To The Core: The Importance Of Company Core Values
Here it Sneeze It, we are a family of designers, copywriters, project managers and digital strategists – all experienced and multi-talented people. We may not be for everyone (and may be a little nuts) – but for the right customers, we deliver truly incredible results!
Our daily interactions with our clients and how we work as a team on a daily basis is defined by our core values. Here at Sneeze It, we live and die by these values and often find ourselves incorporating them into our daily interactions and decision making.
In our search to define our company culture over the years, we have found that having a streamlined and well thought out set of values goes a long way towards solidifying our culture and identity. Let’s delve deeper into what exactly these values are, how your company can benefit from them and the consequences of their absence.
About Core Values
As mentioned above, core values encompass more than just defining who you are as a company and who you work with – they are a guiding light that show your employees how to be a successful part of your ever-growing team.
When it comes to your team, your core values should help them decide right from wrong in their everyday decision making. Do they successfully embody the values of your company when they are on the clock?
When it comes to your clients, core values should give them a glimpse at what they should expect from you, as well as how you conduct your daily business. Potential clients should be able to judge whether your ideals align with theirs just by looking at your core values, and this will greatly help you do business with people who are like-minded and give you a much greater chance of a successful business relationship.
At Sneeze It, two of our core values include adding value and demanding excellence, which sends a clear message to our clients that we will go above and beyond to deliver truly impactful results!
The Importance Of Core Values
What is your company’s ultimate vision, or destination? Think of your core values as being a potential pathway to the end goal. Without clearly defined core values, your employees will not be clear about which path to follow, and might try to follow their own path which could be far less efficient, or cause them to lose their way.
Furthermore, lack of clearly defined core values hinders your ability to make effective hiring decisions which could lead to a perpetual state of turnover. Employees will not be clear about what’s considered right and wrong in your company culture, and may make decisions which aren’t directly aligned with your vision.
A company without clearly defined core values may also struggle to find clients who work well with them, as your personal values or vision may not necessarily resonate with them – remember that like-minded people will always work well together, as their visions and core values are the same!
Our core values of Innovation and Communication clearly let our employees and clients know that we strive to build confidence and trust in them on a daily basis, as well as focus on continuous process improvement.
Defining Core Values
Want to successfully define the core values of the company? Close your eyes and imagine a power-house squad that will lead your company to the very top. Gather your team, vote on who these people are and write them down.
Make a list of numerous qualities and characteristics that successful individuals possess, and try to identify which of these resonate the most with you. Once you have around 15 of these qualities written down, further boil them down to the most important characteristics that embody what your core values should be – mold these characteristics into values that clearly define who you are and who works for you.
There is no limit on how many core values a company can have, but remember that too many cooks spoil the broth, make sure you have anywhere between 5 to 7 clearly defined values.
Keep Your Values Alive
Once you have clearly defined your core values, it’s time to communicate them effectively to your team members and clients alike. At Sneeze It, we make it a point to hang our core beliefs on the walls, in meeting rooms and in the workspace alike – we make sure any visitors know exactly who we are!
It’s also important to acknowledge those who demonstrate and embody your core values. At Sneeze It, we make it a point to lift our employees up every time they abide by these values to remind them that it is of utmost importance to us. Make sure you praise an employee to the team each and every time they successfully exhibit a value.
Lastly, remember that your core values are sacred, but not secret. Be proud of who you are and shout your values out to the world in order to attract like-minded people to your business.
We’d love to know more about your company’s core values, how you came up with them and how you keep them alive in your workspace – make sure you leave your thoughts in the comments below!
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