When they lost treasured team members to illness, the team at this north Queensland mortgage broking business looked outward, turning their shock, grief and sadness into lasting initiatives that support their community, and their business.
Started by Denise and Peter Phillips 25 years ago, Mortgage Choice Mackay (which has now grown to become a fully diversified business known as Gardian) has experienced more than its fair share of tragedy over recent years.
Ovarian cancer and epilepsy caused the deaths of two of their staff, Trudy and Fin, over the past eight years. Peter himself also died of a short, but chronic, illness just last year.
Speaking at the Mortgage & Finance Association of Australia National Conference in July, Denise and brother-in-law come business partner, Ben Phillips, explained that regular activities to support charitable foundations in memory of Trudy and Fin have become part of the DNA of the business.
“We feel like we need to give back to the community that has made us successful. Every time we do anything, it's all about how can we give back,” said Denise.
Denise also shared that it wasn’t just the support from their team that got them through difficult times, the community also rallied behind them.
“If you’ve got good people around you, you can do anything,” say Ben.
“The support that we've received is probably from our group, but also the community. So, we've given back for a long time, and there was a time when we needed a little bit back and they gave it to us.”
With a diversified business and over 60 staff, a supportive workplace is also essential for Denise and Ben.
“Everybody knows if anyone's got a problem, we've all got their back and there's a safe place, always, in the workplace,” said Ben.
“Everybody goes through a rough trot, and it's the rough trots where you need someone to help you out or just tap you on the back and make sure you’re all right.”
The playbook to stay true to your ‘why’
It was when the business began to expand that Denise, and Peter in particular, actively sought out education on leadership and went about delving into their ‘why’ and what their values were – a process that involved the whole team with far reaching long-term benefits.
One of those benefits has been ‘the playbook’ that documents every position within the whole organisation, the values and expectations and of course, the business’ ‘why’.
Knowing your ‘why’ is now something that is discussed with all new staff, a conversation Ben notes can be unexpected but pays off.
“As we bring that culture through and train our staff, this playbook that we've been working on for the last eight years now, is a way someone can walk in and they know exactly what to do, they know what the culture is, they know what our values are. It just really, really expedites people joining our business,” said Ben.
The fact the playbook covers everything in the business also means people can see what else is possible with Ben and Denise enthusiastic towards staff taking on different challenges that fit their own ‘why’.
“We encourage people to put themselves out there and take a few risks and if they want to move around the business, it's an opportunity there for them,” said Denise.
Get started with your own playbook
There’s no one right way to document how you do things in your business, but it can make a big difference in keeping things on track when the unexpected happens.
Here are some resources to help you get started – all available in the MFAA member portal and MFAA Learning Hub:
- Business plan template
- Business development series – comprising three two-hour interactive workshops based on real life experiences and featuring customisable training frameworks and resources.
- Webinar recording: Recruitment – Getting it right!
