MAKING A DIFFERENCE MATTERS
An Employment Primer for Generation Z
“Ralph Penning talks about his working life and philosophy and reflects on the state of the Third Sector in Aotearoa New Zealand”
Good is something you do, not something you talk about. Some medals are pinned to your soul, not to your jacket. – Gino Bartali
This is both a career retrospective and a reflection to encourage others to consider employment or governance in the voluntary non-profit sector.
As Brendon Ward, CEO of the Australasian Society of Association Executives so aptly put it in his foreword to The Future of Associations by Omar Soker: “From the beds we sleep in to the clothes we wear, the cars we drive on the roads and bridges we travel on, the design and construction of the offices we work in and the homes we live in, to the professional services we access and the charities we benefit from, there is an association working hard to improve products, services professionalism, public policy and ultimately society”. It is this area in which I spent much of my career and that I recommend to my successors as a deserving employment and deployment sector.
The Future of Employment
In reflecting on a working life well lived, I regard myself as a pioneer, who charted many of the career options that are confronting first entry job seekers in the gig economy, in which temporary positions will be increasingly common. In this environment organisations contract with independent workers for short-term engagement. This trend is well underway and unstoppable. Artificial intelligence and robots are poised to replace a good chunk of today’s workforce. The future favours individuals, who are mathematical and scientific enabled, whereas those of us with linguistic artistic inclinations are at a distinct disadvantage in competition for fewer opportunities. With 70,000 newly trained and qualified entrants to the New Zealand job market each year and growing, it is relevant to reflect on their career options and opportunities. Many will not fulfil their dreams and be able to take full advantage of their acquired learning, unless they are proactive in their preparations. More worrisome are the survey-based statistics of 60% of the workforce being disengaged and unfulfilled in their present positions. Unfortunately, little attention has been paid to the Third Sector consisting of non-governmental organisations, public benefit charities and membership associations representing a wide variety of interests and occupations as meaningful places of employment. At the time of writing there are 60,000 plus volunteer driven entities registered in New Zealand. This sector deserves attention in its long-term need for governance and management competent participants. Its main distinguishing feature is the ability to not only meet financial requirements, but primarily make a difference. From the outset I took the decision to divide my life to achieve both objectives. The following observations may assist undecided recruitment prospects on their journey. The non-profit sector is a people business. It calls for creativity, initiative and good inter-personal skills; and to a lesser degree for technology driven participants. It is an equal opportunity employer with strong female participation both at governance and chief executive level and offers flexible work arrangements.
My Entry Prescription
Speaking from experience as a long-term employer and management mentor, I rate the prospects for employment in any form based on a set of essential credentials. My first impression during a pre-employment interview is based on the applicant’s enthusiasm, state of preparation, presentation and inter-personal skills. Well suited candidates usually stand out from the crowd with an early identified inclination and fit that is people centric. Part-time employment of any kind after school hours and during holidays indicates a willingness to work and handle several responsibilities. Where a degree is on offer that is not discipline specific, I am not too concerned about the choice of papers leading up to it. The inherent credits I am looking for, are the ability to think creatively, reason and source information. I regard every subject pass that is relevant to the job on offer as a bonus. The ability to communicate in excellent English, both verbally and in writing is essential, as are competencies in the use of social media and web based communications. Special interests, even of a recreational nature, are relevant. Participation in competitive sport, regardless of success, also matters. Last, but not least, volunteering of any kind beyond the call of duty is a good recommendation. Moreover, can the interviewee offer any credible referees in support of her/his candidacy? My own career path may provide some of the answers to these recruitment questions. I speak from first-hand experience as an employee, portfolio contractor, career association executive and non-profit volunteer board member.
The evolving Workplace
Every career has a beginning and an end. To be fulfilling and rewarding, calls for a certain amount of research and planning with a strong element of being in the right place at the right time. The workplace has undergone a virtual revolution over the past twenty years and is continuing to change with greater emphasis on intelligence work. Traditional organisation structures are overtaken by an unstoppable move towards greater flexibility in human resource utilisation. Up to 30% of the workforce are already part of a “gig” economy, meaning that an increasing proportion of the working age population are engaged in some form of independent, on-demand work. Greater reliance on automation and artificial intelligence will drastically change many occupations and professions and with it, how we prepare to meet the demands of the workplace of the future. In part this is reflected in my own career development and I dedicate my experiences to the next generation of aspiring young adults in search of opportunities in the application of their talents and acquired learning.
Significance of early Influences
I had the advantage of a good secondary education with remarkable role models to draw on. Certainly, there were influencing factors from my father in particular, who was very challenging and sowed the seeds that gave me direction. I also had the benefit of trusted employers, colleagues and clients over the years, who provided splendid examples. Much of my early success is attributable to a particular service club. At the time of my joining the JC organisation (Junior Chamber of Commerce) I was in a business career in Pretoria, South Africa. My interest in collectable books brought me into contact with a supplier, who happened to be the Chapter President. He could see a close alignment of my values with the JC philosophy, which made me a suitable membership candidate. He invited me to come to a branch meeting, which I did. At that particular meeting I met a number of kindred spirits and became acquainted with the projects they were working on, which I found very appealing. JCs gave me the chance to experience a good governance model that enabled orderly succession; the JC organization used the American Legislature Rules of Order in the conduct of their meetings. The JC Chapter membership consisted predominantly of business savvy and professionally qualified individuals, who were good role models. There was a strong presence from the Jewish business community, who adhered to an obligation called Tikkun Olam1 in which you have to perform acts of kindness to improve what you see missing in the world. It requires you to do charitable deeds, which are intended to have wider ramifications beyond your immediate sphere of influence. This found visible expression in some the projects the JCs were engaging in.
My first Milestone I was transferred by my company at that time to one of the satellite cities of Johannesburg and with it I transferred my JC membership; and again I found a very buoyant Chapter in the city of Boksburg. We set ourselves some ambitious objectives, in respect of running projects that would have wider meaning and implications. This applied in particular in a country like South Africa under apartheid with enormous disadvantages for the black population. One area we identified, was the economic development of black traders in the African townships. Quite a lot of negotiation with the police and other regulatory authorities was required to gain access to our students. We finally received approval to go at night into townships to conduct basic small business courses. In the process of the project’s implementation I got to know the insides of Soweto and Mamelodi from many visits. To me this was a very meaningful project, because we were able to observe the deprivations of black South Africans
1 Hebrew “ repair of the world” from Wikipedia under separate development. On the positive side we were able to take some remedial action in enabling the course participants to work more effectively in serving their communities, particularly in commerce and retailing. It had a twofold benefit for me in gaining a better understanding of the other side of South Africa, from which I was largely separated as a white citizen. In the course of the project we enriched the opportunities of the participants with our business skills training in a future majority ruled country. Outcome achieved: My personal benefit was the acquisition of training and development skills that found a place in my later career.
Up the Organisation
There was very little entertainment of any substance in Boksburg. So we surveyed the local community, mustered the necessary resources and drew on our organisational ability to stage a variety concert as a fund raiser. It produced a substantial surplus, which we could apply in running our charitable projects. The remarkable thing about JCs was the ability to ‘think big’. It gave us access to a human resource, who were better equipped, with many in well qualified positions and professions. It enhanced our ability to draw on this collective strength with a better understanding of the world around us. I was co-opted to the chapter committee during my second membership year. The JCs followed the American prescription in allowing the national President Elect to appoint his governance team. Following his assuming the national office, I was invited to join the President’s team in the Project Research and Implementation portfolio. This opened several doors in contacts with agencies of the State at an early age. To enable me to commit the time required to fulfil the responsibilities of this portfolio, my employer released me from full-time duties for the duration of my year- long term in office. The JC experience contributed to my career development with a twofold benefit of practical business and governance training that met the JC founding principles of Leadership Training through Community Service. It laid the foundation for my later career in the non-profit sector. Outcomes achieved: I gained experience in voluntary governance, training, event organisation, research, project management, negotiating, team work and fundraising.
