Have you returned to work after the holiday period and feel a bit like this kid? You’ve had a break yet you don’t feel rested and rejuvenated? You certainly haven’t relished going back to work. It feels like you’re on a merry-go-round you can’t get off. It’s possible you could be at risk of burnout.
In a recent interview psychoanalyst Dr Josh Cohen explained “…that with burnout, the body collapses, so it is an involuntary rest…You feel you can’t move or do anything anymore but actually it’s accompanied by … a kind of overstimulation of the nervous system.”
Concerningly, the International SOS Risk Outlook Report 2024 published at the end of last year noted that “80% of surveyed global senior risk professionals predict burnout will have a significant impact on businesses in the next year. But only 41% of them feel that their organisations are equipped to deal with it.”
In the first few days of the new year media reported on a case where the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in favour of an employee who claimed work-induced burnout. The employer, a large retail chain, was ordered to compensate the employee over $30,000.
Burnout, its causes and consequences have been covered in previous blogs. You can read them and access the resources collated within them through these links:
Burnout, unfortunately, remains an ongoing workplace issue. It has significant costs to a business as well as to individuals and society. So as another year begins we have collated some updated library resources for you.
Whether you are self-employed, an employer or an employee there’s something below to help you balance work and life, and build resilience to ongoing work/life stresses. Read on…
Your Burnout Is Trying to Tell You Something
Kandi Wiens, HBR Online, January 16, 2024 Research has established that burnout is primarily the result of psychologically hazardous factors that occur at your workplace. Not being given the resources or time you need to manage your workload, for example, or working in an environment where you have insufficient control and autonomy, are known burnout triggers. No two experiences of burnout are exactly alike, and recovery requires that you pinpoint the unique workplace conditions that are contributing to your stress. One way to do this is to use your self-awareness skills to tune in and discover what your experience of burnout is trying to tell you — indeed, what it’s been trying to tell you all along. Here are some of the vital and lesser-known messages that burnout can reveal, and what to do about them.
From LinkedIn (Access to full courses are available with library registration)
Managing Burnout Hope in the face of burnout
For many professionals, remaining constantly connected and on task can feel like a requirement for success. Long hours and chronic exhaustion are normalized—if not celebrated—in many workplaces. A lack of boundaries between work and life can cause workers who previously felt fulfilled to feel resentful and unhappy. In this course, Melody Wilding teaches you how to spot the signs of burnout, complete an inventory to determine if you are burned out, and how to recognize the distinction between internal and external causes of burnout. Melody explains ways you can address behaviors, conditions, and mindsets that lead to burnout—including overworking, unproductive responses to stress, and negative thought patterns. Finally, she shows you how to craft a strategy to prevent burnout, focusing on creating more sustainable goals, setting boundaries, finding support, and understanding what self-care is and is not.
How to Beat Burnout, Exhaustion, and Stress
Burnout is often assumed to be the consequence of overwork. But this is only partially true—exhaustion is merely one facet of burnout. In this audio-only course, learn about the factors that cause these overwhelming feelings of exhaustion, cynicism, and inefficiency; how you can prevent burnout from happening; and what you can do to recover from it. Dr. Jacinta M. Jiménez breaks down the key mismatches that usually cause burnout, as well as how to use the PULSE framework to guide your recovery. She also shares a few easy habits to help you build resilience, how helping others can help you heal your mind, and how to beat negative thinking with curiosity.
Burnout / Selhub, Eva M
“Chronic, unmanaged stress–at work, at home, or in other areas of life–can lead to burnout. Burnout For Dummies shows you the way toward understanding and overcoming this all-to-common condition of modern life. Many of us find ourselves living in a state of constant resignation, which sucks the joy out of life and can be detrimental to our physical health. The tips and exercises in this book can help you minimize stress, become more resilient and create a happier, healthier, and more satisfying life. Mindfulness and resilience guru Dr. Eva Selhub offers a science-based plan that you can use to destress, build inner resources and coping skills, and start enjoying life (and work) again.” (Catalogue)
All the gold stars : reimagining ambition and the ways we strive / Stauffer, Rainesford
“All the Gold Stars looks at how the cultural, personal, and societal expectations around ambition are driving the burnout epidemic by funnelling our worth into productivity, limiting our imaginations, and pushing us further apart. Through the devastating personal narrative of her own ambition crisis, Stauffer discovers the common factors driving us all, peeling back layers of family expectations, capitalism, and self-esteem that dangerously tie up our worth in our output”– Provided by publisher” (Catalogue) Also available as EAudiobook Libby
Slow Productivity : The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout / Newport, Cal
“… Long before the arrival of pinging inboxes and clogged schedules, history’s most creative and impactful philosophers, scientists, artists, and writers mastered the art of producing valuable work with staying power. In this timely and provocative book, Cal Newport harnesses the wisdom of these traditional knowledge workers to radically transform our modern jobs. Drawing from deep research on the habits and mindsets of a varied cast of storied thinkers … Newport lays out the key principles of “slow productivity,” a more sustainable alternative to the aimless overwhelm that defines our current moment. Combining cultural criticism with systematic pragmatism, Newport deconstructs the absurdities inherent in standard notions of productivity, and then provides step-by-step advice for cultivating a slower, more humane alternative. From the aggressive rethinking of workload management, to introducing seasonal variation, to shifting your performance toward long-term quality, Slow Productivity provides a roadmap for escaping overload and arriving instead at a more timeless approach to pursuing meaningful accomplishment. The world of work is due for a new revolution. Slow productivity is exactly what we need.” (Adapted from Catalogue)
The book of burnout : what it is, why it happens, who gets it, and how to stop it before it stops you / Aisbett, Bev
“Australia’s bestselling anxiety and mental health author, Bev Aisbett, tackles a growing mental health emergency: burnout. Burnout happens when we take on too much, when we think we can do the impossible, at the cost of our wellbeing, our health and even our quality of life. Although the term is often casually tossed about, burnout is no joke – it can impact every area of your life and leave you depleted in every way. After two years of the pandemic and lockdowns, working from home, homeschooling, widespread stress and being on our computers and devices 24/7 and constantly available, the danger of burnout for so many of us is all too real. It can happen to anyone. Using humour, straightforward language and her signature illustrations, Bev clearly explains what burnout is, who is at risk, how to recognise the danger signs and, finally, how to step back from the brink, providing insight and techniques to ease burnout and stop yourself going up in smoke”–Publisher’s description.” (Catalogue) Also available as EAudiobook Borrowbox, EBook Borrowbox, EBook Libby
Dear work : something has to change / Ross, Sara
“… Do you find yourself striving for big goals but running on fumes? Are you ever stuck in the frustrating cycle of overworking and under-living? Do you love the work you do–or at least used to–but feel overwhelmed by it?
When it comes to work and our relationship with it, something has to change. This doesn’t mean you need to bound out of bed every day in love with your work, nor do you need to settle for dragging yourself out of bed surviving your way through it, but you can feel a greater sense of aliveness engaging in it. Dear Work transforms traditional advice by using the power of brain science to show you how to boost your Work Vitality Quotient so you stand out, bringing your best, most energized self–without burning out.
Sara Ross, chief vitality officer and leadership expert, will show you how to: Identify the four “success traps” that limit your potential by luring you into thinking you’re doing what it takes when really what you’re doing is taking from you. Adopt a “yes, and” mindset to work better with stress and feel fueled and fulfilled in the process. Expand your approach to self-care to strategically identify when slowing down is needed and when accelerating in a different direction is even better.
In a world that refuses to let up, reigniting your take-on-the-day vitality will be your competitive advantage at work and your path to pursuing a fully lived life outside of it as well.”– Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)
Balance your life and work : how to get the best from your job and still have a life
“There’s so much pressure to succeed at work that sometimes ‘real life’ tends to take a back seat. With the rise in flexible working and increased options to work from home, the boundaries have become even more blurred, and your relationships with friends, family, and children can all suffer as you try to cram everything into a ‘normal’ day. Whether you want to re-evaluate and improve your current situation, or opt for a complete change of scene with a career break, this book helps you figure out your own priorities and take positive action to make your life easier. It features:
Step-by-step guidance and actions plans;
Common mistakes and advice on how to avoid them;
Advice on how to identify flexible options in your life;
Ways to avoid stress and burnout;
Top tips and ideas to bear in mind for the future”–Publisher’s description.” (Catalogue)
If you need more information please contact the Prosearch team at the library. We can help you find information across a range of perspectives and resources. All enquiries are treated in confidence.
Last week, in Part 1of our look at Te Whanganui-a-Tara’s abseilers, we talked to Anaru Kerei and Beth Dugdale of Wellington Abseiling Maintenance (WAM) about their business.
This week we profile a former employee, Enzo Fantone, whose passion for climbing led him to undertake an abseiling course prior to finding work with WAM.
Photo courtesy of Enzo Fantone
Enzo Fantone loves to climb. The 23 year old Frenchman came to Aotearoa on a working visa at the beginning of 2023. He was picking fruit in Central Otago when a casual offer to go climbing introduced him to a sport that immediately hooked him.
“I’ve always been attracted to outdoor activities. What I like about climbing is, first, the social abilities you develop. Climbing is just the moment where you take time to understand the other. It’s also really important because you have life between your hands so you have to be clear. You have to be 100 percent transparent in the way you talk and the way you understand the other.
“Then there is this body awareness that I really like too. It’s a nice sport because its slow. You don’t have to go fast. It’s about one move after the other. It’s a type of meditation when I go on the wall.
“It’s like playing chess on the rock. And you’ve got four different points, and you place them in a different way. And I think I really like this fact that you don’t have to rush. You’ve got all the time you want and it’s just you, the rock and the person belaying you.”
On a climb one day Enzo “met this guy and he was like, in full gear, and looking really professional. I started talking to him and I asked him what he did for a living. He told me he was abseiling and was based in Christchurch. We just started talking and I was fascinated by how much knowledge he had on climbing, through abseiling.”
“I was like “Oh, I want to get better at that”. I want to get better at climbing and I want to explore also the rope access. And also, getting paid for that is even better.”
When the fruit picking finished Enzo made his way north to Wellington, working hospitality jobs along the way, but still with a thought of how he could turn his passion for climbing into outdoor work.
Exploring Wellington’s CBD, he spotted a sign with an abseiler. Feeling he had nothing to lose by making enquiries about possible work opportunities, Enzo was fortunate to have the door answered by Anaru Kerei, owner of Wellington Abseiling Maintenance (WAM).
Image provided courtesy of WAM
Enzo explains, “Here in New Zealand you have IRATA. It’s like a course that is possible to do everywhere in the world. With IRATA you can work everywhere in the world. When Anaru told me that I was like “Alright, I’m going to look for that”. He told me about this course place that is based in Plimmerton – TARA”.
“They were offering a course that was costing $2400, so that’s a pretty big amount. I really wanted to invest that type of money to try changing my way of living. I’ve been travelling for five years and stopped studying at 18. I’ve got hospitality experience so it was my gateway to the world, to earn money. But it was also a place where I got a little bit stuck because it’s like the only big knowledge that I got. So everywhere in the world where I was travelling, my source of revenue was hospitality. I didn’t feel like I wanted to keep going in this way. I realised I didn’t want to live this life forever”.
Enrolling in TARA’s Level 1 Rope Access Technician course Enzo learned “… how to be safe on a rope, how to go up, how to go down. You learn [about] the specificity of the forces, all the angles you can do with your rope. What’s bad for the ropes, what’s good for them. Just a big aspect of being at heights and safe.” After completing the week long course, Enzo returned to WAM.
“The first day I met Anaru I asked, “Are you searching for workers?” and he was like “Yeah, we’re a bit short of workers at the moment” (with two workers overseas on extended stays).
“So I think I was kind of a replacement for WAM. A little bit shortened time. So I ask him “If I did the course would you employ me after that?” And he was like “Yeah, if you do the course I will definitely employ you and we will talk about it”. I was quite happy when he told me that. So I did the course at the beginning of August, finished on the 11th and began with WAM on the 14th”.
WCL: Is this stage one of an ongoing qualification?
Enzo: It is. IRATA have a system of three different levels. You’ve got level one. That’s like dipping your toes. Then if you want to pass your level two, you need to have a year of work in rope access, plus one thousand hours.
WCL: So it’s like an apprenticeship?
