"In 2019, this department of customer service [was] created. And I think the mission at the time that we were set was to make New South Wales the world's most customer-centric government. And that's the mission that we're on." - William MurphyWe are wrapping up our interviews on a high note with a jam-packed episode of inspiration featuring William Murphy, NSW Government's Deputy Secretary for Customer Delivery and Transformation.Host, David Pembroke, chats with William about some of the key changes that have occurred since switching to a customer service mindset."Well, I speak to a lot of public servants to talk to them about this. And what we've got in New South Wales government, we've got a set of things we call the New South Wales customer commitments. These are things that we've pulled out of our research over years that are the things that customers expect from us. And they are things like they expect our services to be easy to access. They expect us to respect their time when dealing with us. They expect us to make clear to them what might be the outcome of their interaction with government." - William MurphyMentioned at the most recent Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) conference for Public sector communications, NSW Government has set a precedent for how Communications should be."The story of New South Wales digital transformation is being shared with governments around the world. Because I think where you are at... I think you're leading the way and you've carved this path." - David Pembroke In addition, the pair discuss the importance of having one touchpoint for critical life events like marriages, births, and deaths. Discussed in this episode:Becoming customer-centricThe importance of research and innovationWhy you should "just get started""The only advice I'd have for people is really just get started. It's not rocket science and it's not huge stuff. Some of the things that we started in now, we have a programme of work called Government Made Easy. Sounds pretty simple. " - William Murphy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Our collective governance has evolved over time... based on what we've learned and what the opportunity is and who's involved. So, it's never a static thing... We're always open to going, "Oh, this is how we should pivot," or, "This is how we should reframe what we're about," ... we're looking at ... bringing new people to the table to help us think about how we can get more impact." - Tiffany Petre In the latest episode of the Collective Engagement for Social Purpose podcast series, we chat with Tiffany Petre, Director of The Obesity Collective as well as Dr.Taylor Willmott. The Obesity Collective is a national platform for committed individuals and organisations from across the community who are taking on the obesity challenge together from a whole-of-society and systems perspective. "[People] don't understand the many environmental drivers [of obesity]...For example, many healthcare professionals or the everyday person in Australia wouldn't know that when you lose a lot of weight, your hunger hormones increase and your metabolism decreases, and that fights people's ability to maintain weight loss or lose weight." - Tiffany With host, CEO of contentgroup, David Pembroke, Jodie and Tiffany discuss how to impact change through shared purpose."The complexity of some of the issues that are being faced, particularly in public health, are characteristic of problems that do not have one solution ... Everyone has their only invested interest in the problem, and that just makes solving a problem so much more difficult.... we've seen ... [that] understanding how you can bring diverse groups of people together to focus on a shared purpose and a common vision [is so important]. " - Dr. Taylor WillmottImportant Links for this episode: The Obesity Collective website: https://theobesitycollective.org.au/The Weight Issues Network website: https://weightissuesnetwork.org/The Obesity Evidence Hub: https://www.obesityevidencehub.org.au/A Public Health Research and Practice series on obesity and the narrative: https://www.phrp.com.au/issues/october-2022-volume-32-issue-3/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the GovComms chair this week is the Director of Communication with Cushman & Wakefield, Ben Roberts. Ben is an experienced strategic communication expert with comprehensive experience in the Australian Public Service and in the Australian Defence Industry.A Navy veteran, Ben has spent the last several years in senior communication roles in the Defence industry and prior to that he was a senior speechwriter in the public service where he wrote for Ministers, agency heads, the Senior Executive Service, ambassadors, and more. He was also a political adviser many years ago.Ben talks about how he began his career in communications with host, CEO, and founder of contentgroup, David Pembroke."What I really cut my teeth on was speech writing, especially. Lots of speeches, lots of constituent correspondence and things like representations to ministers. That's where somebody will come in and say, "I need your help with this matter. Can you please write a letter to the minister on my behalf and kind of flag this issue with them?" Doing lots of that kind of work. Also, things like op-eds, media releases with the Cumberland Newspapers and all that kind of stuff. It was really great"The pair also discuss how best to communicate with ministers offices. Who to befriend, and how best to leave your mark. "Always make friends with your EAs and your EOs, they're the gatekeepers to your senior executives and they're a very important person for you to be friendly with because they can be influential and they can also give you more information when you need it. And you don't necessarily want to bother, you don't want to bother your DepSec, but you can talk to the EO and get the information that you need out of them. That's really important."The two discuss some of the best advice to help government communicators engage effectively with citizens, to help build community, and to help restore trust in government. Some of this advice includes your communication being frequent and sincere, clear and concise and understanding context. "Firstly, you need to be clear, and that's a point in really all communication and something that I'll return to time and time again when discussing this with people, which is don't ever try and sound clever. Go for clarity instead. Clarity over cleverness every day, all the time. "Discussed in this episode: The importance of contextThe future of communications Why you should utilise your LinkedIn Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"When you're in a meeting... you've got the opportunity to observe, [so] take the minutes of the unspoken. The unspoken in where people sit, what the body language is like, who's talking the most, who's chairing and why, who are they listening to? There are power dynamics in every relationship, especially where we come together as strangers to get things done." - Melinda MaddockIn this episodes of GovComms we are lucky to be joined by the author of the book How to Train Your Political Animal; A Power Handbook for Changing Yourself and Your World.Melinda Maddock is a Tasmanian based Author and Strategist whos involvement in political discussions and social justice cases stem from her primary school days where she first organised a sit - in on the playground.Following the bombing of Libya by the US, Melinda generated a petition that garnered more than 75,000 signatures and presented it to former Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke."when I was in year nine, it was international year of peace, and I was watching the news and the US bombed Libya. I was pretty horrified at the time and anxious as kids were in the '80s. Also, you know, afraid of the cold war that was going on.So, I was just sitting there getting upset about it. I remember my mom was ironing at the time and she said, "Well, what, what do you wanna do about it? What can you do about it?". And then, we talked about it and came up with the idea of having a petition which started off being with Tasmanian school students, a petition for nuclear disarmament."To see image: https://blog.govcommsinstitute.com/podcast/ep138-how-to-train-your-political-animalWithin this episode, David also discusses with Melinda her newly released novel "How to Train Your Political Animal; A power handbook for changing yourself and your world". The pair break down what motivated Melinda to write the book as well as some of the books key takeaways:"Politics is not a dirty word. Some people are afraid of it. They think other people are better at it than they are. They think they don't wanna be involved in it. So, the message is when you don't participate, you're leaving the decisions to people who may be more self-interested than you. ""The best way to influence change is to listen." "The other lesson is don't sleep walk. So, stay awake, pay attention, especially to the power dynamics that are going on around you"Practise curiosity over judgement  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of GovComms we discuss all things Change 2022. Change is an annual event that is tailored to individuals who are focused on achieving measurable change that benefits people, communities, and the planet. During the 2-day conference, you will learn from people with a track record of delivering positive health, environment and social change. You will network, collaborate with and learn from a wide range of people offering their own experience in delivering policy, practice and behaviour change.Date: 20th and 21st OctoberVenue details: Building S05, 2.04, South Bank campus, Griffith University, 226 Grey Street, South Bank QLD 4101Ticket pricing: General registration ($499)Student, Griffith Staff, AASM Member registration ($399) Livestream registration ($100)(All pricing (excluding livestream package) is inclusive of access to two workshops, catering and access to the networking event)Change 2022 features:A line-up of over 20 speakers who will be sharing their change stories in TED-style talksOpen mic sessions for up to 20 delegates to share their stories and/or get any questions answeredYour choice of 2 workshops to take an even deeper dive into the world of changeA Network Evening event to connect with fellow change agents from around the globeWho should attend? Directors, Founders, Entrepreneurs, Managers, and Officers that are dedicated to pursuing behaviour change in:Government (Federal, State and Local)Not-for-profit, Non-profit, NGO, CharitySocial enterprise, Social businessAcademiaCommercial industryTo register for this event: https://www.griffith.edu.au/griffith-business-school/social-marketing-griffith/change-conference Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a new series for GovComms we will be going along for the ride to follow the journey of the University of Adelaide's latest multi-year, multi-phase research project, which is