EDITORIAL The Flip Side

New Zealand managers and business leaders are going under the microscope. The Government wants to know how well they perform compared with managers in other countries. And does their performance, good or bad, impact directly on New Zealand’s economy? couple of years ago, Britain undertook study of its managers and wasn’t happy with what it found. It didn’t exactly prove direct cause and effect relationship between management capability and the nation’s economic performance, but it was sufficiently disappointed by its discoveries to establish Council for Excellence in Management and Leadership. Whether that particular solution and the activities attaching to it deliver difference, time will tell.
New Zealand’s Ministry of Economic Development, prompted by the possibilities of the UK exercise and encouraged by the New Zealand Institute of Management, now plans to work with the many and diverse industry groups that, in one way or another, impact on management training, development, research, best practice, lobbying and so on, to find ways to lift our management game. Changed attitudes and performance levels will, however, take more than simply delivering an “overseas solution” to our unique economy and society. Researching our cover story, it became increasingly obvious that the issue is personal one. What encourages managers to go beyond their technical skill level and apply the factor of difference – the emotional commitment to performing at say 85 percent of capability, rather than the 60 percent performance indicators suggest they now deliver?
We are, however, nation of small, even micro, enterprises. Moves to lift management performance must take that reality into account. Don’t be surprised, therefore, if by applying the examples and experiences of other larger and very different economies and cultures we don’t get the results we are looking for. This is an opportunity to be innovative and entrepreneurial about building New Zealand’s management and leadership capabilities.
And talking about taking different approach, this issue introduces MW – Management Woman. Management is, as we keep saying, in its 50th year. MW is an illustration of our determination and ability to keep evolving and thinking outside the square when it comes to delivering editorial that helps you do your job better. You will also, hopefully, notice some overall design changes – slightly wider page and some subtle typographic differences. Last year we introduced The Director to acknowledge the changing relationship between management and governance, so MW acknowledges another very important different information need. Flip this issue and you will see what we mean.