Magnum Group's Fundamentals

Document and share solutions. Be process-oriented. Understand the challenges of consistency and scalability.

Create clarity. Avoid misunderstandings by discussing expectations upfront. Establish mutually understood objectives and deadlines for all projects, issues and commitments.

Speak directly to each other, preferably in person. Choose a phone call or a face-to-face meeting over an email, especially when delivering important or difficult messages. Lead with what’s most important and don’t waste time on facts that are not relevant to the discussion. Direct communication resolves issues faster. Remember that people cannot read your mind.

Look ahead and anticipate. Take steps today to prepare for future needs. Avoid the mistakes that come from last minute action. Follow-up on things before you are asked. Never leave our clients or your co-workers hanging. Offer status reports within 24-48 hours on any pending or incomplete request.

Recognize that the person paying us is not your only client. It may be your client’s client, your peer, or even a vendor. Show genuine interest in their satisfaction and success. Understand their goals, their pain (expressed and unexpressed), their story and their philosophy. Read about them, ask questions often, and get to know them personally. Be engaged.

Contribute your intellectual capital. Understand your strengths and value the strengths of those around you. Individually, we’re responsible for our collective success. We win and lose as a team.

Sales is part of everyone’s job. Ask yourself, “Would the experience I’ve created make the client rave about Magnum?” Make every client interaction memorable. Be respectful, warm and helpful. Be fanatical about response time and keeping clients in the information loop.

Solid processes yield consistent results, and consistency is the cornerstone of quality and reliability. Never underestimate the supreme importance of checklists. Follow company processes to the letter.

Work as quickly as possible without sacrificing quality. Don’t put off until tomorrow what can be completed today. See issues to their completion.

While the details of our daily tasks may have us working in the weeds, never lose sight of the bigger picture. Take the time to understand our vision, goals, projects, opportunities, challenges and finances. This helps us focus on priorities.

Don’t be satisfied with the status quo. Demonstrate a commitment to lifelong learning by feeding your mind. Keep up on current events, tools, techniques, and on what is happening in our industry and in our client’s world.

Fix mistakes by focusing on solutions to create “win-win” outcomes. Identify lessons learned and use them to improve our processes so we don’t make the same mistake again. Offer objective solutions and treat mistakes as learning opportunities.

Take ownership and personal responsibility for making things happen, rather than waiting for someone else to take action. Fight the harness of fear. Don’t be afraid to question, to challenge, to imagine, to ask and to think. Go beyond your comfort zone, challenge the status quo and embrace change.

Demonstrate an unwavering commitment to doing the right thing in every action you take and in every decision you make, even when no one’s looking. Integrity is one of our greatest assets. Never hide or ignore facts. Deal with mistakes and you will pave the way to success. Always be truthful, honest, responsible and transparent.

Listening is more than simply “not speaking.” Give others your undivided attention. When listening to others, put down your cell phone and keep your eyes off your email. Listen with care and with empathy. Be engaged in the conversation and don’t allow distractions to pull your attention. Most importantly, listen to understand. Avoid jumping to conclusions or making assumptions.

Deliver on your commitments every time. This includes being on time for all phone calls, appointments, meetings and promises. Do what you say you will do, when you say you’re going to do it. If a commitment can’t be fulfilled, notify others early and agree on a new commitment to be honored.

Apply creativity and enthusiasm to develop an idea on how to solve a problem before complaining about the problem. Respond to every situation by looking for how we can do it rather than explaining why it can’t be done. If you don’t think someone else’s suggestion will work, take the initiative and always suggest an alternative. Become part of the solution. Don’t ever say “no” without having an “instead.”

Don’t allow your own ego or personal agenda to get in the way of doing what’s best for Magnum and our clients. Personal agendas should never take precedence over what’s best for our clients or our team. Worrying about who gets credit, who looks good or who looks bad is counterproductive.

Regard translation as art supported by technology. Share your passion for our company, your profession, and our services. Your enthusiasm is contagious and helps to spread our message. Remember that every one of us represents who we are as a company.

While it’s important to understand the problem in its entirety, take responsibility for developing solutions. Be optimistic and use your creativity, spirit and enthusiasm to see all the possibilities. You get what you look for. Look for solutions.

Paying attention is at the core of quality. Pay attention to directions, to each other, to our clients and to details. Never take your eye off the ball. We are process-driven and there is no room for improvisation. Don’t guess. By overmanaging details, we are always ready to tackle any challenge as a team.

Celebrate each other’s personal and professional success. Look for the best in each other and provide rigorous support, including honest and direct feedback. Ask for feedback. Be open and ready to see yourself through the eyes of others.

Question what you don’t understand. Be curious and use your imagination. If you identify an issue, ask yourself how you can solve it. Then, present the problem with a possible solution to the team. Communication leads to innovation.

While effort is appreciated, we reward and celebrate results. Collect metrics to track how well you’re doing and to see how you can improve. Hold yourself accountable for achieving results efficiently.

Be a team player. Work together. Collaborate internally with your colleagues, our vendors and our clients to find better solutions. Collaboration generates better ideas than does working alone. Don’t be a martyr. Be inclusive.

Maintain a healthy work/life balance by taking time off regularly to recharge your batteries. Spend quality time with family and friends. Keeping a sense of balance, purpose and perspective leads to better performance.

Notice exceptional leadership when it happens around you. No matter where it happens. No matter who is doing the leading. Appreciate it. Praise it. Celebrate it. Do so explicitly. Our ability to affirm an act of everyday leadership elevates the quality of life for all of us.

Choose to be compassionate even when you don’t agree with what you hear. When you think the other party is unreasonable. When your buttons are pushed by the communication style of the other person. Being compassionate does not mean that we need to agree with the other party or refrain from stating our point of view. Empathy and compassion positively impact the flow of the conversation.

Focus on doing things right the first time, even if it means the task takes a little longer. Always be thorough and double-check your work. Proofread all written communications for accuracy, understanding and correctness. The goal is to get things right, not just to get things done.

Recognizing our cultural differences is the first step toward understanding each other and establishing a positive work environment. If you find yourself in a confusing situation, ask yourself how culture may be shaping your own reactions, and try to see the world from the other person’s point of view. Use these differences to discover new ways to solve problems.

A friendly work environment is stimulating and an upbeat disposition contagious. Find humor wherever you can, even in adversity. A good sense of humor allows everyone in the office to have fun while getting the job done.