Have you thought about your career goals for this year and beyond and how you will take advantage of every opportunity? Studies from Harvard Business School have shown that people who set goals are 10 times more likely to be successful! It can seem challenging to stick to your goals throughout a busy year, however, there are some simple steps and tools you can put in place to help yourself achieve these….
Set SMART Goals
In order to achieve your goals, you may need to make a shift to your thinking around them. As a rule, you should always make your goals SMART. Though you have probably long heard of this popular goal setting acronym (illustrated below) you cannot argue with its clear-cut methodology. If you are setting a goal, you need to make it Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely (SMART). By fitting your goals within the SMART framework, you will become more likely to follow through on them.
The BIG picture
Studies have shown that if you train your brain to think about what you want in life and then take actions to achieve it, this will form part of your identity. As explained by Positive Psychology, effective goals are based on values and ethics, because if you are not aligned with your goals and they do not resonate with your core principles you are likely not to achieve them.
It is about understanding your strengths, weaknesses, likes, dislikes, and core values, and working with them. If knowing yourself is the first step in reaching your goals, then the next step is thinking on the macro level and setting yourself a goal around the type of person you want to be. If your goal this year for example, is to become a team leader or manager then you need to step back and consider why do you want this? What is the goal behind the goal? For some this might be linked to the goal of being able to inspire people, for others it might be that they want to be the kind of person who others approach for knowledge.
Once you can identify your macro goal you will find it much easier to see where your other goals fit within this and to create a plan moving forward to achieve these.
The power of sharing your goals
Aside from actually being able to identify your goals (both big and small) you NEED to give priority to your goals – and for some of us this can be challenging. It is one thing to say in your head that you will become a team leader by this time next year, but another entirely to actually take the steps to achieve it – this requires accountability, both to yourself and ideally, to someone else. That’s right, your goals do not need to be a secret, be proud and passionate about what you want to achieve and let someone you know and trust in on them. Not only will this help you determine if your goals are achievable, but you will also have someone else who you are accountable to for your progress (or lack of progress) on meeting your goals – not to mention someone to cheer you on. If you do not have anyone who you can share with, you can also give yourself a sense of accountability by writing down your goals and keeping them in a place that you see frequently (a sticky note on your bathroom mirror, a daily calendar reminder…).
Remember, a person who is goal orientated is more likely to have a “positive approach towards life and perceive failures as temporary setbacks, rather than personal shortcomings” and in today’s world isn’t that something we all need?
Ready to take your goal setting a step further?
Becoming a Personal Member of IPAA SA will support you at every stage of your career journey. We are currently offering our new Goal Setting Starter Pack for free to all our Personal Members. This digital guide and workbook is a vital tool you can use to explore, plan and track your goals this year and beyond.
To become a member or explore the full range of membership benefits please visit here.
Schrader, J 2018, ‘Why New Year’s Resolutions Fail’, Psychology Today, viewed 12 January 2022, <https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/modern-mentality/201812/why-new-years-resolutions-fail>.
Chowdhury, MR 2021, ‘The Science & Psychology Of Goal-Setting 101’, Positive Psychology, viewed 12 January 2022, <https://positivepsychology.com/goal-setting-psychology/>.
Peterson, J 2018 ’12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos’. Available here: https://www.amazon.com.au/12-Rules-Life-Antidote-Chaos/dp/0345816021
New Tech Northwest, 2019, The Psychology of Writing Down Goals. Available here: https://www.newtechnorthwest.com/the-psychology-of-writing-down-goals/#:~:text=How%20about%20because%20a%20Harvard,than%20those%20without%20any%20goals.
Image Credit: Photo by S O C I A L . C U T on Unsplash
At the 2021 IPAA National Conference held in Brisbane this week, Dr Gordon De Brouwer PSM FIPAA announced the 2021 National Fellows to be recognised by the institute. This year not one, but two, South Australian Members were recognised with the award of Fellowship. Our Divisional Council is pleased to congratulate Caroline Mealor and Ruth Ambler as worthy recipients of the highest accolade of IPAA and welcome them into an esteemed cohort of Fellows.
Fellowship of the institute recognises the achievements and commitment of members of the institute to the best practice of public administration, as well their contributions to the goals on the institute.
Caroline Mealor FIPAA is the current Chief Executive of the Attorney General’s Department (AGD) and is also the Company Secretary of our Divisional Council. Caroline is highly committed to the reform of the criminal justice system and has led significant reform in this area. In addition, she has led South Australia’s involvement in the National Redress Scheme and coordinated the State’s response to both the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety and the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability. Caroline firmly believes in the importance of skilled leaders at all levels and has encouraged a strong focus on leadership development across her department through a number of initiatives designed to upskill and grow the next generation of leaders in the AGD.
