EDITOR’S LETTER : What’s next?

It’s easy to get so bogged down in the day-to-day deluge of ‘do now’ activities, that the future is something glimpsed only in fleeting and unfocused way somewhere beyond today’s in-tray.
Which is possibly why succession planning is an issue that, as our cover story notes, doesn’t always get the attention it deserves. That’s particularly true for this country’s many SME businesses some of which are so closely aligned with the destinies of their founder/leaders that it leaves little room to grow an alternative management structure.
But, as our feature makes clear, failure to plan for future that might not include your leadership is good way to sabotage your company’s sustainability – while failure to encourage and develop aspiring leaders risks losing them to companies that do.
That need to ‘put down the ladder’ for others to follow particularly applies to women managers who, as our feature on page 38 reveals, are still thin on the ground in New Zealand. The reason? Business environments still don’t make it possible and easy for women to be both full-time managers and full-on mothers. Pity to lose the major contribution such women can make to our workforce and economy because of an inability to embrace flexible work practices.
Closer to home – on the subject both of succession and women’s contribution – is change in the leadership at Management magazine. After couple of successful and fun years at the helm, Ruth Le Pla has swapped full-time role for freelance work. Taking on the editor’s role is Ellen Read who is returning to her first love, journalism, after short diversion into public relations. She’s excited about the move and plans to “maintain the magazine’s high quality and reputation” while incorporating some of her own ideas on management and leadership.
“New Zealanders have strong record of success and I want to tap into and share the ingredients of that success and ensure we learn from what’s happening globally. The best of both.”
And on the subject of best – little trumpet blowing is in order. The recent MPA Awards saw Management pick up two firsts: our Cover of the Year award is very well-earned accolade for the magazine’s creative and hard-working designer Stephanie Beagley; Journalist of the Year went to the magazine’s associate editor – me.
As to what’s next for us – more of the same top class design and editorial, of course.