Tell Your Company’s Story Through Its Core Values

Crafting a company’s core values and beliefs take time and dedication, not only by the leaders of the organization but by every employee that works for the organization. These values describe and display the common beliefs and commitments that the organization has made to its employees, but also to the public they serve.

What story does a company’s core values tell? Do the values accurately reflect the quality of the product or service delivered to consumers, business associates, and partners?  Are they reflective of what upper management, supervisors, and employees hold as beliefs they live by?  These are some of the questions to consider when developing a company’s mission and value statements.

Organizations like Zappos formed their company values early on by asking teammates to share their personal values. By gaining feedback and contribution from employees, management can ensure that their employees work for a company that they can be proud of, and thus motivated to bring their best to work every day.

As a company evolves, as the story changes, it is necessary to do check-ins to ensure the culture that is being formed matches the values that were identified. Stripe’s Co-Founder John Collison says it best, “Culture is what happens when the CEO isn’t in the room.” When collecting your core values it might feel like a nearly endless list; Teamwork, Respect for People, Personal Accountability, Quality, Integrity, Build Social Impact are some that are listed in the organizations we are familiar with. What story does your company’s core values tell? What values do your employees embody?