How to win Friends and Influence People Putting the JCs to one side, there was another career enhancing element, because the company I worked for at that time, Hudson Tyre Company, had an understanding with the Dale Carnegie organisation. Younger executives were given the opportunity to be sponsored to undergo the Dale Carnegie Programme, which contained elements of what translates into ‘do not do to others that you don’t want to have done to yourself’. The programme contained a strong element of human kindness and understanding in accepting other viewpoints and diversity. I was able to develop inter-personal skills, build and maintain relationships with an acceptance that we are not all the same, but share common interests and experiences. From a personal perspective it can be construed to be more attuned to the world around us and the people who live in it. That was the key element in my personal development. The book and Dale Carnegie best seller How to win Friends and Influence People should be prescribed reading in preparation for meaningful employment or business success. Outcomes achieved: I became more confident in public speaking, presentation and negotiating skills.
Another organisation that I can recommend from personal experience is Toastmasters as a grooming environment in a social setting to develop good interpersonal and presentation skills. While technical understanding and competence weigh in heavily in employment generation, being able to communicate effectively at all levels will play a greater role in career development. Toastmaster clubs can be found in many countries with the additional benefit of facilitating friendly relations between members and countries.
Early Grooming and Orientation My first work experience arose from my friendship with a fellow boarder, when I attended Pietersburg High School in the northern province of South Africa, while my parents were in Europe. Her parents invited me to spend several school holidays on their farm or in their town house at Naboomspruit in the maize belt of the Limpopo Province. It gave me the opportunity to work in the Springbok Flats Garage, which held a John Deere agency. This experience came in handy in my subsequent career. During my second term of Christmas/New Year employment my manager and her commercial teacher husband decided to go on an overseas vacation and leave the workshop foreman and me in charge. With the exception of a minor misjudgement on my part everything went smoothly. It occurred in the form of an attractive female representative, who persuaded me to buy advertising space in an unknown publication. On later reflection it was not a good purchase. When the invoice arrived after my boss’ return, she questioned me with “What did she look like? There was not much more to explain, and she undertook to undo the transaction on the grounds of my inexperience.
Outcome achieved: Early understanding of the importance of customer service in a front-line position.
I lost my father when I was sixteen years old. He died very suddenly and there was no preparation for this event. Under normal circumstances, I probably would have gone straight to university after matriculating to study languages and archaeology. Due to the circumstances, and particularly in support of my mother, it was considered more appropriate for me to find my way into a paid position that would give me time to contemplate and also to determine which way I really wanted to go. Being able to reflect on a career choice and the preparation leading up to it, applies to many young people, who have little perception of the prevailing work environment and how they can structure themselves to build a career. The Value of Promotors and Facilitators With the assistance of a family friend, who was a senior public servant, I was offered a cadetship in the Public Works Department in Pretoria. As chance would have it, they placed me in the legal section, which gave me a good introduction to construction contract law and the compliance that goes with it. This experience contained elements of commercial law, which was useful in my later professional development. I stuck to this for two years, when I came to the realisation that I was not really cut out for a public service career. In those days jobs were not plentiful. Under such circumstances it would not have been prudent to leave the civil service, which provided a lot of security, for something that was more risky and commercially orientated.
One of my colleagues was from Namibia and, like me, had a good working knowledge of the German language, which I had acquired during a four year stint at a German Grammar school. He came into the office one morning and informed me that the BMW master franchise dealership was offering a cadetship vacancy for somebody with German language proficiency. My previous employment in the retail motor trade, during term breaks while still at school, gave me the winning edge for the position. I also had to pass a perception test to see whether I had any technical abilities. As part of my induction I worked in the various departments of the organisation over a six year period and ended up as the manager of the Spares and Accessories Division. We supplied the whole of Southern Africa. Club Motors was a member of the Motor Trade Association and from time to time I attended meetings in the place of our general manager. This gave me an early introduction to an industry organisations and its role in the national economy. Not unexpected, after six years with the same employer, there comes the time when other opportunities beckon.
Through my business relationships, particularly in the purchasing area, I was known to the directors of a firm of tyre and battery merchants, who worked exclusively in the Pretoria area. They invited me to join them with an allocated territory at my disposal. I regard myself as a people person with a liking for selling things, which featured prominently in automotive spares and accessory marketing. The following couple of years were probably the most prosperous time of my life. There was an incentive bonus attached to my salary and I repeatedly won the monthly sales competition. I got to understand the wider dimension of motor vehicle maintenance out in the field and on the road, including trucking operations. Although the hours were sometimes long and arduous, the money was very good and compared favourably with my previous management position.
Outcomes achieved: It convinced me of the value of good business and personal relationships in career development.
Time for Professional Development I owe much of my success to the influence and encouragement of first wife, Monica Nel, who was a school teacher. She said after a given time in my new job “Can you see what you are doing as a career option? What qualifications have you got to carry you into the future?” I relied with “I really enjoy this work and am good at it”. She responded with “but it is not something you can do for any great length of time; yes you can move up in the organisation, but is this something that you really want to do for the rest of your life?’” And I had to admit “well, perhaps not”. Then we did a bit of a reality check and she said “What have you done in the past that really interested you?” After reflecting on my career to date I replied, “Well, I liked the legal side of my public service position, and that is something I could possibly build on to”. Following my wife’s prompting I commenced extra-mural studies to qualify as a Chartered Secretary with majors in both law and accountancy, but needed a practising work environment in an approved firm.
In my relationship as a maintenance provider to the automotive industry I had acquired the account of the Walls ice cream company, a member of the Unilever family, which is well known in Australia and New Zealand as Streets. The branch manager sat me down one day and over a cup of tea enquired into my further career plans. We continued our conversation at a following visit. It soon became obvious that he saw some potential in me and was prepared to offer me employment. We talked it through, and he said to me “Well, you haven’t got much accounting experience, but you have business nous. I am looking for a branch accountant, and from what you have told me, you have leanings towards the legal side. We operate a financial reporting system that does not require a general skill set. Does this fit into your career plans?” It could not have been a better fit. So I joined T Wall and Sons in Pretoria; and within a relatively short period I was promoted to Head Office in Boksburg on the East Rand.
Outcomes achieved: It taught me the value of good advice and the importance from time to time to reflect and make adjustments for the better.
Crunch Time To me this was a very progressive step, but as sometimes happens, there are ups and downs with advantages and disadvantages attached. I was told to assume transitionary control of a newly acquired competitor business unit and was put in charge of a major distribution centre of theirs in a neighbouring town. It required that I had to travel between Boksburg to Springs every day. I was given quite a specific brief, which meant that I had to bring that particular branch into line with the Walls operating prescription. If necessary I had to lay-off staff, who were not considered to be adaptable for a continued role with T Wall and Sons. That was a very harsh lesson for me to learn. Here was I, a no-body in my late twenties, and I had to tell somebody, who had spent most of their life with that company that they were no longer fit for purpose. As could be expected, this job involved long hours and great responsibilities. The assignment also coincided with my having to sit my final professional examinations to qualify as a chartered secretary. My wife was teaching full time, and she said to me “You have to take a hard decision”. She could see that I would not be able to be sufficiently prepared if I continued working at the current pace. She said, “I tell you what, you surrender your position and I will maintain you for a period of three months with the expectation that you pass”. So she would go off to work and I would sit at home and study full-time. I can still remember that there was a play- ground across the road from our house and I could hear the children’s voices from a distance. But in spite of the detraction I made the grade and qualified at my first attempt to become a chartered secretary and was admitted to membership of the Chartered Institute of Secretaries.
