Up, up and away! – Future Leaders 2007: Service Manager Kerry Menefy (front), and (left to right) Probation Officer Shayne Walker, Service Manager Monique Cunningham, Prison Unit Manager Gaylene Quinton, Principal Corrections Officer Carol Draunivudi, Service Manager Paula Waetford and Service Manager Tony Hodgson. Future Leaders Programme Manager Kay Howard (far right) provides a supportive waiata on guitar.
CHIEF Executive Barry Matthews, who attended the graduation ceremony on 6 September, says the programme invests in staff who have the potential to become managers and influencers within Corrections.
“We have a lot of talented probation officers, Corrections officers and other staff who may not be sure how to progress their careers. Future Leaders gives them the skills and confidence to do so and Corrections reaps the rewards of having strong leaders,” says Barry.
Service Manager Monique Cunningham, one of the new graduates, says the programme enabled her “to hit the ground running” when she was promoted a few months ago. “The programme means I’ve grown as a manager, leader and person. The future’s exciting!”
Future Leaders Programme Manager Kay Howard says the programme doesn’t guarantee participants’ promotion, but it does help them develop their strengths.
“And the proof’s in the pudding. Since we started the programme in 2000, 69 staff have graduated; 53 of them have been promoted, and 59 are still with Corrections,” says Kay.
A pattern has emerged over the years of previous programme graduates nominating and encouraging likely participants.
“It’s a testament to the value of the programme. Those who’ve done it are keen to encourage and mentor new aspiring leaders,” says Kay.
The programme provides focussed development over an extended period of around 16 months. The programme participants split into teams to conduct research projects, which they present to the Chief Executive and Senior Managers on graduation day. The research topics this year were; “Obstacles that may prevent offenders from receiving a seamless service through the Offender Management Process” and “Ways to reduce re-offending in prisoners serving short sentences for traffic offences”.
The graduates also took part in five intensive workshops where they learned diverse management and leadership skills such as business writing, change leadership and speaking in public.
This last skill, the bugbear of many, was one of the biggest challenges Service Manager Paula Waetford overcame during the course.
“Before I started the programme, you wouldn’t have got me up on a stage with a barge-pole, but now I have a lot more confidence and assertiveness,” she says.
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ISSN 1178-8453