The Challenge
Western Downs Regional Council (WDRC) in Dalby, Queensland needs its leaders to be visionaries as they work towards their goal of positively shaping the region for generations to come.
To ensure the region’s prosperity continues now and well into the future, the council’s executive team wanted a high-impact program for its managers, coordinators and future leaders that inspired them to transform their core skills.
The team identified the need to lift capability in several areas including building teams, having difficult conversations, problem solving, empowering innovation, and understanding and developing a coaching culture.
The council chose QUT to develop a bespoke leadership program that was delivered on site at the Dalby Events Centre through several engaging workshops and group coaching sessions, across a three-month program.
The Client
Western Downs Regional Council logo
Western Downs Regional Council manages the towns of Chinchilla, Dalby, Miles, Wandoan, Tara, and the surrounding communities. The region covers 38,000 square kilometres in southeast Queensland and is home to more than 33,000 residents.
The council’s role is to remain the most accessible level of government in its local communities, and to make decisions that positively shape the region for the benefit of the generations to come.
For this reason, it is part of the council’s mission to nurture leaders who operate strategically, responsibly govern the region and deliver services that meet community needs through strategic leadership.
It is the council’s vision to be innovative, connected with its residents and their needs, and united. It does this to achieve its strategic priorities including strong economic growth, active vibrant communities, great liveability and financial sustainability.
The Solution
QUT’s business and leadership experts developed a bespoke, skills-based leadership program. Our ability to tailor a program for the organisation and its needs was paramount, and we provided access to inspirational speakers who could deliver thought-provoking content for program participants.
The Core Skills Program was a collaborative effort, with the council’s executive team having constant input into the design of the program to ensure it was specific to its needs. The program featured an on-boarding session, a series of skills based workshops featuring compelling keynote speakers, and group coaching support for the participants.
Inspiring Leadership Transformation
Hear from Western Downs Regional Council, as the leadership team and program participants explain how QUTeX helped them achieve their goals.
The Impact
The Core Skills Program was successful in engaging participants and educating them through access to keynote speakers and facilitated workshops. Participants valued the expertise of the facilitators and their ability to keep the workshops alive and interesting.
It was also a journey of self-discovery, as participants learned new things about themselves through challenges to reflect. They developed new ways of managing interactions with different types of people and gained a better understanding of how and why people act differently when challenged.
Jodie Taylor, General Manager for Community and Liveability, said: “As far as self-confidence and self-awareness, I’ve noticed that within my division and across the organisation ,my managers are more aware of their interactions.”
I think the benefits that a program like this has is that it builds a sense of team within the organisation. Additional to that, as we go into the community we are more cohesive with our plan and we can build better buy-in and get better results for our communities.
- Justyne Wilson, Arts and Culture Coordinator
How can QUTeX help you?
Harnessing the knowledge and expertise of the entire university, QUTeX is a revolution in professional development that customises educational solutions for your organisation to meet your context and motivations. Thought your team’s learning journey QUTeX continues to work with you adapting the program to meet your emerging needs and their learning experiences.