New Zealanders are working. The economy is growing. So why aren’t we getting much more out of it? 

For more than a decade, New Zealand’s productivity growth has been painfully weak – and that could be one of the biggest economic problems facing the next Government. 

But you wouldn’t necessarily know it from the election campaign. 

The parties are promising tax cuts, more housing, cheaper groceries, changes to immigration and more spending on public services. 

But how many of those policies will actually make New Zealand more productive? 

Today on The Front Page, University of Otago economics associate professor Dennis Wesselbaum reckons productivity is the economic elephant in the room this election. He joins us now.

Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network.

Host: Chelsea Daniels
Editor/Producer: Richard Martin
Producer: Jane Yee

New Zealanders are working. The economy is growing. So why aren&rsquo;t we getting much more out of it?&nbsp;
For more than a decade, New Zealand&rsquo;s productivity growth has been painfully weak &ndash; and that could be one of the biggest economic problems facing the next Government.&nbsp;
But you wouldn&rsquo;t necessarily know it from the election campaign.&nbsp;
The parties are promising tax cuts, more housing, cheaper groceries, changes to immigration and more spending on public services.&nbsp;
But how many of those policies will actually make New Zealand more productive?&nbsp;
Today on The Front Page, University of Otago economics associate professor Dennis Wesselbaum reckons productivity is the economic elephant in the room this election. He joins us now.
Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network.
Host: Chelsea Daniels Editor/Producer: Richard Martin Producer: Jane Yee

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Looking for actionable business insights all in one place? 
We're here to help you find a way with a curation of the &lsquo;best bits&rsquo; from top business podcasts. 
Save time searching; subscribe to the SME Stream where you can listen to relevant, timely, business-related content today.&nbsp;
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Is NZ’s productivity problem the real economic elephant in the room?

In episode 71of Leaders Getting Coffee our guest is one of New Zealand’s younger government ministers, Simeon Brown.

He was inspired by his grandfather who worked to support the local community and later, his mother who led the local residents association. That led to him taking an early interest in politics, and while still at school he occupied roles as secretary and treasurer alongside his mother and subsequently a seat on the Manurewa Local Board while still at university.

But national politics soon beckoned, and at the age of just 23 he ran the National party campaign for the Manurewa seat, losing to Labour’s Louisa Wall on that occasion.

Three years later, in 2017 he was better prepared and won the safe National seat of Pakuranga, taking over the stronghold previously held by long time MP Maurice Williamson.

But that meant six years in opposition, a period he used to build his knowledge of our parliamentary process and a work ethic that would serve him well later.

When a National Party led government won the treasury benches in 2023, he was poised to become one of the busiest ministers in the team, and as the parliamentary term closes, he looks back on the wins, the losses and the might have beens.

During the Leaders Getting Coffee podcast, Simeon Brown speaks with Bruce Cotterill about massive portfolios like transport, health and energy, the challenges he inherited and the opportunities for the future. Those responsibilities came with plenty of damage – remember the mining ban, the potholes and the shambles that was the previous government’s reorganisation of the health system. He’s had three years to address all that. But there’s plenty more to do and the plan for the next parliamentary term is already underway.

There’s also a chat about family. Here’s a guy working 18 hour days, and six days weeks trying to balance a family of four children under eight, and a very understanding wife.

This is a very personable conversation with a young minister doing a good job in a very tough environment. It’s well worth a listen.

Leaders Getting Coffee – Episode 71 with Bruce Cotterill and Hon Simeon Brown, Minister of Health

