Kater believes there is much wisdom in the Chinese proverb, which says: ‘If your vision is for a year, plant wheat. If your vision is for ten years, plant trees. If your vision is for a lifetime, plant people.’
Here, I am reminded of a Chinese proverb, which says: ‘Tell me and I’ll forget, show me and I may remember, involve me and I’ll understand.’ To bridge the skills gap, we need learners that understand the job that they are doing. The practical structure of the learnership encourages this understanding and develops work experience.”
Energetic, enthusiastic, and results-driven, Kater describes her leadership style as empowering and transformational. “I believe it is important to link roles with what people enjoy doing. People are far more productive if they really enjoy what they are doing and if they are passionate and excited about what they do,” she observes.
“I also believe it is important to mentor and coach staff. While my leadership style is empowering, I do not support a laissez- faire approach. If one is to achieve results, measurement and accountability must be in place, as these create expectations and behaviours,” she notes.
Kater is renowned for her infectious laughter and keen sense of humour and this is often heard echoing in the passages. While no formal measurements exist to measure laughter, Kater says the sound of laughter within the workplace is a very good indicator of organisational health, and is something that should be encouraged.
A strong proponent of mentoring, Kater cites Fasset CEO, Cheryl James as an important
52 Management Today | May 2012
mentor earlier in her career. “Cheryl and I go back a very long time. We enjoyed a very close working relationship at Fasset for a period of ten years. We also worked together at SAIPA. I have learnt a great deal from Cheryl. Everything that Cheryl does bears the hallmark of integrity, honesty, fairness and the highest possible standards. Mentored by Cheryl, I too have embraced the mantra of excellence in everything that I do.”
Proudly South African, Kater says one of the most rewarding aspects of her role as Head of ACCA SA is the fact that the position enables her to play a positive role in strengthening democracy in South Africa.
“Economic and political delivery is inextricably linked to strong financial and management skills and a commitment to good governance. In the words of Minister of Finance, Pravin Gordhan, ‘our new story, our period of transition, is about building modern infrastructure, a vibrant economy, a decent quality of life for all, reduced poverty, decent employment opportunities.’ Business, government, and civil society need strong accounting and financial skills to successfully achieve these goals. ACCA would love to partner with state-owned enterprises, all government departments, our 262 municipalities, and accounting firms large and small, to help to build the financial and management capacity that is required for ‘our new story.’ This is an area, which I am personally championing,” Kater explains.
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