I love business matchmaking. There’s nothing better than making a great introduction or a thoughtful referral. And I tend to know a “someone” for everything! As Red Thinking has grown, so too has my network. Recently I found myself thinking about what makes a good connection and focusing on what makes people “mesh well” with others. I concluded that it often comes down to values.
Our values aren’t something we’ve printed on a plaque. We live them. They actively shape every aspect of the business, from the clients we pursue to the people we hire, to how we organize our teams, and even how we work.
At Red Thinking our values truly make us different. We literally put them in our proposals and tell clients to get ready because they are about to experience them. We’re that intentional.
Not everyone who reads our blogs or follows us on social media has had the experience to work with Red Thinking directly, but our values are important enough for me to share because we did not create them because “a brand should have values.” These are what we hang our hats on. Our managers lean into our values in their 1:1s, they’re considered when we are interviewing potential new Red Thinkers and they are very much a part of what I consider when a new client is considering working with us and us them.
Deliver what you promise. And then some.
At Red Thinking, we consistently overdeliver. We want to amaze each other and our clients. By how hard we are willing to work. By delivering on our promises. And by going a step further than anyone expects. It requires employees with integrity, a fantastic work ethic, and a healthy dose of determination. You might expect that’s a tough combo to find, but for us, it comes naturally because our next value is…
Do what you love.
Red Thinkers love the work we’re doing. Creativity, innovation, collaboration – it comes authentically. Doing good work for our clients feels good for us. And we get to do it surrounded by a work-family of others who love it too and help to make moments in every day feel fun.
“When you love what you do, you are compelled to push against yourself,” said Amir Zonozi, co-founder of Zoomph.
Indeed, we push ourselves because we like growth, as people and as a company.
Be proactive
I want every Red Thinker to think like a boss. Own it. Treat this like it’s yours, whether it’s for a client, a teammate, or yourself. It makes them quicker to address challenges before they become problems. To adapt. Pivot. Or take smart risks.
Find balance.
We are, as we should be, whole humans with interests and priorities, and passions within and outside of work. There was a time when boundaries kept work and life separate, but today we embrace a healthy blurring of the lines. We seek to know others as their whole selves, not just labels or roles. And we accept that work-life balance is a continuous process where circumstances and priorities change so a good dose of humor or perspective goes a long way.
Pay it forward.
We’re all working to leave this world better than we found it. For Red Thinkers, that means leaning into our relationships with our clients and each other. We know how easy it is to make someone’s day with a sincere compliment or by expressing genuine gratitude or even going above and beyond in a way that’s unexpected. We strive to do those things regularly, paying forward the positivity we receive.
Rooted in empathy.
We work from a place of compassion and kindness and we are intentional about infusing it in all we do. We respect ourselves enough to expect our voice to be heard. And we respect others enough to listen to what they are saying – even when personalities, mannerisms, or communication styles clash. There’s room for everyone at our table.
Prior to going out on my own, I worked for a company that held a big meeting to talk about values. I can remember internally groaning and writing the day off as way too kumbaya to help me do my job better. I wish I knew then what I know now. The importance of our values is not lip service to each other, our clients and BS for a blog. Our – not just my – intentions for this year are to ensure we are actively practicing our values each day.
As Red Thinking looks back at some tremendous growth in the last few years, and ahead at some exciting goals and wins, I believe our values give us direction and build relationships. I’m committed to talking openly about them to ensure our culture and people are aligned with everything we do. Once again making a great connection – this time for Red Thinking.
