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The buzz around the term “core values” has skyrocketed in recent months. It’s almost as if the hiring and retention culture has really shifted towards leadership and corporate culture after the shutdown. With all the posts, videos and articles circulating about core values and how important they are, I wanted to take the opportunity to share what core values are, why they should be an integral part of your company’s culture and how you can implement them today.
Related: 3 Steps to Establishing Authentic Core Values
What are core values?
Quite simply, core values are your company’s shield against itself. It is the set of internal values that determine the barometer of the entire team within the organization. These values should start with the leadership team and be a direct reflection of the values each member of the leadership team lives by. This will set and maintain the standard of behavior for the rest of the team as the company grows. In general, a company wants to have 3-7 clearly defined and actionable core values documented. You want them to be easy to understand, hard to manipulate and remember for any level team member.
Remember: keep it simple, but keep it impactful. This is important. As the company grows and grows, it will continue to rely on these values to set the tone when challenges arise. Use your own life as an example of where you can come up with these values. Some questions to ask yourself are: What is most important to you every day? What are some non-negotiable things you live by? What are the assets you see in others that inspire you to get better? You can use these as a starting point to brainstorm about your value system within your organization.
As you grow, your business encounters obstacles. When this happens there will be times when the whole team will need something to rely on to keep pushing, and that’s the most crucial moment these come in to play.
Examples of company core values are:
- Communicate proactively
- Extreme property
- We do the right thing
- Harmony
- We put our customers first
- Integrity
- Honesty
You can use single words or you can choose phrases. Once you’ve selected those, you’ll want to write a mini blurb about the value. Provide insight and examples of where it would apply in your organization, and give your team some ideas to think about. For each value, you want to arrange it in such a way that it looks attractive to everyone involved, so that they will adopt this way of thinking and working. Core Values are truly a win-win scenario for the team, the customers and you as an owner or leader.
Related: The Power of Having Core Values
How to implement your core values
You will then initiate this within your team meetings. The most practical and efficient way to implement a value structure that sticks is to provide constant reminders. Pick specific meetings each week that can start with core values. You can ask people to read them, you can ask for examples of how they have been applied in the week before, or you can just ask if someone else saw someone else experience the value. This creates a buy-in that shows the team that you are serious, and they will also be rewarded and recognized for living in the value system the company now relies on.
Implementing core values at a company-wide level starts with you. You should take these values more seriously than anyone else. You need to act on a daily basis by applying them, talking about them, and holding yourself accountable for these core values that set you in motion, even if it itches. It is extremely important that you do not show that these are not important enough for you to apply. And if you falter, it’s paramount that you own it, acknowledge it, and tell your team how you’re going to do better.
It can be difficult for a company that hasn’t defined its core values to see the real ROI in setting it up and implementing it, but trust me when I tell you it’s eternal, and it’s big. People thrive on good leadership, and any good leadership begins with a set of unwavering values for the greater good of the team.