Angie Archives - Angie Paskevicius

Leadership is About Who You Are, Not What You Do

admin — Wed, 05 Sep 2018 09:06:33 +0000

Angie Paskevicius is the CEO of Holyoake, a leading not-for-profit organisation providing alcohol and drug counselling and support services in Western Australia. She is this week’s Changemaker.

Paskevicius’ career spans over 30 years as an allied health practitioner, business owner, policy advisor, senior executive, executive coach and board member in the hospitality, health, education, disability and community service industries.

She joined Holyoake as CEO in 2007 and transformed it from a small organisation completely dependent on government funding to an innovative and thriving entity that is now making a difference across the world.

Each year Holyoake helps thousands of people by providing practical programs to address people’s alcohol and drug abuse issues, with the vision of creating better futures for the families and community.

In 2003, Holyoake launched DRUMBEAT as an early intervention program to reduce levels of alienation for at risk youth. Since then, the program has gone from strength to strength, and is now facilitated across Australia.

In recognition of her contribution Paskevicius was named the Telstra WA Businesswoman of the Year in 2015-16 for her vision, leadership and commitment to making a difference. She also received the For Purpose and Social Enterprise award.

Speaking at the time, Telstra chief operations officer Kate McKenzie said: “[Paskevicius] managed to change the mindset of the organisation from ‘charity’ to ‘enterprise’ by moving from 100 per cent government funding to a more diverse funding and revenue model.”

In this week’s Changemaker Paskevicius talks about why her career success is a bit like riding a bike, why her mum was such a strong role model for her, and why she is driven by a desire to make a difference.

What attracted you to the not-for-profit sector?

That’s really been a long story from when I was quite a young girl. As a teenager my mum was a very strong role model for me and a very strong influence in my life. She was a passionate volunteer who spent a lot of time volunteering, fundraising, and she would often sell raffle tickets out the front of our newsagency which is in the main street of a small country town in Tasmania.

I guess from those early days, that’s where I first had that experience of I guess, giving back and making a difference. And it has really grown from then. And even though I have worked, not just in the not for profit, I’ve worked in government and the private sector, I’ve always had that strong desire, I guess to make a difference and to give.

When you were appointed to Holyoake in 2007 the organisation was struggling. But you successfully developed a new strategic plan, recruited a new team and developed two social enterprises – Drumbeat and Wellbeing@Work. What is the key to you success?

It is interesting because when you get to a certain stage in your career, it’s a bit like riding a bike, you kind of know what needs to be done. And it was coming in and understanding where the organisation was at and then having that really clear vision about our potential, and where Holyoake would actually eventually go and all the building blocks that needed to be in place to make that happen.

So I guess it really was having that clear vision and then putting all the things in place that gave it that solid platform to growth and then building on that. And I guess recognising the challenge of the need to be financially sustainable and how could we actually do that going forward in a way where we didn’t need to rely on fundraising or any of those sorts of activities. So we could diversify our revenue stream through social enterprise activities and I guess that was probably one of the keys as well.

So building a strong platform for growth, relooking at our branding and then really looking at diversifying our funding streams and making sure that we had high quality services for our customers and good people, the right people to deliver those services, with the right skills.

How important is it for not for profits to be more business minded?

Absolutely critical. We are not businesses in the true sense but we have to apply contemporary business practices and principles otherwise you’re not going to succeed. It is absolutely essential.

What do you like best about working at Holyoake?

Obviously I have got a very strong alignment to our vision and our values. My personal values are very closely aligned to Holyoake’s values. And i’m very passionate about the cause as well. That we make a difference in people’s lives and that we are working with people who are impacted by substance abuse, whether it is the person who is misusing the substances or someone else in the family that is affected. And many of our clients also have mental health issues, and I have a lived experience through family members of alcohol and drugs and also mental health, so I guess it is a very strong fit for me. And we do amazing work and we’ve got great people who work for us.

What are the organisation’s current priorities?

They are probably not dissimilar to many other organisations at the moment. As you know, there is lots of change going on externally and a lot of uncertainty.

We’ve just come to the end of our current strategic plan so creating a new strategic plan at this point in time is also really important but also exciting for us, to look at what the next three years will bring.

