The establishment of corporate values is now seen as a norm in virtually every industry and garners significant airtime by CEOs and space on the company’s annual reports. However, a company is not only required to have values but to actively strive for them every day.
As Harvard Business Review laid clear, even the values of Enron were “Communication. Respect. Integrity. Excellence.” Following their collapse due to accounting manipulation in 2001, these were not being practised. As a result, the values we have formed at ClearGlass were not simply picked from a management textbook but have been developed through workshops and consultations over an extended period and are maintained through appraisals and nominations, which we conduct on a business-wide level at our monthly town hall.
As a fast-growing fintech company, our values are shaped by a flat hierarchy, where people are empowered to take ownership of projects, lead, and pursue excellence. In this dynamic industry, we need to adapt to a fast-changing industry and actively lead the industry through cutting-edge innovation grounded in our cultural framework.
We are kind (Human)
Our employees have identified kindness as a key value at ClearGlass. As a small but growing company, we have formed a close-knit team that works in flexible and dynamic working groups, where kindness to each other is evident for everyone. Every opinion is valid, and everyone who wants to speak up is listened to and appreciated. We have created a space where everyone feels the confidence to voice their views through kindness, enabling us to improve together.
We strive to be our best (Quality)
We are proud of what we do and pursue only the best of ourselves, constantly striving to reach new heights both as individuals and as a team. We have put personal development front and centre of how we appraise each other, allowing people to identify weaknesses, strengths and to set goals and targets that work towards improvement and development. Every person and role has their own gold standard, and by striving towards these we are able to put our best foot first when engaging with clients and the industry.
We are open and transparent (Transparency)
Transparency is sewn into the very fabric of ClearGlass, and it’s the key driver and motivator behind our existence. Our products are designed to revolutionise the industry, by breaking down the barriers between asset owners and asset managers to enhance transparency in the industry. As a result, we practice transparency at every level internally. Meetings can be joined by anyone, and our management’s proverbial doors are open for anyone to visit and talk about their development, role, the company, or indeed anything. These built-in feedback loops in our culture allow for continuous improvement in what we make and do.
We test and learn with urgency (Growth Mindset)
We are a product company, that takes this role seriously. We know that to maintain our market-leading position and to further enhance it, we have to move quickly and remain dynamic. As a result, we foster and support anyone with an idea to take ownership and form cross-functional teams to make their ideas a reality. The very Insights page you are reading this article on was the result of such a process, and it is the source of many of our product offerings.
We deliver results (Ownership)
The most important aspect of any business is results. It’s what binds a good idea to a marketable product and a successful team. As you will have read so far, ownership is taken seriously at ClearGlass, and anyone can come forward and claim it. After this, we empower individuals and teams to create measurable metrics (or ‘OKRs’) on which they may then be assessed. These are constantly reviewed, successes are rewarded, lessons are learned, and progress is made.
Does the above sound like you? Want to learn more? Feel free to check out our current vacancies here and reach out to Luke@ClearGlass.com if you have any questions.