06 Mar Give to Gain: How Trust and Flexibility Strengthen Team Performance
The theme of International Women’s Day 2026: “Give to Gain” captures an idea we’ve built our business around from day one: when you invest in people, trust them and support their growth, you get stronger outcomes in return.
With 86% of our workforce made up of women, and 40% gaining promotion since joining, this philosophy shapes how we operate, lead and deliver for our clients across the property industry.
Give trust, gain accountability
We measure impact, not hours worked. What matters is the outcome delivered for clients, and not time spent at a desk.
Our team are given responsibility for how they manage their workload and structure their day. That autonomy creates ownership. And when people feel trusted, they take accountability seriously.
As Courtney Knowles, operations manager, explains: “By giving me the confidence and freedom to try new things, and the resources to fix them – if they don’t go to plan – the senior leadership has made me a stronger and more confident manager. They allow me to be really autonomous and contribute ideas to the wider business.”
Trust is not about stepping back. It is about setting clear expectations and giving people the space to meet them.
Give flexibility, gain retention
Sales progression is a demanding role. It requires resilience, as well as strong organisational and communication skills.
Many of our team balance leadership responsibilities with commitments outside work, whether that’s parenting or caring responsibilities. We operate a hybrid model and offer flexible or reduced hours where required. Some team members start earlier to allow for school pick-ups. Others split their day between office and home working.
Jamie Taylor, operations director, explains: “School pick-ups and drop-offs are very flexible. Some people start earlier or take lunch later. If someone needs to leave before school pickup and finish the rest of the day from home, that’s fine.”
This approach reduces unnecessary pressure. In return, we retain experienced professionals who might otherwise leave the sector. Continuity matters. Retaining skilled people strengthens service delivery, improves client experience and builds long-term stability within the business.
Give development, gain future leaders
Perhaps the clearest example of “Give to Gain” in action is Jamie’s own progression.
She joined ASAP in 2016 as a sales progressor when the business was much smaller. Over the past decade, Jamie has progressed through to senior sales progressor, sales progression manager and operations manager, before becoming operations director in 2023.
“When I first started, I was very quiet. Being pushed out of my comfort zone through training and development has given me confidence and leadership skills I wouldn’t have developed otherwise.”
Beyond individual progression, we now have clearer career pathways across the business. We support the CeSP qualification for all sales progressors, have recently launched a management training programme to upskill team leaders, and we operate a buddy system for new starters. Our staff engagement plan includes wellbeing and social initiatives designed to strengthen collaboration and team cohesion. And what we have witnessed is that when people can see what they are working towards, they invest in it.
Culture drives performance
International Women’s Day provides a moment to reflect, but culture is built in everyday decisions, how you measure performance, how you support people and how you create progression opportunities. For us, “Give to Gain” means:
• Giving trust and gaining accountability
• Giving flexibility and gaining retention
• Giving development and gaining leadership strength
As we continue to grow nationally, the stability of our team and the strength of our leadership pipeline remain central to our performance and success.