called Collective Engagement for Social Purpose.For this new series, we will regularly be joined by Dr. Taylor Willmott and Professor Jodie Conduit, who are from the university's business school.In this weeks episode, we catch up with Jodie and Taylor to discuss some their key findings so far.As a recap, the project emerged as a culmination of several projects and research across several sectors. However, all projects and research had in common one thing... how organisations could better engage with their stakeholders to drive improvements in both their products and the service offering's. This latest research comes from the position that stakeholders aren't passive recipients, that they are people that you want to engage with to make change, to work better with them, and to really drive that enhancement in everything that you do."In the interviews, respondents have discussed shared purpose and a sense of social purpose in slightly different but related ways. I think ultimately it's our why. It's your reason for existing and for being. They spoke about things like, "It's our DNA. It's actually our North Star and the things that we're striving to achieve, but ultimately it's something that we all align on and can connect with in some way." - Dr. Taylor WillmottDavid, Jodie and Taylor discuss factors that can help create that sense of sharedness ("if that's a word" - David). Alignment for all parties is one aspect the others being transparency and clarity."Getting people all on board and getting aligned in their understanding with a shared purpose is actually a concept that has challenged us a little bit in understanding it because in our interviews, people talk about the need to have alignment and a shared purpose, but they also talk about the need to have diversity and different opinions and different roles and different people at the table" - Professor Jodie ConduitFor the NHS paper mentioned in this episode head to: https://blog.govcommsinstitute.com/podcast/what-we-found-collective-engagement-for-a-social-purpose For more information about this research: https://business.adelaide.edu.au/collective-engagement-for-social-purposeIf you have any questions about this episode or would like to get involved in this research please reach out to Dr. Taylor Willmott via: [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Reputation management is not just communication, but for our team, it means not over promising and under delivering." - Evan Ekin-SmythThe final four principles are discussed in part two of our conversation with Evan Ekin - Smyth, Director of Media and Digital Engagement at the AEC. Evan also discusses some of the strategies the AEC uses to stay ahead and on top of the narrative in this episode. "A lot of the operation of the command centre was about operational delivery, but we have a little media hub within our command centre and it allows us to be right there, knowing what's going on, getting the information. So it allows us to get ahead of things, but it also allows us to respond if there's an issue going." - Evan Ekin-SmythAlso discussed by Evan and David is the Social Media Operation's Group or SMOG, the labour hire staff that provided assistance to the core team during the election in responding to social media inquiries. He then explains more about the operation, which has three tiers: SMOG Queens, SMOG Kings, and as David labels it, the SMOG Emperor. Evan Ekin-Smyth: "So we always had roistered on both a Social Media Operations Group Operator, who we called a SMOGGLE, and a SMOG Queen to enable those things to happen. And then if a SMOG Queen was finding content that they thought was particularly sensitive, it would come either to me or a colleague to..."David Pembroke: "Kind of SMOG Emperor, if you like."Evan Ekin-Smyth: "And it's all a little bit jovial, but it worked really well. We were having a look at the structure seeing on what we can improve there, but it served us very, very well to get through what was a ridiculous amount of content."Finally, The pair discuss why it was so vital that the AEC meet regularly with social media organisation's. Discussed in this episode: Reputation Management The inner operations of the AECMedia and Communications Training Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) played an important role in keeping the recent Federal Election in Australia on track.Our latest two-part series features Evan Ekin-Smyth, director of media and digital engagement at the AEC. Starting at the beginning, host David Pembroke, CEO of contentgroup, walks with Evan through the early stages of his career."I think you spend, I don't know how much it is, but half of your waking time at work. If you're not doing something that you enjoy, you're probably doing it wrong. I had a look at the field of media and journalism. I thought it looked interesting, that we could do interesting things like having chats to your good self David, and that's a good place to be."The AEC's Twitter account during the election became a major talking point. The account fought hard against misinformation and disinformation online and the team behind the witty tone were responsible for responding to 150,000 tags on social media through that six week period."I started the AEC's Twitter account. I remember writing the document to our executive who probably picked it up with a bemused look on their face and thought, "Do we really want do this?" Luckily they said, yes, because I think it's been a good thing for us."Both episodes in the series cover the 6 key principles Evan and his team used to keep on top of the narrative. Some of the topics covered in part one include:The need for speedHow the AEC produced content in real-time and whyThe importance of being open and regular onlinePart two of our conversation with Evan comes out on the 7th of September. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"If you did something that wasn't risky and no one even looked at it, what was the point? I don't think it's successful communication. It might be good internally...but if you're actually thinking about who you're communicating with and what you did no one saw and no one interacted with, I don't think that's worth it.' - Tim PriceOn this weeks episode of GovComms, host and CEO of contentgroup, David Pembroke, is joined by Tim Price the new digital content and social media manager at the Federal Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. David begins by exploring where Tim's career began - working for Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff. Tim explains "when I look back on my career, I was like, "Well, that's really where it all started." Back then, there was no such thing as a digital career. There was no such thing as a career in social media. So I travelled the wave of the constantly changing nature of digital and social media and into government as well."The pair discuss the challenges of a new narrow cast world and the importance of building a sense of community no matter the type of communications you are executing.On top of this, the one key takeaway from this episode is the importance of building connections. Tim explains that making connections with individuals throughout your organisation can greatly benefit you when it comes to having a seat at the table from the get-go."For people who work across various government departments, you really need to get in on the conversation very early. I think if you are sitting in a space where you just get things at the end and they're all approved and all you're doing is putting that message out, it's very hard to change things at that point. Whereas, if you're brought in early or you worked to build up those relationships where you get brought in early on a project, you can work on those things at the very start. "In this episode, we also break down: Why evidence is so important in strengthening the argument for your strategy.The importance of building connectionsWhat tactics you can use to better grab the attention of your audience. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"There are so many opportunities to make sure that every element of what we do is actually usable and accessible. And I don't mean just accessible in terms of being able to be accessed by screen readers and that sort of thing, but accessed and understood by the general public generally is a challenge." - Deborah RiceOn this weeks episode of GovComms, Deborah Rice, Content Strategy & Editorial Lead at Office of the eSafety Commissioner, chats with CEO and Founder of contentgroup, David Pembroke about the current climate of eSafety and the importance of creating usable and accessible content.The pair begin by reflecting on Deborah's time at the ABC and what skills she has transferred to her role at the eSafety Commissioner. In this episode the pair hone in on the modern best practise of having the subject matter expert, the technologist and the storyteller sit at the table together. Deborah explains that creating accessible, unique content cant be siloed but rather, the process needs to be a collaborative experience amongst various teams. "What we did is brought together an office wide meeting where we actually look at the content production and design schedule. So we could ensure that everyone in the office knew what we were putting out. And there's also a column there for the marketing team and a column there for the media and communications team. So they've got line of sight right from the beginning on a resource." This episode also touches on how traditional methods of communication may need to be adapted to reach a wider range of audiences."A lot of those things that you use as a communicator to make content warm and friendly and snackable can actually be problematic for low literacy audiences where there's ambiguity or where you are using idioms that might make it very familiar to a large part of your audience, but might actually exclude and in fact, misinform other people within your audience." Discussed in this episode:Creating accessible and usable contentThe current climate of eSafetyHow to engage a broad spectrum of audiences Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we are joined by CEO of the Digital Skills Network (DSO), Patrick Kidd.Patrick and host, CEO and Founder of contentgroup, David Pembroke, discuss the importance of developing digital skills. The pair first begin by addressing what digital skills are, how to upskill your employees in digital skills and how companies can make better use of their employees digital skills. "A classic example is core part of this is almost like it's language and awareness. We tend to find that lots of people are automatically not enamoured by the idea of a digital career, not enamoured by the idea of accruing digital skills, and that's so often because of the language that we use which is impenetrable and tends to talk technology that nobody really understands. So, how do we actually move away from using this complex language to talking really simple language?" - Patrick KiddDavid and