For the Love of Community Engagement Podcast
A podcast to inspire better public participation, bringing you the latest insights, inspiration, information and interviews from across the world.
Season 1, Episode 1 - The ‘Have Your Say’ Global Pandemic
Anyone who’s ready my book or heard me speak lately knows that I’ve been going on about a global pandemic… and before you think I’m referring to Covid 19 - I’m not! I’m actually referring to the Have Your Say pandemic. The phrase “Have Your Say” has become the world’s most used community engagement tagline, used by Councils, governments, and corporations everywhere!
I invited Andrew Coulson to join me for a fireside chat about this exact phrase and we had a bit of fun coming up with some alternative catchphrases.
Andrew is Head of Customer & Community at Harvest Digital Planning, and the product he specifically refers to during our chat is called The Hive.
Andrew chose Ajar by Grasslands as the closing music for this episode. Listen in full here.
Season 1, Episode 2 - Perfectly Understandable Place Attachment
Just in time for your Monday morning commute to or from work... Episode 2 of my podcast is out now!
This episode features a fireside chat with Dr Wendy Sarkissian about the concept of Perfectly Understandable Place Attachment.
If you’re a planner, a politician, a developer, a community engagement specialist or someone who’s ever been called a NIMBY, fasten your seatbelts, and get ready to be inspired!
During this episode I also share with you my thoughts on the upcoming Australian federal election, my disappointment with the major political parties, who I'm voting for and why we need to be having honest and frank conversations as part of the democratic process.
It's a whopper of an episode jam packed with community engagement goodness!
Wendy chose Change of Heart by Holly Near as the closing music for this episode. Listen in full here.
Season 1, Episode 3 - Distrust is now our default emotion
In this episode, I explore the concept of understanding community engagement in the context of society. I reflect on what society has been through in recent years and how this impacts on the way communities want and need to be involved in local decision making. That, plus more! Fasten your seatbelts and prepare to be inspired!
I chose The Rhythm by The Cat Empire as the closing music for this episode. Listen in full here.
Season 1, Episode 4 - Listening to understand
In this episode I share a light hearted story of a recent walk I took where I encountered someone with different beliefs than I did. Did I run away? No. I listened to understand! Join me to think about how we need to encourage more listening to each other for the simple purpose of understanding each other.
I chose Can’t Control My Love by Total Giovanni as the closing music for this episode. Listen in full here.
Season 1, Episode 5 - The latest tools & trends for digital community engagement
In this episode, whilst attending the 2022 National Community Engagement Infrastructure Conference in Brisbane, host Becky Hirst takes the opportunity to catch up with some current leaders in the digital engagement space.
Tune in to hear her chat with Oliver Bates and Andrew Coulson from MySite about the consultation manager software, online mapping, The Hive online engagement platform, and talking lampposts!
She then catches up with Paul Frankenhuizen and Mark van der Kooi from SitePodium about this cool app for ensuring super efficient communications with local people about construction projects near to them.
Last but certainly not least, Becky chats with Andrew Mellor from Melbourne Water about the potential use of augmented reality to enhance community engagement experiences!
Mark chose the song to close off this episode. He went for Romeo and Juliet by Dire Straits, particularly noting his love of the lines "When are you going to realise, it's just that the time was wrong". Listen to the full song here.
An episode definitely not to be missed!
Season 1, Episode 6 - Community Engagement Slogans on T-shirts... Say What?!
In this episode, host Becky Hirst launches her new range of community engagement slogans on t-shirts and more! During the episode she tells the story about how this initiative came about, what each slogan means and the type of scenarios she imagines them being worn in! Fasten your seatbelts and get ready to be inspired!
An episode definitely not to be missed!
Season 1, Episode 7 - A Charter by Children & Young People
In this episode, host Becky Hirst is joined by her 10-year old daughter to discuss the new South Australian Charter for Children & Young People.
Hear about Elsie's favourite memories of launching the Charter as well as her reflections on some of its key elements and why they are so important.
Elsie is a proud Ambassador of the Charter for Children and Young People.
Definitely not to be missed by anyone who wants to hear more about engaging children and young people on things that matter to them!
Season 1, Episode 8 - Community Engagement that leads to Resilient Communities
In this episode, host Becky Hirst shares Chapter 10 from her audiobook reflecting on the importance of government or community-led engagement processes that lead to more empowered, connected and resilient communities.
Season 1, Episode 9 - Ask me anything BUMPER EDITION
In this BUMPER episode, host Becky Hirst answers questions sent to her by listeners around the world! Questions include -
How do you know where to look work out if community engagement is legislated to occur?