We’re focusing a lot on our financial sustainability, looking at our social outcomes and social impact and we’re also with our social enterprises really looking, particularly with our DRUMBEAT, how we can scale that and replicate that internationally. We are already operating internationally but how can we do that in a social franchising model. We’re really looking at how can we be well positioned and prepared for the NDIS.

One of your most recognisable initiatives, is DRUMBEAT, which fosters social interaction and personal healing through the power of music and rhythm. What role can music play in bringing about positive change?

Well music is very powerful and DRUMBEAT, while it is a music-based program in that it uses drumming, it has a very strong evidence base to it and it is really about strengthening and developing relationships and building resilience and connections between people.

So today in modern society that is a really important factor. So not just DRUMBEAT but other music based approaches such as DRUMBEAT which has a therapeutic and an evidence base, it can really bring people together at times when there is a lot of fragmentation in the community, a lot of disaffected people, disadvantaged people, so it is actually quite powerful.

What does a typical day for you entail as CEO of Holyoake?

That is one of the other things that I love about my role is that, there is lots and lots of variety, which I enjoy. So every day is a little bit different. I do have a lot of meetings but I’m always talking with and meeting interesting people.

I am internally catching up with people who work here and my line reports. I might be out networking or doing business development which I also enjoy. So it is I guess representing the brand externally but also building those strong connections internally.

In 2015 you were named Telstra WA Business Woman of the Year, how does it feel to be recognised for the work you are doing?

It was a big surprise. I guess it was a very proud moment for me and somewhat unexpected, but certainly very proud to accept the award and I guess be recognised, not just for the work that I’ve done at Holyoake but the work that I’ve done in the social services sector over many years. Not always easy work to do but very, very rewarding.

Through your work what is your ultimate goal?

I guess it is what I kind of mentioned earlier, it is really that strong desire to make a difference and to give back and to share I guess the experience, and learnings and wisdom that I have gained over a number of years now, with others to really help them achieve their potential.

In the early days as a speech pathologist it was about helping my clients achieve their potential, today it is about helping our employees to achieve their potential and then really in turn that helps to transform the organisation so that the organisation can really achieve its potential.

How do you stay motivated?

I guess there is that very intrinsic reward that you are making a difference. I love what I do, I always have. I don’t think I’ve ever had a job where I haven’t loved coming to work everyday, and that might be a bit rare today, I don’t know, but I just really enjoy what I do and fortunately for me I seemed to have ended up in an area that really resonates with me. It is a really good fit.

Do you have a favourite saying?

I have quite a lot actually, I’m quite into sayings. A key one is: “People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.”

I guess the other one is, and I think this is a “me saying”: “Leadership is about who you are, not what you do.”

I have one more, which is: “A leader is best when people barely know they exist, when their work is done, their aim achieved, they say we did it ourselves.”

How important is a good leader?

Well I guess from my own experience and my own philosophy, it is absolutely critical. But I believe everyone is potentially a leader. I don’t think it is just the person who has the position or leadership role such as for example the CEO. I think everyone has the capability and capacity to be a leader, if they are supported and encouraged and given the opportunity to learn and grow.

But I guess the other thing about leaders is that you are not really a leader either unless you have got people following you. So followers are also important if you want to be a leader.

By Wendy Williams Pro Bono Australia

The post Leadership is About Who You Are, Not What You Do appeared first on Angie Paskevicius.

Spending time with Angie Paskevicius

admin — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 09:27:31 +0000

Recently I was fortunate enough to sit down with 2015 Telstra Business Woman award winner and Holyoake CEO Angie Paskevicius to hear her thoughts on leadership; here’s what she had to say!

What is it that makes Holyoake so meaningful to you?

There are so many things……

I love what we do as an organisation and I love what I do every day in my job.
There is a strong alignment between my own values and personal philosophy about life and those of Holyoake. The Holyoake approach is about self-responsibility, accepting and respecting the person at the place they are at and not judging. It’s about peer inspiration and person centred practice. This aligns well for me.
My purpose in life is about making a difference, about giving back, helping people achieve their potential, which in turn, ultimately transforms organisations…..I get to do this every day at Holyoake, along with all of our people.
I also love variety in my work and my role at Holyoake offers a diverse variety of activities….every day is different and interesting. I love the challenges that it often brings.
Finally, we are doing lots of innovative and interesting things at Holyoake. Our journey has been transformational and we are involved with many exciting partnerships and in leading edge innovations, particularly in the social enterprise space.

