Why Managers In Fiji need To Change How They Lead by Mark Wager

Why Managers In Fiji Need To Change How They Lead 

By Mark Wager

I’m sure you are already aware that I deliver a lot of Leadership training in Fiji with a range of companies. During the last couple of years, I’ve noticed something has changed in Fiji which has made Leading a team much more difficult. As a result Leaders will have to change how they operate because what has changed previously will not work going forward. In this week’s article, I want to explain what has changed, how this change has impacted the workplace and finally how leaders need to adapt in order to continue motivating their teams. 

What has changed 

Ever since the borders have reopened after the impact of COVID, the world has opened up and this has had a dramatic impact on worker movement. People now feel free to move to more rewarding positions in other countries and this has had an imaoct worldwide but no more than in Fiji. We all know that Fiji is a wonderful place but it has a population of less than a million and as a result struggle to keep people, as they move to New Zealand which has a population of over five million. At the same time New Zealanders lose people to Australia who has a population of twenty six million. Australia then  loses people to the United Kingdom who has a population of sixty seven million who then lose people to the United States with a population of three hundred and thirty million. Worker movement has impacted everyone but the smaller the country the smaller the impact.

I used to work in London and when someone left, it was quite easy to replace them with someone of the same standard because London has a population of nine million, yet if your business is in Suva which has a much smaller population of ninety thousand then not only is it more difficult to find a replacement but almost impossible. A replacement of the same standard means with each subsequent person leaving the ability within your team is getting weaker and weaker. 

The modern generation 

Another additional challenge is that the new generation that is now entering the workplace is different from previous generations. They have very different expectations and priorities. If I was writing this article twenty years ago I would be talking about how employees were looking to stay at a company as long as possible yet today working somewhere more than six months is considered too long and todays generation have quite unique expectations and this is due partially to the rise in social media interaction.Young people today are bombarded with social media which is filled with social media influencers who are telling them that they can earn a lot of money by doing very little. It’s no wonder that the modern generation enter the workplace unwilling to put in the hours or hard work that we all know are the core ingredients of success everywhere. 

In addition, because there are less people for the same number of jobs this means that workers are in more demand, as a result people are more willing to walk away from jobs than previously and this increases when there’s little or no emotional connection with the company. With the modern generation, any level of discomfort either as a result of criticism or workload it’s now easier than ever to walk away instead of dealing with the problem. As an example in Fiji I have Managers raise issues about employees not turning up at work. This is something that was very rare five years ago but today it’s very common. 

The “Fiji” problem

While worker movement and dealing with the modern generation has impacted businesses in every country, it’s much more difficult in Fiji because it has fundamentally changed how Leaders manage their teams. Previously, if you had someone within your team that is not performing or just fails to turn up on time you would go straight to performance management either by giving a warning letter or going straight to dismissal and while previously that would have worked it doesn’t work today. As so many quality people are leaving the shores of Fiji, there are not enough quality people waiting for you in the job market so you can’t replace a poor employee with a good employee instead you are replacing a poor employee with someone is who is quite likely just as bad so you are not fixing a problem instead delaying it. 

The solution 

This all leads to the conclusion that Leaders in fiji have to change how they lead their teams in order to stay competitive. Luckily there are examples of how to do this. There’s  a classic example right here in Fiji. If you look at the world of Rugby, Fiji is always competitive despite being small and despite its size, it’s always looking to win and they can do this because of two main reasons. They focus on developing superstars and innovative coaching and it’s these principles that Leaders in all industries in Fiji have to adopt. Now it’s essential that Leaders become coaches in the workplace and instead of focussing on punishing people to get results they now have to develop them, creating superstars in the workplace because it’s too difficult to hire superstars, they now have to be homegrown. How people are recruited, managed and motivated have to be different and yes it will require a lot more work and a lot more patience but when I visit companies in Fiji it’s becoming obvious that this shift in approach is essential.

To assist I’ve developed an Executive Leadership programme which is a two-day training followed by individual coaching and it contains content that is specially customised to help Leaders in Fiji. So if you want to embrace a new way of leading then feel free to contact me at Mark@ali.org.nz and I can provide you with more details on how this new approach will work for you and your team. 

Author: Mark Wager 

Are you a manager struggling with poor-performing staff, team motivation, or effective delegation? As an experienced leadership Coach with over 30 thirty years managerial experience Mark Wager specialises in helping managers like you tackle these challenges head-on. Imagine transforming your team’s performance, boosting morale, and mastering delegation, so you’re not shouldering all the work. With tailored strategies and personalised support, Mark will empower you to lead with confidence and ease. Let’s work together to unlock your full potential and create a thriving, productive workplace. Reach out today and take the first step towards exceptional leadership. Contact Mark for a free 30 minute strategy session 

Mark Wager is a Leadership Coach with over thirty years of managerial experience across a range of industries. Mark, originally from England started his career in Retail  before moving into a Broker Sales Manager role with a leading London Finance House and then Senior Management roles within the public service. Mark then moved to New Zealand twenty two years ago and become the National Manager for the Ministry of Justice in New Zealand prior to establishing the Australasian Leadership Institute.

A strong believer in taking complex leadership & psychological theories and making them accessible to people regardless of their background, education or industry Mark has helped develop Leaders from some of the Asia-Pacific region’s top organisations such as Amnesty International, Red Cross, Oxfam, the NZ Rugby League, the Blues, the Catholic Church, the Anglican Church, Weta workshops and many more.