After working with James for a couple of weeks now, it seems an appropriate point to introduce him to the wider Delib family ;). In the standard Delib AU new starter format, we asked him a few questions about himself:

The Delib consultancy dream team Ben & James

When did you first use the Internet and what did you use if for?

I am definitely a late bloomer when it comes to the internet. I would say the first time I used it was around the time I moved out of home in the late 90’s. Being a late teen single male, I used the internet for it’s obvious purpose of researching the Neotropical migratory birds fact sheet; oh and lots of gaming.

What is the most awesome engagement project you have worked on?

I think the project that I was most proud of was in my last job when I was tasked with creating an open dialogue between one of Australia’s largest petroleum companies and the company I used to work for. Over the period of 6 months we went from a yearly top line meeting process to creating a relationship that saw all levels of both companies meeting quarterly to discuss common goals and business strategies. This resulted in better service to their company and an improved sales and presence in their service stations.

What’s your top community engagement tip?

Engaging the community effectively will generate ideas and strategies which Government probably hasn’t considered before. Of course, these will be positive and negative, but ultimately the majority of great ideas or strategies will come from collaborative thinking and not just one individual. By providing the greater community with an opportunity to share their ideas, it helps ensure they feel a sense of responsibility to the community they live in. In turn, organisations are rewarded with a point of view that has been unaffected by your organisation’s internal environment and hierarchy. (I may be a little idealistic 😉 ).

In true Delib style, strategy was discussed over lunch

In order to get in touch with James please call him on 0429 996 863 (International: +61429 996 863) or email james.aiken@delib.net.