After 10 years working in Adelaide with BADGE SA and Chappell Builders, I relocated with my family to Brisbane full of enthusiasm and excitement. My initial observations regarding the Brisbane office were positive: I was managing a loyal and competent team, but one which was lacking cohesiveness. As I started to get know my team individually, I was impressed with their experience and knowledge, but I knew if I was going to help grow the business, I was going to have to start with improving the culture.
Over the years I have found a collaborative, hands-on approach is the best way to lead. Be it on site or in the office, I love understanding what our staff are doing, their skills and how we can support them to grow. Being visible goes a long way in building relationships with your people. We spend time training and supporting our leaders with this understanding and to ensure consistency throughout the group. We expect our teams to uphold values through all areas in the business, to keep each other accountable, and I expect my team to do the same for myself.
I strongly believe in organic growth. Young staff grow into solid performers by providing the right opportunities at the right time, I myself am an example of this. We can encourage and formally train staff as much as we like, but nothing is better than real-life experience. In Brisbane we have nine staff aged under 25 who are empowered to take charge of their development through our Club 25 program incorporating leadership networking, trade contractor education sessions and formal projects presentations, all while building their network and peer relationships.
Socialising with your colleagues isn’t everyone’s idea of fun but from experience I can tell you that it’s one of the best opportunities to build relationships. In Brisbane we have focused on holding regular social club events, from Friday night drinks in the office to days out at bowling clubs or the races. Through the newly-established BADGE Foundation, our staff also have the opportunity to select community causes of interest to provide financial and hands-on support, which creates a common goal and further opportunities for networking.
The 2019 BADGE Brisbane office cricket match participants. Brisbane Manager Bradley Watts is pictured on the far right.
When it comes to recruitment, we don’t fit people to roles, we fit roles to people and then train appropriately to ensure they have the necessary skills. It’s hard to define competence in a 30 minute interview. The true level of competence in our system comes with time, with development customised to an individual’s learning style and capability. At BADGE we do challenge our people on compliance and understanding all in the effort to ensure a sustainable future for our staff and organisation.
We look to hire people who can contribute to our organisation and bring their own sense of self with them. My own working and life experiences have led me to the way I approach leadership. Positivity, enthusiasm, inclusiveness and encouragement are all traits I am proud to espouse and ones that you will see when meeting me in person.
BADGE Brisbane’s outlook is positive. Our staff retention rates have improved and are now above the industry average, and our team are engaged and connected to all levels of management – just ask them! A positive environment with opportunity for growth and development, coupled with encouraging market opportunities, points to a bright future.
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