Disclaimer: These communications are intended for the employees of HB Global. We recognize that the general public will have access. The views expressed in these communications represent Bob Whalen in the context of HB Global and may not apply to broader audiences.
October is Employee Ownership Month, and a significant part of our identity as a company is that we are employee owned through an ESOP.
As an ESOP, the value we create as a company is shared back with each individual employee owner into their ESOP accounts. When we succeed as a company, we all win. That’s why one of our principles is that We Win Together.
Winning together isn’t only important to us because we’re an ESOP. It’s also inherent in our culture. It’s fundamental to how we operate within our teams and broader organization.
Our We Win Together Principle
“We win together. We allow individuals across our organization to demonstrate their expertise to ultimately win as an HB Global team. Similar to a football team, each facet of our team has their own specialty, but we come together to win as a whole. We embrace challenges and figure out how to get the job done. We aim to succeed at the individual, operational business, and organizational level. Because of the partnership culture, we want to do our job and do it well. Each member of our organization is necessary for our success, and we recognize that we need each other to win, while getting to have fun and enjoy the journey.”
What Winning Together Means at HB Global
The obvious part of winning together stems from the fact that we’re an ESOP. Each employee owner shares in the value that is created. That means that when we perform better as an individual, a team, and an organization, the company is able to create more value, which means more value is shared back with each employee owner.
The value that is shared goes beyond what is shared in ESOP accounts. It also leads to things like additional growth opportunities, resources, tools, and more.
Winning together is about more than being an ESOP, though. It’s a recognition that we need each other to win. Each person has their own unique expertise and background they bring to the table. Just like a football team that needs different skills from a quarterback than a linebacker, our teams possess different skills that help us achieve our goals.
This also goes beyond the individual level. Not only do we rely on a diverse set of individual backgrounds, experiences, and skills to be successful, we rely on this at a team and division level as well. At HB Global, each of our divisions brings something unique to the table, whether it’s the services they provide, the region they serve, or the way they go about doing their work. This helps us to be diversified, which allows us to be more resilient in the face of challenge.
Why Winning Together Is Important to Us
When we have a mentality of winning together, we become part of something larger than ourselves. We see that our work impacts the value we receive, and as we become more enlightened in this concept, we see that we also have the ability to positively impact others.
This helps us to bring our full energy and effort to the table each day. We’re more willing to jump in to help our teammates, divisions, and the broader organization when needed. This mindset helps us be better able to tackle challenges and figure out how to get a job done.
As a growing organization, the concept of winning together also helps us to welcome new employee owners in by recognizing the unique value that each new employee owner or division brings to our organization.
Our people are our priority at HB Global. With a mentality of winning together, we’re more open to seeing what each of our teammates contributes to our overall success.
How We Live Winning Together
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At the divisions, there are unique specializations that come together to make the whole stronger than the individuals. RDG is a prime example of that. Division President, Larry Kluger, explains: “RDG has four separate companies that are engaged in property management, general construction, paving and excavating, and HVAC and plumbing. The companies all do business with each other, which helps them perform better financially and provide seamless service to our clients. Since joining HB Global, we have also been in contact to pursue potential business opportunities with IT Landes, BBEC and HB McClure. “We win together” is a recurring theme in RDG’s business strategy.”
Winning Together and Our Core Values
When we practice the behaviors of our core values each day, we set ourselves up to be able to win together on a regular basis.
Trust
Part of our trust core value is honoring our commitments. When we do this, we win in so many ways. The most obvious is actually following through on getting the work done. Equally important, we win in our team culture by creating an environment of trust and support.
Team
Team and winning together go hand-in-hand. Winning together doesn’t just mean achieving a certain result. It means doing so as a cohesive team that wants to support each other and get better together. By checking our egos at the door and treating people with respect, we develop a strong team relationship ripe for winning.
Grit
Demonstrating grit is a key ingredient to our teams winning together consistently. Not everything will always go according to plan, and that’s when going the extra mile and not making excuses will help us to navigate the challenge as a team.
Growth
Growth and winning together are self-reinforcing. When we focus on getting a little bit better each day and commit to being lifelong learners, we set ourselves up to be able to win regularly. When we win together, we create more opportunities for this growth both as individuals and as a company.
This Employee Ownership Month, we are grateful for each member of our team and the role that each employee owner plays in us winning together!
Have your own thoughts or questions about the HB Global We Win Together principle? Send them to [email protected].