Values motivate and guide behavior and decision-making. In organizational life, the values “in use” shape relationships and establish the company’s culture. While knowing and living from values leads to greater happiness and fulfillment, few people take the time to clarify their top values, and too few organizations tap into shared values as a source of energy, teamwork and motivation.
We have identified five values of great importance to us as a company. Our core values are:
- Resilience
- Excellence
- Compassion
- Impact
- Partnership
Most importantly, our values guide our development as a company and our approach to our work. As we often teach client teams, an organization must encourage employees to behave in ways that are consistent with their values, because true values are observable through people’s actions. Therefore, we invite and challenge ourselves to live and work from these five values each day, not simply to espouse them.
1. Resilience
We practice and cultivate resilience.
For us, resilience refers both to “bouncing back” from unexpected setbacks or disappointments and the active cultivation of personal sustainability and well-being.
Bumps and unexpected turns in the road are inevitable at work and in life. We take responsibility for learning from our experiences for the sake of growing and achieving better outcomes for ourselves, Nebo and our clients. We believe that people are resourceful, creative and adaptive — and that one needs the space and time to learn from experiences. We support this learning through mentoring, coaching, listening, feedback and professional development.
We consciously attend to the holistic health and well-being of self and Nebo’s culture. We encourage self-care and renewal to sustain the mindset and energy needed to deliver on our priorities and bring our best each day.
2. Excellence
We aim for excellence every day.
Our work is often groundbreaking, connected with our clients’ highest priorities and can be challenging to deliver. We acknowledge the privilege of our clients’ trust and use their success requirements to help define excellence in our work. We demonstrate professionalism, competence and leadership, no matter how small or large the project or task. As we hold ourselves to a high standard as individuals, teams and as a company, we seek feedback, learn from our experiences, and adapt. We are credible, trustworthy and detail-oriented. We bring our best selves to our work and our relationships.
3. Compassion
We strive to embody compassion in our words, actions and outlook.
We respond to others with kindness and empathy. We aim to bring both heart and backbone into our work and relationships. We aren’t afraid to have the tough conversations, but we strive to have them in a caring and fair way. We practice giving others the “benefit of the doubt.” We look at others through the lens of seeing and caring for the whole person.
4. Impact
We make an impact through our work.
We seek to create positive change in the world through our work with leaders. We support organizations and communities to deliver fully on their missions. We assess our own work in terms of the difference that we made for our clients and their priorities. We welcome opportunities to work with organizations whose missions strive towards a more harmonious and sustainable future for all. Our employees experience life-changing growth while working at Nebo; through stretch assignments, professional experiences and development, we invest in their potential to make a positive difference in the world.
5. Partnership
We invite collaboration, teamwork and shared responsibility for success.
As we work with others, we “meet people where they are” without judgment and take time to listen and learn about their priorities. Our approach to coaching, facilitation, consulting and managing Nebo assumes a positive, committed partnership relationship with clients, vendors, and our network. We welcome and seek diverse perspectives. We contribute new ideas and solutions, seeking the best outcomes not personal credit. We hold ourselves accountable for our part in any relationship and hold up our end of commitments so as to build trust and confidence in us. For us, partnership also means adapting our ideas and approach in response to feedback, and holding ourselves and each other accountable.