The COVID-19 pandemic has presented significant challenges, accelerated innovation and created an impetus to build a new and better normal for Tasmania.
Tasmanian Leaders’ ’Leading to a Brighter Future’ report is released today. It shares the insights from more than 140 members of the Tasmanian Leaders Network who participated in the survey, 1:1 consultations and rapid response discussions from April to August 2020.
The report forms Tasmanian Leaders’ submission to the Premier’s Economic and Social Recovery Advisory Council to inform its thinking and deliberations as well as provides insights for leaders more broadly to help them adapt and lead their organisations.
The report outlines some essentials for leading out of the current crisis:
- Be agile.
- Lead based on values including being collaborative, open and understanding.
- Have good business planning and product diversification.
- Be resilient, focused and prepared to change.
Optimism about the future of industry stems from:
- Increased community focus.
- Burgeoning culture of collaboration and connection.
- Increased demand for products and services including for local food and renewable energy.
- The opportunity to further leverage innovation.
The report is in line with the purpose of Tasmanian Leaders to build and sustain socio-economic vibrancy, now and into the future, through accelerated leadership capacity and networks.
Executive Summary
The COVID-19 pandemic has presented significant challenges, accelerated innovation and created an impetus for change to reset our vision to build a new and better normal for Tasmania while staying true to who we are. COVID-19 has been disruptive and painful, however there is optimism about the recovery of industries and sectors as well as for the future of Tasmania. This submission to the Premier’s Economic and Social Recovery Advisory Council is based on the insights of 105 members of the Tasmanian Leaders Network on COVID-19-related challenges, innovations and priorities for Tasmania’s recovery. The submission is in line with the purpose of Tasmanian Leaders to build and sustain socio-economic vibrancy now and into the future through accelerated leadership capability and capacity. The Tasmanian Leaders Network consists of leaders across Tasmania in all sectors – Alumni, Champions and other leaders.
A summary of insights gained from the Network are:
Challenges. Responding to the pandemic has presented significant challenges including loss of, or reduced income; stress due to home schooling children while many parents were also concurrently adapting to working from home; maintaining safety and well-being of staff for those who are employers; looking out for the safety of family, friends and work colleagues; and managing personal, family and work uncertainty including the early isolation from family within Tasmania, and the continuing isolation from family and friends outside Tasmania. Four types of organisations were identified based on the challenges experienced in the early response phase including: Running Essential Services, Adapt to Survive, Working from Home and Sudden Slow Down.
Lessons. Lessons learned from the impact of COVID-19 include the need to be agile; to lead based on values including being collaborative, open and understanding; ensuring good business planning and product diversification where possible; and being resilient, focused and prepared to change. These attributes will remain essential for the future of a new and better normal.
Innovation. COVID-19 has accelerated us into the future and changed the way we work: 80% of the Tasmanian Leaders Network consulted have innovated their processes, 75% are using technology differently and 50% have changed their approach to products, services, marketing and business models. For a new and better normal, these innovations need to be leveraged further, with innovation and purposeful risktaking becoming the norm, and encouraged, even required, by the government and others.
Industry optimism. Members of the Tasmanian Leaders Network are optimistic about the recovery of their various industries and sectors. Their optimism stems from the increased community focus and the burgeoning culture of collaboration and connection, and increased demand for products and services including local produce and renewable energy.
Concerns. The Tasmanian Leaders Network is concerned about ‘returning to the way it was’, and the social and economic stress from the compound impact of reduced funding and the hardest hit industries.
Suggestions. Support for safe, affordable access to diversified markets, and any required business restructuring; consideration of economic support beyond JobKeeper such as waged jobs supported by government across all sectors not just the government sector; a stronger education sector which results in schools, TAFE and UTAS focussing on our changing world and the future nature of work; briskly moving to be a leader in the digital world and harnessing the transformational potential of digital technology; moving beyond economic growth as the measure of Tasmania’s future success and including other measures of socioeconomic vibrancy and a thriving community.
Constraints and risks. These include weak political leadership characterised by a lack of vision, short-term planning, and an inability to rise above political tensions to look to and lead towards the future – 10 to 20 years and beyond; managing the balance between tourism and the protection and enhancement of our unique Tasmanian physical and social characteristics, while enhancing the hospitality sector for locals and visitors to one of uniform excellence; promoting and achieving equity and equality for all; and the inability to improve the education we provide to our children and young adults.
Optimism for Tasmania. More than 80% of Tasmanian Leaders Network surveyed are optimistic about Tasmania’s future. The common theme around this optimism is the opportunity presented by COVID-19, however disruptive and painful, to reset the vision to build a new and better normal while staying true to who we are. The vision themes are: Tasmania as a world leader because it is socially, economically and environmentally vibrant; strongly locally grounded while being part of the international commercial and cultural world; leading in the digital economy as well as the generation and application of cutting edge thinking and research to achieve this.