Outcomes achieved: I learned to take the hard decisions and to act decisively, when required.
Good Contacts count There was no chance of being re-employed by Walls and I had to find a new position. Again, it was a matter of being in the right position at the right time. We were visiting Pretoria to see my mother-in-law, when I ran into a former classmate from secondary school in Pietersburg, who was the general secretary of the Afrikaanse Handelsinstituut (Federation of Afrikaans Chambers of Commerce). He remembered my ability to write good essays with an expectation that I could apply my linguistic skills in a position that he was trying to fill. My expected role was twofold; they were looking for a secretary for their Motor Trade Chamber, which I fitted excellently. It also entailed working on a monthly Afrikaans language publication, which was directed at their members in the retail motor trade. Obviously I had a disadvantage in lacking experience in the latter regard. Notwithstanding this shortcoming I was invited to meet with the editor-in- chief, who said to me after a lengthy interview “I think you can do the job, because we have tried several people with journalistic training, who didn’t understand the motor industry.” So with a lot of support I grew into the position as news editor of “Motorhandel”. Apart from sourcing editorial material and preparing the publication for print, I enjoyed being a committee secretary, which drew on my ACIS qualification (Associate Chartered Secretary). It was my first part-time appointment in a membership association executive position.
Outcomes achieved: I gained publishing experience and applied my formal qualification in an executive role in a voluntary business association.
New Horizons The main income source for the publishing side of this business association was from selling advertising space, as the magazine subscription was linked to membership. A subsidiary company, managed and staffed in Johannesburg, operated for the purpose of selling advertising for the magazine. When the manager of that company decided to leave in order to establish an advertising agency, it created a vacancy for somebody to succeed him. So again, my previous sales experience in the motor industry and English language fluency came in handy. I jumped at the opportunity, because it also entailed an improvement in income. On top of my salary I received an overriding commission on all advertising revenue produced by three sales representatives. The new role also gave me the opportunity to travel regularly to visit our bases in Cape Town and Durban as well as manage key accounts. With established client and advertising agency contacts to my credit and referrals arising, I found myself on the much-wanted list in my next career move. My predecessor, now established in his advertising agency, rang me one day to announce “We have taken a strategic decision to open a branch in Pretoria. Would you be interested in helping us to set up and manage it?” The parent company was Adverkor, but we named the new agency that I managed Markad (Pty) Ltd to avoid conflict with a competitor by the name of Adverto, which was also a member of the Pretoria Afrikaanse Handelskamer (Chamber of Commerce).
Outcome achieved: I succeeded in my first business start-up
Professional Affiliations matter During my term of employment with the Federation I was also quite active in the Pretoria branch of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators in the elected position of Honorary Secretary. When I made the move into marketing communications I became founder member and secretary of the South African Institute of Marketing Management. These were the two professional membership organisations that provided me with the practical experience in voluntary sector administration at executive level that I was able to build my career on when I came to New Zealand.
Migration and Resettlement The time came to put South Africa behind me and my wife and I were seriously considering leaving the country. At that particular career stage I managed a marketing communications company and my spouse was a school teacher. Of our two young children one was a pre-schooler and the other had just started school. We just felt that with the prevailing and unfolding political situation we could not see a future in South Africa. Unfortunately, this has been borne out by subsequent events. I had at one stage been politically active, serving a term as branch secretary of the ruling party. It gave me a good insight into the Westminster democratic system and how to function within it. It taught me to appreciate that political action does not always achieve the desired outcome and how to influence it with the right connection from the inside. We decided that the better option was to leave the country and find a new domicile in which we could make a contribution.
Like many South Africans competent in the English language, we were looking at countries within the British Commonwealth. Our choice of New Zealand was influenced by a fellow JC and former South African, who had returned temporarily to spend time with his aging parents. During his stay he introduced us to a number of other New Zealanders, who gave us a very good introduction and acted as excellent unofficial ambassadors for the country. This gentleman said, “If you want to consider New Zealand as your destination, I would be happy to play an intermediary role. Let me see what I can do for you.” A few months passed after his return to New Zealand before we received a message from him, in which he said “There is someone I know very well; he is a Chartered Accountant in public practice and also happens to be of Dutch origin. He is prepared on my recommendation to sponsor you to New Zealand.”
On the sea voyage from South Africa I became acquainted with a fellow passenger, who was a director of General Motors Holden. Learning of my track record with BMW, he asked “Why in heaven are you going to New Zealand? We could do with your experience in Australia”. I explained the trouble some people had gone to in order to get us there and being committed to honour the arrangement. He gave me his business card before disembarking in Sydney and said “In case you change your mind, give me a call during your stopover to pursue my offer”. Apart from never having gone back on my word I also felt disinclined to return to corporate for-profit employment.
My first impressions of Australia arising from landfall in Fremantle, Melbourne and Sydney on the way to Aotearoa resulted in an affinity that has been strengthened over the years on many visits. Since my daughter and son made Perth their permanent home I developed a special relationship with Western Australia as a preferred destination.
In those days the immigration regulations were very tight, but in hindsight were the right way to facilitate settlement. It required that we had to meet strict criteria, which we were able to comply with. It was a sunny 1st of May when we stepped off the Oriana in Auckland. We were greeted by a welcoming party including relatives of New Zealanders we had met and befriended in South Africa, our sponsor and his family. Outcome achieved: Successful resettlement as a direct outcome of my JC affiliation as a source of contact.
Being in the right place at the right Time Our sponsor had made provision for me in his chartered accountancy office, but I felt my more corporate orientation didn’t make me a suitable prospect for working predominantly with small businesses. (I later changed my mind, when I became better acquainted with this segment.) He accepted this with good grace and shortly after came into the office one morning with the announcement “I think I have found the right niche for you. My next door neighbour is the retiring administrator of the New Zealand Dental Association, (which happens to be the oldest in the British Commonwealth). They have decided to upgrade the position in the recruitment of a successor to that of General Secretary. I mentioned to him that you had been involved in two professional organisations in an honorary capacity in South Africa. You are invited to put your hat in the ring.” There were nine other applicants - all New Zealand born and bred. I put in my CV, presented my application and prepared for the selection interview with trepidation to see what would happen. Exceeding my expectations here was I, three months off the boat, with very little New Zealand experience, being offered the position. I said to myself “this is a very fair country: it would not have happened elsewhere in the world.” What was not conveyed to me during the selection interview was an expectation of me to organise a Pan-Pacific Dental Congress at short notice. I somehow managed to put it together with a successful result. Outcomes achieved: Without doubt I was in the right place at the right time, but I was also better prepared than the other applicants in terms of a formal qualification supported by relevant experience in the (voluntary) management of two professional bodies.
Importance of Professional Affiliations Shortly after my arrival I introduced myself to the chief executive of the New Zealand Division of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators, who provided me with helpful advice and assistance in preparation for my professional deployment in the new country. This led to active participation as a member of the Auckland Branch committee in several stimulating projects. Among them was a hands-on practical course for Club Managers, where I could draw on my previous experience in the delivery of small business training in the black townships of South Africa. Another membership benefit was participation in one of two focus groups led by an inspirational national president. It involved members from diverse business and professional backgrounds to discuss and resolve current issues and challenges in their respective work situations under Chatham House rules.
My search for a society representing marketing managers was met by the New Zealand Institute of Management, which at that time had an active special interest group catering for the marketing discipline. I progressively advanced through the grades of membership to achieve fellowship status.
Outcomes achieved: It strengthened my belief in the value of membership affiliations as means of value creation that is relevant in the workplace.
