Purpose & Vision Ep5: Thea Snow on "re-imagining" government

The importance of place and belonging in our well being. Elle Davidson is an Aboriginal woman from the East Kimberley and is a Town Planner keen to bring to our towns and cities a recognition of indigenous heritage so often neglected. By applying Aboriginal perspectives we get a light touch, that is in sync with country, that prioritises all living beings not just humans. It's a beautiful simple respectful approach that we all can learn so much from. In this episode of Purpose and Vision we explore how this approach when done well leads to better outcomes for all of us. 

With so many complex problems facing humanity at the moment, is now the right time to seek wisdom and connection through civilisations that go back thousands of years? The answers could well be here and many organisations are recognising the value of deeper indigenous connection for a host of reasons. Jason Timor, from twopointco develops mutually beneficial partnerships that create pathways for Indigenous Australians, and most important of all have real impact in the community. And in doing this great work they empower the organisations to think very differently in the process, creating solutions that are holistic and providing insights and solutions for the best possible outcome for both parties.

In episode 9 we hear from a woman with huge influence. Someone named as one of AFR's 100 women of influence in fact! Shirley Chowdhary has an extraordinary diverse range of skills but is so conscious about what makes great teams tick and how leaders can truly inspire success. But it's her work in bringing business and the NFP sector together that is fascinating. Instead of dropping money in a bucket, business needs to align more closely with the purpose of the charity. Get that right, get that alignment and both parties will benefit from years of mutual focus and create a sustainable future together. 

According to Simon Goff, the Global Managing Director of Purpose, the time for businesses to step up is right now. Those that do are really reaping the rewards for being early movers. But having a purpose is one thing, taking action and having real impact is something else altogether. Purpose build and support movements to advance the fight for an open, just and habitable world. In this episode you'll hear how certain organisations are really starting to recognise the influence they can have in society - making lasting change and enhancing business sustainability at the same time!

Has the time come for Business to step up? Is the momentum shifting where businesses recognise that they can’t keep doing what they’ve always done…they have to start thinking about the bigger picture and how that what they are doing has environmental and social impact. Liz Cameron-Smith recognised several years ago that something needs to shift, and so went out about creating  the Impact Assembly, a social venture designed to enable collaboration for social change. But she did all of that within the confines of one huge worldwide business, PWC. The work they are doing is all about collaboration and it's tackling big big issues but...it's having real impact. 

Following on from my conversation last time with Thea Snow she's sent me in the direction of Jason Tampake. He's one of the founders of an organisation called Amble Studio - they believe there is under-explored potential to empower the gamers of the world to contribute to positive change in their community or organisation. Imagine if we could use game play to shift behaviour - to allow stubborn non team players to see first hand for themselves what their approach to business is doing to the organisation and their team. Or imagine what we could all achieve together if there were more of a collaborative approach - game play allows us to see things for what they are in a safe setting. This conversation explores the potential and looks in to how it can be such a valuable tool for organisations keen to tap in to their true purpose and vision. 

  No doubt at times we all despair at the way governments seem to operate. It just makes so little sense that certain decisions can be taken, or policies can be put in place when the people have clearly rejected the concept. The reality is we are effectively using an old operating system desperately in need of an update. In this episode we hear from Thea Snow, a director from the centre for Social Impact in Melbourne, who is working within government departments in Australia to effectively re-boot them and help them imagine a different way of doing things. By allowing them to focus on the purpose and vision of their challenges they are able to work through better solutions and outcomes for all.

When we take a moment it's incredible to think how our unconscious bias plays a significant role in our daily lives. But when it comes to the workplace it's fascinating to look at the implications of this. When you apply for a job, your name, your sex, your school, your age, your initials and more can all have an influence. So, how do we ensure we can create more diversity and with it more successful companies by limiting this bias. Well one of the answers is to use new software, created by Applied that maximises the opportunity of recruiting the right person for the job regardless of any other factors. Kate Glazebrook is the founder of the organisation that is having a huge impact in this space. Her behavioural science background has influenced her curiosity to continually dig deeper to build better workplaces through increased diversity. The results speak for themselves...enjoy the podcast!

Probably fair to say if you go to an investment company with a pot of money, they will more likely steer you down the conventional traditional methods of investment. Yet if you look at the evidence, it's pretty compelling. Over the past few decades, the funds that have ticked the ESG boxes (environmental, social, governance) have outperformed by a long way. The so called impact investment opportunities. So, not only do they do good, but they make great financial sense too. In this episode we hear from Adam Milgrom, from Giant Leap Fund - a company that prides itself on making impact investment. If the evidence is undeniable, why is it taking so long for the public and the providers to shift? This is a fascinating listen that will leave you feeling a little more optimistic that a change is underway! 

In episode 2 of Purpose & Vision we have an extensive interview with the Co-Founder and CEO of Who Gives a Crap, Simon Griffiths - a business that over the past 18 months has grown enormously. With panic buying being the norm over the Covid Period he oversaw a business take off in popularity for all sorts of reasons. But where WGAC are different, they give 50% of their profits to vital projects around the world...and last year that figure amounted to over $5M - an incredible contribution from one company. And of course proving that a business can be both purposeful yet make great profits. This interview will show you how you need to tinker with the business model to get it right, but remain close to your cause - that enables a public to get behind your reason for being and support you along the way.