In episode 71of Leaders Getting Coffee our guest is one of New Zealand&rsquo;s younger government ministers, Simeon Brown.
He was inspired by his grandfather who worked to support the local community and later, his mother who led the local residents association. That led to him taking an early interest in politics, and while still at school he occupied roles as secretary and treasurer alongside his mother and subsequently a seat on the Manurewa Local Board while still at university.
But national politics soon beckoned, and at the age of just 23 he ran the National party campaign for the Manurewa seat, losing to Labour&rsquo;s Louisa Wall on that occasion.
Three years later, in 2017 he was better prepared and won the safe National seat of Pakuranga, taking over the stronghold previously held by long time MP Maurice Williamson.
But that meant six years in opposition, a period he used to build his knowledge of our parliamentary process and a work ethic that would serve him well later.
When a National Party led government won the treasury benches in 2023, he was poised to become one of the busiest ministers in the team, and as the parliamentary term closes, he looks back on the wins, the losses and the might have beens.
During the Leaders Getting Coffee podcast, Simeon Brown speaks with Bruce Cotterill about massive portfolios like transport, health and energy, the challenges he inherited and the opportunities for the future. Those responsibilities came with plenty of damage &ndash; remember the mining ban, the potholes and the shambles that was the previous government&rsquo;s reorganisation of the health system. He&rsquo;s had three years to address all that. But there&rsquo;s plenty more to do and the plan for the next parliamentary term is already underway.
There&rsquo;s also a chat about family. Here&rsquo;s a guy working 18 hour days, and six days weeks trying to balance a family of four children under eight, and a very understanding wife.
This is a very personable conversation with a young minister doing a good job in a very tough environment. It&rsquo;s well worth a listen.
Leaders Getting Coffee &ndash; Episode 71 with Bruce Cotterill and Hon Simeon Brown, Minister of Health

Episode 71: Minister of Health, Hon Simeon Brown

Why do organisations invest in leadership development only to see people return to work and carry on exactly as before?

In this episode of HR Unlocked, Lisa Oakley sits down with Jocelyn Visser, founder of Compass Consultancy and consultant at People Associates, to explore what makes leadership development genuinely effective.

For Jocelyn, the starting point isn't choosing a course or training provider. It's getting clear on the problem you're trying to solve, the behaviours you want to change, the capabilities the organisation needs, and how all of that connects back to strategy and purpose.

From experiential learning and quality supervision to feedback, capability frameworks, technology, and measuring ROI, Jocelyn shares practical ways organisations can move beyond knowledge transfer and create learning that people can immediately apply in the workplace.

The conversation also explores why leadership development should be continuous rather than a one-off event, how psychologically safe learning environments give leaders confidence to practise new skills, and why the most effective programmes often combine theory with peer learning, reflection, coaching, and real-world application.

Looking ahead, Jocelyn and Lisa also unpack the capabilities organisations will increasingly need in a rapidly changing world, including adaptability, communication, curiosity, comfort with uncertainty, problem solving, and the ability to make complex ideas simple.

What You'll Learn


Why leadership development should start with the problem you're trying to solve


How to align learning with organisational strategy, purpose, values, and capability


Why behavioural change matters more than simply transferring knowledge


The difference between knowing a leadership skill and actually applying it


How quality supervision and feedback support ongoing development


Why experiential and peer-to-peer learning can make development more effective


How psychologically safe environments give leaders space to practise


Why smaller, accessible learning experiences can be powerful


How technology can make learning more accessible for dispersed and frontline teams


Why learning should be reinforced before, during, and after a development programme


How capability frameworks can help organisations prioritise investment


What organisations should measure beyond attendance and participant satisfaction


Why adaptability, communication, and curiosity will be critical future capabilities

Key Takeaways


Leadership development should be purposeful, not development for development's sake.


Learning is ultimately about creating meaningful behavioural change.


Giving people more knowledge won't solve every performance or workplace problem.


Leaders need opportunities to practise, reflect, receive feedback, and apply what they've learnt.


Quality supervision means understanding how people are actually performing rather than relying entirely on second-hand information.


Learning is more powerful when it can move directly from the boardroom into everyday work.


Development doesn't need to be expensive or overly complicated to have an impact.


Technology should make learning more accessible, while the strategy, values, and people needs should determine the content.


Measuring ROI starts by defining the outcome you want before the programme begins.


Capability building should be directly connected to where the organisation is heading.


Adaptability, communication, curiosity, and the ability to navigate uncertainty will become increasingly important as technology and AI continue to change work.

About Jocelyn Visser

Jocelyn Visser is the founder of Compass Consultancy and a consultant with People Associates.

A self-described "people nerd", Jocelyn is passionate about demystifying people challenges and making practical HR and leadership solutions accessible to leaders and professionals. Her work focuses on solving complex people problems through practical, real-world approaches rather than theory alone. Compass Consultancy reflects her focus on helping people find direction and purpose in an increasingly busy and complex world.

She has particular expertise and interest in leadership development, learning design, capability building, coaching, and creating practical development experiences that translate into meaningful workplace behaviour.

Why This Episode Matters

Organisations continue to invest significant time and money in leadership development, yet knowledge alone rarely changes how someone leads.

