Episode 35: Leading through change with Emma Connell

As a people and culture leader, Emma Connell has seen and experienced both sides of organisational change, including when it’s managed well and when it’s not. Emma is the Executive Director of People and Culture at the Aged Care Quality Safety Commission. She joins us in our latest episode to share her experiences and offer her advice in leading and supporting people through change, whether it be internal changes within an organisation’s control, or external changes in response to changes to acts, standards, and regulations.

Listen to episode thirty-five:

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About this episode:

This episode offers practical advice on managing organisational change well through putting your people first, sharing the ‘why’ early, and providing ways for engaging your workforce from the get-go in contributing to what the change may look like to them. It also provides the difference between communication done well and when it isn’t, and emphasises the importance of everyone having leadership skills, regardless of their role, in how they support, collaborate, and learn from what others are doing around them.

Emma shares her experiences based on what’s been happening at the commission over the past few years, specifically in response to capability reviews and significant legislative changes, and while the type of change may alter how you respond, how you support people through it remains very similar. Emma takes us through the similarities including how leaders need to be very clear on explaining the “why” and how essential it is for people to be at the forefront of decision-making with leaders needing to put themselves in the shoes of the people who the change will impact, and the importance of people being involved in contributing to what a job might look like as a result of the change.

Emma also stresses how crucial it is to keep your workforce engaged early and informed throughout the process, and how communication done well is when information is intentional, genuine, meaningful in that it’s hitting the things people want to hear about, and delivered through a mix of channels that people respond well to. Leaders also need to be true to their word, meaning if they said they would communicate every fortnight, they must stick to that commitment, even if all they communicate is that there is nothing new to report.

Emma also shares how adaptability, agility, innovation, creativity, curiosity, and digital literacy are essential skills that today’s workforce needs to possess in order to deal with change and uncertainty, and how specific leadership traits, such as empathy and authenticity, have inspired her throughout her career. 

Find out more about this Trailblazer:

Emma Connell

Executive Director of People and Culture

Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission

Emma Connell is the Executive Director of People and Culture at the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission. She joined the Commission in December 2024. Prior to joining the Commission Emma was the Assistant Secretary People, Strategy and Safety Branch at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. 

Emma has led and delivered complex and multi-faceted HR reform projects to improve and enhance workforce capability related to culture, workforce planning, data insights, organisation re-design, corporate learning and development and recruitment. Emma is a people focused leader who values the importance of good change management practices while building a well-supported, highly capable, diverse workforce that works together to fulfill the Commission’s vision.

Emma holds a Master of Business Administration (Human Resource Management) and is a Certified Practitioner Human Resources (CPHR) with AHRI. 

Tune in next time as we speak to a new trailblazer in another episode in our series on Thriving in Uncertainty.