The ABC's of Ibu
A Credo in 26 Words
My father liked to say if you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything. Malcolm X liked to say it too, and others, all inviting me to somehow, somewhere, put my roving feet upon the ground, take a stand, and stick to it.
My friend, David Rawle, wrote a small volume for his innovative design and marketing firm, and called it What Matters. Each double-page spread sported one word, artfully rendered, and a definition capturing the culture of that firm. I found it so compelling that I bought all of the copies he had left and shared them with board members and friends.
When Austin Walker returned to lead Ibu last July as our CEO, he asked me to put in writing our founding principles, distilling our history and culture into a few words to stand upon. This assignment intrigued me. Inspired by David's volume, I interviewed a lot of words. Over last summer I refined, I distilled. I wanted to land on 26 weight-bearing words. The ABC's of Ibu.
Most of the words that made the cut had been hanging around the office for 13 years, being useful. Now, they were employed as foundational pieces in the architecture of Ibu. 26 words, each beginning with a different letter of the alphabet, now form an Ibu credo—credo meaning a place to put one's heart.
When I married, Trenholm and I wrote a credo for our marriage, words to which we still return, to remember how we stand. Last Fall, I did the same for Ibu, presenting at our holiday party for team and board, a small book of belonging. A common language. A credo. When a new member of the team received a copy and read it, she said, Now I really get it. She asked if we might use our email letters to you to share these ABC's of Ibu, one each month. And so we will. Look for them, beginning this summer.
My father is gone from this world, but on this Father's Day, I want to thank him, nonetheless, for teaching me the value of putting my heart into something. The joy of believing. The strength of taking a stand.
All the Best,
Susan Hull Walker