FAQs

The Values were identified through a yearlong process that included input from employees in different offices in facilitated discussion groups and work sessions and using approaches and techniques that companies developing Values have had success with. Some members of the Smithbucklin board also contributed. A set of four Values — Optimism, Ambition, Expertise, and Thoughtfulness — emerged from this process. We believe this set of Values accurately reflects a desired future-state culture that will support our vision, core strategies, and multi-year goals and are excited to build and nurture it together.

Our previous "Our Chosen Values" dates back more than 20 years. They served us well for a long time. Much has changed since their initial adoption, both inside Smithbucklin as well as externally. Our new Values reflect the guiding principles of the culture we are building to achieve sustained future success. As of June 4, 2024, “Our Chosen Values” are now retired and they will no longer be visible on our company website or any other printed or electronic resource. The new Values will replace them.

In order for the Values to become a part of our day-to-day culture at Smithbucklin, they need to be easy to review and to recall. Fewer Values also required us to prioritize and distill down to only those concepts that were most critical to the culture we want to establish and to our future success. Ultimately, Optimism, Ambition, Expertise, and Thoughtfulness rose to the top of our process.

Values matter to Smithbucklin because they serve as guiding principles for our culture, actions, and decision-making. Values provide a shared understanding of what the organization stands for, what its employees are responsible for, as well as what our clients and partners can expect from us. This clarity strengthens our ability to attract talent, and our capacity to create value in the markets we serve. Ultimately, these Values explicitly support our vision, strategies, and multi-year goals.

Our Values provide a shared understanding of our aspirational behavior, what we expect from each other and what our clients expect of us. So, for all of us, it is about approaching our work by purposefully looking at our projects, tasks, and interactions through the lens of the Values. Refer to Our Values in Action for examples of how to integrate the Values into your work.

Our Values belong to everyone who works at Smithbucklin, including all Smithbucklin companies.

The 360 Way was a foundational starting point for 360 Live Media when it was founded in 2011 and has been a pivotal component of its legacy, influencing the organization, its people, and its impact on associations. The 360 Way embodied entrepreneurialism, clarity of purpose and strong commitment to culture which were all attractive to Smithbucklin when we acquired 360 Live Media. During the creation of the new Smithbucklin Values, we sought input from several members of the 360 Live Media team. 360 Live Media fully embraces and adopts the Smithbucklin Values, while the replica of the initial 2011 “360 Way” chalk wall from 360 Live Media 's first home will remain in our D.C. office because it is a significant artifact of 360 Live Media's origin.

First, we should each consider ourselves a champion of our Values. To help in our rollout, we provided training to a group of people who were part of the development of the Values and/or nominated by leaders to support the Values launch and to serve as resources to colleagues. Refer to Our Values Champions for the list of Champions as of June 4, 2024.

As part of our rollout, we will be sharing the news of our new Values publicly on social media and in other ways. As a result, clients may become aware of this rollout and the Values. You are welcome to talk informally to clients about our new Values and specifically the rollout. We are planning more formal methods of sharing our Values and their significance with clients and prospects — these materials and conversations will be led by senior executives at the start. If you think your client could benefit from that, please let your Executive Director, unit head, or supervisor know.

In 2024, all employees will be asked to reflect on how they can demonstrate the Values in their role as part of the check-in for Core Professional Group employees and the annual performance review for Executive Group employees.

By sharing our new Values with potential job candidates, we will be able to share a window into our priorities, our culture, and our work environment. We have seen a really positive reaction from candidates so far.

Over time, we will measure the success by our ability to achieve the business outcomes (e.g., employee experience, client success, and financial results) that the Values are designed to enable. In the short run, we'll measure success by the ability of our employees to understand them and to make them part of our day-to-day work lives.

Don't hesitate to talk to your supervisor or a Values Champion if you have questions about the Values and how you and your team can understand them fully and integrate them into your work.

Please go to Submit a Values Idea. A member of the Corporate Marketing team will follow up to get more details.