I recently experienced a bit of a low patch and made some grumpy decisions, one of which was, I didn’t want to go to work. That weekend, I shouted myself a coffee in a café in our village and set about gathering my thoughts. Between feeling sorry for myself and being angry, something my mother used to talk about came charging in through my thoughts. It is a saying you don’t hear much these days, understandable really because I imagine there would be a lot of nose-less people around. ‘Cut your nose off to spite your face’.
And as fate would have it, I turned to the horoscopes in the Herald and among other things, like telling me where certain planets were right then, mine suggested it would be to my advantage to be ‘less self-absorbed’.
So I ordered more coffee and a savoury muffin, stared into space and let my mind run… and what popped up first was the message I had received recently from a friend who is undergoing Chemo. “Getting better on the sicko side of things, gradually reducing the anti-nausea drugs which were scrambling my brain to say the least, but at least did their work. The actual chemo side of things was really uplifting I have to say. What an amazing bunch of women, most with husbands, chatting, laughing, sharing experiences, wigs and their hair regrowth, together with copious amounts of home-baking which circulated on the tea trolley many times – I’m going to relearn some baking – and all so very positive that my dread was immediately allayed. All very comfortable, and the copious amounts of mind-altering drugs certainly controlled what they needed to, even if I would have been a danger on the roads for a couple of days”.
I had rested my head on my hand and was wiping some darn moisture collecting in the corner of my eyes when I felt my nose. It was still there after an earlier attempt to cut it off to spite my face. How lucky I was to still have it.
So as self-absorption gave way to reflection, I came to the conclusion that not only am I lucky, but I have also enjoyed some great privileges. One of those is being a Judge of Franklin’s Finest. This is an annual event organised by our local district community newspaper, the Franklin County News. The community nominates people for a variety of awards such as Volunteer; Community Worker; Mentor/Leader and Junior Achiever. There are nine awards in all. We Judges, independently of each other, assess and rank nominations to determine who will receive the awards. I get to read many stories of self-less service and achievements often over great odds.
Another privilege is my involvement with the Royal Agricultural Society of NZ. Recently at the Royal Show in Hamilton I watched the Junior Judging finals. 10 young men and women ages 15 to 25 judge sheep fleece; sheep; dairy and beef cattle. There is a winner for each section and an overall winner who gets sponsored to compete in the finals with the Australians. These youngsters were clearly passionate about agriculture and were prepared to put their judgements on the line and explain their decisions confidently to the Exec Councillors of the RAS. They were simply inspiring and great positive examples of committed and driven youth. Also at conference earlier in the year we witnessed the finals of the Rural Young Achiever, and it was my privilege to make a presentation to the winner on behalf of the Franklin A & P Society, a major sponsor of the award.
A month or two back, I caught up with one of my brothers at the airport. He was on his way to the Islands to follow up on work after the Tsunami. He had been organising teams of tradesmen from Wanganui to help a small village rebuild. This initiative has continued on because the aid didn’t reach them. They all give of their time, resources and expertise for a week or so at a time and proudly boast that every cent they raise goes only and directly to the village.
And again recently I had the privilege to represent my employer at the First Foundation Scholarship Awards in Auckland. The first scholarships, three in fact, were awarded in Auckland in 1998. That night 28 from Auckland and 1 from Rotorua were awarded. I was there to present our scholarship to AJ. It was a humbling experience, firstly meeting AJ, her parents, her uncle and aunt. They were clearly very proud indeed.
Individual presentations were made to groups of 7 recipients. After each group, they stood behind a selected scholar who spoke about their journey and aspirations and thanked everyone on behalf of their peers. All were exceptional speakers and one young Maori man, clearly already an accomplished Maori orator told his story in a style which rivalled that of the guest speaker Eric Rush who provided an amusing but message filled interlude.
More recently, as Chairman of the Franklin Family Support Trust, I Chaired our AGM which also showcased entertainment by local young talent. These included a young singer who is a Franklin Finest finalist, a Hip Hop Dancer who has won against 300 other competitors in the USA and youngsters from a local primary school Kapa Haka group who did well representing Auckland in a national competition.
The staff of the Trust were acknowledged, all who give way more than what they are paid to do, as were volunteers who among other things have driven people to hospital and doctor appointments for many, many years. And I introduced the Trustees, from whom I learn a great deal. One of those has a QSM which acknowledges years of community service.
When I think of all those youngsters who had no special advantage (often disadvantaged); of all of those people who give so much of their time and skill voluntarily, and of the spirit and courage of the person undergoing cancer treatment I have nothing to feel sorry about. And should I be inclined to want to ‘cut my nose off to spite my face’ I don’t have far to look for motivation, inspiration, leadership, colleagueship and friendship.
I am indeed blessed and I hope, at this time when peace and goodwill should dominate our thinking, you too find blessings to count.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Gen Y, Aston Martin, Twitter and a Goal
Thanks to the reader who sent the following in response to the last BLOG ‘The Happy PIace – Employee or Employer Responsibility’. I think that as ‘Generation Y’ are moving into businesses they are somewhat egotistical – they expect all the rewards without putting the hard work in, and they reach management positions without understanding what it means to behave like a leader (I say this slightly hypocritically, as I am categorised as ‘Generation Y’ myself).
You also mentioned, ‘Those who seek to be employed who do not have a refined sense of their personal responsibility in this ‘community’ should be avoided like the plague’, again I wholeheartedly agree. … I think it is very important to employ those who will add to the business and brand – rather than just hastily enhance their own career as quickly as possible. I reflected on a quote by Plato – I don’t remember the exact phrase, but he spoke about the behaviour of teenagers and mentioned that the previous generation always questioned their morals, motivations and general conduct. The generational divide has frustrated society for hundreds of years – so I am not concerned that ‘Generation Y’ are any different in that respect. I’m positive that my grandparents thought the same of my parents actions, and so forth. So we shouldn’t worry that ‘Generation Y’ are a shocking new breed of humanity.”
It seems out of character that the above comments should come from a Gen Y, and I guess proves the point that we should exercise great caution when attempting to corral groups or cohorts together for the convenience of type casting. Anyone who reasons like this is already demonstrating leadership and I would be happy to hire more of those regardless of their generation. The last sentence or two remind us that we are not dealing with a unique nor modern phenomenon. So why do we continue to be surprised as generation by generation the same phenomenon is experienced?
One of the phenomenon’s of this generation is the connectedness through social media. I have valiantly tried to do my bit with my Facebook. I just can’t get the hang of Twitter and am inclined to agree with a commentator that it is mindless babble. I don’t think I’ll get into that. I find enough mindless babble on Facebook but it is nice to keep up with those I care about by just clicking in.
