David Ivers is from Sydney, Australia. He is a qualified Primary and Secondary School Teacher. In total, he has served on school leadership teams for 16 years in senior leadership roles which include: Religious Education Coordinator, Curriculum Coordinator, and Leader of Pedagogy. He is currently a System Leader with Sydney Catholic Schools (Sydney, Australia), where he serves as Specialist: Religious Leadership. With studies in Anthropology / Sociology, Curriculum, Online Learning and Teaching, Information Communications Technology, Religious Education and Theology, Leadership, Communication, Policy Studies, Business, Management, and Educational Administration, he brings a diversity of skills and knowledge to the educational and leadership arena. In 2014 David Ivers completed the program “Improving Schools: The Art of Leadership” at Harvard Graduate School of Education. He has completed a (Graduate Level) Certificate in Executive Leadership from Cornell University and holds a Master of Educational Administration from the University of New South Wales, Australia. David completed the Company Directors’ Course and has since become a Graduate the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD) and is a Fellow of the Institute of Managers and Leaders (Australia and New Zealand) (FIML). He is also a Fellow of the Royal Anthropological Institute (Great Britain and Ireland) (FRAI). A bibliography of his published papers can be found at: https://about.me/david.ivers
Website: https://about.me/david.ivers
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Let us turn now to the question, how much are you worth to your Government agency? Assuming the job you do has been well designed and that you interact with members of the public on a regular basis (thus have a professional relationship with the public), or that you support those that do, then you are immensely valuable to your Government agency.
July in the United States of America is best thought of as the month in which Independence Day is celebrated. Independence for the United States of America was born out of conflict. By its very nature, that conflict was won and independence declared because of a strategy based on solid information and knowledge of the area in which the conflict was being fought and an equally good working knowledge of the capacity and capabilities of the soldiers involved. However, George Washington would not have proven himself to be the great military leader and indeed the great President of the United States that he was, if he were not also ‘attuned’ to the culture within the military he led and as President, within the newly formed union of the United States of America.
It makes sense that when an organization such as a Government agency is looking to create a ‘wonderful’ workplace, it needs more than just a ‘political’ restructure to make it happen. Some may even suggest that the notion of a Government agency being the most ‘wonderful’ place on earth to work, is the antithesis of the reality of working in a Government organization.
Often people will work and work, then see others being promoted over them. They ask themselves: what have they got that I haven’t? Their typical solution – obviously I have to work harder! As a result, they buy into a dangerous narrative in which work dominates at the expense of everything else in life. The paradox, of course, is that the leaders who made the decision about your promotion have probably picked up on that.
Should you ever visit Australia, a trip to Australia’s island state of Tasmania is a must. On the Tasman Peninsula, near the township of Eaglehawk Nest, is a rare geological formation known as the ‘Tessellated Pavement’. This is a compressed rock formation that over millions of years has been eroded into what seems like tiles that have been laid by the sea. You can read more about this at Tasmania National Parks.
Imagine giving such a response to your boss when they offer you a promotion or to take the lead on a strategically significant project for your Government agency. Imagine saying “sure, I’ll get onto that as soon as I’ve had a vacation with my family!” Too often we fear that such a statement will lead to such a career changing offer going towards someone else. We fear that it sends the wrong message! Does it though? The simple answer is that it does not necessarily have to be sending a negative message and creative leaders most likely know this!
Choose to make the decisions that will take you to the end that you have in mind. That means being proactive, not reactive about life and what it might present to you. The wisdom of Winnie the Pooh in the 2018 movie Christopher Robin is useful on this point. Winnie The Pooh: I always get to where I’m going by walking away from where I’ve been.
As the New Year begins and our work life starts to move into first gear, we can be tempted to think back to yesteryear and ponder the ‘if only…?’ question. Not that reflection is a bad thing mind you, indeed, done purposefully it can be positive. That said, there is a lot of wisdom in what Walt Disney had to say. Curiosity is what impels us to move forward.
Every December brings with it a certain amount of joy, exuberance, and happiness. Every New Year brings with it a renewed sense of optimism, hopefulness and most likely a heightened sense of prosperity for the year ahead.
Why do we still remember the fallen and all who served, 100 years after the guns fell silent? Indeed, why celebrate Independence Day on 4 July or even Martin Luther King Day?
The answer is simple. All of these events are comprised of people who have left a legacy for us to honor and remember. We value those who fought to defend our freedom and indeed fought for our independence. We value the people who have contributed so much to our world, that we are still the beneficiary today. Simply put, they left a legacy!