StellarCast

• Meet Loren Hickey – John Holland’s Pre-Contracts Manager and award-winning inspirational leader

  During this episode, Stellar Recruitment’s Managing Director, Shaun McCambridge, sits down with John Holland Group’s Pre-Contracts Manager and multiple award-winning leader, Loren Hickey.  Shaun and Loren discuss her journey into the civil sector, what drives her to be the best version of herself and what her personal vision is for the industry moving forward. We also learn about time management, who has had the biggest impacts on Loren’s career and what her proudest career moments are.  0:53 - Loren’s journey into the civil sector 5:22 – What drives Loren to be the best version and the principles which are pivotal to her success 11:05 – Loren’s proudest career moments 13:50 - How Loren manages her busy schedule 28:05 - The biggest impacts on Loren’s career 34:15 - Rapid fire questions with Loren37:39 – Loren’s personal vision for the industry moving forward  Loren’s journey into the civil sector After graduating from university for sports management and realising it was quite a difficult space to land a job, Loren decided to branch out into the marketing space and found herself in a job within the construction and civil industry in a tier 3 company on the Gold Coast as their Marketing Coordinator. After being made redundant from her first construction role, Loren decided the construction industry was the one for her and applied to do her Civil Engineering degree to skyrocket her career. 5 years later, Loren moved into the business development and now, the pre-contracts space, and hasn’t looked back since due to the growth and success she has had.  What drives Loren to be the best version and the principles which are pivotal to her success Since being young, what has always driven Loren is to work really hard and get really paid well - if an opportunity was given to Loren, she would work hard to support her and her family to live their best life. Loren was awarded employee of the year at John Holland in 2021 and via NAWIC, named as a winner for her achievements as a businesswoman. Loren finds fulfilment in these awards she has won and takes great pride in these achievements. The principles she has grown to employ is to be unapologetically yourself and to be confident within yourself and the work you do. After hearing a quote from Paul Hogan about taking your job seriously, but not yourself, Loren has started to live out those expectations within herself and her career.  Loren’s proudest career moments Alongside the well-deserved NAWIC and John Holland awards, there has also been little moments along the way such as mentoring and being available, open and transparent within the construction industry, especially for other women and young people starting out, where she can give advice and help guide them in growing their careers.  How Loren manages her busy schedule  Wearing many different hats, Loren has a form of time management that works best for her - her family is very 50/50 in day-to-day jobs and has a great family support network around her to help her out in navigating parenthood. Being in construction, everything has a deadline, and the way Loren frames her time management around that is “self-sacrificing.” Another important thing is having a to-do list that includes both work and personal commitments, having a clear calendar and learning how to say no.  The biggest impacts on Loren’s career  Although Loren has had no “real” form of mentor, she has had a lot of people along the way who she has sought advice from and would seek advice from individual people for individual purposes. Thinking about where her career is and how it got to where it is, her parents had a big influence on the integrity of things of her career. Loren’s husband also plays a big part in the success of her career and the life they have built for themselves and their children, through his support of Loren being a “working mum.”  Rapid fire questions with Loren What does Loren Hickey do to relaxNetflix – Especially ManifestWhat are you currently reading?Never read a book!If you weren’t a civil leader what’s your dream job?Property DeveloperHidden talent? Being angry (according to her daughter LOL) and beer-skulling thanks to university Greatest fear?Messing her kids up, the dark, clowns and tsunamisWhat advice would you pass on to an 18-year-old Loren Hickey?Be unique and don’t waste time trying to fit it. Loren’s personal vision for the industry moving forward Right now, it is about how are we going to maintain productivity in these busy times. To maintain that productivity, the industry needs to be heavily involved in resourcing and finding those who want to come into the sector by making it attractive and breaking the stigma around certain issues within the industry. She also has a big vision to encourage women to get into the industry, by closing the pay gap and showing them there are major opportunities within the sector to be able to support themselves and their families. 

