90percent Consulting

90percent Consulting We help leaders create healthier workplaces through coaching, strategy, and practical tools that support people, not just policies. Why 90% and not 100%?

NT-based and trauma-informed, we focus on reducing burnout, building trust, and helping teams stay and thrive. Because perfection doesn't leave room for continuous improvement.

We often ask our people to be resilient, but are we giving them a system they can actually work well within?In my work a...
26/04/2026

We often ask our people to be resilient, but are we giving them a system they can actually work well within?

In my work as an Organisational Psychologist, I see many leaders who genuinely care. They invest in initiatives like group yoga or wellness apps, wanting a psychologically safe workplace.

While these are thoughtful gestures, the needle often doesn't move...

-> because the focus is on the person rather than the system.

When an intervention is purely individual, staff often simply can't find the ‘mental space’ to take part whilst the environment causing the stress remains unchanged.

To create lasting change, we must flip the model:

🌱 Work backwards from outcomes

-> I use a 'Theory of Change' to help identify what your day-to-day experience should look like, then help align the structures to support it.

🌱 Embed change systemically

-> When we fix processes and communication first, the culture shifts sustainably. It’s far more than lip service; it’s genuine change.

🌱 Move beyond quick fixes

-> Investing in the system shows a deeper respect for your team.

in the Northern Territory, workplace challenges run deeper than quick fixes.

Get the system right, and the return isn’t just a number - it’s a team that can perform, sustainably.

- Margi

Diversity is not a buzzword.It’s not a box to tick.And it’s not about giving anyone an “unfair advantage.”After more tha...
24/04/2026

Diversity is not a buzzword.

It’s not a box to tick.
And it’s not about giving anyone an “unfair advantage.”

After more than 20 years working in organisational psychology, one thing is clear:

Diversity already exists.
The question is whether our workplaces allow it to function.

Every team is made up of different ways of thinking, processing, and problem-solving.
That variation isn’t a risk to performance - it’s what makes performance possible.

But many systems still reward sameness.

> We hire for 'fit.'
> We promote those who mirror existing leadership.
> We unintentionally ask people to edit themselves in order to belong.

And that comes at a cost.

When people feel they need to mask who they are, it increases cognitive load, reduces psychological safety, and limits contribution.

We’re seeing this play out across Australian workplaces, with rising mental health claims linked to work pressure, bullying, and lack of support.

This isn’t just a wellbeing issue.
It’s a leadership responsibility.

Because healthy organisations don’t force uniformity.

They create conditions where difference can be expressed, and used well.

An organisation is not a machine.
It’s an ecosystem.

And ecosystems rely on variation to adapt and thrive.

So perhaps the question isn’t: “How do we become more diverse?”

But instead: “Are we creating a workplace where difference is genuinely safe, heard, and valued?”

Diversity isn’t something we do.

It’s who we are.

The real work is what we do with it.

He arrives early, not because he has to, but because unpredictability makes the day harder.His manager has already made ...
29/03/2026

He arrives early, not because he has to, but because unpredictability makes the day harder.

His manager has already made adjustments.
Clearer instructions, more check-ins, a little bit more flexibility where they can.

And still, it’s hard.

By the time others log on, he’s already used more mental energy than most will all morning.

During Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, we often talk about awareness and adapting roles for individuals.

But this is where the conversation often stops - at hiring, at awareness, at good intentions.

Supporting someone isn’t a one-off adjustment.
It only works when it’s built into an inclusive system.

When it’s not, the pressure doesn’t disappear.
It gets absorbed...

↳ By the individual, who keeps adapting.
↳ By the leader, who is trying to support well without enough structure around them.

We know that poorly designed work, unclear expectations, and lack of support are psychosocial hazards at work.

That strain builds over time, even when everyone is doing their best.

What makes the difference is workplace design.

1️⃣ Leaders who are properly supported to lead.
2️⃣ Workplaces that reduce friction rather than rely on workarounds.
3️⃣ Psychological safety that exists in practice, not just policy.

A mentally healthy workplace isn’t built through policy alone...It shows up in the day-to-day experience of work.The way...
26/03/2026

A mentally healthy workplace isn’t built through policy alone...

It shows up in the day-to-day experience of work.

The way people take leave, grow, speak up, and are supported really matters.

