Starting a new role in a senior leadership position requires a plan. As I enter my third month as the CEO for ACHPER, I have been very conscious that firstly, I must come to grips with the HPE area and secondly, that I need to talk to as many stakeholders as possible to understand their connection with the organisation; the challenges and opportunities that exist and what they expect of a new CEO.
My experience has taught me that there is a simple but effective process to achieve this. For me, it looks like this with respect to understanding the sector and understanding stakeholder needs - engagement, listening, discussing and acting.
This simple formula has served me well in the past and I have been actively seeking out ACHPER stakeholders to hear about their experiences with the organisation and more importantly, what their future needs and engagement opportunities look like. Over the last few months I have met with members, governance representatives from the Branches, partnership organisations, other NGOs and government representatives. This has helped me build a picture of the organisation - its effectiveness, its weaknesses and its strengths. Basically, for me, it's a mini SWOT analysis through a simple engagement strategy.
What I have found out is that ACHPER is a very well respected organisation that has built good relationships across many areas. I have also found out that we need to continue to build our connection with members through a contemporary value adding membership model and that for our external stakeholders, clearly articulating ACHPER National's strategic plan, will help identify and build long term partnerships. Yes, there is much work to do, but I am pleased to report that from my perspective, significant opportunities exist that will pay dividends to all stakeholders.