Patrick continue to discuss how government should be thinking about this skill acquisition. Patrick explains that "there has to be a sort of a tacit recognition of the fact that no matter what job you're doing, the job itself isn't necessarily changing, but the way that the job is being done is changing". According to Patrick, without the full support of leadership, employees may not be able to develop their digital skills as quickly. Discussed in this episode: How government can aid the development of digital skills Why developing digital skills can improve efficiency What core skills underpin successful interactions with systems Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a new series for GovComms we will be going along for the ride to follow the journey of the University of Adelaide's latest multi-year, multi-phase research project, which is called Collective Engagement for Social Purpose.For this new series, we will regularly be joined by Dr. Taylor Willmott and Professor Jodie Conduit, who are from the university's business school.The project emerged as a culmination of several projects and research across several sectors. However, all projects and research had in common one thing... how organisations could better engage with their stakeholders to drive improvements in both their products and the service offering's. This latest research comes from the position that stakeholders aren't passive recipients, that they are people that you want to engage with to make change, to work better with them, and to really drive that enhancement in everything that you do."We were thinking about how we can bring people together to generate, not just engagement at an individual level, but engagement really at a collective level, where we know from work that we'd done to drive change in any sector... But, we need to have engagement among groups. And we wanted to do that in a really meaningful context. And we didn't want to be, I guess, tied down to any one sector. So we started to think about this notion of collective engagement towards, or driving a real social purpose in society. And, our discussions really took off from there." - Jodie ConduitThe project will advance knowledge on how managers, consultants, and leaders can cultivate a shared commitment among a group of individuals or team toward a common cause that benefits the broader community and their environment.The trio also discuss how Government can play a crucial role in bringing together community initiatives to help drive behaviour change."I think government really is an enabler, a facilitator of change. But I think more than that, when we get movements happening that have become bottom up movements, ultimately, you do need someone to come in and provide some level of structure and organisation. And, for real change to happen in the long term, you really do need the government to take ownership and share responsibility." - Dr. Taylor WillmottFor more information about this research head to: https://business.adelaide.edu.au/collective-engagement-for-social-purposeIf you have any questions about this episode or would like to get involved in this research please reach out to Dr. Taylor Willmott via: [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Your host, CEO and Founder of contentgroup, David Pembroke, is joined by two of the OECD's policy analysts, Karine Badr and Carlotta Alfonsi, to discuss the OECD's Report on Public Communications. The trio walk through some of the key findings of the report and share the process in which the data was obtained. Amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, government was rushed into the opportunity of utilising new digital channels for engaging with and listening to citizens. The OECD report was based on the OECD 2020 Understanding Public Communication Survey results provided by 46 countries and the European Commission. The questionnaires targeted centres of government (CoGs) and ministries of health (MHs), to ensure both a whole-of-government perspective as well as a sectoral one from a key service-providing ministry were captured."Citizens actually look at the government as unitary. They don't understand or necessarily care about the silos of the internal bureaucracy of government. So when they see disjointed or not coordinated messages coming their way, it can create confusion, and it can actually undermine the efficacy of each of the communication of different ministries that might on their own be quite well crafted and effective. And I think COVID-19 provided a very good demonstration of the need for coordination and most of all of cohesive communication." - Carlotta AlfonsiThis episode touches on the key challenges faced by government communicators. For example, more than three quarters of CoGs (76%) and MHs (79%) identified lack of human resources and skills as one of the top three challenges in conducting core communication functions. Another point the trio touch on is that of evidence and data. Specifically its place within the current structure of many governments and its challenging demand for a specialised skill set."The issue about structures and capacity really links to kind of ensuring that public communication is considered as a profession in itself. And it's historically not always been the case, but as any profession it requires standards, guidance, skills. And so we've really seen how capacity, structures, skills, training came up for most countries that we've talked to. " - Karine BadrTo view the executive summary of the OECD report click hereDiscussed in this episode:Research process for the OECD reportThe key Findings of the OECD reportChallenges faced by Government communicators*01:00 The OECD is not an international organization but rather an inter-governmental one. *03:33: The survey for the report was launched in January 2021 and not 2022. David Pembroke has recently released a blog focusing on the key takeaways of the report which can be found here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"We often think of performance in a pejorative way, as though that's a bad thing. The thing about performance is that if it is genuine and a reflection of the message that you genuinely feel and want to communicate, then the performance component of that is just the way in which you manage to achieve that task most effectively." - Richard MorecroftIn this episode of GovComms we are joined by Former principal news presenter for ABC Television, Richard Morecroft. Speaking of where his love for broadcasting began Richard shares that "I was just fascinated by the whole gamut of being able to potentially be a broadcaster, be an ABC announcer, which is what I wanted to be and eventually auditioned to be and was fortunate to get a job to be."Host, CEO and Founder of contentgroup, David Pembroke, breaks down with Richard the key components of making a good communicator; "A communicator who wants to do the best possible job needs to understand what they look like, what they sound like, how they come across, and that understanding, being able to look at themselves and to make a professional, genuine assessment is a hugely important skill."The pair touch on how technology has paved a new path for government communications and Richard exclaims his optimism for this new age. However the discussion also explores the challenges faced by communicators such as reduced audience attention span, reduced event significance and the difficulty of breaking through the huge amount of information available online.Discussed in this episode: The importance of genuine, honest communication Presentation skills every communicator needs Why one needs to check the motivation, purpose and message of their materialTo contact Richard Morecroft: [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this weeks episode, we bring you part two of our interview with the CEO of the Open Government Partnership (OGP), Sanjay Pradhan.The current war in Ukraine, Sanjay explains, is providing a window of opportunity for democracies to ban together and challenge authoritarianism. "I believe in galvanising action, I believe in galvanising coalitions ...to get to the root of the problem. One route is a stronger Western alliance, or a democratic alliance as you said, but another route must be to really empower citizens and make real reforms " - Sanjay PradhanSanjay chats with CEO and Founder of contentgroup, David Pembroke, about the importance of holding social media platforms accountable. He shares his thoughts on the use and misuse of information and how information can be used to polarise citizens. The pair touch on why citizens need a voice in policy and how comms can be used as a positive medium for citizen engagement. Being citizen centric involves a three way communication consisting of government to citizens, citizens to government and governments to respond and provide feedback directly to the citizens. Finally, Sanjay and David discuss Open Government Week coming up between the 16th and 20th of May. The event is a giant festival for open government across the globe. Inviting government, civil society and other reformers, the event harvests an opportunity to start co-creating reforms that can really make a difference. For more information head to: https://www.opengovpartnership.org/events/open-gov-week-2022/ Discussed in this episode: The war in Ukraine's impact on democracyThe importance of government communications Putting citizens back in the heart of government Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This weeks GovComms podcast welcomes a special guest, the Open Government Partnerships CEO, Sanjay Pradhan.Sanjay joined the OGP in May of 2016. Before reaching the OGP, Sanjay served as the World Bank’s Vice President for Leadership, Learning and Innovation and the Vice President of the World Bank Institute, and the Director for Governance. Host, CEO and Founder of contentgroup, David Pembroke, chats with Sanjay about the mission of the OGP and its role in tackling governance challenges faced by ordinary citizens. Using three examples from Nigeria, Ukraine and Costa Rica, Sanjay breaks down the impact of the OGP in the real world. The pair explore the true impact OGP has in making governments more transparent, more participatory, more inclusive, and more accountable"When you think of democracy, you think of the ballot box, citizens cast their vote, but all these problems existed beyond the vote. They continue to not get these services. So OGP is a way to indeed focus on the ballot box, but also beyond the ballot box empowering citizens to shape and oversee their government every year, every day, not just once in a few years when we cast our precious vote. "The pair also discuss how digital technology has influenced transparency of governments.Sanjay discusses how OGP can counter the rise of authoritarianism by tackling both domestic and external drivers.Be sure to tune in to the Next GovComms release for Part two of our discussion with Sanjay. Discussed in this episode:Building Citizens trustInclusion of Marginalised groupsTaking democracy Beyond the Ballot box. