Back to home page

[Guest Post] Living The Values At SafetyCulture

SafetyCulture News | By | 13 Oct 2016 | 2 minute read

Safetyculture behind the scenes look into our shipit week

By Cathy Weis. Cathy was an industry guest at our SafetyCulture Shipit Week.

My week at SafetyCulture

You don’t need to read SafetyCulture’s corporate values on the office wall to get a sense of who they are as an organization. It shines through in every conversation.

I spent a week with the team soaking up the atmosphere of their whole-of-workforce forum. It was intentionally a big shift from my usual role in a large corporation with thousands of employees. Rather, I was looking to observe a small tech start-up and reflect on their lessons of rapid growth, speed to market, commercial focus, building a high-performance culture, and a shared commitment to improving safety. I was looking for some small nuggets of gold and fresh thinking to take back to my corporate world, and SafetyCulture didn’t disappoint.

From the moment team members from across the globe entered the Townsville office, I knew I was in for something special. The energy and excitement was palpable, and it built with each new arrival. Most noticeable was the strong connection with organizational values.

organisational-values-tech-company
SafetyCulture’s values were devised by employees at a previous employee forum and it’s clear they live them every day; passionately and whole-heartedly.

SafetyCulture came together for a Shipit Week in August 2016
SafetyCulture came together for a Shipit Week in August 2016

The values

It starts with “Think customer – We put the customer at the heart of everything we do.” Just to be clear, it’s reinforced with the decidedly non-corporate “We give a sh#t

think-customer-values-safetyculture

In my time with the team, the customer was front and centre of every conversation. Sure, there were discussions about strategy, growing revenue, product development and enhancement, incorporating new technology, and the next big project. But the customer was the lynchpin. Everything centred on creating customer delight, improving customer outcomes, and striving for a frictionless, streamlined experience for customers at every interaction with SafetyCulture products and people. In everything, the customer was king.

The team’s other values reinforced their relationship with customers and each other:

  • Build it well – Our products help save lives each day. We build with care.
  • Open. Honest. Always – Enough said. We do the right thing.
  • Bring Ideas – We come together to create as a team. We like different.
  • Never stop learning – Seek new ways to make things better. We learn and grow.

It was evident that these values sit at the core of how employees work. Members were engaged and animated as they collaborated and generously shared ideas and experiences, focused on continual improvement and quality, spoke openly, honestly and frankly, while respecting each other’s ideas and input. It was high energy, brimming with a sense of fun; powered by an unshakeable commitment to driving improvements for customers.

team-photo-safetyculture-shipit

It was a great demonstration of values driving organizational culture. While so many organizations strive for it, for many, it remains elusive. At SafetyCulture, they have it nailed. They really do give a sh#t.

***

If you’re interested in adding some meaning to your own career, we’d love to hear from you. Check out our open positions.

Like this article? Why not share it!

Important Notice
The information contained in this article is general in nature and you should consider whether the information is appropriate to your specific needs. Legal and other matters referred to in this article are based on our interpretation of laws existing at the time and should not be relied on in place of professional advice. We are not responsible for the content of any site owned by a third party that may be linked to this article. SafetyCulture disclaims all liability (except for any liability which by law cannot be excluded) for any error, inaccuracy, or omission from the information contained in this article, any site linked to this article, and any loss or damage suffered by any person directly or indirectly through relying on this information.