Sandra Parker PSM left the Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) after five years and began working with incoming regulatory leaders, coaching them through the transitions the system doesn’t prepare them for. What she finds, consistently, is the same set of gaps.
In part two of this conversation, Sandra talks about what she sees in the coaching room: new agency heads who don’t know their own legislation deeply enough, who haven’t tracked their social licence, and who have no map for the practical realities of the role, including Senate estimates committees, media crises, and budget cycles. None of it is taught and very little of it is written down.
Simon Corden also discusses the New Head of Regulator Pocket Guide, a practical resource Sandra helped develop through the Commonwealth Regulator Leadership Cohort, designed to give new regulatory heads the grounding the system doesn’t otherwise provide.
In this episode:
- The capability gaps that trip up regulatory leaders, regardless of seniority or sector
- The case for mandatory induction and coaching at appointment, and why it should be in the minister’s letter
- The Commonwealth Regulator Leadership Cohort and the heads of regulator pocket guide
- The enforcement philosophy question: education, compliance, or both?
- The magic wand question — and Sandra’s answer
Listen now below or on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. If you haven’t listened to part one, start there.
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