ADCET Webinar: Strategic AF - Practical, tactical, (sometimes) fantastical approaches to equity initiatives
Corrected captions will be added shortly
In complex bureaucratic and political environments such as higher education, ‘getting stuff done’ is rarely straightforward. Success relies not just on subject matter expertise, but on the ability to navigate competing priorities, build trust, and foster collaboration across diverse teams and stakeholders. In this session, A/Prof Lauren Hansen and Dr Danni Hamilton explored the role of people like themselves, strategic AF (Action-focused, Agile and Fearless, Actually Fun and Always Fabulous) capability builders - senior practitioners who act as drivers for change. They guide teams, translate strategy into practice, and design processes that harness existing programs and infrastructure to create sustainable, scalable impact.
Participants gained a sneak peek into their practice-led toolkit of practical, tactical and sometimes fantastical methods for leading ethical change, particularly in equity-focused initiatives. These methods are designed to work across a spectrum, from high-trust to low-trust contexts, and from complex challenges to simpler interventions. Their approach aims to:
- Foster transparency and collaboration to accelerate progress.
- Align expertise and resources, uncovering opportunities and clarifying roles.
- Build consensus and share knowledge to strengthen collective impact.
Through real-world examples, they shared how these approaches to untangle bureaucratic friction, align diverse stakeholders, and get strategic initiatives moving have been applied. In particular, they explored practical strategies for influencing without the needed authority, creating high-trust relationships, and guiding teams through change that lasts.
The future will take care of itself. What matters is what we do now. With funding tight and resources stretched, we can’t wait for perfect conditions. We need to act, to get equity initiatives moving, both within our institutions and across the sector. By sharing what has worked, they aim to surface both the barriers that slow progress and the opportunities for real change. Let’s focus on action, on doing, on making learning more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable today. Let’s get stuff done!
Hamsenism's
- Name it and claim it!
- Are you on the bus?
- Beware of the dabbler!
- You know its working when the pelicans and seagulls attack
Presenters
A/Prof Lauren Hansen, SFHEA, is Director, Graduate Employability at Deakin University, responsible for the university’s strategic agenda for Graduate Employability, including the DeakinTALENT Freelancing HUB internship and the Embedded Career Education Program. She leads university-wide initiatives to build staff capability in evidence-based employability practices and a HEPPP-funded project enhancing staff and student equity capabilities. Lauren’s research and practice focus on the intersection of the self, education, and employment, supporting students and staff in developing professional identity and practice. She is an ICF-certified life coach and holds a PhD in social work from Monash University.
Dr Danni Hamilton, SFHEA, is Acting Director of Learning Design at Deakin University. She leads institution-wide strategic educational initiatives in digital innovation to support inclusive, high-impact learning experiences. This work includes the FutureFocus GenAI program and the Borderless Learning Design Project, a transnational education initiative. An equity-focused practitioner, Danni brings deep expertise across the arts, education, accessibility, and inclusion. She holds a PhD in Contemporary Art, and her research explores experimental approaches to the ethics of human-technology relationships — particularly at the intersections of bodies, systems, and emerging technologies.
(September 2025)
ADCET is hosted by the University of Tasmania