Strange days have found us

Strange days have tracked us down.

Does any recall a year as strange as 2020? Not just because of Covid…but bushfires, American elections, Brexit, Hong Kong protests, BLM violence, plagues and natural disasters. There's so much that's happened this year.

It’s been hard. On some more than others…but I think in WA we’ve been luckier than most. Sure, there’s been some method in the madness, but definitely an element of luck as well.

Work-wise – I think that to some extent, the same is true. We have been lucky. But as Ernest Hemingway once said, “You make your own luck”. As I’ve said to my staff recently, I seriously believe that the team we have has also made its own luck and I’m very proud of that (and they should be as well). A debt of gratitude is also extended to their friends and family member who have supported them throughout the year and allowed them to work at Talis. They’re a part of the success we’ve enjoyed this year as well.

The year could have turned out so differently and, unlike a lot of places around Australia and the world, we have been able to go about our work quietly and cautiously (with some obvious limitations throughout the year) and our staff have excelled in doing so.

The Environment Section has had the busiest and biggest year since we set it up in January 2014. We have secured new clients and projects across the business and continue to enjoy repeat business from a large number of existing clients. These clients seem to appreciate our approach to delivery and the staff we have on board who deliver.

We’ve retained a core group of key staff. We’ve brought on board new additions with all levels of experience. Some at the top end who add new skill sets to our business; some who are at the start of their careers and are already making a name for themselves with clients. This has led to a significant increase in the number of projects we’ve won in 2020 and further opportunity for all members of the team to continue to learn and hone their skills. Every day is a school day and if you’re not learning, work quickly becomes a chore.

The year has been an interesting one for me, as always. I was lucky enough to start the year with a trip to Lihir Island in PNG for work.

This was only a month or so before things went a bit pear-shaped. I remember the trickling of information coming through from other parts of the world about Covid and making plans around our response should the unthinkable happen. And then it did…

The middle of the year was understandably subdued from a travel perspective, but this didn’t stop the range of different projects we were involved with.

I think I was at a St Patrick’s Day lunch on the day an announcement was made about WA’s Covid response…the luck of the Irish must have been with us as we were probably the last event to be held in Perth before the lockdown occurred. Absolute scenes!

Working from home became a thing and we all quickly worked out how to/not to videoconference. The workloads continued to increase and our staff continued to deliver. I also delivered a lot more house-work than I can remember doing previously and got very good at making cocktails!

We brought new staff on during these strange times and we continued to plan for the future – always keeping one eye on what might happen and having plans in place, just in case. Fortunately, those plans have never been implemented and as a business in Western Australia, we’ve had a remarkably successful year.

I’ve continued to train and teach – with the obvious caveats due to closures and social distancing. I’ve learnt new skills and techniques and dabbled with other arts. Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks?

I supported the Polished Man campaign and raised over $6,000 thanks to my amazing sponsors. All of that money helps fund trauma recovery & trauma prevention programs for children affected by or at risk of violence globally.

My son has completed his first year of high school and has done well. My wife has continued to teach and learn and be instrumental in holding our little family unit together. We’ve even added a new addition to that unit in the form of Benjamin – a 14-week-old cavoodle. It’s honestly like having a baby in the house again.

I still enjoy working with Talis. This year has been tricky for many reasons…but the staff at Talis have allowed us to meander through relatively unscathed and with a sense of enjoyment and pride (for me at least). It’s been another year of growth…but perhaps more one of personal growth due to the wholly unusual circumstances.

I still enjoy the work I get involved with. I still enjoy working with the people I work with (colleagues and clients alike) and the various projects and problems that are thrown at me. I’m still learning on multiple fronts and that keeps me happy.

Looking back at this year, it seems strange to say that I’m hoping that in some ways, 2021 will be a continuation of 2020…at least in terms of the work that we have completed in 2020. Those hopes are obviously caveated in recognition of the pain and hardship others have experienced this year. I would like to see Talis continue to grow as a business. I would like to see us continue to expand across other states and territories, but I would also like to see the current circumstances we find ourselves in change.

I again acknowledge the ‘luck’ we’ve had here in Western Australia and as a business…hopefully that doesn’t change. 2020 has affected us all in different ways and I’m hoping 2021 sees an improvement for everyone.

So, this probably brings me to the back end of all of this. A big thank you to everyone at Talis and everyone who has supported our staff throughout 2020 (partners, family and friends). You have helped make the luck we’ve had this year.

Thank you to our clients – new ones and old. It’s been rough for a lot of them as well and I’m hoping that Talis has been able to assist some of them through the year.

I looked back at what I wrote at this time last year and said that it was the end of the decade and that the idea of a new decade was a scary prospect. Little did I know just how scary this first year of the new decade would turn out to be.

I’m hopeful that with a little bit of luck, those times are passing and 2021 will see a little bit of optimism creep back into the world.

And so, on  behalf of everyone within the Environment Section, I hope that you will all enjoy, celebrate and at the very least, be safe over the festive season. Look after yourselves – both physically and mentally.

Whatever 2020 has thrown your way, I hope that these strange days will not destroy your casual joys.