Why we love working at Global Kinetic?
Nearly 3 years ago, I wrote a blog post called ‘We The Peeps’, if you haven’t read it, please start there and then come back to this one. The inspiration for that post was based on my reflection of the then 11–year-old Global Kinetic’s journey as a software company. We had grown in size, but not in equal measure, collective maturity.
Cracks were showing in our processes, but more so in our communication with each other. Not just as a company to its staff, but as colleagues and friends. It felt like the whole world had become impatient, and we were no different. We didn’t ‘listen’ to each other, we talked at each other.
But because of the amazing Peeps, and the culture that has developed because of each person who works here, we saw the signs, and we made changes. Change is tough, and some people left because of it, while others thrived. ‘Stealing’ some words from Sir. Tim Rice:
“Some of us fall by the wayside
And some of us soar to the stars
And some of us sail through our troubles
And some have to live with the scars” – The Circle of Life (©Elton John/Tim Rice)
This is true of all of us, within our work and our personal context.
We are not done. I don’t think any company is ever done adapting, honing, and improving. Sometimes we go backwards a few steps, but hopefully we learn from it and our next step forward is incrementally bigger. But as I reflect on the last 3 years, this is what drives me to work each day, and why people like working here.
This is a statement, not a question, and one that I am fully confident in.
People like working here. And it’s not because of me, or the management team. Actually, it is!
It is because of me, and Sean, and Cheryl, and Kim, and Lesetja, and Zelda, and Gary, and Ruben, and Siwapiwe and well, please put your name in this list, because it’s You.
The reason we love working at Global Kinetic is because of each person who works here.
Of course, we don’t always like everyone we work with; we are all human. Some of us are just not wired to get along. Yet everyone has the power to be heard, and we are all empowered to use our voice. If I look at one key change that has happened in the last 3 years, is that the collective voice is more audible, and listened to.
By listening to each other more, we have developed more robust processes, and improved ways of working. We try, as best we can, to put people into teams where they can thrive, to be their best. When this doesn’t work, you tell us why. On the whole, things continue to improve.
Most excitingly, we are ALL learning. And when we are done learning, we are teaching each other. Our tech sessions are well presented, with quality content, and so well attended. We create tools to improve and automate the repeatable things. We feedback on what we don’t like and suggest new ways to do things. We mentor each other and we are growing.
My challenge for 2020? – aim for positivity.
Yes, we are living in challenging times, in a country rich in talent and potential, yet full of inequality, a failed state, and a currently recessive economy. While we cannot fix everything – what we can do is always be positive in our actions.
The Peeps™ Speak up!
The Peeps™ Show Up!
OUR Peeps™:
- engineer change for the better; wherever they find things that are broken, or that make them, or others, unhappy.
- are the heart and soul of Global Kinetic; our pulse, our life blood, and the reason we all come to work every day.
- work together, play together, care for each other.
We bring our collective strengths to the party and make life better for ourselves, our teammates and our clients. The proof of this has been our long-term client engagements, and low staff turnover.
Every day brings a new challenge, and every day has an opportunity to do something positive. It can be for yourself; it can be for your client; it can be for a teammate.
And smile – its worth more than any self-help book, and cheaper than therapy 😉.
– Ross Pickford