FlourishDx supports organisations with management of psychosocial risks and development of mentally healthy workplaces. Find out more at www.flourishdx.com

Heather founded WorkLife Psychology with the aim of enabling and supporting mental health at work. Heather is primarily focused on providing counselling and support services for individuals experiencing a range of mental health issues, primarily stress, burnout, depression and anxiety, particularly where these are caused by the working environment or are negatively impacting labour-force participation and job performance.

At Stoddart Group, Heather was responsible for leading organisational development strategies for a national workforce of 600 employees, operating in a complex and fast-paced environment. Broadly this involved providing advice to senior leaders, and developing frameworks and strategies focused on employee performance, leadership development, organisational change, reward and recognition, employee engagement, and learning and development. Key achievements within the role included:- Design, delivery and evaluation of a development program designed to build people management capability, focused on core topics related to employee performance and wellbeing- Review, administration, and reporting on the Employee Engagement Survey, supporting leaders with follow-up strategies and actions- Implementation of a new framework for rewards and recognition, including roll-out of ‘Perkbox’, a new employee benefit for Stoddart Group employees- Provision of support and advice to the Project Management Office and Change Manager on change management strategy and employee engagement- Provision of advice on L&D strategy and administration of the Learning Management System (SAP Litmos)

As the National Chair, Heather successfully led a team of volunteers focused on achieving the strategic objectives of the College, supporting members, and pursuing the interests of the profession. Activities included:• Leading the national team in the development of strategy and direction for the College• Chairing committee meetings and ensuring volunteers were engaged in activities that align with achievement of objectives• Developing and implementing strategies and initiatives to build the capability of Organisational Psychologists and ensuring a highly skilled profession capable of meeting the needs of Australian businesses• Chairing the College Chairs Forum, involving regular meetings of the College Chairs to discuss common interests and work together to advance the needs of Psychologists across Australia• Participating in regular Advisory Council meetings to advise the Board of Directors on the strategy and business of the APS• Developing tools and resources for public consumption regarding the expertise of organisational psychologists

In the role of National Member Engagement Officer, Heather was responsible for working with the national committee to undertake a range of initiatives to deliver member value, address professional issues, support continuing professional development for organisational psychologists, advocate on behalf of members and stakeholders, and provide support to state committee members delivering membership and continuing professional development activities.

In the role of People Engagement and Performance Manager, Heather was responsible for identifying and implementing strategies to enhance employee engagement, performance and wellbeing across a workforce of 470 employees. This was achieved through strategic guidance and advice to executive leaders and management in fostering a positive and constructive environment, supporting leaders with strategic HR matters, and data and insights to drive informed decisions about how the workforce is managed.• Provide visibility to management on the links between RAQ’s strategic directions, people management strategies, workforce development plan and People & Culture outputs• Work with the Head of People & Culture on delivering strategies which positively impact organisational capability, performance and employee wellbeing• Provide advice and guidance to leaders across the organisation on HR, IR and other people-related matters• Provide strategic guidance and coach leaders on performance development and management• Collect and analyse data on culture, climate, engagement and wellbeing, and provide strategic recommendations to management on improvement strategies• Coordinate the Employee Assistance Program• Develop, deliver and support strategies to help the workforce adapt to changes brought about through the COVID-19 Pandemic, including review and advice on remote working and working from home arrangements• Lead key strategic People & Culture projects, planning, monitoring, tracking and reporting on progress, ensuring deliverables are met within agreed timeframes

Heather was largely responsible for organisational development (OD) activities across a diverse organisation of 870 staff. The day-to-day work of this role involves designing, developing and implementing strategic initiatives that support workforce development and enhancement of organisational capability. Key responsibilities included: - Providing employees and leaders with advice in a range of areas including: culture, team effectiveness, engagement, leadership, change, reward and recognition, talent management, employee wellbeing, and performance development- Supporting business units with the planning, implementation and management of organisational changes, leadership development, employee engagement, reward and recognition, and workforce strategy- Development and implementation of the OIR People Strategy- Development and implementation of leadership development initiatives- Coordination and reporting on employee engagement survey- Delivery of corporate on-boarding days- Management of reward and recognition program, including coordination of employee awards

Heather's previous role of Senior Research Officer was re-focused as a result of an organisational restructure, focusing research as a major component of the innovation strategy for the Office of Industrial Relations. The position was part of a new functional unit that reports directly to the Deputy Director-General. In this role, Heather was responsible developing and implementing a research strategy for the whole agency, with a focus on driving a culture of evidence-based practice, learning, innovation, and continuous improvement. Key activities:- Provide support to research programs across the OIR- Assist business units with translating research into practice- Provide support to major projects derived from research recommendations- Facilitate the adoption of best practice approaches to change management- Investigate approaches to organisational development and business transformation, with particular consideration for implementing research findings on approaches to health and safety regulation- Development of an internal communications framework- Development of tools and resources to support change management practices- Development of a strategy to address risks to workers associated with exposure to violence and aggressive behaviour- Review of current research and identify best practices relevant to the business areas of the Office of Industrial Relations- Management of relationships with academics and research centres, assisting with the execution and management of external research contracts/projects

