Meet Susan

You spend so much of your life working. Why not be doing what you love?

Work-life balance is only half the story!

Work is – for most of us – an integral part of life. Finding the right balance isn’t just about doing less work. To feel in balance, we need to be doing work that engages, challenges and motivates us. Finding this balance at an organisational level is also the secret to having a highly effective and productive workforce.

How do we define what we – or our employees – will be good at and love to do? You could use trial and error, as I did…

This is my story

When I left school with good marks in science, it seemed obvious I would complete a degree in the field and work as a researcher. That’s what I did until I was 25 and working in a lab in Sweden. When a colleague there turned 40, I really wondered if I could still be doing science when I was 40. On returning to Australia, I tried a variety of roles, in sales, administration and project coordination before getting into training and development. As I developed my practical skills, I undertook further formal education to build a solid foundation for my practice.

Twelve years ago, I started consulting in human resource management to businesses, non-profits and government departments. Since 2003, I’ve been very fortunate to be able to serve clients primarily in the financial services industry. In my work I’ve met some extraordinary people with great passion for what they do – people who have taught me many things and made me curious about what contributes to their success.

Curiosity led me to Harrison Assessments, the most accurate, insightful and easy to use online testing tool I have encountered. Not only did I find an excellent resource for employee assessment,selection, development and staff coaching, but I also gained greater understanding of why my own career path had unfolded this way. When you read about my profile below, you’ll understand what I mean…

My unique traits

The Harrison profile recognises that it’s unhelpful to pigeonhole individuals because each of us is made up of a combination of traits, that will affect our behaviour in different situations. When our traits match the requirements of the work we do, we will perform better and enjoy it more, resulting in ever greater success. Here are some of the 155 key behavioural preferences and personality test factors identified in my own profile.

Highest scoring personality test traits

Helpful – the tendency to respond to others’ needs and assist or support others to achieve their goals
Takes initiative – the tendency to perceive what is necessary to be accomplished and to proceed on one’s own
Flexible – the tendency to easily adapt to change
Cause motivated – the tendency to be motivated to help society

Preferred tasks

Research/learning – the enjoyment of gathering and comprehending new information
Teaching – the enjoyment of instructing, training or educating others

Behavioural competencies

Coaching – the tendency to be an effective facilitator of the development of others
Strategic judgement – the tendency to have a balance of traits necessary to discern pertinent information and to formulate an effective strategy
Innovation – the tendency to create new and more effective ways of doing things

Interests

Writing/language
Travel
Finance/business

What I do best

Create connections
Open minds to new possibilities
Research and interpret complex information

What I stand for

People finding a balance at work because they’re doing what they love
Businesses selecting the best possible staff, based on objective data, not just instinct and intuition
Employees who are doing work that is the best fit for their unique strengths, enabling them to succeed
Managers having confidence and clarity to deal with staff issues

My credentials in a nutshell

30+ years of experience in a wide range of industries
15+ years working in human resources
6+ years as a consultant and coach to insurance brokers, financial planners and accountants
Master of Human Resource Management (with Distinction)
Accredited Harrison Assessment Systems Consultant and Distributor (Advanced Interpretation Level); Certified NLP Practitioner; Certified HR Professional (CAHRI), Australian Human Resources Institute
Lecturer/tutor in strategic HR management and career management at University of Western Sydney