Talking heads: Karen Beard

What makes your day at work?

When an individual comes to me and says that what we have been working on has totally changed the way they view and balance their life.

We make changes to the way they manage their work and lifestyle, and it's great to hear that they feel more productive, less stressed, and better about what they do.

You can tell from the smile on their face that the stress and pressure have been relieved.

When did you first become a manager?

In 1992 I managed a fitness facility, which was my first move into the health and wellness field. I had come from 12 years in a very safe air traffic control environment, and within about three months I had 20 staff under me.

It was a vertical learning curve. I left air traffic control because there wasn't enough people interface - this has much more.

What was the most important lesson you learned on your way up?

Perseverance. When people tell you in business that you can't do it, and that it's just not possible, the most important lesson I learned is to stick with my gut instinct. If I really believe that what I do makes a difference then I put things behind me and trust what I do. Follow your intuition.

What has been your best moment in business?

A few years ago I took the wellness programme to Australia and found it was in high demand, which was great. When I came back to New Zealand I seemed to have built credibility by making it in Australia - it's funny how New Zealanders value international skills higher than others. It probably happens in every country, but Australia was like a pay-off for me, for working so many years to get there.

What annoys you most?

Companies that don't walk their talk. Companies talk about being employers of choice, supporting a work/family balance, and have their values hanging on the office walls. But sometimes when I start talking to management and the employees I discover it's not like that at all. There's a lack of integrity. Another annoying thing is when a company says it doesn't have the budget to support a programme, and then takes 40 or 50 of its clients to a rugby match. In terms of values, you're only as good as your people and the message they put out to your clients.

If you were starting over again what would you be?

I've done lots of things in my working life - from having a very technical career to trekking the Himalayas and owning a gym. But one thing I've put on the backburner is my love for music and design. Maybe I would go and study design in Paris to balance out everything else.

How have you dealt with the pitfalls in your career?

No matter what point I'm in, I absolutely know that what I'm doing makes a difference for people and has value. Regardless of what I'm going through, I have confidence that the programmes work - so I move on and learn the lesson. I ask myself what I need to learn, and make myself sit up and take notice.

What management wisdom is most overrated?

There's so much discussion in the global marketplace now about business accelerating, and the race to keep pace with technology. After talking to many individuals and businesses, I'm hearing that to keep pace with that we need to speed up things. I think the reverse. If we want to be effective and efficient, we do need to keep investing in the right technology - but in these crazy work times we need to get back to basics and slow down the pace. That way people can be more focused on their work.

What will be the big business issue of the next decade?

People. The question is how can we make our people want to come to work each day? Most companies are suffering huge staff turnover, and they need to look at how they can make their environment more supportive and encouraging. How can they use incentives and bonuses to get people to work? The companies that are making that work are the ones that have networks in place for family, continued education, and health.

How do you relax?

By having a bubble bath and glass of champagne with my fiance. I'm also mad keen about sport and I love to ski, sail and run. We've got wonderful friends who I love having brunch with on weekends.

* Karen Beard talked to Paula Oliver.