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    Craig McFadden


    Craig McFadden Employee Relations SpecialistCraig McFadden has consulted to an impressive range of leading Australian and international organisations to enhance business strategy, improve executive and leadership capability and deliver enterprise-wide performance solutions.

    I work as part of an independent team of ‘strategic partners’ to provide an ‘outsider’s view’, to challenge the culture, provide greater objectivity and drive the successful implementation of our client's strategic intent. This typically involves working alongside the CEO and the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) to address specific challenges or issues they may be facing and influencing the leadership teams to:

    * ensure their structure and capability aligns with the strategy;
    * drive business objectives; and,
    * be accountable for implementation of specific strategic initiatives.

    As a Director at Savvy, my scope of work is diverse and includes implementing transformation initiatives and programs that support the implementation of strategy at the business unit level, to ensure continued productivity and the desired workplace culture.

    I coach leaders on delivering against business plans, provide workplace relations advice or strategic HR services to leading organisations such as APA Group, CSIRO, Minter Ellison, Medibank, QUT, KPMG, Deloitte, Coates Hire, Deloitte, Avant Mutual, Opal, Origin Energy, CBRE, Anglo Coal, BHP, Terex, Mirvac, Queensland Urban Utilities, Leighton Contractors, Redpath Mining, CentreLink, the Queensland Drug & Alcohol Foundation, Dept of Primary Industries (NSW), UD Mining, GP Training QLD, QIC, Gold Coast Suns and the Commission for Children (QLD) and many SMEs.

    ABOUT THE CEO


    Craig's clear, practical counsel and ability to influence others into action, has gained him credibility with executive leaders and he is frequently called on to serve as a strategic partner with the primary focus of defining, building and influencing the talent within leadership teams to drive business objectives. His unique combination of experience enables him to relate to business issues and know first-hand how hard it is to create a high performance organisation and implement strategic and cultural change.

    Craig McFadden works with leaders to align their personal values, beliefs and behaviours with the aspirations of their organisation in order to create improved results. He provides business leaders with practical tools for effective leadership and an environment to explore their leadership style and the impact this has on the engagement of their teams. Craig’s coaching approach has an ‘on-the-job focus’, whereby coaching is anchored in real business issues to deliver sustained, high impact results and create self-directed change.

    Craig has Lifetime Accredittaion in the Human Synergistics LSI, GSI & LI instruments, and is accredited in FIRO-B personality assessments and in the facilitation & interpretation of Benchmarks and Skillscope 360 degree feedback instruments and Team Management Systems profiles and linking skills. Craig has advanced coaching accreditation from the Institute of Coaching & Consulting Psychology, University of Sydney. Craig is AgileShift certified (influencing change by embracing agile and lean ways of working) and has international certifications in Change Management. He is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management and a Certified Professional of AHRI.

    Craig’s executive coaching provides a personalised, solutions-focused approach to address key challenges. It challenges leaders and managers to engage their people - to better hold their people responsible for the work they need to do. Our coaching relationships are built on trust and, while the information exchanged is confidential, we usually schedule a review with the client part way through the coaching assignment to check progress and address any emerging issues. Craig McFadden has a partciular focus on - Managing Progress and Accountability – the ability to hold attention on what is important for the client, and to leave responsibility with the client to take action.

    Craig has significant experience designing and facilitating leadership programs and combines his strong facilitation skills with his business qualifications and background to ensure that all transformation programs are designed to generate business related outcomes. Craig McFadden has presented to a diverse range of audiences including resources, health, law, financial services, aged care, education, utilities and not for profit sectors which has given him the skills to adapt content and process to suit different learning styles and abilities.

    Craig’s leadership style centres around his unfailing drive to act with integrity and honesty, together with an unrelenting determination to ensure the people he works with are empowered and trusted to deliver the very best for our client and its customers.

    TESTIMONIALS

    Craig is extremely professional in his delivery, highly reliable, dependable and turns work around very quickly. He efficiently resolves difficult situations and I have seen him manage, empathise and defuse difficult situations with our staff members.  He is always available, is dedicated with a very strong work ethic and is an absolute pleasure to work with.  I would highly recommend Craig to any organisation. (Director – Construction / Property).

    “Craig’s discipline and strategic approach is at the absolute core of a successful strategy around our future planning process outcomes”. (Managing Partner Law Firm)

    "The client could not have asked for a better response from Craig in terms of process, timeliness and efficiency. His methodology was superb, and his final report was outstanding in terms of coverage of the issues and as a reference tool upon which the client could manage complaint outcomes. The client made it clear to me that they were very happy with the referral and the service provided by Craig throughout the investigation, indicated further by their ongoing retainer of him to provide additional HR services". (Employment Partner – Hopgood Ganim)

    “The relationship between Craig McFadden and the senior management team has been fantastic. Craig has always been extremely professional, ethical, supportive and informative. His important personal and process skills ensured that the Company’s restructure in 2015 went as smoothly as these can go when downsizing. Craig has helped the Company with a number of serious HR situations involving our people. Craig has provided good guidance and support on these matters ensuring that the Company employs good process throughout so that matters are successfully resolved.” (CFO Mining Company).

