stronger Workplaces Programsmarterstrongersmarter.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/... · 2019-01-15 · beyond the classroom and can be intrinsic practice in the boardroom, ...

strongersmarterWorkplaces Pr ogramThe

Stronger Smarter workplace cultures for inclusive, innovative and high performance teams.

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Organisations with strong, collaborative team cultures have greater employee engagement and satisfaction, and greater staff retention. This leads to workplaces that are more inclusive and innovative, and ultimately more productive.

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Stronger Smarter in the Workplace

Stronger Smarter is based on a belief that every Indigenous Australian should have the opportunity to reach their full potential. This means the same opportunities for everyone in both schooling and employment. We know this is not always easy and many workplaces face complex challenges within their staff, stakeholders and local communities.

The Stronger Smarter Institute believes, however, that organisations and communities already hold the knowledge and expertise they need to approach these challenges. The Stronger Smarter Approach begins by developing a positive sense of cultural identity and then looks deeply at how we communicate and interact with others, using the concept of ‘High-Expectations Relationships’.

Over a decade, the Institute has brought these discussions to the forefront of Australia’s education system. We have also sparked discussion on how High-Expectations Relationships are adopted beyond the classroom and can be intrinsic practice in the boardroom, office or sporting field.

Our Stronger Smarter Workplaces Program offers the opportunity to mobilise your staff to embrace their diverse strengths and use Stronger Smarter strategies and processes to co-create a way forward. The Stronger Smarter Workplaces Program will complement your local cultural awareness programs and support your Reconciliation Action Plan by moving your staff further towards cultural competency.

The Stronger Smarter Workplaces Program is universally applicable, but is particularly relevant for organisations seeking to build their Indigenous employment strategies or organisations who operate in regional and remote Australia and are seeking to employ local staff and collaborate and connect with the local Indigenous community.

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The Stronger Smarter Institute

An independent and Indigenous-led non-profit organisationIt has taken several decades of passion, belief and commitment to create Stronger Smarter classrooms and communities. Dr Chris Sarra began this work at Cherbourg State School, where he developed the Stronger Smarter Philosophy which embraces a strong and positive sense of what it means to be Aboriginal in contemporary Australian society. The success of this work with the students and community of Cherbourg led to the formation of the Stronger Smarter Institute which has spent the past 10 years successfully transforming Australian schools.

Share Our VisionWe want to see Stronger Smarter communities across Australia, where people are strong in culture, strong in identity and able to enjoy prosperous, safe and healthy lives.

Within these communities, we want to see Stronger Smarter workplaces that promote excellence, embrace diversity, and honour individual identities and cultures.

Understand Our ApproachThe Stronger Smarter approach honours a positive sense of cultural identity for everyone, believing this is essential for educational and workforce success. We raise our expectations, not only of Indigenous students, parents and communities, but of ourselves. We anchor this through strength-based approaches, and collaborative communication processes which we describe as ‘High-Expectations Relationships’.

Darren Godwell | CEO

Darren Godwell was appointed CEO of the Stronger Smarter Institute in 2014. He has over ten years of global experience in business strategy and Indigenous affairs, including working for the Northern Land Council, the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health, and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service (QLD). Darren has also been advisor to The World Bank on its global community development initiative, and has worked for global media conglomerate Bertelsmann AG, completing assignments in Shanghai, London, New York, Barcelona and Sydney on matters of strategy. He has a degree in Psychology and a masters degree in Sociology. Darren has also completed executive education with INSEAD Business School (France).

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Dr Chris Sarra | Chairman

Dr Chris Sarra is the founder and Chairman of the Stronger Smarter Institute. In the late 1990s, Chris took on the challenges of Indigenous education as the first Aboriginal Principal of Cherbourg State School in Queensland. Under Chris’ leadership, the school became nationally acclaimed for its pursuit of the Stronger Smarter philosophy. Dr Sarra challenged the whole school community to have high expectations of Indigenous students, which significantly improved the educational and life outcomes of students. In 2005, Chris completed his PhD in Psychology with Murdoch University. His published thesis is titled Strong and Smart – Towards a Pedagogy for Emancipation Education for First Peoples. Chris was the 2010 Queensland nominee for the Australian of the Year awards.

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The Stronger Smarter Workplaces Program

The Stronger Smarter Workplaces Program will engage your workplace teams in the processes of High-Expectations Relationships and developing high-performance workplace cultures.

This program is for workplace teams or groups who are seeking to

• challenge existing thinking and practices and find new approaches to complex challenges

• support a diverse, welcoming and inclusive culture for your workplace

• create spaces where workplace teams can explore the challenges, dynamics and complexity of diverse workplace cultures

• nurture team cultures where everyone works together, and ideas are shared and valued

• develop relationships with local communities and provide positive social impacts for these communities.

I loved the Stronger Smarter approach - it was brilliant and so worth it. I love how it challenges thinking and ideas, frees your brain to go into different directions and gives you the opportunity to take a risk and build relationships with colleagues. Our presenters were relaxed, welcoming and supportive and allowed us to step outside our comfort zones. Jan 2015

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What will I learn?

The Stronger Smarter Workplaces Program is designed for teams at all levels. We see everyone as capable of leadership, and believe everyone can make a difference. Stronger Smarter Workplaces is a highly experiential learning program incorporating a range of activities which will challenge your thinking about how to approach complex challenges.

