Each year, SmartCEO honors companies that champion positive, productive cultures and work with their employees to develop successful culture practices; organizations that set themselves apart in this arena are identified and recognized through the magazine’s annual Corporate Culture Awards program.
If you haven’t heard of it, you may be wondering what contributing factors make for an award-winning culture; as a recipient of the 2017 Corporate Culture Award, allow us to fill you in.
At INTEC, the strongest driver of our culture is our people-focused practice. If you know anything about us, hopefully it’s our vision: to enhance the human condition.
This doesn’t just start and stop with our clients, or even staff – we strive to enhance the world around us as a team. It begins with the basics and our emphasis on living our corporate values: Professionalism, Authenticity, and Leadership – which we affectionately refer to as P.A.L. We emphasize the point that regardless of your level of experience, tenure, or position in the firm, we are all leaders in our own right. Each team member, from all levels within the organization, has access to a professional coach. These sessions allow each of us to grow in these values, as well as manage our professional and personal goals.
In addition, a key component of our culture resides in the fact that everyone on the INTEC team has a view, a voice, or a vote into the direction of the firm. One of the most unique opportunities provided is the ability for each person to participate in our strategic planning process. Involving everyone in the process, creates an energy that propels the direction of firm, rather than the feeling of being tugged around by the actions of a few.
And it doesn’t stop there. Another initiative we take pride in is our “Pause for Fun” mentality. We’ve established an internal committee referred to as Iplay which focuses on infusing more fun into our workday – and a little bit really goes a long way! We’re also always looking for ways to promote wellness and continue to share our success by give back to our communities.
And last but not least, at INTEC Group, we talk about our story. We share examples of how our firm is improving and the ways our story has enhanced our lives, our clients, and our communities. Additionally, we have a genuine interest to know our clients’ and our teammates’ stories. A marketing presentation is not about the great work we’ve done; it’s more about who we are and how we can relate to our potential client and their story. We’ve seen greater success in this approach that not only relates to how we present the firm, but directly relates to how we present ourselves. It makes us unique, real, and approachable.
These examples confirm that the strength of a “culture” doesn’t come without a lot of hard work and dedication. It goes beyond the physical environment and can’t be measured and ranked based on how much money the company takes in. It comes right down to the value you place on the people and understanding that they are truly your greatest asset – and that’s what makes INTEC Group so successful!