Company values are the heart and soul of your business. They’re the principles by which the whole organisation lives, breathes, functions & maybe dies as a result of not abiding by them.
For values to be effective every employee should embody them, be devoted to them and that collection embodiment and devotion is truly what matters
We see values as the framework by which your business operates. If you have outlined these effectively then no matter what situation a member of the team faces the values should provide clarity as to what the next steps to take are.
As you can see values outline how we tackle all decision making in our business, from the most simple to the most complex
Many people see values as intangible so work on them, we see this is early-stage startups who are focussed on finding traction, product-market fit and scaling up. By not outlining values you have unintentionally created a culture. One of no values which may lead to a free
An excellent example of a culture based on values is Zappos, one of the biggest online shoe and clothing shops in the U.S. If you research Zappos, you’ll realise that Tony Hsieh speaks of Zappos’ values in his books and talks. Their employees know the company values by heart and the entire company is perceived as a desirable employer and partner because of the organisational culture they’ve created. At the end of the day, that culture and a good product brings profit and clients.
One value we think many companies overlook are values that address diversity and inclusion. If you are an early-stage company,
Here’s a task, try asking and answering a series of questions either to the group or individually.
- What are your greatest strengths?
- What do you truly stand for?
- What values do you adhere to when obstacles arise?
- What are the top three to five behaviours you expect from every team member
Doing the above should help you create your values. You’ve done the easy part, now the hard (subjective) part is to live and breathe these every day
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