In a mentally healthy workplace, work feels more manageable and sustainable for everyone.

It also makes it easier for leaders to do their job well.

Psychological safety isn't something you can measure with a single survey question. But there are specific indicators th...
24/03/2026

Psychological safety isn't something you can measure with a single survey question.

But there are specific indicators that tell you whether your people feel safe enough to speak up, challenge ideas, and admit mistakes.

I often use these 5 questions with leadership teams across Northern Australia to assess where they really stand.

Psychological safety isn't a one-time workshop. It's a culture you build, question by question, conversation by conversation.

Retention isn't just about holding on, it's about holding well.

What would your team's answers reveal?

Most workplaces think neurodivergent employees are harder to retain.The data says something else entirely...12% of the A...
19/03/2026

Most workplaces think neurodivergent employees are harder to retain.

The data says something else entirely...

12% of the Australian workforce is neurodivergent (inc. autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyscalculia)♾️🌈

43% report experiencing burnout - significantly higher than the general workforce.

This is typically driven by workplace conditions, not capability.

And yet…

Companies that design their environments properly are seeing retention rates above 90%.

People aren’t leaving because they’re neurodivergent.

They’re leaving because the environment isn’t neuroinclusive.

Many of the challenges neurodivergent employees face come down to the systems they’re placed in, often designed for a majority way of thinking and working.

As an organisational psychologist specialising in neuroinclusive workplaces, here are four elements of inclusive design I recommend…

And the interesting part...

These adjustments tend to improve outcomes for everyone, not just neurodivergent employees.

(Source: SuperFriend Indicators of a Thriving Workplace Report, 2023)

The Katherine River is at a level most locals have never seen.But the most powerful response hasn’t come from the water....
15/03/2026

The Katherine River is at a level most locals have never seen.

But the most powerful response hasn’t come from the water.

It’s come from the people.

Across Australia right now, communities are responding to flooding in familiar ways.

Neighbours checking on neighbours.
Businesses opening their doors.

The Katherine Motel, for example, kindly offered free accommodation to anyone needing somewhere safe to stay.

It brings to mind Dorothea Mackellar’s poem 'My Country', something many of us learned at school about the kind of country we live in: beautiful, but often tough.

I was due to travel to Katherine on Monday to continue my work with a local NGO.

That couldn’t happen.

The Stuart Highway is closed between Pine Creek and Katherine, and much of the township is now under water.

My clients tell me they are safe - which is the most important thing.

But this is the highest the Katherine River has been in nearly 20 years. For many in the community, it’s unfamiliar territory.

And in the Top End, rising water brings another reality. Crocodiles move too.

When the river rises, the hazards don’t just stay in the river.

Moments like this also say a lot about leadership.

Not perfection.

But courage.
Compassion.
Credibility.

Much like the poem reflects Australians’ resilience and adaptability, leadership in Australia should reflect the same.

In times like these, communities tend to show us what leadership really looks like.

Leading in the Northern Territory isn’t simple.With staff turnover at 17.5% and increasing psychosocial health and safet...
12/03/2026

Leading in the Northern Territory isn’t simple.

With staff turnover at 17.5% and increasing psychosocial health and safety obligations under WHS legislation, many leaders are carrying more than their role formally recognises.

It’s not just about attracting people. It’s about sustaining them.

The most mentally healthy workplaces in the NT aren’t relying on resilience workshops or surface-level wellbeing initiatives.

They’re making deliberate structural decisions that reduce burnout, manage workload pressure, strengthen psychological safety, and support real-life complexity.

The difference isn’t culture statements.

It’s systems.

If you’re responsible for workforce retention, leadership development, or psychosocial risk management in the Northern Territory, this matters.

Here are 5 things that the mentally healthiest NT workplaces are doing differently...

1 in 5 women experience symptoms severe enough to disrupt their work, during the most demanding years of their careers.Y...
09/03/2026

1 in 5 women experience symptoms severe enough to disrupt their work, during the most demanding years of their careers.

Yet it’s something workplaces rarely talk about.

On this (belated) International Women’s Day, I’m shining a light on an experience many women are quietly navigating; changes that can make everyday work unexpectedly harder.

For many, this is linked to perimenopause - the stage leading up to menopause - when hormonal changes begin.

