WD-40 Company Mission and Values
Our mission is to leverage and build the brand fortress of
We strive to cultivate a learning culture based on our corporate values. Our people are passionate about learning, embrace our corporate values and are focused on exceeding stakeholder expectations. Our corporate values drive our company, and are:
- We value doing the right thing.
- We value creating positive lasting memories in all of our relationships.
- We value making it better than it is today.
- We value succeeding as a team while excelling as individuals.
- We value owning it and passionately acting on it.
- We value sustaining the
WD-40 economy.
1. We value doing the right thing
This statement means looking for the right action in every context, asking critical questions that bring out the best course or decisions relevant to the situation and the circumstances. It also means being honest in both word and deed, which creates the opportunity for mutual trust. Begin reliable, dependable and competent creates trust as well, and are the right things to do. Acting on these values creates trust. Doing what’s right according to the situation and the context creates trust. If we are honest, and if we speak and act in ways that engender trust is all our relationships, we will be doing what is right.
2. We value creating positive lasting memories in all of our relationships.
Our relationships include each other, our shareholders, our customers, our products’ consumers, our suppliers and even our competitors. Our competitors might be attempting to “win” in the marketplace, just as we are, but we should strive to act in ways that they admire, even as they are competing with us. Our suppliers may not be with us continually, or even for a long period of time, if business needs require a change. But we want them to be glad that they did business with us. Our shareholders should be proud to say they own our stock. Our customers should consider us a part of their business success. Consumers should be glad they bought our products, telling their friends about the quality and utility of our brands, our company name and our many brands should become known as emblems of quality, performance and value. Our Tribe members should consider each other as valued friends and colleagues who share work, struggles, successes, life and laughter over the years.
3. We value making it better than it is today.
We strive for continual improvement. We celebrate our successes, but we do it once and then move on to new heights of achievement. We solicit ideas and solutions from all, and consistently look for ways to progress. We are comfortable with self-criticism and receiving constructive feedback. We take the time to recognize others who do the same. We endeavor not to repeat mistakes. We value the development of our people, to enhance their skills and to improve their career opportunities. There is a special moment that occurs right at the point in time where a person gains an insight or new knowledge because of a particularly positive…or negative…event. We are constantly on the lookout for these “learning moments,” because they are the fuel for continual improvement. And these “learning moments” can’t happen if we don’t strive to grow outside of our comfort zones. We must push ourselves to do things that are new, difficult and uncomfortable. We must take intelligent risks, in order to create the opportunity for these moments to occur. We must encourage each other to do so as well, supporting each other in the process of growth. We will not punish intelligent mistakes. We will continually ask of ourselves and each other, “What is the lesson in this?”
4. We value succeeding as a team while excelling as individuals.
We recognize that the team comes first. Our organization is a global company with many different locations and Tribe members spread far and wide.But everything we do is towards the success of the entire company. And within the company are smaller groups, whether they are functional departments or teams defined by geography. The same philosophy applies in these sub-teams. We believe the individual can’t “win” at the expense of, or apart from the team. But individual excellence is the means by which our team succeeds. And excellence is defined as outstanding contribution to the team.
5. We value owning it and passionately acting on it.
We have a culture of accountability. We believe that all of us are owners of our company’s treasures. We are individually and collectively responsible for the future of our Tribe members, and we are accountable for the impact we have on all of the people who are affected by what we do. We put our hearts into our work, because it is with passion that great things are achieved. Nothing of note in the annals of history arose out of complacency, apathy or indifference. We aspire to greatness, and so we must act with passion.
6. We value sustaining the
We are a business. As such, we exist to create economic value for all of our stakeholders. Without profits, our future is limited. Without growth, our opportunities are few. We believe that long-term economic viability is based upon the creation of value for others. If our products truly solve our customers’ and consumers’ problems, they will rely upon us to provide them for a long time. If we manage our business well, we will minimize our risks and create appreciation of our assets to everyone’s benefit. Our actions and decisions will focus on how to maintain economic health, preserving and enhancing our value far into the future. We believe we cannot only accomplish this without violating our other values, we believe those values are contributing advantages in our efforts to be a successful enterprise. We invest in ourselves to accomplish this, and must be economically viable to do so.
The Environment - A Fundamental Commitment In Our Business
Over the years,
