Dear Thenjie.

(The picture says it all).

This is my first Blog I hope you are impressed. I wish that this was not the reason why I was blogging though.

This is a very sad day; you have left a big hole at Avo. You came into this strange environment and managed to make sense of it. Before long you had found your feet and had us all marching to your orders. The office has never been this organised! You managed all the feedback from all the courses, became the dazzle Queen and made sure that you sent me on my way to deliver them. All my clients say a big thank you! You have been an absolute star. 

I know that there were many times that I took you for granted (I will be paying for that now.) 

I am sorry that I am only writing this letter to you now to tell you how wonderful and courageous I think you were. I suppose we all think that we can make time to tell others how we feel tomorrow, but sometimes tomorrow just does not come. 

Thank you for giving everything that you did 100% effort. 

I will miss you. 

Clint 

It is with such sadness that I blog the passing of one of our very special Avos. Thenjie Sibanda died at home this morning, probably of a stroke.

We’re all so sad. Thenj was so young, and seemed to be at a time in her life when she was setting herself up for greater things! She started at Avo after spending more than a decade as a domestic worker.  She was so determined to better herself that she paid to attend computer literacy courses on Saturdays to prepare herself for another world.

At Avo she applied herself with such courage - working in an environment and culture that felt very foreign to her.  She tirelessly worked to excel in our space, and has become an indespensible part of our team.  I know there are so many things to say about her, but I also know there are many Avos who will want to say their bit in the comments part.

Thenjie: I love you so. Thanks for the road we have walked together. I will miss your kindness, your smile, and the bossy way you tried to make me keep my desk tidy. 

It has been brought to our attention very recently that there is some confusion around who the AVO bosses are. Now Jules and I would like to clarify this argument once and for all and categorically state that: WE ARE THE BOSSES OF THIS COMPANY. What this means quite simply is that as the bosses of this company there is a type of behaviour that we expect and would like to encourage.

The following are the traits we would like to engender in the fabric of Avo PLEASE:

• blind devotion
• passivity
• utter subservience
• puppy like adoration
• regular gifts (expensive)
• less feedback about everything we do
• antidepressants for the feedback
• counselling sessions for the effect of the feedback
• loving notes on our desks
• manicures and pedicures
• little food parcels according to diet..see Nomsa for detailed brief
• less feedback again
• and less feedback again
• and less feedback

We know that we have very purposefully encouraged a flat structure and transparency in our decision making believing in empowering you, the team, but in retrospect we now understand the error of our ways…

So as of today… which marks the begining of BOSSES MONTH it all stops. We are the bosses , no more opinion sharing, please just do as we say…..

At least for October…

Many thanks Elaine and Jules