Leaders Connect

A word from the CEO

Well, Adelaide has well and truly lived up to its ‘Mad March’ reputation, and LG Professionals SA was right in the thick of it!

Last week I had the privilege of emceeing the 2024
LG Professionals SA Annual State Conference ‘NEXT GEN’. This conference is our flagship event that brings together the breadth and depth of our sector – staff from all job roles, levels and areas are welcome, and it was so wonderful to see over 300 people there soaking up the learnings, connections and energy of the day. A special mention to the field staff who attended the conference as part of a new initiative to engage with our outdoor workforce and provide more opportunities for their development – thank you for accepting the scholarship and being part of the day.

Also last week, our General Managers and Directors Network held their first forum of the year on Psychosocial Safety to discuss new legislation in this space, and our CEO Network came together to discuss pertinent issues. If you are not already part of a Network which helps to connect you with your local government colleagues with similar interests and responsibilities to you, please see more information here.

We look forward to seeing many of you at an upcoming Leadership Program, Short Course, or Network Forum to help further your personal and professional development and connections within the local government sector. A reminder too that expressions of interest are still open for a pilot Mentor/Mentee Connection program run by our Women’s Network Committee, so if you identify as female in local government with expertise to share or wanting to enhance your career with advice from a mentor, we encourage you to become part of this pilot. Full details of our programs and opportunities are below.

Soon, we will start to announce the finalists of the 23rd Annual Leadership Excellence Awards – keep an eye on your inbox and LinkedIn for updates. Congratulations again to all finalists and thank you to all who nominated – the judges had a particularly difficult time selecting finalists from so many amazing projects and initiatives that were nominated.

Finally, I am pleased to introduce the newest member of the LG Professionals SA team. Many of you will know Jade Falco from her previous role with East Waste, and we are excited to welcome her to our team as Training and Development Officer supporting the delivery of LGA Training through our partnership with the LGA. She is looking forward to settling in and getting to know our members.

Please feel encouraged to reach out to me at any time with anything you would like to discuss or explore –
LG Professionals SA are here to support you on your local government career journey.

Have a happy and safe long weekend.

Best wishes
Rhiannon

March 2024
Edition 150

SHOWCASE THE SECTOR

LGFA has been a proud partner of LG Professionals SA since 1985 and have supported the Leadership Excellence Awards since their inception in 2001. Davin Lambert, CEO of LGFA, shares why LGFA love being part of the Awards Program and has a special message to all finalists.

Our finalists will be celebrated, and winners announced at our 23rd Annual Leadership Excellence Awards Gala Dinner on Friday 10 May 2024.

23RD ANNUAL LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE AWARDS GALA DINNER
Friday 10 May 2024

Time is running out to secure your table for the 23rd Annual Leadership Excellence Awards. It will be a time to come together and recognise, support and celebrate the fantastic work being done by our colleagues across the sector.

Our Annual Leadership Excellence Awards Gala Dinner is a great way to celebrate our sector's achievements, be inspired and network with peers.

Registrations close Wednesday 24 April 2024 unless sold out prior. Don't miss out!

Please coordinate registrations through your CEO office.

Find out more

LAST CHANCE TO NOMINATE FOR THE AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO THE SECTOR
Nominations close 5PM today

This prestigious award recognises and acknowledges a local government professional who, over a minimum of ten years, has made an outstanding contribution to the local government sector in South Australia. The recipient is nominated by their peers and determined by a subcommittee of the Board of LG Professionals SA.

Nominations must be submitted to Rhiannon Clarke, Chief Executive Officer at executive@lgprofessionalssa.org.au

Find out more

WORKFORCE AND GENDER EQUALITY IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT PROJECT

In the January and February Leaders Connect Newsletters we introduced the Workforce and Gender Equality in Local Government Project. This is a twelve-month project funded by the LGA Research and Development fund which aims to identify and address key gender equality issues for local government in South Australia.

To provide support to the Project Lead Leeanne McEwan, we are seeking Expressions of Interest from members who would like to be part of a stakeholder group.

