A BIG congratulations to Murray River Council and CEO Terry Dodds for being the second council in the country to ever win the Gold Medal from Macquarie University’s VOICE Project for change management (improving staff culture). The Mason Blackadder team is proud to have assisted and facilitated two Voice Project surveys at Murray River, led…
The Local Government recruitment sector has endured unprecedented stress & evolution over the past three years. Not only due to the 2019 summer bushfires or the 2020 pandemic response. Concerned with how different council recruiters were coping with the challenges they faced, we pooled our resources with CouncilJObs.com.au and Leonards Advertising, to help share some…
In my 30 years as an Executive Director, Non-Exec Director, CEO and Management Consultant, I have seen very few HR Directors ascend to the apex of the organization – conversely, I have seen other professions take the lions share, mainly from a finance background. Few HR professionals become CEOs, and the more common result is…
An easy to understand example that BA like to use to explain the importance of teamwork and understanding each other’s roles, is that of the Rowing 8. Quite obviously, every member of the 8, plus the Coxswain, must understand their role and that of other members in the team, and they must in turn perform…
As you advance through the managerial ranks, you will be judged increasingly on your ability to present well. Indeed, I would go as far as to say that if you cannot present well, you will never fulfil your true potential. Presenting to your peers, to councillors or to senior business executives can be a very…
In every organisation I have worked in, I have observed that, the best leaders are calculated risk takers. To be absolutely blunt, the ability to take risks (following a prudent assessment of the pros and cons of any situation or opportunity), is an essential prerequisite of leadership. Nobody who is afraid or unwilling to take…
There are so many reasons why I always encourage employers to consider using a niche recruitment agency when making a senior appointment. Agencies are not only adept in assisting clients to accurately define the job specification and skill requirements of the vacant position but they also have ready-made databases of candidates who have already been…
As an HR Director and an Executive ‘head-hunter, I value all of the tools in the recruitment professional’s armory. The CV or application form and in particular how these details relate to the person-specification of the vacancy being applied for, are vitally important. The interview is, of course the centerpiece of the process and is…
One of the things I’ve learned in over 20 years of working in Local Government is that leadership is fluid. Not only do we all lead differently, but different situations require different leadership styles. While a good leader knows this, a great leader also knows when it’s time to take a step back and let…
We live in a world where the current definitions of leadership have a post-heroic connotation. The claim is that it is possible to be a leader without being a hero. The argument goes that heroic leaders are viewed as being omnipotent within the organisation, that their all-powerful position leads to the disempowering of colleagues and thus dilutes…
