How can businesses activate leadership and navigate difficult times in the post-pandemic era?

Over the past few years, the unpredictable COVID pandemic has dealt an unprecedented blow to New Zealand’s economic development. From sharp revenue declines in retail, hospitality, accommodation, tourism, transport, culture and entertainment to the slow resumption of work and production in manufacturing, property and construction because of labour and raw material constraints, almost no industry has escaped the pandemic’s heavy impact. These changes will also profoundly affect the future direction and competitive landscape of individual industries.

For construction, the immediate challenges include rising building material costs, supply chain delays, shortages of skilled workers and tighter bank lending. Add business owners’ lack of development and management experience, disappointing presales and cash flow failures, and construction companies can be driven directly into bankruptcy. Independent New Zealand economist Tony Alexander has warned that smaller construction companies face the risk of bankruptcy, predicting a wave of closures over the next two to three years, with around 1400 businesses closing each month! More alarmingly, the collapse of a single builder will directly expose more subcontractors and suppliers to the same problems.

This raises the question: what management and leadership capabilities do business owners and managers need to guide their companies through these difficult times? How can they manage people and operations efficiently so their businesses develop in a healthy way?

To support the sustainable development of New Zealand’s Chinese construction industry, the New Zealand Chinese Building Industry Association (NZCBIA) took advantage of the government’s Activate Tāmaki Makaurau support programme. Together with business development consultancy Executive Coaching & Consulting, it developed a year-long leadership training programme tailored to its members.

Prepared over two years, the year-long programme incorporates core ideas from the Chinese military classic The Art of War. It progresses from Foundation, covering goals, vision and values, to Management, including recruitment, leadership, setting targets and accountability, and then to People & Leadership, addressing mindset, motivation and skills development.

Lead trainer Jason Diana, a specialist in leadership and communication management, introduced himself: “My grandfather was a builder, as are my two brothers. Over the past 27 years, I have worked in construction management and leadership in 23 countries. Within construction, I have helped many well-known companies, including major building material suppliers ITM, PlaceMakers and NZ Bricks. I also worked with well-known local builder GJ Gardener for 5 years, increasing its market share from 2.7% to 5% over 3 years. So I have deep ties to the construction industry.”

NZCBIA president Frank Xu also said: “I have known Jason for some time. He is an expert in leadership and communication management, and he also knows New Zealand’s construction industry very well. His training covers leadership and communication management, which is very helpful for construction business owners and managers in addressing management issues and controlling risk.”

Because of the pandemic’s impact, the first training session began in May. Alongside lead trainer Jason Diana, peak performance coach Chad Heesch and high performance sales coach Grant Shields attended, sharing a wealth of practical training insights.

Fourteen business owners and managers took part in the programme. They expressed their hopes of improving their leadership and gaining more practical skills through subsequent learning to support the operation and development of their businesses and teams. Special thanks go to members Prostone Consulting and Royal Glass for their strong support of this training!