Christmas wishes

Kia ora koutou members and supporters, This is the last newsletter of 2022 and I’d like to thank you all for being part of this amazing community of practitioners and professionals. I’d like to give a very special thanks to all our members who volunteered in 2022, working tirelessly to support your peers and the industry. Your mahi on behalf of all of us is much appreciated.

We have been reviewing the feedback from the member survey and what has come across loud and clear is that you want to get back to more face-to-face events around the country. The Branch Managers gathered in Auckland recently to hold a workshop looking at ways to better support their local members and to share ideas and lessons. We have a fabulous group of Branch Managers who are all enthusiastic and ready to take on 2023, armed with the feedback from you and the support of the national office, I know that we are going to be able to raise the bar for a year ahead of amazing professional development and engagement.

As with every member survey we have undertaken, there has been significant feedback relating to how we can better serve you. We’ll be looking at improving the continuing professional development (CPD) system and CPD opportunities across the organisation and focusing on creating an enriched mentoring programme. Updating parts of the website is another area of focus for us and promoting the benefits we have on offer is something you have asked us to continue to do.

I was surprised by an isolated piece of feedback from a member who considers the use of te reo at NZISM events exclusionary. I’d like to address this first by highlighting that a number of our members want us to increase our focus on cultural development, and this is evidenced by the high number of members engaging in the webinars we are delivering in this space, so I know this is not an across-the-board view, but it still warrants addressing.

My hope is that all those living in this country embrace the indigenous customs and I’d love to see te reo infiltrate every part of our society, including our workplaces. While I don’t understand everything said in te reo, I am starting to pick out different words more and more, as my ear becomes attuned to them. Slowly, over time, I hope to be able to piece together what is being said but if I'm ever frustrated with my lack of knowledge or understanding, I guess it will mean it's time for me to book myself into a te reo class.

Developing the cultural competence of the profession will be an important piece of work that we hope to undertake alongside our colleagues in the New Zealand Safety Council, with support from HASANZ in 2023. So my advice would be to immerse yourself in the culture of the country you call home. Your experience will be richer for it because we will continue to use te reo at any and every opportunity where our members wish to do so.

I wish every one of our 2,500-strong community of practitioners and professionals a happy, healthy, and safe festive season.

Ngā mihi

Selena Armstrong

CEO, NZISM