Fresh in this issue... Page 2 • Being prepared • Workplace safety awards • Page 3 • Destination Zero • 2010 Trainee of the Year Awards Page 4 • Star Stores • Your opinion counts • Getting to know you - Mary Le Fevre • Taking responsibility
From me... ...to you
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e have always had a significant commitment to staff training. Indeed, it's no exaggeration to say that our well trained staff are the backbone of our business. This training certainly paid off in Christchurch during the Earthquake disaster when all of our team across the region responded magnificently. Well done! On 3 September the best of our trainees had a great opportunity to really put their skills to the test in our annual Trainee of the Year Competition, which was hotly contested as usual. Congratulations go to our four winners and to all 40 trainees who competed.
newsletter September 2010 Safety will always be an important part of our training efforts. It was very pleasing to see our efforts to promote a culture of safety were recognised with the ACC Workplace Safety Award at the recent Manukau Business Excellence Awards. What a great way to recognise the hard work of all our team! Finally don't forget to participate in our Engagement Survey which is running until 22 October. It's a great chance for our senior managers to hear your ideas on how you think Progressive Enterprises is performing, and where you think there might be room for improvement. We need your help to make our great business even better, so don't be shy! Regards Peter Smith
Fundraising Fun for Fresh Futures
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t Foodtown Takapuna and Countdown Auckland City our managers have been cleaning up for a good cause. They recently held a carwash for Fresh Futures, raising $2,900 towards our week 6 total of $375,569.92. Countdown Waikiwi has been in a motoring mood for Fresh Futures, holding a car and bike poker rally on Saturday 11 September. Approximately 100 motorbikes and 45 vintage cars joined in the fun which started at Waikiwi and finished at the Whitehouse pub five hours later. The Wellington region has been getting into the fundraising swing, holding a Golf Day and auction. Golf fanatics in Huapai, didn't miss out, either, with a Fresh Futures Golf Tournament on 23 September. There was fun for the youngsters at the Papakura Aquatic Centre where a Gala/Duathlon for children aged 8-14 raised laughter and money. On 2 and 3 October the Challenge 500 saw Adam Bentley and Phil Read cycle around Lake Taupo three times in 24hours. Phew!
Cleaning for the cause: Managers from Northern Area 1 held a carwash at Foodtown Takapuna and Countdown Auckland City, raising $2,900 for Fresh Futures.
A Fresh Market day was held at Taupo Countdown on 2 October to coincide with the event. Our intrepid cyclists were lead off at 12.00pm by a motor bike team including some of our staff members, Brett Ashley GM Fresh, Paul Bradsworth Regional Manager Southern, Kaye Dinnan PA to Marketing team, to name a few. Slightly less energetic is the Walk around the Hamilton lake on 17 October which is being put on by the Waikato team.
For a gold coin donation you can enjoy the walk followed up by a sausage sizzle. There will also be priceless opportunity to see your local Area Manager walking around the lake in a fairy costume.!! A walkathon and BBQ is also being held by the Greymouth Hospital staff and community on Saturday 9 October. Staff at Favona Road, Manukau will be kept busy with the Fresh Futures Garage Sale on 16 October and the Show and Shine, a vintage car and bike show and BBQ, on 31 October.
Fresh Bites O
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Starburst sales lead to Fresh Futures donation
Progressive wins prestigious workplace safet y award
ur customers have developed a sweet tooth for Starburst’s delicious confectionary in a big way lately, getting their juices going and contributing to Fresh Futures in the process. All our stores really rose to Wrigley’s challenge to sell more Starburst, with the Northern Region increasing retail sales by 243% and the South by 218%. Our top selling stores in each region were: Northern Region Area 1 = Foodtown Takapuna Area 2 = Foodtown Mt Eden Area 3 = Countdown Rotorua Area 4 = Countdown Rangitikei Area 5 = Woolworths Queensgate Southern Region Area 1 = FT Whangaparoa Area 2 = Countdown Medowlands Area 3 = Countdown Matamata Area 4 = Countdown Northwood Area 5 = Woolworths Gore Wrigley will be rewarding our top selling stores’ efforts with a $150 donation to Fresh Futures.
Megan McLay (Employee Return to Work Manager), Tevita Koloamatangi (SHE Specialist – Mangere DC), Peter Smith and a tall man
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rogressive Enterprises' commitment to safety in the workplace was recognised on 24 September when we won the ACC Workplace Safety Award at the prestigious Manukau Business Excellence Awards. The ACC Workplace Safety Award judges commended us on the leadership demonstrated by senior management, their passion to make Progressive a safer place for our team, customers and contractors,
and the speed at which the business had turned around its performance and culture. Accepting the award on behalf of the company, Peter Smith, Managing Director of Progressive said “we believe there is no job worth doing, if it can’t be done safely”. Pogressive were also finalists in the categories of Employer of Choice; Excellence in Environmental Management and Excellence in Service Delivery.
