“Urgent patience”

“The fact that we were able to run two major off-site construction projects and two recruitment drives simultaneously during 2010 to have the final two nodes off the mark -   together with a 17% increase in staff numbers at the start of 2011 - is immensely satisfying.” – Johan Pauw, Managing Director, SAEON SAEON was launched at Phalaborwa in September 2004, with country-wide support. This coincided with the launch of its first node – SAEON Ndlovu (Picture: Mitzi du Plessis)

- Johan Pauw, Managing Director, SAEON

It is with considerable joy that we announce, in this issue, the operationalisation of SAEON’s final two nodes: the Grassland-Forests-Wetlands and Arid Lands nodes.

In due course, after some deliberation and consultation, the names will be changed to include a descriptive word in an indigenous language to signal the relevance of the nodes to South African society at large. This will follow the pattern of the already named nodes - SAEON Ndlovu, Elwandle, Egagasini and Fynbos Nodes.

Recently some vague criticism came the way of SAEON from a viewpoint that SAEON has taken too long to establish all of its nodes. We are in full agreement with that criticism because it is not how it was planned. So let’s examine some of the delays.

First steps in the process were the conceptual development of nodes and what territories these should cover. This was agreed during the course of 2004. In September 2004 SAEON was launched at Phalaborwa, with country-wide support. Coincidentally, this was also the launch of the SAEON Ndlovu Node, which was designated by then, but not yet staffed or accommodated. The Ndlovu Node became fully operational in 2006 after the construction of offices and laboratory space, and the appointment of the full staff complement.

The SAEON Elwandle, Egagasini and Fynbos Nodes followed in quick succession, but then there was a two-year delay before the final two nodes became operational. There were several reasons for this delay, among other things a shortage of suitable candidates and office space. But then one should also bear in mind that the four existing nodes needed their full share of attention. In addition, the National Office had to be relocated and capacitated.

Given that we were able to run two major off-site construction projects and two recruitment drives simultaneously during 2010 to have the final two nodes off the mark, together with a 17% increase in staff numbers at the start of 2011, is immensely satisfying.

“A sense of urgency”

An insightful book published by JP Kotter in 2008, “A sense of urgency”, speaks of the dangers of complacency for any organisation. SAEON has now reached the point where having completed the big task of setting up its full node portfolio, basking in our own glory could ring in a round of complacency. We will have to remind ourselves of this danger, in particular in relation to the longer-running nodes. For that reason we should appreciate and be cognisant of external criticism and input.

The book also speaks of “urgent patience”, signifying that whereas urgency inherently implies the need for short-term advances, “behaving urgently to help create great twenty-first-century organisations demands patience, too, because great accomplishments ….can require years” (Kotter 2008).

We would like to assure our stakeholders that, on a daily basis, we have always worked with the purpose of finding every opportunity to achieve the goals of SAEON, including setting up of the nodes. But in the first instance, for all six nodes, we are much indebted to the respective host organisations that made it possible to attain speedy results in spite of a small SAEON administration.

Reference

Kotter JP 2008. A sense of urgency. Havard Business Press, Boston, Massachusetts. ISBN-13: 978-1-4221-7971-0