Operational strategy

Driving transformational programmes of work

I've been involved in small- and large-scale strategy projects for nearly a decade.

  • Most recently I've helped to shape the strategic direction for the Digital Transformation Office (DTO), as it addresses its mandate to transform public services delivered by government rapidly and at scale. This includes defining priorities and shaping organisational structures, processes and programmes of work to deliver on these priorities.
  • Appointed to lead the digital strategy work for ABC News, I focused on the division's content strategy, audience strategy, structure and workflows. This included facilitating audience research, prototyping and establishing analytics reporting, and benchmarking internal, local and global best practice examples of the structure, practice and performance of digital media teams.
  • At The Fred Hollows Foundation I devised and implemented a digital strategy for the organisation that encouraged renewed thinking around broader structures, responsibilities and workflows.
  • I wrangled ABC International's prolific and promising social media presence in the Asia Pacific into order, giving careful consideration to each market's particularities. This work was informed by, and in turn informed, resourcing considerations in the division.

I've worked on operational strategy projects both solo and in varied, agile team combinations. I'm comfortable with operating using a variety of tools such as Slack, Trello, Asana, JIRA and Basecamp.

Making the most of data

I'm a strong proponent of harnessing data effectively to improve performance, and have found that there are few, if any, business activities that aren't enhanced by data-driven insights. 

To date, I've approached data collection, analysis and use in a variety of ways in response to business needs. 

  • I've collated and synthesised large swathes of data to drive strategic framing and decision making. Most recently, in a major project I'm running at the DTO, we're organising data to reach an understanding of what people's interactions with 'joined up services' across all tiers of government really look like.
  • As the ABC's inaugural social media strategist, I used data I gathered from across the organisation to develop an information management solution in the form of a database driven account management system. This had an immediate and far-reaching effect, increasing awareness and collaboration across the organisation in ways that had never previously occurred.
  • I've been inspired by the potential for data sources to inform understanding at scale, formulating, pitching and advising on a project to produce a data-driven dashboard of election-related social media activity - the first of its kind in Australia. 
  • I've drawn on data analytics to inform my activities across many roles, from driving engagement and donation conversion to content production. It's a natural starting point for me when considering how to tackle a challenge and measure the impact of my efforts.

Prioritising knowledge sharing

I've witnessed first-hand what a transformative difference effective teamwork and efficient systems can have on business operations.

My strength is in identifying creative ways to tackle teamwork or system issues that leave people happier and more satisfied with the part they need to play in addressing those issues. Sometimes these things are best done informally, sometimes through firmly established protocols.

  • As the ABC's social media coordinator, I leveraged the goodwill of the divisions to create and run a highly effective social media working group comprising industry-best practitioners. In a large bureaucratic organisation, this nimble outfit got a lot done at an unusually rapid pace. With this 'informal' group alone, I rolled out a social media wiki and account management system, developed a platform assessment and approval process, worked through editorial and legal considerations, conducted an emergency coverage review and devised an all-of-ABC emergency social media coverage plan.
  • When I landed the ABC's inaugural social media role, I was given free reign to shape the role and manage my time. As my availability became more hotly contested, I quickly realised how much value there would be in me sharing the rare all-org viewpoint I held with the broader organisation. So I established (researched, tested, built and populated) the ABC's internal social media wiki: the key central repository of social media information for the organisation. 

  • I've driven the establishment of targeted internal comms solutions for a range of groups and scenarios, from project-based live collaboration tools to instant messaging. In my experience, getting internal communication and knowledge sharing working effectively is as important as outward facing strategy.