And in a more ‘professional’ way I am connected via Linked In, although that is a little embarrassing. You see I set up an account early in the piece, didn’t note the key bits of information and proceeded to forget completely about it. Eventually I set up another but started to get invitations to link via the original account which I can’t answer –embarrassing. No self-respecting Gen Y would do that. And speaking of mindless babble, a change of subject and focus for a moment. I find as I get older I am more aware of my own mortality. I thought I had death all sorted…I had set a strategic goal…I would drop dead (and the age doesn’t matter greatly) at the dinner table, preferably in a nice restaurant, face first into a plate just after a magnificent desert, having enjoyed a great but far too much of a meal, and wine in the company of wonderful people.
However more recently I had just finished reading a magazine whilst having coffee in Rangiora which prompted the prospect of a second option, that of death at high speed in a fantastic performance car. The magazine was an offshoot of the TopGear programme and the boys were test driving some of the fastest production cars.
Petrol head Jeremy was singing the praises of the Aston Martin Vantage V12 although he did say you could get almost the same value for £80,000 less with the Aston Martin DBS V8. Whether I am able to even afford to think about owning one is something of a moot point, let alone finding myself seriously weighing up whether or not to spend another £80,000 to buy the Vantage rather than the DBS.
I have had to revise my plan, damn it! If any sort of Aston Martin is to be an option then the first plan will have to go on hold for a while. You see I will need to work much longer. Which means I’ll have to live much longer, which means an irresponsible disregard for my personal health will have to change to avoid any risk of an early achievement of option one, my till now strategic goal for death.
Oh the dilemma…and if that’s all I’ve got to worry about, this can only mean my missed GenY period has caught up with me.
Crap! Well I better get on with it.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
The ‘Happy Place’ – Employee or Employer Responsibility?
This BLOG began to write itself immediately after the last, ‘The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work’.
A long-time friend sent me recollections of commuting in Wellington. He writes, “Dear Geoff, know what you mean by the rail peoples. It was just the same back in the 1950's, we would board a freezing cold 1930 style carriage at Taita and usually after two stops our then "group" was complete, two sets of facing seats. I got my first girl-friend that way, it did not work out but that is the way of such things is it not?
Later with Jane and I from Porirua the same thing happened. One of the train guards was so fond of Jane that when I told him she had died he burst into tears!!! He had problems with a lady who got on at Plimmerton on Mondays to go into town to live in an apartment there and always tried to pay him with a $50 bill for the single trip. That usually meant she got a freebie as he could never make the change. One day we had the cash from a church gala and gave him enough so he could give her change all in 20c pieces!!! That was the last time she tried that.”
There has since been a lot of comment about the commuter who just did her job and went home feeling nobody noticed she had been there. It appears to have been an astounding revelation. One reader noted, “In some ways it’s sad that people don’t enjoy it (work). You should really see your work place like family, you spend more time there than at home. Then again some families don’t get along at all.”
The research about the benefits of a positive working culture is vast and in fact comes into the category of being a no brainer. But just how responsible is the employer to provide staff with their ‘Happy Place’ and what is the individual’s responsibility? How might you respond to someone who felt that it was not their responsibility to help develop a positive culture in their organisation? Perhaps as a friend suggested… ‘Let's have a strategy to be the worst place to work. Let's try to beat the Lybian military model. We can refit for appalling working conditions, drop wages, invent a totally new concept, I think we would call it industrial relations where we would win if we were so awful staff decided to withdraw their labour in protest. We could get rid of the coffee machines, have enforced start times, fixed morning and afternoon tea and lunch breaks and we could fire one person a week just for fun’.
For communities to work well, everyone involved has to contribute and take responsibility to ensure the community succeeds. It seems to me it is part of the deal of belonging. How can you ignore those responsibilities? Or perhaps in this age of focus on the individual, we are forgetting communal etiquette and simply don’t know how to behave?
In an article in The Independent (repeated in a Sunday Herald), Gerard Gilbert interviews Elizabeth McGovern who plays Lady Cora in the global TV hit Downton Abbey. Gilbert asks how she explains the show’s success. She explains, “My contemporary brain finds it very relaxing, looking at an age when everybody knows how to behave because the rules are very clear. There’s something very stressful about today’s world, when people are allowed to behave how they want. You’re always having to make choices and judgement calls about how to behave, whereas in the world of Downton Abbey everybody knows what’s expected of them.”
This represents the tussle I always experience, first with myself and then with the organisations in which I am working at the time. The earlier times when rules, policies, rank and status prevailed, choices were limited and not much thinking was involved – just check the rulebook/policy manual. I reject that and have advocated quite literally the burning of policy manuals and the establishment of a common code to run parallel with the organisation purpose. Such a model respects those who participate and they in turn not only take individual responsibility for their actions, but actively contribute to the maintenance and development of a positive culture.
In the Randstad World of Work report 2011/12 in New Zealand, the majority of employers surveyed say increasing workplace productivity and performance is their single biggest human capital challenge. They see it important to unlock workforce productivity. In the survey employees report moderate levels of happiness, and affirm the principles of meaningful work – recognition and flexicurity (flexibility and job security).
To achieve high performance employers will need to deploy the well-known strategies to engage their staff, to create their ‘happy place’ at work. But in my opinion, the winners will be those organisations which employ people who see they have a personal responsibility to build and maintain that happy place. Those who seek to be employed who do not have a refined sense of their personal responsibility in this ‘community’ should be avoided like the plague.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work
“Entering the carriage feels like interrupting a congregation…There is something improbable about the silence in a carriage, considering how naturally gregarious we are as a species. Still, how much kinder it is for the commuters to pretend to be absorbed in other things, rather than revealing the extent to which they are covertly evaluating, judging condemning and desiring each other.”
So writes Alain De Botton in ‘The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work’. Alain uses words in a way that turn the most ordinary of events into something of literary colour, causing you to pause and rethink what you have just observed or considered in an entirely different light. I envy his skill, art and craftsmanship with the language.
I travel to work most days by train into the metropolis Auckland from rural farming Pukekohe. Fortunately for me, when I started doing this some 8 years ago a small group of already long experienced commuters opened up and enveloped me in their ‘congregation’. The little group has grown and we euphemistically refer to ourselves as the Train People.
With the introduction of more services, the group has split into two divisions referred to by the departure time of our respective evening trains, the 4.42 and the 5.26. A benefit of being a member of this congregation is that we try and get together, partners included, for a dinner – mid winter Christmas and of course Christmas.
This congregation of Train People are all going to work and contrary to what Alain describes (although that seems to be the rule elsewhere in the carriage), engage in happy banter, keeping each other informed of important events in their lives like births; deaths; a storm ripping the veranda off the house; preparing to act in a new play; the exploits of grandchild and animals; and very often good natured ribbing.
