Glen Eira City Council’s Manager Statutory Planning Mark Stanojevic remembers the day he started at Glen Eira more than 10 years ago.
“I was a bit nervous but I was looking forward to my first day,” he said. “I had worked at Hobson’s Bay for a few years and deliberately chose Glen Eira because of its reputation.
“I do recall my desk being a dumping ground for some controversial planning permit applications! Manager Town Planning Ron Torres guided me around the office that day and we still work together now.”
There may be some things that remain the same for Mark, but most aspects of his current role are a long way from his early days as a planner. Following a series of moves within Council, encouragement from a string of mentors and participation in leadership training, Mark now finds himself to be one of the mentors in the organisation.
“I have always had good mentors here and also from other parts of my life such as sport and family,” Mark said. “I have learned a lot of lessons that apply to my personal life and my work life. I have also learned that I have my own leadership style and values.
“HR brought the frontline management training program and other courses to my attention. The study has been very worthwhile and gave me a great ‘helicopter view’ of the organisation.”
Mark enjoys the management side of his role but tries to keep a balance to maintain a sharp, ongoing technical base.
“It’s important to me to be an effective role model for my staff and I believe it’s good for the group,” he said. “I like the strong relationships in the office gained from honest conversations, two way feedback and providing opportunities to try new ideas.”
Although Mark admits he didn’t enjoy his early experiences at Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT), that has changed over time.
“I gained lots of experience and knowledge being pushed out of my comfort zone in forums like VCAT, or trialling new ideas that Glen Eira soon became known for – like pre-lodgement certification.
“I continue to enjoy advocacy work at VCAT although this is not a direct part of my role now. Continuous improvement is also important to me.”
In that context, Mark is certainly on the right track. “I have loved succession planning with Planning Support and many of the young planners. Many of them have had amazing opportunities in this place and most people embrace those opportunities.”
