We’re clear on our purpose – why we practice law. Our code sets out how we strive to provide great legal services. Our values are the ideals we hope to live by.
We human beings are fallible creatures, we make mistakes. We cannot always live up to the lofty ideals we set for ourselves. But we can try. Our values are aspirational by nature – they are ideals we hope to live by, knowing that we may sometimes fail. By setting ourselves these ideals, we identify things that are important to us and try to stand by those things. And so we should. We should always strive towards goals we set ourselves and our behaviour can also be guided by goals – our values.
Our core values
Connection.
I want to be open with you.We contribute to Michalsons for our collective benefit by working as a team. We care for each other and our clients. We connect as a team and with the work. We connect people with the law. (We also value having WIFI during load shedding.)
Trust.
I want to be someone you can trust.We strive to earn trust. We trust others and want to be trusted (trustworthy). We are transparent, open and honest. We challenge each other directly. We do what we say we will do. We share and are open. We believe that radical candor is the appropriate mechanism to test our decisions, accept responsibility, manage risk and, most importantly, build trust. We guard this fiercely.
Adding value.
I want to be valuable.We add value to our clients, each other and the general public. We are client-centric by listening carefully to their needs, understanding and delivering excellent expert work, adding value to them and helping them achieve the outcomes they seek. We deliver outstanding valuable work we are proud of. We strive to be invaluable and make a difference in the world.
Curiosity.
I want to be curious.We are innovative, entrepreneurial and curious. We help find a better way. We value continual lifelong learning. We thrive on learning and developing new skills, recognising that this is how we can provide the best solutions for our clients and ensure our own success. We do this by asking questions and interrogating until we really understand. We innovate and create practical legal solutions.
Integrity.
I want to be honourable.We are honest, honourable and ethical. We are each authentic and real, and we each bring something different. We demand cast-iron integrity in all that we do and we demonstrate moral strength.
Well being.
I want to be healthy.We balance work, friends, family and health. We are happy, healthy and work to be optimistic. We care about each other’s well-being and take responsibility for our own physical, mental and spiritual health.
Respect.
I want to be respectful.We respect ourselves, each other, our clients, our colleagues and the law. Both on a professional and personal level.
Empathy.
I want to be thoughtful.We listen to understand the position of others. We communicate clearly. We are kind and considerate. As professionals, we are considered in our responses and are able to manage conflict.
Collaboration.
I want to be helpful.We believe in democracy, not autocracy. The best ideas must win. We teach and support each other. Teamwork achieves results. We work as a team, contributing beyond our own work and support each other’s efforts.
Self-direction.
I want to be proactive.We are driven, autonomous and purpose-driven. Michalsons is a space for us to reach our dreams, grow and develop as a person. We are responsible, proactive, adaptable and flexible. We choose to be here and to direct our own lives.
A final thought though – people’s values are different and our interpretation of those values is different. Values may be institutional or personal but their interpretation is personal. A value, therefore, is holding on to what YOU believe is important and what you stand for as a person. For example, you can have integrity in what you do and also disagree with its interpretation. You cannot accuse someone of a lack of integrity if they have indeed held on to their values and interpreted them differently from you.
Waste no more time arguing about what a good [person] should be. Be one.” Marcus Aurelius (Roman Emperor)
Don’t be too hard on yourself if you fail, that is all part of our learning. But strive towards living out these values in the way you conduct yourselves. Be unafraid of making tough or unpopular decisions. Look at yourself in the mirror and be satisfied with what you see.