NZATD Meeting for November

Every month I go to a monthly meeting of Christchurch branch New Zealand Association for Training and Development (NZATD). I am a professional member of this organisation, and it is a privilege I don't take lightly. It is my intent to be come more involved over the coming years.

NZATD's aims are to:
• Foster the development of professional competence and high standards of performance in training and development.
• Promote understanding of training and development and its contribution to the performance of individuals and organizations

For more information see their web site

This month the guest speaker was Peter Townsend, the chief executive of the Canterbury Employers' Chamber of Commerce was the guest speaker for the evening discussing Workplace Productivity.
Here are just a few snippets of the topics Peter covered:

Survey quote:
60% of businesses recognised the need for continuous training 75% of businesses accepted that it was their responsibility as an employer to provide the training None of them would be increasing their training budgets next year.

Productivity is the key to moving forward in this difficult period. It is about being match fit, having flexibility in the workplace and considering economic survival.

Success criteria:
Sound public policy
Good infrastructure
Human capital
Technology and leveraging
Reposition NZ worldwide on integrity of product - we can't beat the world on price.

Build leadership:
Managers are busy training their people and need to train themselves.
On average we use on 15% of collective intellectual potential Partial vacuum theory of management - draw them into the right environment and empower.

Flexible working arrangements; Y Gen, carers in the workplace, older workers

Continual upskilling, improved output
Have staff set their own performance measurements

Product integrity globally & value proposition of product NZ; can we maintain a reputation of being well liked & trusted, clean & green, and doing what we say.

Quality of life vs. standard of living
What we see out of the window vs. economically what we can put in our pocket.