1. Following the Leader Jess Holmes, City of Greater Dandenong
Pranjal Pawar, City of Banyule
Harry Hansen, City of Kingston
Stuart Joyce, Morphum Environmental

2. Agenda Where do we start?? Research What do we want from our leaders?
Trust
Compassion
Stability
Hope
Findings
How can YIPWEA (and IPWEA) help

3. Where do we start??
We were asked to present on the followers perspective. But what does this mean and how does it relate to Public Works?
As engineers we are often put into roles that may include a combination of leadership and following
We decided our focus for this presentation should be on behalf of our Young IPWEA members. Technically this covers all members U35, but we always welcome:
Young in your career
Young at heart
Willing to shout a round
So now we had our focus, but where do we start??

4. Research
Being resourceful engineers, we thought we’d use work completed by others to help define our direction
Gallup Research team asked 10,000 followers what the most influential leaders contribute to their lives
Four key basic needs were identified:
Trust
Compassion
Stability
Hope
We wanted to find out from our YIPWEA members whether these needs were met by their leaders, and if not, how they could be

5. Trust
Building trust is considered an essential activity in managerial leadership.
However, the task of building and maintaining trust is complex.
“Trust is like a forest. It takes a long time to grow and can burn down with a just touch of carelessness”
So, to what extent do we trust our leaders?

6. Trust
How much trust do you have in your leader/manager/director? (1-10)
Over 80% of the scores are 7+
Good sign that in general there is already a high level of trust between employees and leaders in local government.
So, what exactly do we look for within our leaders to build trust?
Percentage of Respondents
(%)
Scale of Trust
(10- very high, 5- reasonable, 0- none at all)

7. Trust
What do members of the Young IPWEA look for to gain trust in their leaders?
Honesty & Transparency
Have open Communication
Are Consistent with their actions
Provide ongoing Recognition

8. Trust
What do members of the Young IPWEA look for to gain trust in their leaders?
Show Generosity
Share Mutual Trust
Clear about their expectations. People trust the clear and mistrust or distrust the ambiguous. 
Are Inclusive
Fair

9. Trust
In summary, Trust can’t be built overnight. It requires time, effort, diligence, and character to foster trusted relationships.
“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”.
There is a strong link between Trust and Compassion.

10. What is Compassion?
Compassion is understanding how someone feels in a particular moment and being able to show support
Compassion is not Thought with the Mind, but is Felt with the Heart
Compassion is a self realization from within which ripples out into the relationships we share

11. How Compassionate are our Leaders?
How compassionate do you believe your Leader/Manager/Director is? (1-10)
80.95% of the scores are 7+
Overall we have a high level of compassion amongst our Leaders

12. How do our Leaders show Compassion?
How does your Leader/Manager/Director show compassion to you in your day- to-day work?
Mentor/Mentee Relationship
Guided Support
Work/Life Balance

13. Compassion as a Pillar of Leadership
Compassion is what brings us together and lifts us higher as a collective
With compassion and understanding for all – we can create a sustainable future

14. Hope
A feeling of expectation and desire for a particular thing to happen
“There’s something inside that they can’t get to, that they can’t touch. It’s yours. Hope” Andy Dufresne, Shawshank Redemption
But do we get a sense of hope from our leaders?
2017 Premiers

15. Hope
Does your leader/manager/director make you feel enthusiastic about the future? (1-10)
76% of the scores are 7+
Good sign that in general there is a level of hope already in local government.
But what are our Young IPWEA members looking for?

16. Hope
What gives you hope and inspiration for the future of your company?
Opportunity and openness
new opportunities
employer invested in my development
An excellent team culture
A plan for me to see what the future holds
Growth and development of staff
Working towards a common goal
Loyal Customers
Public works provide stability, good base for hope to start
 Hope creates an aspirational factor among all the things that you're trying to do in your organization, and it gives people a reason to commit

17. Stability
At the basic level, people need to know there is consistency in their jobs
Its hard to get work done day-to-day if you are insecure about the future of your organisation
So, how stable do we feel in our jobs?

18. Stability How much stability do you feel there is in your role?
Over 70% answered 7+
Do you think there is likely to be more stability in your role in public works over the private sector?
85% said “yes”

19. Stability How leaders support/encourage/enhance our sense of stability
Encourage professional development of employees
Provide opportunities for growth
Support experience in other parts of the organisation
Stability and hope are linked;
Balance of providing a stable foundation while giving followers hope and inspiration for the future
When asked what gave them hope for the future of their company, a top response was stability in Local Government

20. Overall findings
Largely our YIPWEA members appear to find trust, compassion, stability and hope from their leaders, with the majority of scores being over 7/10
Key summary points include:
Trust isn’t built quickly, but typically founded on clear and honest communication
Compassion and understanding is the glue that bonds us together
There is a balance in providing a stable foundation while giving followers hope and inspiration for the future
However the survey has shown that there is always room for improvement and we have identified a list of key attributes and actions that our members want from their leaders.
But we also realise that both Young IPWEA and IPWEA should play a key supporting role in developing and supporting leaders (and followers)

21. What do we want from our leaders?
The key recurring themes that came through included:
Communication
Clear and open communication
One on one meetings ( a cup of coffee can go a long way)
Direction
Current role and future opportunities
Help develop good career paths
Professional Development
Provide mentoring
Promote attendance at external opportunities
Help develop networking skills
Challenge me

22. What do we want from our leaders?
Team/business goals
Be transparent and share them
Trust us to help achieve them
Positive workplace environment
Social interactions
Compassionate and understanding in tough situations
Support and assist with high workloads
Good work/life balance
Recognition
Acknowledgement of achievements
Provides honest feedback but also positive reinforcement

23. What can we as YIPWEA do?
There are a number of areas where YIPWEA and IPWEA can also help (and continue) to provide support:
Professional development:
provide events with a technical focus (as well as a social side!) in a cost effective manner
Technical support and advice through systems like “ask your mates”
Career paths: on-going interaction with senior IPWEA members for advice and guidance (formal and social)
Networking: Provide opportunities for interaction with peers at all levels