1. Meet
A problem admitted
is the first step
Fiona Krautil explores the Defence Force’s diversity journey
with Chief of Army Lieutenant General David Morrison.
16 – HRmonthly – march 2014
Lieutenant General David Morrison, AO was appointed Chief of the Australian
Army in 2011 amidst a furore of yet another public scandal and yet another
nationwide review – the 13th in 15 years – of ingrained misogynistic behaviour
in Australia’s military culture. With data and transcripts galore at his fingertips,
Morrison swiftly realised that the ‘bad apple’ theory was wrong and did not
account for the challenges female soldiers and officers were facing. The Army
had a serious systemic cultural problem that restricted the full participation
of women within its ranks. Since then, the Chief of Army has spearheaded
significant cultural reform in the workplace to eradicate discrimination from
the highest to the lowest echelons in the Army.
When further scandal erupted in June 2013 implicating a number of Army
officers and non-commissioned officers who exchanged “explicit and repugnant”
emails regarding women, Lieutenant General Morrison subsequently went public
via YouTube, with a rousing call to his workforce to cultivate respect across the
board. In June last year at the time of the email scandal announcement, three
members of staff were suspended, with another 14 suspended subsequently.
To date, six of the 17 people have been discharged for their unacceptable
behaviour. His public denunciation of the Army’s track record of gender bias and
unacceptable behaviour went viral – and Lieutenant General Morrison was lauded
by his peers and the community for his genuine, inspiring leadership.
Today the Chief of Army believes there are still significant challenges ahead.
However he is confident that the Army is making great strides in building
a more inclusive workplace where a person’s gender, race, colour, religion
or sexual persuasion is valued as a positive contributor to capability.
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2. march 2014 – HRmonthly – 17
“
Meet
to perform safely and effectively. If you’re
female and can meet the standard, you’re in!
We’ve also introduced more recruitment,
training and leadership course flexibility and
opened up external skill development. As a
result, we expect a more capable, diverse
workforce to emerge.
Women bring to the
battlefield different qualities
The nature of military service is changing. It’s
much more about using talent where talent
resides these days; it has become an anathema
to be exclusive in terms of gender, race, religion
or sexuality. The idea that soldiers must be male
Anglo-Saxons to get the best out of your
military is gone forever. And I’m very pleased
about that.
Australian society in general is becoming more
accepting of diversity. This is fuelled in part by
a younger generation who are overall more
accommodating, and more accustomed to
women, Indigenous people, and men and
women with different cultural backgrounds or
different sexual identity in the workforce.
Thirty years ago, when I joined the Army, the
idea of a man or woman declaring openly that
he or she was gay was unthinkable. In the past
decade, however, the Army has changed its
policies to recognise same-sex relationships
and to ensure that same-sex couples and their
families are treated as equally as opposite-sex
couples under all policies including retirement,
Revolutionising Army
workplace culture
It is only since I became Chief of Army that I
have, by necessity, scrutinised our Army culture.
In July 2011, shortly after I was appointed, and
when the aftermath of the so-called ‘Skype
incident’ was still raw [an incident in April
2011 involving consensual sex between two
Australian Defence Force Academy cadets
being filmed and streamed to other cadets
over the internet without the female cadet’s
knowledge], Australia’s Sex Discrimination
Commissioner Elizabeth Broderick asked to
meet with me.
When I agreed, the Commissioner promptly
sent me a pack of literature that went to the
heart of why it was more important to include
than exclude people from diverse backgrounds.
It explained in detail how diversity and inclusion
dramatically improve workplace effectiveness.
After reading the material, and considering the
many Review findings on gender issues in the
Australian Defence Force, I spoke at length to
people all around me – and comprehensively
considered the issues.
When we finally met, the Commissioner – a
force of nature, by the way – went further and
challenged some of my preconceptions. Slowly
I came to realise that our Army culture’s greatest
weakness was that we were excluding women,
people from ethnic backgrounds, and those
with an alternative sexual orientation. By doing
so, I came to understand that we were not only
demeaning and distorting the culture that we
wanted in our Army; we were also lowering our
overall capability.
