By Robert J. Connor, JD, CIC
Senior Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer, Berkley Alliance Managers, a Berkley Company
April 7, 2022
As we get ready to celebrate Earth Day on April 22 and think about making our world a happier, healthier place to live, it makes me think about our corporate environments. What makes them a happier, healthier place to work?
Discovering, communicating and living your organizations authentic core values sure does. Core values light the way for your employees, lead other people to join your organization and encourage others to do business with it.
Core values are not created out of thin air. A company needs to discover them. They are the essence of who the company is and what they will become.
The definition of “core” is “the central or most important part of something.” The definition of “values” is “a person’s principles or standards of behavior; one’s judgment of what is important in life”. A key word in each definition is “important”. Thinking about that definition, what is important to companies with whom you conduct business?
This is a key question to ask companies with whom you are considering doing business with. Do they believe what you believe and value what you value? If your values are not in alignment with those you transact business with, then there are likely to be issues as the relationship grows and evolves.
Your exploration about what is important to a company should start by going to their website and reading about their core values. Once you learn what their core values are, you then have to determine if the company actually lives those values on a daily basis. You can meet with and talk to their employees. Doing so will help you to determine if the values are consistent throughout the company or if they are just buzzwords on a website.
Next, are those values demonstrated in the way they transact business with you and others? A company’s values should be seen in every aspect of how they transact business.
We recently identified our own core values. It wasn’t easy. It was a long and admittedly tedious process at times, however, the process was absolutely critical in order to really discover who we were as a company and what is important to us.
Our Core Values are:
- Act Ethically with Integrity
- Value Relationships
- Achieve Excellence Together
- Customer First
- We Take Ownership
- We are Innovators
- Naturally Curious
These core values work hand-in-hand with the values of our parent company, W. R. Berkley Corporation (Berkley). Our shared values are: Accountability, Integrity, Transparency, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging.
As we approach Earth Day, we know that our work place is a happier and healthier one. These values are in our nature. They are who we are and what we bring to our business transactions and to the partnerships we form.
Which of our core values did we show you today?
About the Author
Robert J. Connor is senior vice president, chief marketing officer, at Berkley Alliance Managers, a Berkley Company. Bob has more than 25 years of experience in the professional liability segment of the insurance industry, He has worked in a number of roles including underwriter, regional vice president, retail broker, wholesale broker and business development manager. Prior to joining the insurance industry, Bob practiced law. These roles, responsibilities and experiences provide him with a unique perspective. Bob earned his Juris Doctorate from St. John’s University School of Law and a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics Management from Ithaca College. Contact Bob at [email protected].
