Finding your core & values

It's not hard to make decisions when you know what your values are — Roy Disney

Most sports and other physical activities depend on a stable core. A strong core allows a body to have better stability and balance. Every organization at its inception and at various stages of growth also needs a defined core that allows it to grow.

The core of an organization is its purpose. Beyond products, services & other functions — sales /marketing/operation — the core is what helps in creating a continuity for the organization. A clearly defined purpose helps in articulating both internal and external manifestos — ensuring that what we promise to our customers is what we do every day.

The purpose is driven through two aspects of any organization:

• The Functional: What we create and how we create it — what is quantifiable— the product process, marketing & sales.
• The Emotional: Our drivers and the softer aspects of an organization — the aspects that are difficult to define and monitor but is equally and in some cases more important than the functional part.

To identify the core, one of the ways is to define and articulate the values driving an organization. Every organization has a set of deeply embedded values with which it operates- whether identified or not. 

One of the ways in which the values are identified and defined is through a series of leading questions that are used individually or within a group format. The leading questions cover macro and micro perspectives - and both functional and emotional. 

Some of the leading questions that help in bringing out the values:

What are our strengths and weakness as an organisation?

Talk about a critical issue that the organisation faced and how was it handled? The way the issue was handled tells a lot about shared values — was there anything different you would do today looking back?

What was the first few days at the organisation like? How is it different

from now?

Talk about a success or a moment when the organisation pulled together and did something that was tough. How would you address the same task today?

If the organization was in some other business altogether but with the same team, what business or industry would you envision it to be in.

The interview and group discussion leads to identifying a set of values. By distilling these values further — and then crosschecking the values against how we operate — allows us to articulate them clearly. A set of 3 or 5 values in most cases is a good number of values to define. The smaller the number the harder it is to distill and define it clearly.

Once the values are defined clearly the core purpose becomes the unifying thread that connects all the values together. The core purpose as a singular statement needs to have resonance both internally and externally.

The core purpose also becomes the Northstar for the organization and as a reminder. To further embed the core within the organizations everyday function — the core purpose also creates the framework for the identity of the organization. 

This ensures that the organizational brand — visible in various forms in both internal and external manifestations. The purpose sits within a nested process that defines the various aspects of an organization going ahead.

The purpose also helps in defining an organisations sweet spot.

As an exercise, test out the core purpose against the organizations’ USP, market need and the value that the organization is able to create. This exercise also helps in aligning the purpose with the market need and ensuring that the business model the organization is in is able to capitalize on the right opportunities.

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