Work dominates our lives and people see it differently. A lady I had never encountered before plonked herself in the seat next to me. I greeted her politely and enquired where she was off to. “Work!” she replied in such a way as to cause me to think I had asked a stupid question, and that ‘Work!’ were some great imposition keeping her from some other exciting and far more important adventure today. So I asked my second stupid question, “Are you looking forward to that?” She gave me a big wry smile and informed me, “I just go, do my job, don’t talk to anyone and go home. I’m sure they don’t even notice I am there.”
As Alain notes, “A question of motivation appeared: whether the company could succeed in providing its staff with a sufficiently elevated set of ideals in whose name they were to exhaust themselves and surrender the greatest share of their lives.”
A long time ago, a chap by the name of Aristotle apparently defined an attitude that was to prevail in respect of employment for a long while when he referred to the structural incompatibility between satisfaction and a paid position.
And trying to prove there shouldn’t be incompatibility, well not a big gap anyway, is the focus of my work from which I derive a great deal of pleasure, satisfaction, frustration and occasionally anguish.
David Ellis is one of life’s gentlemen in the Confucian sense of the word (although he would not consider himself old), ‘A true man of honour who will cultivate themselves morally; participate in the correct performance of ritual; show filial piety and loyalty where these are due; and cultivates humaneness’.
So writes Alain De Botton in ‘The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work’. Alain uses words in a way that turn the most ordinary of events into something of literary colour, causing you to pause and rethink what you have just observed or considered in an entirely different light. I envy his skill, art and craftsmanship with the language.
I travel to work most days by train into the metropolis Auckland from rural farming Pukekohe. Fortunately for me, when I started doing this some 8 years ago a small group of already long experienced commuters opened up and enveloped me in their ‘congregation’. The little group has grown and we euphemistically refer to ourselves as the Train People.
With the introduction of more services, the group has split into two divisions referred to by the departure time of our respective evening trains, the 4.42 and the 5.26. A benefit of being a member of this congregation is that we try and get together, partners included, for a dinner – mid winter Christmas and of course Christmas.
This congregation of Train People are all going to work and contrary to what Alain describes (although that seems to be the rule elsewhere in the carriage), engage in happy banter, keeping each other informed of important events in their lives like births; deaths; a storm ripping the veranda off the house; preparing to act in a new play; the exploits of grandchild and animals; and very often good natured ribbing.
Work dominates our lives and people see it differently. A lady I had never encountered before plonked herself in the seat next to me. I greeted her politely and enquired where she was off to. “Work!” she replied in such a way as to cause me to think I had asked a stupid question, and that ‘Work!’ were some great imposition keeping her from some other exciting and far more important adventure today. So I asked my second stupid question, “Are you looking forward to that?” She gave me a big wry smile and informed me, “I just go, do my job, don’t talk to anyone and go home. I’m sure they don’t even notice I am there.”
As Alain notes, “A question of motivation appeared: whether the company could succeed in providing its staff with a sufficiently elevated set of ideals in whose name they were to exhaust themselves and surrender the greatest share of their lives.”
A long time ago, a chap by the name of Aristotle apparently defined an attitude that was to prevail in respect of employment for a long while when he referred to the structural incompatibility between satisfaction and a paid position.
And trying to prove there shouldn’t be incompatibility, well not a big gap anyway, is the focus of my work from which I derive a great deal of pleasure, satisfaction, frustration and occasionally anguish.
David Ellis is one of life’s gentlemen in the Confucian sense of the word (although he would not consider himself old), ‘A true man of honour who will cultivate themselves morally; participate in the correct performance of ritual; show filial piety and loyalty where these are due; and cultivates humaneness’.
As a boy he just wanted to be a farmer so spent as much time as he could after school, weekends and during holidays to be working on farms. He had one clear objective, to be a farmer. To achieve his goal he worked three different jobs at once to earn enough money for a deposit on a farm. He succeeded and in the early 70’s brought a farm and set up a substantial sheep and beef operation, for which he won the Waikato Business Excellence Agriculture & Primary Production Award in 2009.
But he had another passion, breeding and racing thoroughbred horses. His Te Akau stud has a formidable reputation and is the proud holder of the all-time record for most wins in a season – 2009/2010 – with 108 winners. In 2009 David was also a finalist in both the Waikato Business Awards for Excellence in Service and the Leader of the Year.
David and his wife Karen describe themselves as very happy with their work because, “It gives us such a thrill. Our business is our passion.” What a great pity my fellow commuter did not have the opportunity to work for employers like David and Karen.
Of course we don’t all get to own and operate our own business, with most of us having to endure the soulless, waste of time and costly trekking to some place to work for goodness knows who, hoping to get some satisfaction from paid employment. I consider myself very lucky in that respect, I wish many more could have that same experience.
We are currently on the tail end of what has been, according to the growers in our area, the wettest winter in at least fifty years. Fortunately we didn’t have a lot of stock. But regardless, horses are very hard on the ground and mud became the feature of the landscape along with significant damage to our fields and pasture.
I have begun the work of restoring paddocks and pasture. There is a lot to be done repairing this damage: feeding the soil; harrowing over and over the heavily pocked ground, sowing seed. All of this requires investment in capital and more so labour.
In such difficult circumstances and like people, there are always those who seek to profit from the disruption. In my case it is the rapid re-emerging of the weed dock, a weed which excels in adversity, using its long tap roots to mine the minerals deep down, beyond the reach of the grasses, to promote vigorous growth, which in turn crowds out the good quality pasture. In moderation it is a herb making a valuable contribution, however in these circumstances, and in concert with other undesirables they are making a play to dominate.
So the trick is getting the foundations right: good soil balance; nicely level paddocks; remove the weeds; quality pasture with variety yet balanced; producing a living organism of good health and benefit for the animals. Hmmm, perhaps an analogy for creating a good work place?
In that case the last word can go to Tony Schwartz in his ‘The Way We are Working Isn’t Working’, “An organisation truly is a living organism – a human community that can realise its highest potential only when each individual is fully valued and feels fully vested in a shared purpose. The better people’s needs are met, the better they feel, and the better the organisation functions as a whole.”
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Honour, Privilege and Responsibility
I am sure I have said before I consider myself particularly blessed with my experience of ‘work’; the organisations, the people and the managers. This includes the various voluntary and community organisations I have belonged to and occasionally held office with.
Just recently there was a small ceremony (well, an informal breakfast really) in the Gallery of Franklin: The Centre. Management of the Gallery was handed to the Auckland City Council and we said farewell to the staff. The issue of whether or not Franklin should be part of the Super City was hotly debated and divided our community. However my colleague trustees of the Franklin Arts, Culture & Learning Trust and staff of the Gallery saw an opportunity to strengthen support for Arts and Culture with professional management, peer support for staff, being part of a much larger network of events; and better funding.
