July 2023 - Bay of Plenty Business News

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4 BAY OF PLENTY BUSINESS NEWS July 2023 NZ’s largest free STEM festival returns Since 2018 STEMFest has been nurturing our region’s next generation of problem-solvers, innovators and leaders and this year the interactive festival is set to break new ground when it launches in October. Founder Tia Lush says the festival has even bigger goals for 2023. the past six years we have been rapidly growing “Over the festival with more and more offerings to inspire and engage our young people and their families. This year we are excited to be working on an even bigger festival that will showcase the opportunities and latest advancements in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.” Tia says the festival plays a vital role in engaging young people in critical sectors of our economy and by doing so helps address the predicted future skills shortage. “There is a global shortage of people becoming scientists, technologists, engineers, and mathematicians. This will ultimately result in a shortage of future problem solvers. STEM- Fest aims to address this by inspiring, empowering and nurturing a new generation of young people in these fields.” With over 10,000 free tickets issued last year, STEMFest 2023 is looking forward to breaking new attendance records with the release, today, of tickets. “Each year we have seen an increasing number of families from Auckland, Waikato and across the North and South Island come to attend STEMFest. This year, from the interest we have already had to date, we are excited. Ultimately our vision is to become the ‘Field days of STEM’ and in doing so really shine a light on vital career paths by engaging our future problem solvers in some amazing and fun hands-on experiments.” Billed as a blockbuster interactive FREE TICKETS for STEMFest are now available. Sign up on the website www.stemfest.nz to receive information and ticket release announcements. event for all ages, STEMFest 2023 will take place on Sunday October 1 st . With an already strong STEM knowledge base in the Bay of Plenty region, the festival will showcase this with an exciting line-up of exhibitors and interactive elements, including animal dissections, rockets, robotics, smoothie bikes, fossils, building activities and much more! With its aim to bolster the STEM sector, this year’s festival has also attracted some heavy-hitting support from headline sponsor Manawa Energy, alongside local business pillars Zespri, Ballance and Sharp Tudhope. Communications and Community Engagement Advisor at Manawa Energy, Annie Tangata, says it’s a natural and important fit for them to support STEMFest. “You can’t be what you can’t see. For us at Manawa Energy, STEM- Fest is about showcasing some of the awesome opportunities out there in the world of STEM and renewable energy. We’re stoked to be back again this year for the biggest STEMFest yet.” Zespri has been a part of the festival since 2019, backing STEM Wana’s ambition to inspire the next generation of innovators and sharing delicious nutritious kiwifruit for a day’s learning, experimenting and discovery. “It’s great to take part in such an engaging and educational community event and be involved in our local STEM community to sustain and grow its future, something that we can all benefit from.” says Assistant Innovation Specialist Brooke Maddison. The event is also supported by Tourism Bay of Plenty, the University of Waikato and TECT who all see it as a vital event for the region. Tia says STEMFest is purposefully scheduled for the second weekend of the October school holidays allowing out of town families to also attend. “What a great way for families to combine a holiday break in our beautiful region with some engaging and highly interactive fun and learning at STEMFest. We can’t wait to gather New Zealand’s future problem solvers together for some hands-on experiments and a celebration of STEM.” Prior to STEMFest the organisation continues to promote awareness of opportunities in STEM to young people and their families through community events, collaborations, and meaningful partnerships with STEM in the Community activations run by STEM Wana Trust, including an outreach programme for schools in the Bay of Plenty area. Some tough calls to come in the city’s long-term plan Last month we started to focus in earnest on the city’s draft 2024- 34 long-term plan (LTP) and it’s already evident that there will be some tough calls for the Commission to make. Proudly providing expert advice and adding value to projects across the Bay of Plenty since 1940. To experience Cheal’s award winning service, contact us today. +64 7 349 8470 | info@cheal.co.nz | By ANNE TOLLEY, Tauranga Commission Chair Since our last LTP, the cost of living has increased significantly and that puts even more pressure on us to keep rates costs affordable. From the Council’s perspective, increased construction costs, higher interest rates and the general impact of inflation on our activities mean that the cost of delivering the Anne Tolley LTP adopted two years ago and maintaining our current levels of service