An “asshole-free zone”

We as P-ton want to be a company without assholes in our team.

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Today I would like to turn to a special topic. What values does our company represent, how do we treat each other – in other words, what is our DNA? This is an intriguing topic that can be approached from many angles. But maybe we can also keep it simple; simplify things to make them clearer.

I have gotten to know many companies in my life, small owner-managed companies, medium-sized companies, and of course large corporations. Every company has its culture, its way of running a business, which is determined by the team and leadership and also by society’s zeitgeist.

What makes us?

We at P‑ton have given this much thought. Everyone was able to contribute to the conversation and it was and is discussed again and again, which is a good sign. We want to and will give young people immense freedom, give them leadership responsibility at a young age, connect them with experienced colleagues and of course with best-in-class experts. We are doing this really well and the fruits of this approach are already visible.

But this alone does not describe the P‑ton DNA. Everyone can relate to when things get difficult in a company, when teammates concerned mostly with themselves and their own advancement make daily work unpleasant or take on management roles. Professionally, they may be very good, but the human component is far from collaborative and reduces everyone else’s motivation and innovation.

Respect, space for everyone & diversity

I once asked an experienced external partner why he works with the P‑ton; at this point in his career, he doesn’t have to put up with the madness anymore. His answer was the answer for me: “because there are no assholes at P‑ton”. At first I was a bit thrown off by this statement, and I thought long and hard about whether I should share it like this. But I chose to write because of the statement’s succinct honesty – because everyone understands it. Everyone knows what and who is meant by it. We as P‑ton take this philosophy to heart and we aim to continue to be an asshole-free zone. We want to create an environment where people are treated with respect, where there is space for everyone, where diversity is lived – even if it is sometimes “exhausting”. That is part of it, and above all, it starts at the top.

So we have made this one of our core statements. The statement is clear, understandable, overarching, perhaps a little too direct, but honest and to the point. We as P‑ton want to be a company that allows as few assholes as possible. Of course, we are aware that it may not always be possible in our context of rapid growth, but it must and will be our goal.

And I am glad that I simply said it …

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