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This weeks episode of GovComms welcomes, Melanie Gibbons Communications Advisor at Elm Communications. Melanie has over eighteen years’ experience in communications across government, not-for-profit and the private sector in Australia and the United Kingdom. Before moving into consultancy, Melanie worked in the Commonwealth Government for over a decade. Your host, CEO and Founder of contentgroup, David Pembroke opens by asking Melanie how she found moving from working in government to the private sector; "I decided to... have a bit of a break from being a public servant. I never thought of myself as a very good public servant. I always tried to break the processes and break the mould a little bit, but now I've actually found that is a really good grounding for going back and working into government because I understand procurement, I understand the hierarchy. I understand what's like working with the minister's office."Melanie shares her insight that going back to basics may be the next thing for government. She explains that "we've gotten quite caught up in social media and creativity and video production and animation and delivering all the big shiny things, which I think are amazing. But what we know is that trust in government has decreased and continues to decrease." In order to tackle this decline for citizens trust in government, Melanie suggests 'going back to those basic strategy skills, stopping and thinking about who your audience is, worrying less about the grand production that you could put on and going, "Well, where are my audience and what are they reading? What do they need to know and what's the information they need?". Melanie's discussion with David closes with the topic of Human-centred design and how it is the at the core of good communication planning. Discussed in this episode: Top tips to maximise trust in citizensThe core of good communicationWhere to find good communicators Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this GovComms episode your host, CEO and Founder of contentgroup, David Pembroke chats with Stephanie Speck, the Executive Director and Chief Comms Officer for the Department of Education & Training, Victoria.The pair begin by discussing the topic of truth. How to encourage someone to speak the truth, why you should speak the truth and why your external perspective as a communications professional is valuable.Stephanie shares where her journey began... in Papa New Guinea. She explains that "people are people are people anywhere in the world", that you are able to love all people, and that once you see the humanity in every person you meet, this is something that's very easy to do. This outlook on the world started her journey towards wanting to fix problems and issues she felt were unfair, inequitable or got in the way of people exercising their human rights.David and Stephanie also touch on the battle between expediency and resilience."I think that really undervalues the strategic power of comms. Comms, if its about changing things, is a management tool. You use it to understand where your problems are... so you can move to a tactical perspective on where you want to be. " - Stephanie Speck.Discussed in this Episode:Changing the narrative through engaging with your audience onlineWhy you cant have a strategy without content anymoreYou don’t need to know everything but you need to know people who do.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joining us on the podcast today is Phil Brown, Founding Partner & Advisor at The Growth Activist, a strategy and communication consultancy that turns provocative thinking into action.CEO and Founder of contentgroup, David Pembroke chats with Phil about the importance of strategy. They discuss how communications has changed in recent years and why strategy has become the centre of good communication. Phil explains that understanding strategy is what allows for a successful plan, they are intertwined.David asks what skills communication teams need in the digital age to be successful. Phil states that storytelling is fundamental to effective communication and audience engagement. A second important point is to give attention to junior members of teams. These members of your comms team should be well-versed in strategy and plans - which ties in to the pairs later discussion of skill development and investing in your team. "Innate curiosity... that's the bit that has to be inside you. I don't think that can be taught. but the [Journalists] nose... I think that can be taught" - Phil BrownDiscussed in this episode:The importance of learning and developmentWhat skills a good communicator needsHow to get organisations to commit top developing skills Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this GovComms episode we travel to the windy city of Chicago to chat with Tyler Masterson; the CEO and Co-Founder of True Roll. True Roll is an innovative, Chicago-based start-up company focused on helping governments maintain accurate tax data so that property tax burdens are distributed equitably among citizens.Host of GovComms, CEO and Founder of contentgroup, David Pembroke, discusses with Tyler the importance of inclusivity not only in the office but through interactions with customers. The pair also touch on the challenges of convincing governments to use data to solve their problems. They discuss the power of data and that winning the work is "much like a relationship and referral based game". Tyler shares his experience of starting True Roll and explains "governments are hard to convince that what they are doing can be improved. You might hope that they are progressive risk takers but in fact they are usually lagger at some technology curb and so convincing them to do their work in a different progressive way can be challenging."The episode concludes by reflecting on the power of software and why governments should "skill - up" on their data skills and understanding. Discussed in this episode: Challenges of government acceptance in a new data driven ageThe importance of getting infront of the humanWhy you need to find a niche Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week’s GovComms Podcast, Andrew Bell takes the host chair as he asks guest CEO and Founder of contentgroup, David Pembroke his latest thoughts on the future of government communications.The pair discuss how government departments should begin to think like a media company's and have a content strategy to improve internal communications. There is an opportunity for communicators to add value to organisations by becoming an enabler of cross-functional teams, according to David Pembroke.David and Andy also discusses the need for government to clearly communicate to its citizens in this age of misinformation and disinformation. Making use of emerging, relevant platforms and the importance of putting the citizen before the message, are all aspects covered in this episode. Discussed in the episode The future of Government Communications How to optimise digital technology where we are going next in the world of Communications Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We bring some of our best episodes back to work in this special GovComms Podcast episode.  Join your host, CEO and Founder of contentgroup David Pembroke take a walk down memory lane as we highlight key discussions covering crisis communication during COVID-19, storytelling, content communication, and more. Tune in as government communication professional Dr Neryl East provides insight into how you can ensure that the audience you need to reach understands your story.Professor Michael Cardew-Hall at ANU states that the key to crisis communication is to get messages out to the community broadly and as as frequently as you can. Andrew Babington, Team Leader for Change and Communications at ACT Policing and David Pembroke discuss their thoughts on the future of content communications.And according to Tess Salmon, the General Manager of External Affairs and Communication at Western Sydney Airport, when communicating about a new policy, you need to understand the audience and which parts would resonate with them the most.Discussed in this episode: How to communicate in a crisisCommunicating policy's effectively The importance of narrative Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To move forward, it is often good to reflect. In this GovComms podcast episode we turn the tables on GovComms podcast host David Pembroke to get his take on 2021.  This podcast deep dives into lessons learnt and challenges faced in the year coming to a close. Nothing is off limits.In the hosting chair is an old friend of David's, Andrew Bell. The pair begin by talking about David's introduction to communications and why he transitioned from mainstream media to helping government improve their communications. David stresses the importance of having a story that is consistent and can be connected to over a period of time. He shares that in order "to be effective you need to think very clearly and very carefully about what you are going to say."As there has been an evident shift in the way people communicate as a result of this pandemic, governments "can see that they need to take advantage of this ability to be able to go direct" say David. Discussed in this episode What was learnt in 2021The richness of social platforms Where to from here? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Effective communication is like creating the perfect Martini or mocktail according to Phillip Jones. The Director of Marketing, Fundraising and Communications for St Vincent de Paul for Canberra/Goulburn shares his wealth of consulting experience, which includes being the “Martini Whisperer”, with the GovComms podcast. GovComms host, CEO and Founder of contentgroup, David Pembroke, has a fun and insightful conversation with Phillip about getting back into the swing of things following two rather isolating years. The pair discuss how much time should be invested into promoting meaningful and constructive  relationships. Phillip is a big fan of narrative.  He defines it as one of the most important parts of communication. He also discusses the importance of face-to-face communication in a world where technology is increasingly part of the way we work. Discussed in this episode: Importance of a narrative Why context is vital How we can communicate in the new year. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This GovComms podcast episode welcomes back Roger Christie, the Founder of Propel Group.  Following on from part one, CEO and Founder of contentgroup David Pembroke discusses all things P-L-A-N Framework (Profile, Listening, Action and Network) with Roger. The pair deep dive into how the P-L-A-N framework can/should be implemented and what leaders can gain from Propel Groups recent White paper investigation.  