Dr. Shashikant Gupta, or Shashi as he is called, co-founded Apex Co-Vantage with a radical idea: that business should be a force for good. What he means by that isn't really about sustainability or reducing our carbon footprint or donating to charity (although he established the Gupta Family Foundation to do that).
Shashi recently joined The Savvy Entrepreneur show to explain that, instead, the culture that his company lives and breathes is based on three simple core values: (1) integrity (2) human dignity and (3) the relentless pursuit of excellence.
These might sound like typical big-company mission statements. But the way he has implemented them has been described as “zen.” By integrity, he means that everybody in the company is always empowered to tell the truth and not avoid the facts. People have been fired when they have told customers things that aren't true. Employees at all levels of the company do not to “whitewash” information, and are empowered to speak to managers at any level about disagreements or things of concern.
By human dignity, he means that every employee conducts themselves in a way that enhances the other person's dignity. And by that, he means that the stronger or more powerful you are in the company, the gentler you should become. And this applies not only to other employees, but to customers and to vendors. For example, the company has no vacation policy — you can take as much as you want, and no one keeps track. And the employee handbook is a slim four pages.
He and his co-founder refused outside funding in order to build this culture and avoid the pressure to only make money. And the result is a company culture that employees, customers, and vendors alike sense is palpably different.
But his company isn't a non-profit; nor is it struggling financially. He is clearly and rightfully proud that his company lives these values, and yet is highly profitable.
Click on the arrow to listen to Apex Co-Vantage's fascinating story and how they have built a company that many people dream of working for! Or, if you prefer to read a transcript of the show, just click here.
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