Once a year I take my most talented managers on a trip. I call them Raise Excellence. We’ve been to Lithuania, Sweden, Berlin, Misvær and Miami.

This time we celebrated in Oslo, Norway. And I promise you that we know how to celebrate! But that’s not the end of it. I bring them together around me to hear what they think and believe about our present situation and about our future. Feedback like this is worth its weight in gold to me. Honest feedback is quite simply one of the most valuable things managers can receive.

I know that my general managers like to have me all to themselves every now and then. It means we get a chance to discuss things we’re concerned about and they can provide input to me on things they’ve got on their mind. Sometimes we invite others along too. Someone who can provide us with new knowledge because we want to learn more and develop. Every second of every day. We are hungry for new knowledge.

Raise Excellence originates from a strong wish to honor the best, most loyal managers at the concepts owned by Raise Gruppen AS. The ones who are switched on, are good role models, and to a large extent are the key to our success.

And loyalty doesn’t mean agreeing on everything – it’s about saying what you think and believing what you say.

Congratulations to Raise Excellence!