Instead, the government’s role is to create a vision for the country which they then need to underpin with policies to enable people to improve their circumstances and that of their communities. Assuming it should be any more than this is not only foolish but leads to disappointment on a national scale which is what we’re witnessing around the world today.

Despite what we think of Jacinda Ardern’s performance as Prime Minister here in New Zealand, we’ve become a disgruntled nation; one that feels like we’ve not only been let down by our politicians but failed by the very people we elected to improve things.

It is important to understand why this is the case, otherwise we risk further division. In fact, if we don’t acknowledge it, we’re going to undo the progress we’ve made since the great depression, all the while lessening our ability to get onto a more prosperous footing.

Without question, the No 1 issue we’re facing is a lack of personal accountability. Regrettably, for many, it’s become easier to believe that other people are responsible for their predicament rather than accepting the fact that their life and what they’re experiencing is largely a consequence of them.

Of course, there will always be situations when this isn’t the case. For example, tamariki, those with health problems or who are otherwise impaired, and the elderly who can no longer look after themselves. However, for most of us, it’s a fact. And while there’s no doubt it’s a lot harder for some than others, hence the importance of targeted assistance, unless we accept that our circumstances can only be improved by us and the choices we make, we will become ever more divided as a nation.

To achieve this and, therefore, improve outcomes for everyone, we need the private sector to lead the way; to give people the confidence to back themselves rather than blame the government for all that’s wrong in their worlds even though some of their decisions were inherently flawed. In fact, to realise true and lasting change, we need leaders at every level of business to give their people the tools to improve their outlook rather than exacerbating the issue by either parroting their misfortune or taking sides.

Why? Because managers are (arguably) better positioned than anyone to have an impact on those who report to them. In other words, for most people, there’s no one else who can enhance their thinking and experience on a practical level given their whanau, mentors and/or spiritual leaders are typically less equipped or available to fulfil the role.

So what does this mean for businesses?

In a democracy like New Zealand, organisations are vital as they provide the principal mechanism to not only fund the nation by way of taxes but the lives of people around the country. Further to this, their need to develop a more productive and engaged workforce means it’s in a company’s interest to form a deeper relationship with their people to remain competitive.

Historically, organisations have focused on extracting value from their staff whereas today, CEOs know their future will be determined by their people and what they enable them to produce. This being the case, companies will need to work harder to attract and retain their staff rather than seeing them as a resource they need to manage as they may have in the past.

However, for this to eventuate, employees will need to position themselves as the answer to their organisation’s challenges rather than the challenge itself. That is, if we want to reach this point, staff will need to engage with their employer as a vested ‘partner’ not an opponent that takes advantage of the challenges their company is facing. Put another way, employees will need to demonstrate their willingness to change what they’re doing to help the company succeed rather than reminding them they’re there for the pay cheque and nothing more.

Building tomorrow’s workplace

As the world looks beyond Covid, there’s an opportunity for organisations who are willing to change their business and with it, their future returns. Despite the power of the relationship shifting back to employees because of the tightness in the labour market, there’s an opportunity for CEOs to create a more employee-centric business and by doing so, get a jump on the competition.

The fact is companies need more from their people to do better. At the same time, employees are looking for better opportunities and returns on their effort; whether that be improved working conditions or simply a more enriching experience.

Either way, the need to reorientate business operating models opens the door to a different way of working for both parties which offers organisations the chance to not only reset their employee value proposition but their outlook as a whole.

If you are ready to rethink how you operate – or you’re aware of the need to change – give us a call as our new performance transformation software allows organisations to reimagine their future in a way tomorrow’s workforce will expect.

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