What are your best tips to get genuine feedback from a 12-25 year age group?
How can we crack the barrier that parents feel with regarding to school engagement?
How do you stay on top of the latest engagement techniques?
How do you really, really nail the scope of engagement?
What are the latest engagement techniques?
What advice do you have in assessing which projects need the greatest investment in community engagement?
In writing reports, what are your top tips for getting the key things 'heard' across?
Summarising themes is valuable. But how do you report on a single person's insight that can make a massive difference to a project or community?
How can we use constraints to our advantage when working with communities?
Have you ever engaged on a proposal that you knew, in your heart, that you disagreed with? How did you deal with the dissonance?
Why do government departments thing that customer experience is community engagement?
In an ideal world, what does service design look like for you?
How do the principles of community engagement overlap with internal change management?
How many pancakes is too many pancakes?
If you were the Premier, what top 4 policies would you want to bring in?
How many participants is enough to be considered defensible?
Tell us about your journalling and doodling and their place in your life
What are your favourite questions to ask at the very beginning of community engagement planning?
What are your thoughts on coproduction, and whether genuine power sharing is possible in the built environment sector?
What is your vision of responsibilities according to stakeholder communication by infrastructure projects?
Season 1, Episode 10 - Reflections from a Road Trip including ski resorts, Lowry paintings, regional bakeries and more!
Join host Becky Hirst for a 'walk and talk' episode where she shares some reflections about communities of place from a recent road trip with her family. From ski resorts as petri dishes to the role of regional bakeries... get ready to be inspired!
Season 1, Episode 11 - Imagining the Future with special guest Stephen Yarwood
In this episode, host Becky Hirst catches up with Stephen Yarwood, Futurist and Former Lord Mayor of Adelaide for an engaging fireside chat!
Becky probes Stephen on tips for people looking to represent their communities via local government as well as discussing the possible likely futures of communities. Not to be missed critical listening for anyone passionate about communities, local government or the future!
Read more about Stephen’s work with City2050 here.
Season 1, Episode 12 - Report writing for Community Engagement with special guest Cindy Plowman
In this episode, host Becky Hirst is joined by community engagement specialist Cindy Plowman from Conversation Co. for a raw, truth telling episode about writing reports for community engagement projects. Tune in to hear Becky and Cindy talk frankly about their experiences as well as sharing their knowledge of what makes a great community engagement report!
Handy links as mentioned in this episode -
Example report template
Example of infographic style report
And don’t forget to watch “How boredom can lead to your most brilliant ideas” TedTalk by Manoush Zomorodi for inspiration on unleashing those creative ideas!
Season 2, Episode 1 - Facilitating Deliberation with special guests Nicole Hunter and Keith Greaves
In this episode host Becky Hirst is joined by Nicole Hunter and Keith Greaves from MosaicLab for a fireside chat to talk about their new book called Facilitating Deliberation: A Practical Guide.
Tune in to hear them discuss what deliberation means, how a deliberative approach is different to more traditional community engagement approaches, how deliberation is the solution for world peace and more!
This episode is for anyone who is committed to progressive high quality, contemporary community engagement!
Season 2, Episode 2 - Head, Hand & Heart(y) Engagement with special guest Scott Gould
In this episode, host Becky Hirst is joined by Scott Gould. Scott is an author, speaker and advisor in engagement, based in the UK. He is a wealth of knowledge in building enduring connections with customers, employees and communities.
When Becky and Scott met each other via Instagram just a few weeks prior, they instantly had a connection and a clearly aligned passion for the concept of high-quality engagement. Tune in to hear them talk about definitions of engagement, as well as delving into the concept of head, hand and heart engagement. Plus more!
Season 2, Episode 3 - The Engagement Triangle with special guest Amy Hubbard
IIn this episode, host Becky Hirst is joined by community engagement specialist Amy Hubbard, from Capire Consulting in Melbourne, Victoria.
Tune in to hear Becky and Amy discuss the Engagement Triangle, a spacial tool that Amy developed for organisations to establish exactly WHY community engagement is taking place.
Season 2, Episode 4 - Planning for Global Community Engagement Day 2023 with Andrew Coulson
In this episode, Becky Hirst and Andrew Coulson discuss plans for the upcoming annual Global Community Engagement Day, taking place on Saturday 28 January 2023. Hear the backstory of how the day came about, their ongoing goals for the day and the ideas for potential themes for this 6th annual day of celebration!
Watch the Global Community Engagement Day 2022 Thought Leadership discussion between Becky Hirst, Andrew Coulson and Dr Wendy Sarkissian here. Watch the 2021 equivalent, here!
