Asemio is a social enterprise inhabiting the intersection of software and social good. For ten years, we’ve been in business serving our clients and community alike. We believe that how we work is just as important as what we do.

As a result, we’ve taken very intentional steps to introspect on what our core values are and woven them into the very fabric of how we operate. What are those values, you ask?

Empathy
Tenacity
Resilience
Balanced Decision-Making
Stewardship
Introspection

This blog post sheds light on these values and how they shape our actions, impact, and the way we view the world.

Which value resonates with you most?

Just for fun, we put together a short quiz to give you an opportunity to see which of our core values you align with most.

1. When faced with a challenge, you:

(A) Reflect on how you’ve handled similar situations in the past.
(B) Persist until you find a solution, no matter how long it takes.
(C) Carefully consider all possible solutions before deciding on a course of action.
(D) Accept the challenge as a learning opportunity and adapt your strategy.
(E) Balance the resources at your disposal to find the most efficient solution.
(F) Try to understand the perspectives of all those involved.

2. When you make a mistake, you:

(A) Accept it and learn from it, focusing on how you can do better next time.
(B) Keep pushing through, knowing that setbacks are part of the process.
(C) Reflect on the decision-making process to understand where it went wrong.
(D) Bounce back with a renewed sense of focus and resilience.
(E) Re-evaluate your resources to prevent the same mistake from happening again.
(F) Try to understand how others may have been affected by the mistake.

3. In a team, you value:

(A) Open and honest communication to foster mutual understanding.
(B) Commitment to the project, even when obstacles arise.
(C) Balanced decision-making that takes everyone’s views into account.
(D) The ability to bounce back from difficulties, as a team.
(E) Proper resource management to ensure efficiency and effectiveness.
(F) Empathizing with teammates and recognizing their individual needs.

4. In a conflict, you tend to:

(A) Reflect on your actions and emotions to better understand the situation.
(B) Stay the course, working towards a resolution without backing down.
(C) Hear all sides, then make a balanced decision on how to proceed.
(D) Accept that conflict is part of the process, and focus on recovery.
(E) Utilize your resources to find a mutually beneficial resolution.
(F) Try to understand the feelings and perspectives of everyone involved.

5. When a teammate is having a tough day, you:

(A) Take a moment to reflect on how you can best support them.
(B) Remain committed to your tasks, demonstrating that you’re all in this together.
(C) Strive to understand their feelings, then balance those insights with the needs of the project.
(D) Encourage them to bounce back and remind them that everyone has rough days.
(E) Consider the resources at your disposal that might help them, such as employee support programs.
(F) Offer to listen and provide support, trying to understand their perspective.

6. A colleague made a mistake that impacts your work. You:

(A) Reflect on the situation and understand that everyone makes mistakes.
(B) Show determination by adjusting your plans and continuing your work.
(C) Analyze the situation from all angles before deciding how to proceed.
(D) Demonstrate resilience by adapting your strategy and moving forward.
(E) Evaluate the resources you have to correct the mistake and prevent similar issues in the future.
(F) Empathize with your colleague and seek to understand their point of view.

7. When designing a new project, you:

(A) Set aside time for self-reflection, thinking about past successes and learning opportunities.
(B) Show tenacity, committing to finding the most innovative solution.
(C) Engage in balanced decision-making, weighing the team’s capabilities against the project’s requirements.
(D) Approach potential challenges with resilience, ready to adapt and improve the project as needed.
(E) Conduct a thorough review of the available resources to develop the most efficient plan.
(F) Seek to understand the end user’s needs and perspectives to ensure the project serves them well.

Results:

If you chose mostly (A)s, you resonate with our value of Introspection.
If you chose mostly (B)s, your value is Tenacity.
For mostly (C)s, you resonate with Balanced-Decision Making.
If you chose mostly (D)s, your value is Resilience.
For mostly (E)s, you resonate with our value of Stewardship.
If you chose mostly (F)s, your value is Empathy.

If you found it difficult to choose just one answer, you’re not alone. Our team members demonstrate these values daily, often blending several values at once in their decision-making and problem-solving. Real-life scenarios often call for a multidimensional approach. Also important to note is that perfection isn’t the goal; it’s about striving to uphold these values even on tough days. So if you felt torn between multiple actions, that shows your well-rounded approach to life’s challenges — a testament to the Asemio spirit.

The History of Our Core Values

Defining Asemio’s core values has always been a collective undertaking, far from an exercise conducted in isolation or exclusively by leadership. These values naturally surfaced from our shared experiences, beliefs, and mutual respect within the team.

In the process of identifying and defining our values, we began by reflecting on what we appreciated most about our collaborative work environment. We didn’t just list out the qualities we admired in each other; we also thought deeply about what makes Asemio a great place to work.

During this process, certain values presented themselves as “given,” or what we term “permission to play” values. These include fundamental expectations like honesty and respectful behavior, values so intrinsic to a healthy work culture that they don’t need explicit mention.

Our distinctive core values took shape as we recognized and grouped these key attributes. But we understand that as our company grows and changes, so too might our values. That’s why we revisit them annually, ensuring they continue to reflect who we are as a team and the ideals we champion. It’s this dynamic approach that keeps our values relevant and meaningful, mirroring our evolution as a team.

Core Values in Action

It’s one thing to have a great series of core values; it’s another to shape your actions in alignment with those values. It’s not always easy and like most folks, our team members are balancing multiple competing demands – both professional and personal. It’s helpful to have some questions you can ask yourself to check in throughout your day. If you like our core values, you might find these questions helpful too:

Stewardship: Are you being good stewards of the resources available to you, whether time, talent, finances, or energy?
Empathy: Are you thinking about the perspectives that others have that could inform how you show up in a situation?
Balanced-Decision Making: Tough choices are a part of life; are you making smart decisions that balance what’s best for all involved?
Introspection: Are you seeking input from yourself and others on where you can learn and grow?
Tenacity: Have you done everything you can do in a given situation?
Resilience: Are you facing challenges with grace and bouncing back stronger with new insights?

Striving to answer these questions with a “yes” helps us operate at our best. But, being human, not every day can be our best — and that’s okay. It’s why we work as a team, supporting each other through the highs and lows!

You can read more about our core values here.

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