Entering the Big League
My appointment at The New Zealand Dental Association led to my next career move. The Association maintained a group medical insurance scheme for its members with the Southern Cross Healthcare Society, a Friendly Society owned by its members. As part of my executive duties I administered the scheme on behalf of the dental profession. This gave me an introduction to the senior managers of Southern Cross. After some time, I received an invitation to meet the Chief Executive. He informed me that the Society was undergoing rapid growth, necessitating the computerisation of membership data and billing. It needed somebody, who had an understanding of professional and other special interest groups, which he thought I had, and asked whether I would consider joining the Society. In a sense I felt beholden to the Dental Association and sad after a two year period to take such a decision. However, my dental employers were very understanding and could see that this move was very good for my career.
So I joined Southern Cross Medical Care Society, the second biggest New Zealand membership organisation, after the Automobile Association, as Group Administration Manager. Three-quarters of the way through my six-year term with the Society, I could not resist the temptation to return to a marketing role. The position of Marketing Services Manager was created for me, where I could apply the experience gained in my last South African appointment. I had met many chief executives of member collective organisations, particularly in the area of trades, business and professions, who maintained group schemes with the society. My understanding of voluntary associations was perceived by some as a source of advice and I received requests for paid assistance. This placed me in a quandary considering my first responsibility to Southern Cross. With these types of requests coming in, my superiors, particularly the General Marketing Manager, could see benefits in strengthened relationships with these groups and therefore was agreeable to support me in providing a part time advisory service. This carried on for a while, but it grew to where the demands on my spare time were increasing. I again consulted with my immediate superior with the information that I had almost reached the position, where I could see the possibility of providing this service full-time. With this kind of understanding my boss said “We can see that this presents opportunities and we are prepared to support this by offering you six months leave of absence. You go ahead, but on the understanding that you can return to us within that period.” He would ring me up from time to time to invite me to lunch, where he quizzed me on my ability to earn a living by my own endeavours. It is worth noting that whenever I made a career change I left my employer on good terms and maintained an informal relationship that I could draw on with an eye on the future. The benefit of this can be measured in Markad (Pty) Ltd acquiring the BMW motor cycle account based on my previous employment.
Outcomes achieved: Management of a department with a staff complement of 50 during a critical transitional growth period and putting cooperation and collaboration to good use.
Flying Solo In typical small enterprise fashion I set up an office in a wing of the family residence in a suburban location on Auckland’s North Shore. As the business grew we added a free standing annex to accommodate me and a full-time assistant. R U Penning and Associates, as we were known, increasingly provided secretariat services to a succession of incorporated societies and eventually out-grew the extended domestic location. Anybody contemplating setting up a home based business must consider being accessible to clients virtually around the clock and the effects on members of the family. This necessitated taking up rented office space within walking distance from home and the employment of more staff. I progressively served sixteen incorporated society clients as chief executive and the less formal associateship structure no longer suited a growing business. Through these relationships I also received calls for assistance from association members, mainly small businesses, but found it increasingly difficult to accommodate two business sectors without a conflict of interest. I took the strategic decision to concentrate on the collective membership segment with the incorporation of a private company, establishing Business Professional Services Limited, a typical small to medium enterprise (SME). After four relocations to cope with growth in stature, my wife and I developed a new site in a preferred location as the company’s permanent home. My SME advisory service had led me to join the Small Enterprise Association of Australia and New Zealand (SEAANZ) and I was co-opted to the Committee. This organisation’s New Zealand Chapter became a client and I was involved in managing two Australasian conferences.
I also realised that my professional concentration on the business side of the voluntary sector needed a balance with a solid dose of active involvement in the implementation. My wife would caution me on not leaning over too much in the latter direction at the expense of earning a decent living. Outcomes achieved: Second successful start-up of a new business, this time without assistance from external sources and realising the importance of thinking strategically with forward planning.
Shortcut to Integration My prescription for early assimilation in a new society is rooted in a sense of belonging. A shortcut to acceptance is through joining clubs and societies in matters of common interest. One organisation of local interest was a travel club, where I could share my experiences. It brought me onto contact with its president, a retired senior airline captain, who was also an executive board member of the Takapuna- based North Shore Chamber of Commerce which, so happened, to be in need of a secretary. Without much ado I volunteered for the position. In the course of my membership I rose to the position of President. At that point we considered, in consultation with other Chambers in the Auckland region, to consolidate into a regional structure, which reflected my own attitude to amalgamation. Many meetings in the lead-up to a merger were held at the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, where I met my second wife. Outcomes achieved: Direct involvement in process of collaboration leading to full merger with positive results.
Bi-culturalism in Action Originating from a multicultural country I saw a need to be acquainted with Maori as first nation, but lacked a facilitator to introduce me. This came about in a businesswoman of Ngati Porou iwi joining the newly constituted Auckland Regional Chamber of Commerce, who accepted me as a mentee. She in turn brought me to the attention of the wider Maori business community intent on economic development. When my previous experience in the advancement of African commerce became known, I was invited to assume an advisory position in the formation of a Mangere based Kokiri Economic Development initiative. Meetings to progress the project were held on the Hoani Waititi Marae and introduced me to a form of consensus decision making that, while more time consuming, ensured total buy-in of all vested interests in the venture. My cultural awareness also played a role in several professional assignments involving Maori in Northland and in advising on the establishment of a Samoan Congregational Christian Church and community centre in Birkdale. Several years later I was able to draw on these relationship with Tangata Whenua, when I was instrumental in arranging a formal welcome for new settlers from South Africa in my capacity as chairman of the SANZ Charitable Trust. I was honoured on that occasion by being invited to take a seat among the host elders and to regard the host facility also as my marae. Outcomes achieved: Acquiring cultural awareness and the ability to work in accordance with a diverse governance protocol.
Charitable Orientation My introduction to the charity sector arose at an executive committee meeting of the North Shore Chamber of Commerce, where we received a request from the vice- president of the Hearing Association. He addressed us and said “You business people also have a social responsibility – how do you meet it? “ We replied with “What are your needs?” It turned out that they required someone to look after the administrative aspect of the association, in other words they needed an Honorary National Secretary. There were a few murmurs around the table and someone pointed in my direction and said “Well, Ralph has quite a bit of experience in this area and he does a good job for us in this role”
Well, I drew the short straw, and became the secretary of the Hearing Association of New Zealand, which had at that time twenty- three branches all over the country. So there was quite a step up for me in a part time capacity. Growing into the position I could see the needs that existed with a better understanding of the effects and the wider social consequences of hearing loss in later years. An example of the Association’s functions were deliverables that included equipping public buildings and providing facilities to make them more accessible to the hearing impaired. The organisational part was the support structure required for therapists and maintaining relationships with health professionals and government submissions. For me this opened a completely new vista into the area of health, welfare and rehabilitation. Outcomes achieved: Multi-functional management of a major charity in the health, welfare and rehabilitation sector.
Collaboration and Mergers In spite of my disqualification as a normal hearing person I was requested to stand for elected office in the organisation. I was humbled by this confidence in me to lead the national organisation, when I was elected to the position of Vice President and later became the National President. It also gave me the opportunity to appreciate the wider picture of hearing impairment and all the various bodies and associations catering for this impairment affecting one in fifteen New Zealanders. It led to the incorporation of the National Foundation for the Deaf as the national coordinating body. I was one of the founders representing the Hearing Association with the other constituent bodies that were participating in the establishment of this top tier organisation. This development was based on an early acceptance that we are too fragmented in the representation of impairment and disadvantage to achieve the desired outcomes on behalf of our beneficiaries in New Zealand.
Cancer can serve as a typical example, where in excess of forty New Zealand related charities are vying for attention and funding. We are inclined to set up new charities that are specific to one sub-set or aspect of a deserving cause that is better served by one strong organisation. In the process we also distort public profile with reduced ability to fundraise and provide effective advocacy.
Outcomes achieved: Replicating previous experience at a lower level on a broader base involving greater number of constituents.
