Clients and customers imply a relationship that is distant and based on the bonds of advantage. Our business partners are also our neighbors and our friends. We avoid sharp advantage and instead prefer mutually desirable results for everyone involved. We do not have employees. We have associates.
Employees are human resources, things to be managed and controlled.
Associates are friends and collaborators. They offer candor, vision, initiative, and support. They are self-directed and are responsible for their choices. We have a responsibility to further our own professional and personal development and to assist our colleagues in their efforts to grow. We strive to be inclusive and draw on the synergy that can result when we value the differences that make us individuals.