This episode challenges organisations to think differently about learning by starting with strategy, identifying the behaviours and capabilities that actually matter, and giving leaders opportunities to practise and apply new skills in their real working environment.

As organisations navigate AI, changing workforce expectations, tighter development budgets, and increasing complexity, Jocelyn's approach offers a practical way to make learning more accessible, measurable, and relevant to the business.

Whether you're an HR professional, business owner, People & Culture leader, learning and development practitioner, or manager responsible for developing others, this conversation provides practical ideas for creating leadership development that actually sticks.

Resources & Links
Compass Consultancy: https://www.compassconsultancy.co.nz/
Connect with Jocelyn Visser on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jocelyn-visser-consultant/
People Associates: https://www.peopleassociates.co.nz/

Jocelyn Visser - Compass Consultancy | Leadership Development That Actually Sticks

What happens when you stop overthinking business and just give it a crack?

We sit down with Leigh Hart - one of New Zealand’s most recognisable comedians and the entrepreneur behind Wakachangi and SnackaChangi - to unpack how he turned decades of storytelling, creativity and a cult following into brands that stand out on supermarket shelves.

Leigh takes us inside his unconventional approach to business and marketing, from announcing a beer brand on Facebook before he’d figured out how to make it, to landing a meeting with Griffins and testing packaging by literally putting mock-ups on bottle-store shelves to see if people could find them.

We get into why he believes real world behaviour beats focus groups, how to build a brand that can stand on its own without relying on the founder’s personal profile and why knowing what you’re actually good at - then finding the right partners to handle the rest - has been critical to growing his businesses.

Leigh also shares one of the biggest decisions of his career: walking away from his ownership in Wakachangi to take full control of SnackaChangi, why it felt completely counterintuitive at the time, and how trusting his gut gave him the freedom to grow the brand on his own terms.

Plus, we talk Kiwi humour, personal branding, FMCG, expanding into Australia and overseas and why Leigh would rather see someone start imperfectly than spend years planning something they never launch.

If you’re a business owner who tends to overthink the next move, this episode might convince you to stop planning quite so much and start testing.

Ready to take your business further?

🔗 Book a strategy call: https://www.makeithappen.org.nz/

🔔 Subscribe for weekly episodes on business, marketing, strategy and scaling

🌐 Learn more: http://makeithappen.org.nz/

🌐 Instagram: @makeithappen

📣 Share this episode with a business owner who needs to stop overthinking and give it a shot

What happens when you stop overthinking business and just give it a crack?
We sit down with Leigh Hart - one of New Zealand&rsquo;s most recognisable comedians and the entrepreneur behind Wakachangi and SnackaChangi - to unpack how he turned decades of storytelling, creativity and a cult following into brands that stand out on supermarket shelves.
Leigh takes us inside his unconventional approach to business and marketing, from announcing a beer brand on Facebook before he&rsquo;d figured out how to make it, to landing a meeting with Griffins and testing packaging by literally putting mock-ups on bottle-store shelves to see if people could find them.
We get into why he believes real world behaviour beats focus groups, how to build a brand that can stand on its own without relying on the founder&rsquo;s personal profile and why knowing what you&rsquo;re actually good at - then finding the right partners to handle the rest - has been critical to growing his businesses.
Leigh also shares one of the biggest decisions of his career: walking away from his ownership in Wakachangi to take full control of SnackaChangi, why it felt completely counterintuitive at the time, and how trusting his gut gave him the freedom to grow the brand on his own terms.
Plus, we talk Kiwi humour, personal branding, FMCG, expanding into Australia and overseas and why Leigh would rather see someone start imperfectly than spend years planning something they never launch.
If you&rsquo;re a business owner who tends to overthink the next move, this episode might convince you to stop planning quite so much and start testing.
Ready to take your business further?
🔗 Book a strategy call:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.makeithappen.org.nz/">https://www.makeithappen.org.nz/</a>
🔔 Subscribe for weekly episodes on business, marketing, strategy and scaling
🌐 Learn more: <a href="http://makeithappen.org.nz/">http://makeithappen.org.nz/</a>
🌐 Instagram: @makeithappen
📣 Share this episode with a business owner who needs to stop overthinking and give it a shot

Is NZ’s productivity problem the real economic elephant in the room?

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