Every year we give the staff some holiday reading on a topic I’m passionate about.

This year is Start with Why by Simon Sinek.

In previous posts, I have had a lot to say about values, something I care deeply about but without a clear “why”, it is hard to care about your job.

Kettering’s “why” is to support local manufacturing to be successful in an ever-changing world.

Manufacturing is an enormous source of real jobs both directly and indirectly. It is a massive contributor to the economy and a major source of innovation. Competing directly with the rest of the world, maximising efficiency is imperative.

I think it fair to say everyone who works at Kettering believes in this and derive considerable satisfaction doing our bit to help our manufacturing clients maximise their efficiency. I know I do.

Start with Why is a good reminder that we come to work for more than just a pay cheque and our clients want to deal with someone who really believe in what they are doing, not just software sellers. One of the most consistent pieces of feedback we get from clients is that we really care.

Having a clear sense of what we are about and why we do it makes this easy.

Merry Christmas