Family, Faith, Health, Job is the mantra of Indiana Business College, the company I just started with two months ago. Previous to joining IBC, I had worked in Marketing and Sales for 11 years, and I never was part of an organization that was so in your face regarding the work-life balance. Now the hardcore business-person may think that this mantra somehow weakens the IBC brand or indicates a sub-par business model. I would argue the exact opposite. IBC has been in existence for 106 years and has grown to over 5,000 students. In addition, Indiana Business College was rated as the 18th Best Place to Work in Indiana for 2008. Coincidence? I don't think so. It is extremely motivating to work for a company that does not watch you as you enter and leave work. It is incredibly refreshing to know that you can leave at 4:00 on the occasional day to go see your daughter at school meet Santa Claus for the first time. I feel energized when I come into work, because I know that I plan to put my full effort into doing my job to the best of my ability...and still be home in time to tuck my daughter in at night.
There is very much an entrepreneurial spirit where I work. I am fortunate enough to interact with some of the best "big picture" thinkers in the proprietary education industry. And the mantra we follow internally spills over to our care and concern for our customers and students. We understand the importance and value of time, and we run our business to best accommodate as many people as possible.
Don't be mistaken however and think that for a second we are less than anything other than a FOR profit company. We are all tasked with finding ways to drive more students and generate more revenue. But it is done within the framework of keeping the really important things in life at the top. By focusing on being more connected to your family, faith and health, you naturally gravitate towards being significantly better in your role at work. Proper alignment and attunement of your priorities makes your personal and professional lives operate in partnership with each other as opposed to opposition. This mantra allows you to become a more complete individual while maximizing our most vital resource...time
Couldn't agree with you more Chris. Marc and I often talk about how we believe this approach is 'the right way' for us to conduct business. And as is often true in life itself, doing things the right way are often harder, but bring greater rewards in the end. I know when I first joined IBC, my first thought was..."are they serious? Don't they want to bleed me of my time and energy like every other employer I've had?" It's been great to have the experience where a company is who they say they are.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the feedback Ryon and thanks for following the blog. It really is incredible. I have already gotten past the "new job" excitement and now am just excited to be a part of such a great company. In my experience, the IBC model is the most productive and in turn the most profitable...take care of your people and they will take care of the company...
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