Clear Values Simplify.
Company values should do 3 things.
Align: clear expectations make decisions easier and more delegatable;
Attract: aligned customers, team members and investors;
Inspire: creates a platform and belief for positive change.
A while back, I was talking to a client about the role of values for his team. He’s one of the most values-driven people I know, but wasn’t initially convinced they’d be a concrete enough tool at work.
But he did it anyway. He articulated and communicated a clear set of values to his team and his suppliers.
Payback?
Fast forward a few weeks. A team member was bringing the team down and not getting the job done. Using the values which the team had signed up to, a tricky conversation became far clearer and helped resolve the issue.
And team and suppliers had much clearer expectations from each other.
With another client, I worked through their values with the CEO and his leadership team. This ended up as a key part of their M&A proposition.
In the long term, values lived and embedded end up defining culture, which in turn ends up defining success. But even immediate rewards are plentiful.
Which is why values and purpose form an entire module of our business-scaling framework.
Get in touch if you’d discuss aligning values and strategy in your business.
How we can support you
- Join us on a workshop on how to scale your company; create time to focus on the bigger picture; and keep values and purpose core to your company. For max 5 CEOs of companies with revenues between £1.5m and £15m.
- Subscribe to our Bite-Sized Business Tips - thought snippets for values-centred business leaders. Every few days, a short focussed read on a specific topic of how to lead a company that values both profit and purpose.
- Talk to us to explore how we can help you scale your company in the direction you want to take it.