Work Life Health Check

http://www.momentum.co.nz/work-life-health-check/

Before I start I have to acknowledge my old boss from Mediaworks Brent Impey, I was working as a GM of Operations at another company and asked him if he wanted to be on the advisory board. He answered me in 5 seconds flat with a quick no, and then shared with me the reasons why.

I found these reasons so invaluable that I use them regularly for myself and have shared it with friends and work colleagues.
Whether you are contemplating a new role, or been working for a few years in your current role, you need to do a Work Life Health Check.
Some of us either don’t take the time to really think about what we are doing; then in 10 years’ time you reflect on your life and wonder how you ended up where you are. Or you fall into the camp over analysing every career decision, making you more confused and unsure.

For a Work Life Health Check, you need to ask yourself these three questions:
1: Am I passionate about this?
2. Will I be challenged?
3. Can I add value?

Sounds simplistic but when you think about it, these are all the questions you need.  The key is to answering them honestly and being able to Yes to all three.

Without passion, once new job enthusiasm runs out you’re going to run out of the fuel and struggle.  If you’re not being challenged, then you’re not growing as an individual, so what’s the point?  If you can’t add value, well most likely you won’t go far in the company and/or last long in that role.

So if you’ve answer no to any of the above, then maybe it’s time for a change and a chat.
Call Mereana Hawthorn National Manager – Sales, Marketing, Digital and Management at Momentum.

Labour is Replaceable - Talent is Not

http://www.momentum.co.nz/labour-is-replaceable-talent-is-not/

I attended a breakfast recently where a well known economist talked about business confidence being at a level equivalent to 7% GDP growth this year - sounded like we were in China.
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That can’t happen of course because of a number of reasons which I won’t go into here, but one of those reasons in particular is the labour market.
Simply there won’t be enough people to employ to assist in achieving that number.

Why?  NZ unemployment rate is around 6.5% which is getting close to slim pickings re talent choice.  Economists talk about 5% being a flat line for getting talent to assist growth.  Significantly, participation rate in NZ,  i.e. people in the workforce, is at an all-time high, so it’s not as if we can get people to get back into the workforce after opting out as a result of the GFC.  I won’t go on and on about other metrics to do with employment suffice to say you get the picture.

What does this mean?
Talent will have choice and when talent has choice employers who handle the recruitment process poorly miss out.  Pure and simple.  Muck people around cos you’re too slow or don’t communicate well enough and you’ll be doing the process all over again.  Not to mention what it does to your reputation.  I could throw some stats at you re the cost of not having people on board, or redoing a recruitment process and the cost of your time and lack of attention on your main job, but you get the drift.

How do you combat this?

1. Attend to the hiring of people as if you are selling your products or services to a customer.  What behaviours do you exhibit when involved in those types of transactions?  Let me guess – attentive, responsive, accommodating and effusive amongst other traits.  Same applies to talent that has choice.  Will they buy you or some-one else?
2. Make sure you plan your process so that all who are involved know timeframes and next steps.  Sure things happen that can disrupt any process, but people are forgiving if the procedure has been clear and communication is constant from the get go.
3. If finding permanent talent is proving too difficult look for a contracting solution.  There are massive advantages in utilising this type of talent, not least the fact that they are usually more experienced than a permanent hire who is looking to grow.   They don’t get involved in the politics of your business and are there to do a project/job.  They also know they can be cut off immediately if they don’t perform and yes you pay a bit more for that, but it’s so worth it usually.
4. Don’t be stingy and play games.  You’ll lose.  Best price for best people and you won’t miss out because you tried to save 5k for example.  If candidates have choice it’s best foot forward time.

People – the only product in the world that does things for their reasons not yours, but don’t let that deter you from always adopting best practice to your recruitment needs.  You will win the majority of times.

Best of luck out there as the talent war heats up
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Blog by Bede Ashby, CEO Momentum Holdings

Christchurch - Opportunity Rises From The Rubble

http://www.momentum.co.nz/christchurch-opportunity-rises-from-the-rubble/
The damage, devastation and loss of life following the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes is not something this country will forget, however, just as unforgettable is the courage, resilience and determination of Cantabrian’s as they dug in over those initial weeks and months and now move forward with the rebuild of their beloved city.

Three years on from those life changing events, sees a new and vibrant Christchurch emerging to take its place as the hub of business within the South Island.

The scale of the rebuild is almost beyond comprehension with an investment of $40 billion, attracting construction workers from the length and breadth of New Zealand as well as from around the globe. As this rebuild spans the full gamut of residential, commercial, infrastructural, government and community assets it is indeed difficult to fully comprehend the scale of this rebuild and the requirements that this level of construction demands. 

