In today’s ever-changing business landscape, where strategies evolve, technologies advance, and markets shift, one constant remains crucial: a company’s core values. These foundational principles are essential in shaping a company’s culture, guiding decision-making, and ultimately contributing to overall success. But why should a company create core values? What benefits do they bring to the table? A lot! And not just the warm-fuzzy benefits but ones that can improve business results.
Impact of Core Values on Company Culture
Let’s start with the buzzword of the past decade: company culture. Company culture is the force and result that shapes the behavior and attitudes of employees. Core values help set the tone for the desired culture by establishing what a company stands for, its fundamental beliefs, and the expectations it sets for its employees. When carefully articulated, these values serve as a rallying point for employees, partners, and customers alike.
Values That Drive Positive Company Culture
When your principals emphasize collaboration, innovation, and respect, they encourage a positive workplace environment where individuals thrive and contribute their best. A strong culture, rooted in core values, can:
-
- Increase overall productivity
-
- Create a shared sense of belonging
-
- Collaborative work toward a common goal
Guiding Decision-Making
In the fast-paced business world, decisions are made daily across all levels of an organization. Clear core values can provide a framework for decision-making. When tough choices arise, referring back to your values to help simplify the process, ensuring that decisions align with the company’s beliefs and long-term objectives.
Values That Encourage Innovation & Decision-Making
When companies encourage values like creativity, curiosity, and risk-taking, they make it easy for employees to make decisions and explore new ideas. This can lead to breakthroughs, improved processes, and a continuous drive for improvement, contributing to their long-term objectives.
Core Values to Build Brand Loyalty
With the rise in conscious spending and support for local businesses, many consumers seek companies that share their values and ethics. Publicly posting your values on your website or social media is a great first step to connecting and aligning with your target audience. Furthermore, when your company consistently aligns its actions with its values, it builds credibility and integrity.
By staying true to your values, companies can make strategic adjustments while maintaining their essence, even in challenging times. This adaptability helps companies survive uncertain times and fosters a positive reputation and brand loyalty. It’s essential to remember that these benefits are only attainable if your values are more than buzzwords. We only need to look to Enron’s core values of Communication, Respect, Integrity, and Excellence to know what happens when core values mean little more than buzzwords in a shareholder’s annual report.
Innereactive lives and breathes its core values. We have incorporated them into our performance appraisals and often lean on them when making challenging business decisions. If you need help defining your comapny’s values or integrating them into your daily business practices, we can help!