First Who, Then What – get the right people on the bus.
It’s a concept developed in the book Good to Great, and one of my favourite sayings from the business researcher and author, Jim Collins.
It’s an ideal I absolutely stand by, in business being about people, the right people in the right position. And never before has this seemed so important, not only looking back over the last couple of months, but also in future business planning.
As we see the UK slowly opening up again, we remember that we cannot always predict what’s coming around the corner.
Yes, we can have the business continuity plans and strategies in place, but to me, as Jim says, it’s about having ‘a busload of people who can adapt to and perform brilliantly no matter what comes next.’
If I am allowed a period to reflect, what has really stood out to me in this time, from Amthal’s perspective is the team morale. Having the right people may be the starting point, but what has also been critical to our success as key workers is the right team members being in the right positions.
Here, teams have pulled together and looked out for each other, understanding where required, the need for change. This is what, to continue the analogy to drive the bus, our business, has got us through the lockdown period, with great determination.
When we have all been working from home, we have been motivated and with our access to relevant people management and employee engagement skills, the Amthal team hasn’t required any tight management.
We have been self-motivated to deliver the best results. With daily check-ins proving successful and well received by the team, and actually enhanced our level of efficiency.
The future, or ‘new normal’ is something we all have to be flexible enough to deal with, in our own lives and for business. It is going to change the way everyone works, it definitely changed how Amthal operates as a business, with active encouragement for the majority of the team, previously office based, to continue to work from home.
We will also see even more investment in planning for such events should they happen again and flexible management strategies for delivering in a difficult economic climate.
But again, the right people in the right positions first and foremost will be key to success.
From this, we will continue to work closely with suppliers and partners to deliver solutions for safer workplaces for colleagues and employees to return. These include immediate use of thermal camera technology and access control temperature monitoring systems, reception shield and desk guards alongside all glass screens.
Looking aside, we have also been continuing to follow close Government guidance on the imminent introductions of the Fire Safety Bill, Building Safety Bill and the Building Safety Regulator, and what this means for Responsible Persons.
We can all learn from this lockdown experience, constantly learning and evolving. But when confronted with the opportunity, we must shift the decision from the what to the who. Great vision, without great people is irrelevant. And this will always be at the core of Amthal’s vision, mission and values to continue to ‘protect what’s precious.’