• People
• Enterpreneurial spirit.
• Opportunity based on Merit, Responsibility and Accountability.
• Adding value.
• Hatred of Bureaucracy.
• Competition and Winning.

1. People.

At Guardian we are dedicated to fostering and environment where people are treated with dignity and respect. This commitment extends to all aspects of our relations with fellow employees, customers, suppliers and the members of the communities where we work and live.  We demonstrate these values every day in our passionate dedication to safety, good housekeeping, and protecting the environment. We believe that respect for others must also be reflected in direct, open and honest communication. Ideas and information should not be communicated through intermediaries or up and down rigid reporting channels.  We valve personal relationships and the honesty, trust and mutual loyalty that they foster.  We also pride ourselves openness and informality. Our casual dress reinforces the accessibility of people at all levels.  Rank and title alone mean little—what counts is continuing contribution to Guardian’ s success. Guardian is much more than bricks, mortar and machines. At Guardian , we firmly believe that people make the difference.

2. Enterpreneurial spirit.

At Guardian we value and foster an entrepreneurial spirit.  By this we mean that the people of Guardian are encouraged to treat Guardian like their family business, in the sense that we take ownership of a problem, project or objective.  We are dedicated and care about results because our work is for our business, and not merely a task that needs to get done.  By entrepreneurial spirit, we also mean that Guardian people are expected to show initiative, use our own best judgment, think independently and creatively and take responsibility for our decisions. At Guardian, while we firmly believe in well conceived and executed business strategies and systems, we do not hide behind the security of rules, established procedures, and mandated answers for every occasion. Living without an excess of rules and formalized procedures—in other words, taking the risk of independent thought and action, is one of the hallmarks of individual freedom that we cherish at Guardian. Because we are given the freedom to make independent decisions based on our own best judgment, people will make some mistakes.  We are also expected to learn from those mistakes, grow as a result of them, and move on to new opportunities and challenges at Guardian.

3. Opportunity based on Merit, Responsibility and Accountability.

At Guardian we believe both in giving people at all levels of the organization the authority and responsibility to make decisions and in holding them accountable for those decisions. Our lean and flat organization entrusts decision making to people who are closest to the issues and can assume responsibility and be held accountable.  We believe in demonstrated abilities and the earning of leadership rather than entitlements coming from rank, title, position of job description.  Compensation and benefits are earned by success, not good intentions.  At Guardian, we value those who face up to their responsibilities and take advantage of their opportunities to succeed.

4. Adding value.

At Guardian we take a common sense, results-oriented approach to our business.  We reject the latest management fads and think things through for ourselves.  We reject the elevation of form over substance.  We are constantly striving to make the complex more simple.  At Guardian we focus on the results, not on any particular formula for achieving them.  Individuals are expected to gather the best facts that they can to support a decision and to use their judgment and experience in making it.  We also understand that we must invest wisely and prudently in people and things.  We do not attempt to solve every perceived problem by simply throwing more money or additional people at it.  At Guardian, activities, people and investments must add value.  On the other hand, we are not constrained by artificial concepts such as inflexible budgets and headcounts.  Within our broadly defined business strategies and systems, we are free to do whatever is necessary and to make whatever changes are required to take advantage of business opportunities and to contribute to the growth and performance of Guardian.

5. Hatred of Bureaucracy.

At Guardian we believe in the power of individual contributions and are impatient with and mistrustful of bureaucratic organizational structures that stifle individual initiative and responsibility.  We avoid the unproductive and unnecessary meetings and excessive paperwork that are the hallmark of too many layers of management and too many permanent committees. At Guardian we believe that a flat and lean organization eliminates waste, reduces unnecessary complexity and frees people to focus on value added activities.  We are also suspicious of bureaucracy because it stands in the way of the direct and open communication with fellow employees, customers and suppliers that we value. At Guardian we do not allow bureaucracy to overwhelm the ability of individuals to be creative, to exercise judgment, to grow and to make a difference.

6. Competition and Winning.

At Guardian we value people who are self-motivated, energetic and enthusiastic, and who enjoy winning while having fun.  Our competitive spirit is shown mainly against business rivals but also through healthy competition within Guardian itself.  This spirit gives Guardian people an unwavering optimism and positive approach that turn problems and adversity into opportunities and success. We are driven to become better as individuals and as a company.  While we are very serious about winning, we try not to take ourselves too seriously.  We constantly bring people together to celebrate and enjoy individual and team success and accomplishments.  Our passion for winning also allows us to blend individualism with teamwork.  We recognize that the individual must be given ample room for independence, growth and innovation but that ultimately we are all in the game together and victory requires mutual respect, support and cooperation.