Ruth Ambler FIPAA is the Executive Director, Cabinet Office of the Department of the Premier and Cabinet and a long time patron and member of IPAA SA. Ruth has led a varied and impactful career in the South Australian public sector, spanning departments including Human Services, Community Investment and Support, Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation and more. In her current role in Cabinet Office, Ruth supported a newly elected Government who had not been in power for 16 years. During this time, Ruth implemented measures to support a Cabinet-led Government that positioned DPC to coordinate and lead whole of government reform and strategic initiatives. Ruth also led the implementation of the Boarding Call database which made it easier for South Australians to join one of more than 200 government boards that work to make a difference in our state. In addition to this, Ruth has also has significant positive impact on Reconciliation action within SA, taking a leading role in the Reconciliation Action Plan 2020-23.
Congratulations once again to both Caroline and Ruth on this most-deserved recognition for their efforts and commitment to the betterment of public service in our state. To view all National Fellows, please visit here. For more information on the National Fellowship award and IPAA National, please visit here.
In 2021, South Australia’s Mental Health Awareness Program in October has expanded from a week to a month!
We all have a role to play!
Image source: mhcsa.org.au
With approximately 50% of Australians being diagnosed with mental illness in their lifetimes, 50% are likely to know someone living with or have experienced mental illness, making it something that effects everyone.
In the workplace 91% of employees believe mental health in the workplace is important, however, only 52% of employees believe their workplace is mentally healthy. Now if the workplace was to invest in strategies to improve their employee wellbeing, they would improve productivity, increase attendance, and reduce health compensation claims.
A PwC report showed that an investment of $1 in workplace mental health strategies will gain an average return on investment of $2.30. Without effective workplace strategies to improve wellbeing there could be a significant cost to your business / department and to your team (remember mental illness effects everyone).
This Mental Health Month provides you with an opportunity to have a conversation with your friends, family, colleagues and community about mental health.
Speak up and remember we can all make a difference!
Get involved by attending one of the Mental Health Month Events, organise a staff event, or just start a conversation with someone. Some of the upcoming events include:
To view the full program visit their website here.
It is so important to provide support to those around us. If you or someone you know are struggling with their mental health, please seek support from one of the following services.
Lifeline | 13 11 14
If you need crisis support and thinking of self harm you can call Lifeline for phone support.
Uniting Communities COVID-19 Mental Health Line | 1800 632 753
From 8am – 8pm everyday (excl. public holidays) you can access this phone or online chat service for mental health support.
SA Health | Find a Public Health Service to support your needs
SA Health has a comprehensive range of public mental health services for children and adolescents, adults and older people in SA
Beyond Blue | 1300 22 4636
Beyond Blue provides information and support services to help Australian’s with their mental health. Call now or access their online services for additional support.
To learn more about the available services in South Australia visit the Mental Health Month website here, and find out more information about the program.
Resources
Beyond Blue 2021, Statistics, Beyond Blue Ltd, viewed 7 October 2021, <https://www.beyondblue.org.au/media/statistics>.
Mental Health Coalition of South Australia 2021, Mental Health Month, MHCSA, viewed 7 October 2021, <https://mhcsa.org.au/mental-health-month/>.
PwC 2014, ‘Creating a mentally healthy workplace’, Return on investment analysis, PwC, viewed 7 October 2021 <https://www.headsup.org.au/docs/default-source/resources/beyondblue_workplaceroi_finalreport_may-2014.pdf>.
The PwC Skilled Service Hub is Australia’s national onshore delivery centre based in Adelaide, it supports clients across Australia to solve their most important problems. Having already hired over 100 new staff since July, the Skilled Service Hub team is continuing to grow and they now have more job opportunities available. The Skilled Service Hub is already in operation across Cybersecurity and Cloud capabilities to help drive economic growth for the South Australian and national economy across a wide range of industries.
PwC is currently hiring 150+ roles through the PwC Australia Skilled Service Hub in the following teams:
Whether you are an intern / recent graduate, Associate, Senior Associate, Manager or Senior Manager there are a range of jobs currently available to grow and develop in the sector. If you know someone interested in a role in the above disciplines, then click the link to find out more information.
You can also read about the PwC Australia Skilled Service Hub launch in May 2021 here >
Our lives are becoming more entwined with, and dependent upon, digital technologies. These technologies are presenting exciting opportunities to improve our citizens’ quality of life, but there are also risks to individuals, society, trust in government and our democracy that need to be addressed.
To better understand how prepared the South Australian Public Sector is for these challenges, Flinders University is conducting a survey. The responses collected will be used to develop training to equip public servants with the knowledge, skills and mindsets needed to help South Australia thrive in the digital age. This is a vital piece of research that will help support our sector grow and develop, and with your input we can make a real difference in how we move forward into the future. Complete the survey here >
The survey takes about 10 minutes to complete and responses are confidential. It closes at midnight on 1 October 2021.
Once the survey is complete, you have the option to participate in a prize draw to win 1 of 3 Bunnings gift cards worth $40.
The survey is being undertaken by Flinders University and is part of a research project which investigates social cyber awareness in public sector leaders and if it improves through an education program. Full details of the research project (including confidentiality, privacy, use of the data and contact details for the research team) can be found here. The project has been approved by Flinders University’s Human Research Ethics Committee (Project Number: 4686).
If you have questions about the survey, please contact Tammy Joachin, Lead – Executive Education, Jeff Bleich Centre (Flinders University) on 0401002719 or tammy.joachin@flinders.edu.au
