Maintaining the status quo is not an option

At Urban Systems staff are encouraged to strive for personal excellence.  This doesn’t mean that we expect people to be perfect, but rather that they take ownership for continuous learning and career growth.  In return, Urban Systems is committed to creating an environment in which each person can thrive in developing their personal and professional skills.  

 

We are committed to being a learning organization because we know it will enable us to adapt and thrive within a rapidly changing market.  In January 2004, we launched an in-house learning program known as the University of Urban Systems (U of U), our in-house training and development organization.  The U of U plays a vital role in furthering our core strategy of “great people providing great service to great clients.”  At the root of our strategy is a team of “great people” who are not only highly skilled in their technical fields but also excel in other areas including leadership, communication, problem solving and team work. Through the U of U, these people provide workshops and other learning venues that foster career development and growth as well as opportunities for people to understand and implement our core strategies. The U of U helps new employees quickly assimilate to the company’s culture, values, vision and strategies and rapidly prepares them to take on important service, client and project management roles. The U of U is also a tool to develop future leaders of the company and facilitate succession.

 

Coaching and mentoring is also an integral part of our learning culture.  While the U of U is oriented towards group learning, our coaching program is focused on developing people at the individual level based on their unique needs and aspirations.  Personal Development Plans (PDPs) are the official roadmaps our people use to chart their course for continuous career growth and to understand what’s expected of them along the way. Working with a career coach, staff are encouraged to develop a mission and vision that they find personally inspiring and that supports the company’s overall goals and objectives.  In collaboration with their career coach, individuals set personal performance and development goals which are reviewed and updated annually.

 

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