Course Introduction
Respect in the workplace is fundamental for creating a healthy and productive work environment where employees can contribute their best. The positive environment means reduced turnover and absenteeism, enhanced engagement, increased innovation, and high job satisfaction. In a competitive global employment scene, the positive work environment is a key consideration by high-value job seekers. Employers may accomplish respectful workplace by promoting conducive corporate values and setting up procedures to implementing corrective measures. A respectful workplace is the one that is free from bullying, discrimination, harassment,and victimisation. The Masterclass will explain each of these four attributes in modern cultural context.
Creating a respectful workplace is incumbent upon both the employees and the organisation. Employees may bring their own biases shaped by their upbringing, and prevalent environment. Organisational culture may foster prejudices in the absence of clear direction. The Masterclass will enable the participants, as employees, to tune their own behaviour. The Masterclass will alert the participating leaders on the organisational readiness and adequacy of existing policies in delivering respectful workplace.
Learning style: Masterclass, interactive, face to face. Senior leaders: 1 hour, others: full day.
Learning outcomes:
Understanding the importance of respect in workplace.
Recognising disrespect - bullying, discrimination, harassment and victimisation.
Reflecting and calibrating personal biases.
Evaluating organisational readiness and the role of the leaders.
Who should attend:
This Masterclass is suitable for executives and senior leaders, directors, managers, staff from human resources, recruitment agents and general employees of large companies and international agencies. First hour of the Masterclass will be tailored to senior executives who may be too busy to attend the full Masterclass.
Speaker’s Profile
Dr. Shahadat Chowdhury holds a leadership role in a public agency of the government of New South Wales, Australia. He is responsible for allocating the state’s water resources, currently priced over one billion US dollar, through the delegated power of the minister. Besides, he was a councillor to Parramatta City Council from 2012-2016, which he won through a public election. He along with his fellow councillors directed the executives who were responsible for managing $A 185 million annual budget of the 2nd largest city of Sydney with $A 14 billion (in 2015 dollar) economy.
Dr. Chowdhury was a commissioner of Scouts Australia from 1995 to 2010. Currently, he holds a ‘35 years of service’ decoration as an adult leader. He was awarded Silver Arrowhead by the Governor General of Australia, Sir William Dean, in 2000 for his excellent service to the scout movement. He first obtained his advanced leadership qualification in 1998 from Scouts Australia Institute of Training.
Dr. Chowdhury has been a staff union delegate from 2017 to 2025, advocating for his work mates. This includes grievances arising from workplace disrespect such as bullying, harassment and discrimination. He is a trained mentor to graduate employees in the public service. He offers developmental talks covering topics from specific water resource challenges to general leadership practices. Internationally, he contributed to projects in Bangladesh, Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia.
