Meet Susan
You spend so much of your life working. Why not be doing what you love?
Work-life balance is only half the story!
Work is – for most of us – an integral part of life. Finding the right balance isn’t just about doing less work. To feel in balance, we need to be doing work that engages, challenges and motivates us. Finding this balance at an organisational level is also the secret to having a highly effective and productive workforce.
How do we define what we – or our employees – will be good at and love to do? You could use trial and error, as I did…
This is my story
When I left school with good marks in science, it seemed obvious I would complete a degree in the field and work as a researcher. That’s what I did until I was 25 and working in a lab in Sweden. When a colleague there turned 40, I really wondered if I could still be doing science when I was 40. On returning to Australia, I tried a variety of roles, in sales, administration and project coordination before getting into training and development. As I developed my practical skills, I undertook further formal education to build a solid foundation for my practice.
Twelve years ago, I started consulting in human resource management to businesses, non-profits and government departments. Since 2003, I’ve been very fortunate to be able to serve clients primarily in the financial services industry. In my work I’ve met some extraordinary people with great passion for what they do – people who have taught me many things and made me curious about what contributes to their success.
Curiosity led me to Harrison Assessments, the most accurate, insightful and easy to use online testing tool I have encountered. Not only did I find an excellent resource for selection, development and coaching but I also gained greater understanding of why my own career path had unfolded this way. When you read about my profile below, you’ll understand what I mean…
My unique traits
The Harrison profile recognises that it’s unhelpful to pigeonhole individuals because each of us is made up of a combination of traits, that will affect our behaviour in different situations. When our traits match the requirements of the work we do, we will perform better and enjoy it more, resulting in ever greater success. Here are some of the 155 key behavioural preferences and personality factors identified in my own profile.
Highest scoring traits
- Helpful – the tendency to respond to others’ needs and assist or support others to achieve their goals
- Takes initiative – the tendency to perceive what is necessary to be accomplished and to proceed on one’s own
- Flexible – the tendency to easily adapt to change
- Cause motivated – the tendency to be motivated to help society
Preferred tasks
- Research/learning – the enjoyment of gathering and comprehending new information
- Teaching – the enjoyment of instructing, training or educating others
Behavioural competencies
- Coaching – the tendency to be an effective facilitator of the development of others
- Strategic judgement – the tendency to have a balance of traits necessary to discern pertinent information and to formulate an effective strategy
- Innovation – the tendency to create new and more effective ways of doing things
Interests
- Writing/language
- Travel
- Finance/business
What I do best
- Create connections
- Open minds to new possibilities
- Research and interpret complex information
What I stand for
- People finding a balance at work because they’re doing what they love
- Businesses selecting the best possible staff, based on objective data, not just instinct and intuition
- Employees who are doing work that is the best fit for their unique strengths, enabling them to succeed
- Managers having confidence and clarity to deal with staff issues
My credentials in a nutshell
- 30+ years of experience in a wide range of industries
- 15+ years working in human resources
- 6+ years as a consultant and coach to insurance brokers, financial planners and accountants
- Master of Human Resource Management (with Distinction)
- Accredited Harrison Assessment Systems Consultant and Distributor (Advanced Interpretation Level); Certified NLP Practitioner; Certified HR Professional (CAHRI), Australian Human Resources Institute
- Lecturer/tutor in strategic HR managment and career management at University of Western Sydney
When I’m not working, I love to
- Enjoy the company of my husband, Colin, and our daughters, Harriet and Sophie. And our labrador, Douglas. We like to travel, watch movies, go to performances and laugh together.
- Relax at home in the beautiful Blue Mountains, sing with my local community choir, read good books and listen to good music
- Spend times with friends and extended family
