Mid-Year Meetup 2017: Working together, apart

As Timely’s rapid growth continues, it’s essential that we get together to work on refining and communicating our strategy, goals, and values going forward. Working closely together as a collaborative team ensures we’re building the best solution possible for you (our customers). It also ensures that we’re going about it the right way as we continue to expand, ever mindful of our culture and values as individuals and as an organisation.

We all work remotely, but some things are just easier and more enjoyable in person. So this year we had our first mid-year meetup! This took place over Monday and Tuesday last week at our office in Dunedin, with 14 staff flying in and a bunch of us meeting for the first time.

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Valuable Information

Values are the core of a company. When you get stuck on a project or have to make a tough decision, going back to some strong company values will help you find a solution. Timely CEO Ryan Baker mentioned in his opening talk that when working remotely, it’s super important to ensure everybody remains on the same page. To facilitate this, a good set of values is essential.

Ryan took the opportunity last week to present the team with a shiny new set of Timely values:

1. Customers are our sun

Everything we do, we do for our customers. The whole point of Timely software is to make people’s lives easier, save them time, and allow them to find the perfect work-life balance while running a small business. Asking ourselves, “What’s best for our customers?” is a great way to stay focussed on the same goal.

2. #timelylife

We love the way we work. The flexible hours, remote working, and overall Timely culture make it a great team to be a part of. Having the opportunity to maintain a perfect work-life balance doesn’t mean it just happens. A real effort needs to be made in order to achieve that balance, and that means not only working when you need to, but living when you need to as well. Our customers enjoy dealing with us, because we live and work the same way they do.

3. Bring your whole self to work

We’re all different, and for good reason. No one type of person can make up a whole company; a diverse mixture of skills and personalities is required. This allows us to be honest, effective and thoughtful communicators to both each other and our customers.

4. Execute, like a boss

Let’s do it and do it well. Make mistakes, and learn from them. At Timely we strive for efficiency and place huge value on the results of our hard work. We’re proud of what we’ve done, and excited about what we will do. This creates both a better work environment, and a better experience for our customers.

With expert advice and encouragement fresh in our minds, an electric excitement surged through the team. Soon however, goodbyes were being exchanged, hugs had, and airport shuttles boarded. A long flight home for some offered an opportunity to reflect on the previous 48 hours. It was a quick two days and we may have parted ways, but even while working together, apart, the electricity remains.