Collle and see for yourself

At Summerset, we want to help you stay informed so that you can choose the best retirement lifestyle. Having helped over 7,300 people into new homes and having family members and friends alongside on this journey, we know how important it is to make a decision that you or your loved ones are comfortable with now - and in the future

Whether you love your freedom and independence or appreciate having a helping hand to keep things running smoothly, Summerset has got you covered. Summerset offers a variety of homes to suit different needs and tastes, as well as a range of extra ser vices should you need them.

At Summerset, we want residents to relax and enjoy their home and retirement lifestyle. We can take care of the chores you no longer want to do, which means freeing up your time to spend doing the things you enjoy or that are more important

Each village has an onsite proper ty team to look after home maintenance and take care of any repairs, replacements, or general upkeep like mowing the lawn and keeping fi t tings and fixtures in order. With great security and caring experts at hand, you can have peace of mind that your safety is our top priority.

We're proud of having a broad range of activities and living options including independent villas and apartments which are just like living on any other residential street, but with a whole lot of perks. You can come and go as you please and if your needs change, you can extend your level of support to suit. And if there is ever a need for more help with housework, hot meals or other chores Summerset serviced apartments offer the independence of village life, along with a range of support services, right through to rest home-level care.

If you are contemplating village life, we recommend above all else, to come and experience it yourself. We encourage you to spend time in a village, and at Summerset you can have a cuppa and treat in the cafe. On our open days, you can check out the facilities, talk with our team and chat to residents who are already loving the Summerset life.

We also recommend you:

• Talk the options over with people who care about you.

• Make a list of the things you're looking for now and in the years ahead.

• Check if the village you like has care available if you need it - or just in case you need it in the future.

• Get independent advice from a lawyer, preferably someone with experience in retirement villages, so you fully understand your contract.

If you decide to move into a Summerset village, there is always the reassurance of our Summerset Sure Money Back Guarantee. That means you have 90 days from moving into an independent living unit or serviced apartment to decide if Summerset is the right home for you.*

Come along and check us out. We're happy to share the Summerset life with you. We think it is ver y special.

Love the life you choose. summerset.co.nz

Rob Clark CEO of Learning Architects

What on earth are you talking about?

The importance of having quality conversations

• People are more likely to go the extra mile when they know that you genuinely care about them.

• You are more likely to receive honest feedback on aspects of a person’s job when you have established an authentic relationship.

Walking through Christchurch central city over the past couple of months, the full trams and queues in local cafes would indicate that business is booming in many places. And while this is obviously good news, ramping things up again quickly comes with its own challenges, especially in terms of staffing.

According to the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce’s Quarterly Business Survey (October 2022), “Labour market shortages continue to wreak havoc, with nearly 50 percent of respondents finding it more difficult to retain staff now than 12 months ago”.

So, if we are to make the most of the current situation and avoid the risk of poor customer experience, failure to meet deadlines or even the possibility of having to turn away work, it is clear that we need to engage really well with our people.

The power of genuine connection

Having strong relationships is key to building a healthy organisational culture, particularly when you are asking people to go above and beyond.

Being well-connected to your staff and showing them you care can make your organisation more resilient and adaptable to whatever challenges come your way.

But fostering meaningful connections takes work; having open discussions helps establish and maintain these relationships.

How quality conversations make a difference:

• Connecting with people as individuals and gaining an understanding of their unique circumstances means you can provide personalised support as/when they need it.

• When change is needed, and particularly when needed fast, the communication channels are already open, the goodwill is already there and you can more easily adjust things ‘on the fly’.

Quality conversations

Quality conversations involve two-way dialogue; they are not a tick box exercise. Of course, how and when you are able to organise these in a way that works for everyone will depend on the size and nature of your organisation.

For example, if yours is a small business with one or two staff, you might just have a chat across the room or pop out for a coffee.

If your organisation is larger, you may need to delegate these conversations to your managers, trusting them to keep their finger on the pulse; in turn, you then have quality conversations with them. Ideally if you can schedule these conversations so that they become routine, you will establish a pattern of regular feedback and connection that naturally builds relationships and improves your organisational culture.

What makes a quality conversation?

There are many aspects that make for a quality conversation, but probably the most important, is the ability to listen openly and ask questions.

If one-on-one intentional conversations don’t come naturally to you, asking people what they are currently working on is an easy conversation starter.

Not only is this a straightforward question to answer, it also enables you to connect in a work-related context and establish the purpose of the conversation, so that it links to them as an individual, as well as to your organisational goals.

When you are listening openly, one question can lead to another and if you are in a more senior position, the more open you need to be to new possibilities that you hadn’t previously considered.

A two-way conversation also allows you to get a sense of where someone is at, whether they are enjoying their job, what they may need help with, whether they’d like to take a step up or do something different. It also helps them to understand what you may need from them as a manager or leader.

CAN YOU SELL? DO YOU HUNT FOR PROSPECTS? IF SO WE NEED YOU, NOW!

Various remuneration packages are available comprising of retainer plus commission and bonuses.

Contact: Clive Greenwood on: (03) 961 5176 or email clive@academygroup.co.nz | www.magazinestoday.co.nz

This open approach not only ensures that you are more easily able to move the conversation towards its intended purpose, but it will also help facilitate a greater depth of understanding, which will better help you to identify problems, explore solutions, and facilitate new ideas and innovation together.

Good chat. Now what?

Research from Gallup suggests that one of the worst things a manager can do for an employee is to ignore them - presumably because they might just leave!

Not ideal at any time, but particularly precarious when staff are hard to come by.

This means that what you do with the information shared is as important as actually having the conversations in the first place.

When people feel included and heard they are more likely to be engaged and motivated to make a positive difference in your organisation, so how you feed back any resulting next steps and most of all, how you act on that information really matters.

Not only does it form the basis of the next quality conversation, but it allows you to form genuine connections and strengthen your organisational culture; something that will serve you well at any time, and especially when you and your team are under the pump. So, with that in mind, who do you most need to connect with in your organisation?

And if you’re wondering when you will have time to book it in, the sooner you have these conversations, the quicker you’ll connect, so really... there’s no time like the present!

• Your work ethic and discipline is essential

• Honesty is a must - humour appreciated

• You will need a good understanding of business and be able to talk to everyone from trades people to CEOs

• You MUST be oozing enthusiasm!

• Experience preferred, but not necessary as initial and on-going training and support provided

• Various remuneration packages available-made up of retainer plus commission, plus monthly bonuses, flexible hours and subsidised health insurance for you and your family.

Leeann Watson

Chief executive of the CECC www.cecc.org.nz