Company values

Positive people are much more fun to work with than pessimists. Being optimistic also helps to think in solutions rather than in problems. Another aspect of positiveness is to be proud and celebrate achievements together.

We devote time only to what brings us closer to achieving our objectives. For this, it’s important to know our goals and objectives. This includes continuously reducing all forms of waste (time, resources, quality). It also means to think holistically, put the ego away and focusing on the benefit for the whole company and thus all VSHNeers. Effectively getting things done means for us to iteratively deliver value and using the feedback to improve in the next iteration.

Integrity means for us not only honesty and righteousness but also being respectful and constructive. This implies being open to criticism oneself and to openly, directly and constructively contribute to topics and correct behavior of others. Discussing organizational problems constructively means to reflect and voice Tensions or understand_and_assign_drivers.adoc#_understanding_drivers[Drivers]. Follow through on Agreements even if you don’t agree or like them as long as you don’t have a possible objection you can bring up. Try to remain calm, objective and matter of fact when discussing issues, don’t get emotionally involved, don’t blame others. Approach people you have issues with directly instead of talking behind their backs.

We’re always open to new information and ways of addressing the challenges at hand. Experiment and continuously learn to develop yourself and our company. Actively help others to do so as well. We actively experiment to apply new knowledge accepting the risk of occasional failure as an opportunity to learn and do better next time.

We actively share our knowledge both internally and externally, be it in documentation (Open Source) or communication. We believe that collaborating with other experts over company borders produces win-win results.

We record all information that’s valuable for others and the organization, and make it accessible to everyone, unless there is a specific reason for confidentiality. Together with automation and standardization this helps us to be replaceable, which we strive for.

We respond when something is needed and do what we agreed to do. We take ownership for the course of the organization. We’re dependable by taking ownership and reaching out actively if you need help to get the task done. Being accountable also means to take care of your primary job before contributing to other topics. Furthermore, being accountable means carefully considering the impact of our actions both within VSHN and in the broader community, as outlined, for example, in our commitment to social responsibility.