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• Developing and Maintaining Mentally Healthy & Supportive Workplaces (Part 2)

  Stellar’s Managing Director, Shaun McCambridge, sits down with Dan Hunt, former professional rugby league player and founder of The Mental Health Movement. They discuss how The Mental Health Movement has created mentally healthy workplaces and the necessary steps to achieve this. Dan draws on past experiences and shares a wealth of knowledge on navigating towards a better mental head space. Dan’s Highlights1.00 - What partnerships with large scale organisations like BHP, Qantas, Glencore and many more generally entail7:31 - How we can identify and understand mental health to the same capacity as physical fitness12:12 - A proactive vs reactive organisation when it comes to achieving a mentally healthy workplace18:10 - Dan’s best practices and tips for staying mentally well24:15 - How to find the right person to help you on your journey 27:45 - The vision for The Mental Health Movement and the exciting plans ahead31.35 - How to find The Mental Health Movement   What partnerships with large scale organisations like BHP, Qantas, Glencore and many more generally entailThrough collaborating with these organisations, ongoing relationships have been established. Through the different steps integrated throughout the Mental Health Movement’ s blueprint, many employees are now able to identify and understand how to reach out to someone who may be struggling with their mental health, ask the right questions and provide them with the support they require. How we can identify and understand mental health to the same capacity as physical fitness. It is important to recognise that it is not a diagnostic tool, it is a self-awareness tool that is not tangible. The Mental Health Movement have created the ‘Mental Health Continuum’ which integrates the traffic light system. We all have mental health; thus, we are on that continuum that can increase or decline at any hour, minute or second of the day. Having the continuum as a self- awareness tool will give some indication of what you need to put in place, and the support you may need to access to help you shift up in the continuum. It is important to take a proactive approach and use the continuum as a check-in tool. You do not have to do it on your own or suffer in silence. A proactive vs reactive organisation when it comes to achieving a mentally healthy workplace. An example of a proactive organisation is one who follows the guidelines in place by the Mental Health Movement, who has completed a mental health workplace audit, and formed a mental health committee that comprises of a mixture of individuals across all units. With the global pandemic and transition to work from home, we have seen the EAP uptake increase in 14%. Leaders who take part in the awareness and education training feel more confident in providing support to their crew. In turn, the crew members feel more confident to express how they are feeling because they are aware their leaders have had the training to provide valuable support. Some organisations take ADHOC approach, however from a business perspective, by taking a proactive approach, you will effectively retain staff members. Dan’s best practices and tips for staying mentally well Dan is Bipolar which means he is dealing with extremes. However, Dan states that it is all about balance and maintaining a structure and routine. There is no control over how you wake up on the continuum, but you can control the actions put in place for yourself. Some of the best practices Dan has followed are: The recipe of 5 out of 7 days a week. Do specific actions 5 out of 7 days a week that can make Dan think or feel at least 5% better. Saltwater therapyWriting down three intentions at the start of the day and write three things you were grateful for the previous dayConnect with colleagues or your support network to check if they have noticed any particular changes or can provide some honest feedback If you feel yourself disconnecting, you must reconnect Reach out to a psychologist or another confidential forum who can assist with creating tools to navigate towards a better mental state. How to find the right person to help you on your journey There are many outlets for accessing professional practitioners. Refer to the Mental Health Movement’s support network toolbox. Another outlet is Telehealth which has a platform called cyber clinic. Additionally, they have a personality questionnaire where the algorithm matches you with a practitioner who is suited to your personality. When looking to first start the support journey, you can go see your GP and ask to be referred to a specific person. It is highly recommended to get a mental health advocate. This person can assist with finding you the right professional and getting you the best support possible. The vision for The Mental Health Movement and the exciting plans aheadThe Mental Health Movement will continue creating, developing, and maintaining as many mentally supportive workplaces as they possibly can and do it well. The Mental Health Movement aim to look after their team so they can then provide the best support and offering. In early March, the team are looking at launching their psychosocial hazard risk assessment training and support program. The Mental Health Movement digital academy launched at the beginning of the first COVID lockdown and has allowed the team to develop their blueprint in a digital modem. How to find The Mental Health Movement   You can contact The Mental Health Movement and Dan Hunt on the below social platforms. Website:  Mentalhealthmovement.com.au Email: [email protected] media: mental_health_movement on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn 

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• Developing and Maintaining Mentally Healthy & Supportive Workplaces (Part 1)

