At Harold Sharp, we believe a great workplace is more than just a space – it’s about fostering a culture of collaboration, growth and celebration. A cornerstone of that culture is the Harold Sharp Away Day, an event that brings our team together, outside of the office environment, to focus on what makes us thrive: our people, our values and our shared vision for the future.
Background
The Away Day was first launched three years ago as a chance to regroup and reconnect after Covid. It was an opportunity to step away from day-to-day tasks, reflect on our achievements and realign around our goals for clients and the business. Fast forward to today, and the event has evolved into a highly anticipated date in our team calendar.
The 2024 Harold Sharp Away Day
This year’s event took place on Friday 22 November – our third annual Away Day. True to our mantra of #BeMorePenguin, the agenda was built around our five core values: clarity, curiosity, unity, resilience and positivity. Here’s a sneak peek behind the scenes at this year’s agenda:
Clarity: We kicked things off with a company update led by Charlotte Hinchcliffe, highlighting our achievements in 2024 and aspirations for the year ahead. This session also featured updates from fellow members of the strategy team – Amie Wilson on operations, Fred Norman on audit, and Fiona Illingworth on marketing and business development. It was a great opportunity to align everyone on where we’ve been and where we’re heading as we move into 2025.
Curiosity: Over the years we’ve welcomed some amazing guest speakers, including Jennie Johnson MBE and James Akrigg. This year, we welcomed Karl Morris, High Performance Business Coach, who shared insights into the secrets of a highly successful team. His session focused on mindset shifts and incremental gains – perfect for inspiring us to continuously strive for excellence. A write-up on his session can be found over on our main blog here.
Unity: Collaboration is at the heart of the day, and our team presentations are a true reflection of that. Nominees from audit, accounts, payroll, property, IT, admin, finance and marketing all take to the stage to answer the same 8 questions, utilising a PechaKucha format to keep it fun. Whilst the session is light-hearted, there are some key messages that emerge as each team shares their proudest moment, biggest challenge, perspective on how we can differentiate etc. This session gives every team an equal platform to present, and provides a safe space for those who may not ordinarily do so.
Resilience: In one of the most interactive parts of the day, Rebecca Holloway led a team-building session where small groups were challenged to build a representation of Harold Sharp using lego. The resulting designs reflected key themes like strength, connection and resilience – showcasing the creativity and problem-solving spirit of our team.
Positivity: Yusuf Laher closed the day by celebrating our people. From recognising this year’s Emperor Penguins (a peer-to-peer recognition initiative) to announcing internal awards, we reflected on the incredible work of our team. We also welcomed Lisa Clark from The Christie to mark 12 months of successful fundraising for The Christie as our nominated Charity of the Year.
Below is a slideshow of the highlights!
Why it matters
At Harold Sharp, we don’t just talk about our values – we bring them to life. That’s why you’ll see penguins on our Career Hub and through our office. Our mantra to #BeMorePenguin is a commitment to our values – to be a team player, clear communicator; adaptive to change, curious in nature and positive in attitude.
The Away Day is a prime example of how we prioritise collaboration, growth and recognition. It’s not just about reflecting on what we’ve achieved; it’s about coming together to shape the future, while celebrating the incredible people who make it all happen.
If you share our values and are looking towards the next step in your career, Harold Sharp might just be the place for you. Keep an eye on our Careers Hub for opportunities to join our team and hopefully you’ll get to experience our 2025 Away Day!