Core Values So Good Your Team Defends Them
Many business owners would agree that it makes good sense to have core values. After all, with core values, you can build a solid foundation for your company and create strong culture. But how do you know if you've got effective core values? What are the indicators that your team has bought in to your values? Even so, what does it mean to have your team "buy in" to your values? One tell-tale sign that you have the right core values is when your people will defend them - when they call each other out for falling short of living the core values. Another signal that you have strong core values is when an existing employee will opt-out of your company because they realize they are not a "values" fit.
Several years ago, we had a colleague who was not the right fit for our company. The leadership team had suspected this to be the case, however, it was mostly intuition and gut feel. Then, when we heard that some of this person's co-workers called him out for behavior inconsistent with company values, we knew the company values were working and the right people were in place. We later parted ways with that employee.
In another instance, a team member, just 6-months into the job, suddenly resigned from the company. This person was well liked by everyone in the company and while the news was shocking, when the resignation was tendered, I understood why. In plain terms, this person didn't believe they could commit to the aggressive workload that was required for the job. Consequently, this person was afraid of disappointing direct reports and respectfully resigned.
No doubt there are plenty of successful companies that have been without documented core values. Although, chances are, the company's core values probably come through in other ways. At StoryTeller, I can't imagine running our business without these 5 Core Values. Not only are our values on our wall, they're a part of the DNA of all our employees. By hammering them home throughout the interview process and building them into how we make decisions every day, our core values have a life of their own. Best of all, they are values that have significant meaning to everyone on our team. So significant, that everyone in our company will defend them and hold everyone, regardless of title, accountable to them. That's how we know our values work for us. How do you know your values are working for you?