A new inductee to induction…

Over halfway through a six-week training/induction programme with Stats NZ. I’ve never had such an educational and long lead in time when starting a new job and it’s very different.

Technically this is probably the perfect way to start a new job and certainly the research shows that a proper onboarding programme can make the world of difference to new employees.

Getting to know your colleagues and the subject matter prior to leading a team is probably very wise, especially when all the staff will also be new recruits.

Previously I’ve always just been thrown in the deep end – and to be fair, it’s probably the way I like it. Bit of confusion, bit of crisis and lots of unknowns. Finding your way around and making contact with key people is half the fun, especially if there’s some urgency to what you’re doing. Having said that, I definitely know that this is the wrong approach (my brain says structure but my heart loves a bit of chaos).

Not every organisation could allow the time for such an intensive induction, nor have the resources to provide it – that’s one of the advantages working for a government agency that is embarking on a very significant project.

The team at Stats NZ have done a great job organisation this and it makes me wonder why SME’s don’t take onboard some of this thinking. Sure not to the same extent, but it’s an area we should be thinking about more.

One of the things that can be done in common, and another thing Stats has done right, is the leaders spending time to repeatedly share their passion and purpose. If  nothing else is retained by the new staff, they should at least come away with that emotional buzz.

The great bunch of new Area Managers

Will anyone actually die?

I just came across another fabulous quote from Peter Drucker.

“There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all.”

Sometimes instead of asking how we can do something better, maybe we should be asking ourselves what would happen if we didn’t do it at all.

We should be asking ourselves questions such as:

  • Is it critical to what we do?
  • Does it move us towards our mission?
  • Would our customers notice if we didn’t do it?
  • Who would die if we didn’t do it? (figuratively of course)

An awesome tool

The Ministry of Business Innovation & Employment has released a draft document on the future of business for New Zealand – and this is now open for consultation.

One of the trends being examined is purpose led business – something that should be of interest to all of us. Have a read here and I encourage you to provide feedback (especially if you disagree with anything written).

The forward states:

Purpose-led business is an umbrella term for businesses that strive to achieve wider outcomes than just profit. This trend is not new, but its popularity has increased with the pervasiveness of issues like digitalisation, globalisation, climate change, and questions about equity. MBIE considers this operating mode can be a useful tool for businesses looking to be part of all-of-society approaches to critical issues.

Sounds good but let’s change the words “can be a useful tool” to “is definitely an awesome tool” and this is a great starting point.

Come on – get involved…

Imagine

“Imagine a world where every person matters.

A world full of caring work environments in which people can realize their gifts, apply and develop their talents, and feel a genuine sense of fulfilment for their contributions.

Everyone should have the opportunity to use their gifts and talents toward a shared vision and everyone deserve to work for a company that truly cares about them.”

Bob Chapman

Sorry but I won’t work with you

We all talk about values in our organisation, but how often do we use them to turn work away?

I was writing up a business plan for a start-up and following conventional advice, I was defining who the target audience was. I was nailing down a good description when it hit me. For an authentically purposeful business, it’s just as important to have a clear description of who we wouldn’t engage with.

I’m not talking about a waffley statement that remains hidden in the business plan to make us feel good. I’m not talking about a rule that is set in concrete – unless the offer is really enticing.

It should be a statement or description that is:

Up-front, clear and public so all prospective clients can see it.

Based on real values so it’s non-negotiable.

A commitment made to your customers that you value them for what they are doing, not just the dollars they pay you.

Lastly it is a statement of faith in yourself. A clear line in the sand that you know you will not cross – and why not crossing it is important to you.

I won’t go into the points I listed but for me, the over-riding premise was summed up by “I will not sell my soul by enabling anyone to damage our communities”

Surely one advantage of being in business is the ability to work with others who share your passions and values – and not just any jerk with money.

What a brilliant idea!

I came across this social enterprise and thought it was an absolutely brilliant concept.

Recycling not only needs to use (often) large amounts of energy, it is also becoming increasingly problematic as supply out strips demand for the finished products. It’s great we all put plastics out for recycling but if they end up sitting in huge stock piles, or worse the land fill, it’s really just virtue signaling on our part.

Reusing material is a much more sustainable concept and here we have a collective that’s doing there bit to educate us all on how we can jump onboard.

Check it out… The Recreators

Maybe we need a physicist to solve our social issues…

“If you have one hour to save the world, how would you spend that hour?” He replied, “I would spend 55 minutes defining the problem and then five minutes solving it.”

This quote has been attributed to Einstein and, assuming it was him who said it, he makes a very valid point – one we should be applying to social issues just as much as it’s applied to science.

Community organisations are great at meeting immediate needs such as providing food parcels. They then try to alleviate the issue longer term with education and support. We know education levels, employment, housing etc are contributing factors but do we really know why these issues continue?

Mental health issues seem to be increasing. Our health system provides drugs and intensive support while community groups are out there supporting at the coal face. Are these issues really increasing (as opposed to being more known) and if so why?

The answers that get trotted out are often ‘easy’, trendy and not really fully to the root cause. Again an Einstein quote is apt “What is right is not always popular and what is popular is not always right”.

We seem to be a species of problem reactors not problem analysts. Perhaps the answers really lie in science…