Gold’s Pathway Forward

The Gold Industry Group is set to host the Diggers and Dealers Mining Forum Leadership Breakfast, looking at reshaping the workplace of tomorrow.

The Diggers and Dealers Mining Forum aims to secure highly respected and relevant experts in the resources sector who are well-positioned to provide insightful commentary about the industry’s outlook.

It’s an opportunity for professionals to network, visit regional mining sites, engage with the media, invest in key projects, and engage with the resources sector at an executive level.

Held in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, the unofficial gold mining capital of the country, the 2023 Diggers and Dealers Mining Forum will combine 66 corporate presentations by ASX-listed mining and exploration companies, along with an exhibition area housing over 150 exhibitors from the sector.

Coinciding with the event is the 2023 Diggers and Dealers Leadership Breakfast, hosted by the Gold Industry Group. The theme of the breakfast will be ‘Reshaping the workplace of tomorrow: Gold’s pathway forward’.

One of this year’s Diggers and Dealers presenters is Westgold Resources managing director Wayne Bramwell, who will also be part of the leadership breakfast panel discussion.

“I think the panel discussion is going to be about what gold companies are doing to build a culture of ‘everyday respect’ where everyone feels valued,” Bramwell told Australian Mining.

The mining sector has always had a strong emphasis on the physical health and safety of its workers, but there is a growing need to address their psychosocial needs and motivations.

“Mental health is an area of increasing importance to all workforces, and it’s an area which companies like Westgold are spending more time on because we have to get it right,” Bramwell said.

“The Enough is Enough report and some of the other investigations done across larger mining companies have brought into clear focus workplace behaviours that have always been inappropriate.”

Culture is key and Westgold Resources has three key values driving its culture change: to choose safety, show respect and deliver value.

“In the last 12 months at Westgold, there has been a significant focus on changing our culture,” Bramwell said. 

“Our culture philosophy is a simple one – leadership drives culture and culture drives performance. 

“Although we are in the early stages of our culture re-set, we have started to see the benefits flow through with improvements in our safety, operational and financial performance within the last 12 months.”

Westgold’s workplace culture has taken inspiration from the saying “the standard you walk past is the standard you accept”.

“Communication is key – we encourage and help our people understand that if you see behaviour you consider inappropriate and you walk past it, you’re effectively endorsing it,” Bramwell said.

“The culture we’re trying to build is one where we look after each other and where people have the courage to raise concerns about behaviour or practices. If you have that type of workplace, it’ll not only be safer but far more productive and inclusive for everyone.”

Bramwell said a positive workplace culture is driven from the top.

“In my mind, curious leaders build better cultures. Why? Because if they’re curious enough to listen to the workforce and seek to understand, people will tell you what concerns them. If you know what the real issues are, curious and focused leadership can address those issues.”

The word ‘culture’ can sound like a fluffy buzzword, but Bramwell believes this is far from the truth.

“Culture to me is about caring enough about people to have the hard discussions,” he said. “If you care enough about people, then you will be prepared to have hard discussions around behaviour and expectations – that takes courage and real empathy.

“It also sets the tone for what we expect as we strive to create a workplace we can all be proud of.

“Changing workplace culture is a difficult thing to execute. Lots of people talk about it, but very few people do it. Building workplaces that are respectful and more inclusive will make the mining sector more attractive to more people. Showing cultural advances will change long held and many false perceptions about the mining sector.

“The mining sector has to make itself a far more attractive long-term career choice for the next generation of resource sector professionals.”

Diggers and Dealers 2023 will be held in Kalgoorlie from August 7–9, with the Diggers and Dealers Leadership Breakfast being held at the Kalgoorlie Town Hall on August 8 at 7.00–8.15am.

This feature appeared in the August 2023 issue of Australian Mining.

Australian Mining.

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