Finding our rhythm
There are lots of things that I love about working for The Juniper Co. From the collective desire to go the extra mile for our clients, to the camaraderie and supportive atmosphere within the team. There is one thing that I am particularly grateful for though, and that’s our sense of rhythm.
Rhythm is so important in the workplace. It keeps everything flowing and helps everyone come together and perform at our best, just like a well-oiled machine. We value it so much in our team that we made it the theme for our 2023 Juniper calendar.
Our friends and colleagues who receive the calendar or follow us on LinkedIn have enjoyed seeing a series of inspiring quotes throughout the year from key figures in history, all of which are linked to rhythm. We started in January with some wise words from the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley, who said, "Rhythm is something you either have or don’t have, but when you have it, you have it all over.” When you find your rhythm, it enables you to play to your strengths; it gives you confidence in knowing what you're good at and cultivates self-belief.
Within the Juniper team, we consistently work to a rhythm. Take our weekly rhythm, for example, it is shaped to build from being more internally focused on a Monday, to being in full flow in client meetings and project delivery from Tuesday to Thursday. Fridays are about catching up on anything that is still outstanding and getting ahead for the following week.
This rhythm mirrors our clients’ needs, especially as many are in different time zones which are ahead of us. We work with them to take advantage of the time difference. It is all about finding a rhythm that not only works for you but works well for those that you work with. It is the same with the rhythm of our year – August is generally a quieter month as this is the holiday season for our clients, so we take the opportunity to focus more on our own team and our development.
Our days also have a rhythm. They often start with a quick team meeting to make sure we are all up-to-speed. Our client meetings will usually be diarised, where possible, in the mornings so that they are getting the best of us, and we can confirm any actions before the end of their working day.
Even our meetings have a rhythm. We tend to start with a quick catch-up on a personal level – how are we feeling? Is there anything that the rest of the team needs to be aware of that could impact our ability to deliver? Then there is the opportunity to reflect on what has gone well over the last few days, and what may need some attention or support from another team member, finishing with a summary of our key focus areas for the coming days.
Finding our rhythm is key to our preparation and our success!
Photo by Lucas Santos on Unsplash