We have a great team of people at Holyoake doing amazing work with our clients.

Is there a difference in motivation in people working for a non profit organisation?

I think there is. Generally people are more passionate about their work and the outcomes they are working towards for their clients/consumers. People are there because they want to be. A key driver is ‘making a difference’, giving back, achieving the core purpose or mission of the organisation that they work for. People in the Not For Profit sector generally operate from a strong values base that is aligned to the values of the organisation they work for.

Can you take me through what the last 12 months has involved since winning the Telstra Business Woman of the Year

It’s just on 6 months. It was especially busy straight after and before Christmas and it’s been very busy so far this year. I have had considerable media contact – print, radio, social media, especially twitter. I have been interviewed about my journey and about leadership by a number of publications, including a book on inspirational WA women which has already been published. I have been fortunate to present at a number of forums about my story, about leadership, about directorship and about social enterprise and Holyoake services.

In all these situations, it’s also been an opportunity to talk about the amazing work that we do at Holyoake, so it’s also been that opportunity to build the Holyoake brand. I have met some amazing people and learned a great deal about myself and others along the way…..and the journey is still continuing!!!!

In your opinion, what are the most important traits that every leader should possess?

I like the work of Stephan Covey: ‘The 13 Behaviours of a High Trust Leader’ and Kouzes and Posner ‘The Truth About Leadership’ which capture for me the traits that leaders need and why they need them. If I were to focus on only one trait I would choose ‘integrity’, which to me is about honesty and trust. Leaders need to be honest in what they say, let people know where they stand and use simple language. They need to do what they say they are going to do. This builds credibility and trust..which are the essence of what integrity is about.

Other traits that I think are important are being humble, passionate about what you believe in and genuinely caring about people.

MOMENTS IN TIME

What are the two most pivotal moments in your career that you either learned from or got you where you are today?

My first role as a CEO, nearly 18 years ago was a pivotal moment in my career. In 1998 I was fortunate to be appointed as the first CEO of Therapy Focus which I set up as a new non-government agency having project managed the outsourcing of therapy services from a government organisation. This began my career as a CEO in the NFP sector.

The second pivotal moment was my decision to study for my Master’s in Business Leadership just after I became CEO of Therapy Focus. I had the amazing opportunity to apply the theory that I was learning in my studies, to real life day to day situations at work which was invaluable. My Masters also helped me draw on my existing leadership and management experience to enhance my learning.

CREATIVITY AND MOTIVATION

How do you encourage creative thinking within your organisation?

I am a possibility thinker, future focussed and always looking at the big picture. I am open to new ideas and always looking for opportunities to improve what we do or explore how we can do things differently or better. I am comfortable working with uncertainty and risk and regularly bring back new ideas to explore.

So, I think all of these things help to foster innovation and creativity at Holyoake as I lead by example as the CEO to create that environment that supports and enables creativity and innovation to happen.

How do you motivate your team?

I share my passion and enthusiasm for our vision and purpose and work to ensure that everyone is clear about where we are heading and what’s happening internally and externally through regular and simple communication. For example:

A fortnightly newsletter to all staff about what’s going on across the organisation,
Attending local team meetings,
Celebrating our successes together,
Consulting and involving others in decision making,
Team Days twice a year when the whole organisation comes together
CEO afternoon teas with staff at sites without their line managers present

I like the work of Kouzes and Posner: ‘The Leadership Challenge’ which outlines the 5 exemplary practices of leadership. It talks about modelling the way, inspiring a shared vision, challenging the process, enabling others to act and encouraging the heart. I believe that if a leader can demonstrate all of these behaviours and the right attitude, then people will follow them and be motivated at work.

I try to foster an environment that enables and encourages self-responsibility – ‘we did it ourselves’. This links well with our Holyoake approach as well as the work of Daniel Pink in his book, ‘Drive’

Purpose – clear
Mastery – training and development
Autonomy – self management

We also have a wellbeing Committee at Holyoake who are responsible for organising the team days, our Christmas function and many other wellbeing type activities.