The support of Leisa Siteine, Manager Arts & Culture South, made for one of the most positive, speedy and amicable transitions I have ever experienced. Although it was both an honour to be appointed to the Trust Board by the old Council, and more latterly a privilege to be elected as the chair, it would be easy to now walk away.
However I have a sense of responsibility to ensure there is some kind of broad based arts and culture forum in place to advise and represent the community to our Local Board.
It seemed somewhat ironic that the day after this transfer, and on the day of my birthday, we were celebrating the Matariki festival at the Gallery. In addressing those gathered I noted that sharing knowledge is not about giving people something, or getting something from them. Sharing knowledge occurred when people were genuinely interested in helping one another and creating learning. Knowledge is embodied in people gathered in communities and networks.
Matariki is the Maori name for the group of stars also known as the Pleiades star cluster or The Seven Sisters; and what is referred to as the traditional Maori New Year. Traditionally, depending on the visibility of Matariki, the coming season's crop was thought to be determined. The brighter the stars indicated the warmer the season would be and thus a more productive crop. It was also seen as an important time for family to gather and reflect on the past and the future.
Today Matariki means celebrating the unique place in which we live and giving respect to the land we live on.
We are privileged to live in a rural community and feel a responsibility to actively contribute to that community. There are many others who give significantly and we are honoured to count a number as friends. Such people are a constant source of inspiration, modeling genuine interest in other people and the community. Whenever I think I may have done my bit, we hear or read about yet another person whose contribution makes anything I might do appear but a tiny, barely discernable blip on a large and busy radar screen.
A few years ago now, when John and I were busy showing horses we breed, I was approached by the then secretary of the Franklin Agricultural & Pastoral Society to be available for election to their Executive. I was told it would be a way I could contribute to the movement which had provided the opportunity for us to showcase our horses and also ensure its existence on into the future.
I spent a number of years on the Executive working with a variety of Presidents who each made a unique contribution both in hard work and with their particular focus. There were also dedicated and often long serving executive members. Their succession model, with annual performance reviews (called elections), prepared me to ultimately become the President. This came with immediate and direct support of the immediate past president and a patron, himself a long serving member and past president. Both are farmers.
A couple of weekends back, at the annual conference of the Royal Agricultural Society of New Zealand, I was privileged to be appointed to their Executive Council. Apart from the appointment being a great honour, with it comes the responsibility to contribute significantly to one of the oldest organisations in this young country and the associated network of 94 A & P Shows.
In the final chapter of his history of the Royal Agricultural Society of New Zealand, ‘Show Biz’ Hugh Treadwell notes those who have been involved in the past, “… are part of the fabric of this important History, and helped to fashion what we have today.” It certainly is an honour and a privilege; however I realise the responsibility as I stand in the shadow of so many great contributors to this unique place in which we live whose interest and lives involved giving respect to the land.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Bringing people togther to execute the plan
In April I spoke to a large group of senior managers of a national organisation. Their Forum was held over two days and the general theme was ‘Lead with Attitude’.
I entitled my presentation Leadership – Beyond C2 – meaning beyond command and control, and opened with the quote by Ferdinand Foch; “A leader is above all things an animator. Their thought & faith must be communicated to those they lead. They & the leader must form as one at the moment of executing the plan. That is the essential condition of success”.
Foch was a French soldier, military theorist, and writer who lived 1851 –1929. Shortly after the start of the Spring Offensive, Germany's final attempt to win the war, Foch was chosen as supreme commander of the Allied armies, a position that he held until 11 November 1918, when he accepted the German request for an armistice. He advocated peace terms that would make Germany unable to pose a threat to France ever again. His words after the Treaty of Versailles, “This is not a peace. It is an armistice for twenty years", would prove prophetic; World War II started almost twenty years later.
It was a little ironic that I should start a presentation with the words of a militarist from a vocation those in the audience might associate as a master of the art of Command and Control. Or was it?
Was it a coincidence that when I began my management life quite a few years ago there wasn’t the huge abundance of management and leadership texts as exists today? When asked what I looked to for leadership learning back then, I answered, “A book called Montgomery of Alamein”.
Bernard Montgomery, was the hero of the Battle of El Alamein, a major turning point in the Western Desert Campaign and one of the most inspirational military commanders of World War Two. Unlike many senior officers of the day, he went out of his way to meet the soldiers under his command. He lived a lifestyle that was not typical of a general. Though his command base was a large and luxurious North African house, Montgomery lived in a caravan in the garden. Strictly teetotal and anti-smoking, he made sure that his men had a reasonable access to cigarettes. There is no doubt that he was popular with the men in the Eighth Army.
It was said of Montgomery that he was, ‘uncompromisingly single-minded. The most conspicuous of all his attributes was his unshakable confidence in himself, an infectious quality which rapidly spread throughout all ranks in the armed forces and among the general public.’ Also that, ‘His outstanding characteristics were his professional thoroughness in planning set-piece battles and the projection of his self-confidence so as to arouse enthusiasm among his troops.’
You cannot command people to be enthusiastic, nor can you command them to fully engage in the plan.
My next point to this group of manager/leaders was made by a Malcolm Kent, and whilst I don’t particularly know of the chap who said this, what he said was really my point, “one of the greatest failings of today’s executive is their inability to do what they are supposed to do’. Reminiscent of Dr.Edward Deming saying that managers need to get out of the way of their peple so they can get on and do a good job.
Whilst I was consulting I conducted some research prompted by something similar out of the States. What that research showed and my small sample of 250 across the country confirmed was that having a good boss was the exception not the rule!
And what made great bosses and leaders? Well a good place to start would be with Montgomery and Foch. Not because they were Generals who fought wars, but because of their ability to bring people together to execute the plan.
I concluded my session with a question. "When your meeting ended; When the interaction concluded; When the crisis was averted and When your team went home at day’s end; How would they describe their experience of you?"
I entitled my presentation Leadership – Beyond C2 – meaning beyond command and control, and opened with the quote by Ferdinand Foch; “A leader is above all things an animator. Their thought & faith must be communicated to those they lead. They & the leader must form as one at the moment of executing the plan. That is the essential condition of success”.
Foch was a French soldier, military theorist, and writer who lived 1851 –1929. Shortly after the start of the Spring Offensive, Germany's final attempt to win the war, Foch was chosen as supreme commander of the Allied armies, a position that he held until 11 November 1918, when he accepted the German request for an armistice. He advocated peace terms that would make Germany unable to pose a threat to France ever again. His words after the Treaty of Versailles, “This is not a peace. It is an armistice for twenty years", would prove prophetic; World War II started almost twenty years later.
