15 March 2024
Our wonderful Regional Manager, Beth Lancaster, was recently invited to join a panel at an event hosted by Doyenne, which brought together women from across property management and associated industries to mark International Women’s Day.
The panel looked at how living values and vision shape customer perceptions and what leaders are doing to encompass company values and culture. Here, she tells us about her experience…
I was very proud to represent FirstPort at this event. I met some fantastic women who have worked in this industry for a very long time.
It was inspiring to learn from them, and also a great opportunity to share my own experiences from 26 years in an industry and job I love. I am passionate about our role as property managers in delivering great customer service, and I was delighted to share my thoughts with like-minded people.
The panel discussion focused on how we live by our company values. At FirstPort, our values evolve based on our colleagues’ and customers’ needs.
This ensures that our colleagues always work in an environment that allows them to deliver what matters to our customers, underpinned by clear, consistent, and collaborative principles. This cultivates a successful business culture. Our mantra is to keep things consistent and simple so that everyone knows what to expect.
As a Regional Manager at FirstPort, I meet with customers all the time, and I know how important it is to them that we are clear and consistent in everything we do.
They need to see that the people they are dealing with at FirstPort – whether that be their on-site team, support services, or contractors – are all working with a shared purpose and goal and collaborating with each other to provide the best service they can.
I am a huge advocate for FirstPort’s approach in creating a collaborative environment, and I am passionate about the importance of having a strong company culture.
A big focus of the panel was looking at how culture impacts a business both in terms of what we look for in a company as an employee, as well as what we look for in employees who come to work for us. In an organisation that employs over 3,800 people, it can be challenging to achieve a strong, consistent culture without the right leadership. As a leader, I understand the importance of creating an environment where we inspire our teams to do their very best every day. This wouldn’t be possible without having driving principles we can all live by.
