EP#119: The change leader with Colonel Jennifer Harris

Work with Purpose: A podcast about the Australian Public Sector

On this episode, Colonel Jennifer Harris from the Australian Army gives us a masterclass in managing change in complex organisations, based on her experience with the Army’s Digital Twin.

Change can be difficult – as individuals, we prefer stability and predictability. Particularly when working in large organisations, it can be both an opportunity and a great challenge to align everyone to achieve a common change goal. But the Australian Army’s ongoing Digital Twin project showcases how it can be done successfully.

On this episode of Work with Purpose, Colonel Jennifer Harris explores how the Army, in response to the Defence Strategic Review, established a system that would enable the organisation to rapidly identify risks to warfighting and future capability – the Army’s Digital Twin. Together with host David Pembroke, CEO of contentgroup, Jen talks about the intricacies of managing change at this scale and what theories and frameworks helped her keep people at the centre of transformation.

Key tips:

1. Working on big projects requires you to iterate all the time – it is a live activity.
2. Whilst tools and applications are important for any transformation to succeed, you need to focus on the people who will use them.
3. People don’t maliciously resist change – they’re just invested in the current system. Shifting mental models can take time but is worth the investment.

Show notes:

• The case for a military Spatial Digital Twin | Australian Army Research Centre
• National Defence: Defence Strategic Review 2023 | Australian Government: Defence
• Berkana Two Loops model | Innovation Unit
• Systems change | Observatory of Public Sector Innovation

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