In the beginning of your career, did you ever imagine yourself staying at the same employer for 8 years? I certainly did not. Still, here I am 8 years later working at Centigo, more engaged than ever. Why and how come was I so wrong? What does Centigo have that has made me stay even though many other opportunities have popped up along the way?
The short answer is that Centigo is not an ordinary employer. Let me elaborate. First of all, like for most consultancies, no project or client are the same, so changing assignment is very much like starting a new job. Based on that I could argue that I have changed jobs many times during these years. However, I have stayed with the same employer, right?
Network-based leadership is key
I am convinced that the reason why I and many of my colleagues stay longer at Centigo than our competitors, is that our network-based leadership and ambition-led approach really attract and also retain talent. The idea is to distribute as much responsibility as possible to each individual in the organisation, which has proven to be successful in the sense that ambitious and driven people get the opportunity to make an impact and individualise their career. You set your own ambition and get the support and coaching to reach them.
Furthermore, Centigo does not have many rules, besides those required from a legal perspective. But with freedom comes responsibility. For instance, you will be able to build your own business and get rewarded for it, but it is you who needs to take responsibility for making it successful.
What we also have is a unique culture that we really care about. Together with our shared mission and vision, these are the cornerstones in our company and our business model. A model that I strongly believe enables both colleagues and our clients to prosper.
Do not always listen to career advice
When I studied my Master of Science about 10 years ago a professor in a management course (yes, they do management courses also at the Royal Institute of Technology) gave us students the career advice to change boss every three years to climb as fast as possible in the world of business. Centigo has no CEO and no one has a boss. So, how do you advance in your career?
Centigo is a very non-hierarchical organisation and you do not climb any career ladder in the same sense as more traditional companies. Again, you set your own ambitions, and no one needs to ‘move’ or ‘step down’ to give space for others.
For instance, I have held several roles within the company which always came from my own ambition. The latest example is our UK business. I had an ambition to take Centigo to London and about 2 years ago, I found two colleagues that shared my ambition. An ambition aligned to our mission, vision and 100-years strategy, and therefore a no brainer – I was therefore encouraged to pursue this initiative. This might sound simpler than what it was, of course it required a lot of hard work, but it is a clear example of how Centigo works and the opportunities that come with it.
It is all about the people
Lastly, and probably the most important reason why I have stayed so long is the people. My colleagues are smart, ambitious and driven. Even though I have been in the company in 8 years, I still get challenged and learn new things every day. In most cases from my colleagues. Many of them have also become good friends, a welcome bonus of course.
Do not hesitate to contact me if you want to hear more about how it is to work at Centigo or want to discuss how to transform your company to a more agile organisation through network-based leadership.
Contact me here: henrik.p.lofgren@centigo.co.uk