Rebuild work is projected to take 10 – 15 years, however, the opportunities that arise from this will no doubt flow on for many decades of growth leaving Christchurch with a thriving economy and a ripple effect that will be felt throughout the country.  Economists warn that the danger of seeing this rebuild phase as ‘real’ economic prosperity will see Christchurch slump into a boom – bust cycle, however, by focusing on the opportunities and the actual business that can be built within this rising economy, Christchurch will indeed become a business hub and an economy that will rival both Auckland and Wellington.

Workers are moving in for the long haul and its not just money and stability of work that attracts people.  Without sounding like an advertisement, Christchurch, during this rebuild phase, currently offers construction workers a wage comparable to Auckland rates but also the enviable bonus of being able to afford housing and the opportunity to actually ‘live’ into the bargain, not something anyone would sniff at. Three years ago many would not have considered a move to Christchurch; however, it is now seen as family friendly, with an affordable cost of living and an enjoyable mix of outdoor activities including walk and cycle ways and beaches. Additional to this, the rebuild plans not only to fix what was broken but to build a city that enhances and adds vitality to the lives of the people living within Christchurch. Do not grab your hat and expect to get off the plane in Christchurch with the vision of flowing milk and honey as Christchurch still has its challenges and they are by no means small.  Currently, there is a lack of residential property, there are infrastructure challenges and frustrations, with recent flooding only adding to these problems.

Needless to say, the spin off on the Christchurch economy that has been kicked off with this rebuild is not to be ignored and only a fool would turn a blind eye to the obvious opportunities that are still on the horizon.  Christchurch has emerged from a flat-lining economy to falling unemployment and an acceleration in both business and consumer confidence.  What will quite possibly set Christchurch apart from an economy that might well fall victim to the boom – bust cycle is the drive and resilience of the business community, which now has an agility to cope with economic change and an ability to seize opportunity as it arises.  It has been said that Christchurch’s biggest strength is the fact that people choose to live there, which can't hurt either.
 

Time to Take Gender Out of the Conversation

New Zealand has a rich history of firsts, for a small country we should be proud of our history and focused on continuing to achieve at every level irrespective of gender. 

The debate still rages over gender inequality, pay scale gaps between the genders and so on.  Maybe it’s time women started to take a fresh look at these conversations and ask whether the inequality argument actually gains any traction or does the mere mention of this argument cause business leaders the world over to simply tune out?
Instead of the conversation constantly going back to what women don’t have in terms of equality or rights; women need to start conversing on an equal platform with men about what they are contributing and what they potentially can contribute.  It’s a clear case of “show me the money”.  If you do not have the right currency to effectively add value within the boardroom or the senior management table then simply being ‘a woman’ and filling a quota is frankly not enough by anyone’s standard.
Beth Brooke, a former adviser to Hilary Clinton who currently sits on the global board of accounting firm Ernst and Young, told a group of top businesswomen in Auckland earlier this month that many companies saw diversity as a soft woman's topic.
"Male CEO's are not going to listen to talk about rights. It's got to be a competitive, strategy issue grounded in economics. The conversation has to change," Brooke said.
"If we can recognise women as the economic engine we are and give them the opportunities the soft issues will be taken care of."
Dame Jenny Shipley, former New Zealand Prime Minister and Chairman of a number of boards, including the Momentum Group, speaks of the need for women to continue to galvanise change and the fact that businesses that look further than a homogenous team within their board or senior management will perform to a higher level.
Speaking at a Global Women’s conference, Dame Jenny Shipley said; “For women it is not only a question of gender, in fact research now tells us where there are women and men on boards and at senior management level, those company’s will out perform the average.”
Yes, there is a need for more women to be sponsored and mentored in order to move into top level roles.  However, women also need to do some of the ground work by changing the dialogue from “gender inequality” to a promotion of their differences and their ability to make an invaluable contribution to the business and to our economy.

When the advice is; "Don't go into work"

The earthquakes of the past few days have brought a number of issues, aside from the obvious, employees who work in the worst affected area have been advised to remain home from work by Civil Defence.  However, some employers may be less than happy with this.  The article in Stuff.co.nz states that, "At least one person claims to have refused a request from their manager to travel into work in the quake-rattled CBD this morning.  The woman, who declined to be named, said her office was in a known quake-prone building in the city but her manager told her that customers came first."

The question, then arises, what are the expectations on employers and employees in these circumstances?  Speaking with a Wellington Employment Lawyer has given clarity. "When Civil Defence gives advice or a directive not to travel into a specific zone for Health and Safety reasons, then it would certainly seem reasonable for employees working in the affected area to comply.  In saying this, they would need to contact their employer to notify them that they will not be coming into work and be prepared to take annual leave as a consequence.  The employee should not face any negative consequences in terms of discipline as a result of following Civil Defence advice."