Our Vision, Values and Mission (VVM) define who we are. Our Foundational and Leadership Competencies define how we put our VVM into practice.

Builds Relationships

Building relationships means working effectively with others. It creates the open, dynamic, collaborative business environment needed to provide the speed, flexibility, integration, and innovation for competing successfully in a fast paced business environment. As a Vertex competency, it includes establishing and maintaining relationships with people inside and outside the company. It is a key competency in both product innovation and customer intimacy. Building relationships relies on fluid communication exchange, active listening, and collaboration.

Drives for Results

In a competitive business environment, organizations must focus on maximizing each person's contribution to results and, ultimately, to the bottom line. No longer can people operate in silos that do not contribute to Vertex's overall financial picture. For organizations and individuals to succeed, they must constantly be on the lookout for ways to add value and to improve profitability. Driving for Results rests on being goal oriented, planning and thinking ahead, and focused on improving business performance. It is best achieved by communicating fully, clarifying the financial and other business implications of decisions, collaborating, and taking action to optimize resources and work processes.

Anticipate Customer Needs

With customer intimacy as a strategic focus, everyone at Vertex must demonstrate a concern for the needs and expectations of customers both internal and external. Anticipating Customer Needs means applying an understanding of what customers want, and more importantly, need as the basis for organizational action. Leaders must ensure that the customer's voice is heard by everyone in the company. Recent research shows that most customers who switch to other products do so for reasons other than the product itself. Nearly 70 percent said they switched because of "an attitude of indifference on the part of a company employee" (compared with only 14 percent who were actually dissatisfied with a product).

Knows the Business

Knowing the part of the business to which you are assigned is a necessary part of knowing the business. However, that by itself is insufficient. In addition, it requires having a good knowledge of the various functions and processes of the total business operation and how they work together to meet business targets and create satisfied customers. At the same time it means maintaining current knowledge on the market context in which your company does business-competitors, partners, market forces, regulatory and environmental issues. Ultimately, knowing the business means applying what you know in order to improve your part of the business and the overall enterprise results.

Learns Continuously

Continuous learning is a genuine intent to expand one's knowledge and skills. It requires an appropriate level of self-analysis. In the context of the workplace, continuous learning focuses on personal and professional development to improve current performance and prepare for future requirements. Continuous learning is NOT about continually taking formal courses –it is about taking the initiative to ask questions, seek knowledge, develop skills, and adapt behavior to enhance your performance at work. Formal course work is one method, but you will learn the most through targeted experience at work and in life.

Fosters Innovation

Leaders who foster innovation assume a role that is less about being the one to come up with creative ideas and more about facilitating the creative process of helping others get their creative ideas considered and implemented. In some instances, they contribute as part of their facilitative efforts and in other instances, they are wise enough and "big" enough to let others take the lead. Fostering innovation also means that leaders are innovative in their own right-when they have a good idea they pursue it and promote it. In that pursuit, they collaborate with others to refine the innovative idea.

Promotes Customer Initmacy

Customer intimacy is the discipline of gathering information from customers to create superior value in the products and services that Vertex delivers. Promoting customer intimacy is the proactive effort put forth by Vertex leaders to:

• shape internal processes, industry alliances and employee behavior towards this type of information gathering and,
  
• ensure critical customer information flows into the development and delivery of products and services.
  

Align and Engages

Aligning and engaging the workforce involves anticipating future trends, creating a compelling vision, and communicating that vision. It also requires that processes in Vertex support people as they try to accomplish that vision. People who impassion others, generate positive expectations and optimism. While we traditionally think of alignment as most important for direct reports, it is also extremely important when dealing with colleagues and even bosses. With these people, over whom you have no direct authority, aligning and engaging can help you gain support for your initiatives in the face of competing plans and priorities.

Develops Talent

Developing talent means strengthening the Vertex's talent pool by providing people with opportunities to develop new skills. It means more than simply allowing people to go to training; it means providing challenging assignments that stretch people, at the same time they move Vertex to higher productivity or innovation.