Right Thing = Good Business w/ Tami Andres, Goodwin & Company

RecognizeGood: Goodwin & Company has a pretty robust set of programs and trainings and really seems to take ethical development seriously. What’s the impetus for that mindset surrounding employee well-being – did it come from the founders, or is it just developed over time?

Tami Andres: You know, it’s interesting, it’s kind of been here all along, and for a while just really hadn’t been put into anything official or formal. A few years ago we had a strategic planning session with our senior leadership to identify our vision and our values and we found out that through that process, we were really just putting into words what we are already practicing.

So I think this culture has come from all over. The leadership, for sure supports it, and leads it. Our employees live it each day, that’s just who we are.

RecognizeGood: That sounds like a very natural progression. I’m sure there have been some tough times when those decisions aren’t straightforward, so as a company does actual policy just help reinforce the feeling that you would probably do anyway?

Tami: Yes, it does. As we continue to grow, one area that has evolved is our recruiting. We used to hire only by referral, and now we are recruiting from a variety of places. I think we’re all adamant that we keep those policies in place so that people coming in have those guidelines to ensure that the natural progression stays there. More than anything, just set the expectations that this is what we’re looking for. From the moment we start interviewing someone, we’re always looking for that core person that lives our vision and values.

RecognizeGood: As a property management company, how important is honesty and transparency, specifically, with all your 800+ clients?

Tami: Extremely important – we pride ourselves in living our values. One of our values is “We’ve got this,” and that’s ultimately our consistency, accountability and our reliability all combined into one. We want our clients to know that they can trust us, that we’re going to do the right thing. That is imperative. We’re dealing with their money, properties, and homeowners and honesty and transparency are a huge part of providing quality customer service.

RecognizeGood: When you’re operating with so many different partners in this property management ecosystem, in Austin, how much does your reputation matter?

Tami: Reputation is everything. Our clients are looking for that relationship – built on trust, built on understanding, built on knowing that we’re going to do the right thing, that people matter.

I guess, at the end of the day, we’re a corporate family. We treat each other like family members, and achieving a high level of ethics in business is very important to us. We do not want to let each other down. Ethics are part of who we are.