Analysis of the Treaty of Waitangi as a Basis for Leadership Relationships

Contents

ANALYSIS OF THE TREATY OF WAITANGI AS A BASIS FOR LEADERSHIP RELATIONSHIPS

BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO THE TREATY OF WAITANGI

ME AS A LEADER

MY FUTURE LEADERSHIP CONTEXT

IDENTIFICATION OF MY RELATIONSHIPS ACCORDING TO THE SOCIO-ECOLOGICAL MODEL

TREATY OF WAITANGI AS A BASIS FOR MY LEADERSHIP RELATIONSHIPS

PERSPECTIVES OF MYSELF AND EACH PARTY IN RELATION TO THE TREATY PRINCIPLES

CRITICAL EVALUATION OF LITERATURE AND FEEDBACK AND FEED FORWARD

SYNTHESIS OF THE ANALYSIS

REFERENCES

This section deals with my leadership skills based on past experience and acquired from newer learnings and applies them to the relationships that I will develop during the course of my leadership project. This will be the launchpad to my future in the New Zealand (NZ) job market. It identifies relationship in my job context and draws upon the strengths embodied in Treaty of Waitangi to develop and fortify my leadership relationships.

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BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO THE TREATY OF WAITANGI

According to data provided by the government of NZ, The Treaty of Waitangi is the founding agreement that guides relationships between the core cultures in this country. It was declared official in 1840 when several Māori leaders agreed to the proposal given by the Crown keeping in mind the mutual benefits each community would beget as a result of the pact. There were differences between the Māori understanding of the treaty and the words laid down in the English version. This misunderstanding led to clashes between the two communities during which the Māori suffered. Subsequently there were several reforms to address these issues and in the modern times the principles of the treaty and the purpose for which it was established are given due consideration (New Zealand Government, 2018). This happened after the Royal Commission on Social Policy was formed by the government in 1988, which provided the three main principles of the treaty namely: Partnership, Protection and Progress (National Health Committee, 2002, p. 7).

ME AS A LEADER

Throughout my formative years I have been constantly exposed to the value of service to others in need. As a result of these influences I strongly identify with the concept of “Servant leadership” and strive to exemplify its core principles in my interactions with fellow human beings. I am aware of the presence of some of these in myself. I believe in serving first and then being a leader. I value the qualities of empathy and being able to understand the problems of those who are in distress. Building upon this I have also noticed the ability to heal and comfort those who are in pain. I feel strongly against ordering people to do things as a result of my position and believe in the power of being able to convince others. I also value the growth and prosperity of those around me and am pleased when others are able to achieve their goals. I feel that the members of an organization should work together as one community in spite of all their inherent ethnic and cultural differences. I am also aware of some of the shortcomings in my leadership style. I am consciously working on developing the ability to listen patiently to myself and to others and be more self and globally aware by thinking about the broader picture rather. In my role as a leader I shall fortify my strengths and work on the ones I lack to achieve a balance in my leadership practice at the workplace.  

I was not aware of the concepts of “Transformational and Distributed leadership” until I received formal leadership training as an adult. Some of the virtues embodied in these styles have fascinated and shaped my future leadership aspirations. I aim to be a role model to motivate my colleagues to work together as one body in line with the vision and mission of our organisation. I believe in identifying the latent potential in people and providing them the opportunity to develop their talents in their own unique ways to nurture experts and leaders who are fully equipped to excel in their chosen fields of interest keeping in mind the common good and progress of the people they are leading.

MY FUTURE LEADERSHIP CONTEXT

My short and mid-term future leadership aspirations are to serve as a retirement village/rest home manager in New Zealand. For this purpose, I will have to be familiar with the inner workings and daily operations in the rest home. I am interested in assisting a retirement village manager in my leadership project to gain real-life experience and to develop the skill needed for my future job. I have chosen this job context because it provides me an opportunity to serve the ageing population in New Zealand and this setting matches with the leadership styles that I am passionate about.

