(This is the first post in a three-part series by Idea Grove’s CEO describing the agency’s core values and how they guide its relationships with clients and employees.)
As individuals, we all have values. They are the lens through which we decide what’s good and bad, what’s right and wrong.
For those of us at Idea Grove to work together not as individuals but as a unified team, we must have uniform values to guide us. They are the ground we stand on. They are the ground we work.
Idea Grove’s values have evolved over time. In 2017, our leadership team introduced the values of creativity, energy and accountability. A year later, it became apparent that while those values were important, they weren’t sufficient. And so we incorporated three additional values: respect, teamwork and empathy. At our 2020 planning meeting, our senior leadership team reaffirmed these values for our future.
Here are our agency’s six core values:
- Creativity
- Respect
- Energy
- Accountability
- Teamwork
- Empathy
The first letters of these words form the acronym CREATE. This helps us to remember that in order to be successful, we must CREATE Every Day.
We believe that when we adhere to these core values, Idea Grove becomes more than a job for our employees and more than a vendor for our clients.
For our employees, we become an adventure. A family. A chance to be part of something larger.
For our clients, we become a partner pulling the plow. A spark brightening the day. A confidante. Someone who cares enough to tell you what you need to hear, when you need to hear it.
Building our future as an agency starts with the ground beneath us, and the values that bring us together.
In my next two posts, I’ll explore each of Idea Grove’s values to better explain what we mean by CREATE Every Day. First, creativity, respect and energy. Then, accountability, teamwork and empathy.