Business In The Spotlight: Team144
September is going to be an incredible month, fast paced with a lot happening (including the launch of Recommendable’s Mobile specific app) — so it’s exciting for us to bring you some of the best and most exciting businesses from across the UK. We’ve got Pete Grosse with us, Founder of Team144 who help make businesses fully engage with their employees, an exciting startup building real value int he business ecosystem.
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Founder of Team144 — Pete Grosse [/caption]
Tell us a bit about yourself?
I’m Pete Grosse, Founder & Director of Team 144.
We specialise in Employee Engagement and Workplace Culture.
We help businesses thrive and grow via empowering their people to do great work.
I spent my ‘traditional career’ working in sales for IT and Technology businesses.
I enjoyed the challenge and the competitive nature of selling but far too often I would find myself disengaged. These businesses always demanded more, irrespective of how far ahead of targets you were. There was rarely any explanation of what our success meant to the wider business, other than supporting big executive payouts. Particularly, in the more corporate environments, the emphasis was on conformity and aligning to the varying office politics of that day. That never worked for me. Far too often, the sales cultures are dominant and toxic.
Bullying and intimidation are common. The financial rewards were vast but the emotional toll it took on people was obvious.
I knew I needed to make a change when I found myself in a work environment that had drained me of my confidence at the same time that we suffered the unexpected loss of my father. As I struggled with grief during that initial period, I was a shadow of my former self — uncertain and lost.
Instead of support or compassion, certain people seized upon my vulnerability and increasingly demanded more of me.
I had experienced tough times before but nothing like this. Deep down I knew that sooner or later, something would give. I couldn’t let that be my health or sanity.
So, I left the corporate world. I left behind my comfortable salary and big commissions. I knew I could not go on like that.
I was pretty sure that millions of others at that exact moment (to varying degrees and with different personal circumstances) were also lost, dreading work and feeling their contributions were worthless. When I compared that to other times in my career where I had felt valued and respected, the difference was dramatic. My work performance was far stronger, my self-esteem was higher and I was happier outside of work. At these times, I wasn’t dreading Monday mornings or panicking when I saw emails or phone calls from specific bosses.
As a result, in 2015, Team 144 was born!
What is Team 144 all about?
At Team 144, we are passionate about helping businesses be somewhere that people truly want to work. We help business owners create the environment for people to do the best work of their lives.
What would you rather for your business?
People dreading coming to work, delivering average work and only ever doing just enough to avoid an arse kicking from the boss?
OR
People who believe and feel a part of the company’s goals and ambitions, where they feel they want to do the best work possible in any given situation?
It’s a no brainer!
We know what it’s like to feel disengaged or disconnected from your work. In contrast, we also know what it’s like when you are engaged and empowered.
As a result, we are truly passionate and energetic about this stuff!
We can help you attract, retain and develop star performers and create the high-performance culture that will take your business to the next level.
The old-fashioned command and control management style is dying.
Business continues to evolve and humane businesses can be high performing and highly profitable at the same time.
Businesses continuing on the old path will keep losing customers due to poor service, they will suffer increasing absenteeism and they’ll struggle to recruit due to awful Glassdoor reviews.
The modern businesses, those who empower and harness the passion of their employees, will stand out. They will thrive.
How important is what you do?
I think the beauty of what we do is that it makes business sense but also it’s a more human, empathetic way forward for business.
The decision I made was that I spent far too much time working to hate what I do!
If we are awake for 16 hours, half of that is spent working.
The retirement age is continually increasing, and looks likely that most people will be working until their late 60s. That is a working life of 45–50 years!
So work is spread across more than half your life, and during that time, it accounts for more than half your waking hours…. That is a major component for everyone!
Who would not want work to be brighter, more positive, more enjoyable!?
Who wants to dread Mondays? Who wants to live solely for the weekend?
Definitely not me! I want to make the most of my life and my career.
If my business can help more people in their working lives, that will be something to be proud of.
Beyond this human element, Employee Engagement is a huge untapped area for most businesses in the UK. It’s estimated that a lack of engagement is costing the UK economy over £150bn per annum!
Studies repeatedly show that engaged employees:
- Are more productive and effective
- Take less sick leave
- Deliver better customer service
- Act as positive brand ambassadors for your business (in person and online — Facebook, Twitter, Glassdoor)
- Are less likely to leave your business
- Are more creative and innovative
Why is word of mouth important to you as a business?
Referrals are great for a business like ours. We believe we leave a positive and lasting impression on businesses that we engage with. As a young business, without bottomless funds for marketing and brand awareness, referrals are priceless.
As a business focused on positive business practices, we also love to meet and hear about other people doing fantastic work in their fields. It’s always great to help people and connect them with suitable contacts who would benefit from their expertise.