Enzo: Yes, it’s definitely like that. From what I know about Level 2 it’s like knowing a bit more about how to rescue people. The more you go higher, the more you go on level 2, level 3, the more knowledge you will have for rescuing people in different cases.
WCL: Are you going to go for your thousand hours?
Enzo: Oh yeah.
WCL: You won’t be doing all that in your time here, so is the work you are doing now laying a base for when you return to France?
Enzo: I’ve got a plan when I go back to France, in May. I’m going to work taking care of the trekking path where I live, in the French Alps. They need an abseiler. Basically what we’re going to do is like rigging from trees and taking care of the path, making sure that everything is safe in the mountain area. I’m happy to discover this part of abseiling because it’s in nature. It’s like different step.
When I started abseiling I was like “Oh wow! You can do a job that you like and it’s outdoors. That’s cool!” The next one is to do a job that I like, that’s in nature. So it’s getting closer to climbing. And yeah, I’m definitely going to go deeper into abseiling.
WCL: Is this volunteer work or a paid position?
Enzo: It’s a paid position. It’s like communal work. And I think we’re working four days a week and it’s a team of ten people. It goes from May through to September-October.
WCL: Then what happens in the off season? Would you travel or look at working a contract in another country?
Enzo: My plan as far as I can see, is to do this next summer in France. Then I would like to do some more diverse work in abseiling. And try to catch some good contracts. I would like to travel a bit more with this work. It is definitely an easy way to make money and travel and do something I like.
I also realise that, with the people I met lately in Wellington, how good it is to be invested in ecology. I would like to, later, keep doing abseiling but being more meaningful to the planet. And do also work that I like, but also with value, with a meaning behind it. Not just doing a job for earning money but being fulfilled in a way of being like “Oh, that was a nice day, I was outside. I did physical exercise”
WCL: Are you required to renew your qualifications every couple of years or will you need to do refresher courses?
Enzo: From what I remember, every three years if you don’t pass any new level, you need to do a refresh. Because rules are changing quite often. So yeah, every three years, if you didn’t upgrade your level of IRATA you need to do a refresh. But if you do a course in between that, I think it’s all good.
Enzo a work above the Wellington CBD. Photo courtesy of WAM
WCL: What’s the tallest building you’ve been up?
Enzo: I would say the tallest building is 16 floors. You do three metres per floor so it would be 50 metres.
WCL: What’s it like? Tell me, as someone who doesn’t have a head for heights
Enzo: Actually when I go on high buildings like this I am always a bit scared.
WCL: But that’s a good thing, isn’t it?
Enzo: Yeah definitely. I think it’s always scary when you arrive at a new building and it’s also scary to be trusting in the equipment. People tell you “This is working, this is going to save your life” but in a human perspective you’re like, “You tell me this is going to save my life but I didn’t see that it can save my life”.
“You’ve got always this adrenaline coming through your body when you go to the edge and you go “That’s pretty high”
Going to the edge is like, not always the hardest part, but the thing that you need to improve because sometime you go to the edge with a bucket of paint or a bucket of water and soap so you need to make it clean. At the same time it’s like the scariest moment of your day.
Yeah, it is always scary to go for the first time of the day through the other side but it’s a nice feeling. I like it.
Going over the edge. Photo courtesy of Enzo Fantone
WCL: What do you like about working for WAM?
Enzo: It is just like a great, small business. A family business. And Anaru is just an amazing human. He understands everyone in the business. He made it a place where everyone feel good. It’s like a second home. It’s just great. I think he did a really nice picking of employees in the business. He’s got a really good team. Everyday at work is always different and always good. There’s younger people and older people, it’s a good range between 19 and 35. So everyone is understanding of each other, because everyone is always in a happy vibe. Everyone is carrying each other.
It’s also great because most of the time we work in teams of two. So it’s really nice if you want to start knowing someone. One day you are on a job with someone and the next day you are on another job with another person. It’s nice to get to know each one of them through the days and through the weeks.
Also Beth is working with Anaru and she’s like really, really calm and peaceful and bringing something really nice to WAM.
There are two women working there – Beth and Lynette. I really like what they bring to WAM.
WCL: Do you think abseiling is perceived as a male occupation?
Enzo: I think women don’t see it particularly as a career choice but at the same time I understand that in this world, this tradie world, [it] is really masculine. Sometimes it can be hard for a woman to say alright “I’m going to step into this world and make it happen for me”. [Of his colleague, Lynette] “I think it’s good that she got the courage to start in abseiling. She impress me so much”.
WCL: It also means WAM have given her that environment in which to develop and that says a lot about them and their culture.
Enzo: I would say that WAM is really open minded. And they give a chance to people. And everyone is so natural. You don’t have that hard culture of tradie. It’s just a good place where everyone feels good and talks about everything. Like when you arrive in the morning, there’s always small talk and it’s like a family. It’s really great like that.
WCL: Would you recommend this as a job to a someone else who might be wondering if this is the right thing for them?
Enzo: I think so, yeah.
I think this is a shortcut to a really nice job for people [like me] who left school early and don’t know what they want to do. I think abseiling is really nice because it’s so diverse. There are so many different jobs through abseiling and yeah, it’s just great… The more I’m going to travel, the more I’m going to spread this thing of “Oh, you don’t know what to do? You can do this. It’s great”
“Always since I started climbing I try to involve as much people into climbing. I’m going to do the same with abseiling. Definitely”.
A hard day in the office. Photo courtesy of Enzo Fantone
WCL would like to thank Enzo for his input into this blog piece along with the contribution of images.
For some library resources on climbing, see our list below.
Gripped: the climbing magazine (Available via the online platform Libby) Gripped offers the international world of climbing through the highest quality journalism and incredible pictures
Vertical life (Available via the online platform Libby)
Vertical life is a climbing magazine in Australasia. At Vertical life we love climbing, be it beanied bouldering, clip up sport climbing, old school daddy tradding, big-wall suffering, alpine extremism, spandex clad competition climbing, desperate times call for desperate measures buildering, the lot – if it involves monkey business we will cover it
Climbing : from gym to crag : building skills for real rock / Lewis, S. Peter
“This work aims to help indoor climbers safely make the transition from a controlled climbing environment, which requires few technical skills and presents no objective dangers, to the outdoor environment, where the risks and rewards require a well-honed set of basic skills and awareness.” (Catalogue)
Climbing : training for peak performance / Soles, Clyde
“*Climbing exercises to build strength, endurance, flexibility, and aerobic fitness
*Up-to-date nutritional information to power your climbing training
*Climbing fitness tips that prepares you both mentally and physically
Climbers at all levels benefit from working to build core strength, opening the door to higher levels of achievement. This important edition in the Mountaineers Outdoor Expert series covers everything you need to improve your climbing fitness in ways that takes your performance to the next level. There is even instruction on yoga, Pilates, and herbal supplements, as well as a section on core training. Climbing: Training for Peak Performance also contains information about rehabilitation after an injury, plus several new training programs.” (Adapted from Catalogue)
Climbing manual : the essential guide to rock climbing / Shepherd, Nigel
“The Haynes Climbing Manual is a thoroughly modern introduction to this growing adventure sport, written by an experienced mountain guide, photographer and author. From getting started with equipment, clothing, fitness and basic skills through to advanced techniques and coping with tricky situations, this manual is packed with ……” (Catalogue)
The complete book of knots & ropework / Fry, Eric C.
“This guide demonstrates, step-by-step, how to tie 95 knots, hitches, plaits, bends, rope and wire splices, sennits and decorative ropework mats that should be useful to yachtsman and other outdoor sports enthusiasts. The nature of the rope and the lay are explained and uses suggested for each knot.” (Catalogue)
The science of climbing training : an evidence-based guide to improving your climbing performance / Consuegra, Sergio
“In The Science of Climbing Training, top Spanish climbing coach Sergio Consuegra provides an evidence-based approach to training for climbing. It is designed to help us improve climbing performance, whether we’re taking the next step in our training as we work towards our project, or if we’re a coach looking to optimise our athletes’ training”– Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)
If you need more information please contact the Prosearch team at the library. We can help you find information across a range of perspectives and resources. All enquiries are treated in confidence.
If you work in an office building in Wellington’s CBD you’ve probably seen them: the guys who appear at the window, high above street level, suspended on ropes with squeegee in hand and bucket hanging off their harness.
The capital’s high rise window cleaners are a specialist group. It takes nerve and a good head for heights, along with a conscientious concern for health and safety to abseil down a wall of concrete and glass, cleaning and maintaining as they go. Then there’s the challenges brought about by the capital’s variable weather.
In this two part blog we delve deeper into what it takes to be one of those abseilers, interviewing Anaru Kerei and Beth Dugdale, directors of Wellington Abseiling Maintenance (WAM) along with a former WAM employee, Enzo Fantone.
Anaru Kerei, director of Wellington Abseiling Maintenance, at work on a city building. Photo courtesy of WAM
WCL: Anaru, tell us a little about your background, your qualifications and your years in the industry. How did you get started in abseiling?
Anaru: My father owned a telecommunications rigging company so we used to build cell phone towers. Me and my friends used to go out with him during the [school] holidays and help him work on the weekends. From [age] 16 we were building 80 metre wind measuring towers out in Featherston. Eventually with telecommunications, because of the way we use data now, they had to go onto high-rise buildings [and] we had to abseil to get there. We naturally progressed from building towers to coming into town to put antennas on buildings.
Eventually I jumped into another abseil company where I learnt about the different aspects of abseil.
A lot of it was self-taught. There’s a lot of “can-do” attitude in abseil. So we just had to get out there and learn as much as we could. By working for a few different people and learning how they did things and learning how we wanted to do things.
WCL: Have you formalised that now with training and qualifications? You mention your staff are all IRATA trained.
Anaru: IRATA training is purely a rope access qualification and that’s the only formal qualification that they have.
Beth: They are like jack of all trades on ropes. There’s a qualification for the rope access getting down the building but everything that you perform on the rope, it’s a learn as you go situation.
Even window cleaning – there’s an art to that that’s very underrated.
Anaru: Yeah, it’s under-appreciated. I think one of the hardest things to do on ropes, to clean windows, because if the building has 800 windows and you get one wrong, there’s a chance you will need to go back and fix it. The expectation on window cleaning is huge.
Beth: We did a furniture removal from an apartment building in Oriental Bay. A lady couldn’t get her couch out of her apartment and it had to be abseiled down the building.
Anaru: It was only about five stories up. We had to actually take the window out to get the couch out because they couldn’t get it through the door.
But we try to train our staff as much as we can. Our staff are full-time and we need to find work for them to do when it’s raining so we try and train them on wet days with the different scopes of work we do.
We run teams of two, most of the time and we have one experienced and one green. We try and cycle the people around so they all get to learn from each other.
Beth: It’s a good buddy system, we do send them on specialised courses. We put them through EWP – Elevated Work Platform training course, which they get a certificate for. We also put them through an asbestos awareness training course, because there’s a lot of that around on the exterior of buildings.
And of course, first aid. They all have their IRATA log book back at the office and get them signed so they can progress through their levels.
WCL: Why set up your own business and employ a team of people?
Anaru: I always knew I wanted to be self-employed. I didn’t like working for other people and how they were doing things so we decided to do it ourselves.
Our philosophy is to employ good people and to teach them how to abseil. You can teach just about anyone that’s willing, to abseil. Or to do the work on the tools, but it’s very hard to train someone to have the right attitude.
I just want good people. We want good people around us. Good honest people.
Beth: I’d say we’ve curated quite a unique and special team. We’ve got a really professional and polite team. A lot of the feedback we get from our customers is about how polite our team are. We’re going into offices, and sometimes residential apartments, they’re always well presented, they’re tactful. It’s really important how people come across when we interview them.
Anaru: Yeah, it is important for us. We want to enjoy our time at work and you’re not going to enjoy it if you don’t enjoy the people you are working with.
I was at the marae with all my whanau recently and I think a lot of it comes from how my family work on the marae. That’s how I want my business to run. Because they’re always looking ahead and doing everything they can do to help everyone, just trying to make it as easy as possible and as welcoming as possible. That’s a huge part of how I run a business and I didn’t really realise I did that because it just happens. It’s natural. It’s how I was brought up. So that’s how we do things.
WCL: How big is your team?
