Description

The Walk In My Shoes (WIMS) program gives the opportunity for a participant to follow a colleague in another area of their council for a pre-determined period. The intention is to better understand other colleagues’ roles and how their departments operate.

Who

This program is available to all employees. The People and Culture (P&C) department manage the program by processing the applications and coordinating with the different departments.

How

A participant starts by first getting approval from their manager and then submitting the application form. P&C contacts the participant and the host department to verify consent and availability to undertake the WIMS session. The session generally lasts for half a day or is broken down in short meetings over a few days or weeks.

Following the session, the participant fills a feedback form on the learnings from their time in another department. P&C promote completed sessions internally to promote the program and encourage further participation from interested employees.

The WIMS program is not a secondment but helps connect colleagues across departments.

Outcome

Through firsthand observation and engagement, the participants get valuable insights into the operations and workflows of other departments. The program provides an opportunity to strengthen connections, share knowledge and implement best practice. This has been especially beneficial to improve communication and efficiency between customer-facing staff and the departments they usually get in contact with.

Participants also mentioned the program as a way to further career development and find other opportunities within the organisation.