Season 2, Episode 5 - Public Engagement in Health with special guest Geoff Wilson
In this episode, host Becky Hirst is joined by Geoff Wilson who is the Director of Public Engagement & Community Health Board Support at the Nova Scotia Health Authority in Canada.
In a 'blind date' scenario, where they had been connected by a mutual friend, Becky and Geoff discussed Community Health Boards; Evaluation of community engagement; Developing and implementing a community engagement policy; and defining the public in the health sector.
The Public and Patient Engagement Evaluation Tool (PPEET) that Geoff referenced during the chat can be found here.
Season 2, Episode 6 - One Earth Moment: An Idea for Community Engagement & Climate Change featuring Dr Wendy Sarkissian
In this episode, host Becky Hirst is joined by Dr Wendy Sarkissian. Wendy tells stories of connection to nature, her involvement in the planning profession, and shares an idea she has called One Earth Moment, where community engagement professionals would take a moment at the start of any process to consider how whatever it is they are working on is likely to impact the Earth's climate.
Season 2, Episode 7 - Be Led by the People
In this episode, host Becky Hirst shares her vision regarding community engagement being led by the people, by sharing Chapter 17 of the audiobook version of For the Love of Community Engagement.
Season 2, Episode 8 - Engaging Beyond Humans with special guest Dr Joel Fredericks
In this episode, your host Becky Hirst is joined by Dr Joel Fredericks from the University of Sydney to discuss the concept of engaging beyond humans.
This fireside chat will challenge you to think differently about your human-centred design or citizen-centric processes!
Season 2, Episode 9 - I'm a 10 year old girl. Can I really make a difference in the world?
In this episode host Becky Hirst is joined by her daughter Elsie (age 10) to talk about the difference that children and young people can make in the world!
We cover everything from attending rallies, emailing Members of Parliament, building apps and picking up litter! Oh, and tidying your room!
Season 2, Episode 10 - Building Community as the Antidote for Toxic Individuality with special guest Moira Were AM
In this episode I’m joined by Moira Were AM, who wants to be the Mayor of the community where I live!
We talk about her campaign so far, what it’s like to run a grassroots community-led campaign, and a style of leadership that is about building community.
Season 2, Episode 11 - A Mayor candidate, a unicorn and rush to the head from a few tooting strangers
In this episode, host Becky Hirst shares her experience of spending an hour with a candidate for Mayor waving at passing cars.... wearing a Unicorn onesie. She reflects on the limitations facing local government candidates during an election campaign, as well as our need for human interaction and recognition.
Season 2, Episode 12 - Engaging communities in rural Kenya with special guest Zachuas Ogonji
Join host Becky Hirst as she talks to Zachuas Ogonji, a social entrepreneur based in Nairobi, Kenya.
Zachuas talks about his work with rural communities in Kenya, including the Inua Village to Global Foundation.
Get ready to be inspired as Becky and Zachuas talk about impacts of the last few years on rural Kenyan life, schools and education at the centre of communities, awakening consciousness to be ready for engagement through a Staircase Model, and the concept of 'Greetings Day'.
Fasten your seatbelts!
Season 3, Episode 1 - Leading Together with Brave, Honest Conversations with special guest Steph Roy McCallum
Join host Becky Hirst as she talks to Steph Roy McCallum about her new book, Leading Together.
Get ready to be inspired as Becky and Steph talk about the need for community engagement to move away from being a transactional process to being about deep listening, connection and working together to find solutions.
Fasten your seatbelts!
Season 3, Episode 2 - Building Communities (and a Pyramid) with special guest Max Mason
Join host Becky Hirst as she is joined by friend Max Mason to talk about building communities - of place, of interest, of action and of circumstance.
Their conversation organically weaves in various directions exploring stories of Max's personal and professional adventures to date. The concept of 'Idea Generating Migrants' is born and there's plenty of reflection on what it's like to arrive in a new city or state from elsewhere in the world, respecting yet challenging a place's many parochialisms!
The conversation ends with Becky and Max discussing Max's latest project, building an exciting, state-of-the-art performance venue which will stand at a whopping 6 storeys high - The Pyramid.
Season 3, Episode 3 - The importance of Council CEO's being directly involved in community engagement, with special guest Nigel Morris
Join host Becky Hirst in a fireside chat with Nigel Morris, CEO of Alexandrina Council as they discuss the importance of CEO involvement in community engagement. Nigel and Becky talk about a range of projects they have worked on together, but Nigel also shares why he places so much value on investing time and resources into community engagement.