The episode also explores the importance of purposeful brand building. In Rogers words, " Through building a purposeful digital brand, leaders give themselves the greatest opportunity to protect their own reputation... to build trust and rapport with stakeholders." Roger stresses that participating in discussion on social media are more important than ever. Staying silent and hoping 'it will pass' is no longer the way of the future. The main findings of the report stressed that participation protects reputation.  Discussed in this episode:  - Using social media in a human way - Recommendations for approaching building a brand  - Why visibility on social media is so important for leaders Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Want to learn how you can use social media effectively as a government communicator?  This week’s podcast features Founder of Propel Group, Roger Christie. Growing up in the world of Public Relations, Roger now focuses on everything social media. This podcast in particular investigates the role of social media and its influence on government communications. Founder and CEO of contentgroup, David Pembroke, asks Roger tips to start conversations in organisations that are notoriously risk-averse when providing responses quickly to events online. Roger then stresses the importance of not tyring to sell social media, but rather see social media as a meeting point. Continuing the conversation, Roger talks about the importance of understanding the environment in which your organisation is operating to avoid mistakes in a public and permanent forum. In Roger’s words, “Don’t build a fort in a battle”. Discussed in this episode: How to position social media as a way to overcome barriers The P-L-A-N Framework Role of Individual vs the organisation Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s GovComms episode we welcome Ian Andersen, who throughout his 35 years of active service at the European Commission focused on improving communication for Europeans. As discussed with the podcast host David Pembroke, within Ian’s role as Participatory innovation adviser, Ian aimed to create real engagement in co-creation with stakeholders.This was reflected even in the online format discussions during COVID-19. David and Ian also discuss Ian’s journey as an Interpreter. He explains that intuition, a deep understanding of your mother tongue, and an understanding of conversational language, contribute greatly to the success of an interpreter. As Ian puts it in the episode, “only by really focusing on listening will we get to results that are sustainable”.Ian sheds light on the importance of getting everyone involved in policy-making discussions. He states that by working in a participatory policy-making framework, the level of openness reduces lobbyists, and is the most productive way of involving stakeholders. Ian states, through this listening process, stakeholders “can collectively arrive at much more refined solutions than they would be able to produce by simply providing a position on white paper.” The pair end the latter part of their discussion with a focus on how to effectively harvest and host conversations.Discussed in this episode:• Why communication is leadership made flesh• How to develop your listening skills• Hosting and harvesting conversations Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Want to learn how you can use data to identify, plan, and manage risks? This episode of the GovComms Podcast features conversation between contentgroup CEO and founder David Pembroke and Adam Rowland from the commonwealth department of health. Over his career Adam has spent around 15 years in the private sector, working in evidence-based consulting. This has included roles in large consulting firms like Kantar Public and Ipsos, as well as some time spent in running his own company, Better Intelligence. The pair begin by discussing evidence-based policy making, delving into how this area is growing because of technological development and new digital demand. David asks what government communicators need to keep in the front of their minds when contributing to effective research; leading to discussion on clear objectives and scope of what you are trying to achieve. David and Adam end by touching on Adams views of what is required for communication and engagement to grow in terms of teams Discussed in this episode: Assembling a research programme Tips for establishing and contributing to effective research The growth of communication and engagement Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For today’s release of the GovComms Podcast contentgroup’s CEO and Founder, David Pembroke, speaks with Zoë Routh, author of the 2020 Australian Business book of the year - People Stuff, about all things leadership. Zoë Routh is the Owner and Director of Inner Compass Australia Pty Ltd. With over 30 years’ experience showing teams struggling with office politics and silos how to work better together, Zoë is a leadership expert in people management. Zoë discusses her introduction to team building and leadership. The pair then move on to talk about the importance of embracing challenges and good times or  ‘embracing the suck’ as Zoë puts it.  The podcast ends with Zoë sharing tips and tricks to become a great leader. Specifically, she highlights,  instead of being an ‘achiever’ be an ‘amplifier’ type of leader, to build up the capability of those around you. Discussed in this episode: The Power Paradox How leadership has changed over the years What you can do to make an impact in the Australian Public Service. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With our first ever GovComms Podcast guest from Iceland, contentgroup CEO David Pembroke speaks to Mike Klein, an internal and social communication consultant with an interest in developing the field of communication leadership through his #WeLeadComms initiative. Based in Iceland, Mike has worked in a broad range of editorial, communication planning and research roles. Having completed his MBA at London Business school, Mike has authored "From Lincoln to LinkedIn, the 55 Minute Guide to Social Communication," a manual for mobilizing peer-to-peer communication in communities and organisations. He also owns "Changing the Terms", which has been recognized as one of Europe's top PR and Communication Blogs by Communication Director Magazine. The pair begin by discussing the importance of understanding and expanding on your vocabulary.  Stressing that politics and businesses can, and will interpret vocabulary differently. Mike and David touch on the role of establishing clarity in a meeting from the outset. They also talk about presence and awareness as well as how if you execute with authority and humility, your ‘effectiveness can go through the roof.’ Mike explains #WeLeadComms and how communication leadership is  his focus for the #WeLeadComms Open Conference on September 23rd (Europe and the Americas), October 29 (West Coast) and October 30  (Australia & New Zealand). To learn more about #WeLeadComms check out their virtual open conference:: Australia and New Zealand: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/open-conference-on-the-future-of-communication-leadership-pacific-edition-tickets-170427431034 Europe and the Americas : https://www.eventbrite.nl/e/weleadcomms-open-conference-on-communication-leadership-tickets-158893056409?aff=scriptdoctor The pair end by discussing working remotely and how understanding the organisation you are working with is vital to the level of your effectiveness out of office. Discussed in this episode: Expanding your vocabulary How to establish clarity The #WeLeadComms initiative and what you can learn from it Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Todays release of the GovComms Podcast features a discussion with Katrina Macdermid, Director of KayJayEm services. Katrinas unique skillset has provided training and consulting for many agencies including the NSW Police Force, Sydney Metro & NSW Health who have all embraced Katrina's human approach to information technology (IT). Katrina is a contributing author to the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) 4 official publication and has written white papers explaining how to incorporate human-centered design into IT service management. The pair begin by discussing the development of her own innovative approach called human experience agreements. Katrina explains that when negotiating service level agreements with big providers, grabbing contracts from a year to three years before and simply updating them is no longer acceptable, and needs to change in order to prevent ‘watermelon reporting’. Katrina goes on to state the importance of the customer and employee experience in relation to IT and why service providers need to come along on the journey. Katrina explains how, through service integration and management, she bought service providers along for the journey to see how they could collectively contribute to an organisation’s outcome. David and Katrina go on to talk about creating personas through human-centered design. She advises communicators to be mindful of who you are communicating to, how they like to be communicated to and who is the decision-maker within their eco-system. The pair end by discussing the importance of IT and the role those within the field have played throughout COVID-19 to remobilise organisations. Discussed in this episode: The importance of IT within the field of communications How to implement and use human-centered design What human experience agreements can do for organisations   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of the GovComms Podcast, contentgroup founder and CEO, David Pembroke, speaks to Brigid Glanville, Deputy chief of staff at NSW Government for the office of Hon Bronnie Taylor. Skilled in Crisis communications and Government relations, and close to over 20 years of experience within the communications industry, Brigid, prior to working in government worked for the ABC reporting on government, business and politics In this conversation, David and Brigid discuss her shift from reporting on politics to now working in government. Brigid talks about how although she loved her role at ABC, she wanted to develop her knowledge within the world of politics and make policies. She discusses how skills learnt from her career as a journalist have transferred to her role as chief of staff; such as taking complex content and breaking it down into plain English for the general public to understand, to thinking critically and fast in government. David and Brigid discuss how our perceptions of government are often incorrect. Such as time frames for passing policies as well as how many layers are involved in doing so. She explains for some, the transition of going from a solo journalist to working in a team environment may be tricky. To end, Brigid explains that one of the greatest benefits of going from journalism to government is the understanding of consistent and appropriate messaging in times of crisis. Discussed in this episode: The importance of trust in communications. How the skills of journalism can be applied to the world of politics Why it is so important to challenge and push yourself out of your comfort zone. