A 44-year-old speech successfully guides a world leading firm today.
I was really impressed recently with a discussion I had with Di Cross, Head of HR for Arup.
Di mentioned that Arup had lost a bit of sparkle recently. What was behind that? Well, the industry in which Arup operates – like many others, has undergone seismic and permanent shifts – such as outsourcing and offshoring. As with many clients looking to save, much work that used to be done in Australia, is now being fulfilled from lower cost locations such as Asia. 
What intrigued me most about Di’s story is that Arup is looking to regain its magic by drawing upon ‘The Key Speech’ delivered by the firm’s founder, Sir Ove Arup in 1970 – which has guided the firm ever since.
Deeply ingrained into every employee are the values of: quality, honesty and staff prosperity; and the priorities of: clients and industry, creativity, people and sustainability. All of these come from The Key Speech.
It’s an amazing example of the power of the values, culture and philosophy that has endured and made this firm one of the world’s most admired engineering companies. An inspiring example of guiding your company in turbulent times.
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Learn more about Greg Weiss here.
