‘HOW WE STEERED THE BUSINESS INTO SUCCESS’ – BY HUSSEIN SHEETH
“Success doesn’t come overnight. Well maybe for some…like a budding Formula One underdog who’s just been signed to Mclaren! But for us – steering our business into success wasn’t a quick win and it wasn’t easy. We realised very early on that staying true to our vision and not changing the goal post constantly would drive us in the right direction. We harnessed the power of small, incremental gains and quickly established what works, and what doesn’t.
2021 saw one of our biggest years to date. We’re humbled by our accomplishments, none of which would have been achieved without the dedication and passion of our team. We closed out the year with ISO certification (on our first ever application!) and we were recognised through various industry accolades throughout the year. One of our greatest achievements to date was winning the Master Builders award for our Hospitality project INKA – a dream come true for us.
I’m fortunate to be at the helm of a company that started as a small family-owned operation with a clearly defined vision and mission. Despite our growth and watching the business change over time, we have never lost sight of our origins.
There are some fundamental principles I believe have helped steer our business into where we are now.
1. Maintain integrity
Just be honest, no matter what the scenario or the possible outcome. Show a willingness to be accountable and do what’s right.
2. Set ambitious goals
…and work out the steps required to achieve them. As I said earlier, harnessing the power of incremental gains. At SHEETH, we set ourselves goals in the form of “Rocks” with a corresponding timeline and clear action plan to ensure feasibility. Identify the major goal and the smaller more intermediate goals required to get there.
3. Be confident and consistent in your methods
The old adage ‘practice makes perfect’ couldn’t be more true for me in business. When you know what works, stick to it. If it’s not working, identify the issue, figure out why then implement the necessary change with full confidence. Consistency is key.
4. Trust your mentors and your staff
I have found that investing in the right people has allowed me to step back from being too controlling from an operational perspective – when your staff feel trusted they feel valued. Valued people = empowered people, and empowered people are the key ingredient in business longevity. Always being willing to learn new ways of doing things and having an open mind is really crucial if you want to grow and develop your business. Trust others who have had the experiences before you & be open to accepting help when you need it.
5. Examine your business
One word – metrics. Continuously observing and scrutinising the business – and performing brutally honest self-evaluations is really powerful. This has been a major contributing factor in future-proofing our business and ensuring we are consistently accountable. Seeking the perspective of those both within and outside your organisation is important – so always ask for feedback and dedicate the time to actually analysing and following up on the results.
Progress and setbacks are a part of life and a big part of any business or undertaking, and it is crucial to acknowledge them, learn from them and let the learnings be the catalyst for developing habitual behaviours.”
Hussein Sheeth
Managing Director