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in other words
Responsible AI in communication starts with the right foundation (part 1 of 3)
As an inclusive leadership and communication consultant, I believe in “communication for good”. Communication that creates understanding, builds bridges, and breaks barriers. Workslop is the opposite. Recent research shows 40% of workers received low-quality AI content last month, costing nearly two hours per incident to fix. But we’re diagnosing the wrong disease. This isn’t about the tool. It’s about the skills gap. The real conversation we should be having isn’t “Is AI good or bad?” but “How do we support everyone in using it well?”
Echte parels: over authenticiteit en leiderschap dat glanst van binnenuit
Toen mijn zoon een parel vond en vroeg of ze echt was, liet ik hem voelen: een echte parel is een beetje ruw, een neppe is glad. Dat moment bleef hangen. Want hoe vaak doen we op het werk alsof we echt zijn, terwijl we eigenlijk gepolijst gedrag tonen? Het lijkt veilig, maar het doet ons geen goed. Authentiek leiderschap glanst niet omdat het perfect is, maar omdat het oprecht is. Echte parels, en echte leiders, ontstaan door wrijving.
Internal communication and the missing link in fostering neuroinclusive leadership
After a recent conversation with internal communication professional and researcher May Oostrom-Kwok, I found myself thinking more deeply about the role we play in making neuroinclusion a reality. May’s research explores how internal communication can support line managers in fostering a neuroinclusive workplace. Her findings are a powerful reminder that inclusion doesn’t start with a policy. It starts with trust, dialogue, and the everyday actions of people leaders. This post reflects on what I learned from her study, and why it matters now more than ever.
BDEI myths and how they spread
2025 has become the year of backlash. Against BDEI, against justice, and, apparently, against facts. From false claims of reverse discrimination to political spin that blames inclusion for everything from job loss to social division, misinformation is being repeated so often it’s starting to sound true. This blog unpacks the most common myths about BDEI and social justice backed by data, not drama. If you’re tired of opinion pieces dressed up as fact, this one’s for you.
Everything I needed to know about behaviour, I learned from parenting
After eight years of parenting and over two decades in communication, I’ve realised the most powerful lessons on human behaviour came not from a classroom or conference but from my own child. In this post, I share some key insights that apply as much to toddlers as they do to workplace programmes: connect before you correct, validate emotions without accepting all actions, teach the skill (don’t just assume the will), and above all: make it easy. Because behaviour change isn’t about being smarter. It’s about being more human.
What’s in a name? Belonging, bias, and the Ballo story
This summer, my family and I travelled through Piedmont and Liguria: from Alba’s rolling vineyards to Genoa’s busy port. Somewhere between wine tastings and gelato, I ended up looking for traces of my maiden name: Ballo.
What Montessori taught me about inclusive leadership
When I enrolled my child in a Montessori school, I wasn’t looking for leadership lessons. I just wanted him to be seen, not just tested. But as I observed how the classroom worked, how the guide watched before speaking, how the space invited belonging, how even toddlers had real agency, I realised I wasn’t just looking at an educational method. I was looking at a masterclass in inclusive leadership.
Flat as a pancake: what Dutch workplaces taught me about hierarchy
This year, my eldest niece turned 18. A milestone. She can now vote, buy a beer legally, and roll her eyes with full adult authority. For me, though, her birthday meant something else: I’ve also been living in the Netherlands for 18 years. Long enough to gain citizenship, develop a sixth sense for spotting free samples at Albert Heijn, and, perhaps most shockingly, get used to calling my boss by their first name.
What the birthplace of the Slow Food Movement taught me about SLOW Leadership
I’m writing this from a small restaurant in Bra, Italy, where the slow food movement began in 1986. What started as a protest against fast food culture has become something much deeper: a philosophy about honoring ingredients, respecting traditions, and creating space for authentic connection around shared tables.
As I savor my meal in this historic place, I can’t help but see the profound parallels between slow food principles and what I’m calling “slow leadership.” Both movements ask us to slow down, pay attention, and recognize that the best outcomes emerge when we honor what each contributor brings to the table.
The credit roll revolution: Why organisations need to start naming names
Walking through Turin’s Museum of Cinema, I found myself wondering about the evolution of film credits. A 1920s silent film listed perhaps ten names. A 1980s blockbuster scrolled hundreds. Today’s inclusive productions credit cultural consultants, accessibility coordinators, intimacy directors, mental health advisors. These roles were always essential but never acknowledged.
This is cinema’s credit roll revolution: the radical act of naming everyone who shapes the story. Organizations desperately need the same revolution.
The Rosetta Stone and inclusive communication: lessons from multilingual ancient Egypt
During a recent visit to the Museo Egizio in Turin, I found myself captivated by an entire floor dedicated to the history of writing in ancient Egypt. Among the many remarkable artifacts, one story stood out—the story of the Rosetta Stone. Although the original resides in the British Museum, its presence in the Turin exhibit reminded me how powerful written language can be, both as a means of recording history, and as a tool for connection across cultures and communities.
Privilege: What it is, how not to abuse it, and how to use it for good
Privilege. It’s not a slur, not a guilt-trip, and definitely not a reason to get defensive. It’s a reality. Some of us have unearned advantages that help us move through the world more easily. That doesn’t mean our lives are easy. Just that they’re not harder because of things like our skin colour, citizenship status, gender, or body.
Let’s get honest about what it is, how it shows up, and how we can use it to build a more equitable world.