While the majority of public servants behave respectfully and civilly to their colleagues, employee surveys from across the country repeatedly show that bullying and harassment – behaviours that can weaken institutions, undermine productivity and innovation and poison workplace culture – is still a significant issue. So what does workplace bullying and harassment look like? And what can be done to ensure we have safe and respectful workplaces in the public sector? In this special episode of Work with Purpose – A National Perspective, IPAA ACT are joined by Adam Fennessy PSM, Victorian Public Sector Commissioner, Renée Leon PSM, Vice-Chancellor and President at Charles Sturt University Bathurst, and Dr Gordon de Brouwer PSM, President of IPAA National. This important discussion is led by guest host Clare Walsh, Deputy Secretary of Business Enabling Services at the Department of Finance and IPAA ACT Councillor.

Some of the topics explored in this discussion include:

• The DNA of a healthy workplace culture.
• Bullying and harassment in the public sector.
• Approaches to tackling workplace bullying.
• The importance of transparency.

This premise of this discussion was based on a paper written by Dr Gordon de Brouwer – Bullying and Harassment in the Public Sector in Australia: Practical Ways to Lift Respect in Public Service Workplaces – published in The Conversation in November 2021.

This International Women’s Day, we reached out to our member community to learn about the ‘female leaders who inspire us’.

International Women’s Day asks us to ‘Imagine a gender equal world. A world free of bias, stereotypes and discrimination. A world that’s diverse, equitable, and inclusive. A world where difference is valued and celebrated.’

That is the world we believe in at IPAA SA. We want to recognise some of the female leaders who inspire us in the everyday and the extraordinary to take action for equality. #breakthebias

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I am inspired by… Rebecca Graham, CEO Fleurieu Barossa Hills Local Health Network who consistently leads the organisation with care, compassion and intelligence to ensure that the best possible services are provided by staff who are pleased and willing to be working in the stressful environment of healthcare, especially over the past COVID years.

Catherine Turnbull MIPAA

I am inspired by… the courage, bravery and ambition of Pakistani political activist Malala Yousafzai. In the face of immense danger her ongoing dedication to women’s rights, the right to be educated and the needs of disadvantaged children worldwide shows true passion and commitment to a worthy cause. 

Dion Lobotesis MIPAA

I am inspired by… Senator Penny Wong, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate and Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs. Penny is a great example of an inspiring leader who shows integrity and respect and sets a positive example for other leaders to follow. I am also inspired by my current manager, the Executive Director Nursing and Midwifery here in FUNLHN. My Manager inspires me with her diligence, passion and tireless efforts to ensure we are continuously striving for excellence in the health services that we provide across our LHN.

Anonymous, IPAA SA Personal Member

I am inspired by… Prof Nicola Spurrier, calm in the face of crisis and firing of rapid challenges and questions. Always community and person focused and provides amazing reassuring advice based on evidence and best available practice while remaining approachable and believable.

Catherine Turnbull MIPAA

The leaders who inspire me… are ones who have a collaborative leadership style that engages the staff to embrace the varying experiences, knowledge, diversity and skills that each of us bring.

Natasha Lazic MIPAA

I am inspired by… Jacinda Arden, Prime Minister of New Zealand, for her empathetic yet passionate leadership during times of natural disaster and throughout the pandemic. She has fostered a great sense of trust within her community and has displayed a modern approach to leadership through her kindness and solidarity.

Anonymous IPAA SA Member

I am inspired by…. Erma Ranieri, Commissioner for Public Sector Employment, Office of the Commissioner for Public Sector Employment. She truly cares about people, equality and making a difference in the public sector. She has created real change through her honest, compassionate and authentic leadership style, and the results are there to prove it – women now hold 57% of public sector executive roles. 

Anonymous IPAA SA Member

I am inspired by… my mum, Lynda Boehm, Department of Human Services. She tirelessly works to help others and has such passion for what she does in disability services. I am endlessly amazed at her compassion, the strength she has to face adversity and her authenticity. 

Renae Haese MIPAA

I am inspired by…Kat Dunn, who is CEO of Grameen Australia (the local replication of Nobel Peace Prize winning microfinance inventor Grameen Bank). Her leadership in this organisation shows how different approaches to our long-embedded systems can be transformed to benefit society and the planet.

Kathryn Oosthuizen MIPAA

I am inspired by…  Adelaide’s doyenne of news broadcasting – Jane Doyle. Her career has been characterised by bravely stepping out of her comfort zone on many occasions. She has tried her hand at a variety of different media and proved herself to be charismatic, versatile, and tenacious. As a mature lady myself, I find her quite relatable and I love her style too!

Eufemia Alvaro MIPAA

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Thank you to all the members of IPAA SA who shared with us who has inspired them, and an even bigger thank you to those acting in support of creating a world where difference is valued and celebrated.

Explore more resources available for International Women’s Day 2022 here and join in the movement on social media by using the hashtag #breakthebias.

Dream BIG and seize every opportunity.

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?

Top Tips

1. Follow your Passion and Dream BIG
   Set goals you are passionate about – this will make sure you have the commitment to push through when you encounter obstacles in your goal journey. Set some BIG goals this year and break your big goals down into smaller steps by developing a detailed plan on how you intend to accomplish that goal. While you are creating your plan, envision obstacles you may face along the way and that way, that way you will already have a solution ready to go. Do not forget to celebrate each win along the way.
2. Develop your skills in line with Your GOALS
   Invest time in yourself, your well-being, and your personal and professional growth. Think about your professional goals and how you might attain them. What new skills and competencies do you need to acquire? What strengths do you want to enhance? You can start by making dedicated learning time in your weekly work schedule. Let colleagues know how important learning is to you and agree on a proportion of your work week devoted to professional development. Then calendarise it and stick to it. Identify your skill gaps and locate the professional development or qualifications to fill these. Whether you want to move into a manager role or take the next step in becoming a director or board member, there are always opportunities to develop your skills.
3. Grow your Networks
   Opportunities do not always come knocking and we often open new doors through our networks of colleagues, mentors, and friends. Your career goals for this year might call on you to get networking. Look for opportunities to attend events and conferences on the topics that are close to your passions.

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.

References

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