It means turning our values into behaviours that positively impact how we treat each other, how we interact with our colleagues, partners, customers, how we work and see the world and its ecosystems. So to complement our values, we’ve created a code of conduct that serves as an official commitment to teammates and potential newcomers about the behaviours we encourage (and the behaviours we discourage) at eolos.
“We want to be the change that we want to see in the world” ; starting with creating an inclusive (eco)system at our level.
We’ve given it quite some thoughts and since it’s important to us, we wanted to share this document openly, so that it may inspire others, be used as a reference or even a template for others; like we did ourselves when reading and copying bits and pieces of the amazing work done by organisations such as Bosch Solutions, Ace & Tate, Patagonia and Buffer
Ensuring that everyone at eolos | engineering the future feels included is a big priority for us. ‘’Embracing diversity to unleash creativity’’: Our team is comprised of people from diverse backgrounds, allowing us to ‘’see’’ from different angles, ultimately resulting in our systemic approach to problem-solving. That’s why creating a framework for expected behaviours is key for our people, partners, customers and the planet to benefit from.
For us, creating a code of conduct goes beyond hiring and into talent retention. It’s about encouraging everyone to be(lieve in) themselves so that we can work better on building sustainable solutions.
As such, these few pages are in the form of a living document that everyone on the team can access, can read and share, can suggest changes for and even challenge at anytime. As a team, we share a vision, a mission, and a set of values. It binds us, as much as it prompts us to evolve, individually & collectively.
eolos is dedicated to creating an inclusive environment for everyone, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, colour, national origin, age, disability (physical or mental), sexual orientation, gender identity, parental status, marital status, and political affiliation as well as gender expression, mental illness, socio-economic status or background, neuro(a)typicality, or physical appearance. We’re united by our values, and by our mission, and we celebrate our unique differences as the representation of all the possible ways it can represent to reach our destination: a greater and more circular world.
We put forth this code of conduct not because we anticipate bad behaviour, but because we believe in the already exceptional level of respect among the team. We believe that articulating our values and accountabilities to one another reinforces that respect and provides us with clear avenues to correct our culture should it ever stray. Also because we are a service provider, working in a world where each organisation is different, where people come from different environments, where certain behaviours might be / have been tolerated, and that one needs to be aware of those differences to best adapt, react, decide on the way to go next.
We commit to reinforce and allow the code to evolve as our team grows.
Like our values, this code of conduct includes concepts & guidelines which we expect teammates to endeavour to apply to their daily lives, in and outside of the office & working hours. Specifically, it applies to collaborators interactions in various areas of our shared (professional) lives, including all events hosted by eolos and/or our partners, shared online spaces, social media, feedback forms, and events. Additionally, by being an eolos team member or partner you represent eolos | engineering the future, thus any behaviour outside and in the office, may reflect on the company image.
Both encouraged and unaccepted behaviours are intrinsically linked to our values:
Every member of the eolos team is expected to be honest, benevolent, humble, and contribute to an inclusive, collaborative, positive, and healthy environment in which we can all succeed. Specifically:
eolos team is committed to providing a welcoming and safe environment for all. Discrimination and harassment are expressly prohibited.
Don’t forget: “Communication is not what you say, but how it’s heard.”
In that sense, we have highlighted below some common behaviours and language, which are worth noting as particularly unwelcomed:
These guidelines are ambitious, and we’re not always going to succeed in meeting them. When something goes wrong—whether it’s a feedback session that went astray or an instance of (perceived) harassment—there are a number of things you can do to make sure the situation is addressed.
If you ever witness something that seems not aligned with our values or these standards, please talk about it. Even if an incident seems minor, reach out to the person impacted by it to check in. We’d also appreciate it if you would speak to a any member of the People or Management Team to share your concerns.
You can also speak to a person impacted by an incident or to the person who has violated the code of conduct, but these conversations can be tricky, so feel free to contact someone from the People team (external or internal), if you would like to exchange on how best to approach them.
None of us are perfect: all of us will from time to time fail to live up to our very high standards. Recently in an interview, a candidate even told me it seemed to be a lot of pressure to be part of eolos.
Well, what matters to us is not to be with people that have most perfect, shiny track record, but the ones who are taking responsibilities for their mistakes, admit when they don’t know, and most importantly are committed to learn and grow, constantly.
If you are approached as having (consciously or otherwise) acted in a way that might make your teammates feel uncomfortable, unwelcome, listen with an open mind and avoid becoming defensive.
Remember that if someone offers you feedback, it likely took a great deal of courage for them to do so. The best way to respect that courage is to acknowledge your mistake, apologise, and move on — with a renewed commitment to do better next time.
As we all grow and learn, too, eolos (will) provides trainings on non-violent communication, interculturality, feedback, and others. That said, repeated or severe violations of this code can and will be addressed by the People Team and leadership, and can lead to disciplinary actions, including termination.
a person impacted by an incident or to the person who has violated the code of conduct, but these conversations can be tricky, so feel free to contact someone from the People team (external or internal), if you would like to exchange on how best to approach them.
And again, these few pages are a living document that everyone on the team can access, can read and share, can suggest changes for and even challenge at anytime; starting with dedicating part of one of our Quarterly Team Meetings to re-open the discussions around it.
If you have any comments, questions, requests, we’d love to hear them! [email protected]
Author: Helene Isermeyer, Partner & Chief of Staff
Together with the eolos Team
Proud to announce we are serious about the climate emergency and committed to reach net zero emissions before 2050.
#UnitedNations #RacetoZero
Join us on our Race to Zero
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