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of the GovComms Podcast, contentgroup CEO David Pembroke speaks to Laurian Hubbard, a CIPR Fellow and award-winning Chartered PR Practitioner.  Based in Wales, Laurian is currently the Head of Engagement for Welsh Parliament, having previously held senior positions in 10 Downing Street and Cabinet Office. She is also the Founder and Co-President of Women in PR Cymru as well as, an International Board member of Global Women in PR, and a Chartered Assessor for the Chartered Institute of Public Relations. In this conversation, David and Laurian discuss the difference between parliament and government. Within this exchange, Laurian explains the importance of having a variety of teams with specific roles. From the events team to the outreach team, she stresses the importance of communication between these teams in order to get messages out to the public despite covid restrictions.   Laurian also explains how important it is to stay on top of where audiences are, whether this is TikTok, Facebook, or Instagram. She expresses the vitality of staying on top of technological developments.   Laurian stresses how important it is to actually care for people, whether this is your clients, audience or your team. She expresses the difficulty of shifting from working in person to working from home as a result of COVID-19. However, she does provide some tips and tricks that have enabled her to form and keep relationships with those you work with through a screen.   David and Laurian finish off their conversation looking at the work Laurian has been doing with Women in PR Cymru. Discussed in this episode: How lessons from your past can shape your path in the future. What we can do to encourage women in the communication field to take the next step in their careers. The importance of taking the time to reflect on and grow from your experiences. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of the GovComms Podcast, contentgroup CEO David Pembroke speaks to Sean Larkins, the Global Director of Capability at WPP Government and Public Sector Practice. Located in London, Sean has led projects in Europe, the Middle East, and across Australasia where he has helped improve communications functions and strategies. In this conversation, David and Sean discuss the big changes and challenges that WPP has experienced as a result of the pandemic. The pair also discuss the leaders report released in 2017 that identified a number of structural difficulties within communication as well as a deficit of trust. Based on Seans discussion surround the leaders report, David questions whether those within government communication areas are exhausted and are they ready to go again when responding to COVID-19? Sean explains that there is a sense of exhaustion throughout the government communication realm and that those specifically in lower tiers of Governments such as city halls and town shires. Following on from this, Sean discusses capabilities and how there has been a shift to smaller channels such as social media, user-generated content and streaming services. Sean also emphasises the need to support citizens in making sense of their situation through a sense of facts and security. The podcast ends with David and Sean chatting about the new leaders report that was released in June through WPP Leaders report, free of charge. Discussed in this episode: How can we ensure we do not exhaust the communication efforts of those in Government? What communication teams can do to help build and grow their communication reach. How to get to grips with shifts in communication habits such as consumer skipping of ads. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of the GovComms Podcast, contentgroup CEO David Pembroke speaks to Communications Manager for the city of Tigard and one of the founders of ELGL, Kent Wyatt . Located in Portland Oregon, Kent Wyatt has been working in local governments for over 18 years with positions ranging from management analyst, legislative analyst and now, communications. In this conversation David and Kent discuss the importance of local governments and how their immediate impact is detrimental to the well-being of the community. The pair discuss the belief that individuals have a larger suspicion of governments in the US over that of other nations. Kent also explains that ‘new blood’ in communications is imperative to have in government sectors. There is a need to use these new talents as a means of reaching all aspects of the community especially in the age of COVID-19. Following on from this, Kent discusses how a ballot measure aimed at providing funding for parks and recreation forced a shift in his local governments tactics in reaching communities. Through technology and more engaging content such as interviews, YouTube, podcasts and Facebook lives. The podcast ends with David and Kent chatting about how Kent has adapted new communication abilities to meet rising content marketing demands.  As well as discussing the importance of trust between Governments and communicators. Discussed in this episode: How can relationships be built in communications? What can we learn from the pandemic through the lens of local governments? The importance of communities in government communications. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of the GovComms Podcast, contentgroup CEO David Pembroke speaks to a highly experienced media adviser and communications professional, Tess Salmon. Tess is currently the General Manager of External Affairs and Communication at Western Sydney Airport. Before this she had roles as the Director of Media and Communication to Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack and Media Manager for the NSW Police Force. In this conversation David and Tess discuss best practice communications during a crisis. Telling the story of how she responded on the spot to the Martin Place siege, where she was a media adviser at the time. Here she explains how it is important to stay calm and use your communications skills to instill confidence in other people. Tess also explains in detail how the day of the siege played out and how this moment has impacted her and given her lessons that she has taken into her career. Following on from this, Tess chats to David about her small business that she used to run, AUBE Communications, and what caused her to move from roles working in crisis communications to strategic communications instead. In this episode Tess also discusses her previous work as a journalist and how she utilises her skills in this field in her work today. David and Tess finish off their conversation looking at the work Tess is completing in the preparation for the new Western Sydney airport. How do you communicate the importance of this airport to such a wide audience? Discussed in this episode: What can everyday communicators learn from crisis communications? How can communicators learn from journalists? The importance of learning from every experience within your career. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of the GovComms Podcast, contentgroup CEO David Pembroke speaks to strategic communication adviser, change manager and project manager Merrin Fabre. Merrin is currently leading the corporate communications team at the Victorian department of Families, Fairness and Housing. When not doing this, she is working with the IABC Victoria where she is currently their president. In this conversation David and Merrin discuss alignment and what you can do as a communicator to help others within an organisation get on ‘the same page’. What skills do you need in order to do this? How do you decide on the overarching view of where your organisation is going? Merrin also draws on her previous experience from working at the CSRIO and how she helped leaders, scientists and engineers within the organisation understand the importance of communication. Following on from this, Merrin explains that a communicators approach is not always the correct approach. That is why, when it comes to deciding on how to run your organisations communications, you must compromise your thinking and work with others from various sectors within your organisation to decide on the best approach that fits all. In this episode, Merrin also discusses how to utilise company values to drive culture and to drive change. How do you help leaders understand the importance of values in their decision making? David and Merrin finish off their conversation looking at how the pandemic has affected government staff in Victoria. How have they built resilience and continued to move forward? Discussed in this episode: How to align those within your organisation. The importance of collaboration in creating a ‘best fits’ communications approach. Why values are essential to driving change within your organisation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of the GovComms Podcast, contentgroup CEO David Pembroke speaks to the President of PA Social, Italy’s National Association for ‘new communication’, Francesco Di Costanzo. Joining us from Florence, Italy, Francesco is an expert in government communications, having over 16 years’ experience in the sector, as well as authoring many books discussing ‘new communication’ within the Italian government. In this conversation Francesco discusses how government communicators in Italy have adapted and changed their roles to help quickly and effectively communicate emergency information during the COVID-19 pandemic. Francesco discusses the tools that these communicators have utilized to do this, as well as how they have worked with different social media channels to help relay information from the government to the citizens. Following on from this, Francesco draws on his experience and insights to share some of his top tips for social media managers who work within government departments around the world and how it is vital now more than ever that we know how to use social media to our advantage. In the episode, Francesco also discusses the work that he and the team at PA Social do and how them and their members work together to help improve digital communications for government. David and Francesco finish off their conversation looking into the future, reflecting on where they see PA Social going in the next few years. To get in contact with Francesco and the team at PA Social, visit their website or alternatively connect with Francesco on LinkedIn. Discussed in this episode: How COVID-19 shaped and changed government communications in Italy. Why Social Media is an essential tool to government in 2021. What is PA Social and what role do they play in Italian government communications. