The impacts of PTSD (and other mental health injuries) amongst frontline emergency responders are well documented and recognized as a critical pressure point in maintaining the resilience and effectiveness of our emergency services. Consequently, specialist support (such as counselling, CBT or EMDR) is made readily available for frontline responders and is recognized as imperative for ensuring the health and wellbeing of staff and the continued provision of services to our communities. This is not the case however for public safety communications professionals, i.e. those people who work in 911 and 999 emergency control rooms. Frontline call-handlers and dispatchers are equally and routinely exposed to trauma, albeit from differing perspectives than frontline responders and yet little exists to support their mental health and wellbeing. In this week’s pod, we seek to better understand the issue and what can be done to support these critical professionals.

A team should never operate in isolation but rather it should function as an integral element of several systems, which together constitute a complex organisational structure. Systems thinking is therefore elementary to organisational success but how do we understand systems thinking and how do we employ it to good effect in our work environments? How does an organisation maintain a coherent identity whilst leaving room for creativity amongst its teams? In this week’s pod, we explore why systems thinking matters and how listeners can incorporate it into daily work and life to great effect.

Post-pandemic, what value should associations provide their members; employers; industry; and their communities? What is their role? Prior to COVID19, many membership bodies struggled to define their value proposition. Given current socio-economic uncertainties, is it possible that the membership model is no longer valid? Some commentators suggest that the associations concept is past its sell-buy date and that professionals want (need) a new approach to professional development, representation, career support, etc. In the Associations Week special, our expert explores whether the future of associations is behind us.

Each week we take a deep dive into the issues, topics, challenges and opportunities facing Consort's community. We’re portfolio specialists so nothing is off limits: any subject that affects business, leadership and people is up for discussion. 

This week we talk about the fourth industrial revolution and challenging the commonly held view that technological change is disruptive.