Mentoring Future Leaders

摘要

Managing a large organisation today is a more complex and demanding occupation than it has ever been before. In our business world of far greater scrutiny, transparency and accountability, there are so many layers of critical tasks that need unrelenting attention. All of which places huge demands on those at the helm. These demands apply in any business sector but are, I believe, at their peak in the business of water supply and wastewater collection, treatment and disposal where we are providing essential services that have big influences on our lifestyle, health and the environment. Hand in hand with all this is the growing need to ensure that good succession planning is in place so that future managers are fit for these tasks. This in turn calls for a healthy culture of mentoring of young people within an organisation if it is to achieve its goals. I joined the Water Corporation four years ago as General Manager, Planning and Infrastructure, and soon encountered a big surprise. The Corporation covers an immense area in an extremely difficult environment, with an annual capital program of almost $1 billion and about $12 billion in infrastructure across the state. We supply drinking water to more than 250 cities and towns and operate more than 100 wastewater treatment plants.