Our tribe
Our tribe
I was walking Finn, my cocker spaniel, early one morning this week in the Isle of Wight. Part of our walk takes us down to the river Medina which leads out to the sea. Early mornings are peaceful times for me, time to reflect before the day gets underway.
I watched as a small family of ducks made their way down the riverbank, stepped into the water and headed off down the river. A short way behind them a lone duck clearly realised they had been left behind and it was funny to see him look behind to a tributary and then ahead to his increasingly distant family. In an instant he became airborne and in a flurry of feathers and loud quacking he touched down on the water alongside his family. Peace returned and then they went on their way.
This was a timely reminder to me of the importance of belonging. To be part of something bigger than ourselves, where we are welcomed, accepted, supported and celebrated for who we are and what we do.
Since I joined our business in February this year I arrived fully committed to making a difference. It was love at first sight for me with our businesses. Our brands are admired and respected around the world and especially in the countries in which we operate. It’s the quality of our work and the way we do our work that has grown this admiration for our businesses. It simply matters to all of us that our clients are delighted with what we do for them and that we have candidates and contractors who seek us out because we place them in roles and on projects that make them happy and are rewarding.
Behind all of this is the care and support I have seen time after time in teams and between colleagues. When we join the Harvey Nash Group we are welcomed in, and from that moment onwards we have a shared purpose, a place that we belong and have colleagues who care about us.
This week we started the second half Kick-offs around the world. Of course we talked about all of the challenges and the successes that have occurred in the first six months of the year. However what overwhelmingly stands out is the recognition and celebration of each person, each team’s successes and stories of how despite the challenges, people in our businesses have shone. It’s inspiring listening to these stories and celebrating the many achievements. I can’t wait to continue being part of these kick-offs throughout the next few weeks.
We have also had our 3 year strategy approved by the Board of Harvey Nash Group. This is an important milestone for us and timely as we start to prepare for the business planning in the coming weeks and months. We will be sharing this strategy with everyone soon via a number of Town Halls.
There are some key events coming up very soon. 1st October we have the Spinks and Computer Weekly event focused on diversity and inclusion. We are sharing our own journey to being a truly diverse and inclusive business alongside many other businesses and subject matter experts.
We are also starting the CIO survey events too, with over 1,000 people registered for the launch webinars. This is a transformative time for our businesses. Giving us all such valuable information to share with our clients and candidates, keeping us current and relevant.
Thank you for your hard work, your resilience and agility in dealing with these challenging times during this pandemic. Together we are stronger.
As the weekend is in touching distance keep safe and well.