It was a little ironic that I should start a presentation with the words of a militarist from a vocation those in the audience might associate as a master of the art of Command and Control. Or was it?
Was it a coincidence that when I began my management life quite a few years ago there wasn’t the huge abundance of management and leadership texts as exists today? When asked what I looked to for leadership learning back then, I answered, “A book called Montgomery of Alamein”.
Bernard Montgomery, was the hero of the Battle of El Alamein, a major turning point in the Western Desert Campaign and one of the most inspirational military commanders of World War Two. Unlike many senior officers of the day, he went out of his way to meet the soldiers under his command. He lived a lifestyle that was not typical of a general. Though his command base was a large and luxurious North African house, Montgomery lived in a caravan in the garden. Strictly teetotal and anti-smoking, he made sure that his men had a reasonable access to cigarettes. There is no doubt that he was popular with the men in the Eighth Army.
It was said of Montgomery that he was, ‘uncompromisingly single-minded. The most conspicuous of all his attributes was his unshakable confidence in himself, an infectious quality which rapidly spread throughout all ranks in the armed forces and among the general public.’ Also that, ‘His outstanding characteristics were his professional thoroughness in planning set-piece battles and the projection of his self-confidence so as to arouse enthusiasm among his troops.’
You cannot command people to be enthusiastic, nor can you command them to fully engage in the plan.
My next point to this group of manager/leaders was made by a Malcolm Kent, and whilst I don’t particularly know of the chap who said this, what he said was really my point, “one of the greatest failings of today’s executive is their inability to do what they are supposed to do’. Reminiscent of Dr.Edward Deming saying that managers need to get out of the way of their peple so they can get on and do a good job.
Whilst I was consulting I conducted some research prompted by something similar out of the States. What that research showed and my small sample of 250 across the country confirmed was that having a good boss was the exception not the rule!
And what made great bosses and leaders? Well a good place to start would be with Montgomery and Foch. Not because they were Generals who fought wars, but because of their ability to bring people together to execute the plan.
I concluded my session with a question. "When your meeting ended; When the interaction concluded; When the crisis was averted and When your team went home at day’s end; How would they describe their experience of you?"
Monday, April 25, 2011
Remembrance, Market, Productivity & Holidays
Today is something of a grey day in Auckland having rained all night, and today is Anzac Day. I watched the National Remembrance Ceremony via television from Wellington. As we remember, I remember particularly Grandad Carter, my mum’s dad, a survivor of Gallipoli. He must have seen terrible things but never talked about them.
Grandad came to New Zealand when he was 17 years of age with 17 shillings in his pocket. He did farm work and later with some dogs became something of an agricultural contractor. After the war Grandad did not carry on with farming, however many settlers in New Zealand did farm and of course many returned soldiers were given parcels of land to begin a farming career.
Agriculture became the foundation of our economy and remains so although from time to time, tourism does earn us a bit more. We have led the world and perhaps the greatest example of forward thinking and innovation is evidenced in our dairy industry. Many small milk processing plants were set up in rural communities becoming the centre often of that community around which the post office, school and other services were established.
In the cycle of life, various of the factories combined into bigger more productive collectives and the smaller rural factories closed down, either left to rot or perhaps become reincarnated in a much later life as homes, other businesses or community centres with small museums and galleries.
As those collectives grew, Fonterra was created to make New Zealand a major competitive force in the international economy. Some people seem to think it is a large, faceless overseas corporation (bear in mind many urban kids believe milk comes in plastic bottle from the supermarket). Unlike the other seven processors of milk here of which many have some off-shore ownership, Fonterra is a co-operative of 10,500 New Zealand dairy farmers.
In an odd mix of socialism and free market expectations of an earlier Government, legislation was introduced to allow the formation of Fonterra in 2001 to promote competition at the farm gate giving farmers the ability to choose who they supplied. The legislation also required Fonterra to sell half of its domestic business and then supply those competitors with 250 million litres of milk each year.
Whilst the expectation may have been that the competitors Fonterra were forced to sell milk to would supply the domestic market, surprise, surprise, most decided to target the more lucrative export markets. In the New Zealand Farmers Weekly, columnist Alan Emmerson began his Opinion, “The recent fiasco about the price of milk is, in a word, ridiculous. Ridiculous because presumably we live in a free market and, as politicians have told us for decades, ‘the market decides’. It seems the market only decides when it is politically expedient to do so.”
I think the ultimate irony in this silly matter was a page in the NZ Herald on March 16. The feature was headed ‘Stop kowtowing to unfair prices.’ Yet immediately below that another article headed, ‘Broader measures needed to kick-start economy.’ And how do we propose to do that? Interfere in the ability of New Zealand’s dairy industry to earn $10.4billion in exports! Without milk our economy would be struggling. As prices increase there is more money coming into New Zealand. The NZ Institute of Economic Research has calculated that for every $1 increase in dairy payout it is worth $270 in the pocket of each and every New Zealander.
And let’s not forget that whilst once upon a time NZ’s productivity rated highly amongst OECD countries now we don’t even rate on that productivity radar. Interesting however, that agriculture was one of the most productive industries in the country from 2006 to 2009 according to Statistics NZ. Labour productivity alone (the amount of goods and services produced per worker) increased over the three years.
Which, in a roundabout way, brings me back to Anzac Day. There have been calls for the day to be a holiday. I heard one commentator on the radio say we work hard and given the occasion it would be appropriate to declare the day a public holiday. Without doubt we do work hard. Apparently New Zealanders work the longest hours on average than those in just about every other country in the OECD.
We work the longest hours, we are the least productive, and we need to stimulate the economy. Is the answer another paid non productive holiday, and political interference in the operation of one of the most productive industries and significant contributors to our economy?
As a post script, we attended the Royal Easter Show which includes both the largest wine and art shows in the country. The Grand Champion Syrah was the Villa Maria Reserve Syrah 2009. Nautilus was the Champion Sparkling.
Grandad came to New Zealand when he was 17 years of age with 17 shillings in his pocket. He did farm work and later with some dogs became something of an agricultural contractor. After the war Grandad did not carry on with farming, however many settlers in New Zealand did farm and of course many returned soldiers were given parcels of land to begin a farming career.
Agriculture became the foundation of our economy and remains so although from time to time, tourism does earn us a bit more. We have led the world and perhaps the greatest example of forward thinking and innovation is evidenced in our dairy industry. Many small milk processing plants were set up in rural communities becoming the centre often of that community around which the post office, school and other services were established.
In the cycle of life, various of the factories combined into bigger more productive collectives and the smaller rural factories closed down, either left to rot or perhaps become reincarnated in a much later life as homes, other businesses or community centres with small museums and galleries.
