Fondia Values– Give and receive

High-performing organisations typically have a distinctive culture, based on strong shared values, which foster both a healthy and meaningful work environment, and tangible, sustainable benefits to the customers. Fondia was founded in 2004 with the ambition of building such a values-driven organisation. Our values form the basis of our recruitment criteria, are visible in our offices, and guide our personal development plans. Today, our values, developed by the people here at Fondia, are:, Law made smart, Dare to create, Give and receive, My place to work and Powered by pride and passion. In a series of blog posts, various Fondia team members describe what these values mean to them.

“At Fondia, you are never left alone. We put people first. We are ready to give our time and knowledge, and we know when to ask. We help each other shine.

Fondia is more than the sum of its parts. Fondia is your partner in law in the true meaning of the word. With us, no customer is left alone to deal with a problem – we work proactively and find a winning solution. We help our customers shine.”

In the picture visualizing this value there is a happy set of people sending another happy set of people to fly. I really like the feeling in the picture – the shared power and the shared success generating joy.

Studies show that people feel more fulfillment when giving gifts than when receiving them. Giving seems to be hardwired into our human existence. Back in the dawn of the mankind, sharing – giving and receiving – was fundamental for survival. Each member of the clan contributed something; farmers the bounty of earth, hunters brought in their catch. Giving and receiving have been the foundation of not only the survival but also the long-term success of any group.

In Fondia, our promise to our customers is that we always attempt to walk side by side with them, offering them the best business legal advice that suits the situation, emulating the inhouse legal department or team. This promise calls for ensuring a broad knowledge base. It is extremely rare that one person would possess all the right expertise and answers. Therefore, our lawyers reach out to their colleagues when customers need different kinds of competences. “We know when to ask” is a key attitude when serving customers. It is clearly also considered something of an honor to be able to help, to offer one’s expertise and knowledge to serve someone else.

I keep going back to a message that a colleague sent to all Fondians after this person had been with us for only some months: “My first months at Fondia have been filled with many 'firsts' and this one made me so grateful I wanted to share it with all of you. Yesterday I asked for help from more experienced colleagues with an urgent matter and inno time at all I had received phone calls, e-mails and texts from half a dozen of you :) It's truly a joy to get to experience the Fondia culture first hand and to each day get to work with such amazing people!”

I recently asked this colleague whether now, after more than a year, the message is still relevant, and was delighted to hear that it is. The continuing willingness and even joy in giving and receiving also shows that success is not a zero-sum game. My luck doesn’t take anything away from yours. On the contrary; when we freely give and receive, everyone benefits.