It has been over a year since the COVID-19 pandemic took hold and changed everything about our work and our lives. Undeniably, it has been a challenging time for everyone. But there have also been many powerful lessons that have come as a result of working through the pandemic. Dan Dye, CEO at Ardent Mills, shared his insights with us about how our work Nourishing What’s Next continues to be exemplified by our greatest advantage: our team members.
HELLO DAN! LOOKING BACK OVER THE PAST YEAR, WHAT’S ONE OF THE BIGGEST LESSONS THAT STANDS OUT?
The personal side of business has surfaced as no longer a “nice to have,” but as critical and necessary. There is a need and value of showing care and compassion, being vulnerable and transparent, having sensitivity and understanding, providing empathy and appreciation – it’s rightly so, all about people. In my view, one of the most impactful learnings the pandemic has created is a heightened awareness of the value and importance of every individual in an organization.
HOW DO YOU SEE THE ARDENT MILLS VALUES EFFECTED DURING THE PANDEMIC?
Putting people first and having strong, deeply rooted values has never been more important. Our values of Trust, Serving, Simplicity and Safety provide a strong foundation for us throughout the pandemic. The crisis has not only highlighted the importance of our values but brought them to life in new ways. For example, our Safety value took on an even deeper meaning as we put strict measures in place to keep our people safe while our plants operated so that we could continue to feed our communities. There is no question that all of our values have been reimagined in a way that gives them greater significance, while still keeping our people at our the core of everything we do.
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