Page 6 - HW December 2020

editorial
December 2020/January 2021
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This was the year that was
HERE WE ARE already at the end of another year.
A year coloured by surprises and high levels of uncertainty.
There has been much rethinking among businesses and, when times are tough, it’s understandable that you might turn your gaze inwards.
Trouble is, if you’re not looking where you’re going, it’s easy to trip over.
So, on behalf of the NZ Hardware Journal team, thank you to everyone who has made time to help us out with insights, thoughts, encouragement – in fact support of any colour.
In this respect, in early November we reached out to several hundred suppliers, retailers and merchants seeking input for another State of the Nation survey.
As promised, those who helped us with the survey (legends all!) will have already seen the outcomes but, for everyone else, do turn to page 18 in this issue to see the overall results.
It’s no surprise perhaps that supply chain uncertainty was cited as 2021’s top challenge, with timber and a range of other spot shortages already impacting business, as we’ve been detailing in our
features since mid-year.
Having said this, I was struck by our
respondents’ combined concerns about the human aspects running a close second to those supply chain woes.
Beyond staff shortages, I’m talking about people’s changing expectations
of working and workplaces, changing roles and dynamics, as well as further heightened awareness of the importance of wellbeing...
As one respondent to our survey put it: “In this unique time, all businesses need to allow for lower productivity and put their people’s wellbeing first, above profits. This may be challenging now but will pay in the long run.”
Although managing this stuff this is clearly already best practice among major corporates, I think recognition that you need to look after your people, all of them, from top to bottom, has filtered down the food chain, and is touching businesses of all sizes, even if some of them may not be best placed to cope with it.
So – 2020 has been far from keep calm and carry on at times, but we’ve made it and, like the rest of New Zealand, we’re looking forward to some well-deserved rest and recreation over the summer break.
Happy Christmas to our readers, commercial partners, suppliers and contributors.
Have a cool Yule and a safe and joyful New Year and take a moment to reset and to celebrate family, friends and colleagues!
Steve Bohling, editor steveb@mpm.nz
4 NZHJ | DECEMBER 2020/JANUARY 2021
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