Stuck in a rut? Or in the groove?

Words and images by Nic Ricketts, Brand Consultant

One of the great yoga gurus of our time, Bernie Clark, says in his book – Yin Yoga – that ‘The only difference between being stuck in a rut and being in the groove is loving what we do. If we don’t love what we are doing, we’re in a rut, but if we love what we are doing, we’re in the groove.’ The case perhaps to stop working and start smiling?

This philosophy applies as easily to work life as it does to our free time, both so often compromised by factors beyond our control.

Many organisations start out with a passion but quickly reach a point of stifling admin. The very reason they set up in the first place – and all the excitement that went with that in the early days – challenged by their own success and growth. They get to a stage where they can see it’s unsustainable to keep running with the systems they started with. But, how can they fix those processes in a way that won’t stop their enterprise in its tracks? It’s obvious automation is needed but how to make the leap? Who to partner with? Will they lose their job if they make the wrong decision? How can they protect their precious data from the very people who need to use it?

Our client Access serves the mid-market with BPO software in sectors as varied as charities and education, restaurants and care homes. Their customers’ common need is to free themselves from repetitive, time-consuming tasks. As an example, if you are a charity with twenty thousand fund-raisers on the street all claiming for a daily sandwich and a coffee, how do they expense that? What about a care home’s shift handover paperwork taking an extra hour and a half, who pays for that? How about letting staff get paid immediately for the work they’ve just finished without affecting your payroll system?

The answer is apps. The kind that run just like those you use to bank with, to buy stuff with or turn down your central heating via your phone with. Access’ apps are just like consumer apps but for employees. They enable workers to perform repetitive, micro tasks simply, without bothering managers or messing with the integrity of centrally-held data. It means that everyone gets the freedom to do more of the meaningful work they are employed to do. The work they love and joined the organisation for. The right software can make the difference between being stuck in a rut and really getting into the groove.

The Complete Guide to Yin Yoga Philosophy and Practice, 2nd ed, 2019  – Bernie Clark 

The Access Group is a leading provider of business software to mid-sized UK organisations.  

Nicholas Ricketts is a Director at brand consultancy 1st Objective

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