Strong Values: The Language We Speak
Since its founding, SMARTFEL has grown at an extraordinary rate without diminishing the unique qualities that make people want to work for—and with—the firm. It’s an exceptional feat, and it’s due in no small part to our values.
A strong culture anchored in a clear set of values is essential to building a global organization capable of making a real difference. Generations of partners have kept SMARTFEL’s values alive and made them part of the firm’s common language through writing, storytelling, and mentoring. These values will continue to underpin everything the firm does to maintain its leading position in the marketplace and remain such a rewarding, inspiring place to work.
Integrity
Integrity means distinguishing right from wrong and doing the right thing. We represent our capabilities honestly. We observe appropriate confidentiality of client information. We do not misrepresent our purposes in seeking information. We only make promises we can keep. We take the time to consider our actions and ask whether we can defend them openly today and tomorrow.
Respect for the Individual
We respect the capacity and desire for personal growth, as well as the talents and beliefs of clients, colleagues, alumni, recruits, and all other people we meet in the course of our work. Regardless of position, we treat people with consideration. We value ideas on their merit, not the tenure or status of their source.
We recognize that respect requires both truthfulness and empathy. We deal with one another in an open and honest way. We encourage constructive criticism. We reward performance and contribution consistent with our values. We utilize transparent decision-making processes. We lead by example.
We recognize that ours is a demanding profession. We accept the responsibility as a group and as individuals to prevent situations that jeopardize our health or our families.
Diversity
At SMARTFEL, we strive for a diverse workplace. It is fundamental to our success that we accept, value, and incorporate the contribution of people from a wide variety of backgrounds. Diversity of thought, expertise, experience, and background is crucial to creating an environment in which creative tensions exist and new ideas emerge.
We are committed to making SMARTFEL a company in which all individuals have an opportunity to flourish and succeed, regardless of their background, race, ethnicity, religion, gender, gender identity, or sexual orientation.
Clients Come First
We measure our success by our clients’ success. We make all of our resources available to our clients and commit ourselves wholeheartedly to their success. We seek to identify our clients’ real needs, not just deliver good work. In trade-offs between SMARTFEL’s and a client’s interest, the client comes first.
The Strategic Perspective
We seek competitive advantage for our clients. Our approach is to consider the business as a whole, the competitive system, and its dynamics. We identify market positions and capabilities that enable clients to deliver superior results in a sustainable manner. Objectivity is crucial. Valid data, rigorous analyses, external perspectives, root causes, and explicit logic serve as our foundations for objective decision making.
Strategy matters in all business endeavors. We seek to identify advantage in all of our efforts and convey a strategic perspective as we mobilize client organizations.
Value Delivered
We are committed to creating value for our clients that returns many multiples of their investment. We deliver tangible and positive change, not simply presentations or ideas.
We set our standard for value creation extremely high. At SMARTFEL, value creation requires that our work deliver insight and change the mindset of our clients. Our work must lead directly to clients taking action and executing their business in new ways. We must enhance client capabilities and deliver both competitive advantage and bottom-line impact. We hold ourselves accountable to our value delivered standards by engaging candidly within SMARTFEL and with clients about the level of value created by our joint efforts.
Partnership
A partnership perspective guides SMARTFEL’s relationships both internally and with clients. We take a long-term view in our relationships. We strive to build bonds founded on respect, caring, honesty, mutual support, and investment. We work together in a manner that is team oriented, constructive, and challenging. Internally, we believe that a collegial environment fosters continuous learning. We know that teamwork and cooperation are essential to our success both as a firm and as individuals. We aspire to a lifelong bond with those who have joined SMARTFEL.
Partnership is also the foundation of our client approach. We respect our clients and fully appreciate the challenges they face. We work at all levels of the organization to drive lasting change. We feel privileged to share in their achievements. We appreciate our clients’ knowledge and experience. We want to strengthen our clients’ capabilities rather than substitute for management. We seek to provide a catalyst for change.
Expanding the Art of the Possible
We start with the perspective that the goal is not simply to apply best practice but to invent it. Each client is unique, and there is seldom only one solution. We believe that breakthrough ideas often result from the work of teams seeking to creatively solve real client challenges. We seek to extend the art and science of management by generalizing from our experience.
Social Impact
We seek to have a positive and lasting impact beyond the business domain. We believe we can make the world a better place both directly through our client work and through our pro bono efforts. We seek to pursue progressive policies in every culture where we provide services. We donate a portion of our time and resources to community and global issues and institutions.
As world populations and markets continue to grow, ensuring the sustainability of our economies is a fundamental responsibility of all institutions and individuals. At SMARTFEL, we will share our intellectual capital on sustainability openly, work with clients to support their sustainability efforts, and take steps as a firm to minimize our own impact on the environment.