We have always had a way of nurturing talent within Poole Dick but historically it’s been unstructured and mostly ‘on-the-job’. This changed dramatically in 2014 with a major people development initiative, a change that was actually triggered by an earlier marketing report which revealed that Poole Dick were viewed as a “safe pair of hands” but not the most dynamic brand. This got under our skin!
With the help of a marketing & leadership consultant we adopted a fresh and ambitious vision for the business. Our 2020 Vision is both aspirational and reputational, to have ‘The Poole Dick Way’ widely recognised in the UK as a model for the way a building project should be managed. It’s ambitious because it means we become a significant voice in an industry which has many big players, but of course if headcount were everything you’d have to admit that McDonald’s was the world’s best restaurant!
Underpinning our vision is a principle called ‘Inside-Out’, which means a focus on people development, culture and the physical working environment (our offices were radically transformed in 2016). We recognised that the modern Quantity Surveyor and Project Manager need a more rounded skill set than previously. Thus, our focus has been on leadership and communication skills, something enshrined in our new Core Values – World Class Communication, Stay Sharp, Encourage Creativity, Share Knowledge, and the Inside-Out Approach.