Reflections on 2023

The end of the year (and indeed this first week back) was so busy with such a flurry of work that we didn’t have time to write our usual December reflections. We did however sit down this week while catching up on our respective Christmas breaks and talk about our intentions for 2024, but also the things we felt we’d learnt in 2023. And we thought we’d share them - in case they’re useful to you, but also because publicly confirming them helps us be accountable and intentional about the year ahead. 

Managing expectations is still so important

We didn’t do this with a client last year. We weren’t clear enough on something and we suffered because of it. We’re still working together and everything is great - but we resolved that next time we need to be braver in managing expectations and putting our hands up when we believe something just won’t work.

People need a reason to go to work 

The push/pull remote working tug of war continues. Many of our clients asked us to communicate coming back to the office (in some form or another) last year. We both feel slightly differently about this one, which probably reflects how the broader nation feels too. 

Sophie says: people need to focus more on WHY they’re asking their colleagues to come back to work. What’s the reason? Is not being there limited their ability to do their job? 

Kate says: I’m absolutely with Sophie, but I also have a challenge! I have huge concerns for the future workforce; the new generation who won’t benefit from learning by osmosis, from those amazing water cooler moments that now rarely happen.

Work/life balance IS possible

We learnt that remote working is possible for the Cosy Meerkats. That work life balance is possible. We worked from boats, from Spain, from Italy, from Switzerland, from hospital and all sorts of other places. We made our home life work with our work life and vice versa. Not always easy when you don’t know where you’ll be and you need to get permission to access some of our client work from abroad! But we made it work and we truly believe we’re happier because of it.

It’s right to be selective about who you work with 

We’ve always been quite selective about who we choose to work with, and it’s definitely paid off this year. We’ve got a seriously healthy list of seriously talented people that we’re proud to be working with. And we took our time to get to know them before we jumped in and grabbed them! 

We love a baby! 

Grace had a baby, and we love her. We love all babies - but especially Grace’s. She’s like a real-life doll. We’re so happy for Grace and her growing family.

People still want the human touch 

It just can’t be beaten. No matter how far the world progresses technologically, how successful remote working continues to be, people still want that face to face chat with their line manager, that quick cup of coffee to catch up, that brainstorm in person with their team. It may not be as easy nowadays but it’s important to find the time to do it. Don’t underestimate the power of the human touch! 

Just say no 

We’ve said no to clients this year. No to work we felt was outside what we’re really great at. We’ve said no to some events because we were too busy (which is always a little gutting). We’ve said no to each other. It’s actually really refreshing to say no now and again. 

Be bold, take risks 

Embracing boldness isn’t about recklessness. It’s about stepping outside your comfort zone with courage and conviction. We’ve done lots of that over the last year. We’ve been brave with the recommendations we’ve made to our clients. We’ve been bold with the moves we’ve made to grow our business. We’re proud of our risk taking and look forward to more of it in the year ahead. 

AI is to be embraced!

Everywhere we go, AI is being talked about. Embracing AI is part of our bright futures - all of us. AI has helped us to drive innovation and efficiency within our own business. It’s helped us provide more personalised experiences for our clients. It’s helped us work more productively. It’s helped us be more insightful. AI will continue to be part of our everydays. And we’re happy with that. 

All in all 2023 was a great year for the Cosy Meerkat team, with new team members, great results, lots of learnings and just great bonding over the work we do. And we’re genuinely excited to see what 2024 has in store for us!