David Schmidtchen

Canberra

Contributor at The Mandarin

Thinking about people, work, organisation & performance. Thoughts here are my own. RT not endorsement.

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Articles

It’s only a poor institutional memory that works backwards

2 days ago | themandarin.com.au | David Schmidtchen

“It’s a poor sort of memory that only works backwards.”~The White Queen, Through the Looking-GlassIn government, learning from the past is a ritualised expectation. Royal commissions, integrity inquiries, and lessons-learned reviews all signal the enduring faith in reflection as a path to reform.
Conquest’s Third Law and the quiet resistance of institutional reform

1 week ago | themandarin.com.au | David Schmidtchen

Treasurer Jim Chalmers has made it clear: Australia’s second-term economic agenda hinges on reviving productivity growth. “The first term was primarily inflation without forgetting productivity; the second term will be primarily productivity without forgetting inflation.”While productivity is often framed in economic terms, another aspect that sometimes gets overlooked is the institutional systems through which national capability is delivered.
The importance of hope in a cynical age

1 month ago | themandarin.com.au | David Schmidtchen

Hope for the future remains central to the political imaginations of most Australians. Australians aspire to higher living standards, increased respect from others in society, better-paying jobs, durable physical infrastructure, enduring safety and security, and responsive government action to social problems. Hope is both an individual and a collective property of society. Hope and hope-making intertwine Australia’s broader social, cultural, and economic processes.
The illusion of precision: How election polls shape (and mislead) voters

2 months ago | themandarin.com.au | David Schmidtchen

Election polls are a staple of modern political campaigns. We are assaulted by competing polls offering a glimpse into the future fortunes of political parties and candidates. The effects of politicians’ campaign successes and gaffes are presented in mystifying charts, and commentary focused on shifts into positive and negative ‘territory’. To the untrained eye, the percentage point variance often seems marginal and not deserving of the accompanying feverish commentary.
The democracy sausage and the complex psychology of voting

2 months ago | themandarin.com.au | David Schmidtchen

In 2016, the Australian Word of the Year was ‘democracy sausage’, beating out other contenders such as ‘census fail’ and ‘smashed avo’. Defined, with the detachment of lexicographers, a democracy sausage is a ‘barbecued sausage served on a slice of bread, bought at a polling booth sausage sizzle on election day’.
The illusion of efficiency: Why downsizing the public service won’t fix bureaucracy

2 months ago | themandarin.com.au | David Schmidtchen

A curtain of pessimistic fatalism descends on the Australian public as it enters the febrile atmosphere of a federal election. The community braces itself for five weeks of performative politics, perfectly summed up by The Shovel: “I’m not sure I’ve got it in me to give a shit. Just fast-forward to the bit where I can get a sausage in bread.”The public service was once again central to the guerrilla encounters between politicians leading up to the election announcement.
The illusion of authority: Why return-to-office mandates fail

2 months ago | themandarin.com.au | David Schmidtchen

The NSW government’s service-wide ‘workplace presence’ policy may have seemed like a good idea at the time. It wasn’t. The premier might have believed he was in good company when the idea was presented. Globally, notable leaders in the tech and finance sectors were contemplating and behaving similarly. What could go wrong if Elon Musk believed getting people back to the office was a brilliant idea?
The fragile power of charisma

Mar 10, 2025 | themandarin.com.au | David Schmidtchen

Gartner Inc. predicts that by 2026, 30% of workers will use ‘digital charisma filters’ to achieve previously unattainable career advancements. Before interacting with someone, consult AI for suggestions to improve your phrasing, tone, and body language. During the meeting, AI provides nudges to help you maintain eye contact and regulate your speech pace. Afterwards, AI offers feedback on effectiveness, including sentiment analysis and recommendations for improvement.
The power of emotion in leadership: Why authenticity matters in public service

Feb 24, 2025 | themandarin.com.au | David Schmidtchen

We are in a time when leadership arrogance has become more prevalent. Political and business leaders frequently assert that they know what’s best for others and act as if they are free from legal constraints or social norms in chasing their objectives. The portrayal of leadership is warped by misinformation, rendering the truth hard to discern and authenticity tough to assess. Public service leaders are uncomfortably positioned at the heart of this leadership crisis.
Embrace your inner imposter

Feb 11, 2025 | themandarin.com.au | David Schmidtchen

Have you ever felt like a fraud, thinking your success is a fluke or a ticking time bomb before you’re discovered? In the 1970s, Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes introduced the concept of impostor syndrome, which describes that uneasy feeling of not measuring up. It can lead to self-doubt about your skills and accomplishments, making you worry that you’ll be exposed as a fraud.