Forty five (i)

It was the time of day when I was supposed to sum up our journey and shine a light on the way forward. We’d all seen how the topics of the day had joined up, so to speak, and I wanted to emphasize this in the wrap up.

“I’m proud to have joined this company because Attenzi is made up of people like you. You and your colleagues have made Attenzi what it is today – a well-respected company that makes well-respected products. We’ve been gifted this great heritage, and its beholden on us to build the future heritage. And make the numbers of course!

“The company has achieved its half-century because over those years its people have been sufficiently astute to recognize what to carry forward and what to change, what to protect and what to challenge. Sometimes, we have been at the vanguard of product design. Sometimes we have been fast-followers. Sometimes we have decided some things don’t fit the Attenzi way at all.

“You know however why I was invited to join the company. In recent months I’ve described it as Attenzi not sitting squarely in the world. So we got down to business together, turning the handle on the normal sort of stuff.

“People? Yeah, you know what, they’re great. Tick.

“Processes? Always room for improvement, and we’re on to it. But perhaps some of the stuff we’re talking about today will require us to re-shape current processes. Half-tick.

“Product? Our loyal customers are testament. Sure, we need to pick up the rate of innovation as the world speeds up, and we’re working on this. Hmm… half-tick.

“Culture? I like it. Mostly. And it seems most every one likes it. I’m sure there are companies out there who have superior ways of nurturing the right culture at the right time, but I never got the feeling we needed a revolution in this regard. Again, perhaps new ways of thinking about Attenzi will demand we adapt the culture accordingly, but on the basis we’ve already demonstrated our openness to this, I’ll give it a tick for now.

“So what is it? What’s next?

“Well, to put it simply, I don’t see it as anything more or anything less than moving with the times, and preferably sooner than the competition does, and the times sure are moving in unprecedented ways.