Leaders we work with

Over the last decade, I have had the pleasure to work with Fabian Dattner to help build leadership teams who are aware, kind, thoughtful and educated in affecting change in themselves and in their team dynamics.  She helps leadership teams get unstuck by simply navigating through very complex conversations about self-awareness and the personal and organisational barriers that stand in the way of constructive leadership. I think the hallmark of Fabian’s work is that leaders are often surprised by the change that is possible, and, despite the challenges involved, always feel deeply supported in their personal journeys. I highly recommend Fabian. She is an excellent executive partner-loving, intelligent, informed, and skilled.

We wanted to embark on a transformational change process to shift a uniquely ingrained organisational culture that had developed over 30+ years; I looked to Dattner Group to deliver on that transformation. The Dattner Group team have led the organisation on a change journey like no other, pushing and testing the boundaries of our executive and senior leadership groups and making them think about every fibre of their being, testing our resolve and resilience.

Programmed partnered with Dattner Group to enhance leadership capability in our Senior Leadership Teams. The outcomes surpassed our expectations. Our leaders were challenged both professionally and personally and their leadership style is now more authentic, vulnerable, caring, empathic and inspirational. Working with Fabian and her team was tremendous. Her approach and genuine care for people flows throughout the program delivery and her ability to call out an issue and work through the problem is a wonderful skill. We were very impressed with the work Dattner Group completed and would not hesitate recommending to other organisations.

VETASSESS has been using the Dattner Group for over three years to help us develop our culture, through our people, and to improve our leadership, management, and employee engagement. I have found Fabian and her team to be absolutely focussed on achieving the best outcomes for VETASSESS, our leaders and staff. They have great experience and knowledge; they have quickly become part of the VETASSESS family.

Working with Fabian, Michelle, and the DG team is a constructive and collaborative partnership for the Pact Executive team and me as we foster development in line with our strategy. The team is flexible, deeply supportive, and expert in what they do. The results have been immediate.

A staff survey showed executives and staff in the division were highly committed to delivering improved biodiversity outcomes but suffering from the impacts of high workloads, multiple, competing demands with a lack of clarity of role and purpose and strategic direction. This resulted in suboptimal staff behaviours and overall performance of the division.

We engaged Dattner Group to help analyse the causes and to assist with developing a new
leadership approach based on a strong divisional strategy, underpinned by a culture of collaboration and care.

The insights and leadership models provided by Dattner Group have been pivotal in helping the executive and division get on a pathway to becoming more effective and high-performing.

Implementing the leadership strategy will deliver benefits for staff in terms of role clarity and health and wellbeing, and deliver improved outcomes, which will ultimately help with reversing biodiversity decline in Victoria in the long term and deliver an improved service to the Victorian community.

I really don’t know of any other program where you are able to get such a fundamental mind shift in the way your leaders think, work, and operate. It’s of great value to any business. 

The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive from staff who have participated in the Compass programs. We are starting to see these women step up and drive change within the organisation, not only seen but more importantly, heard and valued for their contribution.

We know that the impact of this program is not only on current participants, building confidence and leadership capability, but it will develop strong role models and mentors for the next generation of women who join the Council.

Working with the Dattner Group has been a deeply rewarding experience at the end of my long career as a scientist, environmentalist, and leader within biodiversity in Victoria. I would not have expected to learn so much about myself, to have evolved my leadership capability so thoroughly and to have had the chance to help create a crucial and constructive cultural legacy in the Arthur Rylah Institute. The influence of the work we undertook –organisational values, executive and senior leadership development–has changed many smart, experienced scientist’s mindset on leadership.

Cathy is an extremely gifted, kind and generous coach who was able to help bring together valuable insights about my leadership and communication styles. More importantly, she helped me understand what I needed in order to be at my best.  As women in tech and leadership positions, I think it is so incredibly important to be able to have trusted advisers who can work with you to form a strategic plan on how to help individuals succeed. These coaching sessions precisely provided that!

I wanted to thank you for all the support you’ve given me in clarifying my path forward and feeling generally much happier about what the future looks like. It’s been a very valuable coaching experience and I’m really grateful – thank you!

My coaching with Michelle gave me the courage to push myself out of my comfort zone, particularly around goal setting. I had aspirations to run as a candidate in the Loddon Shire Council local elections but thought about putting it off until next time. I realised that I was taking the easy way out and avoiding the unknown. Michelle’s words during our coaching sessions were sitting at the back of my mind and nudging me to take each step into the unknown. I survived the campaigning and was successful in winning the Inglewood Ward. I am now a Councillor and am ready to take the next steps on my journey of unknowns.

The Compass Course was recommended to me by a friend during a challenging time for me in my career. While I was hopeful for some guidance about my next steps professionally, what I did not expect was enduring transformational change in my relationships – both with myself and with the people I love.  

Compass takes you on a journey of self-reflection, helps you discover your values and anchor all of your decisions – small and major – in what is truly important to you. Compass has given me powerful tools to be a better leader, wife and friend.  

Another unexpected benefit of the Compass Course is the amazing cohort of women I met through the program. I was inspired, humbled, energised and supported by a powerful and diverse group of women from around the country and internationally. I have gained an invaluable and lasting network through Compass. 

The City of Greater Bendigo has now had over 40 women complete the Compass Flagship program. 

 The feedback from the participants has been overwhelmingly positive in terms of personal and professional growth and development.  They are more self-aware, are challenging their own behaviours and the stories they tell themselves and are actively seeking opportunities to step outside of their comfort zones to stretch and grow. 

 All participants have acknowledged that they have a role to play in both organisational leadership and culture, regardless of their position or work area.  They are also clearer about their own goals and values and how these can align with the City to improve performance.