It’s been a
while since my last BLOG, September last year in fact.
I began putting thoughts
together as winter concluded. It had been a long wet winter where at times the
ground was so wet we couldn’t drive the farm bike into paddocks without getting
bogged down, even in four wheel drive. The net result was that pasture and
gardens became quite neglected. But something remarkable happened.
For several
weeks of the early spring the rain stopped and the wind, which normally starts
when the blossoms are coming out, didn’t arrive. And the garden was ablaze with
the beautiful spring colour of magnolia, rhododendrons, camellia, fuchsia, plus
spring flowers and foliage. It was one of the best displays for years. This all
inspired me to start writing about the new and fresh start, how people emerge
from the winter feeling more positive. Perhaps, I thought, this would be a
better time to have New Year.
Then life took off at pace and I simply never got
any further. So here we are in the real New Year with me attempting to get back
into the habit of regular writing. Usually when I start to think about the BLOG
there is no shortage of ideas often helped by readers having sent their
interesting news and reflections prompted by something I have written.
I was
about to start assembling my thoughts when I read an email which arrived
overnight from the UK. It was from Mick Hubbard’s sister, Jill Lawson. Mick
managed Security and Civil Defence for the now Counties Manukau Health (DHB)
and was killed in a tragic accident last year. I say accident and use the word
advisedly, more on that later. But first let me talk a little about Mick and my
connection with him.
During the holidays I managed to get in a little reading
and noted this in an article entitled ‘8 Qualities of Remarkable Employees’ by
Jeff Haden in Inc. Magazine. “Great
employees follow processes. Remarkable employees find ways to make those
processes even better, not only because they are expected to…but because they
just can’t help it.’ Mick was one of those remarkable employees.
In the late
90s I arrived at what was then South Auckland Health (the predecessor of CMDHB)
as the GM for Patient & Staff Safety and Human Resources. My portfolio
included security and South Auckland Health was still recovering from having
had a baby kidnapped. Whilst I had security experience back in my industry
days, this was clearly a much more significant responsibility.I asked one of
my colleagues to find a consultant to do a complete review of security, imagine
the future and make recommendations.
Mick arrived as the consultant and set
about in a very workman like way to examine critically how our security worked
(or more particularly didn’t work) and produced the kind of report I like -
clear, practical, plain language and to the point. Long story short, I retained
Mick to help us implement his plan and then hired him as the Security Manager. His role expanded to include Civil Defence and he became a significant influence in not only Auckland Health CD, but also Regional CD Planning.
Mick’s maturity and experience was a superb addition, making a great team
greater.
Mick
was killed on his way to work just out of Waiuku and not far from where I live.
Although I knew there had been an accident I did not know it involved Mick and
unfortunately I never learned that until a couple of hours before his funeral. Staff
at ProCare rallied round to cover appointments so I could attend and speak.
Jill’s email was to advise me they were notified just before Christmas
there had finally been a verdict reached for the driver who caused Mick's death
and the injury of another driver. As a result Jill and her sons and a family
friend will be travelling out in February to attend the sentencing in the
Pukekohe Court. I shall look forward to meeting and spending some time with
them. I was fortunate to spend time with others of Mick’s family last year when
they came to NZ to finalise his affairs and prepare the house for sale.
I
mentioned earlier the accident. This happened on a stretch of road on which
there have been a number of fatalities, usually accompanied by headlines, ‘Road claims another life!’
So called accidents are in reality
poor choices of chance, like deciding to drive when tired and subsequently
falling asleep, or driving through a stop sign in the face of oncoming traffic,
causing an accident resulting in death and or injury, usually of completely
innocent parties.
On this stretch of road there is an intersection which
crosses a main road. There is clear visibility however drivers still make a
decision to move off into the path of oncoming traffic. More lives have
recently been lost and the net result is the intersection on the ‘killer’ road
is being turned into a round-about at a cost in excess of $1million. After the
last accident it was good to see that letters to the editor started to express
differing views to the road killer group think. People began saying there are
no killer roads, only killer drivers.
Whilst the driver of the vehicle
that killed Mick did not set out to take Mick’s life the fact remains that Mick
did not deserve to die and his death was entirely preventable…it’s just not
fair!