IDENTIFICATION OF MY RELATIONSHIPS ACCORDING TO THE SOCIO-ECOLOGICAL MODEL

1. INTRAPSYCHOLOGICAL – MYSELF

Retirement village manager in my job context or assistant retirement village manager in my leadership project with a background in health and with key leadership skills acquired from my learnings at FREEDOM.

2. MICROSYSTEM – MY FAMILY AND EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE.

Family in New Zealand – My wife.

Family in India – My parents.

Higher educational institute – FREEDOM.

3. MESOSYSTEM

Future job context – Residential village employers, residents, staff, key stakeholders.

4. EXOSYSTEM

The New Zealand government – Ministry of Health (MOH).

Retirement village and resident’s association of New Zealand.

5. MACROSYSTEM – POLICY MAKERS, RESEARCH INSTITUTES AND COMPETITORS

World Health Organization.

International competitors.

TREATY OF WAITANGI AS A BASIS FOR MY LEADERSHIP RELATIONSHIPS

PRINCIPLES

PARTNERSHIP

PROTECTION

PROGRESS

INTRAPSYCHOLOGICAL – Myself

The real world presents constantly changing situations and challenges each day. In order to cope with these challenges, I must be sure of myself, my abilities, strengths and weaknesses. This helps me to keep fighting the odds in order to survive without breaking down. To be able to make others I must be completely happy with myself first. I believe that happiness and satisfaction come from within and are to be shared with others. I reflect on my past and current experiences and see what happened and use this knowledge to improve my future. When making decisions I think deeply and proceed if I am completely satisfied with the forecasted results of the decision. In this way I can achieve a balance in my leadership practice by being in a healthy partnership with myself.   

As a result of this partnership with myself I realize the various aspects of self-protection in terms of spiritual, intellectual and emotional, physical, social and cultural well-being. My spiritual wellbeing comes from my past experiences and I find solace in my religion to protect my spiritual beliefs. Intellectually and emotionally in times of stress I motivate myself by believing that I can create a meaningful life for myself by thinking that these situations are temporary and by being balanced and stable and avoiding panic and anxiety I can achieve the best possible outcome. I also focus on doing one thing at a time and believe that several small steps can lead to a giant leap. I weigh the various possible solutions to a problem and decide on the most appropriate one. Physically I eat a healthy diet, sleep for 7 – 8 hours and go for jogs to keep my system fit. Socially I believe that I have the potential to make beneficial changes to myself by having positive beliefs and attitude and behaviour. I have a fondness for my culture, language and traditions back home in India and this has shaped me as a person.    

This partnership and protection has made me the person I am today. In spite of the various times that I have not succeeded in life I have managed to overcome my problems and progress in life. To be more and more self-aware with each passing day and to realize and work on enhancing my inherent strengths and reduce my weaknesses by leading a balanced life I will continue to grow as a person and a leader in my quest for continuous self-improvement.  

MICROSYSTEM – My wife

My wife is my strongest support in New Zealand. Throughout our married life of five years we have maintained an equal partnership with each other. In our relationship we both are equal at all times and accept each other as we are. We love each other deeply and are inseparable even if we live apart from each other temporarily. We share everything with each other and believe in open communication. We have a mutual respect and a strong sense of trust between us. We share our responsibilities such as household chores when we are together and find joy in small things like cooking together and doing the laundry together. We take our decisions by consulting with each and reach a consensus when the both of us are positive about it. Hence, we have a balanced and fulfilling marriage partnership. 

We protect each other spiritually, intellectually and emotionally, physically, socially and culturally. We pray together and attend church together and thus protect our spirituality. We support each other when either one of us goes through emotional stress and communicate with each other and share our problems. We protect our self-respect and confidentiality. Intellectually we stimulate and encourage each other when we faced with daunting tasks and also offer solutions. We give each other space when we need to be alone for some time. Physically we respect each other’s dietary preferences and focus on healthy eating habits with adequate sleep and physical exercise. We go out together and enjoy meeting with friends and other social activities together. We also have a close bond with each other’s families and thus protect our social interests. Even though we are from different cultural backgrounds we are fluent in each other’s languages and respect each other’s familial customs.   

