Reflections on my first year at Pointer
Last week marked a year since I joined Pointer Consultancy Group Ltd, a small change management consultancy, as their first full time employee. At the time it felt like a big decision, one I did not take lightly, so I thought it would be interesting to look back and reflect upon a massively rewarding year, in which I have learnt and developed a lot.
Employee #1
As mentioned, when I joined last May I was the first full time employee the company had hired. Looking back now, the emphasis we placed on taking time to develop an effective team dynamic, understanding how best to work with each other, is invaluable to the success of our close-knit team.
What was also hugely satisfying was the autonomy I was given, from day one, to help shape what being an employee for Pointer looked like. Richard and Charles valued the views I had on what our employee offering should look like and saw it as an important opportunity to shape how we attract and retain future employees.
Ownership
An undoubtedly brilliant aspect of joining and working for a micro-SME is the inevitable ownership you are given. I have been fortunate enough to own the development of our Sustainability service offering, shaping exactly what that service looks like, and the benefits it can provide, for our clients. Alongside this, I was asked to lead Pointer’s B Corp application. Being trusted to own and drive our desire to embed more purpose into the services we offer and the company we are a part of, has been very rewarding.
Transparency
Even as an employee, I have been afforded brilliant transparency in relation to all aspects of the company since I have joined. This has been an invaluable learning tool, being exposed to the reality of all aspects of running and growing a small company. It's an insight, I think, no amount of training courses qualifications can really give you.
Relationships
Finally, one of the biggest takeaways of the past year is the value of good working relationships. If you value and respect your colleagues, and enjoy working together with them to solve challenges, you have a much greater chance of success. This is even more crucial in micro-SMEs where a large influence on the success of your company is how effectively your small team work together. For us, the importance of this is potentially the difference between success and failure in delivering for our clients.
Overall, the past year has been brilliant. From a decision I did not take lightly, to one that feels like it was exactly the right one at this stage of my development.