Best in Class
November 2016, and another thought provoking Employee Ownership conference, delightfully compered by Martine Croxall.
There were plenty of engaging speakers all willing to share their employee owned stories, ensuring the deletes were challenged, informed and engaged at the 25+ workshops or seminars.
It was a pleasure to play our part in the following: engagement; use of brand; becoming an employee owner; aligning HR; dealing with the tough times; developing business literacy and even, the impact of automation. Amusing tips for networking were also provided by the comedian Neil Mullarkey.
The competition was stronger than ever for the various awards, and it was wonderful to see some of our clients rightly gain recognition for their achievements.
Well done Kerri Grant from Wise for receiving ‘Highly Commended’ Employee Owner of the Year, a fantastic achievement gained during an amazing year of growth for Wise. And to all at Cambridge Weight Plan for also receiving a ‘Highly Commended’, a wonderful accolade for a relatively new convert to employee ownership.
As I have reflected on what has been such a turbulent and ‘amazing year’, where the only certainty is uncertainty and where the growing numbers of those who feel aligned from opportunities, I am reminded it was during similar times that Spendan Lewis developed his ‘experiment in industrial democracy’. He created the John Lewis Partnership; ensuring all had the chance to share: Gain, Knowledge and Power. It is employee ownership which intricately links capital with labour, and with it provides the opportunity if handled appropriately, to bring people together by ‘working together’ for a shared purpose.