As our company continues to develop, it’s worth spending time just reflecting on our new values and behaviours.
If I could wave a magic wand and ensure that all our behaviour statements were adopted consistently right now, right around the world, Amec Foster Wheeler would feel like a different company. Our values and behaviours form the framework for our company culture and, far from being followed blindly, we want our people to discuss them.
As two very successful engineering companies, we have for many years focused on what we deliver, but increasingly this is becoming something our customers just expect – how we do it, though, is something our customers see as differentiating.
Take diversity and inclusion for example; it will take a long time to become a company that truly values diversity of thought and ensures that all employees feel included. Our people must feel that they can achieve that high level of engagement and inclusiveness, as this will create the richness of ideas that will lead to excellent delivery in whatever geography or market we choose to operate. This is a challenging journey, but it must start somewhere and a key target is creating the expectation amongst our people.
Changing cultures and behaviours is an exciting journey and one that does not always have a final destination – as we get closer we should continue to push ourselves to achieve more. What seems aspirational now should become the norm.
I believe our values and behaviours are the absolute minimum we expect.