Listening, Learning & Leadership

22 March 2022

Watch the video recording of the first event in the Stepping Up series on Listening, Learning & Leadership. We start at the top – what are the roles and obligations of practice leaders? What does it mean to step up on equity?

Our speakers are Monica Edwards of SJB, Neil Stonell of Grimshaw and Joe Agius of Cox in conversation with the ACA’s Angelina Pillai and Parlour’s Justine Clark.

CPD On Demand is available.

This first session is an excellent introduction to the Stepping Up series. The conversation includes the necessity of leaders taking responsibility for improving equity, the importance of effecting change within the profession, our speakers’ experiences with the Champions of Change Architecture group and the value of the Listening and Learning process that is integral to creating and supporting change within the program.

Monica describes how the Listening and Learning process works and explains how it can be adapted and adopted into any practice, no matter the scale.

Joe considers the Listening and Learning sessions as a “safe space for people to speak their minds”, providing valuable insights to practice leaders about the day to day lives of their employees. “On a personal level, it was humbling, enriching and insightful to see the world from the viewpoint of various staff members at various stages of their career, living and working in different ways.”

Neil agrees about the value of the process to practice: “They are a very, very good thing to do when you want to analyse or understand better the circumstance and the culture of your organisation.”

So, what are the best ways to establish trust for the Listening and Learning sessions? How do you create an open and honest safe space for discussion? Ethical reasons for change are clear, but what is the business case for equity in practice?

Watch the full video for answers to these questions and more.

Also see the excellent articles by Monica Edwards on Listening, Learning & Leading and Listening and Learning – How it works.

Our speakers

MONICA EDWARDS initiated the Champions of Change Architecture Group and has been integral to its development. As an Implementation Leader, she has also been at the coalface of change within two practices. She is currently a senior associate at SJB in Sydney. Read Monica and Shaun Carter on the origins of the group here.

JOE AGIUS was instrumental in establishing the Champions of Change Architecture Group in his former role as 2014 President of the NSW Chapter of the Australian Institute of Architects. He was a founding member of the first NSW group of champions, and participated in the program from 2015–2021. Joe is a director of Cox in Sydney.

NEIL STONELL is a current member of the Champions of Change Architecture Group, and a founding member of the second National group, established in 2019. He is Melbourne Managing Partner of Grimshaw.

Chairs

ANGELINA PILLAI is CEO of the ACA and Head of Diversity, Culture and Inclusion at the Australian Council of Professions.

JUSTINE CLARK is co-founder and Director of Parlour.

CPD

One hour of formal CPD is available for each session, on completion of the CPD questions here. The learning objectives for the series as a whole can be found here.

Once completed, you will receive an email from Google forms with your responses. Please keep this – it provides the evidence of attendance and completion. Please note, separate CPD certificates will not be issued. If you can’t find the email, remember to check your spam folder.

Tickets

General ticket – $40
ACA members / Parlour Collective – $25. (Use the promo code CollectiveACA at the Vimeo checkout)
Concession – $10 (Students, part-timers and anyone else who needs it. Use the promo code CONC at the Vimeo checkout)

We operate on an honesty system. Please choose the ticket price that matches your circumstances.

Any proceeds over and above the costs of delivering the Stepping Up program will be set aside for future equity projects led by Parlour.