You have worked here HOW long???

No, I don’t usually get asked quite in that tone of voice, but it seems in the current climate that it becomes more difficult to find people who have been with the same organisation for extended periods the way it was in the “old” days. This is strongly evident in the repeated services we offer for training new analysts.

Let’s face it, new blood is good. If you spend too long doing the same thing, it can get stale after a while. New faces bring new perspectives, new approaches and often new attitudes. It may sometimes take a while for these to come to the forefront, but they most likely will.

However, this must also be balanced against a wealth of experience held in the hands of the old timers. They know the people, the processes and the technology with which they have been dealing for years. They know who to go to when needed, what workarounds exist, and generally how to make things happen.

But my favourite training line usually brings horror to attendees’ faces: “What if you are hit by a bus tomorrow?” No, I am not being pessimistic, but accidents do happen. What happens to that wealth of information in the unlikely event of an accident? Your Business Processes, manuals and documentation most likely cover the strict guidelines, but seldom are the workarounds, the personal relationships, the tricks of the trade laid down for future generations.

Whether it is a formal training session, consulting interviews, or just a general client visit, getting feedback from everyone is always interesting. Sometimes it requires pointed questioning, at other times hypothetical scenarios, but in most cases, people want to share information. They may simply not have had the correct platform or reason for doing so. Sharing it with us reinforces our partnership, and in many cases we have acted as a type of repository for information which has enabled business continuity in unforeseen circumstances.

And acting as that repository also allows us insights which give us more ammunition when thinking about problem solving approaches. I like to think that over the years I have picked up a thing or two. Sometimes that little revelation from a year or two ago may trigger an approach which would otherwise have been missed. And if I hadn’t been there for that discussion a couple of years ago, I wouldn’t have heard it mentioned. Not documented, but mentioned, possibly over a coffee break or the dinner table.

This first day of January heralded the start of my 16^th year with Revenue Technology Services. I deal with new clients regularly, but am still in close contact with some of the same clients that I was on the day I first started. Their businesses have changed and evolved, as has ours, yet in the spirit of partnership, we continue to grow together.

Even 16 years later, I still look forward to meeting with the clients, as each visit brings something new. The interaction never becomes stale and even repetitive activities, such as training new analysts, still brings new information to light.

When chatting to Raja Kasilingam recently, one of the things I had to highlight was that although I have been here forever (and I am not our longest serving team member), each day still brings new challenges, seldom a dull moment, and I still enjoy coming to work.

So the answer to the opening question: “Far too long, but not long enough”