Those members of the Rawson Property Group’s head office staff who have been in the business world many years and who have in all probability sat through an almost uncountable number of senior management ‘reviews and exhortations’ were startled to hear Tony Clarke, Managing Director of the Rawson Property Group, adopt a wholly new, almost spiritual line in his recent report back to the Rawson head office staff.
Clarke began in the conventional way by listing a number of figures, all of which showed a remarkable upturn over the last year:
2010 to 2015 growth in franchise fee income was 162,6% up, residential achieved sales were 140% up and residential rentals 218% up. Commercial sales improved by 146,1% and commercial rentals by 69,1%.
Perhaps the most impressive statistics of all was that at the end of 2014 – the total number of Rawson Property Group franchises stood at 217.
Growth of this magnitude obviously impressed those present, even some of those who knew many of the facts already, but what followed had for many an even greater impact.
Clarke asked all those present to define who they really are, what they stand for and what their ultimate aim for the Rawson Property Group is.
He then answered his question by saying that the group’s vision was that the Rawson Property Group should become recognized as the most trusted property marketing brand in South Africa. Other achievements, he implied, were important, but insignificant in relation to this.
Clarke made it clear that he was not decrying financial success – however, he said, such success had to be completely founded on five fundamental personal and corporate virtues.
He then defined these as:
· Placing goodness above all else. This, said Clarke, means among other things never taking advantage of other people within the company or among the customer base and on occasions giving others the benefit of the doubt.
“We want to be the sort of company that is more concerned with winning people than winning arguments. We want to leave the world a better place than we found it.”
· Adapting family values. This, said Clarke, entails all staff forgiving any others who annoy, antagonize or disagree with them and remaining committed to one another and to the team as a whole.
· Always striving for excellence. The important goal, said Clarke, should always be to add value to the Rawson Property Group’s customers, whether or not this benefits the Rawson Property Group.
· Giving real service. Again, said Clarke, this means accepting that the group is not here simply to sell but to serve and that their primary aim should be to build up a satisfied client base.
· Being brave. Work, said Clarke, can and often is taxing and sometimes tests people to their limits, especially if they are not succeeding. However, he said, at all times bravery is essential and staff should hold onto and defend what the Rawson Property Group stands for, acknowledging their mistakes and correcting themselves whenever they fall short of the ideal.
Bill Rawson, Chairman of the Rawson Property Group, said that he had for years been striving to put the Rawson ethos into words, but on this occasion it had been done better than ever before.
For further information visit www.rawson.co.za
