A team of four aspiring leaders from Eurobodalla Shire Council travel to Goulburn this week to compete in the NSW Rural Management Challenge.
The two-day competition aims to develop leadership skills and will see the team encounter competitors from other south-east NSW councils in a high-pressure environment.
Council’s General Manager Dr Catherine Dale is an ambassador for the Challenge and believes it offers a great opportunity for local government employees to gain experience and build leadership skills.
“Council has been undertaking its own Unearthing Leaders program to strengthen the skills and knowledge of staff across the organisation. It provides opportunities for cross-organisation collaboration and career development,” she said.
“The Rural Management Challenge is beneficial because it provides our emerging leaders with the chance to test themselves against similarly talented employees from other councils in a structured competition.”
The Challenge is hosted annually by Local Government Professionals Australia NSW.
Challenge facilitator Gavin Carnegie says participants have an opportunity to develop their creativity, quick thinking and collaborative skills.
“Working as a team, participants are required to communicate and strategise to solve issues and respond to emerging tasks throughout the two days,” he explained.
“While every team is different, I would assume that getting better with communication, taking control of situations and dealing with challenges in a proactive way would be some of the outcomes participants will look for.
“It’s not about having an encyclopedia in your brain, it’s about thinking logically, creatively and recognising strengths within your team while looking for solutions,” Mr Carnegie said.
Council’s team will travel to the State Final Challenge later in the year if they are successful in Goulburn this week.
Above: Aspiring leaders from Eurobodalla Shire Council are heading to Goulburn this week to take part in the NSW Rural Management Challenge. The team is (l-r) Jennifer Wilden, Adam Callahan, Kiel Rosevear and Michael Spooner. Media Release
