What are the 3 most valuable things you have learnt when engaging in the space of innovation and impacting social change in Aboriginal communities?
The importance of building and strengthening relationships with the KM community cannot be overstated. This ensures that our foundation is based on respectful working relationships which is the basis for delivering employment opportunities and protecting our culture. From getting directors and Elders’ opinions on staff appointments – through to reinvesting our revenues back into community projects such as our Oral History Project, conserving important sites and artefacts and showcasing selected artefacts in our office – all of this builds legitimacy and respect for what we do in the community.
What challenges have you had to overcome and what tips would you give to others that may be facing the same challenges?
The challenges have been numerous and ultimately they stem from the lack of ‘social capital’ or trust in the relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. From the perspective of setting up businesses, we have slowly built our social capital between the KM community and our customers. We’ve done this by concentrating on developing our capacity and culturally appropriate governance mechanisms that provide transparency and accountability. Ensuring sufficient resourcing and continually working on the relationships, we are better able to develop sustainable businesses.
How do you see your business continuing to make an impact over the next 5 – 10 years?
Over the last 12 months we have been mentoring KM people into key operational positions in KMAC. We have engaged KM heritage officers and provided specifically designed and targeted training programs to other KM people to assist them to take on leadership positions in KMAC and the KM community. Personally, by March 2016, I have set the target of handing over the CEO role to a KM person who is supported by a strong team. The KMAC Board of Directors is now working on identifying a suitable KM candidate.
As someone who is deeply involved in Aboriginal Communities, is there any advice you have for people who are either entering the space or those that have been involved for quite some time now?
I have learnt the importance of being resilient, patient and listening to the views of others while not being distracted by the inevitable humbug that can sap your energies. You cannot solve all the problems, but if you achieve the specific goals that you set yourself, no matter how small they may seem, you will achieve a positive impact in the community.
Business success will increasingly rely more on building effective relationships to achieve lasting profitable enterprises.
I always seek to understand an issue fully before offering advice – I listen to the opinions of others to broaden my own perspective and I work through the challenges I set myself until I resolve them.