Strong company values are the foundation for building a strong team culture and having happy employees. Here are 10 examples of virtuous company values.
You start your company, and you have a vision for your company’s culture. You have some short term and long term goals. And then the pressure is on; you need to create solid coherent company values that will keep your company on track and have happy and engaged employees. What if you had a list of values that were already powerful & time tested; values that you can draw inspiration from and frame your own? In this article, we will cover ten company values with examples for creating a strong company culture.
Company values are the bedrock of culture. This is the basis that demonstrates what a business stands for; they define the culture and lay foundation for success. Ideally, a company's values should represent its clients, team, purpose and commitment.
Here are a few foundational values that we think companies must abide by:
Accountability is one of the most important values for a company. All employees of the company should be held accountable for their decisions. Accountability will ensure that employees have a clear understanding of the business and establish expectations about their performance.
Each member of the company should understand what it means to be accountable for their own actions and responsibilities. Documenting these guidelines, providing regular feedback, and well-rounded communication with each staff member help to reinforce accountability within a company. Employees will find it easier to commit to a project when they feel as if they are a vital part of the entire process.
For a company to truly adopt sustainability as a value, it’s necessary to emphasise on it from the top down. Business owners must lead by example, ensuring that the wellbeing of their communities and the environment is just as important as their financial success. They are the ones hiring managers look to set the tone within an organisation, so they have to really commit to these values in order to gain any traction within their company.
Advocacy for sustainability can cost a business little or nothing, but the returns in terms of reduced environmental impact and lower costs can be significant. What is clear from this is that businesses cannot afford to ignore sustainability as an opportunity when it comes to positioning themselves as "green" to their potential customers and investors.
Creating a culture of passion is a powerful way for any company to stay relevant in the eyes of their employees and customers. When an individual or a company is passionate about their work, it makes the results that much better. The end result of making something great is extremely rewarding when done in a way that is truly passionate.
Whatever the circumstances are, trust is essential for a company. And the reputation of a company depends on the responses it gives its customers. As much as possible, companies should make sure to be trustworthy in their offerings and services. To build trust you need to be consistent and sincere. This will make the brand more reliable.
Transparency is a crucial value to have as a company. If your company is transparent, it shows that you can be trusted. Transparency also allows the customers know that their money is being well spent. Although some companies are reticent to share information about how things work, it can be helpful not to withhold company practices from the public.
Transparency is particularly important in the field of design and development. Without transparency, companies can suffer reputation issues, delayed successes, and missed deadlines. It is important to engage with clients and be honest about problems that could arise in the design process so that you can deliver a finished product to them before it's too late to make changes. When companies practice transparency, it becomes easy for others to see what actions are performed. Transparency implies openness, communication, and accountability.
The world is changing and companies need to be able to change with it. A company that values diversity is a company that will be able to adapt when the market changes. Diversity in the workplace provides many opportunities for companies. It’s important for employees in a diverse workplace to share their experiences with each other because it allows them to understand how they can reach different types of people.
Diversity is a serious challenge for many companies. The reasons are obvious, but the problem remains: how can we best increase diversity in workplaces so that they can better include people from all walks of life? Companies need to commit to being inclusive and support people from all walks of life.
Read more: 8 Ways Managers Can Support Multicultural Teams
Innovation can be measured by how fast or effective a business or a person can improve or update itself and how reasonable that change is. Innovation keeps the business fresh. The environment of the business depends on Innovation by making sure that it stays open to new ideas, new services, and new advancements in technology.
Without innovation, the business would become stale and stuck in its ways. Innovation is what leads to growth and overall success. No matter what industry you’re in, the core of innovation is starting with an idea and then seeing it through to the end. Add some persistence and drive, and almost any business can be innovative.
Respect should be one of the core values at any company. Respect is also vital when interacting with clients. Empathising and listening to clients and employees is very important.
Companies should value their people, encourage their development and reward their performance. If your organization or business wishes to succeed, then displaying and demonstrating respect to all members is crucial, and developing this virtuous quality should be a high priority for any organisation.
It is important to have perseverance as a core value of your business, because it gives your teams endurance and patience. Perseverance will give you the motivation and drive to keep trying. Perseverance is an important virtue for a company to hold, because it conveys to consumers the company’s determination to remain in business until better days are on the horizon. This can be especially important for companies that are threatened by competitors and find it hard to gain momentum in the marketplace.
The importance of integrity in any business setting is hard to overstate. This is an exceptionally important value for businesses to pay attention to. Integrity should be in the heart of any company, and especially for anyone who is thinks about entering the business. Success cannot happen without a strong, clean and honest relationships with employees, from top leaders to everyday workers.
This list of company values is a great place for start for developing a company value system for your business. Customize these ideas and principles to fit your business, draw inspiration from this article, tailor values that suit the raison d'être of your company. The values should help contribute to strengething your company culture. Remember, the more employees and stakeholders you involve in this excercise, the more comprehensive your final result will be. You may not all share the same beliefs or language, but there will be shared values which resonate thoughout, and these shared values will help you build a great business.
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A company’s values are at the core of the business. They are the standards by which employees act and decisions are made. Companies have several different sets of values that they communicate to those around them. Sometimes you may also hear about core values which are typically something like integrity, caring, honesty, dynamism and flexibility. Company values should give you an indication of the standards that you have about conducting yourself and the way in which your teams are going to approach the business. As a result, core values will be those principles that are of paramount importance to the company and will not be compromised.
As a company, a team, or an individual, you have one major responsibility: performing well. Having values beyond this is great and may be necessary or even the key to your success. However, with each additional value you add that’s not directly tied to your business objectives, there is an increased possibility of distraction and the erosion of your ultimate goals. Ultimately, you must have a purpose that drives every action you undertake. Hence, it is not a question of “how many?” but one of “how coherent?”
Having a set of values for your business is really important along with the purpose of the company and the vision statement. The set of values will provide employees a framework for decision making. Good values are very important for any business. It is key to the success of your business.
Values provide a clear sense to employees on what the company believes in. Companies that lack positive values might have a difficult time maintaining a constructive work environment or high employee engagement. Implementing good values will help build a strong foundation of trust between management and employees, and can act as a north star in uncertain times. These values are also a way to let the customers know how you measure up compared to other companies in the same industry. All businesses need a clearly defined set of values and standards to guide operations.
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