The role of the stakeholder group includes:

Provide expertise, insights, feedback, perspective
Provide advice on engagement, evaluation and promotion
Promote the project with Councils and key stakeholders

Ideally the stakeholder group will have a mix of genders and people from metro and regional councils. Meetings are planned to be held in April, June, August, October 2024 and can be held face to face or virtually.

To express your interest in being part of the Workforce and Gender Equality Project Stakeholder Group, please apply here.

EXPRESS YOUR INTEREST IN THE MENTOR MENTEE
CONNECTION PILOT

The LG Professionals SA Women’s Network Committee are excited to be developing a Mentor/Mentee Connection Pilot opportunity for Women’s Network Members, to be launched soon. If you are a female leader in South Australian local government and have capacity to mentor, we would love to have you! Likewise, if you would like a mentor, we encourage you to put your name forward.

Recognising the value of mentor and mentee connections could provide across our various Networks, pilot outcomes will be reviewed to determine future broader Network offerings.

Expressions of interest for the first intake are closing soon.

Express your interest to be a Mentor or Mentee.

SAVE THE DATE

Please save the date for the following LG Professionals SA events for 2024/2025. If you are planning a local government event, we invite you to contact us to avoid date clashes.

Friday 5 July 2024 - LG Professionals SA People and Culture Network Conference

Friday 1 November 2024 - LG Professionals SA Women's Network Conference

Thursday 7 November 2024 - LG Professionals SA Annual General Meeting

Friday 8 November 2024 - LG Professionals SA Economic Development Conference

Friday 21 March 2025 - LG Professionals SA Annual State Conference

REFLECTIONS FROM THE 2024 LG PROFESSIONALS SA ANNUAL STATE CONFERENCE: NEXT GEN
Friday 22 March 2024

Thank you to the 300 local government professionals who joined us last Friday, 22 March, at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre for the LG Professionals SA Annual State Conference. With a fantastic mix of speakers, engaging topics and opportunities for networking, it was a great day for everyone involved!

The theme of this year’s conference was NEXT GEN. We took the opportunity to explore with the sector what the future looks like for local government, how to engage Gen Z and collaborate across the generational divides, what inter-agency collaboration looks like (with a special visit from SA Power Network’s Spot the Robot Dog), and how best we can enhance the experience of our customers. We heard from District Council of Kimba, who have developed and maintained a robust social licence with their community, and finished the day with a story of perseverance, creating your own opportunities and never giving up from self-appointed Sudoku Hall of Famer, Mick Collis. Thank you to Mick, Simon Waller, Isabella Villani, Nick Hart and Spot, Deb Larwood, Dean Johnson, Mark Withers, Katie Iles, Damian Carter, Donna Dunbar, Dayton Tahuri and Shraddha Dhungel for taking the stage and creating a fantastic conference.

Thank you also to our corporate partners and event sponsors, without whom our events would not be possible. We look forward to seeing you all again next year for our Annual State Conference on Friday, 21 March 2025.

LEADERSHIP PROGRAMS

EMERGING LEADERS PROGRAM
Program Commences 30 May 2024

The LG Professionals SA Emerging Leaders Program is a highly interactive program that will take participants on a seven-month experiential learning journey to develop their leadership skills. The program combines leadership techniques taught by UniSA lecturers and the opportunity to apply these techniques in participant led local government modules to further develop leadership capability.

If you'd like a copy of the recording of the Emerging Leaders Program Information Session held on Tuesday 12 December 2023, please email Eve Jackson, Training Support Officer at eve@lgprofessionalssa.org.au.

This program is SOLD OUT! Please join the waitlist.

Join the waitlist

BRM Advisory are proud to come on board as a Platinum Partner of LG Professionals SA this year.

We’re a local business who has been working with SA councils since the early 1990s. Over the years, we’ve worked with almost every council, in areas including:

Strategic planning
Commercial advice
Prudential reviews
Long term financial plans.
Service and governance reviews
Sport and recreation
Emergency management
Coastal and climate change

We’re very excited to have Dan Jellings and Karla Billington recently join our team. Dan comes to us from City of Mitcham and is a strategy and performance guru, while Karla deepens our offerings in environmental and emergency management.

