conscious of the need to support managers who were facing new challenges including major work and job restructuring, staff distress over job [...]
Ms. Anne-Marie Carroll (Managing Director) and Dr. Ron Passfield (Director) of Merit Solutions Australia hosted a visit by a Chinese Delegation on 22 November 2012. This was the fourth delegation from China to visit Merit Solutions in Brisbane. The visit was in line with China’s National Policy on Education Reform and Development (2010-2020) which aims [...]
At Christmas, we tend to take time out to renew our connections with our family and friends, with nature and with what transcends our day-to-day existence. However, people who have suffered job loss through downsizing may have an abiding sense of disconnection – a loss of connection with their job, their colleagues and their social [...]
In this podcast, Ron Passfield, PhD, discusses performance feedback with Dr. Angela Bryan, Principal Consultant with Merit Solutions Australia. They explore some of the personal barriers to giving feedback on poor performance and identify strategies to overcome these barriers. The key barriers discussed are: Feeling uncomfortable with giving feedback on poor performance Lack of skill [...]
During a recent discussion with a group of managers and staff in a Queensland Public Service organisation, the issue of the VSP (Voluntary Separation Package) was raised. The discussion immediately turned to the loss of knowledge and skills resulting from the departure of many long-serving public servants. In some instances, these departures exacerbated skills shortages [...]
In a recent news release, Nick Deligiannis, Director of Hays Recruiting, stated that soft skills are “highly valued” by employers. He referred particularly to interpersonal, leadership and organisational skills. Nick Deligiannis commented that some employers will wait until they find a job applicant with the right mix of technical and soft skills. Technical skills alone [...]
A key tool that you have as a manager to shape team culture is the performance feedback conversation. There are three key elements to these performance conversations, (1) communicating expectations, (2) providing positive feedback and (3) giving corrective feedback. If you do these three elements of performance feedback well, you can create a synergy that [...]
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