Author: Thomas Hynes
In business, we often talk about untapped potential, the value that might be unlocked one day with the right strategy, technology, or investment.
At Symphony3, we look at these aspects continuously, looking for improvements and a competitive edge. However, we know our greatest strength isn’t untapped. It’s already working and it’s driving our growth, our performance, and the outcomes we deliver for our customers.
That strength is our people.
People Powering Results
I'm passionate about creating an environment where people feel:
- Empowered to make decisions
- Given room to grow
- Trusted with responsibility
- Accountable for delivery
This isn’t siloed thinking or a “culture initiative” sitting alongside the business. It’s embedded in how we operate every day. When people feel trusted and supported, execution improves, decisions are made faster, ownership is clearer, and the quality of what we deliver goes up.
The Reality of Empowerment: It's Not Always Easy
While we talk about empowerment as a superpower, I want to be clear: building this culture is not easy. We work at it every single day, and we are constantly tested. True empowerment means giving our people the space to grow and, crucially, the space to make mistakes.
There are times when we realise we could have done better, and there are times when the cost of empowerment is visible. We have seen it lead to rework, extra costs, and missed deadlines. We have even faced misunderstandings regarding limits of authority. These moments are challenging, but they are a necessary part of the process. If we don't allow for the possibility of failure, we aren't truly empowering anyone. Despite these hurdles, we remain steadfast because the long-term growth of our team and the resulting strength of our organisation make it overwhelmingly worth it.
Trust Under Pressure Drives Performance
Like all growing organisations, Symphony3 has faced moments of real challenge - complex delivery, tight timelines, and evolving market expectations. What we’ve seen time and again is that belief in our people isn’t just a cultural position, it’s a commercial advantage.
When leaders trust their teams:
- Problems are surfaced earlier
- Solutions are owned, not escalated
- Delivery stays on track
- Customers feel the difference
This directly impacts customer satisfaction and long-term relationships, which in turn fuels sustainable growth.
Values That Shape How We Deliver
Values only matter if they influence behaviour, especially when things are hard. At Symphony3, our values guide:
- How we work together
- How we treat customers and partners
- How we respond when things don't go to plan
- How we lead
We don’t separate values from performance. They are the foundation of how performance is achieved.
Values in Action: Connecting Belief to Execution
In FY25/26, we formalised this approach through a new initiative called Values in Action. The purpose is to turn our values into observable, repeatable actions that support both our people and our results. Through Values in Action, we are:
- Reinforcing behaviours that drive delivery excellence
- Recognising contribution and accountability
- Improving how we learn from projects
- Strengthening collaboration and efficiency
- Ensuring our values show up in customer outcomes, not just internal conversations
This initiative helps align how we behave with how we perform.
Customer Excellence and Purpose
We strive to provide our customers with excellence - not just in technology, but in how we partner, deliver, and support. When we do this well:
- Councils operate more effectively
- Services to communities improve
- The impact of our work extends well beyond our own business
That sense of purpose matters. Helping communities benefit through better systems, better data, and better outcomes gives meaning to the work we do and sits alongside commercial success, not in opposition to it.
A Superpower That Scales
Technology will continue to evolve. Markets will change. Opportunities will shift. But a business that believes in its people, and proves that belief through trust, clarity, and action - builds something enduring.
At Symphony3, our people are our superpower in action. They are central to how we grow, how we deliver, how we serve our customers, and how we create impact for the communities they support. That is the reason I’m confident about where we’re heading next.