Week 4 - 8^th to 12^th January 2018

First week back
This week was our first week back at work after a well deserved two weeks break. Initially I was hesitant returning as my break wasn’t as pleasant as others. I had no spontaneous New Year tales to tell but rather some unfortunate news. My grandmother had passed away so I spent the break at her funeral, gracefully sending her off.

I let Sarah know instantly as I felt if at any moment I struggled to maintain composure then she would be aware. After discussing it with her I was surprised once again at how amazing she is! She sat and comforted me and reassured me that her support was there, she showed so much empathy towards me, suggesting that I take a break and go for a walk if I feel the need. She even recommended that if I truly need, take the day off.

As I returned home that afternoon I was surprised with a bouquet of flowers and a note from the Team here at NZICC, displaying their condolences for my loss. This lifted my spirit and I was able to return to work the next day with a more positive frame of mind.

Morning Tea party
The next morning we had a small morning tea team gathering. Jaime blessed us with her divine baking as we indulged in great banter and delicious snacks. Callum gave his condolences and Jack although he wasn’t physically here; he sent a message through to reassure his support. I am so thankful for the support displayed and am gratified to be surrounded by such remarkable people. THANKS TEAM!!!

Onsite filming
On Thursday we visited the NZICC construction site to do some filming and conduct interviews in order to provide an update on the site progress. Seeing the site and how much it has developed was astonishing, we examined floors and were able to visualize some of the desired outcomes. The building is really starting to come together and although the weather was humid and the tour turned out to be more of a hike, it was a pleasant experience overall.

Conclusion
In conclusion, I anticipated this week to be nothing but bearable, but I was wrong. I am surrounded by people whom encourage me and the support is never ending. Not only was my spirit lifted but with a sense of relief due to the encouragement provided, I felt I was not only able to complete my work (considering the circumstances) I was able to do so at an exceptional standard. So thanks again NZICC! Your support is very much so appreciated!

Regards,
Te Oha Hancock

Week 5 - 15^th to 19^th January 2018

Congratulations!
This week started off with a bang. I returned to work with the best news and on arrival was instantly praised. I was fortunate enough to be selected as one of two candidates representing our internship program over in Sydney. WHAT AN HONOUR! The reason I share this news is because if Sarah hadn’t pushed me, I may not have applied. Thank you Sarah for your endless support!

Wednesday
On Wednesday I attended a digital meeting and it was very insightful. I believe that this generation is driven by technology, so this was very helpful in terms of future plans and the future of business infrastructure. I also admired the technology initiatives used to help minimize pollution and work towards making offices and ultimately the business more environmentally sustainable.

Business working towards being more environmentally conscious
Environmental awareness is something I believe to be important, the Maori world view around land and water is different to that of the western. We believe that we are one with our land, our waterways, that Papatuanuku (Nature) is our earth mother and whichever tribal lands we descend from is our sense of identity.

This made the meeting with environmental manager Courtney Simpson even more inspiring. She suggested various resource alternatives that businesses can use, that are environmentally friendly, efficient and price appropriate. In terms of values, she had a beautiful perception regarding the environment and I thoroughly enjoyed our time with her.

One on one with Sarah
On Thursday morning Sarah and I had a one on one meeting - which is a structured performance and development meeting we have as part of living the NZICC cultural values. In this one on one we discussed many topics surrounding work ethics and feedback on how she can improve on further supporting me as a manager. Of course I found that difficult, and I’m not just being bias because she is my boss, but she truly is someone I aspire to be. Her motivation and determination is admirable, her drive is consistent and she is very assertive in terms of what she requires of you. Most of all, she has faith in my abilities. She challenges me and full heartedly believes that I can add a significant amount of value to the business. This is something I don’t think many interns can experience so I am extremely grateful.

“C.E.O”
Thursday evening I had an interview with SKYCITY chief executive officer Graeme Stephens. This man is extremely busy so having a full hour with him was a privilege. The Interns and I organized some questions prior, to make the flow of the interview easier and Amanda Tolley, one of the Human Resource Managers assisted and conducted this interview on our behalf. We were given the opportunity of following up on our questions and I feel rather embarrassed because that is something I did very well. I am extremely passionate about my culture and his insights were honest and appropriate but a difference in world views resulted in me voicing my opinions rather expressively. Overall, he was a pleasure to converse with and I admire his insights surrounding business. He is very knowledgeable and family oriented, SKYCITY is fortunate to have such a down to earth CEO.

Friday
Today’s debrief with Amanda went beautifully. She touched base on protocols regarding interviews and gave us some positive feedback regarding our meeting with Graeme. We discussed possible networking opportunities and presentations that are coming up. After the meeting with the other interns she sat me down to discuss possible networking opportunities relevant to my desired roles and plans for the future. I was pleased with the names suggested and the brief explanations of their backgrounds, and look forward to meeting these people. I am so appreciative of the opportunities NZICC, and SKYCITY provide for me. It’s an empowering feeling working with people who believe in your capabilities to achieve. Thank you all very much!

Regards,
Te Oha Hancock Week 6 - 22^nd to 26^th January 2018

This week was full of events. The interns and I experienced a day in the life of some of the SKYCITY business units; we attended a host community training presentation that displayed some of the everyday SKYCITY struggles. I felt honored hearing how passionate the head of the host community department was with what she did. It was lovely to see how much self-fulfillment people here get from thier work - and that feeling is priceless.

Digital content
This week I was given the task of copying content from websites and categorizing them in an accessible manner. This task I found relatively easy but also insightful as it showed me the importance of planning, and liaising with the right businesses from the start to alleviate future problems.

Trip away
Next week I am going to be in Sydney attending a careers trackers conference with my internship program. I am feeling extremely blessed and excited for this trip however I’m also stressed as I know I have a lot of work to do with NZICC. I have doubts regarding the names I had suggested for the NZICC and possible risks, the art program background information is yet to be finalized and I only have 3 remaining weeks on return to complete most of this work before finishing my internship. Looks like I have a lot of priorities to manage, how does everyone manage this all the time?!

Regards,
Te Oha Hancock