Creating a strong culture within your organization is essential for a successful business. A key element of this culture is the core values that guide how employees interact with each other, customers, and the public. Having a set of core values that everyone in the company can agree on and stick to is essential for creating a healthy and productive work environment. In this blog post, we'll discuss how to build company core values that will last and how to ensure they are upheld throughout the organization.

Keep It Simple

For small business owners, it’s important to keep your company core values simple. By focusing on a few core values that are easy to remember and act upon, you can ensure that everyone in the company understands and lives by them. When creating your company core values, limit yourself to a few (three to five is recommended) that accurately reflect what your business stands for and what it believes in. Make sure they are easy to understand, easy to remember, and easy to communicate. A few well-defined core values will be more effective than a long list of values that nobody remembers or understands.

Define What Your Company Stands For

As a business owner, it’s important to set a clear definition of what your small business stands for. This will serve as the foundation and guide for your future decisions. To create an effective definition of what your company stands for, you need to look inward and assess your own values and the values that you want your company to represent. Defining your core values should be a collaborative effort between business owners, employees, and other stakeholders. Take some time to consider the following questions: What are the most important traits for a successful business? What do you want your company to be known for? What kind of culture do you want to cultivate?

Once you have answered these questions, you can begin creating a concise list of core values that define who you are and the type of business you are striving to be. Your core values should be meaningful, achievable, and reflective of your vision. When crafting your core values, make sure to keep them simple, clear, and memorable. Having a well-defined set of core values is essential for creating a unified message and allowing people to align with your company’s mission.

Get Input From Employees

As a business owner, it is important to get input from your employees when building company core values. After all, they are the ones who will be living and representing those values day in and day out. Whether you have a small business with a few employees or a large organization with hundreds of workers, each employee should have an opportunity to give their opinion about the core values of the company.

Start by holding open discussions with your team members. Ask them what values are most important to them, and how those values might be translated into a company’s mission and vision. Encourage honest feedback and make sure everyone feels comfortable speaking up. Additionally, consider gathering input via surveys or anonymous suggestions.

When collecting opinions from your team, make sure to explain why this input matters and how it will be incorporated into the company’s core values. This will show that you value your employees’ opinions and that their voices will be heard. With enough input, you can create core values that everyone in the company can stand behind and take pride in.

Let Your Core Values Guide Your Decisions

As a business owner, you should use your core values to inform decisions and guide the development of your small business. Your core values can help you to decide on projects, establish work practices, evaluate employees, and make strategic decisions.

When making decisions, consider how each option is aligned with your core values. This helps you to create an organizational culture that reflects your values and encourages employees to take actions that align with your business objectives. It also provides a standard for assessing new initiatives and determining the worth of a project or course of action.

For example, if one of your core values is customer service excellence, you might choose to invest in training to ensure that customer interactions are positive experiences. Or if you value sustainability, you may choose to invest in renewable energy sources or look into green initiatives.

Remember, the more consistently you live and make decisions based on your core values, the more likely it is that those values will become part of your company culture. By utilizing this approach, your small business can develop into a successful organization that stands out from the competition.

Live Your Core Values

As a business owner, it is essential to practice what you preach when it comes to your core values. Your core values will only be meaningful if you and your team live them out daily. This requires an understanding of what your core values are, and an intentional effort to ensure they are consistently practiced.

The best way to ensure that your core values are integrated into your company culture is to lead by example. Small business owners should always be conscious of how they are representing the company’s values in their own words and actions. If you don’t live them out yourself, then your employees won’t be inspired to follow suit.

When leading by example, consider involving employees in decisions and processes that reflect your core values. This will give them the opportunity to see how the values are represented in day-to-day operations. It is also important to provide opportunities for employees to recognize and reward others for living out the core values.

Finally, encourage your team to speak up and make sure their voices are heard if they have concerns about any aspects of the company’s culture or operations that may not align with the core values. By maintaining open communication channels, you can ensure that your team is fully invested in embodying the company’s core values.