We have subsequently identified and intro-
duced four core values for the men and women
in our ranks: Courage, Initiative, Respect and
Teamwork. All four values are sacrosanct, but
Respect is the lynchpin; it means respect for
yourself and respect for others.
Also, we have removed any remaining barriers
to the employment of women; the ultimate test
now is how a person, male or female, performs
in a demanding military operation.
To this end we’ve introduced Physical
Employment Standards to assist us in placing
the best-qualified people in specific positions.
The assessments are scientific instruments
that identify the common and military or
trade-specific tasks required for personnel
death benefits, superannuation and safety,
rehabilitation and compensation.
The real value of gender diversity comes
when women bring to the boardroom or
battlefield the characteristics that define them
as female. I have seen this in operational
environments where women take a more
inclusive approach and, by so doing, add
something important to the mix.
I have also seen it in military boardrooms
where women articulate concerns that men
either do not think about because of their
conditioning, or are loathe to articulate for
fear of ‘being less of a man’.
For me personally, I had a bit of an epiphany
when I was in Afghanistan in 2011 just after the
government announced all Army areas would
be opened up to women. I was standing in the
Chora Valley talking to a group of infantrymen
who had been out there doing it hard for four
months. They asked me why I thought women
could do what they did.
I asked them how many Afghan women they
had spoken to in the last four months. Their
reply, of course, was zero.
I then asked them if they thought female
soldiers were more likely to engage with Afghan
women. In that moment, I could see the lights
come on for some of the men… above all, it
was a powerful moment for me!
Convincing the blokes
of the need for change
The Workplace Gender Equality Agency
(WGEA) has clear data suggesting that greater
team diversity, including gender diversity,
typically leads to better performance on
average. A diverse workforce is also more likely
to come up with better solutions to problems
than a homogenous workforce – and
addresses corporate governance requirements.
Given the challenges that confront Army
personnel in performing our operations in
Australia or overseas, the question then is: why
not aim for a diverse workforce? The Army has
a contract with the nation; when we reflect the
diversity of the nation we are able to provide
better support and engage more fully with the
Australian community.
When I use capability and culture as the
starting point of any diversity conversation, and
show my soldiers and officers that they have a
“We have
subsequently
identified four
core values for
the men and
women in our
ranks: Courage,
Initiative,
Respect and
Teamwork. ”
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3. 18 – HRmonthly – march 2014
Meet
personal stake in it, senior ranking men and
women have listened intently and added logic
to my arguments.
Do I sense any resistance in senior ranks of the
Army? None! In middle management, however, it’s
different. Not everyone is 100 per cent aligned
– yet! We are talking here about a predominantly
male workforce that has to be convinced by reason
and logic that we are strengthening the Army
militarily, not simply making changes for change’s
sake. As we get them onboard, they are proving to
be very powerful agents of change.
So we’re on a journey. It’s a 55,000-person
workforce that’s big and complex. I believe we have
an excellent chance of bringing about change in the
Army – and a much better chance compared to
many corporate organisations. Why? Because
there is a very strong leadership hierarchy in the
Army, and a lot of policy levers you can put in place.
However, I can’t do it alone. I can issue orders as
much as I like, but it is achieving the tangible mani-
festations that are important. Our biggest challenge
is getting women and people from different back-
grounds up through our ranks where they are given
the opportunities to equally compete with their male
counterparts and lead the Army into a strong future.
I understand cultural issues now in a way that I
never thought I would. As an Anglo male who has
never been discriminated against because of my
gender, religion, race, colour or sexual persuasion,
I have never felt like an outsider. However, I am
much more empathetic towards others who have.
I have huge respect for the opinions and views
of some of our newest soldiers and officers. They
are coming forward and saying: have you thought
about this? A lot of men and women are
challenging the recalcitrant people in our ranks
too. It’s fantastic! We’re not a hide-bound, deeply
traditional organisation that never changes. To stay
competitive in battle, we have always had to adapt,
and now we’ve had to apply this adaptive thinking
to culture change.
