Core Who? (Part 1)

Core values are an enigma in the business world these days. They are the new sexy trend, and everyone wants them. Unfortunately, not everyone knows what to do with them once they’ve got them! As we continue to delve into the depths of how to build company culture that will transform our organizations, we hear the experts telling us how important the core values are. So what do the executive teams in your organizations do? They start scrambling, hiring consultants, and formulating a set of values they think defines them as an organization. So, they think, we’ve built these core values, and now good times will come…right? Not quite yet.

Core values have a deeper meaning than just being words on a wall, which is what happens in many companies. These are the fabric of your organization. They are the moral fiber that you live by, and you expect your team to live by. Your core values should be the underlying factors in every major decision you make as an organization. But it’s important to make sure the values truly reflect who you are, because otherwise you create an identity crisis within your organization. So how do we develop core values?

Here are four steps to think about:

1.       Think about your vision

When we spoke about vision a few weeks back, I wanted you to get an idea of why casting the right vision is important. Who you are and where you want to go as an organization is important, so you always have a point of reference in your decisions. When crafting your core values, make sure you see alignment with your vision. Your vision should inspire people around you to want to be a part of your company, because they are excited about the direction your company is headed and what you want to accomplish. Your vision is the destination you are trying to arrive at. Your car is the organization itself, which will be the means to accomplish your vision. You need an engine, the power that makes the organization go. Your values are that engine. If you put the wrong engine in the wrong car, you go nowhere. Remember that!

2.       Be a realist, with a hint of idealist

You’ve got to make sure that as you formulate what these values will be, you remember the identity of the organization you are a part of. A good way to do this is to look at your personnel. Whoever is in the room with you, that’s bought into your vision and is behind you, obviously has different things that you need on your team. Each person’s quirks and tendencies and drive are all components of your organization’s identity. Think about your family. The identity of your family is defined by the people in it: their mannerisms, attitudes, actions, etc. The same with the organization you are a part of. So with that in mind, your values need to reflect the identity of the organization as you want to see it, and how it really is. People need to be able to see themselves in your organization, because it is their organization too! A good way to figure out people’s individual core values is the tribal leadership values exercise. Here is the link:

http://www.culturesync.net/toolbox/mountains-and-valleys/

**A quick note: if there are individuals in your company that exhibit negative tendencies (poor work ethic, attitude, etc.) that you believe are a drag on you, those are not individuals you consider as components of your organizational identity**

We will continue with the last two steps in my next post, so marinate on this and check back soon!

Stay inspired, be developed, be the change!

~AI