Manifesto

In Michigan Creative by Brian Town

We at Michigan Creative wanted to give our new employees and everyone that we came into contact our way of thinking, and how we expect our employees to be. Here is a look at our handbook, or what we call Our Manifesto. Enjoy.

The Employee Manifesto
Michigan Creative’s primary goals are to support and improve all employees. We have no hard and fast rules, but we do live by our principles and our culture. Those principles are, in a nutshell: Be great. Do amazing and wonderful things in work and in life, Make the choice to be happy.

We, as employees and leaders of Michigan Creative, BELIEVE that:
• Lasting success can only be achieved through dedication to the growth and well-being of the individual, not the corporation.
• Every employee is responsible for his or her own improvement, the improvement of the corporation, and the improvement of those around them.
• We understand by that greatness is a simple choice, and once we choose it, others follow.

We live by the following PRINCIPLES:
• Self-Improvement – We desire to grow and learn continuously. Our happiness is determined by the amount of personal investment we make in our own growth.
• Integrity – We live our lives with the highest level of moral and ethical principles. Integrity is the foundational principle for lasting success.
• Humility – We realize there is no such thing as individual success in life and acknowledge those who have helped us along the way. We are grateful for the opportunities we have received, even though feel we may not deserve them.
• Idealism – We believe we can make the world a better place. The future of our lives, our community and our country lie in our hands, and we have the ability and responsibility to change them for the better. If this is first and foremost in our mind, we cannot get discouraged.

We look for these CHARACTER TRAITS in new employees:
• Courage – We have the strength to do what is right at all times, regardless of the consequences, and the strength to move beyond our own comfort zone.
• Honesty – Honesty is integral to everything we do. Honesty leads to trust, and trust is a basic element in all forms of human communication.
• Unselfishness – We know true happiness comes from being able to give to others and enrich their lives. We accept as much joy and happiness life offers us but strive to give back more than we receive.
• Self-Discipline – We implement change in our lives and have the fortitude to see things through.
• Self-Respect – We respect ourselves, which leads to respect for others.
• Accountability – We have a responsibility to follow through on our commitments and know that accountability is the foundation of organizational effectiveness.
• Dedication to Others – As the company is dedicated to each employee, so are we dedicated to our colleagues’ and our customers’ well-being.

As LEADERS, we strive to live by and lead by these additional qualities. Although all Michigan Creative employees should strive to embody these attributes, we require our leaders and managers to be:
• Positive – We maintain a positive attitude and help others see the positive in themselves, the company, and the world.
• Supportive – We are supportive of others both inside and beyond our department. When dealing with others, we focus first on their good qualities before turning to the areas where we can help them improve.
• Team Oriented – We win or lose as a team. There is no room for personal glory or statistics. When one department wins, the entire company wins. Each of us is responsible for everyone’s success.
• Emotionally Responsible – We are emotionally aware at all times. We use positive emotions to convey passion, excitement, happiness, approval, gratefulness and fearlessness.
• Transparent – We realize that knowledge is power, as is access to information. We put knowledge and information in the hands of our employees, so that the entire organization is as confident and capable as possible.
• Tough – We are tough. We make difficult and unpopular decisions when necessary. We hold ourselves and our people accountable for our actions and decisions.
• Inspirational – We accept the responsibility of inspiring those around us. We motivate our colleagues and employees through inspiration.
• Proactive – We take initiative and act rather than react. We empower our employees to make decisions and have the patience to accept mistakes.
• Solution Oriented – We offer solutions when we identify or discuss problems.
• Dedicated – We are dedicated and keep working until the job is done. We focus our energy on the task at hand rather than offering excuses or explanations.
• Magnanimous – We give credit where credit is due. We recognize our people and our teams for success but accept personal responsibility for our teams’ failures. We are gracious in defeat, and we allow others to retain their dignity when we triumph.

This Employee Manifesto is adapted from Centro, and written by Michigan Creative employees and is intended for current employees, prospective employees, companies we look to do business with and anyone else desiring to learn about Michigan Creative.

Brian Town
Michigan Creative CEO
And when you Dream, Dream big…