Over the past 30-plus years of organizational consulting experience in risk management, safety/health and well-being, I’ve had the pleasure of supporting hundreds of organizations. The importance of culture cannot be overstated. Culture is how an organization communicates how things get done. The building blocks of organizational culture consist of values, beliefs, attitudes and norms. By norms, I mean the typical established behaviors and practices of each organization, operating department or division and/or the work group level. Norms are the “rules of engagement” of how people are expected to interact.
Every organization has a prevailing culture and can have one or more subcultures. I have always been fascinated by the companies that truly put people first. I have observed how these companies sound, look and feel differently than other companies. These companies seem to have a “secret sauce” that typically make them more productive, effective and profitable. This people-first ethos is baked into the DNA of the company.
One of the companies I have enjoyed meeting over the past five years is Valley Interior Systems (Valley) in Cincinnati. Valley began in 1981 as a union specialty subcontractor focused on interior construction. Over the decades, the company has expanded its scope to include complex and challenging exterior projects, all while staying true to its roots in framing, walls and interior finishes.
With five additional regional offices (Columbus, Dayton and Toledo in Ohio; Lexington, Kentucky; and Nashville, Tennessee) and a team of over 1,300 employees, Valley’s growth has been fueled by its intentional focus on a people-first culture. Valley’s leadership has focused on building a culture that actively unites more than 1,200 field workers with roughly 110 office staff serving in various roles.
A People-First Approach?
“The way you treat your working family will determine everything else in your company,” said Christopher Sanders, vice president of safety, who has been with Valley for 25 years. “By putting employees as your priority, they will put your business objectives as theirs. We see this reflected in our production levels, quality and safety observations.” This philosophy drives a culture where employees are invested in both the company’s growth and their own.
What Makes Valley Interior Systems Unique?
- Commitment to safety — With 20 safety team members and a robust safety orientation led by the safety department, Valley intentionally combines physical safety and emotional well-being.
- Training and development — From Day 1, employees are immersed in Valley’s culture and programs, emphasizing that they are valued both as professionals and as individuals.
- Athletic trainers to support return to work for injury rehabilitation — Valley provides ongoing support, including access to athletic trainers for medical conditions and assistance with off-the-job injuries for employees and their families.
- Weekly culture discussions — Foremen lead conversations about the company’s 24 fundamentals, fostering a shared understanding and commitment to excellence.
Core Values in Action
Valley’s commitment to culture is deeply rooted in its leadership and core values. The company has identified 25 cultural fundamentals describing “The Valley Way” that are actively instilled at every level of the organization. Each week, one fundamental is reviewed on every jobsite, led by foremen to foster accountability and positive reinforcement among field and management teams alike. This process ensures that culture isn’t just a talking point but a shared experience.
The following eight examples are among the 25 cultural fundamentals or values of Valley:
- Take pride in your work
- Do the right thing always
- Honor commitments
- Think safe, work safe
- Add value
- Get clear expectations up-front
- Listen to understand
- Speak straight
Supporting each of the 25 cultural fundamentals are simple practice statements to help ensure adoption and consistent application of the desired behaviors. This includes a brief descriptive summary of how to live out the core value in their work. Sanders has shared that “Many employees talk about how living out these cultural fundamentals at home and outside of work have improved the quality of their lives, and improved communications and relationships in their personal lives.”
Sustaining a People-First Culture
As Valley has grown, senior leadership has been intentional about maintaining its people-first culture through various methods. Three specific practices are ingrained into the company’s operations:
- Purposeful hiring — Ensuring that new hires align with the company’s cultural values.
- Comprehensive training — Day 1 orientations led by the safety department set the tone for Valley’s employee-first ethos. Safety works closely with human resources to deliver a thorough orientation to all new hires.
- Continuous support — Employee assistance programs (EAPs) and additional resources ensure employees have the support they need to thrive both personally and professionally.
Industry Leadership & Advocacy
Beyond its internal culture, Valley is highly active in industry associations, including the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC); Association of the Wall and Ceiling Industry (AWCI); Builders Exchanges in different marketplaces; the Ceilings & Interior Systems Construction Association (CISCA); Signatory Wall and Ceiling Contractors Alliance (SWACCA); and Spirit of Construction (SOC). These partnerships allow Valley to advocate for workforce development, professional growth and industry advancement.
Established Leader in Workplace Mental Health
Valley is also at the forefront of workplace mental health and suicide prevention. Sanders, a military veteran, leads the “2 Tuff 2 Talk” (2tuff2talk.com) initiative, a joint labor-management mental health and suicide prevention program. This innovative program was jointly started by the AGC of Northwest Ohio and the Construction Employers Association (CEA) in northeast Ohio. Sanders serves as the elected president of the initiative and as a dedicated lead trainer. Sanders has also been a proponent for the adoption of naloxone in the company’s workplaces and jobsites to help reverse the effects of opioid overdoses.
Valley has also been active in the Blueprints for Well-Being Council sponsored by the Builders Exchange of Central Ohio. Valley was an early supporter of this group of leading construction companies and service providers committed to build a healthy culture at their companies. The focus of this group is to promote holistic education from experts in well-being and share best practices with the goal of normalizing help-seeking behaviors among the construction workforce.
An outgrowth of Valley’s commitment to mental and behavioral health is the unique Valley Family Fund that’s designed to help employees experiencing an emergency or crisis to receive financial support from their colleague employees. Office staff donate to a fund that supports all employees facing personal challenges, reinforcing the sense of community within the company. “We feel all employees are people first, employees second,” Sanders explained.
“Valley created a fund to help our working family handle personal challenges. By supporting employees through tough times, we help them refocus at work and provide for their families.”
Valley is a visionary company that continues to attain success and growth. Company leadership attributes this success to its adherence to safety and its other core fundamental values centered on being a people-first culture. I am proud to share the story of Valley and its unique culture in this first profile of companies in this new featured column.