Mapping our way together

Each year, Mapien holds a multi-day conference for all employees to share knowledge, gain a different perspective and take some time to reconnect.

The 2022 MapOut Conference spanned over 3 days (31^st August – 2^nd September), and even though every time Mapiens gather is meaningful, this year’s conference held a special place in our hearts. This is because 2^nd September marked Mapien’s 40^th birthday, a truly monumental anniversary that reflects the hard work and perseverance of every person who has contributed to the organisation’s success.

On the first day of the conference, each employee was greeted by the familiar smile of Mapien’s CEO, Nadia Taylor. A special kind of executive, Nadia leads by example by putting people at the forefront of her mind. It was clear in this moment, and throughout the conference, that Nadia’s top priority was ensuring her staff felt comfortable and excited for the days ahead.

After a relaxed breakfast to catch up with out-of-towners, it was time for everyone to take their seats. Placed on top of every table were snacks, branded pens and notebooks along with an array of fidget toys to stimulate learning and make the people who needed them feel at ease.

Nadia welcomed the room and expressed how facilitating the conference in person carried great importance to the organisation. With most of Mapien’s staff working remotely or stationed in offices nationwide, this was a unique chance for people to truly connect with each other.

Mapien understands how important connection is not only for our own people, but for our clients, and that is why Nadia made the decision to make the theme of this year’s conference “Connection”. With the theme announced and housekeeping complete, Nadia introduced Mapien’s very own Associate Director of Organisational Development, Blake Redding, to facilitate the conference’s first session.

Mapien’s in house team of organisational psychologists consistently deliver successful workshops for our clients, so the wider team were eager to be a participant this time round. Throughout the session, Blake introduced the team to value-based work and explained how important this is when working with others. The workshop included activities that challenged employees to reflect upon their behaviours and learn how the organisation’s values interacted with their own.

As well as learning from our own experts, the Mapien team had the opportunity to listen to some of Australia’s best business development professionals which brought a new wave of enthusiasm to our service delivery.

Among the line-up of impressive speakers was Aboriginal Employment Specialist, Christine Ross. Christine delivered a heartfelt workshop that was nothing short of insightful. She shared personal stories, explained Aboriginal culture, and taught the group about the horrific history of Aboriginal people in Australia. Throughout the cultural awareness training, there was an energy of understanding and collaboration in the room, however some moments were tough. Mapiens were open to admitting they had not received much training in the past and felt free to show their emotions when learning about the Stolen Generation. Christine described the hardship and generational trauma Aboriginal people have experienced and shared how this interacts with our country. Consultants at Mapien gained a unique awareness this day that could never have been achieved on our own.

Along with the important learnings on offer, Mapien celebrated their 40^th birthday by throwing a cocktail evening to commemorate the support Mapien has received over its lifetime. The guestlist included staff and their families, Mapien alumni and clients.

In true Mapien style, the event was described by attendees as feeling more like a family get together than a business event, where everybody had a great time catching up with old colleagues and making way for new ones. (Check out all of the celebrations of our 40 Year event here)

MapOut 2022 was a great success, and we are still passing out 40 year Mapien cookies a few weeks on to bring back the good memories.

If you would like to connect with one of our experts, please contact us at hello@mapien.com.au and a Mapien Workplace Strategist will be in touch within 24 hours.