Leaders Connect

A word from the CEO

Welcome to the end of September, and a bumper edition of Leaders Connect!

This is an exciting and busy time of the year for the team as we plan and launch our various flagship offerings for 2023. As always, we welcome your feedback – if you have unmet training needs please feel encouraged to reach out – as your professional association we would love to hear from you and explore how we can support you through the provision of relevant development opportunities.

To those of you interested in broadening your leadership skillset through a leadership program in 2023, make sure you register for the Virtual Information Sessions – details below. Often the fear of the unknown may hold us back from pursuing opportunities - join us in these informal sessions and ask any questions you may have in a safe and supportive environment.

A key membership benefit of LG Professionals SA is the ability to join one of our many networks. I have been privileged to join a passionate and committed working group made up of sector General Managers and Directors over recent months, curating opportunities for the General Managers and Directors Network. The Network will ‘relaunch’ in the coming weeks, with a forum to be held on 27 October 2022. If you are in a General Manager or Director role in council, I encourage you to come along to learn, share experiences, discuss timely topics and collaborate with peers.

Finally, we recently launched the Call for Nominations for the LG Professionals SA Board. If you are a Member of LG Professionals SA and interested in sharing your passion for the sector and supporting the development of local government people, I encourage you to consider submitting a nomination, information has been sent to all Members however if you’d like to discuss what’s involved, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Keep warm (or cool), safe and well. I look forward to seeing you at an event, course or program soon.

Best wishes
Rhiannon

September 2022
Edition 132

 

SAVE THE DATE 

Thursday 10 November 2022 - LG Professionals SA Annual General Meeting

Friday 25 November 2022 - LG Professionals SA Economic Development Conference

Friday 24 March 2023 - LG Professionals SA Annual State Conference

Friday 19 May 2023 - 22nd Leadership Excellence Awards Gala Dinner

We are your association, and we are here to support you on your career journey.

Not a member? Check here to see if your council or subsidiary is a member - if so, you can activate your membership for free!

We've put together a list of 10 great reasons to join as a member of LG Professionals SA - see the full list here.

6. RAISE YOUR PROFILE
Represent the association as a Board Member, Network Committee Member or Chair.

Find out more

Member Profile - 
Proudly sponsored by

Andrew Gurr 

This month we caught up with Andrew Gurr, Digital Marketing Officer at City of Burnside about his role, the management challenge and what he enjoys doing outside of work. 

What is your role and what does it involve?

My role as Digital Marketing Officer offers a range of diverse and exciting opportunities. My primary responsibilities include maintaining the City of Burnside’s social media pages, filming and photographing Council services, operations and events, and much more. Read more...

Women's Network Conference: Unlock You
Friday 4 November 2022

The LG Professionals SA Women’s Network Conference is an annual event for local government women at all levels, from all job roles, from both the indoor and outdoor workforce. The Conference program has been designed to build confidence, inspire you with stories of success and resilience and connect you with yourself, and your peers, to support your personal and professional development.

This year’s Conference theme is ‘Unlock YOU’. The insights provided by a range of engaging speakers will support you to understand and reflect on the year that has been and encourage you to unlock your potential. Our program is designed to help you look to the future, and what you can unlock within yourself to help you identify and reach your goals. 

Limited seating - book your table today!

Find out more

2023 Executive Leaders Program - registrations now open
Program commences Tuesday 7 February 2023

Leadership in the local government sector comes with its own unique set of evolving challenges for executives. The COVID ‘reset’ combined with new services, skills and technologies have fundamentally changed expectations of the delivery of public services. With the ever-growing question of ‘what role will local government continue to play both now and into the future?’, there has never been a more important time to explore a new paradigm of leadership and inspire your thinking about the future.

If you are interested in learning more about this program please register to attend the virtual information session to be held on Tuesday 18 October 2022 from 10:00AM - 11:00AM - Register here.

Find out more

2023 Ignite Program
Program commences Thursday 9 February 2023

The Ignite Program spans 12 program days, plus an orientation session, and is delivered over 11 months. This interactive program will be delivered in a mixed delivery format, both face to face and virtually - making it accessible for both regional and metro participants. Upon successful completion of the program, you will receive the nationally recognised qualification BSB40520 Certificate IV in Leadership and Management.

If you would like to learn more about this program please register to attend the virtual information session to be held on Thursday 27 October 2022 from 10:00AM - 11:00AM - Register here.

