Surviving Senate estimates in an age of social media
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As we approach Senate estimates later this month, public servants across Canberra are bracing for a demanding couple of weeks.
The mechanics of the process are familiar territory for most career officials and ministers. What has changed is the stage on which these moments now play out.
In an age of social media, tough conversations can quickly become viral soundbites – permeating the social sphere in minutes and transforming what might have once gone unnoticed into a highly visible moment of public scrutiny.
Canberra leadership coach and public sector specialist, Dr Kim Vella, says this added pressure can turn an already stressful exercise into a deeply uncomfortable experience.
“There is some unease around the way senators are using soundbites from Senate estimates to grow their social media audiences,” says Kim. “A 30 second clip can become a headline moment open to instant judgement, even though the audience might have little understanding of the context around it.
“We can’t judge senators for doing this – they’re simply using modern methods to grow their audience and get their message out there. It’s the evolving nature of public accountability. However, we do need to recognise the impact on public sector officials at the receiving end, and concede that the way it feels to sit in that room has changed forever.”
Those who have been through it will likely recognise the moment. You walk in calm and well briefed, handling the first round of questions with ease. Then something changes and you can feel it coming – that one tricky question the senator has been waiting to ask. If it’s difficult to answer, the response can easily be fumbled, and by the end of the day the clip could be circulating everywhere.
Kim argues that decades-old Senate estimates training does not sufficiently prepare public officials for this new environment. The lived felt reality has changed, and the social transformation of Senate estimates requires a new type of readiness.
“The preparation that has helped Canberra’s most capable officials for several decades is still relevant and important,” says Kim. “But it’s no longer the full story. It was built for pre-digital accountability culture where people were speaking expert to expert.
“Now we need to acknowledge the wider audience in the room who may not fully grasp the context, or understand the public sector official’s role. They would not have read the Hansard transcript in the past, and are only seeing the video because it popped up on their phone.
With this in mind, Kim says that care should be taken to prepare public officials for this new environment.
“Most won’t struggle because they’re underprepared, they’ll struggle because of what is happening inside and outside the room. They may default to a high stress state which elicits a high stress response, and this is usually the least helpful.”
Beyond the traditional training, she also suggests a new approach that incorporates evidence-based practices, such as developing an explorer mindset.
“Communications training teaches what to say. Reading briefing papers teaches what to know. Neither addresses the new challenges of Senate estimates,” says Kim.
“I want people to consider emotional preparedness, which starts with understanding your own default responses to pressure. Some people become overly guarded, others overexplain, and some become too casual. All of these can affect how you are perceived in high-stakes environments.
“By recognising these defaults, you can begin to shift how you respond when it counts. While communications training focusses on performance, explorer mindset goes deeper into self-awareness.”
Kim says thatwith the ability to recognise those natural tendencies and redirect them, it changes how you function in challenging situations.
“You become more clear, composed and present. And you can’t destabilise a person who is experiencing that and not trying to perform for the moment.”
To learn more about the explorer mindset or 1:1 leadership coaching, visit Kim Vella Coaching.
