But what we’re talking about here is when your business is not in a position to maintain the existing head count. I know that there is a lot of this happening throughout the country right now and good, noble employers are doing it tough.

If you are finding your current drug testing regime is having a negative effect on your workforce, have a think about trying something that is fairer on all and meets all the government standards. After all, drug and alcohol testing is meant to be about workplace safety, not controlling the lifestyle decisions of private citizens.

Here are my suggestions for how we get to this state of Nirvana (not the band with the screeching singer)…

Rascism, sexism, discrimination against old people and people who haven't had the right start in life. These are the things that gnaw away at a society and make it weak and bitter, disengaged and hostile. They pit people against each other and why?

It is a winding road with many corners we can’t see around, but with courage and a willingness to step out and be different, we can make a better future than our frightening present.

Whatever you do, keep going.

Things are tough. We need to find these examples of good things happening out there and celebrate them. To these guys, I say this. You have been very lucky and I’d add that it seems true that the harder you work, the luckier you get.

All I can say is that we are in for a hell of a rollercoaster ride and we’d better start practicing being flexible now before our options start getting cut off.

Right then. Let’s reassess things here. I’m a regular on social media, I attend events designed to make people talk to other people and none of it has killed or maimed me.

Call it what you like. I call it transformation and it is what Regeneration HQ stands for. Boldness, honesty, confronting barriers and issues with integrity and humour.

I made a promise and one of life’s great satisfactions is honouring your promises even when you don’t need to.

I cannot state it strongly enough. Question everything. Your business needs a plan that is based on the uncertainty of these times. You might do really well if you are able to adapt to the volatility we will face. You might find that you need to “rightsize” to just keep the lights on until the worst is over. You also might find that hibernation is the safest way to preserve your assets.

Including your people in what you're trying to achieve will often look messy, complicated and pointless at the start. People argue, battle for power and position and influence and really just behave like any other group of human beings. But, you're the leader and you can set the tone by leading. Calm, encouraging, intolerant of bad behaviour, focused precisely on what the problem being solved is and keeping that at the forefront of peoples minds until they get what they're doing and start collaborating rather than competing.

An Honest Conversation will cost you $250.00 excl GST and it just might be the best money you’ve ever invested. If you choose to move forward with Regeneration HQ to support transformational change in your business, the $250.00 will be rebated against the cost of future service.

Just remember that it is so much easier to treat a sniffle than multiple organ failures, so be vigilant and remember that it's the little things that can kill you.

Also, don't forget to ask for help if you think that might be a wise thing to do.

It’s just a thought, but if you are out there feeling cold, lonely, rejected and in despair about what’s next, call Regeneration HQ. Warm your feet around the fire and let’s see what’s possible. By the way, there is a real outdoor fire and many feet have been warmed by it. Try it, you might like it and it might just transform where you are now.

This might seem a strange thing to say as someone who unfortunately is doomed to be called one. You look for other ways to describe such people and you end up drifting off into a euphemism fest that only clouds the water further.

Then COVID-19 happened and the world just became a different place and will probably be different forever. The first question to be asked is whether your business is still relevant in this new normal. The answer could be yes, definitely; it could be maybe if we do things differently; or it may be unfortunately what we do has no place in the new environment.

Be kind, be fair, be honest, be clear and proud about egalitarian values and don't step over the rotten, putrid puddles of ugliness and discontent that are everywhere.

New Zealand - 100% pure. We aren't yet, but imagine if we could and how satisfying would be that journey?

So, we were designed with two ears and one mouth. We just need to learn how to use them in that same proportion. Next time you are about to fill the space with some wisdom, shut up and listen. You’ll be surprised what happens when you provide the space for others to speak.

Having someone to talk to. Someone to answer your calls when you are worried about the future. It matters. The temptation when you're in a hole is to hunker down and stop communicating. It's the worst possible thing you can do.

So, it makes me all the more determined that I be a leader. I want to support those who are less empowered than I am and I want to demonstrate every day that being a kind, decent, compassionate human being is what makes the darkness recede. This is what RegenerationHQ is all about.