THE Victoria Mutual Group (VM) kicked off 2020 with team members coming together to commit to further growth at the VM Group’s annual business conference, held at Jamaica Conference Centre in Kingston on Saturday (January 4).

Team members from across the island, along with team members in New York, Florida and the United Kingdom who participated live via video link, were urged by international motivational speaker David Mead to start with the ‘why’ to feel inspired, safe and fulfilled at work.

Mead, who is an igniter from the famed Simon Sinek’s organisation, Ignite Leadership, shared that 87 per cent of people worldwide hate to go to work, and that to be successful one must “get off the hamster wheel of action and results”.

“Strive for a good balance between ‘why’, ‘how’ and ‘what’. Be consistent; do the things you say you believe. Start with ‘Why’, that is where trust and loyalty are built. Trust is a feeling, not a checklist and not an instruction,” he said.

Mead added that trust and loyalty are what bring and keep teams within organisations together and make for a better work environment.

He further added that leading is taking care of the people to the left and to the right of you, and challenged the 600 team members to “be the leader you wish you had”.

In speaking about the ‘why’ and overall purpose of the VM Group, Courtney Campbell, president and CEO, emphasised that financial inclusion is the group’s mission.

“Victoria Mutual alone won’t be able to fix [the problem of financial inequality], but if we commit to driving financial inclusion for the millions of Jamaicans at our different touch points, you can feel proud of what you would have done in your working life. So, understand why we are here, understand how your own gifts can contribute to VM’s purpose,” he stated.