  Stellar’s Managing Director, Shaun McCambridge, sits down with Dan Hunt, former professional rugby league player and founder of The Mental Health Movement. They discuss how The Mental Health Movement has created mentally healthy workplaces and the necessary steps to achieve this. Dan draws on past experiences and shares a wealth of knowledge on navigating towards a better mental head space. Dan’s Highlights:1:55 - Views on “Absenteeism” and “Presenteeism” and what needs to change to address this phenomenon7:22 - How drug and alcohol abuse is used as escapism and the big reluctance of seeking help12:50 - The reality lived during the height of Dan’s mental illness and how to navigate your way to a better head space. 23:05 - What a mentally healthy sustainable workplace looks like and the blueprint to achieve this.Views on “Absenteeism” and “Presenteeism” and what needs to change to address this phenomenonWhen looking at absenteeism and presenteeism in the workplace, it is not only about the psychosocial hazards in the workplace. There are external contributors like finances, pressures, upbringing, and expectations which affect a human being and will be brought into the workplace. There is no one answer to better manage absenteeism and presenteeism, but the findings from the commission have elements which can help create and develop a mentally healthy workplace. Assess your individual workplace and align to the best standard or practice for that workplace. If you are thinking better, feeling better and being better, you will want to come into the workplace. How drug and alcohol abuse is used as escapism and the big reluctance of seeking help.There are nine Australians who take their life each day. 76% of these individuals are male. Thus, 7 men are taking their life every day. Drug and substance usage can coexist with anxiety or depressive orders and can be used for escapism or as a coping strategy. However, these are not positive coping strategies. What defines a substance use disorder is when it starts to affect the law, health, work, relationships and can’t be cut back. People will self-medicate to numb the pain; however, it can only amplify situations.  The reality lived during the height of Dan’s mental illness and how to  navigate your way to a better head space. Leading into the struggle, Dan was a product of his own environment; full of anger, hated the world and everything in it. Professional rugby league gave a sense of identity, purpose and belonging to help get back on the straight and narrow. When that identity was taken away before the pinnacle of Dan’s career, it hit like a tonne of bricks. After reaching out to his support network, Dan realised it was okay to struggle and show vulnerability; you didn’t have to suffer in silence and do it on your own. Find your network to confide in and prepare to be vulnerable. People need to go through their own catalyst to get them to a point where the perception shifts. By adhering to the following three steps, you will be able to navigate your way to a better head space. 1. Knowing you don’t have to do it on your own.2. Have a level of awareness to understand that what goes on in your life can affect the way you think, act, and feel. 3. Have awareness on how it affects how you think, act, and feel 4. Once the above steps are considered, you can then build out to better manage and cope. This can be through exercise, mindfulness or even challenging your mindset.What a mentally healthy sustainable workplace looks like and the blueprint to achieve this Mental health it is not ADHOC. The best practice for creating a mentally healthy sustainable environment is measuring where the workplace is at. Having surveys which can help you understand the contributing factors, leadership capabilities and psychosocial hazards, will enable you to build your mental health framework or strategy.  If you have a brain in your head, you have mental health. A mentally healthy supportive workplace is one where you can build mental health literacy. In addition, integrating mental education across the workplace through the use of a blueprint and improving help seeking barriers are elements which will both build and sustain a positive mental environment. Consider what capabilities can be inherited by the leadership team and identify where the workplace is heading in relation to the ISO standard.  

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• Sleep as a key pillar of good health and performance

