Core Values

From CEO and founder Karen Stinson:

When ProGroup was formed on January 1, 1986, one of the first actions I took as the leader of the organization was to create our Core Values. I knew that it was my responsibility as the leader to be clear about my expectations of the members of our team in terms of our intentions, actions and behaviors toward each other and our clients.

Twenty years have passed and we still have the same core values. They have been clarified, updated and somewhat modified, but they are still here and they are used by all of us on the ProGroup team as a guide to our daily interactions and activities.

Here they are. If you'd like to borrow them and use them for your organization, feel welcome.

1. We Will Follow the Clariette Principle at All Times.
The Clariette Principle comes from combining the first names of our two owners' mothers: Harriette Stinson, and Clara Blank. This Core Value is in honor of life messages they each lived and passed on to us. The Clariette Principle is based on that old message, "If you don't have something nice to say about someone, don't say anything at all." We hold ourselves and each other to the Clariette Principle regarding clients, community members, family, colleagues, coworkers and everyone else we encounter.

2. We are Dedicated to Every Client's Success.
This means that we will take the time to have the necessary conversations with the right people externally and internally. We strive to be well informed in order to come up with the best approach and solution for each client. We will create a plan that best serves our clients' short term and long term needs. Our entire team works together to implement our plans and run our projects in a timely, organized fashion.

3. Innovation that Matters for ProGroup and Our Clients.
Our clients' needs are always changing and they face new challenges every day. In order to serve our clients today and into the future, we continually assess and ask questions of our clients and ourselves and search for new, better answers. Based on what we hear from our clients, we are committed to thinking outside the box, seeking multiple perspectives, evaluating new delivery channels and creating new programs and products. Our final test before we launch anything is to ask ourselves "Will this product or service help our client(s) achieve their goals. Is there a measurable ROI for this product?"

4. Trust and Personal Responsibility in all Relationships.
In order to build trust, we will use proven internal processes, keep our promises and meet our deadlines. We will take time to have honest conversations, be respectful toward each other and to act from appreciation or acceptance in all situations. We will assume good intent as we start conversations, especially in times of stress. Each of us is responsible for our own well being and our own careers.

5. Practice What We Teach, We are a Living Lab.
We utilize ProGroup's diversity by asking colleagues to share their stories, their talents and their perspectives and then listening to them. We will do the same with the diverse communities we live and work in. We each are responsible to act as Change Agents and work to create an inclusive environment at ProGroup, in our client organizations, in our communities and in the world.