Brenda Chapman bids farewell to successful stint at EIT

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Brenda Chapman has been the marketing face and voice of local tertiary education institute EIT for 20 years. You will have heard Brenda’s Canadian effervescent accent on the local radio stations promoting the many courses at EIT.

Brenda started at EIT in January 2000 when there was just over 2000 EFTS (students) and leaves 20 years later with the EIT firmly established as one of the strong education institute performers.

She is moving to Auckland to live with her new partner and is in semi-retirement.

What is your career background in New Zealand?
I was an international commerce trainee conducting market research for the Manawatu Standard Ltd, the Timaru Herald and the Southland Times for 12 months back in 1986/1987. Subsequent roles included Marketing Manager and advertising manager for the Manawatu Standard. I moved to Hawke’s Bay in 1993 and was the marketing coordinator and then the Manager – General Cargo at the Port of Napier. I came to EIT as the Section Manager – Education and Social Sciences in January 2000 and was then promoted into the Marketing leadership role in August 2000.

There will be many highlights – what are some of the ones you are personally proud of?
The many building openings and degree launches (Bachelor of Recreation and Sport, Masters in Health Science), in the early years under Bruce Martin’s leadership as our chief executive.

The events we held to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Nursing, the 40th anniversary of EIT as well as the merger with Tairāwhiti Polytechnic and the establishment of the EIT brand in that region – EIT Hawke’s Bay and EIT Tairāwhiti.

Any funny moments that you recall?

There are many but one that springs to mind is when EIT sponsored a category at the Hastings Business Awards and it coincided with the Rugby World Cup in NZ. The Canadian team was based here – so of course I needed to support them! I wore a red dress, a polar fleece maple leaf shaped hat and a Canadian flag as a cape, whilst delivering the speech. Anything to be memorable for EIT!

Are there any special mentions of people that you have worked with closely?
The many colleagues I have worked at EIT for a long time, it’s a fabulous place to work with a very collegial environment. It’s family friendly and with a great work/ life balance.

Our connections with the business community has also been a highlight. I’ve enjoyed networking with many organisations and the sponsorships that EIT has held – Sport Hawke’s Bay, Hawke’s Bay Magpies, HB Chamber of Commerce, Hawks Basketball, Hawke’s Bay Netball, the Napier and Hastings City Marketing organisations, and the various employers.

You’ve worked under two high calibre chief executives, what was that like?
Both Bruce Martin and Chris Collins have been extremely supportive and always supported our marketing efforts. We have a team of professionals and I have appreciated the support that our employer community has given us.

You have been a champion of EIT at many events, adding your own unique character. Was that important to you?
What I love about our region is that we embrace vibrancy and accept differences. There have been many events that EIT has sponsored and I have enjoyed being able to profile EIT in a memorable way.

Will the identity of EIT remain strong on the east coast?
The people who have studied at EIT and the staff who have supported them are the foundation of the region. These people have contributed to the local economy and the improvement of the quality of health of the citizens of our region – Hawke’s Bay and the East Coast.

While there is the establishment of the NZIST organisation, the people who have studied and worked at EIT will continue to improve the economy and the quality of life of our region.

You have also been a big advocate for Hawke’s Bay – why is that so important to you?
Hawke’s Bay is a fantastic place to live, work and play. EIT is a cornerstone to that – we have over 800 people on the payroll, and over 10,000 students studying at EIT.

My focus has always been about EIT making a positive difference to people’s lives – whether that is students/ graduates and employers. Making it easier for everyone to achieve their goals – whether that is personal or work.

The Alternative Board proves to be a winner

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TAB was first featured in The Profit in 2018, when it was launched in Hawke’s Bay by Wayne Baird and Russell Jaggard. Back then, Wayne and Russell were just starting to establish TAB, seeing the opportunity to offer the model that was benefiting small businesses across New Zealand and the world.

The more conventional advisory structure for a business is to have a governance board, made up of experienced business people across a range of business competencies such as financial, legal, human resources and marketing and sales.

This type of structure is usually for medium-to-large businesses and is particularly common in the corporate sector as well as the not-for-profit sector.

TAB was launched in 1990 by US entrepreneur Allen Fishman as a way for small businesses to get the benefits of a board structure. In 2012, Aucklander Stephen James introduced TAB to New Zealand and it’s now in nine cities and towns across the country.