    Thanks for your time this morning. As I said I am feeling like I am in over my head with the current issue. I was glad I had picked up the phone and asked for help(Managing Partner, Accounting firm)

    I personally appreciated his guidance and advice through a difficult process of restructuring the business following the extraordinary impact of the global financial crisis.  (Managing Partner, Law Firm)

    Craig started coaching me at a point where I was having trouble handling my complicated role. His evidence-based and practical approach really helped set me on a better path as a leader. The benefits are still coming more than a year later.   (Principal Research Scientist, CSIRO)

    Craig, from a professional perspective you provided timely advice which assisted me in dealing with the changing nature of my work. The options you presented me with were very relevant and really focused on the environment that I work in. On a personal level, your suggestions really hit the mark and gave me the confidence to move forward with my life in a positive manner.  Once again, thank you for the excellent advice you gave me and I would like to wish you all the best for the future. (Manager Power Operations)

    Craig has worked with us for only a few months, and in record time, with quite a few challenges, exceeded our expectations. He has increased productivity and performance by getting to the core and dealing with causes, without being distracted by the symptoms. He ensures sustainable behaviour change rather than quick wins. (National Learning & Organisation Development Manager)

    Craig, I thought I would pre-empt your follow up to let you know I did sit down with each of my managers, followed the guidelines you suggested re approach and I really felt it worked a lot better than my normal approach and that several of them then really took ownership for the issues and suggested ways to improve processes to make things work better for them and others.   (Deloitte Partner - Sydney).

    Craig helped me identify my concerns, focus on what was essential and then approach the issues from a totally different mindset – leading to one of those ‘light bulb’ moments where I felt more confident and comfortable about what was required.  Craig’s strategic planning coaching was invaluable. (Manager QUT Faculty of Law)

    Staff are very pleased to have formally met Craig.  They have indicated this was the first time both parties have acknowledged their concerns and committed to a robust process of engagement to ensure collective success.  The term ‘drawing a line in the sand’ has been repeated by the team which indicates the team appreciate a fresh approach to engagement(Project Leader report to Sponsor following Union meeting led by Craig).

    You (Craig) were one of the few people from the (Employer) side (of the project) that had logic and common sense(Union representative, Health Sector)

    Thank you very much for your assistance at our Retreat last week. I felt it went really well. The tool has been well received and I look forward to following up with the groups to see how we can use it to further develop our teams. Many of the staff were really impressed on how well it reflected how they saw themselves. So again thank very much and warmest regards. (Head of Campus, QUT)

    The leadership sessions with Craig McFadden were the most valuable, interesting and effective parts of the Program. (Participant ELP Business Program – Aged Care).

    Very friendly & personable, Craig created a comfortable environment to listen and ask questions’. ‘Very intelligent & genuine – I thought he was confident and portrayed knowledge & experience. (Director CBRE)

    Our South African colleagues have used your recent scoping document to help inform some of the work they are planning in this area ... our Global Head of Learning was impressed with the detail and quality(Manager Learning and Development. Anglo American Australia - Coal)

    Thank you very much for facilitating the Strategic Planning Day yesterday. I think it was really valuable for all of us. (Science and Engineering Faculty, Queensland University of Technology)

    Craig came in as an independent person to resolve a bullying complaint. He was measured, fair and practical in his approach. He spoke to both sides, was able to clarify roles and responsibilities each party had and contributed to the situation. He has a nice way with people, put them at their ease and we had a successful outcome. (Practice Owner)

    I just wanted to pass on some great feedback for Craig; he has a good understanding of the complexities that come with these things and picked things up quickly which isn’t always easy to do, he gave a heap of additional advice and really made the whole process run smoothly. He was accessible, responsive and had a really good big picture view.  Long story short we got a great outcome for the business and the individual involved(Regional Manager)

    I wanted to thank you personally for the session you ran yesterday. I found it to be a valuable session that allowed us to work through the issues and come up with a plan to allow us to work effectively for the betterment of our team moving forward. Initially, I was a little apprehensive of how this would go, however, the session exceeded my expectations and I believe we reached a positive outcome as a result of the mediation you ran.  (Asset Services)

    I just wanted to say a big thank you for your complete and comprehensive support with this difficult case. Your thoughtfulness with the investigation and outcome meetings, has been the most professional support I have received(Terminal Manager).

    I just wanted to say- thank you for facilitating the mediation, thank you for the frankness and honesty - and for helping us to find middle ground. I felt comfortable with you, and I feel comfortable with the agreement too. I appreciate your candour and acceptance. 

     

     


     

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    Craig McFadden's clear, practical counsel and strong influencing and relationship building skills have gained him credibility at both the executive and line manager level and he is frequently called on to coach managers through complex industrial relations issues, termination or redundancy matters, performance reviews or to prepare for discussions with difficult individuals and team members.

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