Temping - To Determine Change With Direction
The Art of Change is a necessary skill that sets Temporary professionals apart from those working in permanent roles (though these roles are never 'given'). This acceptance of change, chosen by Temporaries, may be necessary to up-skill for a work assignment, or to enhance a personal ambition.
"I tend to gravitate toward people who are a bit more eccentric and creative and artistic in some ways. … creative people together to create some great work, even to share points of view on a new direction". Mark Parker
The mindset of change is learnt through experience. A little like beginning to skateboard, then going on to balance on a surfboard. Different surfaces require different approaches although require a skilled balance. Temping equips you with the tools to ride the waves of change. Personal experience has taught me that you get to find your feet no matter what surface you are given to perform on. One such example I can offer, is when working for a Media company in the early 90’s, I applied for a Temporary role of CSR. My application was received, and I was contacted directly by the CEO in charge then. Rather than employing me as a Temporary, she offered me a fulltime role in the QA department. The CEO’s outlook was a little different to others I had come to work with in NZ, and so was her pro-active approach to growth. Under her guidance I gained valuable insight into all the departments, studying their current levels of productivity and with the Team, suggesting where improvements for both the company, and its employees be made. During this time, there was a change in the company’s CEO, and a new change of focus. The small Team in QA (who had all previously Temped) set their focus quickly on the new direction as instructed. Not long after this change, a new CEO was appointed and again, the role of QA changed. Change, Focus, Direction. In this period of growth, the direction of the sales team also changed. I was appointed the position of Direct Sales Administrator and quickly mentored the Reps through example. Door knocking, cold calling and retention. A first for me, and a new addition to my bow. This new Team were never given impossible targets, rather shown a new resilience to negative responses. Do not take criticism in business personally unless it is aimed at your shoes. Then go back in a new pair of shoes, with a couple of extra changes in your bag. No matter if you knock on a door, speak on a phone or text in a message, the surface of your chosen contact should still be fluid in the direction of your communication. I became interested in exploring communication through symbols (I had studied shorthand at school) and so I began to study Japanese calligraphy after work. This took me in my new direction and within a year I was offered a role as an ESOL teacher in Japan. I returned to NZ 18 months later with a change of career direction. I met with the CEO of my old job, and explained to him that I was to pursue work and personal experiences through Temping. He left the meeting without me but kept the door open should I return.
"No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new doorway for the human spirit". Helen Keller
Again I am reminded of my lessons learnt through sport. One cannot gain the competitive advantage if they remain winning in the same race.
Poll: Do you think NZ should ban social media for youth?
The Australian Prime Minister has expressed plans to ban social media use for children.
This would make it illegal for under 16-year-olds to have accounts on platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and X.
Social media platforms would be tasked with ensuring children have no access (under-age children and their parents wouldn’t be penalised for breaching the age limit)
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Do you think NZ should follow suit? Vote in our poll and share your thoughts below.
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85.1% Yes
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13.8% No
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1.1% Other - I'll share below
The Ant, Bird & Hunter (Day - 1)
Dear Neighbors,
I’ve come across something I truly believe can make a positive impact, and I’m excited to share it with you! Over the next 54 days, I will be sharing a series of 54 moral stories (one a day) that encourage children to think deeply and adopt valuable life lessons. These stories are designed to instill ethics, values, and morals that will help shape a better future for our kids.
I’d love to hear your feedback along the way so we can evaluate the outcomes together and make sure this effort benefits our community in the best possible way.
Please note, this is a non-religious, non-cultural initiative. If any names (People, places etc...) in the stories seem tied to a particular belief system, feel free to adjust them to better align with your own, as the core focus is on values and positive character-building.
Looking forward to your thoughts and feedback!
📚✨ #MoralStories #BuildingValues #PositiveParenting #StrongerCommunity #BetterFutureForOurKids
The Ant, Bird & Hunter
There was an ant which fell into a river accidentally and the river was flowing rapidly.The ant would have died after getting drowned in the river, but luckily for the ant there was a bird sitting on a tree above that saw the ant. The bird plucked out a leaf from the tree, flew a short distance, and put it into the river just in time for the ant to climb onto the leaf. The ant floated on the leaf for a while and finally when the river was calm it reached land.
After it reached land, the ant dismounted the leaf, felt thankful that its life had been saved by the bird and headed off to thank the bird which saved its life. In a few hours, it reached the place where the bird was seated on the tree. The ant was about to climb the tree to thank the bird but it observed a hunter was about to shoot down the bird on the tree. The bird had not noticed the hunter.
The ant decided to take action immediately, and thereby help its friend, the bird. The ant went and began biting the feet of the hunter. The irritated hunter could not aim carefully and missed shooting his prey, the bird, as his feet had been bitten by the ant.
The moral of the story is that we may all be very small persons but we must try our best to help our friends under all circumstances. Returning a favor is as important as accepting a favor.
What's your favourite recipe for courgettes?
Kia ora neighbours. If you've got a family recipe for courgettes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our January 2025 issue.
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