Earthquake shows the importance of being prepared
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ountdown, Woolworths and Foodtown in Auckland city are running a campaign to encourage shoppers to be prepared for an emergency. And a timely run it is in light of the recent Christchurch earthquake. This is being organised in conjunction with Auckland City Council and the Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management and will be focussed in 16 inner city stores. As part of this awareness promotion, Peter Elliot, the face of the Get Thru campaign, was in the Countdown Greenlane supermarket on Wednesday 11 August from 10am to 12 noon. Peter Elliot helped shoppers in knowing what to pick up in store to start their survival kit. The initial recommendations are:
• water (think of three litres per person
• • • •
per day for at least three days) first aid items non-perishable food a waterproof torch, and an emergency toilet (toilet paper, large rubbish bags and a bucket).
New Zealand faces many potential disasters because of its location and environment but research shows that only 15 per cent of households have even the basic preparation needed to get through a disaster. “The aim of the campaign is to show Auckland residents how easy and sensible it is to get prepared - the basic items can be picked up with the weekly shop. Once shoppers have engaged in the idea of preparedness, we hope that they will then be motivated to add more items weekly,” said Auckland City Council Emergency manager Jane Lodge
Peter Elliot has some good advice about the five essential items you need to survive an emergency.
Visit www.getthru.govt.nz to learn more about preparing for an emergency.
Fresh Bites
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Destination ZERO - Working as a team
Artist: Jared Adams, Countdown Timaru
Progressive's best of the best! Trainee of the Year 2010
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e're delighted to congratulate the winners of our 2010 Trainee of the Year awards. Our annual Trainee of the Year competition was held 3 September, with finalists from each category coming to Auckland for a panel interview with members of the general management team, followed
by a lunch and awards ceremony. 40 trainees competed in a series of assessments and practical tests with eight going on to compete in the finals. This years award winners are: Management Trainee of the Year Maria Henley - CD Cambridge Department Manager Trainee of the year
Karen Fawcett – CD Upper Hutt Apprentice of the Year Michelle Hardwick – CD Oamaru Seafood Retailing Trainee of the Year Caleb Alve – WW Tawa Congratulations to all our finalists for their continued effort and dedication to their development in our company. Well done.
Maria overwhelmed by Paul Simons Award nomination
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Maria Henley with fellow 2010 Paul Simons finalists at Norwest, Sydney.
aria Henley, Progressive Enterprises' Management Trainee of the Year, was “a little overwhelmed” to be chosen as one of the 2010 Paul Simons finalists among
48 of the best management trainees across the Woolworths group. “It was very inspiring to be around 48 other young trainee managers all with a passion for retail and a desire
to succeed” Maria said. Congratulations Maria, we think you did a great job representing our company at the annual Paul Simons Awards in Sydney.
Fresh Bites
Getting to know you
We want your opinion!
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f you've got thoughts and opinions on how Progressive Enterprises should be running then don't keep them to yourself. Whatever it is that's on your mind, we want to hear about it. That's why we're running an Engagement Survey until 22 October, so don't be shy - tell us what you think. The opinions you give us about your job and our business will help us determine our priorities. So wherever you work, whether it's in our stores, DCs or support offices, or whether you're a manager, please
Mary Le Fevre, Service and Admin Manager, Countdown Northcote
What does your job involve? I am service and admin manager at Countdown Northcote. I look after health and safety, human resources, general compliance, and most things that don’t fall directly under anyone else’s responsibility. Lot’s of paperwork! What do you love about your job? I like to solve problems and make things work. I also enjoy learning new things. I get great satisfaction out the job when things are running well and audits go well too. You may start the day with a plan but you know that events will make sure that the plan never happens. You still keep planning though. That’s what makes the job interesting. How has your career at Progressive evolved? My career seems to have evolved mostly by accident. I started as a night filler when my children (now adults) were small, 24 years ago. I was offered some office work soon after starting and things just seemed to grow from there. I’ve been a SAM for around six years now and have seen many changes of ownership, management, systems, and style over my whole time with Woolworths / Countdown. What motivates you? I enjoy working with the team at my store. They cover people of all ages and backgrounds and, most of the time, get along really well. What's the best piece of advice you've been given? Can’t really think what the best piece of advice I’ve ever been given might be. In 24 years I’ve been offered a lot. “80 percent of your waking time is spent at work so you may as well enjoy it” might be up there somewhere, so I do. I have lots of laughs with the people I work with and have made some very good friends over the years.
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take the time to answer our survey – it will only take about 10 minutes. It doesn't matter whether you're full time, part time or casual – we still want to hear from you. The survey is available on paper or online – we'll send you details if you have an email account. It's run independently by the Corporate Leadership Council and is voluntary and confidential.
When the going gets tough, the tough take responsibility
eing responsible means making things happen. It’s about focussing on the next steps to move forward and also owning and learning from our mistakes. When we display high levels of personal responsibility, we tackle difficult situations and stay in control even if things don’t always go to plan. A great example of being responsible is how our team responded to the events of the recent Canterbury earthquake.
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It would be an understatement to describe the efforts of our team as anything other than super ordinary. Faced with one of the largest natural disasters many of our team will experience in their lifetimes, this didn’t stop them from quickly establishing a plan of action to get our stores trading again, all the while caring for the team around them. This is a great example of taking responsibility even in tough circumstances and a tribute indeed to the resourcefulness and courage of our team. CD t er Hut w o L
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