has increased significantly. We still need to invest in the infrastructure our growing city needs, and increasingly, in our resilience against climate change impacts such as the extreme storms, flooding and storm surges we’re experiencing across the country. We also need to be realistic about what we can afford to do in the current economic situation. That will require a tough reassessment of our priorities, with a focus on delivering the key projects now underway, like the Cameron Road urban transformation project, the Papamoa East Interchange and the work to revitalise our city centre. Some of our previously planned capital investment projects will need to be refined or delayed, because capital does have a direct effect on our operating costs. That means some things we had intended to do in the next decade may have to wait a bit longer than anticipated, with our capital programme honed down to a level we know we can afford and that we have the capacity to deliver. The likely spend will need to reduce to around $400 million a year for the next few years, rather than the $500- plus million that would be required to deliver on all of the city’s aspirations and growth needs. Of course we also need to maintain our existing assets and deliver the quality services the city relies upon, and while that requires ‘business as usual’ to continue, we will be doing everything we can to do more with the resources we have. We know that this is a hard time to talk about the investing in Tauranga when the cost of living is at the front of everyone’s minds, but the reality is that we will pay in other ways if we don’t proceed with the infrastructure and facility improvements the city needs to stay safe and functional and be the great place to live, learn, work and play. This underlines the importance of our discussions with political parties leading up to the General Election. The rating model is simply inadequate for a rapidly growing city, and together with our fellow metro cities, we continue to press for partnerships with central Government to fund growth infrastructure. In the meantime, we look forward to bringing together the draft long-term plan and to engaging with the community and business sector later this year to check whether you think we’ve got the priorities right. We’re planning to start the formal LTP consultation process in November, with submission hearings in December. Deliberations and adoption of the final LTP would then take place by April 2024, so that we have a resilient and workable plan in place ready for the next elected council to take forward.
July 2023 BAY OF PLENTY BUSINESS NEWS 5 The rise of toxic consistency: ARE YOUR HABITS RUINING YOUR CAREER? Consistency is key. Or so we are led to believe. But what if ‘consistency’ is just another LinkedIn buzzword for ‘timewasting’? It’s time to discover whether the phenomenon of ‘Toxic Consistency’ could trap you in a habit of missing out on what you deserve. MINING BUSINESS WEALTH > BY FREDDIE BENNETT Guinness World Record Holder, podcast host and bestselling author, Freddie is known as ‘The Profit Hunter’. He helps business owners enjoy more time, money and freedom by discovering and extracting hidden profits in their companies. Freddie@conqueryourmedia.com ‘Mr Consistent’. That’s what they called me. • Consistently waking up at 4:30am. • Consistently running 15km every day. • Consistently answering my client’s requests. • Consistently there for my kid’s activities. • Consistently managing household chores. • Consistently keeping on top of my inbox. • Consistently collapsing on the couch with Netflix and a bottle of Shiraz every night. • Consistently getting it done. I knew what I was doing. After all, I’d read books like Atomic Habits and 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. I thought consistency would bring me success. What did consistency actually bring me? Covid. Followed by burnout. Served with a side-order of sleeping pills for insomnia. My consistent habits had delivered a toxic impact upon my life. So-called experts (usually with a book on ‘habit forming’ to sell) love to shout about the supposed benefits of consistent habits. But as I lay in bed, with that oh-so-familiar feeling of a nostril impaled by a RAT test cocktail stick, I started to doubt that ‘consistent habits’ were improving my life. Perhaps we’re doing this all wrong. In a world of chaos, who says consistency is the answer? Consistency leads to rigidity We all know the story of the drowning man who refused the lifeline, the lifeguard, then the rescue helicopter, because he was consistent in his belief that a higher power would come to save him. Daisy the Great White Shark would be the only winner in that scenario. Developing strong habits can lead to resistance when faced with change or adapting to new circumstances. In a rapidly evolving business landscape, being overly tied to certain routines and habits can hinder flexibility and innovation. I don’t exactly have a crystal ball, but I’d wager that flexibility and innovation might come in handy over the next few years. Consistency causes stagnation and lack of growth Ask any bodybuilder what happens