A Letter from FTFA's Operations Manager
Food & Trees for Africa
Leaders in sustainable development with a focus on food security, environmental sustainability, and climate action.
This year started off with a bang – literally! Our Johannesburg-based office sustained a lightning hit during the December holidays. We were able to repair and replace most of the affected equipment during the holidays, however our office is not functioning as well as it should. This is, of course, temporary as the insurance is dealing with our claim.?
Keeping a team motivated while having to work in less-than-ideal circumstances is challenging. I have often mentioned “riding the wave” to my team. I don’t think it’s based on any management theory – it’s something I have experienced over the 8 years working for FTFA. Working in operations is like riding a wave… you can’t get too far ahead of the wave and you can’t drop too far behind it. You just have to ride it!?
Waves also wash over our heads sometimes. You will feel it – but don’t get stuck in it. Don’t look for people to blame. Just observe, feel, ask questions, and then get up again. Some waves you can’t do anything about; and that’s OK. It’s an experience. We can learn from it and then move on.?
I also try to find out “why” something happened. I’m not very interested in “who” as this can cause blame leading to passing responsibility and lack of accountability. I find that the best way to do this effectively and efficiently is to ask questions. I ask questions about the process and how something works to understand what is going on. Oftentimes, an affirmation of roles and responsibilities is required; and sometimes exploring alternatives or solutions may be required. This is my happy place. I love this part of my job.?
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I work from a place of honesty and transparency. I ask questions when I don’t know something. And I thank my team for a job well done at the end of the day.?
Operations Manager at Food & Trees for Africa
Communications Manager | Food & Trees for Africa | Bringing to life South Africa's most impactful greening, food security and environmental sustainability stories
2 年Kate Sheldon mentioned the 'wave' to me when I first joined Food & Trees for Africa. Ten months into working with the most enthusiastic and passionate team, I've noticed it can be tricky to co-ordinate with others teams riding different waves at different times. But at the end of the day, we all make it to shore together, and through consistency and support for one another, we are shaping the 'shore' in a very meaningful way. #impactthatmatters