This strong bond of partnership and protection of each other’s interests has enabled our relationship to evolve as a married couple into a deep, meaningful and strong relationship. Each day we discover more and more of each other this helps our relationship to grow stronger. Plan to increase our family once we attain financial stability. We have been able to achieve our shared objectives in the past in spite of hurdles along the way and it is our mutual belief that we will survive and progress together in the future. 

MESOSYSTEM – My future job context – Employers, residents and staff

To build better relationships with the employers, residents, staff and other key stakeholders at the retirement village through the principle of partnership. To encourage all involved to make the vision and mission of the organisation their own. All the people involved in the workplace are considered equal irrespective of the position they occupy. To foster active participation from representatives across all factions in the decision-making process. Maintaining clear, frank, open and respectful communication among the members of the organization. Each member must be given freedom to complete their tasks according to their expertise for which they should be accountable. 

Protection of the health and safety of all the members of the organisation. Anticipation and practice of all safety procedures in the event of emergencies. Protection of the interests of the management, residents, staff and key stakeholders. Respect for people of all cultures, languages and customs. Maintaining a policy of safeguarding the members against workplace harassment and bullying. Upholding the vision of the institution across all levels at the workplace and protection of the rights of the members in all aspects including salaries, work hours, leave among others. Adequate preparation and management and documentation to uphold the standards of the organisation and protect it at all times including audits.    

Adequate participation and reliable protection across all levels at the workplace can lead to progress of the institution. Keeping the residents at the centre of the care spectrum, development of staff skills and maintaining a friendly work atmosphere in turn can increase revenue by increasing sales and goodwill for the organization. This will be beneficial for the organisation in the long run. Good audit reports can enhance the reputation of the organisation and along with the above factors can lead to progress.   

EXOSYSTEM – New Zealand government – Ministry of Health

To work collaboratively with the policies laid down by the Ministry of Health. To maintain the standards of the organization at a level at par or above the standard required by it. To foster a research culture at the workplace to contribute to the research conducted by the ministry.

To protect the interests of the ministry of health by adopting their policies and following them at the workplace. To report the activities of the organization to the national authorities. Keeping accurate statistical and other data and reporting it to contribute to the national database. 

Working together with the ministry of health can result in progress of both organizations. Following the policies laid down by them can improve care of the elderly and the feedback provided can help the ministry to improve their existing policies. Contributing to research can also help the ministry develop better policies. Improved services can attract more funding from the ministry of health which is beneficial for improvement of the organisation.

MACROSYSTEM – World Health Organization (WHO)

The WHO formulates global policies on aged care. It also generates research related to the elderly in its reports. I as a manager will participate with the WHO by maintaining an awareness on changes in international policies and newer research findings and evaluating them in the local context for applicability and adoption. If found to be relevant I will advocate for their adoption. I will encourage our experts to participate in international conferences to represent our organisation.

By testing the newer Who policies and research for feasibility I will provide an opportunity to follow their guidelines thus protecting their interests in improvement of the health of the elderly. Reporting and publication of local research findings and data can contribute to the global database maintained by the WHO.

Application of the WHO guidelines locally can result in improvement in aged care in New Zealand. Other providers will adopt these policies thus improving the national health statistics. This will in turn enhance funding for the WHO and it can focus on continuous improvement of its existing guidelines. Contributing to international research can also help in improvement of the existing guidelines which results in progress.

This section analyses the reciprocal needs of the parties (and myself) in the five relationships identified in the previous section in relation to the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi. I could not analyse the reciprocal need in the first level as both the parties are myself. Hence, I have commenced this analysis from the micro level of the socio-ecological model.