Success will be when all people of all back-
grounds feel comfortable applying for and working
in the Australian Defence Force. I will feel successful
when race, gender, religion and sexual identity are
completely irrelevant among my troops. I will feel
successful when race, gender, religion and sexual
identity are no longer used by my troops as
negative discrimination but valued as potentially
offering different perspectives to question the status
quo and enhance capability.
Fortunately, we have a well-stitched-together
plan. Of course it gets frayed from time to time,
but the Army is resilient. It is not about how many
times you are knocked down; it is about how
many times you get up. Plus, how can I not try,
considering how much talent I am surrounded by,
to strive to create a better place?
Admitting we had a problem
The most important step you can take on the
diversity journey is to admit that you have a
business problem. And then, to deal swiftly with
that problem! Our hierarchy has learned the hard
way the importance of being proactive when
responding to issues; if you hesitate or delay, it is
perceived, fairly or unfairly, as prevarication and
reluctance to change.
Another challenge is finding a way to discuss
the issues with your workforce. When we learned
about the email incident, involving a series of
explicit and repugnant emails that denigrated
women, with over 100 others implicated in the
scandal, we opted for a completely atypical
modus operandi. We decided that there would be
a public face – me – and that I would be as open
as humanly possible.
The result was a conversation between us and
Australia. This was important because it’s ordinary
families who pay the taxes that fund our activities
– and the behaviour of the armed forces reflects
on Australian society as a whole. And on the other
side, our workforce has to understand what we
are doing – and why we were making these
changes – or we are not going to have traction.
My video message to the entire Army was followed
by a well-orchestrated workforce engagement
campaign delivered by the entire Army leadership
team. My message was that if people are not
prepared to ‘stand up and be counted on gender
equality and unacceptable behaviour’ they won’t
be part of the Army.
I don’t think people need to feel threatened. From all
ranks and both sexes I have had the near unanimous
response ‘we are with you, General, 100 per cent of
the way’. We brought many of the Army senior
leadership team to Canberra and I spoke to them,
explaining the problems we were facing. And, when
evidence supports it, I have been discharging Army
personnel who do not live up to our ethos. I have had
to ensure that potential recruits and our workforce
understand that I mean what I say when I say, ‘if you
can’t live up to these standards, then get out’.
I have also become convinced that setting targets is
important to prevent the issue getting lost in the noise
of the daily problems that come across people’s
desks. HR suggested a female workforce target of
11 per cent by mid-2014, up one per cent from
10 per cent, where we have been for almost 20 years.
This would translate to an additional 330 women more
than we normally recruit.
I suggested we aim for a two per cent rise instead
– or 660 new female recruits in a year – and we are on
track to achieve these targets. Then I named the target
publically. I am prepared to be judged as a success or
failure based on whether these targets are achieved.
To increase women in leadership, on the other
hand, I don’t believe that quotas are a good idea. For
a traditional, hierarchical organisation like the Army,
the ultimate test of leadership is how successful
a leader is on the battlefield. If you have distorted
merit, or the wrong people in the wrong roles
irrespective of gender, it is a strategic and national
failure. Simply put, the stakes are high.
So I have set tangible public targets for the number
of women and Indigenous numbers in the workforce
by 2014/2015, and set internal targets for the number
of women in senior leadership to be achieved by the
end of my tenure as Chief and we are on track to
achieve this increased gender balance.
I am also one of 22 ‘Male Champions of Change’
brought together by Sex Discrimination Commissioner
Elizabeth Broderick to use our collective influence
and commitment to ensure women in leadership is
elevated on the national business agenda. I am also a
White Ribbon Ambassador, holding men accountable
for addressing and ending violence against women.
“The real value
of gender
diversity comes
when women
bring to the
boardroom or
battlefield the
characteristics
that define
them as
female.”
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4. march 2014 – HRmonthly – 19
“
About Lieutenant
General David
Morrison
David Morrison joined the
Australian Army in 1979. He
was promoted to Lieutenant
General in 2011, and soon
after assumed the post of
Chief of Army. He is one
of the male ‘Champions of
Change’ brought together
by Commissioner Elizabeth
Broderick to use their
collective influence and
commitment to ensure the
issue of women in leadership
is elevated on the national
business agenda. He is also
a White Ribbon Ambassador,
holding men accountable for
addressing violence against
women.