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of the GovComms Podcast, contentgroup CEO David Pembroke speaks to the Founding Director of Social Marketing @ Griffith, Sharyn Rundle-Thiele. Joining us from Queensland, Sharyn is an expert in all things social marketing. Drawing from her background in commercial marketing, her current research focuses on applying marketing to benefit both people and the planet. In this conversation Sharyn discusses the true meaning of marketing and explains to us why it is one of the most misunderstood terms in the corporate world, and how we as communications professionals can learn to explain marketing to the world in the correct way. Sharyn also explains how effective good social marketing can be, using as an example a project that her and the team at Social Marketing @ Griffith worked on where they used social marketing to successfully reduce the death rate of Koala’s by dogs. Following on from this example, Sharyn shares with David and the audience some tips for creating a successful social marketing campaign, and how these steps can be incorporated into the work of all communications professionals. In the episode, Sharyn also shares with us how she feels digital technology has changed and evolved the communications professions. David and Sharyn finish off the episode focusing on the future of Social Marketing @ Griffith, and where Sharyn sees the organisation 12-18 months from now. To get in contact with Sharyn and the team at Social Marketing @ Griffith, visit their website where you can learn about all the courses that they offer on Social Marketing and find all their contact details. Discussed in this episode: Why is marketing such a misunderstood term? How social marketing can create behaviour change. Tips for creating a successful social marketing campaign. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of the GovComms Podcast, contentgroup CEO David Pembroke speaks to Agile Delivery Adviser and Digital Delivery Transformation expert, Sonia Irwin. Sonia has worked in Canberra for over 25 years and is currently working with the Department of Agriculture, Water and Resources as well as directing her very own practice, Redgrass Communications. In this conversation Sonia discusses the role that Agile Delivery plays in Communications and explains to David how it is different from strategic communications. She explains that being ‘Agile’ is all about keeping a flexible mindset and rebranding yourself or your organisation. Sonia also shares her view on company vision and mission statements, and what steps you should take to create not only a good, but effective one. Your vision should be an ‘elevator’ that helps bring those in your organisation to where you want them to be. Using her insights gained from user testing and research, Sonia also speaks to her love of IT, however acknowledges that people can sometimes get lost with it, particularly when it becomes a bit intense with tools such as coding. As a result, she tells us the important role she plays in translating ‘tech speak’ to publics, and how she goes about doing so. In the episode, Sonia also shares her advice to government communicators at a time where the industry is going through rapid change due to the result of the COVID-19 pandemic. David and Sonia finish off their conversation looking into the future, discussing what Sonia hopes to achieve in her career in the next few months. To get in contact with Sonia, contact her on LinkedIn. To learn more about Agile Delivery, visit either Sonia’s company website, Redgrass Communications or the IABC Discussed in this episode: What is Agile Delivery and how can it assist you in communications. How the communications landscape is changing in regard to ICT. The importance of an effective company vision and mission statement. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of the GovComms Podcast, contentgroup CEO David Pembroke speaks to communications coach, mentor and speaker, Chris Huet. Chris is based here in the Nation’s Capital where he works as a Communications Coach for Understood Consulting Services and a Speaker Coach for TEDxCanberra. As well as this, Chris has also led a fighter jet squadron and performed his very own poetry on stages across the globe. Taking all his skills and experiences into account, in this podcast Chris speaks to David about how people should communicate from ‘the COCKPIT’, a terminology her gained from his time in the air force. Chris explains the importance of reflection and how people, particularly those in business, don’t take enough time to reflect on their meetings, conversations or days in general, and how this is potentially damaging to them. He shares with David tips on how to fix this and how to fit reflection into your everyday schedule. Further breaking down his COCKPIT terminology, Chris talks about the importance of being considered and consistent in your communications message.  He explains the role that emotion plays in messaging and why we must utilize it in order for our messaging to be successful. Chris finishes off the terminology by describing how to use trust and how to build it for the long term in order to bring all of the steps of COCKPIT together. Trust is the key to communication and is what Chris believes will unlock the full potential of any communication plan or strategy. David and Chris finish off the episode by discussing some quick tips for speaking in front of crowd, such as an ‘iron man’ posture, and how to project your voice. To get in contact with Chris for tips on your own communications, engage with him on LinkedIn or contact him through Understood Consulting Services website. Discussed in this episode: How the COCKPIT terminology will assist you in communications. The importance that trust and relationships play in maintaining strong communications with stakeholders. Why communication skills are vital for every career, not just someone who works in comms. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of the GovComms Podcast, contentgroup CEO David Pembroke speakers to cognitive psychologist, Barbara Tversky. Currently located in New York, Barbara is a Professor of Psychology at Columbia Teachers College as well as a Professor Emerita of Psychology at Stanford University. She has conducted extensive research into the areas of memory, language, spatial thinking, event cognition, extended mind, diagrammatic reasoning, design, gesture and creativity. In this podcast, Barbara shares with us what she has learnt about the brain and how her research on gesture and movement can benefit communicators when trying to get an audience to understand or learn about a certain concept or idea. Barbara explains how the brain is quite complex, and as a result, when you are trying to get a group of people to understand something, you must do so in a way that easy for the brain to understand. She goes on to explain studies which she has conducted that prove how using gestures play a big role in helping someone understand a concept or remember a set of rules that they have to follow. However, with the COVID-19 pandemic seeing people separated and having to communicate through video conferencing platforms, such as zoom, more often, Barbara explains the difficulties that this holds for communicators and what changes she feels need to be made to these services, to allow the most effective forms of communication. Barbara explains that gesturing is a natural way of communication, and that it should be used. She also explains to David that humans are visual thinkers and therefore should not shy away from trying to visualize ideas and concepts to their audience. We end the episode with some tips from Barbara on how government communicators should use gestures and graphics to their advantage. Discussed in this episode: How our brains understand information and concepts and how we can best communicate them to one another. The importance of gestures and the research that proves how effective they are. How to communicate effectively when face-to-face options are not possible. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of the GovComms Podcast, contentgroup CEO David Pembroke speaks to the Founder and President of the Gen Z Identity Lab, Anya Dua. Living in Miami Florida, Anya is the youngest guest to have ever joined us on the podcast. At just 15 Anya has appeared in The New York Times and Forbes, sharing her views on an array of political and social issues that the world faces. She is determined to change how the media views her generation and works hard to educate, inspire and empower her peers. In this podcast, Anya discusses the purpose and mission of the Gen Z Identity Lab. She also shares her thoughts on how Generation Z is viewed by the rest of the world and explains why they should be an integral part of government communications. From an idea in year 8, to the business it is now, Anya shares her story of how the Gen Z Identity Lab came to be and what the important research that the Lab conducts on Generation Z, means for government communications. Anya also touches on how the political landscape has changed globally and as a result their generation cares about and is involved more than ever in politics, and what this will mean for the future. David asks Anya what Generation Z can bring to the political table. Anya explains that no one understands Generation Z, like Generation Z, meaning that their role in a business can help create messages that target the audience best, especially when it comes to creating content for social media. Finally, we end the episode with an important message from Anya, to decision makers from around the world, on what you can do to help make their generation be heard. Discussed in this episode: What the Gen Z Identity Lab is and why it is important to the world of government communications. Why Generation Z care more about politics than they ever have before. How decision makers can utilize this generation to create more targeted messages to their audience. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of the GovComms Podcast, contentgroup CEO David Pembroke speaks to the Principal Advisor to Proximity, Kerri Hartland. Before joining Proximity, Kerri was the Secretary of the Department of Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business. Throughout her thirty-year APS career, Kerri was also the Deputy Director General of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO). In this podcast, Kerri discusses her new role in government consulting at Proximity. She gives her thoughts on the evolving role of consultants in the public sector. Kerri explains how her background and skills as a journalist and a communications professional translated into her role as the Secretary of a major government department in Australia. Kerri reveals what it is like being a Secretary in the Australian Public Service (APS), shining a light on the job of some of the most important people in government. What skills are needed to become a Secretary? What is it like briefing a government minister? How do you get a Secretary’s attention? Kerri discusses what she enjoyed most about her career in the APS, including what her favourite roles were. She reflects on what she did well as Secretary, and what she could have done better. She gives some advice on how public servants should interact with department heads, and how communications professionals can get their foot in the door of a Secretary’s office. Kerri and David examine the changing media landscape in Australia, and what this means for government and communications professionals. They also discuss the coming COVID-19 vaccination campaign, and what communications professionals and APS leadership should know about the road ahead. Discussed in this episode: What it is like working as the Secretary of a major government department in the APS. The skills of a journalist, and their relevance to a career in the public service. The career of Kerri Hartland, a journalist and communications professional who ascended to the highest rungs of the public service ladder. