Being a little frightened of the unknown is a good thing. But great leaders are able to transform our fear of the unknown into confidence in the future, says Neville Aitchison. They do this not by being passionate, or consistent, but by clearly defining the future so we can see where we’re heading.

Humans are a hard mob to totally limit and control, especially when a visit to the hardware store turns into a full-on challenge. Terry Williams explains why it’s crucial to invest in leadership development, with demonstrable returns in safety outcomes.

Online auction site Trade Me is a fun place to work, but staff are also committed to providing an awesome service. Helen Frances talks to HR manager Fiona Ireland about work and play the Trade Me way.

Equipping staff to cope with the stress of handling difficult customers is as important as providing steel cap boots and hard hats, says John Faisandier. He outlines an approach to dealing with difficult customers in a sustainable way.

With many of its staffworking in pressured and challenging environments, the Department of Corrections has implemented a comprehensive, organisation-wide wellness programme. Bridgette Fennessy explains the approach taken, and outlines some of the success stories so far.

A US study has identified three categories of serious, modifiable health risk that have an impact on business. The good news is you can do something about them. Kathryn Owler outlines the steps to designing a successful wellness programme.

Getting safety culture right is a powerful leadership tool to improve business productivity, quality, engagement, and financial performance. But what exactly do we mean when we say “safety culture”? Hamish Brown explains.

In today’s globally connected workplace, there’s a pressing need to build capabilities for managing, developing and mobilising talent across organisational levels and geographic regions, says Georg Hirschi.

Is there a right to “link in” on your way out? And who actually owns an employee’s LinkedIn connections? Bridget Smith takes a look at who owns what, and other problematic social media issues.

The courts are delving deeper into the “business reasons” for redundancy, say Anthony Drake and Joey James. This should send a compelling message to employers that the commercial reasons underpinning redundancy will be closely scrutinised.

Karen Radich and Peter Franks examine costs in the Employment Relations Authority and find that while the Authority is consistent in its approach, the median costs award for the successful party is only 35 percent.

More stringent immigration requirements are making it tougher for New Zealand businesses to source talent from overseas. So, what should your company do to successfully navigate the recruitment journey? Chris Place and Clare Montgomerie explore the options.

Keeping employees motivated when remuneration budgets are shrinking is a challenge, says Sarah Barnaby. She looks at what employers can do to ensure employees are recognised and rewarded when there are constraints on the budget.

A constructive culture is needed for effective talent management, says Shaun McCarthy. When people are empowered and involved, they are actively engaged with the mission, direction and focus of the organisation.

Workplace health promotion initiatives have become increasingly popular as organisations acknowledge the impact they have on business. But what do employers and employees think of these programmes? Terry Buckingham sought to find out in his Masters research.

Two guidance counsellors who claimed the stress of dealing with a series of suicides over a number of years had made them unwell took a personal grievance. Paul Robertson explains why they were not successful in their claim.