Working on the Coalface During my six year stint with Southern Cross I became a member of the New Zealand Institute of Health Administrators. I joined, because I have always believed that skills and competency can be enhanced by having a body of knowledge that can provide opportunities for professional development. A fellow member was the practice manager of a general medical centre in the western suburbs. He approached me with “My wife and I have always promised ourselves an extended overseas trip that had to be deferred after my retirement from a public service position, in order to help my son- in-law and his partners in the management of their medical practice. I need someone to step into my shoes for the period of our absence. Could you spare some time to do this for me?” I relied with “It will be a tight fit into my other commitments, but it will be an interesting experience”.
The Relationship Quadrant The assignment that was intended to be for six months turned into eighteen. The benefit in this, in spite of its demanding nature, was that it gave me a very broad insight into the provision of primary healthcare in New Zealand. Later in life it stood me in good stead, because I could see health and rehabilitation from a practitioner perspective and the referral services provided by voluntary organisations that support it. The Blockhouse Bay Medical Centre operated a branch in Avondale and we acquired a second clinic in Lynfield during my term of appointment. I was closely involved converting the practice from a partnership into an associateship to accommodate younger doctors, who did not fit the buy-in model of ownership. The introduction with my involvement of time and revenue based practitioner remuneration, triage patient care involving nurses aided by computerisation made this practice a role model in primary health care. While grateful for the experience, the time came when I felt hopelessly overcommitted and had to step out of it. My accumulated experience in matters medical led to my appointment to a sub- committees of the Arthritis Foundation, not knowing at that time that arthritis was something that would affect me in later life. It involved travelling to Wellington once a month to attend meetings. Undoubtedly this experience had a beneficial effect in that it widened my knowledge, particularly in the area of collective action. Outcomes achieved: Direct involvement in a major reorganisation that presented a paradigm shift in the conduct of a professional group practice.
Being at the receiving End Participating in the health, welfare and rehabilitation voluntary sector in a leadership or professional capacity without being directly affected, has its merits in terms of objective judgement and decision making. However, it requires a real understanding of the consequences and treatment on those directly affected, who are the ultimate beneficiaries. This was brought home to me when I had a cycling accident resulting in a spinal neck injury. The outcome of it was quite dramatic, but could have been much worse. Suddenly I found myself in a position, where I was irrevocably impaired. The sustaining influence and inspiration of a partially paralysed neighbour in my younger years, who outlawed the term “disabled” as a derogatory relegation to uselessness, came into play. I concentrated with ACC financial assistance on my partial rehabilitation. It presented me with a set of circumstances that brought me in close touch with the realities facing a substantial number of my fellow citizens in a peer environment that I had not previously been conscious of in an organisational role. Outcome achieved: Experiencing health and rehabilitation as a patient to influence my attitude as a service provider. Lacking voluntary Governance I had to question, from the very beginning of my career in the voluntary sector, why many people with good intentions give money, are very well qualified, but disinclined to be directly involved in the delivery of charitable services? Working on the coalface or devoting their competencies and experience to their chosen cause, in my experience is more meaningful and rewarding. While very conscious that money is a very essential ingredient, I am also aware that many of these organisations require, but are lacking in effective leadership and good governance. That has been a constant in my career. The outcome of this growing awareness over time is one of the prompts that shaped my life. It constantly reminded me that, if I had been concentrating on one area in a single minded commercial career, I would have failed in giving meaning and purpose to my training as a governance and compliance specialist. With so much need and disadvantage all around us it requires competent direction and management in the delivery of meaningful help and assistance. With this in mind I decided to stand back from the company that I founded, and is now directed by my second wife, to concentrate more on the charitable beneficial aspects of my profession.
I did this in the full knowledge that my work for and on behalf membership based trade, industry and professional associations has enabled me to be more generous in my time allocation to charitable causes. While both sectors have similar needs for good governance and execution, they play different roles in the national economy. Without occupational and commercial collective organisations providing guidance, education and self-regulation to their members, consumer interests could be adversely affected. As good examples I single out the New Zealand Collision Repairers Association, whose grading system supported by I-Car Advances Trade Training, ensures high performance standards. Similar credits are due to the New Zealand Human Resources Institute, Designers Institute of New Zealand and Marketing Association for ensuring that their members are well equipped to serve their clients’ interest with beneficial outcomes further down to consumers. The same can be said for the New Zealand Automobile Association and Consumers Institute, who not only represent their members, but ensure ethical business practices. There are many others, too numerous to mention. All these associations deserve serious consideration as employers. In the course of my self-employed career I served sixteen incorporated societies as chief executive with a great degree of professional satisfaction.
R U Penning and Associates revisited
I joined the New Zealand Trustees Association and I am a New Zealand Registered Trustee. In this capacity I have been instrumental in the setting up of twenty one charitable trusts with clear objectives in mind. All pass the public benefit test and are enabled to function with procedures and governance structures in place that ensure their continued existence and fitness for purpose. There are many aspects involved in this. It is always rewarding to see what goes on following incorporation and to follow their progress. A recent example of this is a charitable trust that I helped set up that ticks all the boxes in providing creative outlets for children beset by terminal illness.
Certainly, part of what I have been doing is to encourage and advise people not only to serve but to enhance their knowledge. What matters most to me is that we create a fairer society. Unfortunately, there are never enough hands and we also know there is never enough money, and too many government agencies to deal with. We are confronted by untold challenges and more questions than answers. We have to acknowledge that it requires a greater element of foresight and direction that depends on a combination of voluntary, professional and public services to get us where we need to be. At the end of the equation we are all our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers. It is something that cannot be abrogated to international aid agencies and government ministries. What it comes down to is a shared responsibility involving each and every one of us.
The Value of Kinship and giving back In terms of my own personal development I valued the kinship, and the shared experiences that I have enjoyed over the years with colleagues in Australia, the United States and England, where I have maintained peer relationships. Much of this has been channelled back to the New Zealand Association Resource Centre Trust, registered as an educational charity with its main purpose to provide guidance and information to people working in the association and charity voluntary sector. As its name implies, it is not a membership composed organisation, but a charitable trust board. The trustees arrange training seminars, maintain a help-line and serve as an information hub to these organisations. This has occupied a fair share of my time in an advisory capacity.
Over the years I have made strenuous efforts to groom younger people for careers in the voluntary sector and I can identify several former employees, who have blossomed in their subsequent careers. We need people, who are well qualified, have the capabilities and the resources to come to the fore and to step up to the line. We also have to look very closely, and that is one of my major concerns, to be more rationalising, to reduce the number of competing charities, because we need stronger, capable organisations. We must be very conscious of how organisations run their affairs, because that is the picture they present to the outside world.
I see good models from personal experience in Hospice North Shore, the Cancer Society and Presbyterian Support among other outstanding examples.
Of all the organisations I have devoted time to on the board as a director, Abilities North Shore stands out. To me that was a particularly rewarding experience time wise. Here is a social enterprise, an incorporated society with charitable status that is owned by its member employees and competes successfully with the private sector. It has a corporate structure that I would strongly recommend as an employer to public spirited young persons in search of a meaningful career. It is another in the line of the causes I have devoted some time to that gave me an immense sense of personal satisfaction. I was inspired by my fellow board members and the results that were achieved, because at the end of the day we were not looking for outputs, but outcomes to create a better community.
Room for Improvement My involvement in the voluntary sector has made me very conscious of the major deficiencies and shortcomings that still exist in our society, which cannot be overcome by enthusiasm for the cause or a belief system alone. To be credible and meaningful we cannot ignore that any such organisation has to be based on sound business principles of good governance and management. With this in mind, I became one of the founders of the New Zealand Association of Resource Centre Trust.
