Introduction
When Centro was founded in 2001, we began by discarding outdated ideas and preconceived notions of how a company must act, allowing us to ignore convention and start with a blank canvas.
In designing the foundation of the company, we asked and attempted to answer questions such as: In a perfect world, how would a company govern itself? How would it treat its employees? What relationship would it have with the communities it serves? How would it interact with its customers? What role would it play in the personal and professional development of its employees?
The beginning of this process is The Employee Manifesto below. Ten years and more than 200 employees later, we remain passionately committed to our founding values and principles. We’re still a work-in-progress and though we have a long way to go, I’m constantly energized by the passion, dedication, enthusiasm and character of the people I am fortunate to work with every day.
Sincerely,
Shawn Riegsecker, Founder & CEO
The Employee Manifesto
This Employee Manifesto is written by Centro employees and is intended for current employees, prospective employees, companies we look to do business with and anyone else desiring to learn about Centro.
We, as individuals, employees and leaders of Centro, BELIEVE:
- Lasting success can only be achieved through dedication to the growth and wellbeing of the individual, not the corporation.
- Every employee is responsible for his or her own improvement, the improvement of the corporation and the improvement of those around them.
We live by the following PRINCIPLES:
- Self-Improvement – We desire to grow and learn continuously. Our happiness is determined by the amount of personal investment made in our own growth.
- Integrity – We live our lives with the highest level of moral, ethical and “true north” principles. Integrity is the national principle for lasting success.
- Humility – We realize there is no such thing as individual success in life and acknowledge those who have helped us along the way. We are grateful for the opportunities we have received though may not deserve.
- Idealism – We believe we can make the world a better place. The future of our lives, our community and our country lie in our hands, and we have the ability and responsibility to change them for the better.
There is a commonality among Centrons, exhibited in our CHARACTER TRAITS, and we look for these traits in new employees:
- Courage – We have the strength to do what is right at all times, regardless of the consequences, and the strength to move beyond our own fort zone.
- Honesty – Honesty is integral to everything we do. Honesty leads to trust, and trust is a basic element in all forms of human communication.
- Unselfishness – We know true happiness comes from being able to give to others and enrich their lives. We accept as much joy and happiness e offers us but strive to give back more than we receive.
- Self-Discipline – We implement change in our lives and have the fortitude to see things through.
- Self-Respect – We respect ourselves, which leads to respect for others.
- Accountability – We have a responsibility to follow through on our commitments and know that accountability is the foundation of anizational effectiveness.
- Dedication to Others – As the company is dedicated to each employee, so are we dedicated to our colleagues’ and our customers’ well-being.
As LEADERS, we strive to live by and lead by these additional qualities. Although all Centrons should strive to embody these qualities, we require them of our leaders and managers:
- Positive – We maintain a positive attitude and help others see the positive in themselves, the company and the world.
- Supportive – We are supportive of others both inside and beyond our department. When dealing with others, we focus first on their good qualities before turning to the areas where we can help them improve.
- Team Oriented – We win or lose as a team. There is no room for personal glory or statistics. When one department wins, the entire company wins. Each of us is responsible for everyone’s success.
- Emotionally Responsive – We are emotionally aware at all times. We use positive emotions to convey passion, excitement, happiness, approval, gratefulness and fearlessness.
- Transparent – We realize that knowledge is power, as is access to information. We put knowledge and information in the hands of our employees, so that the entire organization is as confident and capable as possible.
- Tough – We are tough. We make difficult and unpopular decisions when necessary. We hold ourselves and our people accountable for our actions and decisions.
- Inspirational – We accept the responsibility of inspiring those around us. We motivate our colleagues and employees through inspiration.
- Proactive – We take initiative and act rather than react. We empower our employees to make decisions and have the patience to accept mistakes.
- Solution Oriented – We offer solutions when we identify or discuss problems.
- Dedicated – We are dedicated and keep working until the job is done. We focus our energy on the task at hand rather than offering excuses or explanations.
- Magnanimous – We give credit where credit is due. We recognize our people and our teams for success but accept personal responsibility for our teams’ failures. We are gracious in defeat, and we allow others to retain their dignity when we triumph.