Our Guiding Principles are more than words, they’re the foundation of our company culture, shaping how we think, decide, and act every day.
At Altium Packaging, our Guiding Principles are more than words, they’re the foundation of our company culture, shaping how we think, decide, and act every day. One Guiding Principle in particular sits at the center of how we operate: Be Disciplined Entrepreneurs.
This means everyone in the company should think like an Altium owner and make decisions using good judgement, critical and economic thinking to achieve the goals of our company, our customers and our team.
But what does that mean in practice and why does it matter? And more importantly, what does an ownership mindset mean for customers?
What Does It Mean To Be A Disciplined Entrepreneur?
While many don’t consider a corporate job and entrepreneurship to be similar, there are benefits to thinking like an owner—even in the corporate world. Things like taking initiative and looking for opportunities to improve your own work processes, your team’s engagement, or even something you see happening in other departments.
An ownership mindset like this means employees don’t just complete tasks, they take responsibility for outcomes, make changes as needed and seek opportunities for improvement.
Disciplined entrepreneurs ask things like:
- Is this the best way to do this?
- How does this impact the customer?
- What would I do differently if I owned this business?
This kind of thinking isn’t just cultural, it creates better performing employees and it’s measurable. In fact, according to Gallup’s 2024 employee engagement meta-analysis, organizations with highly engaged employees see 14% higher productivity and 23% higher profitability.
How Does This Benefit Customers?
An ownership mindset shows up in customer interactions, decisions and in products delivered. When employees take ownership they:
- Take responsibility and resolve issues quickly.
- Create stronger processes, fewer errors, and more consistent outcomes.
- Deliver solutions that create real long-term value, not just short-term fixes.
- Build trust that customers can feel.
Creating a culture where people feel accountable and empowered isn’t just good leadership and good for employee satisfaction, it is a critical business decision that leads to improved productivity, satisfied customers, and increased revenue.
Ownership in Action
Creating an ownership culture doesn’t happen, it takes a measured, intentional approach that prioritizes this culture.
At Altium Packaging, “Be Disciplined Entrepreneurs” is how we scale these behaviors across the organization, ensuring that no matter where customers engage with us, they experience the same commitment to performance and partnership.
To help grow this mindset among our team members we recently launched an initiative called OWN: Own What’s Next, that empowers our team members to live our Be Disciplined Entrepreneurs Guiding Principle. From there, we’re asking team members to share their stories and help others see the value in this thinking.
It creates a more satisfied workforce, and ultimately, it means delivering better outcomes for customers. Because when every employee acts like an owner, customers don’t just get a supplier. They get a partner invested in their success.
Creating an ownership culture doesn’t happen, it takes a measured, intentional approach that prioritizes this culture.
