Wightman

The State Government described the announcement of the Men’s T20 World Cup 2020 schedule as a “major coup”, with Blundstone Arena hosting more games than any other venue. Frankly, that is more spin than a Shane Warne leg-break to South African Daryll Cullinan. Eight games, which currently includes the Bangladesh Tigers playing three times and the New Zealand Black Caps once, comes with a price tag of some $3 million, equating to $375,000 per game. That is hardly a well organised coup considering Tasmania’s cricketing history and recent success. The Bangladeshis are kind and generous people, and I have no doubt that the Tasmanian public will be fond of their underdog status. While the sport is certainly on the rise there, military coups are more common in the country than cricketing prowess, with the last unsuccessful attempt staged in 2011. The forgotten nature of Tasmanian cricket on the Australian cricketing landscape was reinforced most recently when a Test Match was stag...

Professional development plans, performance reviews and performance management are processes synonymous with modern business and enterprise.  Throw in key performance indicators and growth coaching, and you have an important and empowering set of procedures. Further, providing continuous feedback, with a focus on positive and constructive measures is essential, enabling a platform for trust and honest conversations to occur. According procedural fairness is also important, particularly when undertaking discussions detailing underperformance which may lead to decisions being made about ongoing employment. The women’s national soccer team (Matildas) is one of the most successful sporting teams in the country. The Matildas are currently ranked 6th in the World by FIFA having climbed as high as 4th, and after being ranked as low as 94th in 2014. They made the 2015 World Cup quarter finals, defeating Brazil 1-0 in the Round of 16. The Matildas recorded their first vict...

I am privileged, with the freedom to pen thoughts in our newspaper never taken for granted. Privilege also has responsibility resulting in the need to, at times, facilitate conversations with the community. As the new school year begins in earnest, many of us turn our minds to challenges that lay ahead. School shoes are my favourite, hoping they last more than a term of relentless pounding and, what appears to be, exponential growth. At the other end of the cycle, some students will already be thinking about their Grade 10 Leavers’ Dinner. Young people focussing on this celebration early in the school year is not raised as a criticism, rather in the worthwhile pursuit of encouraging students to step-up and be their best. But leavers’ dinners have lost perspective, and it should be discussed. However, and I admit, if our children were graduating this year, we too would be planning for what is a rite of passage, and not punishing them for peer and community expectations...

Recently, I visited a cat show. We all have our quirky ways. Cat, dog, flower and poultry shows, equestrian events, book, bridge and sporting clubs, political parties, chess and Rubik’s Cube enthusiasts or dance schools all have their own ways of operating - setting them apart from others. Whether it be the way cats are displayed in diorama style cages highlighting the felines heritage, showing livestock by trotting alongside dressed to the nines or book clubs who choose to deliberate over a pint, we find ourselves enmeshed in different ways of working at different stages of our lives. For those of us stumbling upon these procedures, and often looking on with amazement, we simply don’t fully comprehend the culture. By example, I have always enjoyed learning about and working with chickens. Rhode Island Reds, Sussexs and Isa Browns have all graced our Taj Mahal of a coup. The hens are engaged in conversation by their dutiful owners, fed expensive food and given names suc...