  During this podcast, Stellar Recruitment’s Managing Director, Shaun McCambridge, sits down with Specialist Fatigue Consultant, Naomi Rogers. They discuss the importance of sleep, particularly how it can impact on performance,  along with tips on healthy sleeping habits. Naomi also shares valuable insights on measuring the quality of sleep, the science behind sleep and the benefits of meditation and mindfulness.Naomi’s Highlights:2:57 - How much is enough sleep?4:33 - The downside of poor sleep5:55 - Upside of taking time to get quality sleep7:12 - Recommendations on measuring the quality of sleep8:15 - The tangible impacts of sleep on our ability to operate machinery safely13:08 - Circadian rhythms and whether sleep personalities are fixed16:28 - Infrared light and its impact on circadian rhythm20:12 - The impact of exercise, diet, alcohol, smoking, caffeine and sugar on sleep22:14 - The best tips for a good sleep24:06 - The science behind breaking the sleep pattern28:05 - View or benefits of a power nap30:27 - The power of meditation and mindfulness on sleepHow much is enough sleep? Studies on performance have shown that in order to keep performing at high levels, a minimum of 8 hours of sleep is required. In addition, the study also indicated that having 6.5 hours of sleep can have long and short-term implications on health. The downside of poor sleepThe short-term impacts derived from low quality sleep include an individual being lethargic and slow. The immune system is typically lower, particularly in winter. The long-term impacts include weight gain, obesity, diabetes, and various heart conditions. Upside of taking time to get quality sleepWhen you have had a long, fulfilling sleep, it can help with embracing the day and increasing overall performance. This includes memory retention, longer concentration levels, and quicker reflexes. If you are studying the night before a test, a good night’s sleep can help with retaining the information and performing better during the test. Recommendations on measuring the quality of sleepThe best quality of sleep is one with routine. If you are going to bed at the same time each night and waking up at the same time, you will have drive and energy to operate at your best capacity during the day.  The tangible impacts of sleep on our ability to operate machinery safely When operating heavy vehicles or cars on the road with sleep deprivation, a range of performance is impacted. With limited sleep, micro-sleep tends to take over where the brain needs to shut off to make up for the lost sleep. This leads to decreased concentration and focus, resulting in high-impact fatigue accidents. Circadian rhythms and whether sleep personalities are fixedWe generally have a 24-hour circadian rhythm. There are a variety of sleep personalities and individual sleep needs; some are morning people, and some are night people. 5% of the population are true short sleepers, 5% are true long sleepers and the rest fall within the average 8-hour rhythm. However, waking up when your body wants to rather than waking up to an alarm is the most beneficial for your circadian rhythm. Infrared light and its impact on circadian rhythmEarly morning light is important for alerting the brain that it is time to start the day. The brain knows what time of day it is from light level. However, having heavy lights or screens on at the end of the day can trick the brain into thinking it is still daytime, limiting the ability to fall asleep easily. The impact of exercise, diet, alcohol, smoking, caffeine and sugar on sleepThe more you exercise, the better-quality sleep you will get and the more you will have energy to exercise further throughout the day. Exercise, nutrition, and sleep are the three main pillars for a healthy lifestyle. Where possible, refrain from drinking caffeine as it will limit your ability to fall asleep easily. It is recommended to turn off devices 1 hour before going to bed and not eating within the 2 hours before bedtime.  The best tips for a good sleep Look at your sleeping environment and what you are doing around bedtime. A room that is dark, quiet and is a good temperature will help shift worker’s sleep quality. Your body temperature tends to decrease in the evening and reaches a low point between 4-6am. For shift workers, the white noise from the aircon or fan can assist with falling asleep. A routine is a valuable tool for allowing the brain to get into thinking that it is time to shut off and sleep. Studies have shown that total amount of sleep is important for performance. Therefore, it is better to get up and do what you need to do if your sleep is broken and then have another nap before going into work.The science behind breaking the sleep pattern For those struggling to fall asleep or those with insomnia, it is recommended to not have a clock in the room. If you cannot fall asleep, sit on the edge of the bed, and don’t reach for a phone or anything that has a light source. After 10 minutes, climb into bed and you should be able to fall asleep. View on benefits of a power napPower naps are great tool also known as sleep debts that pay off the lost sleep and help us get through the rest of the day. However, look at when you are having them. Typical sleep cycles last around 90 minutes with an additional 5-10 minutes after the nap to get rid of any sleep inertia. The power of meditation and mindfulness on sleepMeditation and mindfulness activities don’t take away sleep debt, however, assist the brain to transition into sleep mode and relaxes the brain for a more fulfilling sleep cycle. 

