How to prioritise people on a budget
Putting people first is the very essence of youth development organisation Springboard.
Since 2002, the not-for-profit has been helping vulnerable young people change their lives for the better through a range of different programmes in the north Auckland area. In 2021, they purchased the iconic Warkworth attraction ‘Sheepworld’ to bring in income from tourists and become a centre for youth as well.
Needless to say, it is critical for the services they provide to ensure a positive working environment; and with 100% of Sheepworld profits going into their operations and youth programmes, prioritising people must be done on the strictest of budgets…
Sheepworld Manager, Ox Wightman, says this is very easy to do…
Ox, how would you describe the organisational culture at Sheepworld?
The whole purpose of being here is to make better people, so everyone is treated as a family member and our culture is all encompassing. We don’t have rules and regulations, instead we have expectations and obligations.
People want to come to work here – they’re happy.
Can you provide examples of how you support your people?
- We don’t believe in minimum wage, instead we pay people what they’re worth.
- We are across all duties, so if someone is sick we can easily fill that gap.
- Staff are not asked to do anything that I wouldn’t do myself.
- We wouldn’t ask staff to do a job they’re not trained for, or not keen to do – for example, we have someone here who is scared of pigs, so we accommodate that.
- We have regular meetings where we are transparent and we try to ensure everyone has an input into decisions being made.
How would you describe your leadership style?
My team do great work, so if we’re a success it’s because of them. If we fail, that’s on me.
How do you motivate people at Sheepworld?
The animals definitely help – people love working with animals! Otherwise, staff keep each other motivated because they like to come to work and they’re always smiling and happy. I'm an old man and they energise me!
From a business perspective, why is it important to priortise people?
In my opinion, if you don’t look after your people, then you won’t have a profitable or reputable operation. Our people don’t need Sheepworld, but Sheepworld needs them. We’re nothing without them.
Top Tips on prioritising your people
1. Be transparent.
2. Reward your staff well and that’s not just monetary, that includes training and progression.
3. Let them have ownership, because if they have ownership then they’ll go that little bit extra.
Meet Ox!
Ox Wightman is the Manager of Sheepworld, an agritourism and youth development centre at the top of the Auckland region. On top of operational duties, he also presents farming shows to tourists and guides their youth trainees.
With more than 50 years in the workforce to list on his CV, Ox brings a wealth of great experience to his role at Sheepworld including project management, tourism management, animal care, youth development, as well as 30 years in law enforcement.
Throughout the month of February 2023, Ox will tell us all about prioritising people at Sheepworld – on a budget – and why this is crucial to their operations.