Values, The USA and Brussels - Jack Smith

During my time in Brussels, I had the opportunity to work for a fantastic consultancy, Kreab Worldwide. The Brussels location specialized in European Union affairs. The department that I had the pleasure to work in specialized in financial services and fiscal policies in the EU. Although Kreab is a worldwide consultancy, the values from office to office shine the same.

The values that Kreab Brussels and Kreab offices around the world strive to uphold are integrity, respect, commitment, excellence, and trust. These values are similar to those American companies wish to uphold. However, they shined brighter through a few practices not common in the united states.

For example, when I worked for a small real estate firm in the summer of 2019, the broker in charge and other high performing agents had their own offices. The lesser performing agents either shared an office or even worked from home, only using the conference rooms in the office. There was a hierarchy of success that was visible from the clothes they wore to the offices they worked in. Personally, I do not think that this is detrimental. I believe that being rewarded with a nice office for performing well is a great incentive to achieve. However, Kreab Brussels was much different.

Kreab had an open floorplan with a few smaller conference rooms scattered around the outer rim of the floor. Me, a trainee/intern, had the same desk space, without any walls, as the directors and partners. Although this method takes away the drive associated with wanting a personal office, it adds a different, possibly stronger drive to the employees. The employees are given a since that they are equal with the higher ups in the company. They are less afraid to approach the directors and partners with questions or concerns, they are more willing to work hard when they see those higher up in the company working hard as well, and they are more encouraged to show up bright and ready to work knowing that their boss is working right across from them. This open office environment encourages integrity, respect, commitment, excellence, and trust much more so than the closed, old school style offices that are still so popular in the United States.

I cannot speak for any other European company other than Kreab. However, Kreab Worldwide strives to uphold similar values to many companies in the united states. However, the open office environment allows for integrity, respect, commitment, excellence, and trust to be upheld in a more balanced and consistent manor.