Oral Presentation Transform 2021 - Public Works Conference

Adaptability, it starts with us (#24)

Lee Williams 1
  1. Melbourne Water, Docklands, VIC, Australia

“It isn’t the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the most adaptable to change”  - Charles Darwin

Melbourne Water (MW) have some large problems to solve. The water sector is experiencing significant disruption as a result of a rapidly growing population, the impacts of climate change, changing customer expectations and exponential growth in available data and emerging technology. A stronger emphasis on capability uplift, mindsets, and embedding continuous habits, is emerging, to remain agile and resilient to these external shifts.

Melbourne Water are therefore on a quest to mature as a “Learning Organisation” where they seek to create their own future, design a space where learning is an ongoing and creative process. Developing, adapting and transforming in response to the needs and aspirations of those inside and outside.

The challenge is, there is a world of difference between reacting to the present and creating the future. From training people for the existing rules, routines and tasks of the organisation and developing them to create a better tomorrow.  It requires both.

We will explore the techniques and tools being implemented at MW to lead self and be responsive to change:

 

  • how do you lead self to be adaptable in the face of change
  • be courageous in tasking risks with new ideas and failing fast or;
  • learn and change from experiences if your profession teaches you to look in binary terms?