Personal file: Helen Green

Name: Helen Green

Birth: April 22, 1950, in Paeroa

Job: Chief executive officer, World Vision New Zealand.

Qualifications: Registered nurse, Bachelor of Social Sciences and management diploma, University of Waikato.

Family situation: Married to Peter, with daughters aged 20 and 21.

Residence: Hamilton - commutes weekly to Auckland.


Why do you do this job?

I'm passionately interested in marginalised people who I believe, through no fault of their own, live in situations that make their lives incredibly difficult.

I worked in the disability sector before coming here. I've been in the job a year.

Why is what you do important?

It's changing lives, giving people the opportunity to develop their own potential. I see a difference between aid and development. World Vision is a development agency, encouraging people to develop their own potential.

What is the biggest challenge facing your organisation?

There are lots of challenges. One is the money we can raise, international financial circumstances, the degree of poverty worldwide, and the changing face of poverty.

There's more urban poverty, and it's very difficult to deal with.

What excites you about it?

The challenges. And the fact that [the work] is global. There's an opportunity to work on an international basis, which is incredibly stimulating, and the opportunity to work with people and see visible signs of change.

What annoys you about it?

The airports and travel. It can be frustrating, and they are not always places I want to go to.

And being part of a bigger organisation, no matter how level they try to get their systems, there are bureaucracies here and internationally.

How would you describe your management style?

I think I'm reasonably consultative but I can be quite direct. I try to encourage staff. We have nearly 70 staff, and a huge base of volunteers, which swells at famine time.

How would you describe your personality?

I'm probably fairly quiet, and I have a bit of a sense of humour - you need it in this job. I think I'm reasonably reflective, I'm realistic and pragmatic. I like to think I have heaps of common sense.

Name four of your computer bookmarks.

www.harvard business review.com; www.johncmaxwell.com, a Christian leadership page, www.nzherald.co.nz - wonderful to keep up with New Zealand when I am travelling - and my bank, www.westpactrust.co.nz.

What lesson would you pass on to budding managers?

Keep listening - and not only to what people are saying, but also what they don't say, and how they react. Listen to every aspect of your environment.

If you could change one aspect of NZ business, what would it be?

Mediocrity. We have been conditioned to mediocrity. I think it's a social thing through schools. Our children are taught to be mediocre. We always hear about how they tried hard, not whether they succeeded, and that's embedded into our culture now. It's almost if we're frightened to say: I'm going to be the best. We need to be.

How do you relax?

A bit of walking, and sewing - embroidery and stitching. Being with friends - I like sitting around in small groups chatting. I don't think I'm a big party person.

What books are you reading?

When Broken Glass Floats: Growing up under the Khmer Rouge, by Chanrithy Him, and The Girl in the Picture: the Kim Phuc Story, by Denise Chong.

What are your top five values?

Honesty, caring for others, accountability, a sense of personal responsibility and family.

What was your last cultural experience?

I went to Les Miserables in Hamilton - that was great.

What is your favourite sport?

Swimming. And I enjoy watching the netball.

What is your greatest regret?

I regret that neither of my parents lived long enough to see me [as an adult].

My father died when I was 10, and my mother when I was 25. I would have liked them to see and say, "You've done well", coming from a small community and not having much to start with.

What's the key to managing stroppy staff?

Sometimes people don't know they're being difficult, so you need to spell out requirements, and support them to achieve them.