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Corporate Values Statement
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 The following is a summary of our Corporate
Values Statement as well as a summary of relevant professional guidance
offered to all associates of CCT Solutions via our Corporate Policy Handbook
topics that address fair and ethical
business practices and standards. |
By:
Christopher J. Gorton, MBA |
President, CCT Solutions,
Inc.
There seems to be a general consensus today that having and demonstrating corporate values
in one's professional life is, indeed, every bit as important as having and demonstrating
personal values in one’s private life. The public’s rightful disgust
over the nearly nonexistent ethical standards that were so clearly evidenced
in organizations like Enron and WorldCom and the eventual discovery of the high price such lapses can carry for everyone,
has ensured that the focus and debate on this subject will be a permanent part of business discourse in America.
Ensuring that we are and remain an ethical business enterprise cannot simply be done by pronouncements and policies alone. While all these formal components are essential, they cannot address each and every specific situation that may present itself - and their inability to serve as a beacon of ethical behavior in every situation can
render the safeguard they provide more illusory than real - especially when
such a framework cannot specifically address the variety and complexity of
the many choices each of us must navigate with regularity in our
professional lives. Many times, it is in the failure of communication
and proper interpretation of policy that leads to a breakdown in the ability
of ethics policies and proclamations to shape behavioral choice where corporations run awry of their corporate value statements.
Something very fundamental must happen if we are to be an organization that doesn't just profess to have corporate values
but actually demonstrates that we have them. Beyond the usual, but necessary, policies and procedures, we must also create a frame-work
within our organization that guides ethical business decisions when there
are perceived 'grey areas' and we must form our business processes around them
from inception. The premium we place on our corporate values must also be reinforced, practiced and communicated by example
and word from the very top of an organization all the way down.
Sometimes,
the communication within an organization that shapes the set of values that
our colleagues may learn from and often even emulate can be quite subtle – like
a manager making the implication that coworkers should put in longer hours at the expense of their family life if they are to be of greater value to the organization
going forward. Conversely, sometimes the communication can be quite overt – like telling a coworker that they should ‘do whatever it takes’ to make a project or job successful
or reach a target, even though some small measure of one’s perception of ‘whatever it takes’ may be morally objectionable. So, our thoughts must be governed by the basic principles that form the foundation of our ethics policies and it is the
then the practice and communi-cation of those principles within our organization that work to educate and articulate in a way that positively shapes a coherent and shared understanding of what values
truly are. At CCT Solutions, we know that our professional behavior must always be a testimony to our commitment to a corporate value system that is ethical, fair-minded and respectful of every individual that is either part of this organization or that is touched by it. Our individual and collective behavior must always reflect the basic principles of our Company. So, as we conduct ourselves in our daily professional life, we must firmly believe and communicate that: -
People have a fundamental right to speak openly, honestly
and without censorship of any kind; -
Exercising that right must never be
prohibited or discouraged - or result in any form of retaliation; -
While inclusive resolution and consensus are always preferred, professional disagreement is allowed; -
People should always be treated with dignity and the highest level of professional respect; -
Seeking help or guidance when one is uncertain is a sign of confidence and an open mind
- not an admission of inability; -
People have the right to best determine their own life priorities for themselves - and the balance they choose must,
necessarily, be respected by others; -
Clients are the lifeblood of our business and our job is to offer our best professional judgment
when consulted and then get fully behind whatever choice they elect to
make for themselves; -
We should conduct ourselves knowing that when we act individually, we reflect on the Company as a whole and all who have dedicated their professional lives to its success; -
We should listen carefully to others and make every effort to fully understand what is being said before we ourselves begin to
formulate a reply or speak; -
No one is perfect, but everyone is expected to be perfectly honest; -
Failure doesn’t come when an objective isn’t met - it only comes when
there isn’t an opportunity to learn from what could have been done
better; Even the most resounding
of successes can be improved, and that fact doesn't in any way diminish the success
at hand - it only strengthens the successes of tomorrow; -
There is no meaningful difference between silence and consent; -
We should take care to always act with thoughtful intent
and measured consideration; -
The application of effort and hard work are
the fundamental cornerstones of professional self-respect; -
Everyone’s unique contribution and difference makes
for a stronger team; -
Continual,
life long education and learning are an integral part of a meaningful
career; Our greatest achievement should always be
presumed to be what we are working on at the present time; -
Integrity can never be taken from you - and you shouldn't be led into giving it away no matter how persuasive an argument on the contrary may be; -
Weakness and shortcoming in others should always be constructively addressed and never exploited; -
The amount that you take
from another person, organization or process should never exceed the amount that you give; -
Commitment cannot be measured in thirds, fourths or halves - you are either committed to something or you are not; -
Be mindful
and consider fully
that your actions are graciously assumed by others to be of the best
intent and purpose and, accordingly, you have an obligation to honor that generosity
of trust by representing your very best self.
If we are mindful of these guiding principles in our communication and education of each other
and are mindful of them when servicing our clients, I am confident that when a difficult ethical choice presents itself
- which will eventually happen - we will make the right choice
and will continue to
serve this Company honorably by making sound ethical decisions and enabling our
products and services to be demonstrative of the highest of corporate values. 
Q:
Are you still unsure about which of the
paths before you is the better choice?
A:
Ask
yourself a simple question. If the action you contemplate were on the evening news, would you be proud of what it said about you, this Company and all of our many respected clients who have
generously entrusted us with professional association? | 
