Focus on retaining top talent

Editorial

This week, two of New Zealand's top sports coaches made big decisions about their future.

Former All Blacks' backs mastermind Wayne Smith elected to stay with the Chiefs, spurning a doubtless lucrative offer to join the English rugby team, while Black Caps coach John Wright elected to walk away from his role, effectively confirming rumours of differing ideas between himself and national director of cricket John Buchanan over the way the team should be run.

New Zealand Cricket pursued Wright for some time before finally securing his signature in December 2010 - not only was he the popular public choice as coach, he came with a pedigree that suggested an opportunity to finally lift our national team's performance out of the doldrums.

Surely, given the early signs of the positive impact Wright was having, much more consideration needed to be given to ensuring he was comfortable with Buchanan's appointment and was able to do what he does best - coach.

It begs the obvious question of whether the people at New Zealand Cricket actually gave due and proper consideration to the ability of Buchanan and Wright to work together, before they appointed Buchanan to his role in the middle of last year.

Through the interview process, it must have become clear that appointing Buchanan would likely cause difficulties for Wright - but regardless, the Australian was given the role, and now arguably this country's top cricket coach has elected to step away from the national job.

The message to any organisation is clear - to retain your talent, treat them with the dignity and respect they deserve for the skills and effort they've brought to their roles.

In a competitive and increasingly mobile job market, those with marketable abilities will head elsewhere, if they feel they will be better rewarded and appreciated. While a large part of Smith's decision was undoubtedly a desire to stay close to his family, the New Zealand Rugby Union also reportedly did all they could to retain his services.

The NZRU got their man, NZC did not - time will tell whether someone else can successfully fill Wright's cricket boots.