More than 'just a job' - The Āti Hau Way

People coming together as one whānau with a shared sense of identity, history and kaupapa makes working for Ātihau- Whanganui Incorporation much more than ‘just a job’.

“It’s special working here because Ātihau is very much a family business,” says Allayne Wallace, a member of the organisation’s Finance team. “Everyone feels part of something bigger than themselves, something that acknowledges and honours the people who walked this path before us and helps us continue to travel that path for the benefit of our tamariki, and their tamariki and so on, for generations to come.

“Everyone you work with is whānau – quite literally in my case, as I work with several cousins here in the office and I have uncles and aunties out there on the farms – and when you do your mahi each day you do your best, because you feel honoured to be part of it.”

Allayne’s experience, and that of other Ātihau-Whanganui Incorporation (Ātihau) kaimahi, has been captured in a set of value statements that each Ātihau team can use as a touchstone for their own approach to the way they work as part of the organisation.

Called The Āti Hau Way, this shared kaupapa will help provide a reference point for all activities, from the smallest decision to the largest.

“The Āti Hau Way is more than just a code of conduct or expectations, it’s a framework that every individual can use to align their mindset and mahi to that of their colleagues, their team and their wider Ātihau whānau,” says Andrew Beijeman, Ātihau CEO. “This shared culture of our organisation brings us all –kaimahi, shareholders, and board members – closer together, enabling us to really make what we do each day count.

“This sense of kotahitanga not only connects us to each other, but also to those who went before us and left us with the legacy and vision that drives what we do.”

While the culture and tikanga of Ātihau has always been an important element, demonstrated by a number of ‘culture days’ that have been held, the mahi to formalise and encapsulate these behaviours and beliefs has been underway for around a year.

Says Whetu Moataane, Tikanga and Brand Manager for Ātihau: “It was extremely important that the essence of The Āti Hau Way came from our people themselves, our kaimahi and shareholders. So we brought them together into a series of workshops to kōrero about what being part of the business meant, what was important to them, and what they felt we need to focus on.

“It was an interesting, and sometimes challenging, process to identify and verbalise what for many is a feeling, or an awareness, and it did take time for people to process what we were trying to achieve.

“But as the mutual understanding grew, the kōrero grew, and the participation became very enthusiastic and inclusive. It was quite an amazing experience, actually, watching our people come together over something that is so integral to who we are.”

One of the key elements of the workshops was the opportunity to retell the stories of the first Committee of Management, the vision they had and the determination they showed to reconnect the people and their whenua despite the obstacles in their way.

“While I think everyone there knew our history, having the time and space to really reflect on the messages and meaning that have come down through the years was really valuable,” says Whetu. “Bringing all that rich cultural tikanga into something that will help support our kaimahi and guide their waka each day makes The Āti Hau Way a powerful tool for us.”

Some of the workshops were run by Lindy Nelson, who helped create the right environment for people to share in a way that they felt was safe and worthwhile.

“I really want to acknowledge Lindy for the way she approached the workshops and created a really open atmosphere that all participants felt part of, but also for having the courage to ask harder questions and dig beneath the surface to find the real meaning behind what people were saying,” says Andrew.

“I’m really proud of where we have got to with The Āti Hau Way. What we have now is very Ātihau specific, has been created with involvement from everyone, and I am excited to see how our teams embrace The Āti Hau Way going forward.

“The next challenge is for each team to interpret what The Āti Hau Way means for them on a day-to-day basis, to keep reinforcing the value statements, and to measure how we are living up to them through our actions and results.

“I don’t think we will see a huge shift in behaviours because what we have created is already part of what our people are doing,” says Andrew. “We should see these behaviours repeated more regularly, and more evident in how we do our mahi. The Āti Hau Way will help empower our people to make the right decisions at the right time for the right reasons.

“We know one of the reasons people enjoy working for Ātihau is because we are purpose and values led, and The Āti Hau Way should only help with this.”

For Allayne, being asked to take part in the process was a real honour and she was pleased to be able to contribute.

“Because my tūpuna were there at the very beginning, bringing our history and our whakapapa into what we do is special and important to me,” she said. “My great koro was Te Huatahi Tanginoa Robert Tapa (Bob) and a picture of him hangs in the boardroom here. There is a thread that runs from him, through my grandmother, his daughter, Christine (Nota) Tapa, her brother Lou Tapa, who was the first Māori farm manager at Ohorea, to me and onto my sons Matiu-Marino and Mōraati Tanginoa.

“I feel proud that I am part of an organisation that acknowledges and celebrates the mana and integrity of my great koro and his fellow Committee members.”