Practice Notes

Tea and Toast Learning Sessions - Reminder about Wednesday March 23

If you haven't been along already, then come along to one of our free hour-long sessions.

Workstyle, teamwork, and communication - learn more about your preferences with FutureSelves (Re-arranged from December last year)

For this Tea and Toast we've teamed up with Geoff Plimmer of FutureSelves. They've developed a unique NZ measurement tool that lets you know your barriers to influencing clients and colleagues, to developing your career and working with your team. We think it's a real asset. Come along and learn about it and do a basic FutureSelves exercise.

Date Wednesday 23 March

Time 8am - 9am

Venue The Training Practice Boardroom, Level 5, Newspaper House, 93 Boulcott Street. (This is not the Dominion Post building.)

All welcome - email katherine@trainingpractice.co.nz if you want to come. No charge.

Coaching your staff - three useful resources

Whether you're in the state sector or not, check out Coaching - guidance for managers and their staff on using coaching for development and performance. It's on the State Services Commission website www.ssc.govt.nz

The Wild West of Executive Coaching is a useful article outlining the benefits of coaching. It was published in the November 2004, Harvard Business Review. Email us at katherine@trainingpractice.co.nz for a copy. Include your postal address and we'll send it to you.

One coaching model we find useful is ACHIEVE. Whether you're coaching a staff member or someone outside your organisation, it gives you a framework for a coaching session. Here's how it goes.

1. Assess the current situation

2. Creatively brainstorm alternatives to the coachee's version of reality

3. Hone goals

4. Initiate options to achieve goals

5. Evaluate options

6. Valid action plan (develop one)

7. Encourage action

New state sector legislation

There are four new pieces of legislation on the statute books. They're worth getting to grips with if you're in the state sector. Having said that, there's no revolution going on. These are all evolutionary changes.

State Sector Amendment Act (No 2) 2004

Extends the power of the State Services Commission (SSC) to set minimum standards of conduct in Crown entities and other organisations; develop senior leaders and managers; and review structures and functions across the whole state sector.

Crown Entities Act 2004

Creates five categories of Crown entities to bring some coherence to this sector. Overall, it means Ministers can direct key Crown entities and sack board members if they want to.

Public Finance Amendment Act 2004

Increases flexibility in managing public funds, while maintaining accountability to Parliament. Outlines the reporting framework and defines outcomes as "a state or condition of society, the economy or the environment, or change in that state or condition."

State-Owned Enterprises Amendment Act 2004

Ensures SOEs consult with the State Services Commissioner before agreeing collective agreement under 2000 Employment Relations Act.