The four pillars of Barrington.Co, that set our values and form the guiding principles for everything we do are:
Helpfulness – Humility – Honesty – Fairness
We would be more than happy explaining these in more detail, although below is a summary of what each means to us.
Helpfulness: being willing and able to provide assistance, support, or aid to someone in a useful and meaningful way. It involves showing kindness, consideration, and a genuine desire to make a positive difference in someone's life or situation. Being helpful means offering guidance, information, resources, or physical help when needed, and being responsive and understanding towards others' needs or challenges. It's about being reliable, dependable, and empathetic, and taking actions that contribute to the well-being and success of others.
Humility: having a modest and down-to-earth attitude towards oneself and others. It involves recognizing and acknowledging one's own limitations, strengths, and achievements without arrogance or excessive pride. A humble person in business is not driven by ego or the need for personal recognition but instead focuses on the collective goals and success of the team or organization.
Being humble in business means being open to feedback, valuing the opinions and contributions of others, and being willing to learn from mistakes. It involves treating everyone with respect and fairness, regardless of their position or status, and fostering a collaborative and inclusive work environment. Humility also means being willing to admit when you don't know something and being open to seeking help or advice from others.
In essence, humility in the business context is about having a balanced perspective, being approachable, and valuing the collective efforts of the team in order to foster a positive and productive work culture.
Honesty: being truthful, transparent, and ethical in all aspects of your professional conduct. It involves presenting information and representing yourself, your products, or your services accurately and without deception. Being honest means not misleading or deceiving others for personal gain or to secure an unfair advantage.
In business, honesty also encompasses being forthright and sincere in communication. It means openly sharing relevant information, both positive and negative, with colleagues, employees, clients, and other stakeholders. It involves admitting mistakes or errors and taking responsibility for them, as well as making a genuine effort to rectify any wrongdoing.
Fairness: providing equal opportunities and access to resources, benefits, and rewards without discrimination or favouritism. It requires considering people's qualifications, skills, and contributions rather than their personal characteristics or relationships. Fairness promotes a level playing field and ensures that everyone has a fair chance to succeed and thrive.
In business, fairness also means having transparent and consistent processes for hiring, promotions, and performance evaluations. It involves setting clear expectations and criteria and evaluating individuals based on merit and objective standards.
Fairness extends to how conflicts and disputes are handled within the organization. It means providing a fair and impartial resolution mechanism, where all parties are heard and treated with respect, and decisions are based on evidence and impartial judgment.
Furthermore, fairness includes honouring contractual agreements and treating customers, suppliers, and competitors with integrity and respect. It means avoiding unfair business practices, such as monopolistic behaviour, price fixing, or unethical competition.
Overall, fairness in the business context promotes a sense of justice, equality, and trust among all stakeholders, fostering a positive and ethical business environment.