As those collectives grew, Fonterra was created to make New Zealand a major competitive force in the international economy. Some people seem to think it is a large, faceless overseas corporation (bear in mind many urban kids believe milk comes in plastic bottle from the supermarket). Unlike the other seven processors of milk here of which many have some off-shore ownership, Fonterra is a co-operative of 10,500 New Zealand dairy farmers.
In an odd mix of socialism and free market expectations of an earlier Government, legislation was introduced to allow the formation of Fonterra in 2001 to promote competition at the farm gate giving farmers the ability to choose who they supplied. The legislation also required Fonterra to sell half of its domestic business and then supply those competitors with 250 million litres of milk each year.
Whilst the expectation may have been that the competitors Fonterra were forced to sell milk to would supply the domestic market, surprise, surprise, most decided to target the more lucrative export markets. In the New Zealand Farmers Weekly, columnist Alan Emmerson began his Opinion, “The recent fiasco about the price of milk is, in a word, ridiculous. Ridiculous because presumably we live in a free market and, as politicians have told us for decades, ‘the market decides’. It seems the market only decides when it is politically expedient to do so.”
I think the ultimate irony in this silly matter was a page in the NZ Herald on March 16. The feature was headed ‘Stop kowtowing to unfair prices.’ Yet immediately below that another article headed, ‘Broader measures needed to kick-start economy.’ And how do we propose to do that? Interfere in the ability of New Zealand’s dairy industry to earn $10.4billion in exports! Without milk our economy would be struggling. As prices increase there is more money coming into New Zealand. The NZ Institute of Economic Research has calculated that for every $1 increase in dairy payout it is worth $270 in the pocket of each and every New Zealander.
And let’s not forget that whilst once upon a time NZ’s productivity rated highly amongst OECD countries now we don’t even rate on that productivity radar. Interesting however, that agriculture was one of the most productive industries in the country from 2006 to 2009 according to Statistics NZ. Labour productivity alone (the amount of goods and services produced per worker) increased over the three years.
Which, in a roundabout way, brings me back to Anzac Day. There have been calls for the day to be a holiday. I heard one commentator on the radio say we work hard and given the occasion it would be appropriate to declare the day a public holiday. Without doubt we do work hard. Apparently New Zealanders work the longest hours on average than those in just about every other country in the OECD.
We work the longest hours, we are the least productive, and we need to stimulate the economy. Is the answer another paid non productive holiday, and political interference in the operation of one of the most productive industries and significant contributors to our economy?
As a post script, we attended the Royal Easter Show which includes both the largest wine and art shows in the country. The Grand Champion Syrah was the Villa Maria Reserve Syrah 2009. Nautilus was the Champion Sparkling.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
The Beauty and the Beast – the saving grace of the Christchurch refugee centre.
I have been wrestling with many competing ideas for my next BLOG. The decision was made for me when I read an email from my friend Jilly Thomas - I have decided to simply post her email -
Today I had the pleasure of working a 9 hour shift, from 7.30 am to 4.30pm at the Chch refugee centre, set up by Civil Defence, in the Faith Church in Lambie Drive, Manukau. The behind the scenes organisation was mind boggling and I met the most amazing people from all walks of life including those who were to help and those who needed help.
My hat goes off to Red Cross, their staff and volunteers. To Civil Defence. To Victim Support. To NZ Housing. To WINZ; to CYFS; to ministry of social welfare; to Min Health and the DHB's; to Faith Church; to Auckland Council and to everyone else involved. The logistics was well thought out and there were numerous community organisations involved.
I spent some time talking with a social worker from the Pacific Islands who was there to support Muslim refugees - the fact that some of these people have already gone through massive upheavals in their own country and after years of living in refugee camps have finally made it to NZ for a better life, then to be exposed to the terror of the earthquake. With English as a second language and little understanding of the support for refugees they are afraid of ending up in another refugee camp. That's just one example of NZ’s community groups and how the earthquake has impacted on them.
I offered a sympathetic ear, listened to their stories & fought back the tears.
Some just needed to download their experiences - where they were on Tuesday, what they saw, how lucky they feel to be alive, that it could have been worse. The young mother now separated from her premature baby, she at the refugee centre and the baby across the city in Waitakere hospital. The young man who arrived yesterday and had the best night's sleep in over 6 months despite being woken by the sound of a plane flying overhead which reminded him of the noise of the earthquake - he was lucky he could rationalise that it was only a plane and went back to sleep. No shaking of the bed, no rocking or short sharp jolts.
Concerns ranged from "they were cooking at the time - what happens when the power goes back on? What about their cat? How guilty they feel about leaving in-laws and extended family behind. They talked about the support from the army, the fire brigade, the police, the government. One person even recounted how he saw a helicopter flying overhead with a port-a-loo. Such surreal experiences.
They are bravely picking up the pieces, they want the best for their families. I met people of all ages who are shocked and traumatised. Who have lost their homes, their businesses, their security. Some only have the clothes they arrived in. An Indian couple, vegetarians, lived on fruit for 9 days and had their first full meals last night.
Yet, what all these refugees have in common - no matter what their culture or creed - is resilience, patience, guts and determination. The will to survive and make a new life for themselves. Some were in the centre for hours waiting for temporary accommodation to be organised for them. No-one complained. They were all grateful for the tea, coffee, water and biscuits that were offered to them. To be able to flush a loo.
So the 9 hours I spent today was such a miniscule intrusion in my life - it is nothing compared to what these refugees have been through and what they will be going through for days, weeks years, to come. Yes, I would volunteer again.
Want to help? - organise a class fund raising event by washing cars or making and selling cupcakes; donate clothing, school uniforms, blankets; financial contributions to Red Cross Christchurch earthquake appeal; support organisations and companies that are fundraising by purchasing their products. Volunteer to sell 'I love Chch' t- shirts. Food products not required.
Jilly Thomas
Newmarket
Sat 5/03/2011 7:11 p.m
Today I had the pleasure of working a 9 hour shift, from 7.30 am to 4.30pm at the Chch refugee centre, set up by Civil Defence, in the Faith Church in Lambie Drive, Manukau. The behind the scenes organisation was mind boggling and I met the most amazing people from all walks of life including those who were to help and those who needed help.
My hat goes off to Red Cross, their staff and volunteers. To Civil Defence. To Victim Support. To NZ Housing. To WINZ; to CYFS; to ministry of social welfare; to Min Health and the DHB's; to Faith Church; to Auckland Council and to everyone else involved. The logistics was well thought out and there were numerous community organisations involved.
