01732 759725 18 WORKPLACE Steve Pearce, Head of Marketing at Kyocera Document Solutions UK, picks the tools he uses every day and couldn’t do his job without I couldn’t do my job without... w My 4-colour Bic pen and notebook Categorising things by colour definitely has its uses, and marking off a completed task in green brings me pure joy – yes, it’s the little things. It’s also easier for me to remember important conversations and meetings with physical notes. You can’t go wrong with good old pen and paper. Maybe it’s my inner artist speaking, as I don’t get too much chance to paint nowadays, apartfrom the occasional kids’ handprints up the stairs. e Face-to-face office time Personal interaction is so important for brainstorming, discussing new ideas, and even discarding concepts that don’t work. It’s a fundamental part of marketing that allows for genuine connections and emotions. Don’t get me wrong, AI definitely fits a purpose and it’s here to stay, but it will never replace human interaction. A bit of banter is healthy – it gets the creative ideas flowing. I also firmly believe this is how we learn – we can achieve a lot by coming together. I do fear for the younger generation that work remotely constantly. It’s a shame for them to miss out on team camaraderie and those old-school yet efficient ways of completing tasks. r Company culture Having a culture that promotes ‘courage’ among its employees empowers my team to challenge me, challenge the market, and even challenge the company itself. It fosters a fun environment that empowers people. Before joining Kyocera Group UK, I hadn’t valued this type of company culture as it wasn’t available to me. Now that Pandora’s box is open, I am committed to nurturing this culture and continuing to lead the best team in the industry. q Mornings in the office I’m all about phone apps, CRMs, and new AI tools. They’re impressive, but when it really comes down to it, it’s the people, the culture, and the work environment that really get me going. These are the things I can’t do without. Let me elaborate… I’m a natural early bird, always have been – being the son of a postman may explain a lot. My day starts by getting into the office bright and early, hitting one of the fantastic coffee machines here in Reading HQ and enjoying a flat white. This is my time, alone, which allows me to plan for the day ahead, prepare content and digest the day before. It also gives me a chance to plug in my headphones and listen to some music. I don’t know how I’d cope without Spotify tbh. Its recommendations for new music are on point and it really gets my personal taste. t Work/life imbalance Kyocera allows me to live a healthy work/life imbalance. More living, less working. We live in an economic environment where most couples have to work full-time jobs. Events like sports days, inset days (a lot of them!), ukelele shows, nativities and hospital appointments seem never-ending, all scheduled within the standard 9-5 workday. Luckily, the company supports my efforts to fit work around these important events, which ensures that I don’t miss out on any precious moments. Hopefully my children will appreciate me being there. I offer the same flexibility to my team and I know they pay this back in spades. y Business books As marketers and leaders, we quickly realise that creating something completely unique, uncharted, and brand new is like chasing after a unicorn. If we’re lucky, we might stumble upon one or two of these opportunities in our careers. Most ideas have been explored and executed in some way before. That’s why I’m not afraid to own and share many marketing and management books. I often discuss traditional marketing theories, like the 4Ps and pricing strategies, and consistently evaluate my management practices against these theories. I then place my confidence in my team to make our ideas sing and stand out on their own. As it happens, they’re always producing awardwinning executions and deserve all the recognition they receive. www.kyoceradocumentsolutions.co.uk Steve Pearce
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