Find out more

2023 Strategic Management Program
Program commences Monday 6 February 2023

Developed in partnership with UniSA and local government experts, the Strategic Management Program has been designed to build high-level leadership and management skills within a local government context. Participants will develop technical skills to manage business functions, enhancing innovation, strategic thinking, business acumen and operational excellence.

If you would like to learn more about this program please register to attend the virtual information session to be held on Thursday 20 October 2022 from 10:00AM - 11:00AM - Register here.

Find out more

We recently caught up with Brittany Shelton, Governance Officer at District Council of Grant to find out how she's enjoying the Emerging Leaders Program.

What made you sign up for the Emerging Leaders Program?

After four years working as a lawyer in private practice, I was feeling burnt out and unfulfilled in my career. Around 12 months ago I made the terrifying decision to transition into local government and the world of governance. This change opened so many doors for me and reinvigorated my passion for my career and my appetite for new challenges.

I first heard about the Emerging Leaders Program from our Council’s 2021 incumbent and immediately, it piqued my interest. The program aims to provide participants with a greater understanding of local government, where it sits within the context of our current and rapidly evolving world (think political, economic, environmental, cultural, all the big-ticket items). It also fosters and builds adaptable leaders, providing them with the skills to lead our organisations and our people through what has been one of the most challenging decades on record for employees and employers alike. What’s not to like so far, right?

For me, the main reason I applied to participate in the program is that I have always been interested in leadership. However, when joining an organisation as complex as local government, particularly in the current climate, I wasn’t confident that I had the necessary skills or knowledge to be a genuinely impactful leader (in a positive way). Whilst we can all generally recognise the importance of great leaders, it is sometimes harder to get the ‘how’ right.

The most recent module focused on leading through change – what were some of your takeaways from this module?

This module was particularly relevant for me at present (although, I say that after every module). On 5 September, the Labor Government (SA) announced its intention to facilitate an amalgamation plebiscite for the residents of District Council of Grant and City of Mount Gambier, to vote whether they considered the two Councils should be merged or not. In practice, what this would mean for the staff of these two Councils would be a massive organisation change, where peoples roles, colleagues, systems and entire way of working could possibly be overhauled. Big change. Huge change.

This module was delivered on 15 September, talk about coincidental timing! Luckily for me, I was able to work collaboratively with my fellow participants assisted by the amazing Dr Marguerite Kolar to reflect on how change affects our people, the difference between ‘managing’ and ‘leading’ change, and how to best support staff through times of uncertainty.

My top three take-aways from this module were (I can’t believe I cut this down to just three):

  1. Managing change relates to timelines, budgets etc and Leading change relates to assisting our people to transition (two different things);

  2. Change affects us all differently, and for change to be “successful” we must consider what our people are afraid of losing, and clearly identify our reason for change;

  3. Be clear on your plan for change and communicate this clearly and regularly to your people, including being honest. 

What are you most looking forward to as the program progresses?

So far, I am most enjoying bringing all of my previous experience with leadership together into usable information and skills (my toolkit). When I was advised that I had been successful in my application to participate in the program, the first thing I did was hunt out my copy of Brene Brown’s Dare to Lead that had been sitting un-read on my bookshelf. Needless to say, the book was amazing, and I am kicking myself for not having read it sooner. However, I can honestly say that each module has been equally as insightful and valuable in any leader’s repertoire as Brene’s bestseller.

As the program evolves, I only become more eager to see what else is in store, and continue to build my skills and value as a leader.

If you're interested in learning more about the Emerging Leaders Program please register to attend our information session on Tuesday 9 February 2023.
Register
here 

Adult apprenticeships: An investment in experienced trade

With higher levels of experience and a more workplace ready attitude, Adult Apprentices are an excellent alternative for Local Governments looking to fill trade vacancies.

Former Carpenter of 13 years Ryan Bockmann has a renewed passion for work, after changing career paths and reskilling with a Maxima Adult Apprenticeship in Painting and Decorating with the City of Adelaide.

Now employed full-time in an Urban Elements Trade Assistant position, Ryan has proved an excellent investment by the City of Adelaide.

Maxima Apprenticeship & Traineeship Consultant and Team Leader for Trades Sarah Tinkham said the professionalism brought to the role by Ryan was enhanced by his experience.

“The beauty of having an Adult Apprentice come into that role was the fact that he had previous work experience with tools and the construction industry – he was able to hit the ground running.”

Read more about Ryan and Maxima's Apprenticeship opportunities

New Members 

Welcome to our 83 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.

Kickstart your professional development journey in 2022

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.