I spent some time talking with a social worker from the Pacific Islands who was there to support Muslim refugees - the fact that some of these people have already gone through massive upheavals in their own country and after years of living in refugee camps have finally made it to NZ for a better life, then to be exposed to the terror of the earthquake. With English as a second language and little understanding of the support for refugees they are afraid of ending up in another refugee camp. That's just one example of NZ’s community groups and how the earthquake has impacted on them.
I offered a sympathetic ear, listened to their stories & fought back the tears.
Some just needed to download their experiences - where they were on Tuesday, what they saw, how lucky they feel to be alive, that it could have been worse. The young mother now separated from her premature baby, she at the refugee centre and the baby across the city in Waitakere hospital. The young man who arrived yesterday and had the best night's sleep in over 6 months despite being woken by the sound of a plane flying overhead which reminded him of the noise of the earthquake - he was lucky he could rationalise that it was only a plane and went back to sleep. No shaking of the bed, no rocking or short sharp jolts.
Concerns ranged from "they were cooking at the time - what happens when the power goes back on? What about their cat? How guilty they feel about leaving in-laws and extended family behind. They talked about the support from the army, the fire brigade, the police, the government. One person even recounted how he saw a helicopter flying overhead with a port-a-loo. Such surreal experiences.
They are bravely picking up the pieces, they want the best for their families. I met people of all ages who are shocked and traumatised. Who have lost their homes, their businesses, their security. Some only have the clothes they arrived in. An Indian couple, vegetarians, lived on fruit for 9 days and had their first full meals last night.
Yet, what all these refugees have in common - no matter what their culture or creed - is resilience, patience, guts and determination. The will to survive and make a new life for themselves. Some were in the centre for hours waiting for temporary accommodation to be organised for them. No-one complained. They were all grateful for the tea, coffee, water and biscuits that were offered to them. To be able to flush a loo.
So the 9 hours I spent today was such a miniscule intrusion in my life - it is nothing compared to what these refugees have been through and what they will be going through for days, weeks years, to come. Yes, I would volunteer again.
Want to help? - organise a class fund raising event by washing cars or making and selling cupcakes; donate clothing, school uniforms, blankets; financial contributions to Red Cross Christchurch earthquake appeal; support organisations and companies that are fundraising by purchasing their products. Volunteer to sell 'I love Chch' t- shirts. Food products not required.
Jilly Thomas
Newmarket
Sat 5/03/2011 7:11 p.m
Saturday, February 5, 2011
On Horses and People
A friend of mine loaned me a book recently,J.B. Cummings,BART My Life. Anyone who knows anything at all about thoroughbred racing will know the name of the man regarded as probably Australia's greatest horse trainer. His memoir was winner of the the Australian book industry award for Biography 2010.
Not only is it interesting from a horse point of view, but there is also great life and management learning.
The first of many important lessons appears early where Bart notes there is no magic. He says, "...there is relentless work, discipline, adherence to your methods and plans, taking a genuine interest in the horse's welfare, and, above all, plain commonsense."
A great mentor of mine said many years ago, "The problem with commonsense is that it is not too common." Where does commonsense come from? How do we get it? Like judgement, I don't think it can be taught. It is something learned from experience.
Bart believed that his real education began when he left school early and worked for his father. He noted that his father was more interested in making him think, always encouraging him to ask questions. One of the lessons learnt was that when horses are well looked after, they appreciate it, they never forget. Bart's father felt that horses were often riddles waiting to be worked out. "Soon I realised that this was why Dad was so quiet: every scrap of information, every insight and observation about every one of his horses he was retaining in his mind," said Bart.
Coincidentally, I watched a broadcast on TED.com by the deaf percussionist Evelyne Glennie. She was illustrating how listening to music involves much more than simply letting sounds hit your eardrums.I found one comment particularly pertinent to my topic, "In the same way I need time with this intstrument, I need time with people to interpret them.Not just translate them, but interpret them."
Such insights and much of what Bart writes is timely as I am working with our thoroughbred colt. As a foal he was a lovely tractable fellow, learning quickly. Suddenly, about the time he was twelve months old, his behaviour became coltish and I was no longer able to work with him in the paddock, let alone get him to the barn.
It took four of us and a more mature horse to herd him into our barn. Suffice it to say, after some time, we are kind of friends again. I say 'kind of' because I am accutely aware of how tenuous our relationship is as he watches me intently for an excuse not to trust me. The continued relationship depends entirely on how I behave. One ill considered, impatient mistake on my part and all will be lost.
Bart talks about understanding horses behaviour, and when hiring stable staff, he looks for horsemen who shared his view, "...that the horse's happiness comes first. You really have to love the horse and read its moods. A lot of trainers do not put themselves in the horse's skin and do not ask themselves why horses are behaving in a certain way. Horses are always sending you messages, and you need to learn their language. Unless you are Mister Ed, they won't tell you in english. You need to have empathy."
Substitute the word 'people' for the word 'horse' and the word 'manager' for 'trainer'...
It seems that no matter how much experience I accumulate there is always more to learn. In my areas of interest which include, people, horses and management, this means, to paraphrase the words of the great horseman, There is no magic. Only relentless work. People/horses are riddles waiting to be worked out.
Evelyn Glennie's words noted earlier make a fitting conclusion. " I need time with people to interpret them. Not just translate them, but interpret them."
Not only is it interesting from a horse point of view, but there is also great life and management learning.
The first of many important lessons appears early where Bart notes there is no magic. He says, "...there is relentless work, discipline, adherence to your methods and plans, taking a genuine interest in the horse's welfare, and, above all, plain commonsense."
A great mentor of mine said many years ago, "The problem with commonsense is that it is not too common." Where does commonsense come from? How do we get it? Like judgement, I don't think it can be taught. It is something learned from experience.
Bart believed that his real education began when he left school early and worked for his father. He noted that his father was more interested in making him think, always encouraging him to ask questions. One of the lessons learnt was that when horses are well looked after, they appreciate it, they never forget. Bart's father felt that horses were often riddles waiting to be worked out. "Soon I realised that this was why Dad was so quiet: every scrap of information, every insight and observation about every one of his horses he was retaining in his mind," said Bart.
Coincidentally, I watched a broadcast on TED.com by the deaf percussionist Evelyne Glennie. She was illustrating how listening to music involves much more than simply letting sounds hit your eardrums.I found one comment particularly pertinent to my topic, "In the same way I need time with this intstrument, I need time with people to interpret them.Not just translate them, but interpret them."
Such insights and much of what Bart writes is timely as I am working with our thoroughbred colt. As a foal he was a lovely tractable fellow, learning quickly. Suddenly, about the time he was twelve months old, his behaviour became coltish and I was no longer able to work with him in the paddock, let alone get him to the barn.
