LEADERSHIP REFLECTION

January 2022 marks two years since the first case of coronavirus was confirmed in Australia.  In a short period the pandemic has impacted our lives in ways we have never experienced before. Our business and working lives have certainly not been immune to the pandemic impact either.  Over the past two years in our Sydney business:

  • We have had 100s of our team or their immediate family directly impacted by contracting the virus
  • We have had 100s of our team impacted by mandatory isolation / self-isolation protocols
  • We have had 100s of our team undertake regular or isolated testing / or participate in surveillance programmes
  • We have had 1000s, the majority of our team get what was probably their first vaccination since childhood (or their last adventurous holiday – distant memories…)
  • We have had to navigate various trading restrictions / mandated closures totalling over 20 weeks (of what I would describe as severe) or 30 weeks including more targeted measures
  • For the other 74 weeks, there have been just about none where we were not working to other PHO safety mandates – masks, QR codes / contactless procedures
  • Global supply chains have been somewhat been put into disarray with shortages of vehicles across all brands.

The implications of all the above to our business is profound and there is no ‘how to’ guide on navigating this type of change in our operating environment. That said (at least in my opinion) as a team we have been successful by any measure in doing so. It is safe to say there are even some good things / positive change the pandemic has brought about especially regarding flexibility in approach with all our stakeholders.

My belief is that much of our success in leading through the last two years is attributable to our empowered local leadership and stakeholder led approach. I can state as a fact that we referenced our stakeholder map for every material decision taken over the past two years and relied on our local leadership and teams to deliver…. And, as I see it, on balance it worked.

While respecting the mandate of local leadership to identify and recognise the work, sacrifices and resilience of each of you in navigating this unprecedented period on behalf of the business, I did want to directly reach out to every team member and thank you personally for the support over the past two years. Having a team like we do in Sydney to support and execute with excellence did truly help get me through some of the sleepless nights and more challenging judgement calls that have had to be made through these times.

OUR VALUES

OWNER’S
MINDSET

Taking pride in our work and owning our contribution. We are a team focussed on continuous improvement in our behaviour, our skills, our standards and our results. Each individual is empowered to take ownership of their contribution to the team. We support pragmatic thinking, authentic people who respectfully challenge themselves and each other to do better every day.

INTEGRITY

Doing what we say we will do. Our reputation is the foundation on which our Company is built. It is shaped by the way each of us behaves and acts every day. Others need to be able to rely on us while we constantly strive to be better than ever before. Regardless of success, we value humility and authenticity as these are necessary for creating high levels of trust and transparency across all parts of our business. Our success is directly linked to us doing what we say we will do and optimising outcomes for all stakeholders.

INCLUSIVENESS

Embracing the value and contribution of all individuals in our team. Respect runs deep in our Company. Everyone matters. No one is more or less important as an individual than anyone else, however we all have different roles to play. Success is never achieved in isolation and we strive to be a connected team, supporting each other and encouraging each individual contribution to group goals. Everyone has safe passage to offer their own view based on their unique experiences and background. We learn together and we succeed as one.

AGILITY

Being flexible in our thinking and open to change. We constantly look for new and better ways to optimise outcomes for our stakeholders. We encourage innovative thought to build better processes, enhance efficiencies and improve results. While we strive to grow our Company, we know that size can reduce agility, so we drive nimble action. New ideas and shared learnings are important to help us maintain the speed and agility of a market leader in our ever-changing industry.