if they never increase the weight they lift. Ask any teacher what happens if they never give pupils more challenging puzzles. Habits, by their nature, promote consistency and repetition. However, if these habits become stagnant and fail to evolve, they can limit personal and professional growth. Without challenging our existing habits or exploring new approaches, we can become complacent and miss out on opportunities for advancing our careers and lives. If you’re determined to walk only one path every day, you’ll never have the opportunity to go in a totally different direction. Consistency creates blind spots and resistance to feedback The mindgurus love to talk about building tiny, consistent habits every day. Every day I used to spark up a Marlboro on the way to work and surf the internet until 11am, without fail. It didn’t help my mental health, and my bosses weren’t best pleased either. Just because you’re doggedly going through the motions every single day, doesn’t mean you’re doing the right things, or being open to learning new ways. Established habits can create blind spots, making it difficult to recognise our shortcomings or areas in need of improvement. Being too wedded to habitual behaviours usually results in resistance to feedback, and what I used to call ‘career limiting’ behaviours. Consistency leads to inefficiency and ineffectiveness There are few more dangerous phrases in the business world than: “But we’ve always done it this way.” Obviously I would never point the finger at local government departments here. But let’s face it, doing things consistently slowly and inefficiently over a long period of time can be extremely lucrative. While habits are often associated with efficiency, they can also lead to repetitive or unproductive actions. If certain habits are not aligned with the most effective approaches, they can result in wasted time and resources. Imagine you had to carry a bucket around with you all day, yet you decided to consistently fill it with water…congratulations, you’ve created a new habit…and given yourself a painful load to bear. Consistency breeds a lack of adaptability and resilience The 5am workout club loves to boast about how mentally tough and resistant they are. But if you disrupt that morning routine, you will destroy their entire day. You will witness the office Tough Guy (or Gal) become irritable, snappy and weakened because they can no longer have ‘their’ consistent habit ‘their’ way. Overreliance on specific habits makes it challenging to adapt to new circumstances or overcome unexpected challenges. The inability to break away from established habits can hinder resilience and problem-solving abilities. Don’t believe me? Try solving a problem if you’ve missed out on your morning coffee, or once you realise Without challenging our existing habits or exploring new approaches, we can become complacent and miss out on opportunities for advancing our careers and lives. If you’re determined to walk only one path every day, you’ll never have the opportunity to go in a totally different direction.” you’ve left your phone at home. You might think an innocent habit isn’t doing any harm. But it’s when you fail to adapt to life without it, that you do some real damage to your performance. Consistency causes you to neglect strategic thinking Habitual behaviour can be automatic and reactive. We fall into – or out of – habits when we are bored, angry, stressed or lonely. By allowing ourselves to be led by these habits, we bypass our natural critical thinking and strategic decision-making abilities. In a dynamic business environment, strategic thinking is crucial. An overemphasis on habitual responses may undermine the ability to devise innovative strategies. Blockbuster, Kodak and Blackberry all thought they were untouchable because they believed ‘what worked then, will work now and forever’. Ironically, it was the fact that consumers DID allow their technology usage habits to change, that led to these companies’ downfall. It’s important to say that not all habits are created equal. Of course a 30-minute-per-day reading habit is going to be better for you than a 30-minute-per-day cake-eating habit. But the habit becomes a hindrance when we start blindly following the advice of so-called experts and doing things over and over without questioning WHY. Humans did pretty well before they were ever told to stack, build, form or hack their habits. So get crystal clear on where you want to go, the actions you must take to get you there, and the behaviours that won’t help you achieve that particular goal. Try to do more of the stuff that works, and less of the stuff that doesn’t. Success doesn’t come from doing everything consistently right. Success happens when you recognise you need to correct course, and make the required changes quickly, to the best of your ability. Everyone’s allowed to make mistakes. Just don’t make a habit of it. EXPERIENCE. THE DIFFERENCE . ADDS UP 07 927 1200 | 60 Durham St, Tauranga | www.inghammora.co.nz
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July 2023 - Bay of Plenty Business News

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