Sequent Computer Systems - Culture and Values

Culture and Values

Sequent and its staff prided themselves on the companies values and principles from the very early days

Our Values:

• Easy to Do Business With

• The Customer ALWAYS Comes First
• Do All We Can to Ensure Customer Success - Does Not Always Mean Saying Yes
• Three Keys -- Listen, Consider and Act
• Go the "Extra Mile" for the Customer

• Profitability

• Required for Our Success
• Allows for Growth & Investments for Future
• Everyone is Responsible for Profitability
• Follow the "Spend Smart and Invest Smart" Concept

• Teamwork

• Strong & Balanced Teams
• Put Group Goals & Interests Ahead of Personal Reward
• Open & Honest Communication
• You're Accountable for Your Commitments
• Nobody Wins Unless the Team Wins

• Quality

• Exceed the Customer Expectations
• Strive for Continuous Improvement in All You Do
• Know Who Your Customers Are
• Establish Clear Mutually Acceptable Expectations
• Managed Expectations, Consistently Achieved

• People

• Assimilating & Integrating New Members is Critical
• Open, Honest & Timely Communication
• Treat Each Other With Respect
• Take Time to Say "Thank You" for a Good Job
• Strive for Win-Win Relationships

Our Principles:

• Act With Honesty & Uncompromising Integrity
• Take Responsibility for Our Customers' Success
• Strive to be the Best
• Have a "Can Do" Attitude
• Respect Each Other
• Exhibit Team Pride
• Take Calculated Risks
• Be Active Community Citizens
• Urgently Do the Right Thing
• Make Consultative Decisions

Casey Powell, founder and CEO, said in an April 2011 LinkedIn Discussion about how these values came about: “Why are you here?” was the question I asked of every member of the founding team. From that, the list of Corporate Objectives was created. It was within this set of Corporate Objectives that the phrase “Easy To Do Business With” first appeared. Values, Objectives and Practices is an excerpt from the definition of Corporate Culture, and while fundamental to what we had at Sequent, it was a “necessary but not sufficient” part of what made Sequent what it was. It was all of the processes we used to build our company that made it what it was. The “values” were important, but so was the way we organized our teams, made decisions and “institutionalized” the way we did things, based on our Culture, that made Sequent what it was.