Meet Lisa – our first Employee Associate and operations pro
A job that involves two roles demands two good coffees to get through the morning – and Lisa Fryer likes hers ‘in a big mug, white, no sugar, please’. As an Associate and our Operations Manager, Lisa knows what she needs to ensure her days run smoothly – and supports JGA’s own operations in the same way.
Has she always had a gift for organisation? Yes.
‘Even as a child, if we got a new board game I was the one who’d learn all the rules,’ Lisa reveals. ‘I’ve always valued good structure. That doesn’t mean you can’t question whether something still fits and change it, because I do. But in business, you must recognise there are accepted standards and norms.’
Preparing for the future
The need to bring a different level of organisation to JGA’s growth as our business moves towards becoming employee-owned was the catalyst for Lisa’s ‘second’ role. As an Associate, she still delivers some client services (primarily governance), but the lion’s share of her work is now behind the scenes.
‘My priority is to help JGA become more efficient and prepared for the future, so I support changes and growth in our products and services and the way we’re set up,’ she explains.
‘I contribute and listen to others’ ideas and challenges, then work through those which will have the best impact and put the right support in place.’
Prioritising what matters most
At JGA, no two days are the same for Lisa – and that’s just the way she likes it. ‘The biggest challenge is prioritising what’s most important and how to deliver it. That keeps me on my toes.’
She’s ‘constantly learning’ – researching and getting to grips with new tools to support our business. ‘The more I learn, the more I can confidently share fresh ideas and different approaches. It feels good to offer that alternative perspective.’
Lisa became JGA’s first Employee Associate in 2021 and is now relishing the responsibility of welcoming others on board, while being honest about how ‘daunting’ this can at times feel.
As she explains: ‘Even though JGA expertly supports others to prepare for EO transition, experiencing it for ourselves feels different.
‘Getting the first contract in place was interesting. Now more of us have become Employee Associates, I’m enjoying working together on projects like our Employee Handbook. Clarifying policies and procedures can feel ‘tick boxy’, but this is about people’s working hours and livelihoods. I want this to feel as right for the others as it can.’
‘Even as a child, if we got a new board game I was the one who’d learn all the rules – I’ve always valued good structure’
Lisa Fryer, Employee Associate and Operations Director
More than one way to do it
Lisa joined JGA as an Associate in 2017, following 25 years with the John Lewis Partnership. Has anything surprised her here?
‘Initially, the variety and breadth of the UK’s employee-owned businesses and the nature of EO as a whole,’ she says. ‘Having only experienced ‘the John Lewis way’, it’s easy to assume that’s how it’s done.
‘Now I’m surprised for a different reason, when I realise that some of the things that felt instinctive at John Lewis are new to our clients. It’s good to be able to leave them with useful insights, ideas and tools to explore and adapt for their own EO.’
The value of good organisation
Many of those ‘useful insights’ are around governance, where Lisa has a particular skill.
Unphased by its reputation for being a bit ‘dull’ – ‘it’s just good organisation’ – she points out: ‘Governance is about having sound and thoughtful structures in place to ensure the business can do what it needs to do. It’s about being consistent, compliant and accountable.
‘I love the process of working out the process, and it’s rewarding to know that the support I’m helping to put in place will ultimately make someone else’s working life easier – whether that’s a client or a colleague at JGA.’
Recognising the precious things in life
Speaking of which… what supports Lisa to keep her own working days running smoothly (apart from those two morning coffees)?
‘Definitely my home office Alexa: I play music and keep my JGA jobs list on her. And healthy time management too – I avoid back-to-back meetings, block time out for headspace and use my productive times for focused work. I also make sure I regularly stretch and move.’
Finally, there are Lisa’s windowsill ‘treasures’: a photo of her daughter and holiday keepsakes. ‘They’re comforting because when I’m working they remind me of my family – and that’s the most precious thing in my life.’
If you’d like to know more about how JGA can support your organisation through our Transition, People and Governance services, please get in touch here.