Staff development key to industry’s future

How have we done as the custodians of our industry? When I started in the timber trade I became very aware of those above my station, untouchable industry 'veterans' who seemed to be forever talking in industry jargon. To the newcomer they were looked at in awe as they had knowledge and experience that I didn't. They also had some obvious trappings of success, wearing smart suits and driving company cars.

The timber trade seemed to offer wonderful opportunities for ambitious career-minded young people and the career path was competitive because of the talented people our industry attracted. There were, however, structured career paths, with management opportunities in a variety of fields.

The timber trade was sold to people like me on the basis that it was not a 'formatted' industry but a place where people made a difference; a place where the things you do, good or bad can directly influence the performance of your company. This was the challenge that made you strive to do your best.

As my knowledge grew and progression put me in meetings with these senior industry 'veterans', I began to realise that they were just ordinary but knowledgeable people dealing with the business issues of costs, income stream and margin, trying to make a profit. Like so many youngsters, my view altered to see my senior peers as people with fixed views who were slow to embrace the changes that the industry threw at them. I thought we can do better than that and so one's career started!

The next 35 years disappear in a haze of boom, bust, mortgage, marriage, children, grandchildren and the routine of life commitments. Then one day, you awake and look in the mirror and see that you have become one of these senior figures. You talk to colleagues and staff using the jargon that was such a mystery to start with and you can't understand why the younger staff have trouble with the terminology.

Core challenges the industry faces now are typically income stream, margin and trying to make a profit. A perfect example of same soup, different day! There is, however, one major difference. Today we do not have the same numbers of ambitious, driven young people joining the trade and I believe one of the reasons is a change of values in the way companies are run where maximising shareholder return is the priority.

Unfortunately there can be a human cost to this as the plan is usually to try to produce more using fewer people and to make more from what we produce through corporate control. In theory these changes could be seen as having a positive aspect but they reduce the opportunity for individual contribution and recognition. In fairness, there are some really admirable companies with good corporate social responsibility values and nurtured staff, so it is not just black and white.

In my opinion, our industry is often seen as one with limited opportunity for career progression, one which does not attract the young and ambitious and one that, at times, does not train and develop the good young people that do join. Investment in staff development is key.

In many respects the vision that attracted so many of us has changed for the worse and unfortunately we, today's veterans, are the architects of this change. But it's never too late: as the custodians of our industry, we need to stop blaming others for the industry woes and focus on the positive things each of us can do.

Giving more time to developing our staff, listening to their suggestions, giving them a forum to contribute and play their part in returning this industry to one where people can make a difference. It is our responsibility to nurture the next generation of people and, while the challenges will always be the same, we must give them the chance to be able to look back and say "I made a difference and it was great fun".