Melinda J. Irvine

Does your organisation have its principle beliefs and values articulated into a Core Values Statement? Having a formal document that clearly identifies each of your values — and how they apply to different aspects of the business — will help you make better decisions, and keep your actions aligned with your true purpose.

Core values explained

Every single person on the planet has a set of beliefs and values that underpin their lives and govern everything they do. Some of these values are unconscious, but many of them are very deliberate decisions — like the goals and ideals we choose to live by.

Some people would never pull away from the kerb unless they were wearing a seatbelt, others don’t use plastic drinking straws, still others just don’t like alcohol. Some of our values are non-negotiable (like never taking a drink) but our values can also be ideals that we aspire to achieve — eg, setting an intention to use less plastic or eating a plant-based diet.

Values. Principles or standards of behaviour. One’s judgement about what is important in life.

Oxford Dictionary of English.

When we’re clear about what is important to us and able to identify our own values, it’s much easier to make decisions — we can say no to things that don’t align with our core values, and yes to the things that do.

Businesses, enterprises, and nonprofit organisations also have beliefs and values that shape the way they do business. These values dictate how they engage with customers, workers, and the general public, but they also help establish a strong organisational culture that’s visible to people outside the business.

Why develop a Core Values statement?

In a recent article published by the Harvard Business Review, researchers discovered that consumers were willing to pay for more products and services from organisations they perceived to be authentic, and true to their values.

Your core values can positively impact other areas of your business too, here are a few examples:

• Staff – hiring a team who is excited about your business because they share similar values.
• Decisions – helping everyone in the organisation make daily decisions based on your core values.
• Customers – attracting customers who respect your values.
• Suppliers – sourcing raw materials, packaging, products, and essential services from ethical suppliers.

READ MY POST: 3 Important Reasons to Display Your CORE VALUES on Your Website

Uncover your core values

When you work with me to develop your core values statement I’ll provide you with a detailed questionnaire — to get you thinking about your personal beliefs and values. Here’s a few ideas:

• What type of impact do you want your business to have in the local community?
• What type of staff do you want to hire?
• How do you want to be recognised in your industry group or employment sector?
• What are doing bigger and better than your competitors?

My basic service is for a written Core Values Statement, but I can also help you apply your values to the daily operations of your business. After all, you want your values to become a living, breathing part of your culture rather than a set of lofty goals that appear haughty and aloof.

Ask for my premium service where we work together to incorporate your core values into your website, staff inductions, employee handbook, job descriptions, performance reviews, help desk, and customer service program.

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More information

Like some more information about how I can help you identify your core values and apply them to your business processes and overall work culture? Reach out using the contact from below and I’ll be in touch shortly.

Eric ‘ERock’ Christopher. 2017. ‘How Establishing Core Values Drives Success’. Digital Article. Entrepreneur Asia Pacific (blog). 20 March 2017. https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/290078.

Kieran O’Connor, David W. Lehman, and Glenn R. Carroll. 2019. ‘The Kind
of Authenticity Customers Will Pay More For’. Digital Article. Harvard Business Review (blog). 27 June 2019. https://hbr.org/2019/06/the-kind-of-authenticity-customers-will-pay-more-for.