Green and slimy tasks – June

My Quarter 2 2021 – JC

  1. Getting the team back together was a crucial part of my 2021 plan and I’m delighted to say that as of 1st July Team Mustard were Back In The Room. This is a first since September 2020 and communication – which I believe is pretty good anyway using a combination of email, calls, Zoom, 121s, a shared Good news channel, team nights in – is stronger than ever. There is nothing more satisfying than being with my team as ideas take shape, people finish each other’s sentences, someone points and says “yes!” and the magic happens for our clients.
  2. Regardless of today’s announcement we have doubled down on our COVID safeguarding – anti backing surfaces, methodical and regular handwashing, staggered start/finish times, screens still up, weekly cleaning, monthly fogging – because we must learn to live with it.
  3. Our networking group Platinum Point met up for our annual away day, not in Liverpool as planned but in a socially distanced marquee at the Green Man in Sandridge. Christ, I have missed those guys but don’t tell them that. And we were back in the room a week later for our first Q3 meeting – up at stupid o’clock, actually getting dressed, standing up for our 60 seconds, drinking hotel coffee and moving forward together. And our friend David Clarke popped in to tell us about his work at the RNIB.
  4. Saying thanks feels great. My finance manager Natalie and I have been blown away by how promptly our fabulous clients pay so we wanted to say that. So, we did with a small gift of a money tree.
  5. It has been great to have visitors back at Mustard Towers – clients like Charlie at Atlas Translations, pals like Kevin Brammer from Metro Bank, new friends like Gail from Hemel BID, potential clients like Vivanco and an old friend – less of the old! – Fiona from JPA sending us totally on brand goodies.
  6. Kate has been working on a Goals and Frogs project for the team, and whilst corralling the former is part of my business DNA, sadly the latter can gang up on me. So, I have outed them by buying some from frog stickers and putting them against the green & slimy task on my To Do list as a reminder to myself to swallow that bad boy early or by Friday there is an army of them.
  7. June 2021 – The sun was shining, people were meeting for a cheeky cocktail, we had won some new business, Christopher Place shops were open, Gareth Southgate’s squad were performing on and off the pitch like champions. We have a lot to be grateful for.
  8. I took a whole week off work. Scotland, Lake District, Yorkshire Dales, roof down, shades on. Read books, sat outdoors, had some quiet time, recharged the batteries. Long overdue, well chilled, highly recommended.