Pros
4 months in... Firstly, who can't completely fall in love with the Hammonds furniture. The product is beautiful and really can bring order to help people live better. Secondly, the furniture is proper quality stuff. The beauty of it all being made in house means it really is upholding to the quality and family promise that the company set out when it started nearly 100 years ago! Our CEO has this business in his blood, literally, and his passion for people - our people, our partners and our customers is evident in how he operates and the decisions he supports. When you look after people and culture, you don't join a business where this isn't top of the agenda (and it is by the way, top.. Goal Number 1 on the commercial strategy). It doesn't pretend to be perfect or 'there', but Hammonds is honest and it strives to be better everyday. The people - generally a joy - you cannot buy the love for the product, their roles and each other, evidenced by some phenomenal tenure spanning generations of families I have foresight of the people and culture strategy, having only recently joined, and I joined because I believe in a strategy that puts people first. The focus is now on the experience of our people.
Cons
Ever the optimist, I'm not sure I'd call them cons - just opportunities. Digital evolution is turning a huge corner but there's more to go after here. Two things I am on a personal mission to myth bust are that collaboration isn't great (I just don't see it as harshly as I hear people talk about it, I think we can be more intentional, but I do think huge strides have been made and relationships here are strong. I think people need more awareness and empathy for what other departments and roles do, but that's all good stuff). We are refining and building process right across the business and see an opportunity to leverage CI skills, so that's an opportunity too. Lastly I think culturally there is a narrative that things don't stick, but with the introduction of data based decisions and analytics - there won't be the ability not to hold people to account to accept and embrace change.