It often begins in a woman’s 40s and lasts around 4–6 years on average, sometimes longer.

This means it often overlaps with the years when women are contributing some of their most valuable leadership and organisational experience.

Research suggests:

• 60% experience mild to moderate symptoms
• 20% experience symptoms severe enough to affect daily life

Common symptoms include:

-> hot flushes and night sweats
-> sleep disruption and fatigue
-> brain fog and difficulty concentrating
-> anxiety or mood changes

When symptoms are significant, the impact at work may include:

💡 reduced concentration and productivity
📉 increased absenteeism
🌱 reduced confidence
🎯 stepping back from promotions
⏰ reducing hours

Workplaces can make a meaningful difference through:

-> flexible working arrangements
-> time for medical appointments
-> comfortable working environments
-> supportive, non-judgemental conversations

These adjustments help women manage their health while continuing to contribute their experience and leadership.

Supporting women through this stage of life isn’t simply a wellbeing issue.

It strengthens retention, engagement, and organisational capability - and reflects thoughtful leadership.

How do you build a workplace that thrives in the face of vicarious trauma?And importantly…How do you shift culture witho...
05/03/2026

How do you build a workplace that thrives in the face of vicarious trauma?

And importantly…

How do you shift culture without exhausting the very people you’re trying to support?

Last week in Perth, at the Family Safety Summit, I co-presented with the CEO of a remote Northern Territory NGO about a two-year culture change initiative we designed and implemented together.

When we began, there was high turnover, leadership instability and significant burnout.

This wasn’t about individual resilience.

It was about the conditions of work.

So we stopped asking how to help people cope, and started designing work that supports wellbeing.

We focused on four conditions:

🌱 Voice
🌱 Recognition
🌱 Work design
🌱 Psychological safety

And strengthened them through leadership coaching, structured communication rhythms, and reflective practice.

Our key messages were clear:

1. Resilience in the workplace is collective, not individual.

2. Resilience grows when people are heard, supported and not carrying the work alone.

3. It’s essential to co-design workplace practices with staff.

4. Data can be used as a wellbeing tool (measurement matters).

5. Reflective and reflexive practice are core work, and need to be scheduled, embedded and protected.

Over 18 months, the data showed meaningful improvement, particularly in people feeling heard and recognised.

📈 When people feel heard, resilience grows.

Thriving at work is collective.

I support leaders who want to create conditions in which their people thrive.

Last week I delivered a Standard Mental Health First Aid workshop at the Sunrise Centre here in the Northern Territory.I...
03/03/2026

Last week I delivered a Standard Mental Health First Aid workshop at the Sunrise Centre here in the Northern Territory.

It was a thoughtful, engaged group - and as always, I’m reminded why this training matters.

It’s an evidence-informed starting point that gives leaders and teams the skills to recognise mental health concerns and respond with confidence rather than hesitation.

For many workplaces, it’s the first time people feel equipped to have open, supportive conversations. It builds awareness, shared language, and early intervention capability.

More broadly, however, I often see organisations treat training as the end point. In reality, it’s the beginning.

MHFA is a foundation.
It is not a complete organisational strategy.

Organisations that are committed to creating psychologically safe workplaces know that training is the first layer.

Sustained change comes from what follows: leadership coaching, supervision, clear systems, and regular, honest conversations.

Mental health literacy absolutely opens the door.

Leadership practice is what keeps it open.

I’m proud to deliver MHFA - and equally committed to helping organisations build the structures that turn awareness into lasting cultural change.

Awareness is powerful.
But psychological safety is built over time.

(Can you spot ALGEE the 🐨?)

Post-pandemic, flexible working opened new possibilities...but it also surfaced new problems.When flexibility is introdu...
24/02/2026

Post-pandemic, flexible working opened new possibilities...

but it also surfaced new problems.

When flexibility is introduced without structure, support, or clarity, it can amplify the very issues it aimed to solve:

- disconnection
- fatigue
- blurred boundaries.

In the Northern Territory, where teams are often dispersed and roles are diverse, flexible work needs to be more than a shift in location.

It needs to be a redesign of how people stay connected, supported, and clear on what matters.

We urge leaders to design flexible working systems that hold both wellbeing and performance, without relying on one-size-fits-all fixes.

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