MICROSYSTEM

TREATY PRINCIPLES

MYSELF

MY WIFE

PARTNERSHIP

Companionship, love, care and affection.

Effective communication and transparency. 

Understanding my needs and interests.

Gratitude. 

Accepting me as I am.

Faith in my abilities.

Mutual decision making. 

Giving me some space when I need it.

Cultivating a spirit of positivity.

Encouragement. 

Companionship, love, care and affection.

Effective communication and transparency.

Appreciation and gratitude.

Attention to her needs and desires.

Mutual decision making.

Understanding and empathy. 

Accepting her likes and dislikes.

Encouragement.

Sharing responsibilities.   

PROTECTION

Trustworthiness, faithfulness and respect.

Maintaining good health to live a long life with me.

Protecting my interests. 

Trustworthiness, faithfulness and respect.

Keeping her safe and secure.

Maintaining good health to live a long life with her.

Protecting her interests.

PROGRESS

Progress in her skills and career.

To be able to complete our family once we are established in New Zealand

Academic progress to be able to secure a good job.

Completion of our family once we are financially secure. Residency in New Zealand.

MESOSYSTEM

TREATY PRINCIPLES

MYSELF

EMPLOYERS

PARTNERSHIP

To have a voice in decision making with accountability.

Spirit of equality and equity at the workplace.

Freedom to express creativity.

Capability of building good relationships with the residents, their families and staff.

Effective management of staff and daily operations

Ability to implement the policies of the organisation.

Ability to work in teams and support them.  

PROTECTION

To be able to secure a stable full-time job with a good salary.

Job satisfaction.

Manageable levels of stress.

Adequate working hours with leave. 

To have the option of replacements during sickness and during leave.

Safe workplace with a friendly work culture and environment with low tolerance to harassment and bullying. 

Upholding the vision, mission and goals of the institution across all levels.

Protection of the interests of the residents and their families.

Protection of the employees through implementing health and safety policies and raising staff morale.

Protection of the company’s finances.

Protection of the reputation and goodwill of the company.

PROGRESS

Ongoing training for continuous improvement and promotion.

Constructive feedback and feedforward.

Promotions based on output. 

Creativity and innovation to foster progress.

Good quality service to improve reputation and sales.

Improving employee skills to foster progress. 

Monitoring and reporting to aid ongoing improvement.

Global vision to foster progress. 

EXOSYSTEM

TREATY PRINCIPLES

MYSELF

MINISTRY OF HEALTH

PARTNERSHIP

To maintain a high standard of care in line with the Ministry of Health requirements.

To follow the guidelines set up by the ministry for aged care.

To share research findings with the MOH.

To collaborate with the ministry in implementing its policies in the rest home.

Provide appropriate care to the elderly as laid down by the ministries guidelines.

To fulfil the requirements set up by the Health and Disability Services (Safety) Act 2001 (Ministry of Health, 2013).

PROTECTION

To protect the interests of the village by maintaining a high standard of care at all times including the MOH audit.

To Protect the health and safety and other interests of the residents in line with the MOH policies.

PROGRESS

To report to the MOH any improvements suggested during audits.

To report to the MOH before any expansion plans (Ministry of Health, 2013).

To share the findings of research with the MOH to increase funding.

To point out shortcomings and suggest scope for improvement during audits with the view of improving aged care (Ministry of Health, 2013).

To use the findings f the research provided to improve policies on aged care.

MACROSYSTEM

TREATY PRINCIPLES

MYSELF

WHO

PARTNERSHIP

To be aware of newer policies released by the WHO and implementing them in the village.

Contribute to the WHO resources by encouraging local research with a view to improve aged care. 

To gather research data on aged care from rest homes worldwide to improve guidelines on aged care.  

PROTECTION

Implementing newer WHO policies to protect the interests of the organization by maintaining standards of aged care at par with international standards.

