Waikato Business News April/May 2019

very tough economic conditions
for dairying, Fieldays
Many of the 1100 exhibitors
have begun the often significant
job of erecting sites and
New Zealand National Fieldays
Society chief executive Peter
Nation says staff have inducted
more than 7000 tradespeople
to work on the 114 hectare
property. Meanwhile volunteer
numbers have been expanded
Fieldays’ theme this year
is “Leading Change” and one
United Kingdom delegation
which has extra significance
in the post-Brexit era, while
the many other delegations
include teams from Mexican
and Vietnam.
“Meanwhile China is bringing
out two or three large trade
missions and the Koreans are
“Trade missions are looking
at either distribution in or distribution
out so the platform of
Fieldays enables willing buyers
and sellers to come together
and form trade relationships.
That is why we have the
International Business Centre.”
The theme “Leading
Change” relates to Fieldays’
WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS April/May 2019
43
Does vulnerability make you weak?
Have you noticed a shift in the language
we’re using in business? Have you
noticed an emphasis on feelings and
being authentic? Have you noticed that
employees at all levels need more than just
a job that pays salaries or wages? Yes, I
certainly have.
Over the last couple of
years, I’ve really seen
a change in the way
we “do” business. Thankfully,
for the better. It feels that we
needed this sea change during
the latest industrial revolution.
More latterly, after significant
world events that have rocked
our own communities, human
beings really want us to be
more “human” and more “vulnerable”.
With that in mind, I started
reading some great research on
vulnerability as, in my experience
when I talked with senior
executives or managers at all
levels, the emotion of vulnerability
is seen as the last bastion
of weakness. Of course,
vulnerability is scary – but it’s
also a powerful and authentic
way to live. According to
author Brené Brown, in her
book Daring Greatly, “vulnerability
is the core, the heart, the
centre, of meaningful human
experiences”. Brown defines
vulnerability as “uncertainty,
risk and emotional exposure”.
Vulnerability is hard. What
can make it even harder are
the inaccurate assumptions we
hold about it – and even more
disconcerting is the impression
that you certainly can’t talk
about vulnerability in a business
environment! Brown shatters
the following three myths
in Daring Greatly:
Vulnerability is a weakness
– according to Brown, the
funny thing about vulnerability
is that we love when others
are open and honest with us.
I have discovered
in life and business
over the years is
that feelings are
our friends, not our
enemy, and the more
we understand about
our feelings, the
stronger we become.
Not weaker.
But when it comes time for us
to share, we sort of freak out.
Suddenly, our vulnerability
is a sign of weakness. Brown
describes vulnerability as the
core of all emotions. “To feel is
to be vulnerable,” she says. So,
when we consider vulnerability
to be a weakness, we consider
feeling one’s emotions to
be so, too, she says. But being
vulnerable connects us with
others. It opens us up to love,
joy, creativity and empathy,
she says.
Some people don’t experience
vulnerability – being
vulnerable isn’t the choice we
have to make. But when we do,
Brown writes, we typically turn
to behaviours that don’t align
with who we want to be. It’s a
bit like a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Have you ever thought,
hey things are going well in my
life, and then you have a pang
of horror that something bad
will happen? Brown describes
this as “foreboding joy”. We all
experience vulnerability.
Vulnerability means spilling
secrets – many of us are
likely to assume that being
vulnerable means spilling our
hearts to strangers or wearing
our secrets on our sleeves. But
according to Brown, vulnerability
embraces boundaries
and trust and that vulnerability
is about sharing our feelings
and our experiences with people
who have earned to right
to hear them. It’s certainly
not sharing everything with
everyone! Being vulnerable
takes courage. But it’s worth it.
Being human means just that
– the value in being yourself,
to connect with others and to
share yourself with your world.
After reading Brown’s book
I started to think about the
application in a business setting.
I always thought opening
up about my feelings at work
made me weak. I never used
to talk about my true feelings,
often just bottling them up
inside – I’m sure many of you
PEOPLE AND CULTURE
> BY SENGA ALLEN
Managing Director, Everest – All about people TM
www.everestpeople.co.nz
reading this can relate. What
I have discovered in life and
business over the years is that
feelings are our friends, not
our enemy, and the more we
understand about our feelings,
the stronger we become. Not
weaker.
Waikato
AgriBusinessNews
Book your
spot in the
May issue
Fieldays
a focus for
international
trade
Delegations from nearly 20 countries are
coming to June’s National Agricultural
Fieldays as the Southern Hemisphere’s
largest agricultural event underlines its
reputation as an essential tool in the
country’s trade relationships.
T
By GEOFF TAYLOR
he 49th Fieldays at
Mystery Creek is gearing
up to be another
massive event following on
from last year when despite
AgriBusiness News
Waikato
M A Y 2 0 1 7 W W W . W B N . C O . N Z F A C E B O O K . C O M / W A I K AT O B U S I N E S S N E W S
attracted its second highest
attendance ever.
putting two entries into the
Innovation Centre.”
this year to nearly 300 for the
June 14 event.
two underling goals which are
growing agriculture through
vital element of that is leveraging
off Fieldays’ international
innovation, internationalisation
and education and bringing
town and country closer
together.
Call the team
on 07 838 1333 or
email info@wbn.co.nz
representation, says Peter.
“We have nearly 20 countries
coming to exhibit or
visit.”
He says this includes a
The “pillars” of internationalisation,
innovation
and education are represented
at the event through the
Continued on page 4
Peter Nation.