Wayne Baird is the franchisee for Hawke’s Bay, Gisborne, Taupo and Wairarapa, with Russell being joined by experienced business leader and start- up extraordinaire Ailne Bradley as board facilitators.

Having been a board director and chair myself for the past 14 years, it was a pleasant surprise to turn up for a TAB meeting and be asked to go to the white board and rate out of 10 how I was feeling about my own business and also how I was feeling personally.

New Zealand had just moved from COVID-19 Alert Level 3 to Level 2 and so the four of the five members of the TAB I was joining were all happy to see each other in person, instead of via a Zoom video conference call, therefore they were in relatively high spirits, with the lowest rating being 7.5 (and this was me!).

Wayne hosted of the TAB meeting that was attended by local business owners Carol Reid of Soulpreneurs, Kay Castles of Admin Plus, Alieta Uelese of Learning Innovations and newcomer Joanna Monteith of Consult Ltd. Absent was Dr Sundar Jagadeesan of new dental practice Dentiq, who had only just reopened his practice and had a backlog of patients to treat.

The agenda for the meeting followed the TAB’s well-honed formula that affords everyone around the table equal opportunity to provide updates on their business, and then report on progress from actions they agreed at the previous meeting before presenting a new challenge or opportunity their business is facing.

Following the biggest disruption to businesses and the economy and the world strike on March 24, you would have expected the mood of the table to be sombre, but in fact it was largely the opposite.

The forced physical closure of their businesses and lockdown spent at home had given these business owners the time to not only keep business going and staff motivated but also to adjust their businesses to the new normal.  When it came time to put forward a recent challenge or opportunity, the true benefit of the TAB board format came into its own.

As each member addressed their fellow board members, they were scrutinised first, responding to a range of questions, some expected but many unexpected.

The appeal of the process was that the room wasn’t full of ‘yes’ or ‘no’ people, nor those who had a vested interest due to being a staff member, director/ governor or an investor/shareholder.

The questions were tough and the advice even tougher. And that’s the gold of TAB. There are no hidden agendas, you get what you give, as your time to put something forward soon comes.

For small business owners it can be a lonely place leading from the front but with TAB, there is genuine support as well as accountability.

As the facilitator, Wayne gave everyone an opportunity to firstly ask questions rather than risk going straight to the possible solutions.

This was an easy trap for me to fall into and I quickly realised that I couldn’t shoot straight to what I thought was a solution. Instead, by asking questions you get to fully understand the situation each business owner is experiencing before putting forward any suggestions, ideas or advice.

I like to think of myself as an ‘ideas person’, so this was particularly challenging, but the approach works. Not only does it draw out the full picture but it enables the business posing the issue or opportunity to get a broader and more external perspective.

Everything is confidential; there’s no risk of ideas being leaked. As an observer I signed a confidentiality agreement, so I’m not going into any detail on what was raised.

However, two members had challenges they wanted to moot about how to evolve their businesses, while the other two members were looking at solutions to get the best out of their teams.

My summation was that the challenges and opportunities weren’t anything I hadn’t heard before but it was the process – the listening, line of questions, advice and agreement for action – that was unique.

There’s accountability and it’s not to those within your business that perhaps you can make excuses for not actioning as promised.

To close the meeting, Wayne asked each member what they intended to action before the next meeting and it was recorded. After the formal meeting, Wayne contacts and works with each member on their actions.

Kay Castle sees many benefits in becoming a member of a TAB board, saying that she always gets something valuable to further develop her administration support business.

“We all share ideas and our experiences and there’s a high level of confidence and trust in each other. We’re also very fortunate to have Wayne and the opportunity to tap into his wealth of knowledge.”

Like the board meeting format, the final word must go to Wayne (not me …).
He says his personal vision is to work alongside as many SMEs as possible to help them reach their own goals and visions for what they want their business to be.

“When you ask questions, you gain clarity. I often see business owners who leave the meeting with a completely different viewpoint. That’s the beauty of the collective wisdom around the table and one of the aspects that makes The Alternative Board different.”

As we all move out of COVID-19 and look to keep adapting our businesses, it’s worth contacting Wayne at wbaird@ thealternativeboard.co.nz to discuss how TAB can assist.