It took four of us and a more mature horse to herd him into our barn. Suffice it to say, after some time, we are kind of friends again. I say 'kind of' because I am accutely aware of how tenuous our relationship is as he watches me intently for an excuse not to trust me. The continued relationship depends entirely on how I behave. One ill considered, impatient mistake on my part and all will be lost.
Bart talks about understanding horses behaviour, and when hiring stable staff, he looks for horsemen who shared his view, "...that the horse's happiness comes first. You really have to love the horse and read its moods. A lot of trainers do not put themselves in the horse's skin and do not ask themselves why horses are behaving in a certain way. Horses are always sending you messages, and you need to learn their language. Unless you are Mister Ed, they won't tell you in english. You need to have empathy."
Substitute the word 'people' for the word 'horse' and the word 'manager' for 'trainer'...
It seems that no matter how much experience I accumulate there is always more to learn. In my areas of interest which include, people, horses and management, this means, to paraphrase the words of the great horseman, There is no magic. Only relentless work. People/horses are riddles waiting to be worked out.
Evelyn Glennie's words noted earlier make a fitting conclusion. " I need time with people to interpret them. Not just translate them, but interpret them."
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Finding the Right Kind of Help
I have the privilege of being the Chairman of Trustees of the Franklin Family Support Trust. Although the ‘new’ Franklin is a district of the re-constituted Auckland City, the Trust serves the ‘old’ Franklin which is now spread across three different local bodies.
One thing that came as something of a shock to me is the number of various agencies and organisations, both Government and NGO that operate in the Franklin to help those in need. Some 80 or so!
I remember a story told to me by the previous CEO of the Franklin Family Support Trust, Jill Dean, on the scene that greeted staff first thing one morning at their Pukekohe Office. A young woman turned up with a couple of children. She was high on drugs, throwing up, and clearly distressed. She had decided she couldn’t stand ‘it’ anymore and was going to commit suicide. She didn’t want anyone to help her, she just wanted someone to take care of the children. It transpired the kids hadn’t been going to school, and when they did, they were disruptive. It seems they had no home. The tipping point was probably the eviction notice.
Just take a moment and try to think how many different agencies would need to be involved with the scenario to try and rescue this family, starting with the Trust, then the ambulance, then Child Youth and Family, and so on.
How does anyone who is highly stressed even begin the process of determining who they should turn to for help? And even if they could, now they have to find them then deal with the multiple bureaucracies. It is simply not going to happen.
According to Wendy Martin, the current CEO of Franklin Family Support, “Experience has shown us that people look for social services when they have exhausted their own resources and these barriers can become insurmountable to them”.
Wendy tells how The Trust set about developing a simple, one page common referral process for referrers (e.g. Health, Education and Justice) into social and community services. The aim of the initiative was to collaborate and form partnerships with the government sector along with all social and community service providers in Franklin to simply provide a common point of contact and assessment of need. "Government services struggle to link families to the NGO sector resulting in families falling through the gaps", said Wendy.
It has now been easier and quicker for individuals, health service providers, educators and the police to refer into services. Earlier, preventative, non-statutory, voluntary intervention, which makes better use of professional services and smarter use of available resources, can only result in healthier, stronger, safer, well-resourced and well-supported families.
Our community now benefits from decreased truancy, decreased crime and improved social wellbeing.
Wendy notes that, “Collaboration is the organisational expression of interdependence, an expression of exactly what we’re trying to encourage and build in our community. It’s my strong belief that if we, as service providers, can’t reflect this in our work, we can’t realistically expect this from our clients either”.
Wendy Martin, her predecessor Jill Dean and their staff and volunteers have worked over a number of years to get this concept accepted, find the seed funding, get the project underway and of course, continue to look for funding and resources to sustain it.
You can read more about this common referral system by reading the NZ Federation of Voluntary Welfare Organisations BLOG published by their Communications Manager, David Barrow. Go to their website http://www.nzfvwo.org.nz/ for more information and resources.
p.s. A year later, the young mother I referred to earlier, was well, in a housing corp house, the kids were at school and doing well and she had a job. All of that was coordinated and facilitated by the staff of the Trust.
One thing that came as something of a shock to me is the number of various agencies and organisations, both Government and NGO that operate in the Franklin to help those in need. Some 80 or so!
I remember a story told to me by the previous CEO of the Franklin Family Support Trust, Jill Dean, on the scene that greeted staff first thing one morning at their Pukekohe Office. A young woman turned up with a couple of children. She was high on drugs, throwing up, and clearly distressed. She had decided she couldn’t stand ‘it’ anymore and was going to commit suicide. She didn’t want anyone to help her, she just wanted someone to take care of the children. It transpired the kids hadn’t been going to school, and when they did, they were disruptive. It seems they had no home. The tipping point was probably the eviction notice.
Just take a moment and try to think how many different agencies would need to be involved with the scenario to try and rescue this family, starting with the Trust, then the ambulance, then Child Youth and Family, and so on.
How does anyone who is highly stressed even begin the process of determining who they should turn to for help? And even if they could, now they have to find them then deal with the multiple bureaucracies. It is simply not going to happen.
According to Wendy Martin, the current CEO of Franklin Family Support, “Experience has shown us that people look for social services when they have exhausted their own resources and these barriers can become insurmountable to them”.
Wendy tells how The Trust set about developing a simple, one page common referral process for referrers (e.g. Health, Education and Justice) into social and community services. The aim of the initiative was to collaborate and form partnerships with the government sector along with all social and community service providers in Franklin to simply provide a common point of contact and assessment of need. "Government services struggle to link families to the NGO sector resulting in families falling through the gaps", said Wendy.
It has now been easier and quicker for individuals, health service providers, educators and the police to refer into services. Earlier, preventative, non-statutory, voluntary intervention, which makes better use of professional services and smarter use of available resources, can only result in healthier, stronger, safer, well-resourced and well-supported families.
Our community now benefits from decreased truancy, decreased crime and improved social wellbeing.
Wendy notes that, “Collaboration is the organisational expression of interdependence, an expression of exactly what we’re trying to encourage and build in our community. It’s my strong belief that if we, as service providers, can’t reflect this in our work, we can’t realistically expect this from our clients either”.
Wendy Martin, her predecessor Jill Dean and their staff and volunteers have worked over a number of years to get this concept accepted, find the seed funding, get the project underway and of course, continue to look for funding and resources to sustain it.
You can read more about this common referral system by reading the NZ Federation of Voluntary Welfare Organisations BLOG published by their Communications Manager, David Barrow. Go to their website http://www.nzfvwo.org.nz/ for more information and resources.
p.s. A year later, the young mother I referred to earlier, was well, in a housing corp house, the kids were at school and doing well and she had a job. All of that was coordinated and facilitated by the staff of the Trust.
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