They join our team of local government specialists in Mark Booth, Michael Richardson, Lisa Teburea and Michael Arman.

If you’ve got a project or a problem that you’d like some extra support with, we’d love to see if we can assist. You can find us on our website, LinkedIn, or by calling any one of us.

LEVEL UP YOUR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN 2024

We offer a range of short courses that have been curated to equip the sector’s staff with the skills essential to deliver on efficiency, performance and continuous improvement - take a look below.

Please contact Eve Jackson, Training Support Officer at eve@lgprofessionalssa.org.au for more information on any of our short courses or how we can bring them in house to your council or subsidiary.

Find out more

UPCOMING SHORT COURSES

POWERFUL BUSINESS WRITING
Wednesday 17 April 2024

Even if your role doesn’t require a lot of writing, how you come across is crucial to your credibility. The ability to write clearly, precisely, powerfully and persuasively is a key skill that enables you to summarise and present ideas, build relationships and gain commitment to action. It can also demonstrate your knowledge, confidence and professionalism.

This course uses your own writing examples to demonstrate the use of Plain English principles and persuasive writing techniques.

Suitable for: Officers, Coordinators, Team Leaders, Senior Managers

Facilitated by Gary Edwards
As a lawyer, magician, negotiator, comedian and speaker, Gary is an expert in the art and science of influence – the key ability that businesses will need to navigate a future where nothing is quite as it seems. Gary has been a facilitator with LG Professionals SA for many years and delivers numerous short courses, with exceptional feedback from participants.

This program is SOLD OUT! Please join the waitlist.

Join the waitlist

PERFORMANCE COACHING
Wednesday 15 May 2024

This course enables participants to develop skills and confidence in holding performance coaching conversations in an easy and comfortable environment. Participants are provided opportunities to engage with their direct reports in a new and contemporary approach. They will prepare for effective performance conversations in their workplace.

Suitable for: Coordinators, Team Leaders, Managers and Executives

Facilitated by Debra Sarre
With a Bachelor of Psychology and 20 years corporate experience Debra brings current knowledge and practices from the fields of Organisational Psychology and contemporary leadership and management. Debra delivers our Performance Coaching short course and has also been a key facilitator for our Emerging Leaders Program.

Only 1 place remaining.

ADVANCED PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Wednesday 26 June 2024

Beyond providing you with essential knowledge and skills to plan, manage and execute projects on time and on budget, this program takes a deeper dive into project management theory and looks at both operational and strategic elements of project management.

Suitable for: Staff who have experience with managing projects and wish to extend their knowledge

Facilitated by Lisa Twyford
Lisa is a highly motivated professional with extensive business improvement and project management experience. Her passion for these areas equips her with the expertise to deliver both the Introduction to Project Management and Advanced Project Management short courses. These courses sell out very quickly and feedback received is always excellent.

INTRODUCTION TO PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Thursday 27 June 2024

Learn the basic principles required for managing successful projects that drive real results.

Suitable for Officers, Coordinators and Team Leaders

NORMAN WATERHOUSE - WALKING THE TALK
Friday 17 May 2024

Walking the Talk, South Australia’s pre-eminent Employment Law Conference.

Register to engage with Norman Waterhouse’s Employment and Industrial Relations Team at their annual ‘Walking the Talk’ conference on Friday 17 May 2024, at Sanctuary – Adelaide Zoo. This event promises invaluable learning experience for all Chief Executive Officers, Team Leaders, Senior Managers and Human Resource Professionals.

Find out more

YOUR NEEDS, YOUR MEMBERSHIP

2. GROW YOUR NETWORKS

Our Networks help you create lasting connection with peers who share a common idea or experience. Information support, awareness and defining the future of your area starts here.

Learn more about what LG Professionals SA Membership offers you.

Find out more

NEW MEMBERS

Welcome to our 92 new members! Click here to see the list.

We look forward to providing support and professional development and networking opportunities through every stage of your local government career.

