HOW WE CAN MAKE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BETTER
Over the past few decades, communities across Australia have experienced a significant erosion in social capital. This decline in trust and relationships has had a significant negative impact on many local councils. Although a lot of focus is given to the anger and frustration in our communities, this decline in social capital is also creating a more combative and less cooperative decision making environment within councils.
But despite this there are many optimistic local government leaders out there who believe the sector can be made better. That regardless of budget constraints, fractured community dynamics and challenges with recruiting and retaining staff, local government continues to be an important force for good.
If you’re one of those leaders I’m hosting a series of intimate, small-group conversations to discuss how social capital impacts the functioning of local government and what can be done to cultivate and maintain it.
These sessions are designed for those of you who:
- Know the status quo is not sustainable and want to see change
- Seek to understand and address the root cause not just the symptoms
- Want to develop relationships with like-minded leaders.
With local elections fast approaching, now is the perfect moment to have a different conversation. One that has the potential to steer the way local government operates in a more positive and progressive direction.
Important Information
- Each session will last approximately 45 minutes
- These conversations will not be recorded to ensure a free and open exchange of ideas. For more information on this, please read the FAQs here
- No preparation is required, but we encourage you to come with an open mind and a willingness to engage with your peers.
Cant find a suitable date?
Provide your details and preferred days and times and you will be the first to know about future conversations.
FAQ
A fundamental principle of any effective group is ‘mutuality’. Members need to both give to the group and get benefit from the group for the group to function well. In this case, being unable or unwilling to make time to participate to these conversation but expecting to gain access to everyone else’s shared wisdom lacks mutuality.
And while I’m on my soapbox I might also add that we generally fail to apportion fair value to things that are free. In this case you might not have to pay with money but you are expected to pay with your attention. Because it’s only by giving your attention that you will truely value the information that everyone shares.
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To be honest, I’m not entirely sure what is the ‘right size’ for these sessions, so I thought I’d test it. What I do know is that unlike most tech start ups (and lots of conferences), the right size is not ‘as big as it can be’. The right size is likely to be five to 15 active participants but given I don’t expect everyone who signs up to turn up I’ve made the groups a little bigger.
Again, I’m not entirely sure and it mostly depends on the response from the local government community. I also don’t know if this series of small group conversations will be a one off or run on an annual basis.
The most important criteria for attendees is those who want to make a difference in local government. This could be councillors, members of the executive team or other leaders looking to make a difference. The second criteria would be a willingness to contribute openly in a conversation with your peers (this doesn’t require you to have a strong opinion or ‘the answer’, it’s just as likely that meaningful contribution will be in the form of ‘great questions’)
Quite possibly. Initially the preference will be to maximise the diversity of attendees but each session will also have a waitlist who we will contact in the event that participants can’t attend. If you’re wanting to sign up for a second or third session we encourage you to join the waitlist for subsequent sessions.
clients
some of the brands simon has inspired
