Work with Purpose: A podcast about the Australian Public Sector

Today, we listen back to a 2024 Work with Purpose episode with Secretary of the Department of Health and Aged Care Blair Comley PSM. Blair tells the story of his public service career and highlights how devolving leadership in the public sector can reduce risk, increase work quality and staff satisfaction.Blair Comley PSM looks back at an outstanding career across the public and private sectors, from designing the GST to driving the Department of Health and Aged Care’s recent capability review.On this episode from June last year, he revisits some of the milestones of his career and how they have shaped his approach to devolution – where mid-level staff in the public sector are empowered to make decisions and build closer relationships with important stakeholders. He discusses the three key ingredients to make it happen at your organisation: skills, culture, and capability.In conversation with podcast host David Pembroke, CEO of contentgroup, Blair also explores uplifting policy capability at the Department of Health and Aged Care, communicating with success, and what role consultants can play in public sector work.Key tips:Put your hand up for challenging tasks – look at opportunities where you can go further without exhausting yourself.Devolve where feasible – it reduces risks and increases quality and level of staff satisfaction.If you want to make things happen, you should look to always preserve a sense of optimism.Show notes:Capability review | Department of Health and Aged CareDaniel Goleman | Emotional intelligence Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this re-run of our most popular Work with Purpose episode of 2024, Dr Nina Terrey, Bec Bodel and Professor Brenton Prosser help you learn the ropes of human-centred design.In today’s complex world, how can the public sector effectively ensure that its policies and programs are centred on the needs of the people they serve? This episode explores human-centered design as one piece to solving this puzzle.In our first re-run of 2024’s best Work with Purpose episodes, host David Pembroke, CEO of contentgroup, convenes class with three leading experts in the design space: Bec Bodel from the Australian Taxation Office, Professor Brenton Prosser from UNSW Canberra, and Dr Nina Terrey from ThinkPlace. Together, they walk through the most important parts of the design process and discuss how empathy, creativity, and strategic thinking can truly make a difference to policy and service delivery for Australia’s communities. Our guests also share practical tips and resources, so you can hit the books and start your own design journey.Key tips:You don’t have to always do every prescribed step of the design process. Decide what works best for your situation, and keep in mind that discovery itself is important.Work with a mixed team of people with different areas of expertise.Join a design community with like-minded individuals to keep learning about best practice and new approaches.Show notes:How to empathy map | Nielsen Norman GroupExpand: Stretching the Future By Design | Book by Christian Bason and Jens Martin SkibstedCommunity-led project | Just ReinvestPolicy-making through design | The Policy LabIntro to human-centred design | Government of VictoriaInternational Design in Government CommunityDon’t Make Me Think | Book by Steve KrugHuman-centred design program | An outline of National Standards for Out‐of‐home CareGovernment centred design, future-led | NESTA Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join us in unpacking the best conversations of Work with Purpose in 2024 – from tips for human-centred design to understanding how the public sector can join hands in defence of Australia.As the year comes to a close, we listen back to some of our fantastic 2024 Work with Purpose guests, reflecting on the sector’s most pressing challenges, innovative ideas, and inspiring stories.Presented by David Pembroke, CEO of contentgroup, our guests give us many gifts – tips on reimagining leadership and collaboration, navigating workplace safety, ethical governance, and innovation, and designing better programs and policies with humans at the centre. We also return to learning about the most important tools for effective policymaking and the critical role of national security and defence. And finally, of course, we celebrate the stories of passion for public service past and present.Key tips1. Engage in diversity of thinking – involving them will be beneficial for you and the programs you’re designing.2. To combat burnout, set boundaries around your workloads and encourage your team to do the same.3. For the best results in policymaking, you need to understand the policy window – the right time and political will need to combine.4. If you want to see change, you need to have uncomfortable conversations about your and others’ biases.Show notesWork with Purpose APS | LinkedInIPAA ACT | LinkedInWork with Purpose | NewsletterWork with Purpose | Blog Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

TW: mental health and suicideOn our first ever Work with Purpose live episode, we shine a light on men’s mental health – from the numbers to the stories behind them – with Matthew Short from the Department of Health, Matthew Breen from Running for Resilience, and Lachlan Vivian-Taylor from Comcare.According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, about 42 per cent of men will experience a mental health disorder in their lives; they are our partners, family, friends, and colleagues. So, how can everyone contribute to lifting the stigma around men’s mental health, and build workplaces and communities where they feel safe to talk about it if they so choose?Hosted by David Pembroke, CEO of contentgroup, our Work with Purpose live panel – Matthew Short, assistant secretary of the Child, Youth and Priority Populations, Matthew Breen, co-founder of Running for Resilience, and Lachlan Vivian-Taylor, general manager, Claims Management Group at Comcare – highlight the stories behind the numbers, including their own. They also talk about how you can look after yourself and those around you, and why it matters how you respond, not what happens to you.Key tips:Exercise and community can help you take your mind of whatever you’re feeling in that moment.As part of government, work hand-in-hand with communities to prevent mental health challenges and support those who are struggling.Check in with your friends, colleagues and family and be prepared to listen.If this episode raises concerns for you, help is available. Please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or 1300 22 4636. Show notes:National phone service | Head to HealthNational Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing | Australian Bureau of StatisticsPsychosocial hazards | ComcareRunning for ResilienceTough Guy Book Club Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.