By Steve Melink
Our culture is everything. It is our vision, mission,
and values all wrapped in one. It is who we are, what we do, and why we
do it. It is how we treat and support one another. It is our
brand. We can’t separate the parts and still have the whole.
But the foundation is one word: Integrity. Everything
we say and do should model honesty and respect for others at all times.
We should always strive to show positive intentions. Negativity, gossip,
and pettiness are counter-productive. We choose to be genuine and
sincere.
It starts with simple things like acknowledging one another
… with eye contact, a smile, and saying the most important word in the English
language to the other person: their name. It’s the ordinary hello, thank
you, and have a good day … with an extraordinary result. Trust.
These small words, gestures, and actions when multiplied
thousands of times over the course of days, weeks, and months … by individuals,
teams, and ultimately all of us … help make our company the safe and healthy
workplace we all want and need.
And this promotes a sense of family. This is where we
can be ourselves. This is where we can learn, grow, and flourish.
This is where we can fall, but then be picked up by our peers and
leaders. This is where we can and will do our best work and make a
difference in the world.
Last, our culture is intentional. It is not an
accident. It takes leadership from all of us and takes years to
build. Let’s never take it for granted. Let’s build on this
foundation and make it better. We are a best place to work!