10.3 County Values

Openness and Diversity

We are committed to openly sharing all relevant and valid information in a timely manner so that interested individuals (both internal and external) can make informed decisions that they support and are committed to implementing.  We acknowledge that we don’t have all the answers and are open to outside influences.  We include each other and our public partners in conversation and decision-making in a way that all feel free to give input.  We seek to solicit others’ ideas, including those informed by differences in ideology, race, gender, ethnicity, regional and socioeconomic viewpoints.  We recognize that actively listening to people with varying opinions and voices will bring a different perspective that forces us to think about issues from all sides and will test assumptions that may not, in fact, be true.  We embrace openness and diversity as a value, in the belief that it will lead to better decisions and a more successful organization.

Stewardship

We are stewards of the public’s money. The fact that taxpayers entrust us with their money means that we are held to the highest of standards. We want to demonstrate

to citizens, everyday, that we are using their dollars wisely – to provide for the greater good of the community, to assist those who are less fortunate, to build schools and other facilities that will serve us for decades, and to make our County a better place to live right now and for future generations. 

Second, we need to be good stewards of our environment. This is one reason we have a Growth Management Task Force and Watershed Management Task Force, and are developing a Groundwater Sustainability Plan and a Consolidated Open Space Plan. All of these plans illustrate our commitment to clean water, a greener environment, and our desire to pass along a County that is a better place in which to live. 

Let’s all remember that stewardship – financial, environmental or otherwise – is one of the strongest motivating factors holding us together as a public organization, and is one of the best reasons that we exist. We should all pledge to leave this County a greater, better and more beautiful place than we received it.

Customer Service

The County delivers a multitude of services - all of which are important to our citizens.  The way in which we deliver these services is most important.  We are committed to providing excellent customer service each and every day, each and every transaction.  We maintain an external awareness of the changing environment.  We seek to understand the customer’s point of view and to make services increasingly more accessible to the public through strategies such as regionalization and Internet access.  We acknowledge that our internal customers are just as important as our external customers.  Superior internal customer service leads to superior external customer service, as each interaction with an internal customer is an important link in the chain of events that always ends up at the external customers feet.  We recognize that excellent customer service doesn’t just make the customer happy; it also makes for a better working environment for employees and a more effective organization. 

Leadership and Personal Accountability

Wake County’s leadership model is based on a commitment to genuine dialog, communication, mutual learning, and inclusive decision-making.  Leaders are expected to share all relevant and valid information so that interested individuals (internal and external) can make informed decisions that they support and are committed to implementing.  This is accomplished through communication from department heads and supervisors, e-mails, “Meet the Managers” Sessions, articles in Insights, and other meetings.  Employees are expected to learn as much as possible – about their own jobs and department, and about major County issues, projects and initiatives.   All Wake County employees are expected to perform in a manner and encourage others to perform in a manner that is respectful of others; have a thorough knowledge of their occupation and apply that knowledge to achieve quality and professional work. 

Wake County Government strives to conduct itself in a fiscally sound, businesslike and professional manner with a long-term commitment to service to others, to the environment, and to creating a great place to live, work, learn, and play.  All employees accept responsibility for their own behaviors, decisions, and interactions.  We continually seek new ways to improve how things are done and to champion changes designed to promote long-range success.  We perform in a manner and encourage others to perform in a manner that is respectful of others.

Employee Development and Training

Wake County, as an organization, views training and automation as investments, not expenses.  We believe that training and development are the keys to keeping each of us marketable and equipping us to better deal with change.  Therefore, the County’s support for training is an integral part of ensuring that employees progress in their careers.  We further believe that the pay-for-performance system is designed to reward employees who make efforts to keep themselves competitive and well-trained.

Revised 6/24/05