The conversation weaves through topics such as
having the courage to try different approaches,
how an IT background has helped Nigel's approach to engagement,
the importance investment in engagement early in a process to get decisions right first time,
building personal relationships and genuinely listening to the needs of the community,
plus being the only guy in town wearing a suit, April Fools jokes as a way of learning and building community, and Nigel's magical unicorn status in being so progressive in his approach to leadership.
Season 3, Episode 4 - Why community engagement needs to facilitate the telling of stories for rich conversation
Tune into this episode to hear a chapter of Becky Hirst's book, For the Love of Community Engagement, about why community engagement needs to facilitate the telling of stories for rich conversation. The chapter includes explaining the magic of a SpeakOut, other techniques such as Open Ideas Marketplaces, and Becky's infamous views on the 'Have your Say' global pandemic!
Season 3, Episode 5 - Digital Community Engagement, Artificial Intelligence & ChatGPT with Melissa Hagedorn and Nathan Connors
In this episode host Becky Hirst is joined by Melissa Hagedorn and Nathan Connors from Granicus.
Tune in to hear them discuss Granicus, the role of digital engagement in 21st century engagement, Artificial Intelligence and the potential of ChatGPT technology in the sector.
Season 3, Episode 6 - Saving the world by building socially cohesive communities
Join host Becky Hirst as she explores the topic of social cohesion and it's relevance and importance in today's society. Becky discusses definitions of social exlucsion/inclusion, social cohesion and community development, as well as providing some practice suggestions regarding the role we can all play as individuals in building more socially cohesive communities.
Season 3, Episode 7 - Intentional Acts of Kindness
Join host Becky Hirst as she discusses intentional acts of kindness. She talks through definitions of kindness, shares personal stories from her week that led her to think about kindness, and explores what kindness to yourself, to others, to non-humans and kindness to the planet look like.
In this episode, Becky provides plenty of food for thought about how we can apply lessons about kindness and empathy to our work in community engagement, as well as in our personal lives.
Find out more about Mr Beast on Wikipedia or find out more about Beast Philanthropy here. For information on the upcoming Granicus 2023 Digital Government Roadshow events, follow them on LinkedIn.
Season 3, Episode 8 - Acts of Community through 1Million Mini Missions
Join host Becky Hirst as she’s joined by Gretha Oost, a serial impact entrepreneur based in The Netherlands. Tune in to hear Gretha’s cycling adventures, ShowerWatch, 321 Water and O Fountain. She also shares her newest venture, 1Million Mini Missions initiative which aims to stimulate active citizenship, using a PPP model of Private, Public and People partnerships. Pockets of the Planet, creating momentum, building pride and ownership, Acts of Community, Glocal action and more! Definitely fasten your seatbelts and get ready to be inspired!
Shout out to Cindy Plowman and her caravan plus Wendy Ray who both get mentioned. Also mentioned in this episode - season sponsor Granicus Australia New Zealand’s upcoming webinar series, Andrew Coulson’s post about ChatGPT’s thoughts on Have Your Say, my new app called Morganise, Parish Councils, the How to Citizen with Baratunde podcast, the Mission Economy: A Moonshot Guide to Changing Capitalism, 24-hours of Happy, and a book called The 7 Ticks (in Dutch).
Season 3, Episode 9 - How to engage with the Baby Boomer generation
In this episode, host Becky Hirst is joined by second-generation retirement living village operator and consultant, Jodie Prosser, to talk about the Baby Boomer generation. This generation is defined as people born between the years of 1946-1964.
Tune in to hear Becky and Jodie define the different generations; reflect on the unique characteristics of the boomer generation versus the previous ‘silent generation’ and the more recent generations, X and Y; and bust some myths about why and how baby boomers want to be engaged and involved in decision-making!
This episode is jam packed with myth busting about the baby boomer generation, plenty of reflection of how and why our parents behave in certain ways, and plenty of ah-ha moments about the generation that makes up the largest population group!
To book onto an upcoming Engaging with Age Friendly & Retirement Living Communities bootcamp, click here.
Season 4, Episode 1 - Becky Hirst - Looking after our mental health in community engagement
In this Season 4 introductory episode, Becky Hirst shares the story of how the theme of 'Looking after our mental health in community engagement' has come about.
She shares -
> Reflections on incidents in her own work and communities during 2023 that led to her personal struggles with mental health.
> How the theme came about and was received for Global Community Engagement Day 2024.
> Her hopes and intentions for this special season focusing on the topic of looking after your mental health in community engagement.
Season 4, Episode 2 - Andrew Coulson - Are community engagement practitioners the black sheep of the family?
In this episode, Becky Hirst and Andrew Coulson discuss the topic of looking after our mental health in community engagement.
