While thanksgiving is predominantly a North American tradition, it has provided some conscious time and space for reflection.
It has been two years since starting Azolla. What started as an experiment has turned into an enterprise I could never have imagined.
Azolla was chosen as the company name as it is a small unassuming plant that, unhindered by its environment, created the conditions for other organisms to grow and thrive. Its impact was so significant that scientists have called it The Azolla Effect, as it helped to create the world that we live in today.
It’s an analogy for what we do as a company.
When starting Azolla I spent a lot of time thinking about being purpose-driven, values-led and most importantly being impactful.
Hearing the feedback from our clients inspires me everyday and reinforces that what we are doing is truly making a difference.
Our clients come to us as they want to improve their work practices. What they get is an experience that changes not only how they work, but most importantly their mindset.
We all want our work to be meaningful, especially given we spend a significant portion of our lives performing tasks at work. What we find is that over time, what worked originally is no longer fit for purpose. The practices and processes inherited be people in the workplace create inefficiencies, delays and frustrations that impact staff as well as customers.
We take what is challenging and help re-imagine a better way.
From our latest intensive program we heard the following:
"I think that staff understanding the strategic direction of the organisation and how it fits into what we do is really important. This needs to be blended together harmoniously. We need to do better for our customers. The solutions and ideas that we are getting from this program are so valuable for both small businesses and events. I see that these will lead to huge benefits and time savings for us all."
"I was worried going into this program and feared the workload afterwards. The tools that we have been given and the progressive and collaborative approach that has been fostered among us makes me feel positive about the future. I think that what we have learnt will really help us improve our relationship with our customers."
"As a community member, I always wondered why the organisation couldn't get its act together to support events and small businesses. Then as a staff member, I quickly realised that we all want to do better but don't know how. This program has taught us 'how' and given us tools and resources to make these changes and more. Now, after this program I think that the community will see the positive change that will come as a result. The tools will help us do things differently and better."
"I find a lot of value has been gained by testing assumptions that we normally accept as truth. Our service is great but seeing the customer experience has been so insightful. It is important to see things through the eyes of our customers. I also found it interesting when I realised how different the customer journey could be depending on what areas were involved from the beginning."
What will 2023 bring? There’s only one way to find out!
About Marion
Marion is a highly experienced and accomplished strategy, innovation and leadership professional with a focus on the enterprise and government sectors. She is a trusted advisor to CEOs and senior executives, providing practical and pragmatic solutions to the challenges they face. Marion is the Managing Director at Azolla Holdings Pty Ltd, a Board member, thought leader and member of an international entrepreneur association.
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