Member Profile -
Proudly sponsored by

Bree Goodchild
This month we spoke with Bree Goodchild, Senior Manager - Community Engagement and Experience, City of Playford, about her role, professional development and what's next for her.

How long have you been in local government and what is your role?

I have been fortunate to be a part of this sector for 20 years, working across a number of communities with a diverse range of needs, challenges and opportunities. Read more...

NETWORK NEWS

LG Professionals SA Members are invited to join one of our many Networks.

Networks are groups of professionals who share a common interest or experience. We run a comprehensive range of Network meetings and forums throughout the year, offering staff the opportunity to learn and develop whilst sharing and networking with peers from their own and other councils and subsidiaries, across the state.

Our Networks include:

Women's Network

People and Culture Network

Community Managers Network

Business Performance and Improvement Network

General Managers and Directors Network

CEO Network

Join a Network today

If you would like to know more about our Network offerings, or have a suggestion for a new Network, please contact Haylie Maynard, Membership and Networks Officer at haylie@lgprofessionalssa.org.au.

REFLECTIONS FROM THE GENERAL MANAGERS AND DIRECTORS NETWORK FORUM: PSYCHOSOCIAL SAFETY
Thursday 21 March 2024

On Thursday 21 March, myself and a collective of General Managers/ Directors attended the LG Professionals SA General Managers and Directors Network Forum on Psychological Safety, which provided an outline of the new legislation, our responsibilities, the impact this has on organisations daily and importantly how to identify and address some of these challenges.

Psychological Safety is about being proactive, its about protecting staff before any harm takes place, keeping the organisation accountable for the behaviours it accepts, walks past and fosters. There’s no more turning a blind eye, we need to be on the front foot and aware to the risks facing our organisation, identifying hazards, implementing mitigating controls, reviewing the aligned controls and checking in with staff. The Forum provided key areas to focus on including the ‘three lines of defence’:

Managers – implement the controls
Governance – ensure compliance and monitoring
External Audit – test the frameworks, reporting

Importantly, ensure any leaders or managers in your organisation are equipped to recognise, act and implement controls to address psychosocial safety. This legislation is now live and active and we need to ensure we’re on the front foot to protect staff and ourselves at all levels, including teams, management, and Council Members etc.

In addition, we talked about 'Radical Resilience' this is the idea that we not only ‘bounce back’ after a challenge, but we bounce back better than ever.

Discussions around how we prioritise, how much stress we place on ourselves, our own expectations, risking burn-out, both in shortform and long. Key areas to focus on include mindfulness, switching off on holidays, breathing exercises, compartmentalising, and seeking EAP support to implement strategies, with the aim to Bounce, Grow, Connect and Flow.

Let’s ensure we not only look out for our staff, but each other and ourselves as an industry.

Farlie Taylor
LG Professionals SA
General Managers and Directors
Network Working Group

NETWORK OFFERINGS

PEOPLE AND CULTURE NETWORK FORUM: A DEEP DIVE INTO ENTERPRISE BARGAINING
Thursday 4 April 2024

Join us for the upcoming LG Professionals SA People and Culture Network Forum: A Deep Dive into Enterprise Bargaining. Hear from speakers including Jordan Littlefair, Manager People and Culture, City of Onkaparinga, Angie-Marie Ross, People and Culture Advisor, Corporate Services, Adelaide Plains Council, and Sue King, Manager People and Culture, Whyalla City Council, who will share their processes and challenges faced through enterprise bargaining.

This Forum will be held in person at the Salisbury Community Hub and via Zoom on Thursday 4 April from 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM.

BUSINESS PERFORMANCE AND IMPROVEMENT NETWORK FORUM: WHAT'S NEXT?
Monday 8 April 2024

Join us for the upcoming LG Professionals SA Business Performance and Improvement Network Forum 'What's Next?' as we welcome Stephen Yarwood, Urban Futurist and Former Lord Mayor of Adelaide, and Ania Karzek, Manager Strategy and Governance, City of Holdfast Bay, who will share how dreaming big can still be true to strategy.

This Forum will be held in person at the Laratinga Pavilion, Mount Barker and via Zoom on Monday 8 April from 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM.