Discussing the ING Business Principle “open and clear”
Discussing the ING Business Principle “open and clear”
Our top 200 managers have signed up to the four ING Business Principles:
- We act with integrity
- We are open and clear
- We respect each other
- We are socially and environmentally responsible
Hans Hagenaars, ING Retail Board member, on being “open and clear”.
Why is “We are open and clear” so important to you?
For me, “open” also means having an open mind. You have to be receptive to signals from other people, to listen and to ask questions. And you mustn’t be afraid to speak your mind. That’s not always easy, but it’s the only way to find solutions to problems.
And “clear”? Making clear choices and communicating them clearly. That ultimately is what will make us perform better as a business and serve our customers better.
How do you score ING Retail on this business principle?
Overall, I think on “open” I would rate our business 8/10. On being “clear”, I’d rate our performance as more than adequate, but there are a few areas where we can still raise our game.
What does “We are open and clear” mean for you personally?
Openness and a desire for clarity are part of my genetic makeup, which can also be my downfall. Let’s say that I’m by nature more of a sender than a receiver. Every day, I have to take care explicitly to ask the people I’m talking to for their views, to bring out their motives and arguments. Open communication depends on more than just a mouth. It also needs a pair of ears!
Aren’t business principles just the latest corporate craze?
For us, certainly not. ING developed its first Business Principles back in 1999. Since when, every five years we review and update them to make sure they remain concise, clear and relevant to current issues and social developments.
For example, in the latest version of the document in which we explain what we mean by the four principles, we focus our attention more than previously on our customers and other stakeholders.
ING a sector leader in business principles
In 2009, the Dutch Banking Association (NVB) developed a Banking Code to restore trust in our sector. ING was naturally an enthusiastic signatory. But we were even more delighted to discover that every area covered in the Moral Ethical Statement of the Dutch Banking Code was already more than fully covered in our own ING Business Principles.
Nevertheless, to be clear, our Top 200 managers, including all Board members, signed the ING Business Principles and the Management Board Banking also signed the Moral Ethical Statement of the Banking Code.
- Read more about our Business Principles