This is an edited extract from a soon-to-be-
published book, CEOs Unplugged: Business
Leaders Get Real About Diversity and
Inclusion by Fiona Krautil, who spent more
than 20 years leading diversity and
discrimination policy, strategy and
implementation in some of Australia’s
blue-chip companies.
Ensuring recruitment drives
attract the full pool of talent
I have set three key diversity and inclusivity goals
for my tenure. The first is to increase the number
of women in the Army workforce, as a culture and
capability enhancement. The second is to place
women in positions of greater responsibility and
accountability during my time as Chief.
The third is to change policy. Inclusive policies
that support women as well as men provide the
means by which you can affect change in the
areas of, for example, recruitment and retention.
These were previously lacking relevance for
women and people from different backgrounds
who don’t traditionally see the Army as a source
of employment.
To make all this happen, I established a Diversity
Council of senior women who meet regularly to
set policy initiatives in place that are relevant for
women and other traditionally disadvantaged
groups with regard to recruitment, retention, train-
ing, parental leave and flexible work practices.
I have modified the forum membership over
time from all-female to one-third men and
two-thirds women, and this works much better in
providing effective diversity solutions that work
well for the command chain to implement.
I’ve also looked at our recruitment and retention
policies through diversity-conscious eyes and
become aware that our recruitment campaigns
typically don’t attract the full pool of people who
potentially could be excellent in the military.
As a result, our approach has been to more
proactively recruit females, Indigenous people
and men and women from culturally diverse
backgrounds. Our recruitment advertisements
were clunky and depicted women doing tasks
that were unappealing to our prospective
audience. We’ve now addressed these issues.
A dozen women have also been placed in our
recruiting centres around the country as the
public ‘female face’ of the Army. They conduct
1:1 follow-up interviews with potential female
candidates. To keep abreast of gender issues,
I ensure that my senior leaders and I regularly
meet with these female recruiters whenever
we are interstate.
We’ve changed the way we manage women at
initial training too. We now provide physical fitness
training for both men and women to achieve a
base level of fitness before they commence
training. We are also encouraging recruits to join
with a friend, with location-request guarantees for
their first posting.
The goal of our Career Management Agency is
to staff the Army with a diverse and inclusive
group of strategic leaders with the skills necessary
to lead. The agency targets and funds the internal
and external development of our diverse talent in
areas including leadership and professional
training, mentoring and networking.
‘Unconscious bias’ training
for the leadership team
We invest heavily in leadership and development
training and this includes training as mentors in
violence prevention as well as ‘unconscious bias’
training for leaders to think broadly and role model
the new thinking.
We’ve also re-defined merit. Both uniformed
and non-uniformed women now sit on all of our
promotion committees and they have identified
a number of traditionally male issues for process
improvement that include the way we recruit,
develop talent and appoint talent, and the way we
work. We are also breaking down career prog-
ression stereotypes by providing external develop-
ment for our talented mid-level performers in lieu
of taking a traditional course inside the Army.
I’ve signed off a new directive on flexible work-
places because flexibility is incredibly important
for male as well as female retention. What’s more,
my experience is that, generally speaking, great
policy for women is great policy for everyone.
I have a carrot-and-stick approach. There are
lots of carrots with policy initiatives like flexible
recruitment, training and development and flexible
work practices – but I’m prepared to wield the
stick pretty ruthlessly if expectations are not met. I
have said publicly ‘if you can’t live to the standard,
then leave – you’re only holding us back’. It’s a
significant ethical issue because we don’t have
a future unless we have a healthy organisation.
At the end of my tenure I will be held to account
for many things. First and foremost is the delivery
of military force – the second will be workplace
culture. And in this regard, I believe I will have left
my stamp.
After everything the Army has gone through
in the last two and a half years, I’m absolutely
certain with every fibre of my being that the most
capable military force is one that embraces
diversity and our four core values. HRm
Meet
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