Beth: Currently, with Enzo, there’s thirteen of us. We’ve got three subcontractors and the rest are full time employees.
WCL: How hard is it to find the right people?
Anaru: We’ve been lucky. Because I’ve been in the industry for so long I know quite a few good people, or like Enzo, just turn up at the office and ask for a job. As our team grows, the network grows and we’ve recently had quite a few enquiries about work.
Beth: We are visa accredited. We have Lynette on the team. She’s from Papua New Guinea, so she’s working towards her residency under us. Although we are visa accredited we get really excited about being able to offer job opportunities to people and to young people in Wellington as well. That’s a really cool thing to be able to do. We’re really proud of that. We definitely try to reach out locally, or through word of mouth.
WCL: You mention Lynette. How many women do you have? Is she a rarity?
Beth: I would say, yeah, there aren’t many females in the abseil industry so it’s always awesome when you get one apply.
[An earlier blog post on Women in trades may interest readers]
WCL: Is that because it’s seen as risky or macho?
Beth: I don’t think there’s enough exposure to a career pathway. I don’t think people look at it and [wonder] “Oh gosh, could I do that? How long could I do that for? Is it just going to be for a summer or is it something I could progress in?”
So we have a career progression chart we give people in their induction pack when they first start. It just shows that they can go from being a trainee rope technician all the way through to an operations manager. We can take them through various avenues to teach them more the administration side, looking at how jobs are broken down and how they’re quoted and all sorts of stuff. So they can actually see “I could stick with these people”.
WCL: You’re prepared to develop the right people?
Anaru: We set aside a training allowance, per employee, per year, plus we pay for their time to do it. It doesn’t have to necessarily be an abseil ticket. If they want to learn something that’s going to help the business and progress their career then we will sort that out for them.
WCL: Aside from a head for heights, what other qualities do people need?
Anaru: Obviously someone who is adventurous and gets bored quickly. Because people who get bored quickly learn quite quickly as well. They’ll dive into one thing get passionate about it and then they’ll want to learn something else. And I normally find that they’re the best abseilers because they’re always curious, always willing to learn. That’s the sort of attitude we need because we are doing a wide scope of work. So being able to take all that information in and being able to apply it properly is quite difficult.
A WAM employee on the job. Photo courtesy of Enzo Fantone
WCL You mention before about the weather providing you with down days to do training. This is Wellington. At what point do you assess a situation and think “No we won’t be working today”?
Anaru: We leave it up to the staff. It’s important for them to make sure they know when they can and can’t abseil. Obviously when it’s too windy I’ll say “Nope, you’re not getting on the ropes today” but it’s up to them to do their own risk assessment.
Beth: There are workarounds. You’d be surprised how few days we have to say “No. No-one can work today”. Often there are a few jobs on the go and if there’s a nor’westerly then the southeast face is sheltered.
Anaru: Or sheltered by nearby buildings. Or there’s work outside Wellington we can pick up. We’ve got roof work as well. There’s a difference between being too windy to be on a roof and too windy to be abseiling.
WCL: Do you also do emergency, safety, security work when it comes to roofs?
Anaru: We do emergency work. If a flashing is going to blow off or something is going to come down and hurt somebody then we will look at it, if we can do it safely we will.
Beth: Even just getting up there for an inspection puts people’s minds at ease.
Anaru: It’s safer for us to get out there with ropes and put a couple of screws into something or whatever it takes to make sure its secure
WCL: Do you still get scared?
Anaru: Oh yeah. As I get older the fear definitely affects me more. Because I haven’t been on the ropes much this year I’m more cautious about how I’m doing things.
WCL: Isn’t that a good thing?
Anaru: If you’re not scared then you shouldn’t be on the rope. You shouldn’t be an abseiler, because people like that will take way more unnecessary risks.
Beth: You can’t get complacent.
Beth: People often say “Isn’t it so scary? Don’t you feel scared to do it?” But Anaru said to me once, he feels safer on the ropes with someone he trusts one hundred percent than he would on a building site with 200 people with power tools. So in terms of accidents on the job, touch wood, there are very few. You’re with that one person you trust, and they have your back, so there’s that culture as well.
Anaru: It’s important to note that in abseil there’s not that many accidents. What we are doing … people think it’s high risk, and it is high risk, but we have multiple safety systems in place so the likelihood of an accident is so low
We try to make safety as practical as possible.
WCL: You have to be adaptable and read the situation?
Anaru: Yeah. I need someone that has the capability to deeply understand rope access, not just think they do.
Beth: It’s quite nuanced. You have to have initiative.
Logo provided courtesy of WAM
WCL Do you advertise? Do you tender for maintenance contracts? How do you get work?
Beth: We do invest in good sign writing on our vehicles that leads to a decent amount of work. There’s other work where people come directly to us. We do have a website and that’s been a pretty good investment. Work comes through both of our networks. 17 years of hairdressing before I jumped on board to help Anaru with the office has given me a varied network.
We take a lot of pride looking after our clients and our stakeholders.
We go around at least once or twice a year and we take morning tea to our clients, sit down and update them on our goals and vision. We also ask what we can do better, it’s important to get feedback from customers. Normally a cake gets people talking. We also have a capability statement that we print out for new customers.
One of the WAM team at work. Photo courtesy of Enzo Fantone
A lot of people think abseil = window cleaning. They don’t also know we can do glazing, painting, leak repairs, tiling, concrete repair, any issue with a high rise building we have repaired.
So it’s good to have that face time to explain that, they really appreciate it. That’s what sets us apart, that we’re just not on the other end of the email but we really try to make that effort to go and give people our time.
Anaru: At this stage in our business, because of the size of it, I’m still over everything, so our customers know that I’m going to be directly involved in every job. I’m always looking up at all my customers’ buildings, looking for things that need to be fixed. And if we fix a leak, we follow up to make sure that it is fixed. Because we care about what we’re doing.
Enzo walked in the door at the perfect time because we had a staff member going on a three month holiday and that worked out really well because he was looking for three months work.
Which is a bit risky for a business, to take someone on for a short period of time because you are literally just training that person [only to have them move on].
But I took him on a job, and I was watching how he did things, and I knew he was going to be able to do it in the time scale we had.
WCL: Speaking of Enzo, his first day on the job wasn’t without incident. Would you like to tell us about the water bottle and cherry picker and what was learned from that?
Anaru: I was working up in the cherry picker because we were washing a building and Enzo put his drink bottle on the leg of it. A cherry picker has legs that go out to stabilize and level it before we go up. When we had to move it, the leg came in and crushed the drink bottle. The drink bottle didn’t break at all, the drink bottle was fine, but it crushed the hydraulic lines on the cherry picker and hydraulic oil went everywhere. I looked down at him and thought “What have I done? What have I hired? Have I made a mistake?”
With stuff like that I’ve got to look at it and be like “Well, I never thought to tell him not to do that”. It was his first day and he would have been under pressure, he would have been nervous. These mistakes happen and it’s about making sure we include it in our health and safety systems.
Beth: We say there’s no stupid questions because if someone feels like they are in an environment where they are too scared to ask you something then that’s unsafe as well. That’s when accidents happen.
We’ve got him a replacement drink bottle for his leaving gift.
Anaru: We look after each other, we trust each other. I said to the team this morning that if you ever need to talk about anything it’s an open-door policy here. You know you can say whatever you want and we will listen and implement whatever has to be implemented to make it work. We’re always trying to do that as much as we can.
WCL: You started your business in 2019. Then came Covid. How were you impacted?
Anaru: At the time it was only just me and one other. We were really lucky with the whole Covid thing because we landed a huge job and got it 80 percent finished before the lockdown. That carried us through without any real dramas.
There was all the PPE and all the Health and Safety stuff we needed to buy, that wasn’t really allowed for in any pricing but we got lucky. Lockdowns gave us time to sit and reflect about what we wanted.
Beth: The impact was more around keeping our staff safe going in and out of residential apartment buildings, masking up, sanitising everything.
WCL: Did you apply for the subsidies?
Beth: Yeah we did, later on. We initially thought we might be able to work during lockdowns but we weren’t essential workers. So we got the subsidies and that definitely helped.
WCL: Can you share your long term vision for the company with us?
Anaru: We want to grow, but we are very careful about growth because of the impact it has on everything. We’ve grown a little bit this year.
Going forward we are trying to grow inward and make sure our people are learning and doing as much as they can for their growth and ours.
We are starting up a new roofing business. We’re going to get licensed for membrane roofs. If we have good people who want to start their own businesses we will help them as a subsidiary of WAM. We haven’t got it all worked out yet, but I think it’s better, once you get to a certain size, to have one person with a bit of skin in the game. You retain quality as you grow.
If you have a smaller subsidiary and the guy at the top is only managing six to eight staff, he’s got a way better chance of making sure the people coming through are given enough time to learn.
Beth: People feel a bit more looked after and special in those kinds of teams, rather than getting lost in a big thing. We try and do lots of little touches for the team. There’s a bonus each month if we meet our target, we bring the doggies and the kids during the school holidays. I always like to bring snacks and treats. I think that goes a long way.
Anaru: There’s a lot of good interactions between our staff, they’re really supportive of each other, they’re always looking out for each other.
Anaru: We just want to hold on to that as much as we can. The more numbers you get the harder it is to hold on to. But it can be done. That’s another reason why we want the subsidiaries, so the person at the top can make sure they’re looking after their culture and if they’ve got skin in the game, it’s better for everyone involved with that subsidiary, because they know the person at the top is getting something from it.
The WAM team. Photo courtesy of Enzo Fantone
WCL: The culture of caring is definitely overlooked in many businesses.
Beth: I started a Facebook and Instagram page and that wasn’t with the intention of gaining commercial abseiling customers because I don’t think they would look on social media for an abseiling company. It was with the intention of showing “Hey, we’re a really good team”. That’s what an employee would look for – they would look on Instagram or Facebook and think “Do I want to work for these people?” So we post bits now and then. [The team] enjoy taking photos and sharing them.
Beth: We’ve got two children and they asked that the team wear pink shirts and abseil in Wellington on Pink shirt day, the anti-bullying campaign. Our daughter changed the sign from “Men working above” to “Persons working above”. Little things like that go a really long way.
WCL: What would you say to someone thinking this might be a suitable work choice?
Anaru: If you’re thinking about getting into abseil just make sure you’re passionate about it because it can be seen when you walk through the door. Make sure it’s something you want to do.
Beth: I would say there is a career pathway there. It doesn’t have to be something you think “Oh I’m going to do this for a year maybe, or a gap year or to fill in time”. There can be steps to a career and that it is quite multi-faceted and it can take you into management positions.
Anaru: Or offshore, overseas.
Beth: The qualifications are internationally recognised so there’s opportunity there.
Anaru: We want to try and get into a career expo and one of my long term goals is to try and get some sort of apprenticeship going somehow with abseil to try and formalise it a bit more because I think it’s important for the industry.
Anaru: People were asking me at the weekend why I do it as well, and I think it’s like the fun-est trade job available. Which is why most people get into it, because they are excited by it.
WCL: Why Wellington?
Anaru “It’s cool being in Wellington. I grew up here and Mum’s family are from here. We went to Wellington Zoo [with our kids] and there are some pieces of art done by one of my cousins.
There’s photos of my uncle in the Reserve Bank and there’s influences from my family around Wellington so it’s nice being there and seeing that.
Seeing my cousin’s art around the place. Another cousin owns a moving business. My sister and her partner run a substantial bread run business. A lot of my family and friends are self-employed and doing well. They’re still connected with their Maoridom but they also run businesses. To get that balance right is so hard, I draw a lot of inspiration from them, knowing that they’re doing that, I’m proud that my family is putting a lot of positive reinforcement out there for Maori.
WCL would like to thank Anaru and Beth for their time and cooperation with this interview. Next week we present an interview with former employee Enzo Fantone, and look at his journey into abseiling.
If you would like to learn more about the business concepts discussed in this piece have a look at these resources held by Wellington City Libraries.
Team habits : how small actions lead to extraordinary results / Gilkey, Charlie
“Charlie Gilkey, an internationally known thought leader on productivity, planning, strategy, and leadership for creative people, explains how changing our team’s habits can change our company’s culture since that culture is always just an aggregation of its various teams’ work habits.
