The Brady's West Work Ethic

 A work ethic is a set of core values that guide how an individual performs or carries out his or her responsibilities at work. These values are reflected in both your attitude and behavior while on the job, and a strong work ethic is the foundation on which success in the workplace is built. At Brady's West, we want you to be successful in your work, so we encourage and support you to develop a strong, resilient work ethic. In our view, there are 10 core values that comprise the kind of work ethic we seek in our employees:

 Personable. Because all of our employees are engaged in sales, it is important that our employees are friendly and enjoy meeting people. This means greeting our customers with smiles on our faces and offering to cheerfully assist them with their shopping needs and with their questions. It also means being patient with them as they ask questions and make decisions about what they wish to purchase.

 Knowledgeable.  Our customers expect all of us to be knowledgeable about our products. Thus, it is important that our employees take the time to learn about our products and their qualities. We don't expect you to know everything about all of our products, but we do expect you to learn a little each day about the items you are selling--this is the secret to being helpful to our customers and successful in your job.

 Curious.  A key aspect of becoming a knowledgeable person is to first be curious. You should not only ask yourself questions about the products you are selling--their key characteristics and qualities--but also about the job itself. Questions like, "What are the essential elements of my job?" and "How can I do my job better?" reflect the kinds of curiosity that will help you develop skill sets that will feel fulfilled in your work.

 Shared Responsibility. We work together as team and we look out for each other. We don't hesitate to lend each other a hand, even when the work falls outside of our particular assignment. For example, you may work in the tree and shrub yard, yet find yourself waiting on a customer in houseplants, perennials, or in the flagstone and stone yard.

 Initiative and Autonomy. Showing initiative means that you don't have to be told what to do all of the time or even most of the time--that you are able to see what needs to be done and then do. Showing initiative, and being self-motivated to carry out your job, leads to a sense of autonomy or freedom to not only do your work, but to master it.

 Passionate. Success in any field is intimately connected to passion or enthusiasm. If you are passionate about something, you will find yourself wanting to learn everything you can about it--and making it your goal to share what you know about it with just about everyone. At Brady's West there is a lot to be passionate about: annuals, perennials, houseplants, shrubs, trees, stonework, landscaping: in short, just about anything that makes the world a more beautiful place. Pick something, master it, make it your own.

 Fairness. We have a saying at Brady's West: Fair is fair. In other words, treat others with respect and be honest with them. It is our version of the Golden Rule. Give everyone the consideration they deserve and expect the same in return. In terms of business, being fair means that the quality of our products and customer service is worth both the price of the product and the time our customers invest in coming into the store and talking with us.

 Humility. If there is one thing we can absolutely guarantee in your work here at Brady's West, it is that you will make mistakes. You'll say something incorrectly, you'll overlook a customer, you'll forget to do something. And that's all okay, as long as you admit the mistake, and take steps to correct it. That's what humility is. Being aware of your goof-ups and learning from them is a sure way to being on your way to become better at whatever you do.

 Professionalism. Being a professional means that you are reliable, responsible, and that you take pride in your work. At Brady's West, being reliable entails showing up on time and working hard during your shift. Being responsible means being accountable for your actions in the performance of your work--enjoying successes and correcting mistakes. Taking pride in your work is reflected in the dignity with which you perform your work and respect others in the process.

 Fun-loving. We believe being at work should be enjoyable, and we do our best to create a happy and positive work environment for all of our employees and staff. We want you to have fun at work, and indeed, we expect you to have fun working alongside us. It is not necessarily the "ha-ha" type of fun, although it sometimes is. It is more of the kind of fun that reflects enjoyment, pleasure, and the ability to lighten up and not take ourselves too seriously.

 Enveloping all of these principles is one overarching focus: At Brady's West we are all working to make our community a better place to live and work. Our goal is to help our customers create beautiful landscapes on their properties that are not only pleasing to the eye, but also function to benefit and sustain the planet: establishing habitats for wildlife, creating micro-ecosystems friendly to pollinators, and growing gardens and trees that yield food. With such an earth-focus, having a strong work ethic based on the principles above, is easy. Indeed, it is second nature to us.