Welcome to the new look Leading Edge newsletter.
We’ve refreshed the format and experience of our monthly Member update in response to the way Members engage with the Institute. I hope you enjoy the simpler and more contemporary layout that makes it easier for you to read and find the updates that interest you the most.
This year, managers and leaders have had to find the right balance in everything we do. The shift to working from home meant that many of us were required to handle distractions, additional demands on our time and unfamiliar thoughts and emotions while still focusing on our business goals. It helps that we are part of a community here at IML ANZ that understands how crucial that balance is. In fact, this need for balance, especially when it comes to your professional development, guides our entire approach at the Institute.
The term “head, heart and hands” is a common reference used to describe holistic and balanced learning. The “head” refers to the knowledge we acquire while the “heart” represents the emotional and human connections that impacts our learning. Finally, the “hands” represent how we apply both new knowledge and new behaviours through our actions. I’d like to use this month’s edition of Leading Edge to showcase some of the Institute’s best “head, heart and hands” offerings this quarter.
It’s easy to identify knowledge; it sits at the foundation of the services we provide our Members and their businesses. Recently we held another Virtual Development Day, which focused on providing managers and leaders with the knowledge they need to build resilience. Attendees received many practical tips, guides and frameworks that they could implement immediately. The event – and the resources from each session – was provided free of charge to all IML ANZ Members. If you missed it, make sure to check out the session recordings featured in this newsletter.
Another service provided by the Institute is the annual Australian National Salary Survey (NSS). This provides managers, leaders and HR professionals with the data and market analyses they need to guide their remuneration and employee engagement decisions. The October release of the 2020 NSS Update, and the two supplementary reports, offers you the chance to receive valuable insights into the current Australian employment market.
Undeniably, it is our Member-community here at IML ANZ that, when it comes to developing better managers and leaders, comprises the heart. We have all faced similar challenges and staying connected with like-minded managers and leaders offers valuable opportunities to grow and develop. The Institute is committed to its role in bringing managers and leaders together. Indeed, several upcoming Member events feature IML ANZ Members as guest speakers and as expert panellists. I would encourage you to take the opportunity to learn from the experiences and insights of your fellow Members by registering for a face-to-face or virtual event.
A crucial aspect of a leader’s role is to help others to lead well. In this sense, the “hands” of the IML ANZ Membership experience is represented by our industry-leading mentoring program, called Member Exchange. The mentoring relationship is a unique forum for experienced professionals to share knowledge and leadership thinking. It is also an excellent means for our Members to support one another. I encourage you all to sign up to become a mentor. You never know whose leadership journey you’ll get to play a part in shaping!
As Members of IML ANZ, we really do stand to gain the most value out of the Institute’s leadership community if we engage actively and when we support the leadership journey of others. It’s then that we are able to have an impact on the leadership community in the most meaningful way – by shaping the future of our profession.
Keep leading well, always involving your head, heart and hands in everything you do.
John Withers CMgr FIML
Chair of the Board