Proekspert cultural diary: Living our values
Culture is the backbone of every thriving business, and at Proekspert, it’s no different. While it is something you cannot see, it is always there, guiding us in everything we do, and giving our organization its unique feel.
Over the past 30 years Proekspert has been in business, we’ve grown from a handful of employees to more than hundred. In the beginning, our culture was only in our minds. But over time, while developing and growing, we saw the need to commit it to paper, to better understand how we work together and create value, to help us guard against becoming fragmented, inefficient, and unsustainable.
But culture isn’t set in stone, but is rather something that evolves along with us. To ensure a culture is still valid and true requires regular check-ups. The purpose of this is not to question our past. We want to make sure these principles are true to us today.
Our check-up began by requesting feedback from our employees–we asked to hear stories about our governing principles. Next, we convened a workgroup composed of people from different divisions in a variety of roles, those who’d been with us for many years, as well as new employees. Together we reviewed the principles one by one, telling each other stories about how we have felt these principles in our everyday lives at Pro. We also talked about what is missing. Five main values stood out: creating value, being honest and trustworthy, acting professionally, showing passion, and caring.
For the most part, our new values were melded with previous principles. Our goal was never to dissolve our old values, but rather give them a thorough checkup. This examination gave us the opportunity to add some nuances that we saw were missing and thereby made our culture stronger and our own.
It’s not enough to just write down the values. We need to make them part of our everyday lives. Our values guide us in our everyday work life. Whatever we’re doing–whether making a decision or offering kudos to a colleague–these values help us understand if we’re doing it in a way that’s consistent with our set of beliefs. We let them become a part of who we are as an organization.
At Proekspert, the evolution and nurturing of our vibrant culture is a continuous journey, guiding our path and reflecting our aspirations. Our shared values infuse our every day with purpose, driving forward with passion and authenticity. Stay tuned as we reveal our progressing story.
