At Abletech we’re proud of our team’s culture. In July 2020 we ran a workshop to identify exactly what our team values are. Everyone had a chance to speak and we collaborated to agree on four team values.
Values are an important part of any team culture, having a defined set of values and knowing the behaviours that align with them make it easier for any new team members to understand what is expected of them.
In April 2022 we checked in with the team to find out how connected to the values they felt NOW and ask if they were empowered to live them each day at Abletech. We will be using this feedback and other observations to inform a company wide refresher workshop which will run in the coming months to both celebrate our values and address any gaps.
This blog is a summary of the results from the April survey.
Continuous Improvement
Our team values continuous improvement as individuals, as teams and in terms of the work we do. We seek out ways to use the latest technology to make our work more efficient, while growing the skill sets and capabilities of our people and improving the ways we work as a team to deliver great outcomes to our clients. We strive to always approach our work with the aim of doing better than last time.
"At work we carry out retrospectives both internally and with clients to identify areas which haven't gone as well as they could have, so that we can work out how to improve in the next piece of work"
"Striving to learn new technology, ways of doing things and improving one's skill-set. Doesn't have to be tech-related either, anything to improve or strive to constantly be better."
Do the right thing
At Abletech we are proud of our values and try to align all the projects and clients we take on with them. We include a range of voices in our decision making processes, and aim to ensure the needs of others and ourselves are respected in the work we do. We stay honest with our clients and our people, keeping them informed of changes, increases in scope etc. We look out for each other and are ethical in how we treat people. On a more personal level, the teams are always on the lookout for opportunities to volunteer time and resources to help others.
"We don't cut corners - our code follows best practice and likewise when we represent ourselves to our clients - we won't sell them short. We strive to do what's right in terms of development and working with others."
Support & Respect for all
This means treating everyone with respect and making sure that we are making all people feel welcome at our workplace. We do this by being mindful of language used in the office and on written documents. Being aware that not everyone works or interacts in the same way, so listening to people's requests and making sure our processes allow for differences. Making an effort to make people feel comfortable, for example, learning how to pronounce a person's name before they come in and using their correct pronouns, simple things to do that can make a world of difference.
"Basically, the golden rule - treat others as you wish to be treated. Plus, standing up for those who need it and/or can't stand up for themselves. The respect part of that statement extends to being genuine about your intentions and not using people as talking points to make yourself appear as a saviour of some sort. Be respectful by being genuine."
"We're supported to be our best, ensuring our health and wellbeing is looked after and we have the tools required to complete our work. Also we look out for each other and have each other's backs on projects and when required."
Sustainable
To us sustainability applies to both the work we do and the world around us. We run our office on carbon zero electricity, have a room for charging e-bikes in the office and run other initiatives to help reduce our impact on the planet. We strive to build and maintain code in a way that it's maintainable by all and built with quality at the forefront of our apps and are passionate about ensuring our team is working in a sustainable way, encouraging regular breaks and running team activities as a way of providing a mix of fun and work.
"Doing what we can to ensure this business is outworking this and actively seeking ways to do better not just for the environment, it's about how we work, longevity of our decisions with a view to the future"
"I walk or take public transport when I can, instead of driving. Recycling and using organisations that promote sustainability."
