Core Values

When we use the expression Axioned’s Core Values we mean: the behaviours, attitudes and standards we would like each and everyone of us to:

value in our colleagues
use as our “guiding light” for how we should go about our day
compare ourselves against, at all times, no matter how long we’ve been with us or what your role is

The dictionary definition of values that we’re referring to here is:

“principles or standards of behaviour; one’s judgement of what is important in life.”

Synonyms:

principles, moral principles, ethics, moral code, morals, moral values, standards, moral standards, code of behaviour, rules of conduct, standards of behaviour.

Our Core Values

We wanted to get to the heart of what we believe in, and what we want to be known for. Over the years, we have tried to refine these - and in this iteration, we have been able to distill them down with greater degree of specificity (which you might also see by the number words used to describe each value 😅).

Action Oriented 🚀

Decisions are temporary (and reversible). Don’t wait for perfection. Just act. And then iterate.

Intensely Curious 🧠

No one knows everything. Be open to learning, being wrong, being challenged, being inspired, being vulnerable. Curiosity is your superpower.

Help First 🤝

We are not in a “I win, you lose” environment; bring people along for the journey. The best way to help someone is to teach them how to help themselves and others.

Proactive Ownership 🏅

Ownership is a mindset. It’s a way of thinking and acting as if you were the owner. It’s a way of being accountable for your actions and the outcomes.

Open Collaboration 🤜🤛

We are all work-in-progress, so is everything we do. Be comfortable with “working in the open” - whether it is sharing your views candidly or inviting feedback from others.

Appendix

Before September 2020, we had 6 core values - which we then trimmed down to 3 (Respect, Teamwork, Ownership) as they would largely “fall under” the shorter list.

Respect

We respect our work & the people we work with.

Respect your role. Respect your work. Respect your clients and team-mates.
Do you know what’s expected of you? Do you ask questions? Do you know why you’re doing what you’re doing? Do you know why your peers/manager(s)/client(s) have these expectations? Have you taken the time to find out why? Knowing why you’re doing what you’re doing is a sign of respect for your role, your work, your clients, and your team-mates.
Do you do your role/work, well? As measured by who? As exemplified by what actions/outputs? Do you know? Have you asked? Be curious/ask questions and solicit feedback (team mates, managers, clients). Use such exchanges to learn and grow. Taking ownership of your own learning and growth path is a sign of respect for your role and your work - and (most importantly), yourself.
Respect everyone’s differences: Treat each person with the same respect that you yourself would like to be treated, no matter how different they are from you, in terms of how they look, speak, think, act, etc. (This is often referred to as “The Golden Rule”.)
Respect other people’s ideas and expressions: Listen to other’s questions, answers, ideas, opinions, and advice with an open mind, even if you already know the answer or don’t agree with them. Show respect by giving them the benefit of “hearing them out”. Know that when someone is communicating with you ensure that THEY can clearly observe that you respect what they have to say through your facial movements (or lack of), body language and communication skills.
Be mindful of your words: Words can be very powerful. Words can be incredibly disrespectful if used improperly. Words can also be incredibly respectful if used properly. Think carefully about what you want to say, and to whom. Avoid being disrespectful. Aim to always be respectful. Good manners matter.

Teamwork

We collaborate with others to understand the “why?” behind our work and to get the work done.

T.E.A.M. = Together, everyone achieves more.

Work effectively with fellow team mates, from all areas of the Company, to accomplish common objectives → aka cooperate.
Motivate others to meet mutual goals and objectives via personal relationships vs. authority (force).
Listen to, acknowledge and celebrate each team-mate early and often.
Keep morale high: Team members function best when their individual contributions to the team are recognized. This, in turn, leads to a strengthening of the team spirit among its individual members.
Keep communication lines open: Encourage frank and open communication among team members and management. Solicit ideas and suggestions from team members on ways to better achieve the team’s goals.

Ownership

We never pass the buck*

* pass the buck = shift the responsibility for something to someone else.

In absence of authority - step-up and take charge/move things forward without waiting to be asked.
Proactively identify and take charge of clearing any dependencies - again, without waiting/asking.
Remain highly adaptable and accepting of constant challenges and changes.
Take ownership of our customers’ needs and being accountable for delivering the work/services we’ve agreed to do.
Share the work of colleagues and take joint ownership to complete it/ensure that the team delivers.
Know the in’s and outs of your project/work schedule. Know when something needs to be done, why it needs to be done, and why it needs to be done by a certain date. Own that schedule. Deliver ahead of schedule, or at least “on” schedule.

Integrity

We do the right thing, even when nobody’s watching

Integrity is doing the right thing, even when nobody is watching. The choice between convenient and what is right.
In- tegrity is being honest and ethical in all our interactions with employees, clients, consumers, vendors and the public.
Integrity is knowing and doing what is right.
BE COMMITTED: Set high standards for your behavior and stick to them, even in difficult situations.
BE COURAGEOUS: Stand up for what you believe is just and good.
BE HONEST: Choose words and actions that are sincere, not misleading.
A person who has integrity lives his or her values in relationships with coworkers, customers, and stakeholders. - - Honesty and trust are central to integrity. Acting with honor and truthfulness are also basic tenets in a person with integrity.
Integrity means following your moral or ethical convictions and doing the right thing in all circumstances, even if no one is watching you.

Transparency

We ensure that all the information we have is made easily available

Transparency is about being Honest. Don’t Fake It – If You Aren’t Sure, Say So
Being honest with him or herself about the actions they are taking.
A transparent culture is a work culture where employees rigorously communicate with their peers and exchange ideas and thoughts, which gradually builds up trust and pride. It is about involving everyone in the company in accepting responsibility for how the company is run, making sure, they have the knowledge, information and education to properly read and interpret data, and showing people, the outcomes they produce.
Being unbiased in rewarding the employees, acknowledging their efforts, etc. Transparency can be only achieve if you trust on someone, Mostly top-bottom trust builds huge level of transparency. Supportive approach gives people comfort which leads to transparent approach being followed.

Proactiveness

We make things happen isntead of waiting for them to happen

Creating or controlling a situation rather than just responding to it after it has happened.
Taking action by causing change and not only reacting to change when it happens.
It says you care about how your clients feel.
It says you care about the end users, even though you’ve probably never met them, and the experience they’ll have with the product you’re building.
Being fully accountable for our work in gaining any possible repeat business with customers.
Being fearless, taking initiatives, and thinking out of the box.