You're aiming to build a business with aligned values. How can you craft a sustainable model to achieve that?

Building a sustainable business model with aligned values is like laying the foundation for a sturdy house—every brick needs to be carefully placed to ensure lasting strength. Clearly define your core values and ensure that they resonate with your vision. Involve your team to foster a shared understanding and commitment. Once values are defined, integrate them into every aspect of your business, from hiring practices to product development. Ensure that your business practices and strategies consistently reflect these values. Regularly revisit and refine your values to adapt to changing circumstances. You create a strong foundation for long-term sustainability and growth by embedding your values into your business model.

Assim como em nossa vida pessoal, valores s?o inegociáveis. é muito importante que os gestores parem para refletir e definir os valores adequados ao negócio. Eles nortear?o desde a constru??o do planejamento estratégico até as decis?es dos profissionais nas rotinas de atividades do dia a dia. Sendo parte da comunica??o estratégica, torna-se importante que sempre esteja presente e seja refor?ado em eventos oficiais, como por exemplo: apresenta??es, onbording de novos funcionários, reuni?es e workshops.

I have the feeling that these values come with time through shared experiences with you Co-Founder and team. I don't believe that shallow words as a wall tattoo will ever guide anyone in their daily decisions. But once they are there shared values are the most sticky and guiding things a company can have.

Values can often seem abstract in business, but they’re more than just a buzzword. They need to be deeply rooted and meaningful, whether they stem from the founder’s personal beliefs or the shared ethos of the founding team. These values should have gravitas and a history that ground them. To build a robust values framework, consider using a core values exercise that involves reflection and discussion. This will ensure your values are not just a set of empty statements but a true compass guiding every decision and action in your business journey.

Begin by fostering a culture of open communication, where team members feel empowered to share ideas and feedback. Prioritize collaboration and inclusivity, allowing diverse perspectives to shape decision-making. Invest in training programs that enhance soft skills like emotional intelligence, adaptability, and conflict resolution. This not only strengthens team dynamics but also aligns your workforce with your business values. Regularly assess your practices and seek employee input to ensure alignment with your mission. By embedding these values into every aspect of your operations, you create a resilient and purpose-driven organization. #STRATEGY

Crie um modelo sustentável alinhado aos valores do seu negócio focando em práticas que promovam responsabilidade social e ambiental. Defina claramente seus princípios e integre-os nas opera??es diárias, desde a sele??o de fornecedores até a gest?o de recursos. Adote estratégias que priorizem a ética e a transparência, e implemente métricas para avaliar o impacto das suas a??es. Ao construir um modelo que reflete seus valores, você atrai clientes e parceiros que compartilham esses princípios, fortalecendo a reputa??o e a sustentabilidade do seu negócio.

This is one of the most important aspects. Knowing your value proposition and ensuring that there is a strong alignment and transparency about how this translates through all aspects of your operating model and your brand experience for customers and partners. Often this is the unseen part of business leadership - the public part of branding and selling may be visible and given attention and time, but the deep reflection on values and ethics translating into decision-making within the organisation and as part of the wider ecosystems your organisation exists within is critical. And this relies on reflection and candid discussions between people within the organisation, and with your customers/clients and suppliers.

The JERICA business model is specifically designed to assure alignment across both the 5 principles of the operating model, and the layers within that such as people and financial management, operations and supply chain management, external stakeholder and supplier relationships, current and future decisions for the good of people and planet. While it sounds complex and organisations often seem to fail at this alignment, that is generally because there is not a clear line of sight and autonomy throughout the hierarchy to operate in alignment with the values of the organisation. Incentives, delegations, resourcing, mandates, job design and consequences all have to line up and be followed through,

Operational alignment is where both your team and your customers experience whether your business and your values are aligned. Too often values are not in alignment. A company may have values listed on their website such as: teamwork, flexibility, and honesty - yet when you speak to team members, their day-to-day experience is quite different. As leaders we must remember that our actions can amplify our words - or erase them. Taking action that align with our values will be noticed and adopted when modeled authentically.

When striving for continuous improvement, it's important to stay grounded in your core values. It's easy to get caught up in the excitement of new trends or potential enhancements, but always ensure these changes align with your business’s fundamental values. Use your strategic direction and core values as a guiding framework for any improvements. This way, you can innovate while staying true to what your business stands for, keeping both relevance and integrity in check.