At the time of writing there are over sixty thousand incorporated entities on the official New Zealand registers. They are managed, very often, by dedicated individuals for little reward other than a sense of great achievement. Many are lacking the support structure, including a help desk, to assist them in performing their daily tasks to the betterment of their members, users or beneficiaries. The deficiency that stands out at the upper end of the scale is capable governance provided by volunteers, which, depending on the size, credibility and stature of the organisation, is still seen by some as a badge of honour, and by others as a thankless task.
Management is not a stand-alone function and without the direction, support and guidance of a properly constituted governance board association chief executives can become the de facto leader of the organisation with a self-assumed mandate. The implications of this are a concentration of power in one individual without any critical oversight, regardless of the credential of the person. I have also noticed over the years a disinclination on the part of many association executives to take full advantage of all available information sources to remain fully au fait with every aspect of business practice pertaining to the voluntary sector. Indicative of this is the low uptake of a recently published text book that deals with the future of associations. Failing to be visionary, anticipate and prepare for impending and unavoidable changes will be the death-knell for many associations.
There can never be too many initiatives to address existing needs, but it also points to the fact that in New Zealand, like Australia, we are very fragmented in providing social assistance and benefits. A variety of organisations that individually struggle to achieve measurable outcomes, would be better placed if they were structured on a more collaborative model. Under such an arrangement they can share the administrative costs, employ competent staff and also provide their professional executives with the opportunity to meet and mingle, share their experiences and learn from each other. This is one concept that still has not found full acceptance in New Zealand, but has been implemented by several merged Australasian professional associations with a presence in both countries. A good example is the Australasian Society of Association Executives that is the result of the merger of the New Zealand society, of which I was a founding member, and its Australian counterpart. The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Australia and New Zealand also comes to mind. This model deserves wider consideration and implementation.
I had the advantage through the United Way to visit its Australian Head Office, which was at that time based in Geelong, Victoria. During the visit, I inspected that city’s Community Centre, which accommodated various health, welfare and rehabilitation charitable organisations enabling cooperation, sharing of accommodation and management expenses, as well as enabling professional collaboration.
Deployment Opportunities
Because of the small size of many voluntary agencies overall there is still not a clear career structure on offer to encourage young people to enter this industry. (I call it an industry, because we are comprised of innovate industrious people). Our existence relies very much on the inputs of mature and older people, sometimes in second careers, to provide management and governance and is in crying need of succession. Having a better age representation is essential for better engagement with our respective constituencies of stakeholders.
On the very positive side, where there is noticeable gender and age discrimination in the for-profit corporate sector, many of our outstanding voluntary organisations have female chief executives and board members. They are role models for younger people in senior positions that young women in particular can aspire to. We need conduits to career development, which should be advanced at an early stage, probably with career advice in secondary and tertiary education. Too often professional services in the voluntary sector are still regarded as a second option, lacking the same profile that a commercial career would offer. So in many ways there is a lot to be done, because we need capable people with hearts, who have the intellectual capacity and business acumen to lead and direct our voluntary sector organisations. High achievers in such roles are able to attract young graduates, intent of making our sector their career. I would be delighted if my example were to serve as an influencing factor.
The rewards I have previously mentioned may not always be in financial terms, although depending on profile and size, non-profits compare salary wise with for-profit employment.
The real rewards are in the form of recognition and awards that can be aspired to. I am very appreciative that I have achieved some of them in my fulfilment of my elected offices and appointments. Outstanding among them was peer recognition of Trustee of the Year, Life Membership of the Small Enterprise Association of Australia and New Zealand and Fellowship of the New Zealand Institute of Management. These very often only arise very late in years and may not always appeal to those, who are in a hurry to build their profile. To be valued by members and beneficiaries, whom we have devoted our lives to, is the final and most rewarding accolade.
Highlights during my career were my attendance of major conferences in places as far apart as Chicago, Adelaide, Istanbul, Minneapolis, Sydney and Wellington.
Organisation and Methods Out of all my life experiences came some very personal lessons, which I am very pleased to pass on. Starting early in my life there were certain inherited traits and perhaps some examples that I could see in my father plus other relationship based experiences and models. A major trait inherited from my father is to be self-organised with a prescription to have a place for everything and everything in its place. This organisational model suits me well as a professional administrator. Taking it to the next stage results in systemisation, which in turn can lead to ISO accreditation. We followed this path with Business Professional Services Limited, which is Q-Base certified with a requirement to have all practices and procedures documented, implemented and audited.
Three significant Lessons
1. The most important personal lesson came out of my participation in my first JC Chapter from one of my fellow members, who was a young Jewish business man from a prominent family in Pretoria. We sat down in his office before a Chapter meeting late one afternoon. I was engaged in extra-mural studies in preparation for qualifying as a chartered secretary. He told me that one thing he learned early in life was that you can’t be an expert in everything. His father took him aside and said “Son, there are two essential ingredients in running a business. The first one is you have to intimately know the product or the service that you are providing. The second step is you have to understand your customers, the people who you depend on for your livelihood. It is quite a gigantic task to acquire the skills and knowledge that are inherent in those two criteria. It will leave you little time to get to grips with the other business disciplines you will need. So my advice to you my son, is that at all times you surround yourself with qualified advisors in the form of a good lawyer and chartered accountant by your side in all major decisions that you take, regard them like partners in your business and reward them handsomely.” It is worth reporting that the ‘Abro’ formula has been successfully applied by my son Nolan, with the addition of gaining an Honours degree in his chosen discipline, before pursuing his dream with corporate brand management experience and then establishing his own business. I recently reviewed his personal life plan to find that he had achieved all his objectives with one omission, the attainment of a postgraduate degree from a foreign university. But he has time on his side to achieve this. 2. The second lesson is that we live in a fluid environment that should not put us in the position, where we are too reliant on one culture or one language. I was privileged to grow up with three languages and am relatively fluent in all. The language skills enabled me to work in different work situations where the relevant language became important and assisted me in my career advancement. I am delighted to say that in New Zealand school students are encouraged to acquire a second language. It also helps to be culturally adaptive. Most western countries are becoming increasingly ethnic diverse. Being able to relate to people from different background and nationalities is assuming greater importance to maintain harmonious relationships in our civil society.
3. The third lesson that comes out of my journey through life is that in order to be successful in any form of career demands the ability to communicate effectively and to be inter-personally skilled. Some people are born extroverts, while others have to work to acquire the skill.
Early in my New Zealand career, I joined Toastmasters, which provides a very good training and proving arena for public speaking. There are times when we have to project and present to an audience of many or communicate to great effect in a one to one situation. The ability to formulate ones thoughts and ideas and speak coherently is very important. Coupled with this goes a good dress sense to round off our presentation. Text messaging and skype calls are no substitute for personal appearance and interaction.
Advanced and further Education Let us start with formal education. In past times greater reliance was placed on secondary schooling. This is no longer sufficient and further study is required. , Many people have undertaken technical training advancing to vocational education, and then built on this by going to university to achieve higher qualifications. You first become a technician with a lower level of tertiary education to meet your immediate needs.
Gaining practical experience before engaging in further tertiary study to ensure relevance of formal qualifications to the workplace was my chosen option and certainly stood me in good stead. There were two need dictated occasions when I resorted to further tertiary education to advance my career. My excursion into marketing communications made me very aware of a deficiency in subject knowledge. The University of South Africa offered a certificated course in Market Research and Advertising, to which I added an English paper for greater substance in my portfolio of qualification. Coming to New Zealand I was conscious that my Roman-Dutch law based knowledge was of little relevance under an English legal system. I remedied this with enrolment at Auckland University, where I completed two law papers to qualify me for my first professional appointment. I have to admit that I could have done better, and full-time study would have been my preferred option for part of the way.
Making the right Choice Tertiary education certainly has to be seen as an industry and there is an oversupply of courses these days with too many offerings. Many young people, who are uncertain about what they want to do with their lives, enrol at an institute of higher learning or university and during the first year of study find that they made the wrong choice. While this year is not entirely wasted it adds to their student loan commitments, because many undergraduate degrees these days require a four year commitment.
