Maxme: We’re big believers in the power of human skills. But don’t just take our word for it – the evidence for excellence powered by human (‘soft’) skills are everywhere! In this engaging, ever-enlightening series, we speak with industry leaders, innovators, and game-changers to learn a little about their personal career journeys, and how human-led strategies, philosophies, and cultures are proving a force for good in their working worlds …

Welcome Fiona, and thanks for stepping into the #SuccessIsHuman Spotlight! 

You’re Executive Director – Business Performance for WorkSafe Victoria – the State’s workplace health and safety regulator and workplace injury insurer. WorkSafe’s mission is to reduce workplace harm and improve outcomes for injured workers.

In 1 sentence (ok, we’ll give you 3), what does your job/work entail?

Fiona Schutt: I see my role as the opportunity to link people to WorkSafe’s strategy, the activity we undertake to the outcomes we drive, and subsequently, how we best make decisions on allocating the resources required to support the delivery of our purpose – reducing workplace harm and improving outcomes for injured workers.

M: You’ve been with WorkSafe for over 3.5 years now (the first 1.5yrs as Chief Financial Officer, with a stint as Acting CEO), however your career in executive finance has spanned vast industries and sectors; from education and energy, to financial services and more. Your impressive CV includes tenures with leading organisations such as AXA, Crown, Origin Energy, Bluescope Steel, Superpartners, Deakin University and Swinburne University of Technology.

How does all this work speak to your personal purpose and what drives you as an individual?

FS: The opportunity that professionally motivates me the most is the ability to create impact and add value – and being provided the platform and space to do so. Working across various sectors has built out my strategic ‘finance toolkit’ over time; allowing me to step into different contexts, cultures and environments and engage at the point of need along the way. What I’ve enjoyed most in the more recent part of my career is the ability to work in organisations that are truly purpose focussed, and to develop more commercially performance focused cultures to ensure they’re getting the most from their finances and investments.

M: Tell us a little about your personal education pathway/s – what led you to where you are now? How closely do your formal qualifications match your current career?

FS: I’ve been quite deliberate about the education I’ve undertaken over the course of my career.  And I am a big believer in ensuring that the education options I’ve pursued truly complement, strengthen and evolve the professional role I play day to day. My education choices would probably be considered relatively straightforward for an accounting / CFO pathway, but I now find the most rewarding form of learning comes from the insights I get from the mentors in my professional life, in addition to the learnings I take from those that I mentor.  

M: If you could share one piece of career advice to your 21-year-old self it would be …

FS: Don’t be so hard on yourself – give yourself a break! I’ve set some high standards for myself over my career, and sometimes lost the balance between ‘motivated and ambitious’ and self critical. It has taken a while for me to appreciate the only person I was competing with was myself. And the criticism ended up distracting me from enjoying and celebrating the moment. 

M: Maximising the potential of individuals, communities, and businesses through the power of human skills is the reason Maxme exists. Can you tell us a little about the role and/or value of human skills in the work/workplaces you’re involved with right now?

FS: WorkSafe plays a multifaceted role in a complex environment – we wear various hats (regulator and compensation scheme), while serving and supporting various stakeholders (employees, employers, industry stakeholders, government).  

Our role must be structural, operational, engaging and empathetic all at once. And these elements intersect in different ways at different times. The value of human skills in that context is the ability to navigate and connect great subject matter expertise and knowledge across the organisation with strategic, lateral thinking in doing so. WorkSafe is one of the most purpose driven organisations I have had the pleasure of working in. Everyone across the organisation is clear on its purpose and our ambition. Our ability to provide exceptional value to the Victorian community comes from our ability to connect great ideas and knowledge across the organisation.

M: Self Awareness sets the critical foundation for all Maxme learning experiences. With that said … what’s your strongest trait/personal superpower?

FS: I think the one trait that has served me most over my career is the way I engage others. My approach has always been focused on creating personal connections, whilst building professional elements around it. I like to understand what’s important to others, where their thinking is rooted, how they see themselves and their role, and what makes them tick. My habit is to listen, observe and ruminate. This may come from my introverted style, but allows me to really understand before trying to be understood (to quote Covey). It also builds trust, empathy and connection.

M: And on the flip side, what’s one human/‘soft’ skill you’ve had to really work on improving over the course of your career?

FS: The opportunity for me is to be bolder in backing my gut feel and intuition. And not to fall into a space where I doubt  myself. I’m bold and ambitious in the aspirations I have for WorkSafe as an organisation, the team I work with, and myself … all of which sometimes sees me fall into a space where I second guess situations and overthink too much. It’s unnecessary and just burns mental energy!

M: If you could share one piece of career advice with recent Uni graduates or candidates keen to work with an organisation like WorkSafe, what would it be?

Don’t underestimate the value of having a mentor in the organisation that can coach and counsel you on the nuances and culture of the organisation you are stepping into. The most valuable elements a new graduate / candidate will bring is some great subject matter expertise and a fresh set of eyes, and that’s how you can position yourself to have the most impact – especially if you can deliver it in a way the organisation values. I’m also a big believer in the power of delivery. Every new organisation you step into will have a different culture, a different readiness and appetite for change, and a different way of getting things done. So while you’re learning the more technical elements of the role, be sure to also gain an understanding of the softer elements of how things work.

You’ve been granted approval to add one University graduate to your team, but have 100 applicants, all with outstanding academic results. How do you find your perfect candidate – what are you looking for?

FS: The key elements for me in this instance are agility around soft skills and attitude. The most successful grads and interns I’ve worked with were able to take their technical and academic understanding and really bring that to bear through their soft skills – an ability to read the room, look for opportunities to influence, and really get to the nub of a problem. So I would be wanting to understand how they think, how they approach these types of situations, and how they create connections.

M: In the words of John Dewey, “education is not preparation for life, education is life itself.” What’s next on your #learning agenda?

FS: My focus over recent times has been building my board experience and ability to become a valuable, contributive, multifaceted board director. So my next exciting learning adventure is the amazing opportunity I now have as a member of the Bendigo Kangan Institute (BKI) Board. I’m early on in my board career, and really humbled to be able to join the BKI board with the breadth of understanding and experience the other directors have. I’m really looking forward to the opportunity to learn from them as well as really step into the role I’ll play as a new director.

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