Core Value: We Execute Work of the Highest Quality

We execute work of the highest quality.

Each of our values needs to make us somehow distinctive, and it needs to have behaviors that we use internally, as well as with clients and partners.

This is a tough one to put out there. I have procrastinated for months on writing this, because here’s what I don’t want to do:

1. Brag about our work
2. Sell our services 

If I use this post to explain all the ways we are committed to a level of quality that outpaces our competition, it’s going to make me look like a braggart and a salesman; that’s my fear anyway.

So, I’ll compromise. I’ll share a couple things, then share our internal behaviors and promises to clients, and leave it there.

We’re weirdly picky about handouts.

Even when the client offers to make copies, or a conference organizer offers to put them online for people to print on their own (or use electronically, which is not preferred), we bring them.

For most sessions, our handouts have some color but are mostly black and white. We use our clear brand font (Frutiger condensed), have no corner staples, and we print on heavy (28#) paper. For some handouts, we use sometimes use card stock (100#) for the cover.

Our pickiness ensures the following:

1. Solid first impression.
2. Usable and practical.
3. Durable so they can serve as a future reference.
4. Won’t catch on anything with a corner staple.

Our appearance is appropriate to the circumstances.

DeAnne asks the client what others are wearing, then I dress at that level, or slightly above, to stay authentic and relatable, yet still presentable. In my early years, I always wore a shirt and tie that matched the brand colors of the client. Over time, that got a little odd and distracting, rather than professional, so we changed.

Internal behaviors that we strive for include:

• Impeccable grammar.
• Polite and respectful phone skills.
• Format, courtesy, and font selection of handouts and emails are of professional quality.
• Our appearance is appropriate to the circumstances.

What our clients can expect:

• Our grammar, phone skills, format, courtesy, font selection, and appearance are appropriate to the circumstances and set a high standard.
• Our follow-up systems are robust and responsive.
• Our proposals are clear and easy to read, understand, and share.

What are your team’s expectations around quality?

This is the fifth post in a 6-part series discussing the importance of having core values and what core values we at Group Dynamic hold to. Follow along as we explore the internal and extrernal impact of personal and corporate core values.

Post #1: What Group Dynamic Values
Post #2: Core Value: We are Accountable, Responsive, and Timely
Post #3: Core Value: We Obsessively Over-Communicate
Post #4: Core Value: We Exceed Service Expectations