A company’s stated values provide a foundation for how it approaches everything else, from the work it does to the people it attracts. At their best, they are simple, and clear and compelling enough that they provide helpful guidance for making decisions, including the most challenging ones.
Here are Charter’s values as an organization:
Generosity—Our posture at all turns is one of generosity. We believe in treating each other, and anyone with whom we interact with openness, respect, and curiosity, and come from a position of trust, empathy, and collaboration. We believe in creating an environment where everyone can be their full selves, and in directly addressing bias and other obstacles to opportunity. We have zero tolerance for discrimination. Being generous includes embracing being part of a diverse team coming together to make a shared vision a reality—our aim is to be both low ego and high ambition.
Impact—Our work is propelled by the desire to positively impact how work is done and people relate to one another. This is founded in a moral conviction that all people deserve the opportunity to work with dignity, and a belief that a society where more people thrive at work is one where more people play active roles in their families and communities. Having an impact entails bringing our talents and passion to the work that we do—and striving to further the maximum positive change possible for any effort we put in.
Creativity—The systems under which we live and work are strained and broken—especially in the face of challenges like inequality and climate change—and fixing them requires us to abandon assumptions that business should be approached the way it always has been. We’re better served by pursuing boldness and creativity rather than sentimentality for how things have always been done. When at a fork in the road and we have conviction that the bold and creative path has greater potential, we should take it without hesitation.