An innovative initiative led by the Ministry of Civil Service exposes senior civil servants to leaders across a range of sectors including business, Government and international sports.
ANZ’s first female regional executive for the Pacific Islands, Ms Tessa Price, shared invaluable insights on leadership habits and driving a customer service focus, at this week’s Senior Leaders Forum held at Suvavou House.
To meet Fiji’s growth market, Ms Price explained how ANZ sharpened their ‘people not product focus’ to enhance the individual experience.
According to Ms Price, ANZ measures great customer outcomes around nine principles centred on customer service.
She encouraged senior leaders to ‘lean in and listen’ through critical feedback habits and embedding tools within teams such as a ‘speak up policy’.
Three years of ‘leaning in’, Ms Price said, has been significant in evolving and transforming the ANZ model in the Pacific but she explained to participants how she adapted her leadership style to sustain support.
“Your engagement as a leader should empower people to question what we’re doing and encourage diverse thinking,” she said.
Flexing the ‘curiosity muscle’ is what Ms Price believes is a critical leadership quality, “rewarding curiosity and experimentation is how we support people to adapt to change.”
Permanent Secretary for Civil Service Ms Susan Kiran urged the senior officers to model good leadership practices, lead similar conversations within their teams and identify areas to create a better experience for our customers – the Fijian people.
Over 60 senior leaders throughout the Civil Service take part in the quarterly forums, which have included interactive discussions with Rugby Sevens head coach Gareth Baber and Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation Hon. Mereseini Vuniwaqa. The next forum will be held in December.