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• Guidelines for managing psychological health and safety at work (ISO 45003 – the world’s first International Standard on these things)

  During this podcast we hear from Organisational Psychologist, Frank O’Connor, who played a major part in the development of the standard, and registered psychologist, Naomi Armitage. We learn about ISO 45003 and unpack this standard to better understand and manage how psychological health and safety can be improved within a working environment. Frank & Naomi’s Highlights2:45 - Identifying a Psychosocial Hazard3:55 - Why the ISO Standard was Developed6.48 - How Boards and Executives Should Look at Managing Psychological Safety Risk 9.05 - How the Standard was Developed11.44 - How the Standard will Assist Organisations in Responding to Managing Psychosocial Risks 14.04 - The Challenges and most Efficient ways to Implement the Standard19.00 - The Three Things Organisations Could Do Tomorrow to Start to Work Through the Standard22.30 - The Key Factors that will Lead to the Successful Management of Psychological Health and Safety at Work24.05 - The Benefits of Creating a Psychologically Safe Organisation 25.12 - What do Organisations who are Successful at Managing Psychosocial Risks Look Like? Identifying a Psychosocial Hazard Psychosocial hazards are things that reduce or decrease the mental healthiness of workers (or managers). In a work environment, you must look at the things that make you feel better about what you are doing. Focussing your thoughts to question what you do and whether you are doing a good job can impact your mental health. Identifying these psychosocial hazards and finding ways to manage them are crucial to any workplace. Why the ISO Standard was DevelopedWork capacity loss of more than 4% of GDP is caused by burnout, stress, depression, and other psychosocial sources. Depression is a major health problem which already exists in the workplace. This standard was developed as guidance in the mental and psychological space because health and safety has tended to be physical. How Boards and Executives Should Look at Managing Psychological Safety RiskCompanies are already expressing interest. Some have made a good start. Queries are coming through from others. A systematic approach will be adapted to suit different situations as boards invest more into how they can successfully manage and improve psychological health and safety in the workplace. How the Standard was DevelopedStandards have grown in the different countries that are interested in them. As a timeline, the standard was proposed in June of 2018 and development was approved in August of 2018. Drafting of the standard started in January 2020 and finished in January 2021. It was published by the 8th of June 2021. The ISO 45003 is the work of hundreds of people in industry and academia, including the input of many Australians.How the Standard will Assist Organisations in Responding to Managing Psychosocial RisksBrings an organisational focus into managing psychosocial risks — it was predominately individually focussed. Feeds innovation - adaptation gets better because collaboration is easy where friction is lower. Working well together means thinking well together.ISO 45 003 gives examples and principles, but it doesn’t give solutions. It depends on the risk to the particular people and the work situation. Just like the risk of flooding at work depends of where you are and what work is done.The Challenges and most Efficient ways to Implement the StandardThe most efficient way to implement the standard is by taking a systematic Approach:  work through the standard and see what the company is already succeeding in, then identify any high-priority gaps. One of the main challenges of using the standard is that it could become a compliance exercise.  At present, companies are light on the first step of hazard identification as they don’t know what to look for or what the common ones are. The standard helps here.The Three Things Organisations Could Do Tomorrow to Start to Work Through the StandardLook at Section 6 of ISO 45003. Have a look at the list of hazards and ask: “What are we doing around here that already does something about this?” You want to hang on to the things you are doing well. Learn what the likely hazards are and find the courage to do something about it if you find some that matter at your workplaces. Fatigue and sleep quality should be discussed more openly – they matter in most workplaces, and improvements can be quickly made.The Key Factors that will Lead to the Successful Management of Psychological Health and Safety at WorkPut psychological health under a safety lens. Treat it like any other physical hazard in your work environment. Look at what enables better decisions. How can your leaders facilitate action that improves psychological safety along with creating an environment where people feel safe to speak up about something that’s doing harm?The Benefits of Creating a Psychologically Safe OrganisationOne of the major benefits of creating a psychologically safe organisation is the high collaboration and business improvement processes it requires. By creating a psychologically safe organisation, you allow employees to feel more valued at work. What do Organisations who are Successful at Managing Psychosocial Risks Look Like? Large-scale organisations are curious, and they like to try things out. They are measuring and where it is working and considering where it could be working better. To measure this, we look at standard safety metrics and productivity returns from harm prevented. Despite taking a while to implement, moving towards a mental incident measure will ensure we are focussing on the good side, just as it has with firms who are now used to counting days without time lost to physical injuries.Resources:Indicator Tool for the UK Health & Safety Executive (HSE) Management Standards, which predate ISO 45003 by some 15 years. https://www.hse.gov.uk/stress/standards/index.htm

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