Necessity is the mother of invention – especially in Christchurch

They say necessity is the mother of invention and I’ve recently come across a couple of stories of businesses in Christchurch which would support this view.

I was delighted when Wendy Hooper of assess4success contacted us here at redline with the story of how she has had to change her business focus.

Here is what Wendy said:

“For the past 8 years my business has predominantly been NZQA Unit Standard Assessment for Team Leaders in the customer service industry. After the February earthquake the needs of my clients has changed dramatically -their focus has moved to core business operations and staff welfare and so, I realised, I needed to change too.

Christchurch people and businesses are totally focused on getting back on their feet – financially and emotionally - but for most of us the rules have changed. Some of us have lost loved ones, our homes, our jobs, our places to work, money, our routines – not to mention what we have seen, heard and felt.

I thought long and hard about what my clients need right now and asked them what they wanted and needed. The findings were clear, the Team Leaders need more support at the moment to manage all the organisational changes and meet the emotional needs of each team member.

I hatched a plan - I designed a one-on-one coaching process for Team Leaders – one that integrates into any organisation’s business plan and yet is flexible and personalised enough to meet the varied needs of each Team Leader and has specific outcomes and results so everyone sees a tangible development of skills.

Using a coach from outside of the organisation means the information is fresh and objective and the coaching sessions actually happen – they don't get put aside for other pressing work commitments.

Results so far are fantastic. The Team Leaders are feeling supported and have a really clear and practical focus which is rubbing off on their team members – giving their work environment that positive, go-ahead feel.

YAY! Push back Christchurch – we will have to make changes but we can stand tall and move forward.”

You can read more about Wendy and what she does on her website assess4success.co.nz – including her new Trauma Resilience workshops for team leaders.

And I also have to applaud Ballentyne’s in Christchurch – offering their customers shopping trips to Timaru whilst their flagship store is being rebuilt. They obviously have a great understanding of their customers and the need for retail therapy even in difficult times – you can read more about their story 'All aboard for the Big B'.

It’s really inspiring to see these stories coming through – our thoughts remain with everyone in Christchurch as you all continue to work through this very difficult time.