Your Company Image Has a Brand

Our culture has been a hallmark of our company since our inception in 1973. It has become increasingly more difficult to sustain as we grow. This isn’t something new. Many global companies like Apple, IBM and AT&T, to name a few, have been tasked with the same challenge.

31880739_10160286234360335_3998187357948870656_oIf you ask an owner about the culture of their organization, they will always tell you “it’s good,” whether they can validate it or not. As an acquisition company, we know that’s not always the case and get to see firsthand how things really are. As leaders, it’s our responsibility to create a workplace that attracts and keeps good people and good clients.

This past year, we intentionally branded our culture as the Gold Standard, playing off the color of our logo and sign of excellence. The Gold Standard will continue to make the Marco experience different – and exceptional. At its core, it means we set the bar high and continuously try to surpass it – for our employees, our clients, our vendors and our communities. We recognize it’s easy to say, but much harder to do.

Here’s a look at what the Gold Standard represents:

We get it done.
It’s more fun being a growth company than a shrinking company. We are performance-driven and we keep score – as it relates to client satisfaction, employee satisfaction and our financial results. It allows us to set the stage for doing the soft things that contribute to a strong and attractive culture.

We do what’s right.
No excuses. To us, integrity is a verb. We take trust seriously. We do business with people we trust and know they want the same. I personally teach a course on business ethics to all employees to communicate our commitment to upholding our values. Just like our clients, employees want to work for a company they can trust, too. 

We look around corners.
Innovation is part of our DNA. We identify and execute on sustainable business opportunities rather than short-term trends. We look to our employees, our clients and our industry to promote a culture of bold ideas. We developed a Client Advisory Group to assess how we’re doing and discover what else we can do to expand our relationships. This is all in the spirit of keeping us resilient and relevant long-term.

We don’t keep secrets.
We operate in transparency – blemishes and all. We talk about our failures and accept responsibility for our mistakes. As we have grown, we have continued our practice of sharing our financials with all of our employees. For example, our CFO teaches a course on financial acumen. It helps our team members better understand our business and how we make or lose money.

We give.
We believe it’s not enough for a business to do well. It must also “do good.” So, we are intentional about giving back to the communities we serve – both financially and as volunteers. We put our money where our mouth is, not just by writing checks, but also by paying employees to volunteer their time during the work day. All things being equal, why not work for or buy from a good corporate citizen?

We spend a big part of our life working, so why not make it fun? We pay close attention to the fun meter and look for ways to promote participation. In my next blog, I’ll share some intentional (and pretty fun) activities that are getting results.

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