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this special episode of GovComms, contentgroup CEO David Pembroke speaks to listening expert Oscar Trimboli. Oscar Trimboli is the host of the award-winning podcast Deep Listening and is also the Author of Deep Listening: Impact Beyond Words. He is considered one of Australia’s foremost experts on the topic of interpersonal listening. He is also a consultant to organisations such as Google, Qantas, News Corp, PayPal and TripAdvisor. As a consultant, Oscar helps executive teams perfect their listening skills to the benefit of their customers and employees. In this episode, Oscar discusses the importance of interpersonal listening. He explains how improved listening skills can lead to a more positive and collaborative workplace. Oscar also explains the five levels of listening and how to improve each of these in order to reap their rewards. Oscar goes on to talk about the listening skills required to be a great leader and gives advice for government communicators about how they can improve their practice by advancing their listening techniques. This interview is a recording from the 2020 GovComms Festival, which featured hundreds of speakers from around the world. To view more content from the GovComms Festival, please visit the GovComms Institute website. Discussed in this episode: The five levels of listening and how to unlock them. The importance of listening within government, and how government communicators can improve their listening skills to the benefit of citizens. Practical advice on how to become a better listener. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of GovComms, contentgroup CEO David Pembroke speaks to Howard Parry-Husbands about how systems thinking can be used to solve complex problems. Howard is the CEO of Pollinate, one of Australia’s consulting and market research leaders in the world of branding, innovation and communications. In his spare time, he is studying a Masters in Systems Thinking and Forestry at the Australian National University. Howard and David discuss the definition of systems thinking, which Howard believes is: the recognition that everything is related to everything else. This means that a solution to one problem can inadvertently create another problem. In order to use systems thinking to solve these complex issues, Howard explains how we first must understand the key parts of the complex system which we are working with. He explains this using the Murrray Darling Basin as an example. Howard believes that humans are bad at understanding complexity, and better at understanding cause and effect. Therefore, we need to use metaphors, visuals and storytelling to communicate your complex message to the public. As an example, Howard compares how the COVID-19 pandemic was dealt with in Australia, New Zealand and the US. Howard believes that this comparison highlights the effects of what happens when systems thinking is put in place, compared to when it’s not. Howard also gives his opinion on the single-message strategy, and how it is incompatible with an understanding of systems thinking. According to Howard, governments regularly make the mistake of giving one message to multiple audiences (the single-message strategy). Discussed in this episode: What is systems thinking, and how can it be used by communications professionals? The benefits of understanding systems thinking from a policy perspective. What is the single-message strategy, and why do governments need to stop using it? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of GovComms, contentgroup CEO David Pembroke speaks to Shey Dimon about the role that government communicators need to play in communicating cyber security messages. Shey is the Marketing and Communications Manager at Penten, an Australian cyber technology company based in Canberra. Shey has over a decade’s worth of experience working in communications in and around government. In the past she worked for the Head of Australian Defence in Washington DC, as well as the Marketing and Communication Manager at BMT. Shey and David discuss the best resources that communicators can use to understand the world of cyber security. Shey explains the value the government’s official cyber security strategy document that was released in August last year. Shey runs through some tips that everyone can use to minimise their chance of being the victim of cyber security attacks in the future. Shey explains why it is important to tell someone immediately if you have experienced a cyber-attack, whether it is in the workplace or at home. Shey states that government workplaces need quarterly updates about what they should do to avoid cyber-attacks, as well as information on recent attacks that may have happened nearby. To make things interesting, Shey recommends using other companies who have been breached by a cyber-attack as a case-study that you give to employees for them to learn from. This podcast also explores the work of the company that Shey works for, Penten. In 2020, Penten created technology to all those who work in Defence to communicate both securely and flexibly. These technologies allow Defence staff to work from home, which in the past was seen as a near impossible scenario. Shey also discusses her opinion on Artificial Intelligence (AI), and how AI can be used as an offensive and defensive tool. Shey believes that AI is something that Australians should not be scared of. For more information about Penten: https://www.penten.com/ Discussed in this episode: What communications professionals need to know about cyber technology. How we can all shield ourselves against the threat of cyber-attacks, in the workplace and at home. The work and achievements of Australian cyber-technology company, Penten. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of GovComms, contentgroup CEO David Pembroke speaks to Zora Artis and Wayne Aspland about their recently-released research that is now available on the GovComms Institute. Zora Artis is the CEO of Artis Advisory and an alignment strategist with almost three decades of experience working with government, private, and non-profit sectors. Wayne Aspland is the Principal at The Content Factory. He has more than fifteen years of experience in corporate, leadership and internal communications. In this podcast, Zora and Wayne discuss their recent study: The Road to Alignment. The pair firstly discuss the definition of alignment, which they believe as being all about unity. This study is a follow-up to their 2018 study into strategic alignment, which found that many organisations struggled with their alignment strategies, and that this was because people either didn’t know how to align or they were not committed to it. Since writing this paper they realised that COVID-19 has caused some organisations to be more aligned and others to be less. Working remotely has played a role in this, as well as other variables that were present before the pandemic hit such as having ill-defined values. Zora and Wayne have created a four-step strategy: one VISION, one STORY, one TEAM and one VOICE. The pair discuss this strategy step-by-step in this podcast episode, explaining that these steps involve gaining support from an organisation’s executive team, creating a narrative about your organisation that resonates with your staff, and working together with them to ensure that this narrative is communicated by the staff correctly and effectively with each other and the public. Zora and Wayne show that communications done well can act as a fundamental enabler for alignment. To read Zora and Wayne’s latest paper visit: https://contentgroup.com.au/govcomms-institute/ To find out more about alignment visit: The Content Factory: http://www.thecontentfactory.com.au/ Artis Advisory: https://www.artisadvisory.com/ Discussed in this episode: What is alignment, and why is it important? How has COVID-19 impacted the level of alignment in organisations? What role do communications professionals have to play in improving alignment? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special episode of the GovComms Podcast, contentgroup CEO David Pembroke speaks to Donnie Nelson, the General Manager of the Dallas Mavericks basketball team which competes in the NBA. This podcast is a recording of a session from the 2020 GovComms Festival. To see even more content from the GovComms Festival, please visit the GovComms Institute website. Over the coming months, we will be uploading all of the content from the Festival to the website, so stay tuned! In this episode of the podcast, David and Donnie discuss the secrets to bringing a team together and sustaining high performance over a period of time. Donnie explains why he thinks the secret to leadership is understanding the ‘human business’. Donnie is one of the most successful and respected General Managers in basketball. He brought together the Mavericks team that won the NBA championship in 2011. David and Donnie also discuss how the Dallas Mavericks have been able to bring together people from a wide array of backgrounds. They discuss how to unite a diverse group of people around a common goal. Donnie explains that a commitment to winning an NBA championship is the first, second and third most important quality in a player. Donnie claims that too many people in basketball are ‘blinded by talent’, and that not enough focus on motivation, drive, integrity and teamwork skills. Donnie explains how he managed to get everyone in the Dallas Mavericks organization, from the owner Mark Cuban down to the ball boys, united behind a common goal. Donnie also discusses the importance of listening, communication and patience in the development of high-performing teams. Discussed in this episode: How Donnie Nelson uses communication and listening practices to get the best out of elite athletes competing in one of the biggest sports in the world. The Dallas Maverick’s victory in the 2011 NBA Championship. How the Dallas Mavericks have been able to unite a team, and an organization, around a common goal, and how non-sporting teams can implement those same techniques. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.