Features > Western Focus
Ten questions in ten minutes
Thursday, 13 August 2009
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| Lynette Adams, CEO Sport Waitakere. |
Western Focus – What inspired you to start up your business?
Lynette Adams – A passion for children and youth sport originally led me into the sport industry. Sport Waitakere was an underperforming organisation and I was keen to get involved to help improve its capability as I strongly believed that as an organisation it provided huge benefits to the community through involving people in sport and physical activity.
WF – Who has influenced you the most professionally?
LA – No one single person but I have been lucky enough to work with some very talented and passionate people who have all had an influence on me. There is some sort of learning to be taken from everyone you meet.
WF – How would you describe yourself as a businessperson?
LA – I am a collaborative person who believes in synergy where working together produces a much more effective outcome. This means that I like to build teams and people around me and am always looking for links and opportunities. Good communication is an essential tool.
WF – What do you consider your greatest achievement?
LA – Working in a team to turnaround and revitalise Sport Waitakere. We literally had to rebuild an organisation within 6 months.
WF – With hindsight, what is the one thing you would do differently?
LA – It has been an evolutionary process, so what has happened, has happened. We worked very much with trial and error and as an organisation we are committed to continuous improvement. Everything has a learning element as you go but sometimes it can be laborious.
WF – Who do you find inspirational and why?
LA – I love reading about people who rise above adversity and achieve. Stories of how people survive and thrive through life-altering events – what helps and nourishes them, what they learn and how they change.
They do not have to be famous but their stories remind us to be grateful for what we have and that if you put your mind to it – you can do anything.
WF – What is the most inspirational book you have read recently?
LA – ‘Pakeha and the Treaty - why it’s our Treaty too’ by Pat Snedden.
This book has encouraged me to be more confident in dealing with the spirit and principles of the Treaty of Waitangi. It has encouraged me to take the time to learn more and look for genuine partnerships when I have the opportunity. Most importantly, it has given me a positive outlook for the future.
WF – What is your favourite website and why?
LA – Sport Waitakere of course! – it is new, exciting and has lots of good stories about people participating in sport and physical activity and the work that we do in the community.
WF – What is the first thing you would do if you became Prime Minister?
LA – I would mandate sport and physical activity opportunities for everyone – making it easier to participate, with time off during work, skilled people coaching, greater support for clubs, children playing sport daily, reduced barriers such as cost and transport.
There is a need to hugely increase the budget for sport and recreation as the current $100 million is just a ‘round of drinks’ in the health budget. Sport and physical activity are significantly valuable for our communities and contribute immensely to improving an individual’s health and wellbeing. I could go on forever here!!
WF – What is the best thing about being a ‘West’ based business?
LA – Westies are a community with a sense of belonging. The networks that have been created support each other. It is a great place to work, and working together with other community leaders for the betterment of those who live in Waitakere is very rewarding.