Thriving in Uncertainty with Marie Boland
Our next Trailblazer’s interest in history and learning from it, particularly the history of labour movements and work, has been a common theme that has led her throughout her fascinating career. Marie Boland, Chief Executive Officer at Safe Work Australia, discusses this further in our latest episode on Taking the Path Less Travelled.
Our next Trailblazer’s interest in history and learning from it, particularly the history of labour movements and work, has been a common theme that has led her throughout her fascinating career. Marie Boland, Chief Executive Officer at Safe Work Australia, discusses this further in our latest episode on Taking the Path Less Travelled.
Listen to episode twenty-one:
About this episode:
Marie talks about growing up in Ireland and how her dad, who was a great history buff, used to take them around Dublin, telling stories and looking at statues of famous people. He particularly liked stopping at statues of great union leaders, and the stories and figures stuck with her.
After moving to Australia in 1992, Marie worked as a curator in museums. While working at one particularly council-run museum, Marie had the opportunity to be a staff representative during council amalgamations in South Australia, where she was part of the negotiations and enterprise bargaining. And the rest, as they say, is history. Through this experience, Marie ultimately became a union member, reigniting her interest in law and then studying law with the long-term aim of being a labour lawyer and working in industrial relations.
Listen in to hear from Marie as she talks about both personal and professional drivers that keep her going during confronting and tough times at work. She explains how she is focused on harmonising and strengthening tripartism during her tenure as CEO of Safe Work Australia, working with unions, businesses, and the government to reach consensus outcomes. Marie also talks about how she believes your time will come and the importance of backing yourself.
We also discuss Marie’s 2018 national review of model work, health, and safety laws and how this helped to influence the Commonwealth to change the 2011 regulations to include psychological health. Together, we discuss the pivotal role that leaders need to play in keeping up to date with what’s going on in their organisation through risk management and consultation and the importance of the work design piece in potentially eliminating potential hazards at the point of deciding how work is done.
Whether you believe in fate or not, this enthralling episode is a testament to how interests and passions in your life, even from a young age, can help lead you to the path you were meant to be on.
Episode references:
Codes of Practice
https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/law-and-regulation/codes-practice
Find out more about this Trailblazer:
Marie Boland
Chief Executive Officer
Safe Work Australia
Marie Boland has been the Chief Executive Officer of Safe Work Australia since 1 November 2023.
Marie is a Member of Safe Work Australia and its subsidiary committees and a Commissioner of the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission. She is a member of the Respect@Work Council and the G20 Occupational Safety and Health Expert Network, and an observer on the Heads of Workplace Safety Authorities and the Heads of Workers’ Compensation Authorities.
Before joining Safe Work Australia, Marie offered independent work health and safety and workplace relations consultancy services.
Marie’s work health and safety experience spans many roles, including completing the 2023 review of the Office of the Federal Safety Commissioner, the 2022 Review of the Conduct of Work Health and Safety Prosecutions in the Australian Capital Territory, an independent review of the South Australian local government sector's One System WHS Management System in December 2020 and the 2018 National Review of the model work health and safety laws (Boland Review). Marie was the 2021 Inaugural Thinker in Residence at the University of South Australia's Psychosocial Safety Climate Global Observatory. Marie has held senior roles at SafeWork South Australia as an Executive Director, Policy and Community Engagement Director and Chief Policy Officer.
Marie holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) and Master of Arts from University College, Dublin, and a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) from the University of Adelaide.
Tune in next time as we speak to a new trailblazer in another episode in our series on Thriving in Uncertainty.
Thriving in Uncertainty - Episode ten with Judith Formston
Judith Formston, Deputy Chief Executive of Corporate Services at the Department of Health and Wellbeing SA, joins us in this episode to discuss authentic leadership. Judith shares her experience leading others by showing her human side, which helps her team realise she is just like everyone else. She also provides strategies for how her organisation fosters connections to create a safe space where everyone is invited and feels that they can express themselves freely through a range of initiatives, that help workers to disconnect from the workplace, but connect with each other, including coffee breaks, Friday night wines, groups, and communities of practice.
Often, asking simple questions such as “Is everything OK?”, “What’s happening with you?” or “What are you working on at the moment?” can help us learn more about the people around us and form connections with one another. Many post-pandemic workplaces have a range of flexible working arrangements, and it can be challenging for those workers to feel connected to others, leaving many lonely, burnt out, or disengaged.
Judith Formston, Deputy Chief Executive of Corporate Services at the Department of Health and Wellbeing SA, joins us in this episode to discuss authentic leadership. Judith shares her experience leading others by showing her human side, which helps her team realise she is just like everyone else. She also provides strategies for how her organisation fosters connections to create a safe space where everyone is invited and feels that they can express themselves freely through a range of initiatives, that help workers to disconnect from the workplace, but connect with each other, including coffee breaks, Friday night wines, groups, and communities of practice.
Listen in as Judith talks about key takeaways from the Jarwun Program she participated in. She enjoyed the yarning circle, where she connected to others during lunchtimes by basket weaving and talking. She also discusses the current journey her department is on to give their employees a better experience and improve mental health through organising meditation sessions.
Judith is a great example of a humble, authentic, and ‘human’ leader. We hope that you get as many takeaways from this episode as we did.
