VALUES

TRUST - OPENNESS - INITIATIVE

TRUST
"We can be relied upon!"

This sentence is not only valid for our business partners, who can rest assured that we will complete our orders punctually and precisely, but also for every member of our work force. One can rely on our purpose, as we agree targets that enable us to know what others expect and then focus all our energies on the meeting of these objectives.

This reliability extends to our immediate expression of any doubts that we might have concerning fulfilment, irrespective of the reasons. Accordingly, others can be certain that if they hear nothing from us, we are working successfully on the attainment of the agreed targets. This decisiveness, which extends to every employee, guarantees that we reliably achieve our shared goals (operating performance, profits, quality standards, etc.). One can also trust in our quality. Satisfied customers are the best guarantee of repeat orders, because especially in our business, mutual confidence is the most important factor in a long-term partnership. Satisfied customers also recommend us further. We are best able to achieve the satisfaction of others if we have an exact knowledge of their expectations. Therefore, we ask straightforward questions and register the answers. In the same way, we also inform our partners in the work force of our requirements, in order to secure the quality of the awaited performance.

One can also rely on our competitiveness, as we attain reliability by continually asking ourselves if we are on the pace. This means more than being merely the equal of our competitors, but rather that our quality, products, prices and punctuality are of a standard that will allow us to surpass the rest. We intend to set market benchmarks and are ready to accept comparative scrutiny. For irrespective of whether the quality of our plants and services, the expertise of our employees, or our customer services is involved, we wish to always be two steps ahead.

OPENNESS
"We favour straight talking!"

Openness demands courage and trust. The courage needed to express one’s opinions, without knowing if they are shared, and to be honest with both oneself and others. The less hazardous this openness is, the more it can be implemented. Accordingly, whether or not plain speaking can flourish, depends on our reactions. Accordingly, we must respond with respect and show ourselves worthy of the confidence shown to us by others through their frankness.

Honesty promotes company loyalty, for if common goals are subscribed to, then problems can be freely discussed with the aim of mutually achieving planned targets, even if this may prove unpleasant for individuals in the short-term. In such situations, the creation of shared corporate values is more important than personal anxieties concerning what might happen should an opinion be expressed (our culture should not allow such worries to arise!). Directness provides us with information, with which we can more easily understand correlations and thus solve problems.

This offers us an opportunity to recognise risks earlier and react in time. Only when we talk candidly about the things that we find important can we jointly shape the future and thus increase our value. Openness will not emerge by itself, but must be nurtured on a daily basis. Therefore, we must constantly ask ourselves if we are dealing with problems using our own ideas and expressing our personal opinions on an increasingly frequent basis and thus contributing significantly to honesty within the company. Progress demands straight talking and it is this courageous process of give and take that pays dividends.

INITIATIVE
"We do!"

We must request the definition of customer objectives and the expectations of both customers and managers and then define them for our work force. The convenient and frequently used excuse that objectives or requirements are unknown is therefore no longer applicable. It is our task to determine and also demand these factors in relation to people’s responsibilities and activities.

We have to claim our own room for manoeuvre, or suggest its creation. This should then be established in teamwork with fellow employees in order to provide a culture of virtually unlimited possibilities for the assumption of responsibility. Naturally, this approach incorporates the initiative needed to generate the space within which one can then fulfil responsibilities with every available competence.

The information needed for this purpose must be sought and we should design the relevant channels in a form that suits us. The data that we regard as being valuable or useful to others should then be passed on. The major deficit in our economy is that relating to information. We also wish to be two steps ahead in this area and therefore seek to continually improve both our information systems and our approach to data both individually and collectively (especially in this area everyone has ideas and should promulgate them actively on an ongoing basis). We should not be afraid of making mistakes , but we must learn from them. We must also allow others to commit errors and then assist them with the correction and learning process. Initiative is generally inhibited by the fear of failure and therefore, from the outset, we must have adopt an attitude based on the belief that initiative with mistakes is preferable to error-free standstill.