Does your business have clear and meaningful core values?
If your answer is no, then it may be time to put some thought into why your company exists and the heart behind it. To grow a stronger and more unified team, developing your company’s core values should be a top priority for your organization. Without a proper roadmap to lead your team, your company will inevitably get off track and end up down the road with a business that looks nothing like what you originally had in mind.
The core values of your company will build a foundation for your business and employees for years to come, keeping it on track and going in the right direction. These standards are what support the vision and shape the culture of your business.
So let’s take a look at where to begin so you can successfully take your business into the next season of growth and build a company that thrives.
How to Set Your Core Values
When you look at your entire organization, do you feel like everyone is on the same page and heading in the same direction?
Start by taking time to identify your company’s core by thinking about who you are as a business and why you exist and write it down. This is a great place to begin.
To really drill down and establish some standards for your business, take some time to gather with your leadership team and spend a couple of hours to discuss and finalize your core values.
This exercise will not only help align your leadership, but will also unify your team as you begin building a strong foundation for your business.
A helpful tool that you can use for establishing your values is from the book, “Traction” by Gino Wickman. Grab a copy of the book and then do the exercise on pages 34-45. We found this to be a very helpful resource for our team as we were establishing our core values.
*For more information, you can read more at: https://www.eosworldwide.com
Make a Stronger, More Unified Team
After establishing our core values at Open Sky, it really helped us become a stronger team and make better decisions as a company. We filter all that we do through these values and when a decision is made that doesn’t align with our core values, this sends a red flag for us to reevaluate.
By establishing these values as a company, it gives purpose to the entire team to understand what we are working toward together. It creates a value system that team members can resonate with in their work ethic, therefore creating a more purposeful work environment.
We have also found that anytime we veer away from our values, we end up regretting that decision later on down the road as it creates unnecessary friction, as it doesn’t align with our core beliefs. So staying true to your core values as a team is definitely just as important as taking time to establish your company’s standards.
Our Core Values at Open Sky
While you always want to take time to develop your own, it is often helpful to see what other companies have decided their standards are. Here is our list of core values at Open Sky:
- Teachers at Heart: We have the heart of a teacher and make tech approachable.
- Deliver Clean Results: We catch the details to minimize mistakes and deliver elegant work.
- Provide Effective Solutions: We build solutions that create online success.
- Build on Foundations: We have proven processes that build on solid foundations.
- Trusted Experts: We know what you need, we’re good at what we do and we curate solutions you can trust.
Take Time To Develop Your Core Values Today
Developing your company’s core values takes time and effort to step out of the regular day-to-day operations of your business. However, it won’t take long for you to see the return of your effort once you implement and begin using your core values’ terminology within your company.
So what are you waiting for? Mark out some time on your schedule in the next week to work on those core values today.
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