 

$70m petfood plant for Napier

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Significant growth in global demand for its natural pet food range will see ZIWI build a new state-of-the-art processing kitchen in Awatoto, 5 kilometres south of the Napier city centre.

The new 12,000 square metre production kitchen will cost NZ $70 million and will be fitted out with the latest processing technology. The kitchen will be capable of doubling ZIWI’s current Tauranga kitchen output. It will also have new air-dried technology, which will allow the development of new product lines, ensuring ZIWI maintains its global leadership in the air-dried pet food category. Work on the new kitchen is expected to start in August, with a completion date in September/October 2021.

The company’s three Tauranga sites will continue to operate until late 2021, when production from these sites shifts to Napier and the three Tauranga sites will close.

All employees at the Tauranga sites will be offered jobs at the new Napier kitchen. The company’s processing kitchen in Christchurch, and its Auckland-based sales and marketing team, are unaffected with the establishment of the new kitchen.

Managing Director Richard Lawrence said, the ZIWI team has worked hard over many years building a strong and loyal customer base. A new state-of the-art processing kitchen is necessary in ensuring that we can continue to meet strong global demand for our products.

“ZIWI has a global reputation of crafting recipes featuring world-class ingredients from New Zealand. We’re committed to continuing to offer pets – and their human companions- foods prepared in our new kitchens, right here in our home of New Zealand.”

“ZIWI has spent the past three years working with parties in evaluating a number of potential locations in the Tauranga region but has been unsuccessful in finding a site of sufficient size, and with the necessary infrastructure available in meeting the timeframe required.”

We realise that a transition of this nature will create some uncertainty for the ZIWI family and the well-being of our people remains of paramount importance, said Mr Lawrence.

ZIWI’s ambition is to double its annual revenue from its current base over the next 3-5 years, and the new Napier kitchen will be fundamental to achieving this goal.

 

Meke Meter and Dominys set to dominate wellbeing market

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Levi and Dana Armstrong have a strong desire to improve the mental, social and physical wellbeing of communities.

For over five years, the Armstrongs have worked with a team of researchers at EIT to develop the Meke Meter, www.mekemeter.org.

The Meke Meter is an indigenous quality of life self-assessment tool.

By asking people to think about their current physical, mental and social well- being, Levi and Dana are hoping to gain good insight into the country’s well- being.

Through completing the Meke Meter regularly, people can track any changes to their wellbeing. This empowers individuals to set goals and make positive changes to improve their quality of life.

“I come from a fitness background where it’s all about physical appearance but actually it’s a lot bigger than that – it’s also about mental and social well-being, which is crucial when taking a holistic approach to health.”

Levi, with the support of technology company Haunui, has been able to turn the Meke Meter into an online platform that enables people to rate out of 10 how they are feeling physically, mentally and socially in regards to 15 specific key indicators.

During COVID-19, more than 1,000 people regularly submitted their measurements with Levi and Dana validating the quality of the information as part of a study for Masters of Health Science.

Levi has already completed a Bachelor of Recreation and Sport at EIT while Dana gained a Bachelor in Education, majoring in Physical Education and Health, and a Diploma in Teaching (Conjoint) from Massey University.

“While COVID-19 has made its presence felt in Aotearoa, we thought it would be a great opportunity to understand the impact that COVID-19 is having on the health and wellness of New Zealanders.

“We have looked at other studies including the Christchurch Earthquakes and the Global Financial Crisis and how wellness was measured,” says Levi.

Levi said it helped not having a regular 8 am–5 pm job during lockdown, but instead spending time with his whanau, studying, keeping fit but without going to the gym, and achieving a personal challenge of not drinking alcohol for 100 days. All of which was measured via the Meke Meter.

“We’re all quite busy in life and didn’t have much time for many things but COVID-19 gave me the opportunity to take a step back, reflect and set some goals, and the Meke Meter has helped me immensely.

“We’ve also had our children using the Meke Meter, as well as many others, and the research has highlighted some of the key areas that we can focus on and hopefully we can share and disseminate some of this information back to some key stakeholders in the health and well- being space.”

Levi says the aim is to now commercialise the Meke Meter to organisations involved in health, social well-being and education.

It will also complement another lockdown project – a fitness centre pod called Dominys – which is being piloted with Wellington high school Taita College. The project has received funding support from Wellington-based youth development organisation Boys and Girls Institute (BGI).