We all know how important habits are for personal effectiveness, success, and happiness. We can apply many of the same principles and insights about personal habits to our teams. When we do, not only do we accrue the personal benefits for ourselves, but we accrue them with and for our team. ” (Adapted from Catalogue)
Work-based learning : bridging knowledge and action in the workplace / Raelin, Joseph A.
“Work-based learning is Joe Raelin’s unique way of incorporating a number of action strategies – such as action learning, action science, and communities of practice – into a comprehensive framework to help people learn collectively with others. In this thoroughly updated and revised edition, he demonstrates how to engage our reflective powers to challenge those taken-for-granted assumptions that unwittingly hold us back from questioning standard ways of operating!” (Adapted from Catalogue)
Employee experience strategy : design an effective EX strategy to improve employee performance and drive business results / Whitter, Ben
“Designing and implementing an exceptional employee experience strategy is crucial for business success. From a leading figure in the EX field, this book provides everything needed to succeed. Employee Experience Strategy explains how to assess the needs of the organization and its employees, define and build an effective employee experience (EX) strategy and embed it successfully in the business… this is an essential book for all senior talent professionals needing to build, embed and sustain an effective EX strategy.” (Adapted from Catalogue)
Experience, inc. : why companies that uncover purpose, create connection, and celebrate their people will triumph / Popelka, Jill
“The “worker-first experience” is not just a new trend, but the evolution of what it means to work and be part of an organization, and recent power shifts within it. What can leaders, managers, and CHROs, do to position their companies to thrive in the new world? There are many issues for the C-Suiter to navigate — yet they’re all united by the need to focus on employee – human — experience. A flexible, versatile workforce will help your business overcome current challenges and define your future. The successful organizations are making the employee experience more central. This book will give you, the leader, insights about how to think about and outfit your company, in a way that works for your firm, your sector, and your industry” (Catalogue)
Above the line : how to create a company culture that engages employees, delights customers and delivers results / Henderson, Michael
“Above the Line… offers all leaders a handbook for leveraging an organisation’s culture to engage staff, increase customer satisfaction and streamline business performance. A ground-breaking work, this book reveals what it takes to achieve optimum results from your organisational culture without employing the use of external consultants. This organic, in-house approach to company culture transformation saves both time and money. Step-by-step, author Michael Henderson illustrates how to create a culture in which employees and leaders delight those outside the company-customers, shareholder, employees’ families, suppliers and the board of directors-and anyone else who may benefit from an association with the organisation.” (Adapted from Catalogue)
Skin in the game : hidden asymmetries of daily life / Taleb, Nassim Nicholas
“In his inimitable, pugnacious style, Nassim Nicholas Taleb shows that skin in the game applies to all aspects of our lives. It’s about having something to lose and taking a risk. Citizens, lab experimenters, artisans, political activists and hedge fund traders all have skin in the game. Policy wonks, corporate executives, theoreticians, bankers and most journalists don’t. As Taleb says, “The symmetry of skin in the game is a simple rule that’s necessary for fairness and justice, and the ultimate BS-buster,” and “Never trust anyone who doesn’t have skin in the game. Without it, fools and crooks will benefit, and their mistakes will never come back to haunt them”.” (Adapted from Catalogue)
Tendering and contracting guidelines / Taee, Ahkam AL
“This book is explained and covered, but not limited, the followings; – The content of the tender invitation package. – How to evaluate the bids technically and commercially. – The Concepts of a contract. – The elements of enforceable contract. – Types of Contracts. – Allocating liability and risk in contracts. – The Contract Management tasks and responsibilities. – Explain FIDIC contract forms. – Discuss the risk spectrum in construction. – Gives in Chapter 3, seven attachments form samples of different materials needed in contracts. The book is useful tool to whom are working in supply chain management and contracts departments, this book has been prepared to provide practical guidance in general terms in relation to various public services, it is not a legal textbook but practical guidance tool for business. (Catalogue)
If you need more information please contact the Prosearch team at the library. We can help you find information across a range of perspectives and resources. All enquiries are treated in confidence.
If you have some time on your hands and are relaxing in the sun or under a tree, how about kicking off your new year reading with one of the recent business focused additions to our collection?
Staying the distance : the lessons from sport that business leaders have been missing / Baker, Catherine
“Business leaders are very familiar with drawing lessons from elite sport, particularly around teams, leadership and high performance. But we have all been missing a trick. Day in, day out, sport has been showing us not only how to improve, perform and achieve, but how to do so on a sustained basis, consistently delivering results when it matters. This book shines a light on these unseen lessons, and provides a clear and practical roadmap for how to deploy them in the reader’s own leadership practices. “– Provided by publisher.” (Adapted from Catalogue)
Thriving leaders thriving teams / Parsons, Lauren
“Feeling flat, tired or overwhelmed? Concerned you or your colleagues are headed for burnout? Poor health and mental distress are on the rise globally. People are suffering in silence. The talent shortage makes it critical workplaces set themselves apart as desirable employers, to attract and retain great people. Not enough leaders understand how to create true workplace wellbeing. Unfortunately, too many organisations – often inadvertently – treat people as ‘assets’ or ‘resources’ to be used rather than human beings to be nurtured, motivated and celebrated. This needs to change. A complete guide, packed with the latest research, inspiring stories, and practical tools to help you boost your wellbeing, energy and vitality, even if you’re busy and “don’t have time”; be a better leader and help others thrive, no matter what your role; cultivate a positive, energised workplace culture. Thriving Leaders, Thriving Teams is for anyone, from aspiring leaders through to CEOs. Just as master gardeners create the right environment for plants to thrive, leaders must cultivate the ideal environment for their people to flourish. This book shows you how.” Publisher.” (Catalogue)
Big bets : how large-scale change really happens / Shah, Rajiv Janardan
“Rajiv J. Shah, president of the Rockefeller Foundation and former administrator of President Barack Obama’s United States Agency for International Development, shares a dynamic new model for creating large scale change, inspired by his own involvements with some of the largest humanitarian projects of our time”– Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)
Team habits : how small actions lead to extraordinary results / Gilkey, Charlie
“We all know how important habits are for personal effectiveness, success, and happiness. We can apply many of the same principles and insights about personal habits to our teams. When we do, not only do we accrue the personal benefits for ourselves, but we accrue them with and for our team. If small habit changes lead to powerful results for individuals, imagine what it can do for teams. Focusing on improving how people work together at the team level means there’s no need for a top-down initiative or sign-off by the higher-ups to start making our working lives better…Gilkey offers tips on Communication (“What needs to be communicated NOW versus what can wait”), Meetings (“The ultimate question to determine whether your meeting was worth it”), Belonging (“Why getting your teammate coffee isn’t about the coffee”), and much more”– Provided by publisher.” (Adapted from Catalogue)
Python for data science / Mueller, John
“Python for Data Science For Dummies lets you get your hands dirty with data using one of the top programming languages. This beginner’s guide takes you step by step through getting started, performing data analysis, understanding datasets and example code, working with Google Colab, sampling data, and beyond. Coding your data analysis tasks will make your life easier, make you more in-demand as an employee, and open the door to valuable knowledge and insights. This new edition is updated for the latest version of Python and includes current, relevant data examples”– Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)
Faking it : artificial intelligence in a human world / Walsh, Toby
“A prescient analysis of what makes artificial intelligence so … artificial. The brave new world of faking it … Artificial intelligence is, as the name suggests, artificial and fundamentally different to human intelligence. Yet often the goal of AI is to fake human intelligence. This deceit has been there from the very beginning. We’ve been trying to fake it since Alan Turing answered the question ‘Can machines think?’ by proposing that machines pretend to be humans. Now we are starting to build AI that truly deceives us. Powerful AIs such as ChatGPT can convince us they are intelligent and blur the distinction between what is real and what is simulated. In reality, they lack true understanding, sentience and common sense. But this doesn’t mean they can’t change the world. Can AI systems ever be creative? Can they be moral? What can we do to ensure they are not harmful?” (Catalogue)
The key to creativity : the science behind ideas and how daydreaming can change the world / Østby, Hilde
“In The Key to Creativity, Østby takes readers on a deep-dive into why we are creative and what conditions must be present in order for us to make our best work: whether that be a painting, a piece of writing, or simply a good email. Using characters from Alice in Wonderland for inspiration, Østby investigates why we have ideas that seemingly come out of nowhere, like the Cheshire Cat, and how we can quiet our inner critic, like the rule-obsessed Queen of Hearts. Along the way, she speaks with artists of all stripes and interviews psychiatrists and neurologists who specialize in understanding what happens in the brain when we are at our most creative…This engaging and ground-breaking book debunks the myth that you need to be a genius in order to be an artist or inventor. All you need is an idea and the tools to make your creative dream come true”– Provided by publisher.” (Adapted from Catalogue)
Hidden potential : the science of achieving greater things / Grant, Adam
“This book illuminates how we can elevate ourselves and others to unexpected heights…Hidden Potential offers a new framework for raising aspirations and exceeding expectations. Adam Grant weaves together ground-breaking evidence, surprising insights, and vivid storytelling that takes us from the classroom to the boardroom, the playground to the Olympics, and underground to outer space. He shows that progress depends less on how hard you work than how well you learn. Growth is not about the genius you possess-it’s about the character you develop. Grant explores how to build the character skills and motivational structures to realize our own potential, and how to design systems that create opportunities for those who have been underrated and overlooked.” (Adapted from Catalogue)
The art of explanation : how to communicate with clarity and confidence / Atkins, Ros
“Do you worry about holding people’s attention during presentations? Are you unsure where to start when faced with writing an essay or report? Are you preparing for an interview and wondering how to get all your points across? Explanation – identifying and communicating what we want to say – is an art. … BBC presenter and journalist Ros Atkins, … shares the secrets he has learned from years of working in high-pressure newsrooms, identifying the ten elements of a good explanation and the seven steps you need to take to express yourself with clarity and impact. Whether at work, school, university or home, we all benefit from being able to articulate ourselves clearly. Filled with practical examples, The Art of Explanation is a must-read for anyone who wants to sharpen their communication skills.” (Adapted from Catalogue)
Why listen to, work with and follow you? : the 3 qualities of true leaders / Robertson, Larry
“Whether setting out on your career or already ensconced in the boardroom, you will not succeed on your own. You need others to choose to listen, buy into and come with you. Global leadership expert Larry Robertson highlights communication as the most critical yet least well practised aspect of leadership, using his 3 Qualities of True Leadership: Authenticity (AQ), Empathy (EQ) and Intent (IQ). WHY YOU? is packed with stories, examples and tools to help you lift your game holistically, both as a true leader and a better person”. –Publisher.” (Catalogue)
My brain has too many tabs open : untangle your relationship with tech / Goodin, Tanya
“Digital detox expert and tech therapist Tanya Goodin is on a mission to help us have a healthier relationship with our electronics. Here, she collects hours of conversations to form a fascinating compendium of everyday problems we all struggle with, plus solutions to stop them taking over lives.” (Catalogue)
If you need more information please contact the Prosearch team at the library. We can help you find information across a range of perspectives and resources. All enquiries are treated in confidence.
Lavatory, bog, loo, dunny, crapper. Wharepaku, WC, thunderbox, longdrop, latrine.
There are numerous names for the smallest room in the house – the toilet – and their origins are just as varied as the terminology.
With every healthy adult producing, on average, 500 litres of urine and 145 kg of faecal matter every year we definitely all need access to a loo. These days most modern New Zealand homes have at least one, if not two, porcelain thrones.
Interior of a bathroom showroom displaying ceramic toilets, wash basins and baths, possibly Christchurch. The Press (Newspaper) :Negatives. Ref: 1/1-017902-G. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. /records/29948323
It wasn’t always like that. In the days before city wide waste management and underground sewer networks the toilet was literally the “out house”, often located at the bottom of the garden. Before that the “night soil” man would make weekly visits to homes to remove waste. This article gives a good overview of the process while a broader history of New Zealand’s sanitation can be found on Te Ara.
Public facilities were first introduced to Aotearoa in 1863 with the building of a public men’s room in Auckland. Note that ladies had to waitnearly four decades before they too had access to “restrooms” in Auckland.
Wellington lagged behind in the provision of male conveniences but wasone of the first cities to provide for women.
Former public toilets on Cambridge Terrace now house a restaurant bar while the subterranean men’s urinals now houses a pizza place.
