Organisational values are at the core of every workday and task and Bundaberg Regional Council has developed a practical tool kit to support its workforce and promote its values.
The values outlined in the Bundaberg Council’s Corporate Plan 2025 – 2030 were introduced to the workforce in 2025 and CEO Rob Williams was determined to ensure they didn’t exist only in a corporate document which collected dust on the shelf.
This led to the launch of The BRC Way We Work project which provides Bundaberg Regional Council staff a comprehensive toolkit with resources and educational materials for display and staff development.
The innovative approach to embedding values within the organisation was a combination of Council’s existing The BRC Way development program and Mr Williams’ The Way We Work philosophy which he has honed throughout decades of experience in Local Government and leadership.
The Way We Work rests on the simple foundation that by building trust every worker can be their best, exemplified by:
Being the best we can – by aspiring for success staff can create a supportive and continuously improving spiral of achievement.
Doing the right thing – compromising your ethics or beliefs will only hold you back from positivity so always do what is right.
Creating the right environment – acknowledge and understand the importance of legislation and bureaucracy but apply common sense to every situation by asking the right questions and reviewing and updating where necessary.
Improving ourselves – not in terms of competence and training (that’s a given) but by being self-aware and never allowing personal challenges, like a lack of self-confidence, impact how you interact with others.
Mr Williams said The BRC Way We Work toolkit included values posters for display in work areas and flyers with a detailed breakdown of actions and behaviours that represent the organisation’s values.
Leader resources, such as behaviour maps, were also developed to foster positive and productive conversation about workplace interactions and attitudes.
“I’m not a poster on the wall kind of guy usually however this is more than just displaying words on a wall, The BRC Way We Work program has the substance to back those words up,” Mr Williams explained.
“The wall charts were developed with support from staff across the organisation who volunteered to take part in workshops and with their help the actions that are featured on the posters were created.
“This support was appreciated and valuable, helping to ensure the resources are relevant to a diverse range of staff.
“This is a truly remarkable result and one of the best and most practical applications of an organisation’s values that I have ever seen.”
He added that promoting the organisation’s values while simultaneously creating a positive culture was a critical key for success.
“Culture eats strategy for breakfast,” Mr Williams said.
“When our attitudes and behaviours are in alignment we can then consider our vision, mission and strategies.
“Neither vision, nor mission, nor strategy has merit or worth if the culture of the organisation is to undermine our deepest held desires and the promises we have made to our community about delivering them.”
The BRC Way We Work program is continuing to develop with Bundaberg Regional Council’s learning and development team now working to embed the program and its principles into training and induction resources.