My response to young people seeking my opinion is to enquire into their real interests with encouragement to study what really tickles their fancy before specialising with an eye on employment. My daughter Joelle chose an arts degree in political studies and history. With the addition of diplomas in public relations and computer graphics she is fully employable and can regard herself as tertiary trained and educated. Tertiary education with an eye on employment alone deprives the graduate of the life enriching acquisition of knowledge that extends into other intellectual pursuits outside work.
Sometimes it is better to first go out into the work force, call it a gap year, to work in something that you feel you really want and test your assumptions. People who are technically orientated normally have an advantage. Engineering and surgery for instance, have several branches and you not only have to have the inclination, but there has to be an inherent talent for these professions. Finding and settling into an occupation that suits one’s temperament and talents and matching the work experience with suitable tertiary education would be my recommendation.
Lifelong (Re)-Education
Throughout your life you should never rely on that first degree alone. Learning has to be an ongoing process. It is the prescription for membership of several professional bodies in the form of CPD (continuing professional development). Several non- traditional professions don’t give you this benefit and it is easy to fall behind. It requires a continuous learning process and you have to accommodate this in your daily life to maintain competitive advantage. An increasing number of graduates, who are not readily employable these days, engage in further study leading to a masters or post-graduate diploma with the aim to improve their chances. This is not necessarily the best approach, as it raises the expectations of employers without sufficient financial return for overqualified job seekers. In respect of gaining an advanced degree that has relevance to most careers, an Executive MBA is worth the effort. It is not only for its own sake, but also in respect of making valuable connections with other aspiring students, who are likely to turn into high achievers. There are other aspects that contribute to your employability and certainly life style has a lot to do with it. It is tempting early in one’s career and with the benefit of a decent pay packet, to pursue the better things in life to the detriment of saving for a rainy day. Good health plays an important role that cannot be achieved with a total reliance on the public system and ACC. Private health insurance is an absolute must and my Southern Cross cover has been an indispensable safeguard for me since arriving in New Zealand.
Networks and Contacts count To develop and maintain networks and contacts, some participation in sport and being a member of voluntary organisations are effective for building relationships. Your own professional society and your employer’s industry organisation or trade association together with the likes of Rotary are always on the lookout for talented people. They all provide payback, for while you are volunteering you meet interesting folk, and in some organisations you interact with influential individuals. We all need references throughout life. It is not always what we know, but who we know; because credible endorsement from people well known in their professions or industry can be valuable influencers. That may sound very selfish, but intermediaries can play an enormous role in your success. People you know, respect and hold in high regard are often happy to share their knowledge and never resent it if you ask for their advice and recommendations.
As an NZIM Accredited Management Mentor I have been the recipient of much privileged information that gave me a good insight into some of our major corporations with the ability to add value to their HR practices. I provided the bridge to better understanding and appreciation between the mentee and the employing organisation.
Getting the right Advice That brings me to the next step, and that is that there is an awful lot of what is promoted as professional advice, but must be regarded with a certain degree of reservation. It is reasonable to ask why, because they are so good at telling others, they are not practising what they are professing? To take such advice I always like to be guided by the consultant’s own success in a business other than their consultancy practice to take them seriously. Unfortunately there are a lot of consultants who hold themselves out as having special knowledge and experience, which does not always work out in practice. The problem is you cannot call them to account if their advice does not turn into a success story from your own perspective.
Human Relations There is another aspect, and that is a general interest in people. In meeting and befriending strangers I first establish what we have in common. I invariable discover at least two common interests that bind us. Human relations depend on personal interface. You cannot afford be too self-centred, particularly in the present environment, where there is a high reliance on technological advances and an inclination for people to use digital forms of communication. To stay on top depends on good peer relationships. It should not overrule the need to have friendships outside your work or profession. The desire to meet on a regular basis with people that you like and are friendly with it may just involve a chat over coffee to bounce a few ideas around. This is something I have done throughout my life. It very often results in seeing something from a different perspective and it gives you a network of reliance that is unrelated to your occupational existence.
Job Hopping Without doubt we have to project ourselves further into the future. In terms of the new and unfolding environment many of the jobs and occupations that are current today will become irrelevant, decline and disappear over the next twenty years. This is particularly important for young people planning an employed future to realise that automation, mechanisation and digitisation will rapidly replace human effort and become a direct threat to many existing occupations. But this is not to say that there is room for despondency. Younger generations are more inclined to move within their work relationships, changing jobs frequently and there is nothing wrong with this. I have done this from time to time. I have been in roles for two years, felt I got enough out of the experience and that it was time to move on. But in other positions, which required a greater degree of application and involved career advancement, I would hang around for longer. But there has always been a time limit. The exception has been Business Professional Services Limited (BPSL), the company I established, when I finally decided to lay the foundation for a tenable structure that would outlive me. Now managed by my wife, BPSL is an association management company providing professional services to the third sector. In terms of client numbers it occupies the top slot in New Zealand. Our company has nurtured several talented young graduates over the years, who have built successful NFP careers.
The advice I have passed on to our graduate interns is based on my own career path. My first observation is that many of the major companies as we know them today will not materially change. Although manufacturing processes and supply lines may change, there is still a need for goods and services to be provided. I am a firm believer that these major corporates are a good grooming area for young people, who want to take their first steps in the direction of building a career. It stood me in very good stead, because these organisations are well proven entities. They are systemised and at the same time you learn to work in a hierarchical environment. Although management structures are flattening out there will always be a pecking order remaining in them. I speak from experience and it is something that I also passed on to my son. First begin by working yourself up to the second level in a few multinationals. It looks good on your CV regardless of your chosen employment direction, which can take the form of starting your own business or becoming a portfolio entrepreneur and drawing on the experience you gained as a corporate employee.
Going on your own If we look further ahead, employment relationships have slowly diminished. We find more and more people moving around much more frequently between assignments as freelancers. Spending time in different situations and organisations enhances your status as a contractor and benefits both you and the client, but this requires certain disciplines which have to be acquired and are best obtained working for somebody else in a bigger organisation. You always have to remember that by being self-employed you have compliance regulations to deal with and require business understanding. You will find working for yourself is a very hard taskmaster, and sometimes it can be more demanding than to work for somebody else. At the end of the day every client is essentially your boss in one way or another, and unless you maintain this relationship to mutual satisfaction it is not likely to persist for too long. You always have to bear in mind that if you don’t render the service in a prescribed and expected manner, you have got no position to fall back on. Moreover increasingly prospective clients look for references from established satisfied sources before they commit themselves to you. You will also be in competition with similarly inclined and qualified contractors for clients, who are price conscious and use it to their advantage. You have to resist the temptation to out-bid your competitors bearing in mind that anybody on the outset of their careers, and particularly those who are saddled with student loans, must make provision for their later years. Adding the housing cost in most major cities, there is a lot of financial planning required for the present and to have some security in later life.
Intelligence Mobility You have to be movable, not only within the country, but also internationally. Many of these opportunities that arise are not necessarily home country based. There is an advantage in moving into other countries that have a reputation for technological advancement. You can gain an advance by having exposure to this higher intellectual capacity. The other caution is not to be too IT reliant. There are many examples of instant whiz kids, who have come up with a new app and sold it on for great profit and advantage to themselves. If you really look at it across the board, they are the exceptions rather than the rule. We all have pretentions to be living in the future and not so much in the present. The old saying holds true: ‘Aim for the stars, but keep your feet firmly on the ground’. You have to think early enough in your life first of all where you want to go and secondly the commitments you want to undertake to get there.
