Waugh Infrastructure Management Limited

Yesterday, Hugh Blake-Manson, Assoc. Prof. Theuns Henning and Dr. Colin Whittaker ran an ‘infrastructure resilience’ workshop at the Stormwater Conference Tākina - Wellington Convention & Exhibition Centre in #wellington. They covered sponge cities, atmospheric rivers, coastal impacts of stormwater and resilience investment planning. Some key takeaways; ⭐ take a ‘one water approach – everything is interconnected! ⭐ dissemination of academic knowledge to practitioners is essential ⭐ the more often we talk, the better the outcomes. Thanks also to Prof. Asaad Shamseldin for your involvement in this work. You can find a copy of the presentation here: https://lnkd.in/giyPc4xi Any questions, please reach out to Hugh Blake-Manson. Water New Zealand | The University of Auckland | Climate Adaptation Platform | International Water Association | #stormwater

This month we celebrate the work anniversary of Jonan Castillon and Hugh Blake-Manson Jonan, celebrating 5 years Hugh, celebrating 3 years Thank you, Hugh and Jonan, for your dedication and the contributions you bring to our team daily. Ross Waugh

As a manager, do you understand the importance of trust and communication related to Team Wellness? Trust and good communication are important across all parts of a business, yet they are not easy to build or maintain. There is no uniform application or approach. Building strong relationships varies from person to person, from team to team, and even from generation to generation. At the core of trust and good communication is how you focus on and provide for all individuals in your team. Building trust takes time and consistent actions. Good communication involves lots of listening and hearing what is being communicated. Actively listening to the message, and not just hearing words. If you have a staff member hurting or struggling at work for whatever reason, an environment that allows them to talk to their manager, who can then plan how to support them, is the first step to keeping them out of continuous high-stress mode. Providing a safe and healthy work environment will help staff navigate what is impacting them. A safe and healthy work environment will also enhance their performance, which will impact positively on the whole teams wellbeing and performance. If you want to know more about this be sure to attend the Day 2 "Keeping my Team Well" session at the Āpōpō Congress, which is a practical workshop for managers. Ross Waugh #wellness #Assetmanagement

Team Wellness is an extension of individual wellness and an important part of an organisations culture. We are not just talking about health and safety here, but what is important to your team. Do you know what helps your team get up and be happy to come to work in the morning? Some staff might value good free coffee, for others it might be office recycling, or an office full of plants. It might be a gym membership, health benefits or any number of other things. Whilst as an employer or team leader, you might not be able to tick all the boxes, the little things can help staff feel heard, valued, comfortable and happy in the office, contributing to their overall well-being. Every office or organisation takes different approaches, and over the years I have heard of some pretty innovative ideas. At Waugh Infrastructure Management Limited part of our founding DNA has been to be very family friendly. This has meant we provide maximum flexibility to staff around family needs, sickness and events. Also, as you might see from time to time on LinkedIn we have team 'volunteer days' where we assist community organisations for a day as a team. This is always a fun enjoyable day for us all, and allows us to give back to our community, which is satisfying for the whole team. All of these types of activities, policies and approaches can add to team wellness. If you want to invest some time into progressing how to keep your team well, Day 2 of the Āpōpō Congress will have a 'Practical workshop for managers' session. Ross Waugh #wellness #assetmanagement #apopocongress

Waugh Infrastructure Management Limited has been a longstanding sponsor of the Āpōpō Excellence Awards. With the new awards structure, we have taken to opportunity to sponsor the Leadership Award. We are very happy to sponsor this year's #Leadership Award as it aligns with our own leadership roles in the industry and with Ross Waugh's recent involvement in the writing of the Leadership Section of the Āpōpō Guide. Now more than ever leadership is needed in our industry, and we are very happy to support the Āpōpō Excellence Awards in promoting leadership in our sector. Congratulations to the finalists: The Wellington Transport Alliance: Collaboration @ Asset Management - WSP in New Zealand, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Fulton Hogan Waikirikiri Selwyn - Leadership in Wai Pipe Network Renewals: Selwyn District Council, Infrastructure Decision Support NZ (IDS NZ), Waugh Infrastructure Management Limited Read about the finalists; https://lnkd.in/gCuw9q9J

We celebrate Hugh Blake-Manson's earning the Master of Water Resource Management degree. This achievement is another feather in his 25+ years of consulting experience. Congratulations, Hugh, on this inspiring accomplishment! Hugh's research focused on identifying the consumptive drinking water quality risks likely to be experienced by single household supplies across the Waitaha Canterbury Regional Council area. His research produces a replicable model framework that allows for the integration of climate change and resilience data. It fills a gap that was last considered in any detail 20 years ago. @michaelhowden @jimgraham @taumataarowai @gillianblythe Waugh Infrastructure Management Limited https://lnkd.in/gjiZ_-yW

