BUILD YOUR CORPORATE CULTURE IN JUST 4 STEPS

The below text is from Ashley's business blog www.ashleytalks.com.

Many partners and clients praise us on our corporate values & culture and I get many questions on how to get it right. Here’s a bit of my philosophy behind the corporate values.

1.Set the Values before you go into business

Yes, they are that important. ??

Unfortunately, most companies don’t start with values as the title suggests. Not to panic! Take a blank piece of paper and write down why you started your business, what matters to you in the long run, in which way you want to touch and influence people around and where you see your company in 10 years. Then, set your corporate values that represent your purpose as a company, future objectives and ways to reach them.

For example, our corporate values focus around “being a good person” and therefore being a good business by caring for people, doing what’s right, over-delivering on promises and so forth. They are your “ten commandments” of what to do and how to behave when facing both success and challenge.

4 years ago I sat in my living room for hours crafting ours. Here’s the outcome.

ALARICE VALUES:

1. Sincerely Care for People
Be friendly and caring, leave people better than you found them and assume personal responsibility for everything you do.

2. Inspire and Empower Those Around
Be optimistic, value people and have fun. Build extraordinary human connections and be passionately interested in others.

3. Refuse to Be Average

Do more important staff faster and sooner, stay focused and committed. Always Over-delivering and out-perform. Go extra mile in everything you do in life, because it is worth it!

4. Be Curious and Passionate
Pay attention, engage and enjoy life. Keep exploring life with wild enthusiasm, energy and passion.

5. Do What’s Right, Always

Be a good person, – positive and open-hearted, candid and truthful. Be on time and give out what you most want to come back. Accomplish something noble and worthy every day and always be proud of what you do.

6. Make Time to Think
Love to learn, read and improve! You day is your life in miniature, so schedule your greatness, plan your success and act on your dreams.

7. Put Family and Health First

Know how fortunate you are, – cherish and appreciate the most important people in your life. Know your priorities, dreams and goals and make correct choices.

8. Take What You Don’t Like, Change It
Constantly make things better.

9. Run Towards Your Fears
Dream, shine and dare. Feel the fear and run to it.

10. Stay Humble
The more successful you get, the more humble you should become. Stay focused, pay attention and work hard, real hard.

2. Identify three Core Values

Yes, 10 values is indeed a bit too broad, however this is a general guideline and for me a must-have. These broader values help you to choose the right people when hiring, to make the right choice when in doubt, etc.

At the same time, it’s also important to choose 1-3 core values that really represent your firm and they way you work & influence the world around. For Alarice they are

CORE VALUES:

1. Sincerely Care for People
Be friendly and caring, leave people better than you found them and assume personal responsibility for everything you do.

2. Inspire and Empower Those Around
Be optimistic, value people and have fun. Build extraordinary human connections and be passionately interested in others.

3. Refuse to Be Average
Do more important staff faster and sooner, stay focused and committed. Always over-deliver and out-perform. Go extra mile in everything you do in life, because it is worth it!

3.Summarize the core purpose

Based on the core values write a few sentences on how you see the core purpose of your firm in the industry & the world.

CORE PURPOSE: At Alarice we truly care for people. We want to infuse each person we meet with our positive energy, passion and happiness through every encounter. We want to inspire more companies to join the “Happy Office Club” and erase the border between work/life. We want to help and continuously Wow our clients and friends.

4. Finish your BHAGS

BHAGs = Big Hairy, Audacious Goals

It’s important to envision where you want to be in 10-20-30 years rom now. If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there. – said Lewis Carroll in Alice in Wonderland. Make sure you know where you are going. ??

ALARICE BHAG

"By 2030 become Hong Kong’s own Virgin Group: fresh, fun, innovative, excellent, famous and inspiring enterprise working throughout 5 different industries."

It took me 2 years in business to be able to formulate our BHAGs and it was worth it all. It gives clarity and drive. Take your time with it, it’s your long-term vision, so make sure you get it right. Remember that a true BHAG is clear, compelling and with defined finish line. Make sure yours BHAG is

– Minimum of a 10-year plan (ask yourself: is it long-term?)

– Action-oriented (ask yourself: is it something people will understand if you share it?)

– Measurable (ask yourself: is it measurable and life changing?)

– Innovative (ask yourself: will it require you to stretch yourself out of your comfort zone?)

– Compelling and exciting (ask yourself: does it excite and stimulate you?)

Now, go ahead and write your corporate values! If you already run a business remember it’s never too late to set the vales, define your core purpose and identify the exiting BHAGs! This is the foundation for everything to come.

Visit my business blog www.ashleytalks.com for more stories like this.