YOUR ADVICE

What advice would you give someone going into a leadership position for the first time?

There is lots of advice I could share based on the knowledge and experience I have gained over the years. Unfortunately there isn’t enough space here to share it all! To me the most important advice is to understand who you are. To be an authentic leader you need to be aware of who you are, what’s important to you and what you stand for- your values and beliefs. To me leadership is about who you are, not what you do.

It’s also important to seek out a mentor or mentors who have been on the journey before you who are willing to share their learnings and wisdom. Never be afraid to ask for help or advice as there is always someone who is willing to guide you along the way. You don’t have to do it all on your own.

What are you doing to ensure you continue to grow and develop as a leader?

I am a strong believer in lifelong learning. If you want to continue to grow and develop as a person and a leader and be the best that you can be, then this is essential.

As I mentioned earlier, I have completed post graduate study in leadership and management and also governance. I regularly attend AIM and AICD learning events, presentations and conferences relevant to my work and personal development. Once a month through my TEC membership, I have access to high quality speakers on a wide range of topics and I regularly read journal articles, books and newsletters that are relevant to my work.

One of the significant benefits for me of my Telstra experience, has been that I have spent a great deal of time self-reflecting on myself as a person, as a leader and my own personal journey and I have found these insights invaluable from a learning perspective.

Mentorship seems to be a common thread used amongst leaders we have spoken with, have you had, or have you been a mentor and what impacts has this had on your leadership journey?

I’m a 10+ year member of TEC – an international membership group for CEOs and business leaders. This has provided me with significant benefits in my CEO roles over the years. While not strictly mentoring, there is an element of mentoring in the relationship between each member in the group and our TEC group chair.

I am a strong believer in mentoring others. I see it as an opportunity to give back, make a difference, to help others achieve their potential, and to share my knowledge, experience and wisdom. I currently mentor for the:

School for Social Entrepreneurs (SSE)
Social Enterprise WA Accelerator Program
NDIS Accelerator National Program
Partnering for Scale and Impact National Program
Australian Institute for Management WA (AIM)
Engaging Young Leaders on Community Boards WA
Private pro bono coaching and mentoring of CEOs and Senior Executives

LIFESTYLE

How do you start and end your day?

I usually start around 6 to 6.30am. If I don’t have an early meeting, I’ll go for a walk for ½ hour. If it’s a Tuesday or Saturday, I go for an hour of clinical Pilates. I’ll then have a quick breakfast and go off to work which is close to where I live.

I usually go to bed about 10.30pm or 11pm and read. I try to go to sleep around 11ish most nights as I know how important sleep is!

What’s the most exciting thing you have done over the past year?

Winning the 2015 WA Telstra Business Woman of the Year Award and the journey that’s come with it

What’s left on your bucket list that you are dying to do?

An incredible and inspiring personal journey to Lithuania to visit long lost family; I can’t wait!

Angie’s career spans over 30 years as a health practitioner, business owner, senior executive, executive coach and Board member in the hospitality, health, education, disability, alcohol and drug and community services industries. She has held positions in the government, not for profit and private sectors in Tasmania and Western Australia.

Since 1992, Angie has held a number of executive leadership positions, initially with the Disability Services Commission, then as CEO of Therapy Focus which Angie established as a new not for profit agency in 1998 and more recently as the State Director of Mission Australia in WA and now the CEO of Holyoake since 2007.

Angie has a strong commitment to lifelong learning and is formally qualified at Masters Level in Business Leadership, is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management. She has been a member of The Executive Connection since 2004. Over the years Angie has participated on a number of boards, high level government task forces and ministerial advisory committees.

Angie has significant skills and experience the areas of leadership, business strategy and planning, transforming organisations, business performance and growth, people management and development, leading and developing teams, coaching, corporate governance and stakeholder management and engagement. Angie also has a keen interest in the growth and development of social enterprises in the not for profit sector as a sustainable business model for the future of this sector.

In 2015, Angie won the Telstra WA Business Woman of the Year Award as well as the Social Purpose and Social Enterprise category.

By Maria-Jane Satterthwaite April 2016

The post Spending time with Angie Paskevicius appeared first on Angie Paskevicius.