Our Core Values Redefined

On June 09-11, 2018, Adrian and Pamela Santangelo along with Gerges Hana held the companies first ever Leadership Retreat at North Cascade Learning Institute. The intent of the weekend was to clarify the companies future, core values and ensure that we are purposely shaping the culture of the company. By doing so we will use the values as a meter to help make decisions, evaluate prospect new team members and gauge their performance, training initiatives, employee reviews, meetings, award recognition, company events, charitable giving and vendor and client partnerships.

The retreat was a great success and as a whole the group felt really good about the progress made and the clarity obtain from the experience. The North Cascade Learning Institute was an ideal setting for the retreat.

How we went about it:

The group spent 16 hours total on the core values portion of the agenda.

• Evaluated words and phrases commonly said around the office
• Used feedback from previous employee surveys
• Discussed who we wanted to become
• Brain dumped words and phrases that aligned with our desired attributes
• Looked for patterns and grouped like thoughts
• Reviewed definitions, and cultural meanings
• Physiological suggestions from a 3rd party
• And most importantly asked ourselves if it fit us.

Our Core Values

Be Geeky

Be enthusiastic, creative, colorful and quirky. We are honest and bravely demonstrate our passion for the things we enjoy. It means never having to play it cool about how much you like something. Be Geeky.

Be Curious

Be creative creatures with a passion for exploring and learning. We try to make sense of what we see and wonder about what makes things tick. Ask questions, leave no stone unturned or mud puddle un-stomped. Be Curious.

Be Connected

Be connected to one another and all things from our team, to our clients, and the communities we serve. We create collaborative connections and strive for mutual, open-minded understanding. Be Connected.

Be Heroic

Step up when everyone else steps down. Be tenacious despite circumstances. Make something better for everyone involved. Be the person that inspires you. Be Heroic.

Be Humble

Work in silence letting success make the noise. Be receptive; not just listen. Be humble; not timid. Be bold; not rude. Be altruistic; not weak. Be proud; not arrogant. Feed the soul; starve arrogance. Be Humble.

Be Improv(e)

Improv is the courage to take a step into the unknown and thrive in an environment that is chaotic. Be adaptable to the needs of the situation, working around and with obstacles. Make your teammates look and feel brilliant. Be supportive of others’ ideas. Intelligence is the aptitude to improvise and improve as an individual, a team, and a company. Be Improv(e).

Be Balanced

Life is about balancing different aspects. Be kind, but don’t let people abuse you. Trust, but don’t be deceived. Be content, but never stop improving yourself. Balance is holding on, letting go, and knowing when to do either. It’s remembering you can do anything, but not everything. Be Balanced

By embodying all of the traits set forth above you will…

Be Legendary

So much more was accomplished that weekend. We greatly appreciate our team’s support in this journey. The facility was a perfect location as it was far enough away where we couldn’t get sucked back into day to day needs, and also close enough that it only took an hour and a half to travel there. The food was exceptional and the entire weekend, though mentally tiring, was also incredibly refreshing.

Gerges took this video during his breaks. Enjoy!