5 minutes with Tish Custance

This is the first in a random series of interviews about workplace culture with leaders in the Australian non-profit sector. Tish Custance is a rising star in this sector. She shares her thoughts here about culture and how she builds effective teams.

So Tish, what’s the name of your favourite pet? I can’t pick just one! I have two gorgeous Italian Greyhounds – Sid & Nancy.

And your all-time favourite movie? Harry Potter – (specifically love number 5... but all of them are up there for me)!

How long have you been in your current role? About 1.5 years – I moved to Melbourne when I got this job and am loving it.

What was Cerebral Palsy Support Network created to achieve? CPSN was created as a means of sharing information and knowledge and providing support and services for people with Cerebral Palsy and their families.

What are your organisation’s values and which one means the most to you? We have: Integrity,?Respect, Accountability, Courage and Responsiveness. Like many organisation values, you can’t have one without the other. But to me, respect and integrity are stand out values. I firmly believe in the importance of doing the right thing, even when no one is watching and that’s what integrity means for me. Respect is critical in the success of any relationship and for me, it is foundational in achieving inclusive environments where everyone is celebrated and encouraged to be who they are.

What role do you play in supporting workplace culture at CPSN and how does this work on a practical basis? This is a core area of my responsibility, but I recognise that supporting and shaping culture cannot be any one person’s task. On a practical level this year, our leadership team has focused on leading by example, sharing our success and our struggles and being honest about the impact COVID has had on us. We have been seeking input and advice from our teams through surveys, emails and other mostly online interactions, while trying to balance this with everyone’s fatigue and being mindful of not asking for “too much”.

What are your top 3 tips for building effective teams?

1. Allow people to develop in areas of interest to them, not solely within a tight scope of their “job” – seek out opportunities for them and encourage requests to learn more and different things.
2. Take time to share what people do, how they do it, and why they do it; share knowledge and information as far as you can.
3. “Be human” – this is one of my biggest focuses and has been a key focus in what we have worked towards in the last year and a half. When we recognise that everyone is human and work to connect and listen to people as human beings rather than being so focused on the job, we understand each other much better, we get more done and we feel happier and less stressed. Remove blame and replace it with a human approach.

What drives you nuts? In life… when people walk too slowly and aren’t aware of their surroundings! I am always “in a rush” even when I’m not – I’m the person assessing which line is the shortest in the supermarket. At work… when people aren’t respectful and inclusive of others. I’m certainly no expert, but I always do my best to be respectful and consider whether I can make changes to be more inclusive or promote ways to increase diversity and I can’t understand people when they don’t try to do this as well.

Tish, what would you say was your biggest personal learning from Covid-19? I don’t think I know quite yet… but I have seen the importance of being kind, being human, being patient and making sure that the work-life balance is there. We live in an “instantaneous world” – of which I am certainly guilty of expecting things straight away. Through COVID, I have seen a lot more patience, some things have taken more time than usual… and that has been OK! We can only do what we can do and there is more to life than working the ever extended 9-5 + commute. Going for a walk or a run mid-afternoon to clear the head (and get over 3:30-itis) has seen me increase my productivity and afternoon motivation and isn’t something I thought was “OK” before COVID hit.

I hope you enjoyed this interview! Huge thanks to Tish, Sid & Nancy!! Stay tuned for more culture conversations around supporting employees as we return to "normality" - whatever that might be! :)

Fran Connelley is a culture and communications specialist and the author of 'Workplace Culture & the NDIS' and 'How to Thrive under the NDIS'.