How do you catch your breath and find that break when it is needed, particularly during times of high workload and/or high stress? Are you able to take 5 any time things get a bit much, and you need to stop, breathe and reset? This could be as simple as having a novel on your desk and reading a few pages, going for a short walk, stopping for a hot drink, taking your shoes off and wiggling your toes in the grass or sand. Do you have a hobby? Do you need to take one up? Family time is important, but having a hobby you enjoy, something you do on your own, or with family/friends is important also. It is about finding and keeping your balance. A personal reflection from Ross Waugh; About 12 years ago Ross was working, a lot. He was really enjoying himself, but was working full days, most evenings and a fair part of the weekends. Ross' wife Hilary observed that he needed to find something to do that wasn't work. Friends and colleagues had suggested some options. Ross tried golf - good exercise and time with friends, but frankly, he wasn't very good, so golf was more frustration than relaxation. Then Ross found photography, again. Photography was something he had enjoyed as a teenager, but he had not really thought about it as a hobby in years. So he picked up his camera again, locally, and on international and domestic trips. Ross discovered that he really enjoys landscape photography. Getting out for a walk allows him to get some exercise and maintain a level of fitness, while pursuing his hobby. Also, enjoying the beauty of landscapes helps Ross relax, reflect and switch off from work. It has been a great hobby in that regard. How do you destress away from the office? Doing something different and out of the ordinary is important! So on Day 3 of the Congress there will be a guided tour of Te Papa to give you the chance to sit back, let your mind rest and experience something new! We have shared some of Ross' photography. Lake Tekapo Auckland Sunset from the Ferry Caroline Bay Sunset, Timaru Chelsea (my daughter-in-law) at Monument Valley, Utah Freedom Tower at Sunset from Empire State Building, New York #wellness #fitforpurpose #fitforwork #fitforfamily

Waugh Infrastructure Management Limited is delighted to be named a finalist in the Āpōpō Asset Management Awards - Leadership category for the Waikirikiri Selwyn – Leadership in Wai Pipe Network Renewals. Thank you to the client Selwyn District Council and partners in this project Infrastructure Decision Support NZ (IDS NZ) and the bureau service. Learn more about this great project here - https://lnkd.in/ghSWpRZB Murray England, Catherine Posada Higuera, Jo Golden, Gemma Mathieson, Theuns Henning, Andy Bartlett, Hugh Blake-Manson #assetmanagementexcellence #assetmanagementawards2024 #apopoawards2024

How are handling the BIG issues impacting the infrastructure sector? Are you spending too much time in stress mode? The last few years have seen a lot of change in the New Zealand infrastructure sector. This has been a result of changes in government priorities, housing and commercial sector construction changes, and the growing societal conversation about our country's infrastructure needs for the next few decades. Included in those conversations is how we are going to pay for, organise for and resource for infrastructure development and renewal. These big issues are impacting on infrastructure teams across the country. Times are also tough, following the pandemic responses, global supply change disruptions, and the unsettled geopolitical environment. Our understanding of climate change and resilience requirements continues to grow, with planning for responses needing a lot more input and work. With all this change, coupled with the ongoing retirement wave, we are increasingly under-resourced across our sector, or we are supporting teams who are under-resourced. The growing workload and increasing under-resourcing is leading to increasing stress levels across our sector. Have you stopped to think about how much of your week is spent in 'Stress Mode'? I am sure it is likely to be some of your week, and that amount of your week may be increasing. Everyone has different tolerances to stress, and different personal management strategies and techniques for stress. How are you going with this yourself? Could I encourage you to reflect on how you personally de-stress, or get away to 'catch your breath' when needed? What self-care strategies can you build into your daily activities to keep yourself healthy and managing stress in a way that works well for you. If you want to reflect on this a bit more, and perhaps gain some new perspectives and tools, please be sure to visit the self-care strategy session on Day 1 of the Apopo Congress. https://lnkd.in/gFrTEEyP Our health and well-being, and that of our staff and the teams we support matters, that is why Waugh Infrastructure Management Limited is proud to sponsor the Āpōpō Wellness Stream at the 2024 congress in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington Take care, Ross Waugh #wellness #assetmanagement #selfcare

Are you 'fit for purpose' to do your job? As infrastructure managers, we often ask whether an asset, process, support system etc. is 'fit for purpose' for the task or job it is intended for. As we have progressed in our careers, we have completed studies and specific training. We are employed in a team, supporting the work our community needs, and supporting each other. At the heart of our profession, we care about and want the best for our assets and the communities they serve. To do this effectively we need to be 'fit for purpose' ourselves, being well, being healthy, being the best version of ourselves. An example from Ross Waugh, is when he caught Covid in 2022. He fully stepped away from work for a few weeks. It took him a while to fully recover, and he gave himself the time needed. Ross ensured he took it easy, to not prolong the symptoms, for his own health and for others. What you realise from instances like this is that looking after yourself is the first step in ensuring you are 'fit for purpose' to be fully present, bringing the best version of yourself both at work, and more importantly in your other relationships at home, with friends and family. Looking after yourself means it is essential to make sure there is time and space for family and personal hobbies. How do you ensure that self-care is high on your priority list this year? Visit the self-care strategy session on Day 1 of the Āpōpō Congress and make that investment in yourself. Waugh Infrastructure Management Limited is proud to sponsor the Wellness Stream at Congress. Visit the Congress website here - https://lnkd.in/gFrTEEyP #selfcare #assetmanager #assetmanagement #wellness