THE Graeme Acton Beef Connections mentoring project being held in the lead-up to Beef 2024 in Rockhampton in May is now on its final stretch, and as part of that process, Beef Central is following the journey of one of the ten talented young industry stakeholders taking part.

Using a monthly diary format, South Australia’s Phoebe Eckermann* is outlining her experiences and learnings as part of the program.

Over the remaining two months, she will share her journey towards executing her chosen Beef Connections project, culminating with a presentation in Rockhampton along with her mentee cohort.

Links to her earlier diary entries starting in September last year can be found at the base of this page ….

 

 

 

THE last month has been super busy – with my new work role ramping up, Build Your Beef Future coming to life and hosting the second Beef Connections Virtual Leadership Forum, themed ‘Beefing Up Innovation’.

The Beefing Up Forum brought together Beef Connections mentor and mentee alumni to network with those currently in the program. The overall goal is to build a national network.

It was this forum I was waiting for on March 6 – the inspiration for this month’s article. I learnt a lot hosting the forum and I’d like to share it all with you, so you too can host your own virtual forums and drive innovation.

So, read ahead to uncover my six top tips…..

Find Your Crew

Lachie Smith, Liam Cameron, Xavier McCluskey, Lauren Angus, Emily McNair, & I planned, practiced & pulled off the second successful Beef Connections Virtual Leadership forum.

The prep started well before March when we all came together with forum facilitator Wendy Agar to start planning. We began to work together creating a script and writing our own parts.

Lachie & Liam had the role of hosts while Lauren, Xavier, Emily and I worked with our mentors to host our own segments.

It was great to have my fellow mentees to help me out throughout the journey. And what did I learn from this; collaboration accelerates innovation – find your crew of people that share your vision.

You can think creatively about how to find these people – use social media, talk to people in your community, or maybe reconnect with people you’ve met in the past. Finding these people is critical in helping you execute your forum.

Creating a team of people with a range of personalities, perspectives & experiences can be useful in ensuring all tasks can get done. Some people may excel at the preparation side; sending out the invites whilst others may love public speaking and make the perfect host.

You can’t do it alone – go out there and find your crew!

Plan & Practise

Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance – words I’ve found to be true and I try my best to live by.

Planning & practise are essential to pulling off a successful virtual forum. We had the date locked in for the second virtual forum in October 2023, we first met at the end of January and kept in touch regularly throughout February.

We all came together to write a script with different underlying themes throughout. Xavier McCluskey and Anthony Lee focused on driving innovation in Agricultural education. Emily McNair and her mentor Rebecca Arnott shared about driving innovation within the animal health sector, and that being a visionary leader begins with acting and being prepared to fail.

Lauren Angus and her mentor Richard Rains talked about how mentoring has driven change in the beef industry and how this will continue into the future. With Richard sharing the story of the Graeme Acton Beef Connections program, bringing together Shannon Speight and Emma Black founders of Black Box Co a company driving change in the industry by assisting producers get the most out of data collected.

Storytelling with Sam

My mentor Samantha Noon and I focused on how storytelling can be used in the beef industry to drive innovation. I asked Sam “What role she sees storytelling play in driving innovation in the Australian beef industry?” Here’s some of my favourite take-homes from here responses:

• Everyone’s a storyteller; even if you don’t feel like it
• All the conversations you have are communicating a message, aka a story.
• Storytelling generates ideas; by sharing our stories with others, ideas are generated which drive innovation.
• Building Support; a compelling story is a powerful tool in building support for innovation in the industry attracting stakeholders and consumers to invest in it’s success.

Reach Out

Throughout the time, we all had our mentors to reach out to as well as our wonderful facilitators Jo Eady and Wendy Agar. And it’s these supporters that are pivotal to success.

When you need to chat about an idea, gain public speaking tips or practise with them, they’re there. And our mentors all shared different perspectives on the theme of Beefing Up Innovation which made for an engaging experience. Reach out to people for guidance, support, and collaboration.

Zone of Discomfort

We did the prep, we reached out for support, and it was now time to put the plan into action – time to host the Virtual Leadership Forum.

Lachlan Smith and Liam Cameron did a fantastic job as hosts. They led the afternoon exceptionally with their excellent introductions and smooth transitions to ensure we all kept to time.

I’d had a busy morning out and about at work and was in a rush to join the forum so this didn’t help the nerves – I was already very puffed before it began. Palms where sweaty as I was about to step out of my comfort zone. It’s not every day that you speak online to almost 30 leaders in the Beef industry. I’d call this the zone of discomfort – and contrary to the name it’s actually a pretty rewarding place.

Again, and again when I take these opportunities and experience some discomfort, I grow the most. I’d encourage you all to do the same too – create or take on opportunities in the zone of discomfort. And in this place, you can lean back on all the prep you’ve done before hand, use notes to guide you and of course remember to breathe!

The Imposter in All of Us

Through sharing my own experiences with others, I’ve learnt that imposter syndrome is a universal experience. And for me it often appears in experiences like sharing on a virtual forum.

So how do we tackle the imposter in us all? Well, I’m on the journey of overcoming it myself and what I’ve learned is to embrace my own journey, acknowledging that my unique perspective and experiences are valuable assets.

Cultivating a supportive network and seeking mentorship along the journey has also allowed me to gain confidence. It’s definitely something that I think I’ll always be working on but, with the support of others we can all conquer this feeling within.

After all, imposter syndrome is a reminder. It pops up to say get ready, take extra care as you are going outside your usual zone of comfort and you can do this.

Time for Connection

During the forum we included a segment of virtual networking – using Zoom breakout rooms we divided into smaller groups to allow time for the alumni to meet each other.

I enjoyed meeting Georgie Somerset and hearing about how AgForce is driving innovation in Agriculture. Lauren Angus also shared how innovation is a strong part of her family’s business Signature Beef where her young team think differently to improve day-to-day operations. What great leadership Lauren! Overall, the forum was a fantastic hour packed of inspiration, and connection that I loved being a part of.

Driving Innovation: How You Can Too

Now it’s time for you to drive innovation too – so how can you do that?

1. Find Your Crew
2. Plan & Practise
3. Reach Out
4. Breathe
5. Overcome the Imposter
6. Make Time for Networking

I hope that you will now use all that I’ve learnt to host your own virtual forum. They’re a great way for people to connect, learn and inspire innovation – they’re an easy way to bring people together, share knowledge and drive innovation.

Now that we all know how to use Zoom (thanks COVID) it’s the perfect time for you to host a virtual forum too. If you’re reading this, I’d love to hear from you.

What are your tips for being a part of virtual forums, how have you seen innovation in the beef industry, what are some topics you’d love to see the Beef industry cover virtually or maybe just leave a comment to find your crew!

And remember: Don’t be Afraid to Fail; Be Afraid Not to Try.

 

Talk again next month.

 

Phoebe

 

Phoebe’s previous diary entries

February 2024: Embracing change and seizing opportunities

December 2023: Riverina families inspire

November 2023: The power of collaboration, opportunities and preparation

October 2023: Being, Balancing and Building Brilliance

September 2023: Meeting our mentors 

August 2023: Our journey begins

 

* Diarist Phoebe Eckermann works with NextGen Agri, a genetics and management consultancy company working with beef and sheep producers across Australia. She is one of ten 2023/24 Graeme Acton Connections Program mentees. Phoebe’s project vision is to create a web-based resource where people can explore the endless career pathways available in the modern beef industry. She has been engaged with the beef industry since her early teen years, having established her own Limousin stud and shown cattle, winning championships at the Sydney, Adelaide and Melbourne Royal Shows.