Levi had been toying with the idea of a fitness centre in a shipping container for some time. It had come about when his first whanau fitness project Patu was struggling to pay rent for the gym.

“My cousin is an architect and at Christmas I told him about my idea to create a fitness centre within a shipping container.”

“My cousin is an architect and at Christmas I told him about my idea to create a fitness centre within a shipping container.

“The next thing, he sent me some drawings and we’ve now got a prototype and a project with Taita College.

“The aim is to provide it as a shared space, so anyone in the community can use it.

“For the college they will use the pod as part of their curriculum and the Meke Meter will measure how much of a difference the gym is making in the school and the community.”

Levi says Sport New Zealand research shows that there is a significant drop-off of high school students participating in active recreation and it’s something he wants to turn around.

“We are trying to get the Meke Meter and Dominys to work hand in hand.

“There is a big drop-off in participation between the ages of 12 and 14 years of age, so we want to flatten that so that we can be the ambulance at the top of the hill rather than at the bottom.”

The container is equipped with weight rack systems, Olympic bars and weights, skipping ropes and boxing bags. It has a sound system, lighting and uses an hydraulic system to open up the sides.

Levi knows the positive impact of physical fitness on mental and social wellbeing and says that with the pandemic crisis and thousands of people losing their jobs and businesses closing, it will be more important than ever to better understand how people are feeling.

“Post-COVID-19, mental health is going to be a really important factor to consider in the nation’s recovery. We know from the research following the Christchurch earthquakes and the GFC that there was more mental support services set up and there’s going to need to be similar action taken after this pandemic.”

Thinking change? – get the process right

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COVID-19 has caused many employers to consider making changes within their business. If you are a business owner who needs to downsize, or re-align to new market conditions, there’s an important process you need to follow if those changes have the potential to impact an employee’s employment, and while there’s a lot at stake for you, it’s just as important to consider the employee.

Plan and prepare:

Before embarking on any proposed changes, you should describe the genuine business reasons for the change in a clear and transparent manner. Even as a result of COVID-19, an employer needs to be able to describe the specific reason for the change, the problem you are trying to fix, and the outcomes you are hoping to achieve.

Develop a proposal:

The next step is to develop the proposal for change. Depending on the extent of the change, this could be in the form of an individual letter or a more comprehensive change proposal document. This should clearly describe the change being proposed, provide the potentially affected employees with access to information relevant to the proposed changes, and clearly set out how the employee(s) will be affected by
the change. The proposal should also set out the timeframes, how the employee can provide feedback and any support you will offer. If new positions are being proposed, or there is a reduction in the number of employees who hold the same position, you will need to clearly outline the proposed selection criteria for those positions.

Consultation:

Under the Employment Relations Act an employer is required
to consult with employees potentially affected by the proposed change, and allow them the opportunity to provide feedback on the proposal. Feedback could include any alternatives to the changes proposed.

Ideally, you should meet with each affected employee. This is an important discussion, so if you feel a bit nervous, prepare a script and follow that. Employees also find these discussions difficult and potentially upsetting, so should always be given the opportunity to have a support person or representative present.

Employees should then be given sufficient time to consider the proposal, seek independent advice if necessary, and provide

feedback on the proposal. There’s no fixed timeframe, but I generally recommend a minimum of five business days.

Once you have received the feedback, it’s important that you consider that feedback carefully, or any alternatives suggested. Often employees provide viable alternatives that you may not have considered or thought acceptable to the employee such as job sharing or reduced hours. You don’t have to accept everyone’s feedback or suggestions, but it’s important to show you have considered it.

Making the decision:

Once the consultation period is over and all feedback considered, the employer must decide what the final decision will look like. The final decision needs to be conveyed in person to each employee.

If an outcome is that an employee’s position is to be disestablished, you must comply with the terms and conditions of their employment agreement in regards to any redundancy entitlements or notice provisions. It’s also important to consider any opportunities for redeployment within the business.

Don’t undermine your brand:

While it’s important to get the process right from a legal perspective, it is also important to get the process right from
a humane perspective. Demonstrating genuine empathy during meetings, treating employee’s with respect and dignity, taking the time to meet individually with affected employees, being aware of the employee’s emotional state and being
able to respond appropriately to that, offering support or outplacement, allowing time off to attend job interviews or
to talk to professional advisors, considering requests for shortened or extended notice periods – all make this a better process for both the employee and the employer.

