COVID-19 and Corporate Values

The COVID-19 situation has brought the Employer - Employee - Client relationship into focus yet again. Business are challenged to continue to produce results for clients and ensure safety for employees at the same time.

The way prospective employees are going to evaluate employment opportunities is going to go through a big change going forward. A key question that will be asked is - How did a particular Employer respond to this extreme adversity ? Its at this cusp that I try to reflect upon the Willis Towers Watson's Values and how they continue to guide our actions.

There are five key values that shape the way we do business as Willis Towers Watson.

Client focus - We are driven to help our clients succeed. In every interaction and with every solution, we act in our clients’ best interests – striving to understand their needs, respecting their perspectives and exceeding their expectations.

Even in the extremely difficult times this value fundamentally does not change. Our client’s well being continues to be at the core. We are fully aware that most of our clients are currently responding to the most important thing just now – safety of their people. And we support that. We continue to reach out to our clients to help them understand implications and possible actions that might help. Not everything is about winning the next project!

Teamwork - When you get one of us, you get all of us. We bring innovative solutions and world class advice to our clients by working across boundaries of business, geography and function. We help each other succeed and create more value by working together

None of us have likely worked/managed our personal lives in a situation like the one we are facing now. We are looking to rally ourselves together and keep each other engaged. We are trying to collaborate well between us so that our clients continue to experience us seamlessly. Together Everyone Achieves More takes on a whole new meaning.

Integrity - Our clients invest more than their time and money with us; they also invest their trust. We seek to earn that trust every day through professionalism, doing what is right and telling the truth. We are accountable to the organizations and people with which we interact- including clients, shareholders, regulators and each other – for our actions and results.

Integrity is at the core of everything that we do.  Even in these challenging times this value continues to drive us to do the right thing. Even as our colleagues come to terms with the new reality – no offices, connectivity issues, blurring work and office time while working from home, anxiety, fear of personal health & safety etc., we act with professionalism and remain accountable for our actions. Our clients have trusted us to get the job done, and we will keep it exactly like that.

Respect - We listen to and learn from each other. We support and celebrate differences, foster an inclusive culture and operate with openness, honesty and benefit of the doubt. We manage our relationships, inside the company and out, with fairness, decency and good citizenship.

We are operating in unprecedented times.  No one really knows what’s ahead in the future. There are more questions in our minds than we can find answers. Now is the time, more than ever before to listen and learn from each. Different individuals respond to adversities differently. And we respect that. We respect the new normal, celebrate differences and try to laugh together (over a Skype call) ??

Excellence - We strive to lead and sustain excellence. Most importantly, this means an unwavering commitment to professional development and personal growth for our people. Our colleagues take responsibility to develop their expertise, competencies and professional stature, while the company invests in the tools and opportunities that allow for continual development. In business, we place an unrelenting focus on innovation, quality and risk management.

Our determination to be the best at what each one does, never slows down. We continue to strive to exceed our client’s expectations. We continue to invest in our colleagues’ capabilities. We continue to press ahead with the committed learning agenda sans the travel and personal meetings. We do miss the personal interaction between colleagues, but we are no less effective in learning! We continue to look for the next great idea or a fresh insight to our clients and we continue to create exceptional experiences for both our clients and colleagues