Public toilets, Cambridge Terrace, Wellington. Evening post (Newspaper. 1865-2002) :Photographic negatives and prints of the Evening Post newspaper. Ref: 1/4-021247-F. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. /records/22755210 (Photo taken 1973)
Kent Terrace and Oriental Parade, Wellington. Ref: 1/2-116556-F. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. /records/22838426 (Photo taken 1920s)
Rest stops are no longer just for bodily functions but in some cases also serve as public art works. The 2023 award for the most attractive wharepaku went to Rotorua’s Okere Falls Scenic Reserve conveniences, while notable architecture features in Northland’s famous Hundertwasser toilets. Further south at Tirau the public conveniences are housed within a corrugated iron sheep dog while Wellington’s waterfront has its Lobster loos (more correctly named the Kumutoto Public Toilets).
As you move around the city you can find Wellington City Council’s listing of accessible toilets here and Continence NZ also provides a list of Toilet Maps to assist people in locating facilities when travelling around the motu.
Continence NZ also issues a Toilet cardto those with bladder and bowel problems, who may need to use a bathroom urgently. Crohn’s and Colitis NZoffer a similar “I can’t wait” card to be presented to the management of premises who may permit use of their toilet facilities.
On presentation of this card to a business, the staff should be understanding of the request and provide access to the business toilet facilities.
As a business you may wish to display a window sticker indicating your responsiveness to and support of card holders. Says the CCNZ website : Placing a CCNZ sticker in the window of your business that you recognise the “I Can’t Wait” card can truly change lives.
Honouring the card allows people with Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis and other medical condition to use your facilities in the event a cardholder needs one urgently.
In the event of a large scale emergency you may not have access to a functioning toilet and will need to consider an alternative. Have you, your whanau and your wider community given thought to what you would do if, after a destructive earthquake for instance, you don’t have available toilet facilities?
See Wremo’s guidelines here or print out the handy pdf instructions and add to your emergency kit along with the appropriate supplies.
As reducing water use becomes a concern there has been an increase in interest for water efficient toilets.
Flush toilets are large users of water. Water we cannot necessarily afford to waste particularly given Tw Whanganui a Tara’s water issues and a forecast dry summer.
According to a 2016 IFLScience article (someone else did the math on this) we can save water by weeing in the shower:
An average flush for a modern, Western-style toilet uses 6 liters (1.6 gallons) of water, and the average adult pees about seven times every 24 hours. That means that each day of weeing takes 42 liters (11.1 gallons) of toilet water to flush away. Assuming that people urinate the same way every single day, this means in just one year, the average person uses 15,330 liters (4,050 gallons) of toilet water.
As with all science though there are those who have differing opinions. Six years later the same site had an article headlined “Urogynaecologist Explains Why You “Need To Stop Peeing In The Shower“. Turns out what might be a good move for the environment may not be so good for your bladder.
Alternatively we can seek out more water efficient toilet design. Toilets, as with other appliances, have an efficiency rating for water use. The latest style four star toilets use as little as 3 litres of water for a half flush and 4.5 litres for a full flush. Most older style lavatories use between 7-12 litres per flush and lack the dual flush function. Although, according to a spokesperson for a central plumbing supply business, some of the new European designs are so water efficient some customers feel the flush is not as “complete” as they would like. If you are considering bathroom renovations, or a new build, then check out the water efficiency rating of the new loo.
This recent Spinoff article claims the correct use of the half and full flush functions can save millions of litres of water a year and while that may be true a look at the flush buttons on some new model toilets seemed unnecessarily complicated.
Which leads to the age old question of lid up or down when flushing. If you were ever in any doubt that the lid down is the correct thing to do when flushing, you won’t be after reading this and watching the attached video.
On the subject of the flushing loo – let’s correct a piece of misinformation. Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 movie Psycho is often said to be the first movie to show a flushing toilet. Apparently this is incorrect according to the entertainment site, Collider. Hitchcock first showed a toilet in a movie scene almost 30 years earlier, In Psycho however the focus is on the toilet and the flushing water, which is in fact a movie making first.
Can the wharepaku be a place of serenity and style? Absolutely. Apparently, along with water efficiency, the present trends are for rimless porcelain, set flush (no pun intended) against a wall, with soft closing lid option. A word of warning though – if you ever need to upgrade your toilet seat make sure you know what make model graces the throne room.
In an innovative design, the Finns have come up with an all wood toilet to replace the traditional glazed porcelain models. But is the world ready to trade the porcelain pony for a stylish, biodegradable wooden model? Time will tell.
The ultimate in toilets though must go to Japanese designers who incorporate smart technology into their product. This writer for one, was nearly reduced to tears on arrival at a Tokyo hotel and finding a loo complete with a control panel of functions (all in Japanese) but no obvious flush button.
Turns out the flush button was behind the shallow, curved cistern top which operated as the handwash facility before the water went in to efficiently flushing the bowl. I might have learned that had I first visited the TOTO toilet museum 🙂
So now we’ve got to the bottom of bogs, shed some light on loos, provided you with maps to pitstops when you take the summer roady and flushed out some fun facts on the wharepaku. Here’s hoping this final blog for 2023 provides you all with some light relief. [Yes, you may groan]
If you want further reading check out our fascinating list below. Who knew there was so much riding on the topic of toilets and sanitation?
Kiwi-as toilets : where to go when you need to go in New Zealand / Knox, Jo
“Kiwi-As Toilets is a quirky and light-hearted coffee table book and travel guide that takes the reader on a tiki tour of New Zealand’s top toilets. This compilation of convenient convenience stops is full of facts and photos of fancy flushers, interspersed with splashes of toilet humour and toilet euphemisms. From toilets that celebrate their region’s heritage and scenery or showcase art and architecture, to wonderfully weird WCs and fun facilities, this eclectic collection of toilets celebrates everything that’s Kiwi-as.” (Catalogue)
Pipe dreams : the urgent global quest to transform the toilet / Wald, Chelsea
“Presents a lively, informative, and humorous deep dive into the future of the toilet–from creative uses for harvested “biosolids,” to the bold engineers dedicated to bringing safe sanitation to the billions of people worldwide living without it.” (Catalogue)
Flushed : how the plumber saved civilization / Carter, W. Hodding
“Presenting a quirky and fascinating history of plumbing from the Harappan of the Indus Valley (circa 3000 BC) to the Roman Empire, from Victorian London to modern Boston, this entertaining text also follows the author’s own travails in plumbing.” (Catalogue)
Bum fodder : an absorbing history of toilet paper / Smyth, Richard
“Humans are, along with other primates, the only animals to wipe their bottoms after defecating. Richard Smyth provides the definitive history of how we have wiped over the centuries. From the Romans and ancient China to the modern day, drawing on literature from Rabelais and Jonathan Swift to the story of Myleene Klass and Pope Benedict’s toilet roll Richard Smyth has compiled the definitive history. Along the way, Richard Smyth also provides fascinating stories such as how toilet paper became a rallying cry for anti-taxation campaigners in the US to the history of the Groom of the Stool, once one of the most influential positions in the Royal Court.” (Catalogue)
The story of shit / Dekkers, Midas
“We are very discreet. We disappear into a small room, perform the task, flush, wash and reappear as if nothing happened. Of course, hygiene is necessary – some faecal bacteria, if re-ingested, can cause very serious problems – and unpleasant aromas are best kept at bay. But in all this hygienic discretion have we lost touch with an integral part of ourselves – something as much a part of living as breathing, eating and sleeping? Something enriching, creative and even enjoyable. In The Story of Shit, Dutch biologist Midas Dekkers presents a personal, cultural, scientific, historical and environmental account of shit, from the digestive process and the fascinating workings of the gut, to the act of defecation and toilet etiquette. With irreverent humour and a compelling narrative style, Dekkers brings a refreshing, entertaining and illuminating perspective to a once-taboo subject.” –Publisher description.” (Catalogue)
Holy shit : managing manure to save mankind / Logsdon, Gene
“If we do not begin turning manure into fertilizer to help feed a growing population, Logsdon argues we will all be in deep shit. Holy Shit completely covers the manure field including information on: How to build a barn manure pack with farm animal manure; How to recycle toilet water for irrigation purposes, and; How to get over the fear of faeces and muck. With his trademark humor, his years of experience writing about farming and waste management, and his uncanny eye for the small but important details, Logsdon artfully describes how to manage farm and pet manure to make fertilizer. This fresh, fascinating and entertaining look at an earthy, but absolutely crucial subject, is a small gem and is destined to become a classic of the agricultural canon.” (Catalogue)
The wastewater gardener : preserving the planet one flush at a time / Nelson, Mark
“Mark Nelson, PhD, has worked for several decades in closed ecological systems research. As one of eight brave souls enclosed in the pioneering Biosphere 2 experiment for two years in 1991-1993, Nelson learned first hand how essential the proper use of human waste is to the health of the planet. This realization, combined with his lifelong love affair with constructed wetlands, led to the development of Wastewater Gardens, an ecological way to treat human waste and preserve water quality.” (Catalogue)
Greywater, green landscape : how to install simple water-saving irrigation systems in your yard / Allen, Laura
“Save thousands of gallons of water annually and have a beautiful yard no matter the weather by capturing and reusing water from sinks, showers, and washing machines. This empowering and easy-to-use manual offers practical, long-term strategies for water management, with easy, do-it-yourself instructions and step-by-step photography to guide you through construction and installing a variety of systems throughout your house and garden.–COVER.” (Catalogue)
The compost toilet handbook / Jenkins, Joseph C
“From the author of The Humanure Handbook, an expert guide to compost toilets you can build yourself. The Compost Toilet Handbook is an illustrated instructional manual explaining how to make, use, and manage compost toilets, which are waste-free toilets that rely on the biological process of composting to recycle toilet material. It is based on the author’s 40+ years of first-hand experience with “composting as a sanitation alternative.” The 254-page indexed book has 161 pages of color photos including 203 photos or illustrations from 13 countries where compost toilet systems are in use. The 2nd half of the book includes case study reviews of compost toilet projects in African prisons and schools; Haitian schools, orphanages, and villages; schools in Mozambique; neighborhoods in Mongolia; a school and village in Nicaragua; and an ecovillage in the US. Along with the nuts and bolts of compost toilet construction, use, and management, the book covers emergency preparedness, cold weather composting, pharmaceuticals, heavy metals, health, and safety.”–Amazon.com.” (Catalogue)
The humanure handbook : a guide to composting human manure / Jenkins, Joseph C
“There are almost seven billion defecating people on planet Earth, but few who have any clue about how to constructively handle the burgeoning mountain of human crap. The Humanure Handbook, third edition, will amuse you, educate you, and possibly offend you, but it will certainly pertain to you–unless, of course, your bowels never move. This new edition of The Humanure Handbook is: The Tenth Anniversary Edition Richly illustrated with eye-candy artwork Perfect for reading while sitting on the “throne” Revised, improved, and updated 256 pages of crap ” (Catalogue)
If you need more information please contact the Prosearch team at the library. We can help you find information across a range of perspectives and resources. All enquiries are treated in confidence.
It has been reprinted with Lauren’s generous permission and her book is available from Wellington City Libraries.
Image reproduced courtesy of Lauren Parsons Wellbeing
Whether you like it or not, as a leader you have a key role to play to help your team thrive.
I’ve never met a leader who wanted demotivated, burnt-out staff who were struggling personally or professionally. Fortunately, there are so many ways you can influence your team’s wellbeing – both by the way you show up and the way you shape the environment.
Just as a master gardener cultivates the ideal environment for their plants to flourish, so too, you can cultivate the ideal workplace environment where your people will thrive.
My Wellbeing-Focused Leadership Model shows you how to do this.
Image reproduced courtesy of Lauren Parsons Wellbeing
Here are the six things great leaders do well:
1. Lead self
Demonstrate a commitment to your own and others’ wellbeing in your day-to-day habits and rituals. Influence by example.
2. Build trust and belonging
Foster a highly connected and supportive team environment where people feel safe, included and motivated, where they can speak with candour, have a deep sense of belonging, and feel inspired and purpose-driven.
3. Boost energy and effectiveness
Create an environment that boosts vitality, helping people perform at their best, work in sync with each other and manage their time, energy and attention well. Establish clear rules and rituals that prevent technology from hindering wellbeing, while also leveraging its potential.
