We are extremely proud of our partnership with Rotorua Lakes Council. Our relationship was formed in 2021 with the People & Organisational Development team to understand the leadership development needs of the tiers of council management. Right away, we recognised the need to create a bespoke solution that met the specific needs of Rotorua Lakes Council then and into the future. Tasked with creating a unique leadership framework that represented all that is special about Rotorua Lakes Council, we worked alongside key stakeholders to co-design Tātai Whetū, a framework embedded with Te Ao Maori and council vision and values.

Tātai Whetū represents that which shines (a cluster of stars), and those who lead the way. In Māori, it is said a Rangatira (Chief) is one who is able to raranga (weave) their tira (group of people) together.  The role of leaders at Rotorua Lakes Council is to support their people by guiding them to the desired destination and beyond.

The framework comprises four pou (pillars) Care, Collaborate, Influence and Navigate; which incorporate the Rotorua Lakes Council values and house customised leadership development modules. We facilitated focus groups with a diverse group of council workers to build a full picture of the different levels of leadership, their leadership strengths and areas for improvement. This research provided the basis for co-designing learning modules to sit under each pou within the framework. Ranging from the fundamentals of leadership for new and emerging leaders, to modules designed to extend more experienced managers on their leadership journey. Leaders can select the leadership development topic that is relevant to their needs and attend a half day workshop to support their growth and development. We continue to grow our partnership with Rotorua Lakes Council by adding additional leadership modules to Tātai Whetū to meet the changing and ongoing needs of council.