“56 Essential Company Values to Foster a Strong Culture and Empower Your Team”

Creating Effective Company Values that Inspire Employees

Establishing core company values is critical for successful and motivating workplaces. They are the guiding principles that shape organizational culture, drive cooperation and cohesion among team members, and differentiate brands from competitors. In this article, we’ll look into why company values are essential, how to create your own set of values, and highlight some industry favorites for inspiration. We’ll also explore how companies like Patagonia and Google successfully honor their values.

What are Company Values?

Core values are fundamental beliefs and principles that guide an organization. They explain why a business does what it does and illustrate its purpose. Company values shape organizational culture and help make decisions in line with core principles and company vision.

Why are Company Values Important?

Core company values give employees a sense of purpose, which is critical for employee satisfaction. A McKinsey & Company survey found that 70% of employees said their sense of purpose was largely defined by work. However, only 15% of non-executive participants felt they were living their purpose at work. It’s crucial to embrace core values at every level, not just at the executive level.

Purpose doesn’t only improve employee satisfaction. It also increases a company’s bottom line and builds trust with customers. Professor and author Ranjay Gulati explains in his book Deep Purpose that “To get purpose right, leaders must fundamentally change not only how they execute it but also how they conceive of and relate to it.” Gulati calls this process deep purpose, which furthers an organization’s reason for being in a more intense, thoughtful, and comprehensive way. Ultimately, core values are critical if you want to create a long-lasting, successful, and motivating place to work.

Elements of Company Core Values

Clear and Concise

It’s essential to keep your company values clear so that they can be understood and embraced by employees, regardless of their level or position in the company. Employees should know what to expect and understand what’s essential to the organization.

Brief and Memorable

Keep your company values brief. Short and catchy values can help create a distinctive brand identity, giving your company a competitive advantage. Bite-sized values will make them easier to remember, making it more likely that they will be internalized and adopted as part of your company culture.

Action-Oriented

Create values that make an impact. Instead of focusing on abstract ideas, establish values that serve as a guide for how employees should act and behave in their daily work. This will help establish accountability among your employees and empower them to do their best work.

Reflective

Your core values must be unique to your company and accurately reflect your mission, vision, beliefs, and objectives. Keeping your values consistent with your objectives can help create an authentic brand image and foster trust among your customers, partners, and employees. It will also attract and retain employees who have the same beliefs, resulting in a more cohesive and effective staff.

Adaptable

Your company values should always be consistent with your overall mission, but adjustments can be made as your company grows. Your original values may not be as relevant or effective as they were when you started your business. As your business evolves, obtain feedback from employees and other stakeholders and reassess your core values when necessary.

Examples of Companies with Inspiring Core Values

1. Patagonia

Patagonia’s core values focus on building the best product while causing no unnecessary harm to the environment, using their business to protect nature, and embracing new ways of doing things. Patagonia’s values aren’t just statements put on the “About Us” page; they’ve made bold moves in line with these values. For example, they developed environmentally-friendly alternatives to pitons when they found that their original product was damaging natural rock. Other actions include offering on-site childcare, creating unique events like Tools for Grassroots Activists and Patagonia Action Works, and recently, announcing a bold move to shift their ownership to a trust that supports climate change research.

2. Google

Google’s core values include putting the user first, doing one thing really well, being fast, respecting democracy, having accessibility to information, and being serious without wearing a suit. Google stands out by providing strategic examples of how their values translate into action. For instance, they avoid “evil” business by only showing relevant ads, not allowing pop-up advertising, and easily identifying sponsored links.

In conclusion, core company values are essential for creating successful and motivating workplaces. These guiding principles shape organizational culture, promote cooperation and cohesion among teams, and differentiate brands from competitors. Creating clear, memorable, and action-oriented values that accurately reflect your mission and objectives is critical. Companies like Patagonia and Google successfully honor their values and translate them into meaningful actions. Start creating your own company values today and inspire your team towards a common goal.