11+1 cornerstones of our corporate culture

1. UBM is a workplace that not only embraces diversity but is proud to promote diversity as a value. And I don’t think of this as a fashionable phrase these days, but as a principle that distinguishes us from the over-regulated, standardised international corporations, i.e. the multinational companies. Because we recognise that it is by supporting diversity, the difference of others, that we give everyone the opportunity to be the best they can be. I support you to be the best!
2. You can make a mistake, but you cannot hide the mistake. Man learns most effectively by iterative learning from birth. That is, we try, and we don’t necessarily succeed the first time, but learning from the experience, we try again, but more skillfully, and this is repeated until we are able to achieve the set result. In the meantime, we make mistakes with each failed attempt, but that’s the point of the process, the constant learning from mistakes. If we exclude mistakes, we also deprive ourselves of the opportunity to improve. This is true both for the individual and for the whole company.
3. You may not understand things but cannot ask – even more than once – why things are that way. We have to understand the processes around us so that we can actively participate in them. And in order to understand, you are allowed to ask questions, moreover, it is a must. If someone doesn’t understand something and asks, they’re active, but if they don’t, they get stuck. This is as simple as that.
4. You may bring ideas for everything. Because ideas are with which we move things forward.
5. You may not agree with an opinion, and in fact, when it comes to some kind of joint thinking, joint decision, I strongly suggest that you dare to argue, to disagree, to suggest a better one. When I was admitted to the university, at the opening of the academic year, the rector told us to believe any professor only if they could prove their point. For me at the time, this statement was almost shocking in its novel nature. Because they allowed, even encouraged, us to engage in debate with our teachers at the age of 18, and because they said that the ability to think, to solve problems at the highest possible level, is above rank. No one is an oracle a joint solution is almost always better than an individual one.
6. You may be ill, but you cannot misuse it. Illness is not a weakness, but a condition, and the aim is to get out of it as soon as possible. To achieve this, we need to provide an understanding, supportive workplace.
7. Sometimes it’s okay to be stupid, but it’s not okay to be hysterical. We are all humans we all have good days and bad days.
8. It is compulsory ‘to be present’! In many of the meetings, I see everyone working on their laptops, phones, tablets, or all of these, in parallel, as if they were sitting in NASA’s space centre at launch. This means that they are not as present as they should be. And if someone is not present at the meeting, they may even leave. Surely there’s a reason you’ve been invited to the meeting, let’s listen, let’s have a common focus, let’s get it done and everyone can get back to work.
9. Respect each other by starting at the agreed time. Why play with each other’s time by being late without notice? Of course, sometimes something comes up, however, it is possible to send a short notification.
10. No stagnation. This is the great driving force of life at all levels. Only progress or decline exists. If I don’t go for a run for a week, my performance is already on the decline. If I don’t study English for a month, I already forget words and phrases. If we don’t strive in our daily lives to be better than yesterday’s ourselves or our competitors, then we will be left behind. One cannot sit on one’s laurels unpunished because life runs past us.
11. Life is complicated. Of course, I don’t think I can give you all the answers, so I suggest and encourage you all to supplement the above list with your own thoughts!

+1. Let’s always learn! This is closely related to the previous point, so I don’t even want to over-explain it. The way I see it, the biggest advantage these days is not just professional knowledge in the narrow sense, but also the ability to think and express our thoughts. Even also in several languages is. This is why we introduced a premium framework for languages at UBM a few years ago, which means that all newly obtained complex (oral and written) intermediate language exams are rewarded with a premium equivalent to half a month’s salary, while advanced complex language exams are rewarded with a premium equivalent to one month’s salary.

Péter Horváth
CEO, UBM Group