Our short courses are scheduled based on expressions of interest. If you are interested in attending any of the following short courses please complete an EOI through the link below and we will be in touch once we have adequate numbers to deliver that short course. 

All of our short courses can also be run in house at your council. Please contact Gretel Mead, Training and Administration Support Officer at gretel@lgprofessionalssa.org.au for more information. 

Find out more

Managing Your Time, Energy & Priorities
Wednesday 9 November - delivered in person at LG House

This short course ‘Managing your Time, Energy & Priorities’ will have an immediate impact on your wellbeing at work. It’s all about addressing the core issues that are preventing you from reaching optimum effectiveness and implementing simple strategies to get you back on track - and keep you there.

It will provide you with the knowledge and skills to improve your time management approach to your daily and weekly workload - work smarter, not harder! 

Find out 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 Amy Davis, Executive Officer - Networks and Programs at networks@lgprofessionalssa.org.au or phone 08 8224 2087.

Community Managers Network
Committee Meeting
Friday 30 September 2022
9:30 AM - 11:30 AM
148 Frome Street, Adelaide and via Zoom

For Network Committee Members only - contact networks@lgprofessionalssa.org.au 
for more details

General Managers and Directors Network Committee Meeting
Friday 30 September 2022
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Via Zoom

For Network Committee Members only - contact networks@lgprofessionalssa.org.au 
for more details

General Managers and Directors Network Forum
Thursday 27 October 2022
1:00 PM - 4:30 PM
LG House and via Zoom

Register here

For Network Members only - contact 
networks@lgprofessionalssa.org.au 
for more details

People and Culture Network 'People Lifecycle' - Show and Share Series
Session 4: Thrive

Thursday 20 October 2022
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
Virtually via Zoom

For Network Members only - contact networks@lgprofessionalssa.org.au 
for more details

People and Culture Network
Committee Nominations close 5:00PM on Friday 21 October 2022

If you'd like to learn more please register to attend the call for nominations virtual information session on Thursday 6 October 2022 from 2:30 PM - 3:00 PM.
Register here

For further information please contact 
networks@lgprofessionalssa.org.au

People and Culture Network
Committee Meeting
Tuesday 25 October 2022
9:30 AM - 11:00 AM
148 Frome Street, Adelaide and via Zoom

For Network Committee Members only - contact 
networks@lgprofessionalssa.org.au 
for more details

Women's Network Committee Meeting 
Thursday 6 October 2022
9:30 AM - 11:00 AM
148 Frome Street, Adelaide and via Zoom

For Network Committee Members only - contact 
networks@lgprofessionalssa.org.au 
for more details

CEO Network Forum
SAVE THE DATE

Thursday 10 November 2022
12:30 PM - 4:00 PM
The Gallery, 30 Waymouth Street -
In person only

Further information will be released soon.

LG Professionals SA Sponsorship and Corporate Partnership

Do you work for or know an organisation who would be interested in gaining exposure to local government professionals through sponsorship with LG Professionals SA? 

As a not-for-profit association, LG Professionals SA rely on the support of sponsors to be able to continue to deliver the range of high quality events and professional development programs that we are known for.

Partnering with sponsors also creates opportunities for our members to learn, build relationships and receive best value.

Please contact Rhiannon for further details on corporate partnership opportunities.

Upcoming Sector Events and Training

Local Government and You

LGA Training's program 'Local Government and You' provides robust underpinning knowledge about the way Local Governments are constituted, the separation of roles between the Council and the Administration and the responsibilities of working in a compliance environment. This program is beneficial for new staff in local government.

18 October 2022 - 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Find out more

About Local Government Professionals Australia, SA

LG Professionals SA is a not-for-profit member based association representing professionals working in local government in South Australia. 

We have the ability to link and connect people from different councils who may not otherwise form relationships or share. 

Our high quality professional development programs and networking events are uniquely local government – reflective of the culture of the sector and sensitive to the needs of its professionals. 

The content of our events and programs are informed by our members and people who genuinely care about the sector. 

We provide a safe and supportive environment in which to grow and learn while creating opportunities to make time away from the office to work on the business or on self. 

We award and acknowledge achievements of excellence.

We are proud to be part of a national Federation of State based Local Government Professionals Australia organisations, supported by a national office dedicated to supporting the National Local Government sector.

LG Professionals SA  I 148 Frome Street, Adelaide SA 5000  I  Phone: 08 8224 2080
www.lgprofessionalssa.org.au

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