Too many Priorities When it comes to relationship building, having a partner, and also perhaps providing for the next generation, calls for good role models. There is a natural inclination to over load ourselves. We want to travel, acquire too many things at the same time, and take on responsibilities for which we are not quite ready. As a result we disappoint ourselves and possibly other people, who are relying on us. That is certainly an issue that cropped up from time to time in my life and affects many career builders. We also want to socialise under tremendous peer pressure. We are no longer the egalitarian society that I grew up in. There is quite a lot of juggling for position and people trying to show the world how successful they are. It is always tempting to overreach ourselves in aspiring to and to acquire these early vestiges by making financial commitments with potentially disastrous effects if our income source should decline or evaporate under adverse economic circumstances. I have always been a firm adherent to ethical practices in everything I do. There are some bad examples out there, and I can say the temptation to stray from the path of righteousness is a real possibility. It is easy to be sucked in due to mistaken relationships. I would always say keep your nose clean, and remain conscious of the way in which you conduct your affairs.
Mission accomplished A legacy can come in various forms; one of course is in the form of financial accumulated assets. One can enjoy them during the closing stages of life, preserve them for those who succeed us or to endow a charity of our choosing. But money itself is not always a sufficient reward. I have encountered high achievers, who in their later years, in spite of being asset rich, are lacking something. They are missing the mark in what they have achieved, apart from success in their respective occupations, professions or business ventures. There is nothing that will carry them forward on the basis of really having made this world a better place.
When I look at my legacy - what I am leaving behind can be summed up as having made a difference. Money certainly plays a role here; we all want to be comfortable throughout our lifetime and particularly in our later years. It would be satisfying to know that we leave a world behind that is essentially better in some regards due to our contribution. There are many benefits arising from being public spirited including a sense of personal satisfaction. This has been achieved in my case, and probably should be on everybody’s agenda, an objective you should acquire very early in life with a realisation that there are people who are disadvantaged and impaired, but in many regards can still be a role model for us. My father used to say that every other person is your better in at least one ability.
Getting close to the Cause
My extension into the charities sector came about by my accepting an executive position with the international organisation, United Way Community Chest, which previously only operated in Auckland and now has a national focus. Its beneficiaries are public benefit agencies with a low profile that provide meaningful measurable services. The United Way started off by organising voluntary payroll giving, which was a very practical way of introducing the organisation to employing companies. By encouraging their staff to make a commitment to a charity of their choice they gave a regular amount of money, which was deducted from their pay packet. The United Way in New Zealand can take some credit for bringing about the scheme that we now have where we can make direct claims for tax rebates on our charitable giving. The United Way also enabled their contributors to visit (at that time) the 150 plus recipient organisations to see how they operate. The few that I selected to visit, and wanted to know more about, were real eye openers for me. They gave me a very different perception of the reality of the social problems and need that exist in our community. One of them included a prison visit, where we spent half a day learning first hand of how the correctional institution was run and talking to officers and prisoners. This visit changed my whole perception and attitude to our penal system, having gained a better insight and understanding. The same can be said when I visited the Otara Spinal Unit and met patients, who were receiving treatment and rehabilitation. It had an immense impact on me to speak to a young person, who was eighteen years old and fully paralysed from the neck down as the result of a diving accident. He looked up at me and said “Mate, there is only one favour you can do me, and that is to help me to die, because I have got nothing to live for.”
Get involved Giving money is a wonderful thing, but I would encourage everybody to experience the benefits of their giving at the point of service delivery. Seeing is believing and it pays to be generous, but be selective, because there are many organisations who don’t really achieve the outcome that they promise. You have to be conscious of such shortcomings in acknowledging that we have an oversupply of charitable delivery agencies, who set out to change the world, but fail to deliver.
The other realisation in this is that they don’t only need money. What is more important in many instances, is that they need capable governance and management. They require people at the upper end of the organisation, who can provide leadership and use their faculties and experience for the betterment of the organisation to enable it to function more effectively and in a more business-like manner.
So this is my call to everybody wanting to do good and it is where I found my greatest sense of purpose and fulfilment. Yes, I have always given money, but at the same time I have worked in these needy environments almost from the outset of my career. Working as a facilitator and volunteer I assume that I have been instrumental, in combination with many inspiring people, to make a difference for the betterment of humanity all around me. There are a whole host of organisations that would be delighted to have younger emerging talent add value to their organisations and, in following my example, will find enriching experiences that assist in their career development. On the way they will meet some outstanding individuals, who are setting splendid examples and will have a massive influence on them in the way in which they have conducted themselves and have contributed to the welfare and betterment of mankind.
That is essentially my final call and I would like to say to anybody who reads this, that the Third Sector can provide creative outlets for your acquired learning and qualifications when other career options are in decline. The same applies, and I mentioned this before, by being active in your own professional or industry organisation. There are also a multitude of special purpose groups in existence that cater for a wide range of interests and hobbies, as well as providing fellowship in communal activities.
Know who you are Identity is very important. It pays to look at the example of the people, who went before us, to know where we come from. With the merging of cultures one finds that this assumes greater importance, because people want to know where their roots are. To me it was very encouraging to have this interest and then to follow in the footsteps of my forebears. It involved returning to where my father originally came from in East Frisia with a family tree that goes back to the seventeenth century to guide me. Visiting the places that they inhabited, to follow their careers and also to be absorbed in the ethnicity, culture and the customs of that particular region made me more aware of my identity. It convinced me that ethnicity is not a matter of skin colour and that similar customs prevail in far removed places. Undertaking the pilgrimage I saw how some Frisian practices aligned with Maori custom. On my return I was able to proclaim that I had also been accepted into my iwi. I also acknowledge my Jewish roots through my mother’s family and the benefits of this awareness. My digital voyage of discovery took me to Lithuania, Poland and Germany. I recommend this awareness test, which can lead to opportunities in foreign lands supported by extended family and ethnic links. It can be expanded to other areas of personal interest, leading to skill enhancement, working collectively in diverse communities with other people, who are similarly inclined and sharing each other’s capabilities and experiences. It also has the additional advantage that you can carry this forward into your retirement.
Purposeless Retirement Regrettably, I have encountered individuals, who have been extremely successful in their careers and were always too busy concentrating on their work that they were never able to develop other skills and interests. At the conclusion of their working lives they have few past-time activities to fall back on and, besides family, suddenly feel themselves completely cut off. This is a great tragedy and totally avoidable. They are my prime prospects for third sector governance appointment. Some of my friends and my son have worked hard to achieve early retirement with the ability to devote time and resources to chosen good causes. Theirs is another way to making a difference. Combining career and voluntary service can be more demanding, but I do not regret the greater effort required on my part. In many respects the one complements the other by opening windows of opportunity to exceptional experiences. It has enabled me to visit significant places, participate in memorable events and meet wonderful people
In conclusion it is fitting to mention the following influencers, who served as my examples or mentors:
Johan Pretorius, senior public servant and my early career facilitator;
Trevor Roberts, ethical retailer, business leader and social entrepreneur;
Jack Atkins, lawyer, whose wisdom and guidance inspired me;
Jack Christie MBE, entrepreneur, company director and SME advocate;
Peter Crellin, master mariner, business strategist and public benefactor;
Barry Parker, business consultant and my role model in accident rehabilitation;
David Hansen, consulting engineer, do-gooder and emergency relief worker;
Alf Taylor, clergyman, chaplain, psycho-therapist and wise counsellor
Rinny Westra, educator, activist and my mentor in matters Frisian:
Vernon Levy, guiding example, trusted adviser and friend
Lastly, I would like to pay tribute to my wife Rosemarie Dawson, my best friend, colleague and partner in a shared mission of Tikkun Olam, to make a difference by doing good for the betterment of the world.
Without the support of the North Shore Hospice Trust and in particular Judy Ganley, ‘my scribe’, I would not have committed these words to paper – thank you.
Ralph Ubbo Penning Auckland, New Zealand January 2017