Lockdown Thoughts

Yesterday’s announcement by the Government that we will move from Level 4 to Level 3 on Tuesday night is worthy of a small celebration. We have acted as a country and controlled the spread of COVID-19. The statistics point to a levelling-off of new cases and we still seem to have no cases in South Island. Take some time today to congratulate yourself and your close-ones for the sacrifices you have willingly made to get here.

In our AskYourTeam survey we ask a key question: “We celebrate achievements as a team” scored 63%. This has risen since we first started surveying in 2018 when it was 58%, but it fell compared to last year when it was 67%. These scores are all middle-of-the-road to be honest and tell us that we need to do more.

We will continue to try and show our thanks for everyone’s hard work at a company level, but remember that often the best events happen at a more local level. Taking time to celebrate the birth of a baby, a graduation or the achievement of a really challenging milestone in your team is a great way to bond and take as moment to reflect. These are the events that take individual managers, team leaders or even caring team-mates to take the time and mark the occasion.

I would like to remind everyone that the company wants to support these things. I have said in the past that I am happy for all our team leaders and a managers to spend a little money on expenses to mark these occasions. You don’t need a budget, just do it. If someone is prepared to take the time to buy donuts, pizza, coffees or put on a BBQ for their team then I am happy they expense the cost. And don’t just leave it up to your manager! If you want to make something happen just ask them how to go about getting reimbursed. A few hundred $ here and there to say thank you or congratulations is a small price to pay. And if you have any doubt about how legitimate your reason is, or what might be appropriate then just ask. You can be spontaneous, but also remember that it is often the thank-yous planned in advance and linked to hitting some kind of goal that are the most appreciated.

Enjoy the weekend folks. Especially if you have been working from home. It is important to take a break and some time to recharge.

Ben Reed
Managing Director - HamiltonJet