Our
Culture
A Culture Unlike Any Other
At our core, you will find a shared belief in a valuable collective of cultural fundamentals that give us direction and focus in our day. To be the best, the team must commit to working toward a common goal; delivering on the perfection of the build, every time. Honesty, integrity and a willingness to embrace perpetual learning
fosters an environment of growth and continued improvement. There is no status quo, and blameless problem solving means there is a mutual respect for the opinion of others. We seek out win/win situations in all we do here at Van Dam Custom Boats- personally and professionally.
1
Practice continuous improvement every day, all day.
Always be thinking about how you can improve, whether it is a process, a skill, or an attitude. Don’t be satisfied with the status quo. Keep getting better.
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2
Treat others the way you want to be treated.
Be aware of your words and actions when interacting with customers, co-workers, friends and family.
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3
Act with integrity.
Bigotry, misogyny, racism, and hate are not tolerated in our language, our music, our daily activities, or our culture. Be the example that lives this message.
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4
Give a (Van) damn.
You are expected to care about what you do. If you don’t care about what you are doing, move on.
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5
Own it.
Your experience is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.
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6
Do the right thing, always.
Demonstrate an unwavering commitment to doing the right thing in every action you take and in every decision you make. There is no better way to build trust than to steadfastly do what is right for others.
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7
Move with purpose.
Purpose gives focus. Focus gives energy. Energy gets things done.
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8
Make quality personal.
Take pride in the quality of everything you touch and everything you do. Always ask yourself. “Is this my best work?”
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9
Pay attention to the details.
Do the little things right so the big things work out.
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10
Be committed to responding.
Clear and timely responses are one of the easiest and best ways to stand out from the crowd.
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11
Create an atmosphere of friendliness and warmth
Pay attention to every interaction and be sure you’re setting a tone of friendliness, warmth, and helpfulness.
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A brand
New Facility
Embracing the past – its successes, challenges and opportunities – has allowed us to shape our future operations and new facility to ensure the upward momentum of our craft.
12
Be curious about our customers.
Get to know them, it is critical to our success.
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13
Go the extra mile.
Be willing to do whatever it takes to accomplish the job…plus a little more. Work hard to exceed people’s expectations.
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14
Do what you say you are going to do, when you say you are going to do it.
Follow up on everything.
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15
Keep things fun.
Remember that the world has bigger problems than the daily challenges that make up our work. Stuff happens. Keep perspective. Don’t take yourself too seriously. Laugh every day, and enjoy the journey.
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16
Place your family first in your life.
Keep harmony in your personal life. Functional, happy families are what give our lives meaning.
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17
Participate.
Participate in finding solutions to challenges, brainstorming sessions, decision making, morning meetings, and BOAT Board meetings. Participation builds a stronger team that is fun to be a part of.
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18
Check your ego at the door.
Remember we are a team. We win and lose together. It’s not about you. Don’t let your ego or personal agenda get in the way of doing what is best for the team.
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19
Listen generously and fully.
Listening is more than simply “not speaking”. Be present and engaged. Truly listening is one of the greatest skills you can ever learn.
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20
Speak straight.
Have clear and direct conversations. Address issues directly with those who are involved or affected.
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21
Share information.
With appropriate respect for confidentiality, share information freely. Learn to ask yourself “who else needs to know this information”.
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22
Communicate to be understood.
Know your audience. Write and speak in a way that they can understand. Avoid using internal lingo, acronyms, and industry jargon unless appropriate for the audience. Use the simplest possible explanations.
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23
Always ask why.
Don’t accept anything at face value if it doesn’t make sense to you. Be curious and question what you don’t understand. Healthy, vigorous debate creates better solutions. There is no better question than “Why?”
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24
Practice blameless problem solving.
Apply your creativity, spirit, and enthusiasm to developing solutions, rather than pointing fingers and dwelling on problems.
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25
Get the facts.
Don’t make assumptions. Gather the facts before jumping to conclusions or making judgements. Be curious about what other information might give you a more complete picture.
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26
Create win/win solutions.
Learn to think from other’s perspectives. Discover what they need and find a way to help them meet those needs while also fulfilling your own.
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27
Assume positive intent.
Work from the assumption that people are good, fair, and honest, and that the intent behind their actions is positive. Set aside your own judgements and preconceived notions. Give people the benefit of the doubt.
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28
Practice the “human touch.”
Listen for, and pay attention to, the things that make people unique. Use handwritten notes, personal cards, and timely phone calls to acknowledge their specialness. Genuine compassion can’t be faked.
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29
Find a way.
Take personal responsibility for making things happen. Respond to each situation by looking for HOW we can do it, rather than explaining why it can’t be done. Be resourceful and show initiative.
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30
Get clear on expectations.
Create clarity and avoid misunderstandings by discussing expectations up front. Establish mutually understood objectives and deadlines for all projects, issues and commitments.
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31
Celebrate success.
Regularly extend meaningful acknowledgment and appreciation in all directions throughout our company.
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32
Deliver results.
While effort is appreciated, we reward and celebrate results.
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33
Be diligent about organization.
Maintain a clean and orderly work area. Use an effective task management system for managing multiple tasks, and for prioritizing and tracking outstanding issues and responsibilities.
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34
Be process oriented.
World class organizations are built on a foundation of highly effective, repeatable processes. Look to create processes for every aspect of your work, and then turn those processes into habits to achieve consistent results.
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35
Plan ahead.
Begin with the end in mind. Look ahead and anticipate. Solve problems before they happen by anticipating future needs and addressing them in advance.
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36
Protect the environment.
It is both our playground and our livelihood.
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37
Practice gratitude.
Think of all we have to be grateful for, and appreciate the people and opportunities we are lucky enough to be a part of.
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IS Our Culture
A Good Fit?
We are seeking like-minded individuals who believe in our cultural fundamentals. Are you willing to help us raise the bar of excellence? We pursue win/win situations in all we do – personally and professionally.