Heather lent her expertise in the area of organisational psychology and psychosocial risk management to the Leadership and Culture Strategy Unit on a six month secondment. The role involved working with internal and external stakeholders to raise awareness about the importance of mental health at work, developing programs, tools and resources to educate industry about legal obligations and benefits associated with identifying and managing psychosocial hazards. During this secondment, Heather was responsible for collaborating with a Heads of Work Safe Authorities national working group and leading the publication of a freely available manual version of the People at Work psychosocial risk assessment process (www.worksafe.qld.gov.au/people-at-work). This involved refining the existing survey used as part of an extensive research program, and establishing a toolkit of practical information and guidance to support organisations to administer the survey and determine suitable controls to address psychosocial hazards.Key activities:- Developing and delivering key strategies regarding mental health at work- Coordinating and chairing the People at Work HWSA working group- Providing presentations and workshops to internal staff and industry on mental health at work and psychosocial risk management- Leading the delivery of the Mental Health Forum during Mental Health Week 2016, where the Queensland Mental Health Ambassador and Mental Health at Work Action Plan 2016-2020 were launched- Preparation of project plans, briefings and correspondence

In the role of Senior Research Officer, Heather was responsible for supporting the implementation of research projects for Workplace Health and Safety Queensland, helping to develop the research strategy to support the adoption of evidence-based approaches to work. This largely concerned research to support review of regulatory frameworks, with a view to influencing organisational development and performance. Heather also offered specialist expertise in the field of organisational psychology, assisting with workshop facilitation, planning, and advice on management and leadership practices.Early in 2016, Heather became involved in an internal research project investigating readiness for organisational change. This resulted in the provision of a review report on organisational change management practices, and a range of recommendations given in anticipation of future changes required as part of continuous improvement and the implementation of research findings.Key activities:- Development of new frameworks and procedures for undertaking research- Provision of advice to internal stakeholders on undertaking research projects and collaborations with academics- Involvement in cross-jurisdictional meetings and discussions on research and evaluation projects- Supporting the supervision of student research officers studying psychology and work health andsafety- Undertaking reviews of research on key strategic areas, particularly regulatory practice- Developing research proposals and liaising with researchers to discuss research collaborations- Engaging in activities to collect data for internal and external research projects, includingconducting focus groups with WHSQ and ESO personnel throughout the state, and supportingthe roll out of research surveys- Supporting managers and directors with meetings and planning activities, including facilitating planning days and workshops for the operational leadership group

As the Chair of COP Qld, Heather was responsible for leading a team of volunteers dedicated to supporting the profession of Organisational Psychology in Queensland. This was achieved primarily through delivering continuing professional development opportunities and advocating for the interests of Organisational Psychologists throughout the State.

Heather has been a volunteer with the College of Organisational Psychologists in Queensland for several years. Her contributions have largely revolved around the coordination of professional development events, which is a critical service for the College's members. This role has seen Heather organising event speakers/presenters, liaising with venues, marketing and advertising of events, managing RSVPs and attendee needs, responding to enquiries, and responding to event feedback. Heather also liaised with members to understand and support professional development needs. In her time as the Professional Development Coordinator, COP Qld saw the commencement of a couple of key initiatives, including online streaming of events, and continued success and growth of events.In addition, Heather also worked with the COP Qld committee to deliver continued support to members and work on special initiatives (online web conferencing, local leader forums, member benefits etc.)

TMS Consulting is a specialist consulting firm delivering services across a diverse range of practice areas, including organisational development, change management, health, safety and wellbeing, coaching, and recruitment.AT TMS, Heather was responsible for the planning, design, delivery and evaluation of a range of organisational strategies and interventions to develop individual, team and organisational performance. She has worked with organisations across a variety of industries, including Health, Education, Mining, Energy, Resources, Agriculture, and the Queensland Government. Key projects included:- Strategies to minimise risks associated with psychosocial hazards, including training and education, reviews and procedure development- Stress, coping and resilience interventions- Workplace bullying prevention and management interventions- Leadership and team development programs, including assessment of leadership capability- Change and transition support and learning and development services - Large scale program evaluation projects - Cultural transition and workforce support services for large scale organisational changes- Business development and capability support

As a Facilitator and Psychologist at Sentis, Heather was responsible for facilitating Sentis’s globally recognised safety programs. In essence, her role involved guiding workers and managers on a journey of learning, insight and self-discovery, demonstrating how psychology and neuroscience can be applied to improve safety performance in the workplace.Heather is a talented faciliator and demonstrated a high level of skill in both learning and applying content, as well as building rapport with participants and processing groups to facilitate learnings. This role also relied upon Heather's ability to understand the needs of participants and adapt programs accordingly, as well as leading discussions with managers around critical safety and leadership challenges.

At DETE, Heather was responsible for driving initiatives to address workplace bullying in a Department that has a diverse workforce of over 80,000 employees across more than 1500 work sites state-wide. This project arose out of identified issues involving the cyberbullying of school staff, and was broadened to meet an identified need to address the prevention and management of workplace bullying.In this role, Heather undertook the management of a critical HR project including planning and design, identification of project constraints, communication and stakeholder engagement, budget management, reporting and evaluation. Key activities engaged in include:- Development of policies and procedures in line with existing health and safety policies and procedures, the Qld Public Service Code of Conduct, and the Work Health and Safety Act 2011- Development of a suite of facts sheets for employees and managers on workplace bullying, cyberbullying, resilience and coping, and core management skills around responding to employee complaints, and engaging in performance conversations and management processes- Design of an innovative two-tiered training program consisting of half-day workshops for employees and managers on the prevention and management of bullying in the workplace- Successful facilitation of a pilot of this program for DETE Central Office staff between March and June 2012, training over 550 staff through the facilitation of over 30 workshops- Provision of key recommendations for future consideration in continuing to pursue strategies to prevent and manage workplace bullying, comply with legislation, and minimise risks of psychological injury