Listen to episode ten:
Also available through Apple Podcasts and Spotify:
Find out more about this Trailblazer:
Judith Formston
Deputy Chief Executive of Corporate Services
Department of Health and Wellbeing
South Australia
Judith is a Deputy Chief Executive of Corporate and Infrastructure, at the Department of Health & Wellbeing, where she has Executive responsibility for Workforce, Finance, Procurement and Contracting and Infrastructure Projects. Judith has worked in Government over 20 years and has held Executive and Senior Management positions across a number of Government agencies in South Australia.
Judith is leading the project delivery team, in delivering the new Women’s and Childrens Hospital to the South Australia, being the State’s largest health infrastructure project.
Judith has a passion for reform and project delivery, leading a number of reform projects across Corporate Services, driving change and innovation across systems and processes. Judith has a key focus on the Employee Value proposition and embedding diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace.
Tune in next week as we speak to a new trailblazer in another episode in our series on Thriving in Uncertainty.
Embracing organisational change – episode three
Welcome back to another episode in our series on embracing organisational change.
Today in our third episode, we cover the critical change that all workplaces must progress and move forward on, and that change is realising diversity, equity, and inclusion aspirations.
Listen to episode three:
Also available through Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Google Podcasts:
What does it take for organisations to create an inclusive workplace where staff feels valued, safe to contribute, and to be their authentic selves? Has progress been made in the public sector, and how can all leaders acknowledge and act accordingly to close the gaps with their employees, especially those from diversity groups? Please tune in to hear Julie Etchells, Chief Human Resources Officer at the Department of Child Safety, Seniors, and Disability Services for the Queensland Government, provide her valuable perspectives based on her experiences working for the Queensland public sector over the past twenty-four years.
Download the full transcript of episode three:
Find out more about this Trailblazer:
Ms Julie Etchells (pronouns are she/her/hers) is a long-term public servant, out lesbian, person with a disability, and mother to two beautiful human beings who are now adults, starting their own families.
Julie has dedicated 24 years to serving the Queensland Public as a public servant. Julie’s career has developed through her time predominately in service delivery and through time in state-wide services. Julie wears many hats and since 1999 has undertaken multiple service delivery, practitioner, leadership, and Senior Executive roles. Julie is currently utilising her leadership skills in the Chief Human Resources Officer role which highlights her diversity as a leader and commitment to supporting staff to ensure they have what they need to deliver services to children and families.
Julie’s extensive knowledge of service delivery, her passion for leadership and care for people combined with an interest in strategy, partnering, and diversity enables her to positively influence desired outcomes. Julie’s leadership, commitment and dedication to Queensland communities was officially acknowledged when she was awarded the 2020 Public Service Medal for her leadership and outstanding public service to children and families in Queensland.
Julie’s ongoing career aspiration is to “Make it Count”. That is, whatever role she is in, she acknowledges her privilege and makes the most of the opportunity for those she is there to serve. This includes her role as an out public servant modelling the way and showing others “it is okay to be who you are; in fact, it is brilliant – we need you to be you” and we are richer for it.
Please tune in next week as we talk with Tina McAllister, Acting Director, People and Culture for the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for the Queensland Government, for our fourth episode on playing the new talent game – attracting, retaining, and reducing employee attrition.
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Trailblazing with CorbettPrice Podcast - Episode 5
Welcome back to our podcast series on organisational health and the seven dimensions of wellness. This week in episode five, we continue to explore the theme of employee experience by looking into one of the crucial factors that impact this positively or negatively, an organisation’s culture. Workplace culture is our fifth relational dimension of organisational health.
Listen to episode five:
Also available through Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Google Podcasts:
Workplace culture, as defined by BambooHR, is the personality of an organisation – it’s a shared set of workplace beliefs, values, attitudes, standards, purposes, and behaviours. Research by Gallup shows that employees with a strong connection to their organisation’s culture are more likely to be engaged and less likely to experience burnout as often as those without.
Cherie Canning from Luminate Leadership joins us to discuss this essential topic, where she draws on real organisational case studies to talk through the attributes leaders need to have to create a people-centric culture, how this starts with psychological safety and how to create that, how organisations can overcome toxic workplace cultures, why mental health first aid is essential for everyone throughout an organisation, and how to build a connection with employees regardless of whether they are in the office, or working from home.
This episode is must listen for anyone who wants their organisation to be more people-centric or learn how to maintain a positive and strong workplace culture.
Download the full transcript of episode five (with references):
Find out more about this Trailblazer:
Cherie’s passion lies in inspiring people to achieve their potential by developing their 'human skills'.
Cherie is a passionate optimist, an avid traveller and the Founder and Director of Luminate Leadership.
With almost two decades of leading and developing leaders at Luminate and previously at Flight Centre Travel Group, Cherie has proven results and her authentic communication style and workshop content continue to leave a long-lasting impact on leaders and their businesses.
Cherie founded Luminate Leadership in 2020 with one purpose in mind; to grow and inspire leaders of today to create a better tomorrow. Her intention is to embrace human based Leadership traits such as connection, collaboration, courage, empathy, compassion and kindness.
It’s her mission, and the mission of Luminate to share these skills with as many Leaders as possible, inspiring them to be the best humans they can be and bring as much joy and fulfilment to their work and lives. Cherie will also host Luminate Leadership’s annual IGNITE conference this August, celebrating Women in Leadership through coming together to connect, learn, inspire and be inspired.
Web: www.luminateleadership.com.au
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/cheriecanning