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CarTrawler, the world’s leading B2B travel technology platform, had values any company would be proud of. They were far from ordinary; in fact, they encapsulated the key attributes that made the company special. However, as the company grew, moving from being an infant to a teenager, as Gillian French, Chief People Officer, explained, the company realized a change was needed to “grow up” and support the emerging business.

“We asked ourselves, are our values serving us well, or do they need to change to be able to handle our further growth?” says French. The decision was made to change them, launching the values alongside newly created purpose and mission statements to send a message about the new stage of the business’s “life.”.  


The Play

In January 2017, the five new values were launched to replace the original four that had valiantly served the company's rapid growth until that point. They're united through the acronym HOPES, which is apt, given CarTrawler's forward-thinking attitude.

Value Explanation
Humility Humility replaced the original value of irreverence, which reflected the desire to retain a fearless and informal way of conducting themselves. As the company grew, Humility was chose to encapsulate both the feeling irreverence brought and the modesty required for continued success. 
Ownership Ownership was added because it's imperative in a company of CarTrawler's size. It emphasizes the need to take ownership of a situation, using the mentality of constant improvement and owning it until completed. 
Passion for improvement This replaces Restless Satisfaction, which revolved around the drive to constantly strive to do things better. Although valued, as the company got bigger, it was felt that the old value was tripping people up, and it was more importance to commit to completion. 
Enthusiasm Guiding a startup on a journey to a company of more than 500 employees is not possible without the belief and enthusiasm of its people. The infectious energy and startup passion that dominated its early years remained a key feature of CarTrawler's personality.
Smart Collaboration Collaboration was an original value, but as the company grew it became clear that the old manner of collaborating wasn't working; in fact, it was hampering development. "Smart collaborating" encourages employees to deploy autonomy in their day-to-day tasks.


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CarTrawler has shown the importance of balancing what makes you special at the start with what will support you as you continue to grow. The company values have truly evolved and have helped and will continue to help the company as it moves not only from infant to teenager but from teenager to adult. Keep in mind that as tour business changes, your values have to change. Have them keep pace with change and they will continue to drive and support your business.

In Practice

  • Keep in mind that as tour business changes, your values have to change. Have them keep pace with change and they will continue to drive and support your business. 
  • Find ways to unify your values with something meaningful and memorable, such as the acronym used in this play.
Find more plays like this one in "The Rebel Playbook" 

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