As we move into the final weeks of the year, I can’t help but think about how fast the last 12 months have passed. Admittedly, 2012 has been a year of some very memorable events, with my personal top three being the Diamond Jubilee celebrations, The 2012 London Olympics and, of course, England recording a memorable victory over the All Blacks at Twickenham. The latter of these came as somewhat of an unexpected surprise, but demonstrates what is possible with teamwork and the right mindset.
Perhaps, some of the less pleasant surprises we witnessed during 2012 were revelations at the Leveson enquiry, which exposed the total lack of professional standards and decency in a number of previously respected institutions, followed by the Libor rate fixing scandal, which heaped more scorn on our financial services industry. Closer to home, we have also seen various investigative stings expose questionable activity by lobbyists and PR practitioners. All of this taking place during market and economic conditions, that devoid of PR spin, can only be described as tough.
Against this backdrop, I’m pleased and relieved that 2012 has been a great year for Sermelo. We have been fortunate to acquire a number of new clients, as well as strengthen relationships that have been with us from the very beginning. The team has more than doubled in size during the course of the year and the office now buzzes with activity. We have also seen a strong culture prosper, where everyone works together in a collaborative and supportive way to deliver results, while having fun as part of the bargain. As a young company, we can also boast a 100% retention rate and long may this last.
I think a very positive learning from 2012 is that having a clear strategy, rooted in doing the right things and focusing on execution is yielding real results for our clients, and for Sermelo. When I analyse our clients’ success, which is significantly ahead of the respective dynamics of the sectors in which they operate, I can see some common factors which are clearly instrumental in driving this desirable and differentiated outcome.
The first is strong and stable leadership and a sense of responsibility, which cascades down through the organisation, coupled with a clear strategy that everyone understands. Employees have a clear grasp of what their efforts contribute to the company, and indeed how embracing enhancements or innovations can help them, and their colleagues achieve even more.
Secondly, the working environments are very collaborative, and colleagues show the utmost respect for each other. Meetings start on time, all opinions are sought and valued, and when mistakes are made, sincere and genuine apologies are made. Employees are not scared to face up various challenges and know that they can ask for, and get help, when needed.
Finally, there is a sense of what I would describe as corporate self-awareness: a recognition that we live in challenging times where results are a function of hard work and responding quickly to changing market dynamics. After all, successful companies often need to ask more from their employees because sustained success is only possible when everyone is engaged, has a sense of purpose and trusts that they will be recognised for their contributions.
None of this is revolutionary, but perhaps amid the pace of our real-time digital world we tend to forget some of the most important things. Our world has witnessed unparalleled changes in the last few years and nobody knows when the global economic bandwagon will start rolling again.
And as we roll to the end of this year and enjoy some well-deserved festivities, we typically raise a glass or two to the New Year ahead. Some of us make a resolution to do something extra, give something up or commit to a degree of self-betterment. However, I think the simplest thing we can all do to improve our chances of success is to each make a resolution to do something to improve our working environments. I don’t think 2013 will be a year of business revolution, so let’s all do something different and make it a year of workplace resolutions!
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