President's Report - August 2021
By Glenn Fenton
I have recently received letters from the Boards of our State Nursery and Garden Industries (State NGI). Each letter was passionate and supportive of the work being done by GIA, however each one was unique in terms of emphasis on how our members perceive the role of the organisation, the key appointments within it, and what is important to the State. Let me key in on some common themes:
Selecting a new GIA CEO
As I mentioned in my previous update, we are in the process of selecting a new CEO. This is a critical appointment in any national organisation and the Board of GIA is working hard on the selection process. Letters from State NGIs were unambiguous about the qualities that they are looking for and these have been included in the advertising and position description. We have engaged Executive Intelligence, an experienced executive recruiting company to assist our selection committee. We intend to advertise nationally utilising a variety of mediums – industry communications, social media and forums that are perused by experienced executives.
Leadership and Management
Two separate, but related skills, that are incredibly important for the CEO and the Board. Leadership is about motivating our industry to comprehend and believe in the vision we have set and for the industry to work with us on achieving our goals.
President, Glenn Fenton
While management is more about administering the work and ensuring the day-to-day activities are getting done as they should. Both skills are incredibly important for a small not-for-profit with a diverse workload of advocacy, projects and communication. This is always a careful balancing act requiring experienced leaders in our organisation with a strong skill set.
Advocacy
This is as more about developing relationships and mutual trust and confidence with key decision makers. We cannot assume developed networks, as key people change regularly. This process, and our effectiveness, must be constantly reviewed and adjusted. Our new CEO will need to demonstrate he/she can operate effectively at this level.
Passion
Our base is incredibly passionate about our industry and how important it is to the country. Whether it is in the food we produce, the environmental benefits we provide, the amenity and love for plants and gardening, the success of our businesses and people, we as an organisation, must bring this passion every day, in everything we do as an industry. Business as usual is not an option.
I don’t want to talk about COVID, except to acknowledge the extraordinary work our businesses are doing to adapt and overcome the short notice and sometimes brutal lockdowns. The positive side is that people are gardening and are flocking to retail garden centres when they can. Our rapid adaptation in providing click and collect and online ordering, has been remarkable.
Stay safe and get vaccinated!