Their conversation includes -
A reflection on this years Global Community Engagement Day which had the theme of looking after our mental health
Andrew’s own journey through community engagement, and how he came to notice an issue regarding mental health in the community engagement sector
A discussion about controversial projects, how people carry very personal passions and interests, and how this affects community dynamics
The need for support for community engagement practitioners both from each other and from their orgnanisations.
My main takeaways from this conversation were about self care - notably, taking time out to focus on something you enjoy where nothing or nobody distracts you - almost like being able to be in a meditative state. This could be going for a run, playing the piano, or watching a sports game. Also the importance of music to support and nurture our mental health.
Plus the need for greater recognition of community engagement as a profession and the pressures this can bring for individuals and teams. There must be support and acknowledgement within teams, departments and organisations.
Connect with Andrew on LinkedIn or check out Social Pinpoint and Consultation Manager.
Season 4, Episode 3 - Donna Groves - Let’s Shine!
In this episode, Becky Hirst is joined by special guest, Donna Groves.
During the day, in her role of founder and Managing Director of international consultancy firm Comacon, Donna can be found on infrastructure construction sites around Australia, in high-vis outfits advocating for superior community, sustainability and environmental outcomes on behalf of her consultancy business clients (and ultimately the communities they serve). Donna is also the co-founder and chairperson of the National Community Engagement for Infrastructure Forum.
Donna's new book, SHINE, is the story of her journey back - not just to herself but to a better version of herself. It is the story of a woman who found the strength to face her demons, to learn to live with her grief, to sooth her inner child and to make the changes necessary to begin the long, hard journey back to herself. To be present. To truly live. To be a better mother, wife, friend and leader. It is about accepting our imperfections. It is the story of a deeply flawed woman who wants to be the best version of herself.
Season 4, Episode 4 - Paul Vittles - Let’s talk about suicide
IPaul Vittles is a change consultant, coach and counsellor living in the north of England. Paul brings over 40 years of experience in engaging communities on a multitude of topics, as well as vast experience in the suicide prevention sector, including his current work with The Jordan Legacy.
Tune in to listen to Becky and Paul discuss -
How they first connected via Global Community Engagement Day when #belikepaul trended as he visited cafes in Pyrmont, Sydney highlighting that 'community' is everywhere
Paul's own mental health journey, including a move to Australia
Various engagement projects Paul has worked on - from mass murder sites through to emotive discussions about cake!
The prevalence of suicide around the world.
The importance of mental health training and knowing the right questions to ask.
The 'Join the Dots' conference and festival that is taking place in June 2024 along the entire M62 corridor in the north of England.
Season 4, Episode 5 - Dr Wendy Sarkissian - A Reciprocal Arrangement with Mother Earth
This episode features an insightful conversation between Becky Hirst and Wendy Sarkissian in relation to this season's theme of looking after your mental health in community engagement. They share their personal experiences, reflection on the state of planet earth, and some key takeaways about community engagement and the environment.
Becky Hirst and Wendy Sarkissian discuss their friendship and how they first met.
They talk about the challenges and pressures faced by community engagement practitioners, especially in the post-COVID era.
Wendy emphasises the importance of reconnecting with nature and incorporating appreciation for the environment into engagement processes, through taking One Earth Moment.
They discuss the need for more caring and compassion in the world in general, but also in the field of community engagement.
Wendy shares her new book, "Creeksong," and explores the theme of 'holding fast to the mother' and the impact of climate change.
Season 4, Episode 6 - Paul McGregor - Emotions are Evidence
In this episode we take a dive into the world of emotions and their pivotal role in personal and professional interactions.
Right from the outset, Paul and Becky begin by exploring the common tendency to default to "I'm fine," even when we're far from it. We continue with a compelling discussion on the current tensions surrounding crucial conversations, especially among those of us in the community engagement field who are inherently empathetic.
They also share a light-hearted take on imagining a world filled with robots, which leads us into a profound conversation about the significance of emotions as indicators of deeper truths.
Key highlights include:
> The importance of somatic therapy and expressing emotions, including anger, as pathways to healing and understanding.
> Introduction of the Emotional Culture Deck tool, a resource for facilitating deeper emotional awareness in ourselves and others.
> Reflections on the pressures of self-employment, exploring strategies for staying motivated and overcoming challenges.
> A discussion on the shift towards facilitative leadership, emphasising the importance of creating spaces for questions and exploration rather than having all the answers.
This episode is a CRITICAL reminder that our emotions are not just passing feelings but valuable evidence pointing to deeper truths about ourselves and our interactions with the world.
Submit a question
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Podcast intro & transition music: Uplifting Drum and Bass Ident by Andy Slatter.
