Virtual Event
Career Moves | Get the Feedback That Actually Helps You Progress
Exclusively for public servants and policymakers
Thursday, Sep 24, 2026
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Speakers
What to do next
- Catch up on the 12-minute highlights above, or dive into the full recording
- Join the Career Development Community
- Check out our upcoming event How to Communicate Effectively with a Busy Manager
Resources
Join the Career Development Community
The Career Development Community is a collaborative space designed for conversations, insights, ideas and resources on career development in government from your peers across global public service. This community is open to all Apolitical members.
Event Description
Your last performance review might have told you to "keep up the good work", but it probably didn't tell you what to actually change in order to progress.
This event will explore how to get feedback that really helps you grow, not just feedback that's vague. Most public servants don't get enough honest input on their performance, and the little they receive is rarely detailed enough to act on. Reviews feel scripted, managers are stretched thin and asking for something more detailed can feel awkward or risky. You’ll leave this event knowing how to seek out useful feedback, read between the lines of what you hear and turn it into a concrete plan for your next career move.
You'll hear from a panel of seasoned public servants who have built feedback-seeking into their own career progression, sharing the questions to ask, the signals to watch for and how to act on what you learn.
*Image Credit: Unsplash
Speakers
Victoria Rawnsley
People and Projects Lead - Covid Inquiry Response Directorate, The Scottish Government
UK
Michael Klecheski
Former US Ambassador to Mongolia | Former US Diplomat
USA
Dr. Joe Pennino
Deputy City Administrator, City of Roswell, Georgia
USA
Victoria Rawnsley, Head of Strategic Governance for the Scottish Government, a role that lets her lead and support from the centre, right in the thick of things. She previously held several rewarding leadership roles at HMRC, where she led people through significant corporate and estates transformation across all four nations of the UK.
Michael Klecheski, a former U.S. Ambassador to Mongolia and career diplomat with more than 30 years at the U.S. State Department, including senior roles at the National Security Council and embassies across Asia and Europe. He now teaches diplomacy at Indiana University and serves as President of The Mongolia Society.
Dr. Joe Pennino, is Deputy City Administrator in Roswell, Georgia, USA. His portfolio previously included human resources, where he sponsored citywide reforms in performance management, leadership development, and employee feedback and engagement. A former fire chief with more than two decades in public service, he holds a Doctor of Public Administration, a master’s in public policy, and is an Advanced Certified Personal and Executive Coach.
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