In 2007, we developed the list “What We Believe At Walker” that is displayed on the inside back cover of this issue. This was our attempt to communicate and remind our employees and others outside the company of the company’s core ideology; a clear definition of our operating principles and what we stand for.
While many companies have values statements or mission statements to unite their teams and propagate their cultures, we decided to write down our beliefs, developed and learned from over 50 years in the manufacturing business. It is important to note that while our beliefs were not written down in the beginning, we have lived the foundational beliefs and developed others from experience as we have operated the business across the years—these are lived-out beliefs.
In this modern era, it is not popular to believe anything with certainty, dependability, with absolute truth and moral foundation. Rather, beliefs are to be tinkered with, taken apart, examined and repackaged to accommodate diversity, tolerance and choice; the thinking is that all beliefs are of equal value, and it does not matter what you believe as long as you sincerely believe something. We disagree with old-fashioned certainty. What you believe does make a difference and you can be sincerely wrong. We have had a few wrong ideas ourselves. Beliefs are important to guide a happy, healthy, satisfying life, and in the same way, to guide a successful business.
The ancient biblical text speaks of a “double-minded” person who doubts and does not believe as unstable, driven and tossed by every wind and wave, and as incapable of receiving wisdom from God. The person or business that does not have beliefs (the great overarching ideas) of who you are, why you are here, what you are to accomplish, and what your operating principles are misses the opportunity to be guided in daily activities and to have a meaningful life.
We understand that our list of beliefs is a work in progress; it may be amended as we go along. It is also understood that not everyone inside or outside the company may agree with it or have the same beliefs, but at least in articulating and living out our beliefs, others will know where we are coming from.
We are thankful for our collective experience, first my parents and then my brother and myself, to be able to develop a set of beliefs to help us guide the company. In a world of changing circumstance, there is great value in testing the situations faced against the beliefs. There is also great value in passing these beliefs to the next generation who will guide Walker Manufacturing into the future.
What We Believe at Walker
- Operate by principles that are optimum for employees and their families
- Promises are to be kept; keep your word, tell the truth, be honest in all things (dishonesty cannot be tolerated within the company or in outside relationships, as it is ultimately destructive)
- Pursue excellence in all work without excuse–the results of this pursuit are easily seen in every part of the business and in all relationships both inside and outside of the company
- Opportunity to lead depends on serving–our suppliers, employees, and customers all voluntarily associate themselves with the company based on how well we serve them
- Remember where our help and blessings come from–live and work with gratitude for all the Lord has done for us
- Trial and error is powerful in finding the right way–keep your experiments on a small scale, so in error, the damage is small scale
- Understand that a primary objective of the business is to produce multiplied opportunities; multiplying money is further down the list and is more of a means to the primary objective
- Never allow growth to be the main goal–it is an outcome from doing everything else right
- In all relationships show mercy and forgiveness since the Lord has been merciful and forgiving to us
- The Lord’s Sabbath day will be honored by resting from our work
- Your most equitable path is to honor, consider and protect the investments of others as if they were your own (consider employees, suppliers, marketers, customers)
- Always love people, use money
- By working together as a company of people, we can accomplish a better livelihood for ourselves than available by working individually; helping others succeed builds your own success
- Our Lord God, our Senior Partner, has given us this opportunity, we are stewards of the business, the opportunity and the culture; we will operate by principles and ways to honor His name
- Unrelenting loyalty to customers builds long term relationships–a strong product opens the door while good service keeps it open
- Never ignore a request; all requests or inquiries deserve the dignity of a reply–do not screen or selectively not respond–you may miss the one opportunity you need to have if you screen
- Dignity and honor exist in all work performed by diligent workers–as much as each person should be working at their best opportunity, take pride in their work, enjoy what they are doing
- Stay independent–use internally generated finance, product development, and in-house production to keep control and build continuing opportunity
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