What kind of legacy will you leave?
When it came to probing his audience to think beyond themselves, Health and Safety Advisor at Tainui Group Holdings, Benjamin Hemi, delivered a spectacular address at the Safeguard National Health and Safety Conference late last year. His insightful speech, peppered with the occasional self-deprecating line or classic Dad joke, was both engaging and educational. His message was simple. How much do we know about the people behind the people that we work with?Hemi’s speech emphasised the overrepresentation of Māori in incidents despite the underrepresentation of Māori in the workforce altogether. Bearing this in mind, Hemi presented an insight into the Māori worldview and how we can incorporate key concepts into New Zealand workplaces. He drew upon his Māori heritage, explaining how to connect and engage Māori staff in the workplace.
When it comes to health and safety, no stone should be left unturned when it comes to understanding your people - where they come from, who they are, and what makes them tick. The better we understand our people, the stronger our relationships become and the greater engagement becomes with our health and safety systems.