Learning through cultureWe recognise the need to learn through culture, not just about culture. You will understand how everyone has a unique cultural identity made up of our experiences and beliefs and influenced by the communities, traditions or ways of being into which we are born.

Drawing on existing strengthsYou will draw on your existing strengths and knowledge, stretch and challenge yourself intellectually and emotionally, and question your courage to activate change. We offer new frameworks, processes and fresh insights, to inspire you to connect with your full potential.

Celebrating diversityWe recognise that cultural diversity is associated with diverse ways of understanding how people relate to each other and the world. We embed understandings and celebrations of cultural identity into conceptions of how to build an inclusive and productive workplace.

Indigenous ways of knowingWe bring Indigenous ways of knowing, being and doing to the learning process. By consolidating the strengths of these ancient cultures that still have an important place in contemporary Australia, we believe we can find that common ground for true reconciliation.

Co-creating a way forward

We recognise that some challenges require changes to the assumptions, beliefs and attitudes of individuals and groups within the workplace. We also understand that many of these challenges may lie beyond the walls of the office and involve local communities. We look at ways to develop High-Expectations Relationships within teams and within communities to co-create a way forward.

A really unique approach to team building! This was a great opportunity for our staff to look within and without – to challenge their assumptions, recognise their strengths and commit to collaborative action. Loved it! Jan 2015

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Building a Stronger Smarter Team Culture is designed for organisations seeking a positive shift in workplace team culture together with improved communication and collaboration.

By the end of this Module:

• Your team will be able to respond to the questions, ‘what makes me Stronger and Smarter?’ ‘what is our Stronger Smarter workplace?’ and ‘who are we when we are at our best?’

• You will have improved your understanding of yourself as a cultural being, and understand the impact on your workplace of the dynamic between social viewpoints and traditionally marginalised viewpoints.

• You will understand the value of the diversity within your workplace and have enhanced skills for relating and working with others.

• You will have worked with your team to develop a workplace cultural action plan, which will be supported by skills and strategies to enact and sustain a shared culture of trust, care, safety, rigour and honesty within the team.

Understanding and Developing Cultural Competence looks at sustainable ways for approaching complex challenges in the workplace. This module can continue the team focus from Module 1 or take a more external focus on working with clients, stakeholders, and/or local communities. Participants will be expected to discuss specific challenges within their organisation or role and identify a particular challenge they wish to address.

By the end of this Module:

• You will understand the nature and characteristics of complex challenges.

• You will be able to analyse these complex challenges to identify the impact that cultural biases, assumptions, and deficit mindsets might have on communication and collaboration in cross-cultural settings.

• You will be competent in approaching inter-cultural communication, and have the ability to offer alternative methods of approaching complex challenges when they arise in the workplace.

2Building a Stronger Smarter Team Culture

Understanding and Developing Cultural Competence

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module modu le

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The Programs Team

The Stronger Smarter Workplaces Program has been developed by a team of highly experienced staff who have coordinated and facilitated Stronger Smarter Institute programs for a number of years.

Michal Purcell Program Coordinator

Michal Purcell has been coordinating Stronger Smarter programs since the Institute first began. Descended from the Butchulla people of Fraser Island and the first people of Ambrym Island in Vanuatu, Michal grew up in Childers, Queensland. Before joining the Stronger Smarter Institute, Michal worked at Cherbourg State School with Chris Sarra as Principal. She witnessed the changes in the community when they began to feel strong again in their identity and ability to succeed. Michal is committed to supporting people’s learning about themselves and others.

Toby Adams Program Coordinator

Toby Adams is a kullilli man, born in Dalby, QLD. He is an accomplished facilitator and public speaker. In addition to the Stronger Smarter Leadership Program, his experience includes facilitating the Learn Earn Legend Indigenous Youth Summit, Oxfam Change Course, Youth 2020 Summit, Australian Youth Forum consultations, the National Youth Roundtable, and presenting at cultural events such as the Garma and Dreaming Festivals. Toby has a strong background in Indigenous employment, training and community development.

Ben Wilson Program Coordinator

Ben Wilson is a program facilitator and coordinator for the Institute. Ben is a Jagera man from the south of Brisbane. He is a highly regarded educator with extensive experience in the education system, both in the private and public sphere. Ben is known for his advocacy for progressive organisational and educational models, and is a guest lecturer in Education Studies. Ben is completing his Masters of Education at the Queensland University of Technology.

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Feeling inspired?

The Stronger Smarter Workplaces Program is available for groups or teams within an organisation. Two full day modules provide a total of 16 hours face-to-face learning.

You can choose one module only, or use both modules to provide your team with a more in-depth learning experience. The two modules can run together over two days, or can be separated to allow time to implement learning in the workplace and reconnect and review on the second day.

We can tailor the content of the modules as required for either workplace teams or management groups.

Stronger Smarter Institute Ltd | 33 king Street, Caboolture QLD 4510 | ABN 64 161 967 728

T: 07 5499 4135 | E: [email protected] | www.strongersmarter.com.au

Please contact us on E: [email protected] T: 07 5499 4135W: www.strongersmarter.com.au

Want t o kn o w more?

DESIGNED BY MAzART DESIGN STUDIO

Stronger Smarter reinforced that although there are long-term, complex issues that seem to continually evolve and develop, my part within them is important, and I understand that I am a part within the global change to these issues… that through changes within myself I can contribute to building solutions to the whole. 2011

www.strongersmarter.com.au

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