The Department of Veteran Affairs was established in 1976 to support veterans and is charged with the responsibility of delivering government programs for war veterans, members of the Australian Defence Force, members of the Australian Federal Police, and their dependants. As with most Government Departments, it has many critics & many negative stories attached to it. Yet the upside and proven outcomes as a Department are undeniable. I recently joined DVA as a Director of Program Delivery, to inject some lived experience into their ongoing work.
Beginning a leadership role in a remote environment has presented both challenges and opportunities. Particularly for someone with my background as a veteran and a person with a disability (PWD). The inherent communication, collaboration and connection barriers are the immediate concerns as somebody starting a role siloed, with my colleagues placed around the country. Yet, I see this as an opportunity to leverage my past experiences in the Army, my adaptability, and my problem-solving skills, while capitalizing on the benefits technology offers to PWDs. There has been a healthy dose of imposter syndrome introduced to my daily psyche. I wonder how long until that dissipates?
One of the most significant challenges in remote leadership I anticipate will be maintaining clear communication and team cohesion. The steep learning curve of any new job has been made a little more challenging as we have maintained the post covid era of model of working from home. The spontaneous learning opportunities presented through the passing comments from desk to desk, live feedback or general ‘water cooler conversations’ are the pearls of knowledge that I picked up from my previous new job’s. The onus is on me now. Technology as I have stated previously as beneficial as it is, can sometimes add barriers to effective communication, with technical issues or lack of understanding of new systems. or reliance on asynchronous tools. However, I can draw from my military background, where structured communication and maintaining unit cohesion were essential in high-pressure situations. In a remote setting, I will implement those lessons, using technology to ensure there are clear communication channels and regular check-ins, while also empowering the team to make decisions autonomously when needed. Nobody likes Micro managing!
Being a Government role, I’ve had to get my head around the various tools and new platforms in operation. The remote working model has certainly accelerated the use of platforms such as Microsoft Teams, an intranet & file sharing platforms, etc. This technology allows me to remain flexible in terms of my work from home days & in office days. As a PWD, this is crucial, allowing me to work efficiently from home while managing my personal needs and professional commitments. Switching from an Apple MacBook Pro, notoriously accessible, to a Windows Surface Pro has been difficult. The layout of the keyboard on apple suited my poor dextrous ability, the voice to text options that came embedded in the system made long written piece’s simple, now I find myself fumbling around the smaller keyboard of the Surface Pro and having to learn how to navigate the added on software of ‘Dragon”. The long term benefit of adopting these new systems and software actually allows an example to be set and further champion the benefits of employing PWD into workplaces. But for now, it’s a lot of typo’s and cursing at my screen as I fumble through the early stages of adopting to Dragon.
My experience as a veteran and a PWD also allows me to lead with empathy. After having experienced the ‘Veteran journey’ from enlistment, medical separation, transitioning to civilian employment and everything else that goes with it, I understand firsthand the challenges veterans face when transitioning into civilian careers or when feeling disconnected from their teams. Similarly, as someone who has had to adapt to physical challenges, I have an understanding of the specific barriers that others may face. No doubt my experience’s within the ex service organisation sector and the Field have been invaluable in terms of building knowledge, capability and the network that follows, will serve me well down the track. For now though, it’s time to take on a whole new language of acronyms, terms and processes, before I add my own touch to the role myself.
We all process information in our own way. For those who have moved into a new role recently, here are some helpful tips that you could implement to allow for a smoother onboarding.
- Ask questions- It’s a new job, you would be expected to know a little, but not everything! Showing the vulnerability of being unaware will earn you respect and gain knowledge!
- Ask for feedback- How else will you truly know if you are on the right path? Weekly 1:1’s or fortnightly 1:1’s set aside with your manager are a great start.
- Get to know your Manager/Boss- Work out their leadership & communication style, find out what they want for the business and work toward achieving that. P.S. What anybody’s manager or leader wants/likes/desires in business is something I have made my priority. Don’t be a suck up though ;).
- Set goals- Clear & achievable goals for you as a team member, eg. 90 day goals. Visualise them and stick to them.
- Bring a notebook and pen/writing materials into every meeting. Always take notes. Year 1 or year 20, this will always be essential.
I have spent the past three years telling employers around the country about the ‘why’ and the ‘how’ of employing PWD, the benefits of employing us, now it’s time to put that into practice myself. I am proud to have served, when I needed it most, the men and women I served with supported me & now I get to repay that goodwill in my new role.