4. Address stress and prevent burnout
Identify and manage psychosocial risks and design good work that prevents undue harm. Equip staff to remain in eustress (good stress) and know how to spot the signs of mental distress and respond effectively, using exceptional communication skills and providing the right support.
5. Leverage recognition
Encourage the behaviours you want from your team. Create a culture of praise and appreciation throughout your organisation that increases motivation, wellbeing and performance.
6. Measure and evolve
Measure what matters, monitor what works and constantly adapt, evolve and improve over time.
These six things all interrelate. Rather than relying solely on bottom-of-the-cliff approaches, by focusing on these keys proactively you can build a robust, wellbeing-focused culture that helps staff deal with stress, boosts resilience and maximises performance.
The place you’ll start will depend on you and your organisation. The second half of my book Thriving Leaders Thriving Teams outlines each of these in detail and includes a handy action checklist to highlight which areas your organisation has the opportunity to enhance, helping you identify a start point.
About Lauren:
Lauren is an award-winning Wellbeing Specialist with over 20 years’ experience in the health and wellbeing profession. A TEDx speaker, Author of Real food, less fuss, founder of the Snack on Exercise movement and host of the THRIVE TV Show, Lauren believes that everyone deserves to thrive.
Previously a senior lecturer at the New Zealand College of Fitness, a qualified Life Coach and with a business degree and post-grad specialising in HR, Lauren is a sought-after international speaker, coach and consultant who integrates her wellness and business background to help organisations create a peak-performance team culture, where people thrive.
Thriving leaders thriving teams / Parsons, Lauren “Feeling flat, tired or overwhelmed? Concerned you or your colleagues are headed for burnout? Poor health and mental distress are on the rise globally. People are suffering in silence. The talent shortage makes it critical workplaces set themselves apart as desirable employers, to attract and retain great people. Not enough leaders understand how to create true workplace wellbeing. Unfortunately, too many organisations – often inadvertently – treat people as ‘assets’ or ‘resources’ to be used rather than human beings to be nurtured, motivated and celebrated. This needs to change. A complete guide, packed with the latest research, inspiring stories, and practical tools to help you boost your wellbeing, energy and vitality, even if you’re busy and “don’t have time”; be a better leader and help others thrive, no matter what your role; cultivate a positive, energised workplace culture. Thriving Leaders, Thriving Teams is for anyone, from aspiring leaders through to CEOs. Just as master gardeners create the right environment for plants to thrive, leaders must cultivate the ideal environment for their people to flourish. This book shows you how.” Publisher.” (Catalogue)
If you need more information please contact the Prosearch team at the library. We can help you find information across a range of perspectives and resources. All enquiries are treated in confidence.
Being locked in her own shop by a drunk passerby and having to evict an amorous couple from the change cubicle were not situations Mandy LaHatte anticipated when she purchased a retail business six and a half years ago.
Both these scenarios are ones the former primary school teacher turned business owner of clothing and giftware shop Indeja has had to deal with.
In 2017 when Mandy’s friend, and belly dance teacher, Traysi Ewayan decided it was time to hand over the iconic Cuba Street business she had built up over 18 and a half years she wanted it to go to someone who would preserve the ethos she had established and love it the way she did.
Traysi originally “bought the store from Global Village after working in it for 2 years”. She renamed it Indeja – “a made up name between India and Indonesia where the product was from. We started in the old James Smith Market and I moved to the Cuba St shop after 1 year. Global Village owners stocked me but after they moved to Spain I had to start my own importing. So off I went to Vietnam, Thailand, Bali and India to source clothing and jewellery. The rest is history!!!”
Despite having no retail experience, Mandy was at a point where she was looking for something different and up to the challenge. Traysi stayed on for another 6-7 months to help Mandy transition into running the shop, as well as accompanying her on international buying trips “Showing me what to do, how to sell product and what retail is all about” says Mandy.
In October 2023 Indeja celebrated its 25th anniversary as an independent retail outlet. WCL sat down with Mandy to learn more about what makes this business tick…
WCL : Were there benefits to taking on an established business with a regular customer base?
Mandy : Absolutely! People who came into Indeja knew what it was about. It never occurred to me to change the name or change the layout because it had worked so well for eighteen and a half years. I thought “Why change it?”
WCL: 25 years as an independent retail store is certainly something to celebrate. What do you think has contributed to Indeja’s longevity? What’s its continuing appeal?
Mandy: There’s lots of continuing support from customers. Customers who come to Indeja over and over and over again. Not just Wellingtonians but a lot of people from Auckland. It’s got quite a good reputation around Wellington, especially around Cuba Street. I think also the fact it’s unique. It’s a different looking shop. It’s not generic. So people walk past and then they come back. And they keep coming back.
I think also the way its run, the kind of person I am. I build a rapport with the customers therefore they come to see me. Traysi had that rapport as well so that’s what makes it last. And keeping it fresh.
WCL : What changes have you made in your time as owner?
Mandy: I painted it, changed lighting and shelving. Gave it a spruce up. But not much more. I’ve kept the layout because it works and I’ve kept the sense of what Indeja is about because it works. I’ve kept that sense of family in it because it works.
Traysi had all her family working here and I have had my family working here. My oldest son has worked with me, my daughter still works when I need her. Traysi and her mother and husband worked there.
I upgraded the systems. Now we’re online, that’s the biggest thing I’ve done, gone on line. Walk-ins however remain the biggest point of sale.
WCL: What challenges are there with being online? Isn’t that almost like being a second business?
Mandy: The challenges are making sure stock is photographed. We have so much it’s difficult to get everything photographed.
Clothing is my biggest seller but online the customers tend to look and think “Ohh, I like that” but they won’t buy online because the clothing is such they want to come and try it on. They’ll see it online and they’ll ring up and say “Oh, have you got that?” and I say “Yes, I’ll put it aside for you” and they come and try it. The online thing works for earrings and we sell lots of incense online.
WCL: Where and how do you source product?
Mandy: First of all I like to source from New Zealand. So I try to get earrings and incense from New Zealand. It just depends on wholesale prices of New Zealand products. They can be quite expensive.
Then I go overseas at least three times a year – our tag line “Cool things from hot places” means I source from Thailand, a lot of stuff from Egypt, Vietnam, Morocco and some from India.
(Like Traysi, Mandy now teaches belly dancing and stocks costumes from Egypt for the belly dancing community)
WCL : How did Covid impact on business and your supply chains?
Mandy: Horribly! I began closing down after the government announcement and I had women rushing in saying “I need incense. I can’t cope without incense!” So I sold out of incense. I closed on the Monday afternoon. And that was it. There was no income. My immediate thought was “How was I going to pay the rent?”
Luckily I have a really good relationship with my landlord. She’s amazing and has been the same landlord all this time. I took her over from Traysi. I just told her Ï couldn’t pay the whole amount of rent and she said “What do you want to pay?” I thought realistically what I should pay her and I offered an amount and she said “Yes”.
I had to beg, borrow and steal money to keep Indeja going for the two years of Covid. It did help that the government gave out the wage subsidy. I had two staff. One staff member I let go. She was okay with that. The other one I kept on. She had just finished her studies and she needed the money. So I kept paying her and then the government offered the $10,000 loan, so I took the offer of that and that kept the rent going for a few months.
And then we reopened but the loss was quite big and I really questioned whether I could keep Indeja going because it was really difficult. Indeja is just a solo store. So that was really tough. I have a very supportive partner and just kept it going. Also not employing any more staff and doing all the work myself.
WCL: How are things now?
Mandy: Things are picking up. We’ve just had the World of Wearable Arts. Indeja is a WoW shop and that was quite successful. The fact women have come into Indeja year after year for WoW and expect new and exciting things. My challenge is to make sure I have new product for these women. They’ve been saving up for this particular event so they want to buy. And they do spend. Otherwise it is picking up. It has its times. It’s still not as good as it could be.
WCL : Do the social issues of Cuba Street impact your business?
Mandy: Safety is an issue. Cuba Street is supposed to be alcohol free but there’s a lot of drunkenness. It’s when they start ranting and cursing then I just ring the police. Usually they’re [the Police] fairly good. If there’s a weapon they’ll be here fairly quickly. I would like to see more police presence in Cuba Street.
People do come into the shop and I have to ask them to leave [as] customers can feel threatened. We had an incident where someone was outside the shop with a knife, and [my retail assistant] shut the shop with the customers in [until the police came and cleared the area].
One of the things I have done is go to a lot of retailers in the vicinity of me and introduce myself. I know their names and I’ve got their numbers and I’m trying to set up a safe support network [should retailers feel threatened].
I’ve had clothing stolen from the models on the street [at the shop doorway]. I don’t want to have to be anticipating that. I have a business to run.
WCL: Traysi and Tilly, the Indeja window mannequins have developed their own personalities – tell us how that came about?
Mandy : I found Traysi and Tilly on Trademe and decided they needed names. When we change the window we post photos on Facebook and list what they are wearing. Then we’ll get a message “I like that skirt Traysi’s wearing”. It’s a quirky little thing
We do a huge WoW window. This year the WoW theme was futuristic. So we had a vision about what we would dress ‘the girls’ in. I went overseas about a month before WoW and I was looking around for what they could possibly wear. Women who walked past the window loved it and came in. That window is a huge selling point for Indeja.
WoW is the biggest part of my business year. It’s where the money happens. I give out tonnes of business cards. So it’s really big for me. I get particular staff in on particular days who can cope with the massive influx of women coming in. And now the cruise ships are in. I’m hoping [the tourists] will come in as well. I promote Indeja wherever I can. Nikita [retail assistant] does Instagram and I do Facebook. Facebook is really big for Indeja.
WCL: Do you have plans for CubaDupa?
Mandy: It will be business as usual. Lots of crowds. Saturday is good, Sunday is quieter. We usually have a sale on for CubaDupa. Usually 25-30 percent off.
WCL: What are your future plans?
Mandy: I won’t be there for the next 25 years but I hope when its time for me to go I can on-sell it.
When I bought the shop from Traysi, she really wanted someone who loved it like she did. Someone who was passionate. Someone who would keep it the same and I did because her formula worked.
I kept on the existing staff because they knew the business. They’re gone now, doing their own thing. My present staff were two women who couldn’t find jobs,. They wanted retail work but didn’t have any experience so I decided to take them on and train them and give them a chance.
I got a text from Traysi, the other day and she said “I’m so very, very proud of you and what you’ve made of Indeja. It’s a beautiful shop now” and I said “It’s our shop still”.
“I love my wee shop and my staff love it too.”
If you’re a retail business wanting to know how Wellington City Libraries can support you, have a look at these resources.
Retail innovation reframed : how to transform operations and achieve purpose-led growth and resilience / Jude, Gareth
“Retail is defined by disruption; companies either adapt or are replaced by those that will. More so than ever learning how to reframe your business, apply change and stay innovative is key to continued success and survival. Innovation is hard for any organization, even more so for retailers where executing retail basics can often be seen as enough. But the difference between success and failure is increasingly becoming the ability to reframe your approach to innovation and use it to win the competitive edge, as Retail Innovation Reframed explains. Changing your business operations to solve customers’ biggest challenges is how established household names and emerging businesses now thrive. … Online resources include templates for testing and analyzing new innovations”– Provided by publisher.” (Adapted from Catalogue)
Retail recovery : how creative retailers are winning in their post-apocalyptic world / Pilkington, Mark
“This book offers a comprehensive analysis of new forces which are changing the way in which we buy products and experience brands… The retail industry, with which we have all grown up, has been devastated by the twin effects of the internet and the Coronavirus lockdown. Huge numbers of prestigious brands have gone under, or are a shadow of their former selves. The world economy has gone into deep recession, with reduced employment and incomes across broad swathes of society. Many discretionary products have simply become too expensive for ordinary people to buy on a regular basis. High streets and shopping malls lie half empty, causing a vacuum at the core of our societies. There is an urgent need to regenerate our local shopping centers, in order to create new hope in depressed areas. So how can retailers and brands respond to this crisis? Fortunately, new shoots of recovery are emerging from the wreckage of the old order–new brands, new technology, new ways of providing value, and new and innovative methods of creating excitement to draw in consumers, all of which have the potential to kick-start the retail economy”–Publisher’s description.” (Adapted from Catalogue)
Retail confidential / Cushnan, Joe
“The recession is creating havoc in the retail sector. This guide offers advice on what to do and what not to do to manage a successful retail business. It shows how to keep the business simple and how to keep the business honest. It reveals how the customer is not always right but is always essential.” (Catalogue)
Retail in detail / Bond, Ronald L.
