Over the years, I’ve written a lot about the value of having a clear purpose, mission and vision. Knowing where your business is going and why it exists is pivotal. Lately, however, I’ve been keying on the power of writing clearer corporate values.
It’s easy sometimes to underestimate the importance of values, but that would be a mistake. In my experience, I’ve come to understand that a well-defined set of corporate values influences not just who you bring into the business and how your team works together, but they also play a large part in attracting the right clients and partners to the business.
Knowing how important values are to building this alignment, I wanted to share three things to consider when it comes to writing and living your corporate values.
1. Don’t settle for one word. I may get some push back here, but I’m a big advocate for writing brief statements rather than single words. Instead of Kindness, I prefer Be Clear and Kind or Choose Kindness.
2. Aim for five. Much like your purpose statement, less is more. I typically aim for a max of five values. First, they’re easier to remember. Second, cutting down your total number of values forces you to prioritize what matters most.
3. Showcase your values-in-action. A great way to gain clarity around your values is to identify examples of how your values show up in your day-to-day work. Not only does this solidify what’s important, but it also helps you uncover any gaps in your value statements.
Knowing your organization’s purpose, vision, character (culture) and values is becoming more and more important. Your employees, your candidates and your clients want to know what you believe.
If you need support defining your purpose, vision or values or identifying how they manifest within your business, please subscribe to my newsletter where I share tips and ideas or you may be interested in working with me to assemble your very own Culture Guidebook.
