The Jaynes Way
By: Shad James
At Jaynes, we love the way we do things. It might seem strange to a new employee to hear an old-timer like me talk about “bleeding Jaynes green,” but that’s kind of the point: the values we know in our gut will always be more valuable than the words written on paper.
I’ve had a handwritten list of values and concepts in my desk drawer for over a decade. At the top, it says “The Jaynes Way.” I’ve always wanted to be able to say, with certainty, just what “The Jaynes Way” is. A couple times a year, I’d pull out that document, make some additions or edits…but it never seemed finished, so it would end up back in my desk drawer.
If you’re a parent or a manager, you might have learned like I have that important things can be really tough to teach, but that doesn’t mean you’re off the hook: you still have to teach them. This year, I’ve charged our senior leadership with solidifying and finalizing exactly what “The Jaynes Way” is. And I’m proud to say that with a couple of weeks left in the year, that work is complete. I’m proud of the finished product, and I believe it captures the values you live every day.
Over the next few weeks, I’ll be posting about each part of that statement, and what it means to me. It’s not about the words on the page: this isn’t something we’re going to ask you to memorize or stick to the back of your truck. But the ideas, the decisions, and the way we live: those things do matter. And as we continue to grow and as the world continues to change, it’s important that when somebody asks what we stand for, we have an answer ready for them. That’s what this is about. I hope you learn from it as much as I have.
It’s an honor to live the Jaynes Way alongside you.
The Jaynes Way
At Jaynes, our vision is to see the communities we call home thrive for the long term, and we have made it our purpose to do all we can to raise them up.
Our mission is to build places, lead people, and grow the capabilities that will bring about a prosperous future.
Our strategy is built upon four cornerstones: reaching in (operational excellence), reaching out (client focus), reaching up (redemptive innovation), and reaching down (leadership development), guided by our values of being passionate about our work, keeping our focus on what’s important, remaining loyal to our people and processes, being true to what we say, and living humble, authentic lives.
That’s the Jaynes Way. The Way Up.