To ensure that its policies are implemented to maintain adequate funding to conduct newer research.

PROGRESS

Raising standards of aged care to boost the reputation and sustainability of the organisation.

To create international recognition by contributing to the WHO database. 

To ensure that newer guidelines are implemented worldwide to improve funding needed for further research.

In the earlier section I have analysed the importance of the three principles of the treaty with relevance of leadership relationships. This part deals with the critical evaluation of the literature and feedback and feedforward to support my analyses.

Developing meaningful and effective partnerships has an important role in establishing good leadership relationships. According to the CCF National Resource Centre in its update published in 2010 states that creating good partnerships is not a quick process and once setup needs to be constantly revised for efficiency. But once this is done it can be very beneficial to the involved partner organisations in terms of compounded value to their efforts. It proposes that a partnership is said to exist when the principals work in collaboration with each other and share efforts to achieve a common goal. The core components to be considered while forging partnerships are sharing leadership, working knowledge of each partner organisation, working towards the same objectives, organisational cultural similarities, effective communication and management and fostering continuous improvement (CCF National Resource Center, 2010, pp. 4, 5). Chatora and Tumusiime in their work for the WHO stress on the importance of teamwork and that effective partnerships can lead to a convergence of the partners strengths resulting in high quality healthcare provision capabilities to a larger section of the population (Chatora & Tumusiime, 2004, pp. 9, 11,12).

The treaty principles form a broad framework for implementing several reforms in Healthcare in New Zealand. In an example provided by the National Health Committee the principles are used to develop a broad framework for improving Māori health in NZ and can be used to collaborate between various governmental health providers. Partnerships can be set up to achieve the goals set up by the MOH by developing relationships between the Māori reference group to create policies, Māori Co-Purchasing Organisations to increase funding and the Te Puni Kokiri for monitoring and evaluation. The protection principle can be used to enhance Māori utilization of services and also for additional monitoring and the participation principle can be used to increase staff by utilization of the Māori workforce (National Health Committee, 2002, pp. 22, 24). This supporting data is strong evidence of the usefulness of these principles in the healthcare industry in New Zealand.

I have implemented some of the feedback and feedforward provided by my colleagues in this work. Some of the important ones suggest me to provide perspectives of the other parties which I had not considered earlier. It has also helped me to consider my context in terms of a real-world scenario. Some others such as moving on to a manager’s role in my project was according to me not practically possible in the New Zealand context.

In order to have a stable internal balance in times of stress I must be able to better understand myself and control my emotions in order to protect my mental and emotional status to achieve progress and self-actualization as a leader.

In order to progress in my marital life, the both of us are equal and we must develop a strong sense of empathy and understanding or each other’s concerns and needs and develop together as a family.

To achieve balance as a leader I must have a heightened awareness of inner strengths and develop a global vision and foresight to achieve progress for myself and the organization.

I must develop an awareness of national and global policies to protect and progress my organizations vision and mission. 

CCF National Resource Center. (2010). Partnerships: Frameworks for Working Together. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Chatora, R., & Tumusiime, P. (2004). Management, Leadership and Partnership for District Health. Brazzaville: World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa.

Ministry of Health. (2013, Dec 13). Rest home certification and audits. Retrieved from Ministry of Health: https://www.health.govt.nz/your-health/services-and-support/health-care-services/services-older-people/rest-home-certification-and-audits

National Health Committee. (2002). A framework to improve Māori health policy. Wellington: National Health Committee. Retrieved from http://www.moh.govt.nz/NoteBook/nbbooks.nsf/0/954C92A7EC3D9435CC256C36007D5647/$file/ImprovingMaoriHealthPolicy.pdf

New Zealand Government. (2018, May 29). The Treaty in brief – Page 1 – Introduction. Retrieved from New Zealand History: https://nzhistory.govt.nz/politics/treaty/the-treaty-in-brief

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