Dialogue: To increase prosperity start with the children

By CARON TAURIMU

Increasing employment and improving local and regional success begins in the home. If basic economic skills and work ethics were reinforced at home, our country would see greater growth sooner.

This requires, of course, the implementation of long-term value strategies, but the dividends could last long term. Better education, better work ethics and, in turn, higher-paid employment would be the benefits, while the spinoffs from higher income would include better housing and health and an improved standard of living.

When we talk of whanau or family strategies, we are talking strategies that can be employed by today's families, single-parent, two-parent or extended.

If children were taught the value of work, the necessity of education and how to be responsible with money from an early age, productive families with a good understanding of work principles and business ethics would contribute significantly to the community.

Certainly, this takes a lot of time, focus and skill on the part of the family, but the benefits to society suggest that Government support of this kind of initiative would be worthwhile.

To generate higher-paying jobs we also need to get back to basics and focus across industry on the essence of business - customer service.

As a culture, New Zealanders need to raise their awareness and expectations of customer service. I called three businesses for a quote recently and I can't complain about the service because there wasn't any. One call was fielded by an answering service, another by a new receptionist with very little knowledge, and the last by a recorded message. How are businesses going to compete in a global economy if we cannot service a simple phone call?

Employers and staff alike need to understand a simple formula: the customer pays the wages. While the employer administers the wages, without the customer there are no wages to be paid.

Another aspect of business development that needs serious consideration is the stalemate of bureaucracy. Normally, I am am optimist with considerable patience, but I have experienced great frustration over the years with Government departments and certain Maori organisations when trying to implement support programmes to increase employment and business growth.

There is always far too much time spent in consultation, hui and producing fancy reports, and very little time in implementation. While interested people seem happy to debate and discuss issues surrounding initiatives at hui, there are very few willing to put their names on the line and get stuck in to do what is needed.

Many people make solid contributions to society, however. Often they are quiet achievers who just get on with life, despite rough beginnings. Believing in what they are doing, they dispense with the meaningless dialogue and simply put their heads down. Some of them make it through, then become role models and are celebrated accordingly after years of hard work. Some are never acknowledged.

As a society, we need to identify the doers by their skills, their determination and track record (no matter how brief) and support them in driving important initiatives that move programmes more swiftly from consultation to implementation.

To increase employment and lift business confidence, the Government needs to seriously consider a number of points.

Community education programmes should be implemented to assist all families in positive parenting and life skills. This would include teaching our children the work ethic and financial responsibility.

Our MPs and cabinet ministers should also be more experienced in business.

The Government should lift the level of training providers and education suppliers, with a higher focus on information technology in all training, including management and non-IT-related topics.

The Government must create substantial initiatives to encourage small business start-ups. Examples would include business incubator parks, tax breaks for companies to invest in IT training and better support for e-commerce initiatives.

Primary and secondary schools' IT training and technology use need to be upskilled. Reward-based programmes in primary and secondary schools to encourage children in learning and growth also need to be implemented. Instead of providing programmes that train individuals, the Government needs to look at offering whole-family training (whanau-based model), in which all are prepared for the dynamics of upskilling.

This would ensure that no one in the family feels threatened or left out by the personal growth of the individuals and that everyone can offer the kind of support needed to ensure success.

The Government must also invest in role-modelling for children and adults, using a range of people who are enterprising and business-focused. Sporting role models are positive but need to be balanced by those succeeding in other areas. Targeted role-modelling for boys and men should be increased.

There should also be investment in more technology-based initiatives.

Reward-focused health programmes encouraging children and families to take an active role in managing their own healthcare must be implemented.

The Government should look at a flat tax rate based on total turnover of businesses. This would eliminate all the administration and confusion of the various taxes and associated paperwork.

In closing the gaps for Maori, it must work with successful Maori groups and not hold them under the tall-poppy syndrome. Initiatives should also be financed to the full amount of applications. Partly funding initiatives ensures only partial success.

National economic performance will improve when families are given the skills to foster economic development within their homes, and when those individuals who are striving to make a difference, and with a record of success, are supported.

Businesses should be encouraged to take calculated risks, to make choices that lead outside the square and into the opportunity box. Research in IT, science and technology is a large area for growth, and areas in which New Zealand has had some innovative success.

These are the people who we should be listening to and who, with support, can help us to implement initiatives and transform them into successful strategies.

* Caron Taurimu, chief executive of Carich Training Centre, was the 1999 Maori Businesswoman of the Year.