Businesses often spend years building their employer brand and recruiting the right people, don’t undo all that good work and good will by cutting corners through the change process.

This article deals with complex legal issues. If you are considering change management or restructuring, please seek specialist advice first.

A timely reminder to review your affairs

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As we slowly return to our day to day routines following the COVID-19 lockdown, it’s a good time to reflect on the lessons learnt from the paired back existence we experienced during these unprecedented times. One of the overwhelming messages to come out of the lockdown, was an even greater appreciation of our families and our desire to protect them.

It is at times like these, that we should take stock of our personal affairs to ensure that in the event that something happens to us, the very people we want to protect are not left behind to sort out our unfinished business. A timely reminder to review your personal affairs and ensure everything is in order. Below are some areas worthy of consideration:

Wills

Anyone over the age of 18 years should have a Will. A Will is a legal document which sets out how you want your estate to be administered upon your death. It is legally binding. Without it, your assets will be administered according to a formula set out by the law and this may not align with you or your family’s wishes.

If you have already put a Will in place, you should continue to review it and ensure it reflects your current intentions and wishes. Perhaps you have married since you last made a Will, and if so, you should check to ensure it was made in contemplation of marriage otherwise you may find that it’s invalid. Likewise, if you have recently separated or divorced, it is likely that the intentions for your estate will have changed.

Enduring Powers of Attorney (EPA)

Putting in place an EPA enables you to decide ahead of time who will make decisions for and about you if you become unable to make those decisions yourself. An EPA gives a specific person the legal power to act on your behalf if you become “mentally incapable”.

If you don’t make an EPA, and you become unable to make your own decisions, or unable to communicate your decisions to others, people close to you will need to apply to the Family Court to have the Court make various kinds of decisions about your life, or the Court may appoint someone to make those decisions for you.

You can put in place an EPA for personal care and welfare and one for your property and finances. You can have either type of EPA or both, it depends on your personal circumstances.

Memorandum of Wishes

If you have a family trust, putting in place a Memorandum of Wishes is one way that you, as the settlor, or creator of the trust,

If you have already put a Will in place, you should continue to review it and ensure it reflects your current intentions and wishes. Perhaps you have married since you last made a Will, and if so, you should check to ensure it was made in contemplation of marriage otherwise you may find that it’s

can signal to the trustees your intentions. A Memorandum of Wishes is read alongside the trust deed and trustees should have regard to the Memorandum of Wishes in the exercise of their discretionary powers in dealing with the trust assets and making distributions.

Lease Renewals

The compulsory shutdown of many businesses over the lockdown saw a number of leases being considered in greater detail. It is important that you review your lease documents
to ensure that you have current arrangements in place. If
the renewal or review dates have passed and the lease arrangement remains in place, it is likely it will be on a month by month basis with either party having the ability to terminate the lease with one month’s notice. This situation does not provide a great deal of financial certainty moving forward.

Video Interview with Levi Armstrong – Meke Meter innovator

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Levi Armstrong is the last of 12 interviews we have done with local business owners. Levi has 2 exciting initiatives, the Meke Meter that measures and monitords our overall well being and the other a mobile gym that will be launched at a Wellington school in a few weeks. During lockdown the Meke Meter monitored the wellbeing of over 1000 people nationally.

Here’s the final in our series of quick 15 minute interviews.

Video Interview with Rachel Cornwall of Populous People

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Rachel Cornwall has placed some of the best people in some great local businesses for many years. During Covid19 Rachel decided to reset and to launch a new business that not only finds the best talent but also how to assist businesses grow the talent within.

Rachel is a staunch HB advocate and is a local business that is certainly worth supporting!

Video Interview with Gary Singh of The Clean Crew

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Gary Singh is the owner of  The Clean Crew, a local cleaning business.

Gary and his team have been busy looking at new opportunities post lockdown but it was his wife that he turned to for support and advice and to ensure he was on the right track.

The Clean Crew’s business was impacted by Covid19 with many commercial offices closed but Gary and the team used the time to develop new products and services, particularly around sanitation and some exciting AI technology.

Here’s today’s 15 minute catch up with Gary.