The SEO Hacker Creed: GRIBEE

The reason I came up with GRIBEE is that I believe that the SEO Hacker team needs a guiding light to propel the company to success.

And in order to achieve true success, the teams and individuals working in the company has to have instilled values. Principles that the team lives and breathes as we work together in pushing the company forward.

Just to be clear, GRIBEE is not, in any way final. I believe that values has to be shaped from a company’s past, present and future. And as with all futures, there are things that are unforeseen and uncertain.

So here goes.

Grit

Every member of the team, should embody determination, resilience and tenacity. Use mistakes and problems as opportunities to get better –  not reasons to quit.

Respect for Work

This embodies punctuality, a drive that requires no supervision, and the courage to confront indiscipline in yourself and in your teammates – all in one. When you respect your work, you will honor it and do your best to perform excellently.

Integrity

Know that God is watching everything you do at work. “Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.” – Ephesians 6:7 (NLT)

This is counter-intuitive with all the social media stuff about work and passion and leaving your job if you don’t feel good doing it.

However, there is deep wisdom in that verse. When you work for the Lord, you do your best, you keep your character in check and you DO THE RIGHT THING.

Always.

Beyond Technology

We know technology is great BUT then there’s the fact that everyone has access to it. Don’t think technology gives you an edge. It doesn’t.

Hard work does.

So go beyond the temptation to be lazy because of technology and work your ass off to be valuable.

Technology is common. Hard work is rare.

Empathy

Always put yourself in the client’s shoes. Is the article you are about to publish going to be appreciated by the client? Is the design you’ve just let out going to be admired?

Put yourself in your teammate’s shoes – do they appreciate you taking a leave with the heavy workload at hand?

Or put yourself in the management’s shoes – Are you going to appreciate it when the management is not confronted with issues in the team and we talk about it amongst ourselves?

Without empathy, our team will be cold – all brains, no heart.

Experimentation

Innovation may be too a daunting term. You don’t have to ‘create something new’. Learning by experimentation is enough.

Using whatever theoretical lessons you learned and applying it hands on – whether you succeed or not, whether you break your website or not, we appreciate that. And above all, you get to keep what you learned.

For a lifetime.

That’s it so far. Trying to connect the dots of the past, these are the core values that would really be effective for us to work together and to work well.