“With more than 30 years of experience, author Ronald L. Bond provides the most comprehensive information available on starting and running a retail business. Everything you need to know to successfully plan, launch and manage your own retail business is at your fingertips.”–Back cover.” (Catalogue)
Inside the mind of the shopper : the science of retailing / Sorensen, Herb
“What do you really do when you shop? The answers are fascinating and, for retailers, they’re cash in the bank. In Inside the Mind of the Shopper, retail consultant Dr. Herb Sorensen uncovers the truth about the retail shopper and rips away the myths and mistakes that lead retailers to miss their greatest opportunities… Drawing on Sorensen’s breakthrough second-by-second analysis of millions of shopping trips, this book reveals how consumers actually behave, move, and make buying decisions as they move through supermarkets and other retail stores. Sorensen presents powerful, tested strategies for designing more effective stores, improving merchandising, and driving double-digit sales increases. ” (Adapted from Catalogue)
Window display : new visual merchandising / Morgan, Tony
“A showcase of the most exciting, innovative and successful window displays worldwide, this book offers inspiration and guidance to visual merchandisers and retailers who need to create eye-catching window designs that will increase sales.” (Catalogue)
Visual merchandising : window and in-store displays for retail / Morgan, Tony
“A great introduction for retail students, this book offers a user-friendly reference guide to all aspects of visual merchandising and covers both window dressing and in-store areas. Using examples from a range of stores from fashion emporia to supermarkets, the book offers practical advice on the subject, supported by hints and tips from established visual merchandisers. It reveals the secrets of their tool kit, and information on the use of mannequins, the latest technology, how to construct and source props, and explains the psychology behind shopping and buyer behavior. Presented through color photographs, diagrams of floor layouts, and store case studies, and including invaluable information such as a glossary of terms used in the industry, Visual Merchandising is an essential handbook for anyone working in and learning about this exciting area.” (Catalogue)
Retail Customer Service (LinkedIn Learning)
Delivering great retail customer service 48m Beginner Updated: 7/28/2021
Retail customer service happens in a specific setting: supporting the sale or fulfillment of a physical product. Unlike a call center, in a retail scenario you get to meet customers face to face. It can be overwhelming, but it’s a great opportunity to deliver fantastic customer service—the kind that gets you noticed by managers, and keeps customers coming back. It starts with a positive attitude, which leads to a good first impression. However, you can’t guarantee customers will always be happy.In this course, learn techniques to deal with upset customers, and show empathy with active listening. Instructor and customer service expert David Brownlee—the author of Rockstar Service, Rockstar Profits—also provides etiquette tips to ensure quality service at every point of interaction: from the moment customers walk in the door to keeping them happy while they’re on hold.
(Access to LinkedIn learning is available free with library registration)
You aced your interview and landed a new position at a retail store. Now that the job is yours, how do you actually get good at it? One crucial skill that can help you succeed in this role—and in nearly every other job you’ll have going forward—is the ability to talk to customers in a way that makes them feel comfortable. Genuine conversations—and not pushy sales tactics—will help you connect your retail customers with what they need, and do so in a way that will leave them wanting to come back again and again. This course is all about mastering those conversations. In this course, Paul A. Smith goes over the kinds of conversations you’re expected to be able to have with retail customers, sharing techniques that can help you navigate those interactions successfully. Learn how to start talking to someone who just walked into your store, how to turn a conversation ender like “Thanks, I’m just looking” into a conversation starter, how to deal with angry customers, and much more.
(Access to LinkedIn learning is available free with library registration)
If you would like further information please contact the Prosearch team at the library. We can help you find information across a range of perspectives and resources. All enquiries are treated in confidence.
Leading both a political party and a country requires certain skillsets and strengths, the same as with any business. Our past Prime Ministers have each brought their own unique take to the role and have each had to rise to face particular challenges.
While it is too soon for any analysis regarding Christopher Luxon, and Chris Hipkins tenure has not yet produced any publications, the term of New Zealand’s 40th Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, produced numerous books giving consideration to her leadership style.
John Key’s leadership during his three year term as Prime Minister is written about by John Roughan while former Cabinet Minister, Chris Finlayson provides further insight into the workings of the Key led government of the times.
Further back the leadership of New Zealand’s first elected female Prime Minister, Helen Clark, is discussed along with her term leading the United Nations Development Programme.
We’ve included Denis Welch’s recent examination of Norman Kirk’s brief term in office and round out the blog with some collective works by political commentators interviewing or examining the leadership of a number of former Prime Ministers.
Jacinda Ardern : the story behind an extraordinary leader / Duff, Michelle
“Michelle Duff delves into Ardern’s beginnings in small-town New Zealand, discovering a nose-ringed teen fighting for equality and her own identity in a devout Mormon family. Duff tracks Ardern’s political career from being dismissed as a ‘show pony’ to her compassion during one of New Zealand’s biggest tragedies, the Christchurch mosque terror attack of 2019. In its aftermath, Ardern has become a global icon for her strength and decisiveness while uniting a country in shock and mourning. Ardern attracted international headlines for being the second world leader to give birth while in office. But why was having a baby so meaningful, and what does it say about the continued struggle for gender equality? Has Ardern really been a transcendent leader, and what enduring mark might she leave on the political landscape? This is an engrossing and powerful exploration of one of the most intriguing political stories of our time-telling us as much about one young woman’s ascendancy as it does about the country that elected her”– Publisher description.” (Catalogue) Also available as EBook Libby
Jacinda Ardern : a new kind of leader / Chapman, Madeleine
“New Zealand’s prime minister has been hailed as a leader for a new generation, tired of inaction in the face of issues such as climate change and far-right terrorism. Her grace and compassion following the Christchurch mosque shooting captured the world’s attention. Oprah Winfrey invited us to ‘channel our inner Jacindas’ as praise for Ardern flooded headlines and social media. The ruler of this remote country even made the cover of Time. In this revealing biography, journalist Madeleine Chapman discovers the woman behind the headlines. Always politically engaged and passionate, Ardern is uncompromising and astute. She has encountered her fair share of sexism, but rather than let that harden her, she advocates ‘rising above’ disparagers. In her first press conference, she announced an election campaign of ‘relentless positivity’. The tactic was a resounding success: donations poured in and Labour rebounded in the polls. But has Ardern lived up to her promise? What political concessions has she had to make? And beyond the hype, what does her new style of leadership look like in practice?” (Catalogue) Also available in Large print format and EBook Libby
Jacinda Ardern : leading with empathy / Vani, Supriya
“Jacinda Ardern was swept into office in 2017, with a wave of popular adulation dubbed ‘Jacindamania’. Her victory seemed heroic: in less than three months, she rose from deputy leader of the opposition, to the highest office in her nation. Few in politics would have believed it possible; fewer still would have guessed at her resolve and compassionate leadership, which, in the wake of the horrific Christchurch mosque shootings of March 2019 and the struggles of the COVID-19 pandemic, brought her international acclaim and a second term. Jacinda Ardern: Leading with Empathy carefully explores the influences – personal, social, political and emotional – that have shaped Ardern. Acclaimed peace activist and journalist Supriya Vani builds her narrative through personal interviews with Ardern, as well as the prime minister’s public statements and speeches and the words of those who know her. We visit the places, meet the people and understand the events that propelled the daughter of a small-town Mormon policeman into a committed social democrat, a passionate Labour Party politician, and a model modern leader.”–Publisher’s description.” (Catalogue) Also available as EBook Libby
The most powerful woman in the world : how Jacinda Ardern exemplifies progressive leadership / Chapman, Madeleine
“The fascinating story of an international icon – one of the world’s most inspiring, progressive leaders. Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern is a leader for a new generation, one tired of inertia in the face of pressing issues such as climate change, immigration and the rise of far-right terrorism. Ardern was catapulted onto the international stage with her grace and compassion following the Christchurch mosque shooting. Oprah Winfrey invited us to ‘channel our inner Jacindas’ as praise for Ardern flooded headlines and social media. The world’s youngest female head of government, and only the second elected world leader to give birth while in office, Ardern describes herself as a progressive and a social democrat. In this revealing biography, journalist Madeleine Chapman discovers the woman behind the headlines. Politically engaged from an early age, Ardern has encountered her fair share of sexism, but rather than let that harden her she advocates ‘rising above’ critics. In her first press conference, she announced an election campaign of ‘relentless positivity’. The tactic was a resounding success: donations poured in and Labour rebounded in the polls. But can Ardern live up to her promise? What does her new style of leadership look like in practice? And what can we learn from the world’s reaction to this inspiring leader?” (Catalogue)
John Key : portrait of a Prime Minister / Roughan, John
“Arguably New Zealand’s most popular Prime Minister in modern times, John Key shocked many with his decision to step down from office less than a year out from an election. Rather than seeking an historic fourth term, Key instead opted to quit while his approval rating was as high as ever in the polls. In this updated edition of the bestselling 2014 book, journalist John Roughan speaks with Key about his eight years leading the country and the motivation to turn his back on Parliament while he was still enjoying unprecedented public support. This lively portrait offers insights into Key’s early life, personality and motivations. Roughan examines how the twin ambitions of a boy in a state house, ‘to make a million dollars and be Prime Minister’, were realised beyond his dreams, and how Key’s instincts as a currency trader informed his approach to politics – and ultimately his decision to step down”–Publisher information.” (Catalogue)
Helen : portrait of a Prime Minister / Edwards, Brian
“New Zealand’s first woman Prime Minister remains an enigma to many, despite her almost daily exposure on television. In this biography, the author has produced a comprehensive and absorbing account of the life, times and character of the real Helen Clark.” (Catalogue)
Women, equality, power : selected speeches from a life of leadership / Clark, Helen
“A celebration of an outstanding leader who continues to strive and work for change, and it’s a rallying call for other women leaders, whether they are in positions of political, economic or social power. Helen Clark has been a political leader for more than 40 years, since first running in local elections in the 1970s. She entered parliament as a 31-year-old in 1981, led the Labour Party to victory in 1999 and was Prime Minister of New Zealand for nine years. She then took on a critical international role as Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme in New York. One of her key focuses throughout this time has been the empowerment of women and she has paved the way for other women to step up and lead. With a foreword by the Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern, Prime Minister of New Zealand, this is a timely and important book.” (Catalogue) Also available as EBook Libby
At the UN : addresses from Helen Clark’s first term leading the United Nations Development Programme / Clark, Helen
“A selection of speeches – given to a variety of international audiences which cover a broad range of topics – areas which all fall within the major role and responsibility of the Administrator of the UN Development Programme – Helen Clark, who is now beginning a second four year term in New York. The addresses cover, among other topics and with a global perspective: global leadership for development, disaster risk reduction, governance, energy matters, why peace matters, famine, global finances, cyberspace, human development and international justice, local government roles, democratic transitions, climate change and developing nations, empowerment and resilience”–Publisher information.” (Catalogue)
The 9th floor : conversations with five New Zealand prime ministers / Espiner, Guyon
“Based on the acclaimed RNZ podcast series, and including new material, The 9th Floor by journalists Guyon Espiner and Tim Watkin presents in-depth interviews with five former Prime Ministers of New Zealand. Geoffrey Palmer, Mike Moore, Jim Bolger, Jenny Shipley and Helen Clark reflect on their time occupying the prime ministerial offices on the 9th floor of the Beehive. Their recollections amount to a fascinating record of the decisions that shaped modern New Zealand.” (Catalogue) Also available as EBook BWB
New Zealand’s prime ministers : from Dick Seddon to John Key / Bassett, Michael
“Collective biographies have been written for Britain’s and Australia’s Prime Ministers, and for America’s Presidents. Until now New Zealand has had no comparable overview. Based on extensive, careful archival research, interviews with recent Prime Ministers, many of their colleagues, and with their opponents, this major work is the product of decades of appreciative and insightful observation. It is essential reading for anyone interested in New Zealand politics.” (Catalogue)
We need to talk about Norman : New Zealand’s lost leader / Welch, Denis
“Norman Kirk was Prime Minister for only 90 weeks but in the early 1970s he inspired us by leading a visionary government with a clear moral purpose. When he died, we lost the man and many believe we lost our way. This book examines the promise of Kirk’s leadership and the social contract that is central to a liberal democratic society.”– Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)
If you need more information please contact the Prosearch team at the library. We can help you find information across a range of perspectives and resources. All enquiries are treated in confidence.
I recently attended the national conference for LIANZA, the professional body for Library and Information staff.
It was held in Te Pae, the award winning new conference facilities in Ōtautahi/Christchurch. It was my first time attending ‘in person’ for five years so it was fantastic to catch up with old friends, former colleagues and spend a few days bouncing around ideas and enjoying the energy of 500+ of my colleagues from around the motu as we were immersed in the professional culture of our ‘tribe’.
I also did a brief presentation at this conference, and talking to a room of peers giving immediate feedback made it a vastly different experience from the online presentation I gave two years ago.
All this set me thinking, now that we have returned to in person conferences, but given increasing costs of attendance, how, as a conference delegate, can we get the most out of the time and money invested.
Conference attendance inevitably involves a significant financial outlay. Some may be fortunate to have employers who will support or contribute to the costs. Others may need to apply for funding via a grant, in order to attend (often available through the organising professional body). There may be a degree of compromise involved: for instance an employer may be willing to pay registration costs for attendance, while the employee accepts the cost of accommodation/travel.
However it is funded, conference attendance is an investment in professional development and helps employees maintain professional relevance and currency. An employer should expect some return on investment so how can you get the most out of a conference?
Two of the main points of conference attendance are professional development and networking. Attending a conference is not only an opportunity to learn from others and be inspired by keynotes, but to also share your own experiences. This can take the form of a formal presentation or through serendipitous connections with other attendees.
Whether you are a first time attendee, an experienced presenter or somewhere in between here’s some resources compiled to help you get the most out of a professional conference.
Planning
A conference for a professional body will probably involve a professional event planner. However smaller organisations may not have the budget for this and therefore will rely on members to assist with some or all the the planning. One way to share your skills or acquire new ones is to get involved in the planning of the event.
Planning and managing a corporate event / Lindsey, Karen “Includes the Ultimate Tick List, A-Z Survival Guide, 50 Top Tips and Useful Contacts. This book provides comprehensive and expert guidance on planning and managing a Warner Music Entertainment corporate event. It is written as a support text for students studying event management and to provide a practical guide for aspiring event organisers.” (Catalogue)
Event Planning Foundations (LinkedIn) 50m Beginner Released: 2/17/2018 Do you excel at bringing people together? Turn your passion for event planning into a career. Event planners are employed in every industry. They bring teams together to achieve goals, celebrate milestones, bond outside the office, and work more productively. This course will give you tips, tricks, and techniques to make your next event a success—whether it’s your first or fifty-first. Valerie Berry covers topics such as understanding your client’s objectives, selecting a venue, getting the right technology in place, negotiating a budget, and building menus. Plus, learn how to manage the thousands of details that occur in the two weeks leading to an event, and follow up afterwards to make sure your clients and your vendors are satisfied. (Library registration required to access)
Yes, presenting to a room full of peers is scary but it is one way of sharing your knowledge and experience with your community.
A professional conference will have a theme and will call for abstracts to be submitted for consideration months prior to the event.
Think about what you can present on, how to tie it to the theme of the conference and then prepare your abstract. Your paper will be selected on the strength of your abstract and the writing of an abstract (a succinct summary of your paper) is a skill. Guidelines may well be given by the organisations but a few tips are given in these two items :
Congratulations! Your paper has been accepted on the basis of your abstract. Now to write the paper. Depending on the type of paper you have selected to present you will have a time limit.
The snowball effect : communication techniques to make you unstoppable / Bounds, Andy “Imagine what would happen if your communication suddenly became twice as effective as it is now – in business and in life. You’d get more done, persuade others more easily, get things right first time and have better relationships. You’d be unstoppable.” (Catalogue)
Presentation skills for quivering wrecks / Etherington, Bob “Based on a successful course delivered by the author to thousands of businesspeople, this book demonstrates how it is possible to overcome the fear of speaking in public, enabling anyone to stand up deliver a memorable presentation.” (Catalogue)
While all that can be done will be done to ensure a smooth presentation there are days when technology at least refuses to cooperate. If things don’t go as planned, it pays to have given some thought in advance to how you may handle the situation if something goes wrong. What to Do When Presentations Go Wrong offers tips for presenters to handle hiccups with ease.
Presentation over, and you can now relax and enjoy networking. Don’t overlook the power of making connections with colleagues and exhibitors.
The rules of networking / Yeung, Rob “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know. Networking has become one of the key skills for virtually anyone who wants to get on in their jobs and careers. In fact, in just about any situation, knowing the right person will get you ahead. This book provides the essential rules and secrets to successful networking. It addresses the how, why and who of networking to enable virtually anyone to grasp the key skills and do some serious networking. Far from being a God-given talent, networking is a technique that can be learnt, honed and applied to great effect. Careers consultant Rob Yeung offers savvy and practical advice on networking that will make a genuine difference to your career.” (Catalogue)
Networking for people who hate networking : a field guide for introverts, the overwhelmed, and the underconnected / Zack, Devora “Would you rather get a root canal than face a group of strangers? Does the phrase “working a room” make you want to retreat to yours? Devora Zack, an avowed introvert and successful consultant … feels your pain. She found that other networking books assume that to succeed, you have to act like an extrovert. … Zack politely examines and then smashes to tiny fragments the “dusty old rules” of standard networking advice. She shows how the very traits that make many people hate networking can be harnessed to forge an approach more effective and user-friendly than traditional techniques. This edition adds new material on applying networking principles in personal situations, handling interview questions, following up-what do you do with all those business cards?-and more. Networking enables you to accomplish the goals that are most important to you. But you can’t adopt a style that goes against who you are-and you don’t have to. As Zack writes, “You do not succeed by denying your natural temperament; you succeed by working with your strengths.” (Adapted from Catalogue) Available in EBook Libby only
10 steps to successful social networking for business / Hartley, Darin E “Whether you run a solo consulting practice or a worldwide enterprise, you likely use some form of social networking to connect your customer base to the services or products you offer. This book offers you a step-by-step plan to use the advantages of social networking to build brand and customer loyalty and to share organizational knowledge.” (Catalogue)
General resources
How to Rock a Conference (LinkedIn) Create lasting connections anywhere 1h 9m Beginner Released: 2/12/2021 In order to grow your network and advance your skills, you need to attend conferences. In this course, business expert Bianca Lager walks you through how to make the most of attending one. Bianca explains how to stand out with your personal interactions at conferences. She emphasizes the importance of preparation, presence, positivity, and setting achievable goals. Bianca goes over how you can maximize networking opportunities before, during, and after a conference. She shows you how to prepare a plan ahead of time, as well as analyze how to project power through your positivity and appearance. Bianca concludes with useful tips for those running the conference, for first-time conference attendees, and more. (Library registration required to access)
10 Ways to Make the Most Out of a Conference Attending conferences might be one of the best things you can do for your career. You’ll learn about industry trends, gain some new skills, and make all kinds of new connections. (And yes, there’s usually travel and free meals involved.) How to Get the Most Out of a Conference Rebecca Knight, Harvard Business Review online, July 2015 Conferences are an overwhelming rush of presentations, conversations, and potential meet-ups, and it can be tough to know where to focus your time. How do you figure out which sessions to attend? Should you skip the keynote to meet an important contact? How many coffee dates are too many? And what should you do if you’re an introvert who hates small talk?
If you are fortunate enough to be able to attend an international conference, the scale, particularly in the USA, can be overwhelming. This article offers some sensible tips.
After the event, remember to share your findings. Report back on your findings and experiences to your team, your manager or your local professional body. You have represented your organisation on their behalf.
If you need more information please contact the Prosearch team at the library. We can help you find information across a range of perspectives and resources. All enquiries are treated in confidence.
Mostly on Managing Up. NZBusiness+Management, February 1, 2023.
Provides suggestions to help determine if you are managing up effectively.
Why Managing Up Matters.
Simpson, Liz. Harvard Management Update 7, no. 8 (August 2002): 3-5
It isn’t manipulation. Clarifying the goals and limitations of the boss-employee relationship enables everyone to move on to the real business at hand.
How to Onboard Your New Boss
Hollister, R. and Watkins, M.D. (2023) Harvard Business Review Digital Articles, pp. 1–6
Reducing their learning curve about your organization, team, and culture will help set all of you up for success.
LinkedIn learning
Managing Up(Course) Are you ready to take charge, do good work, and get noticed for it? If you don’t manage up, you may never have the opportunity to manage down. This course is designed to help you learn how to maximize your career by managing up. Leadership consultant and best-selling author Roberta Matuson explains what managing up is, what it isn’t, and why it is important to achieving success. First, she helps you decipher the management style of your boss. Then she outlines techniques for building a strong relationship as well as how to avoid mistakes. She also addresses the need to master office politics, how to navigate your workplace effectively, and how to boost your performance by maximizing your personal and positional power.
Managing Your Manager (Course) In this course, author, keynote speaker, and coach Dr. Todd Dewett shows how to manage your reputation and one of your most important work relationships: your rapport with your boss. Discover how to understand your manager’s world, preferences, and lingo; support your boss’s goals; be a help rather than a hindrance; and lead by offering solutions. Plus, learn how to manage particularly difficult types of bosses, such as the boss who’s never available, the mean boss, or the boss who acts better than everyone else.
Book collection
The unwritten rules of managing up : project management techniques from the trenches / Brownlee, Dana
“What do you do when the biggest threat to your project is your boss? It’s not that your boss is out to get you. In fact, bosses generally mean well. But clueless leadership from a well-intentioned boss can sometimes cause more damage than a criminal mastermind tying your project to the railroad tracks. The Unwritten Rules of Managing Up provides refreshingly practical and candid insight into the best practices and techniques that project managers have successfully used for decades to manage a wide variety of senior-level stakeholders-ranging from perfectly competent and pleasant to downright dysfunctional and inept. While managing up is an incredibly valuable skill for virtually any type of boss (not just the difficult ones), the book includes recommendations for managing six particularly challenging-and common-types of senior leaders. … Brownlee also offers basic techniques to use with any boss, even a great one. This book is not just for professionals seeking to enhance their workplace effectiveness but also for senior leaders interested in addressing their blind spots and coaching others toward a more collaborative, results-focused leadership approach.” (Adapted from Catalogue) Available only as EBook Libby
Managing up : how to move up, win at work, and succeed with any type of boss / Abbajay, Mary
“Managing Up is your guide to the most valuable ‘soft skill’ your career has ever seen. It’s not about sucking up or brown-nosing; it’s about figuring out who you are, who your boss is, and finding where you meet. It’s about building real relationships with people who have influence over your career. Managing up is good for you, good for your boss, and good for the organization as a whole. This book gives you strategies for developing these all-important connections and building more than rapport; you become able to quickly assess situations, and determine which actions will move you forward; you become your own talent manager, and your boss’s top choice for that new opportunity. As a skill, managing up can do more for your career than simply ‘networking’ ever could and this book shows you how.” (Catalogue)
Managing your manager : how to get ahead with any type of boss / Dufour, Gonzague
“Learn how to effectively work with even the most difficult boss – and instantly position yourself for success. Placing manager “types” into real-world categories – from the Bully, Scientist, and Star to the Geek, Parent, and Con Artist – this book provides everything you need to make your work life more satisfying and productive.” (Catalogue)
Bad boss : what to do if you work for one, manage one or are one / Gibbings, Michelle
“At one time or another we’ve all had a bad boss – from bullying and intimidation, to unfair feedback and unrealistic workloads. Contrary to popular belief, most bosses don’t set out to be a bad boss, and yet they are. A bad boss’s behaviour sets the tone for what’s acceptable in the whole organisation and in doing so, can cause major issues for productivity, staff turnover and wellbeing. This book covers all three perspectives for the direct report, the boss and the boss’s boss. It could even be you! This book will help you identify is it them, is it you or is it the environment in which you work, with key actionable steps to turn things around.” (Catalogue)
If you would like further information please contact the Prosearch team at the library. We can help you find information across a range of perspectives and resources. All enquiries are treated in confidence.
