The Truth Behind Your Core Values.
Last time we spent some time defining and understanding the relationship between Mission/Vision/Purpose (click HERE to read that piece if you missed it) and I’m glad to know that for at least 1 of you, it was timed perfectly. 🥂
While defining your strategic pyramid is essential in branding, there’s another set of elements that need an equal amount of attention — Core Values.
By definition, core values are the fundamental beliefs of a person or organization. In branding, it’s the legs you stand on. The pillars that hold you up. The guardposts that keep the organization in alignment.
And they aren’t to be taken lightly.
As author and Advertising Age contributor Denise Lee Yohn states, “core values are the essential and enduring principles and priorities that prescribe the desired mindset and behavior of everyone who works at your company. Core values should function as the operating instructions of your organization” and by understanding the category and applying the values, you’re in turn creating that operating system Denise talks about.
And according to Marty Neumeier, “values are words or phrases that speak to the company’s most deeply held beliefs—beliefs that inform the company’s culture and guide the behavior of leadership and employees.”
Too often when exploring core values, most business leaders play it safe and go with statements that seem to encapsulate desired brand attributes on how they want to be seen in the eyes of the customer as opposed to the deep beleifs.
This leads to generic or cliche statements that are equally uninspiring as they are a waste of mind space (“we’re authentic, we’re innovative, we’re customer-centric, etc…”)
What might be even worse than these generic statements are the ones that are so abstract and “cool” that they do more harm than good. They’re not motivating employees or customers. They’re not relatable and in some cases, they could be seen as a turn-off for talent or a new sale.
It simply doesn’t make sense to specify the values through which you engage your employees if those aren’t linked to the way you want your employees to engage customers.
Instead, you should bridge the gap between organizational and brand values by using one set of core values to describe the unique way you do things on the inside and the outside. For those who have ever worked in the restaurant business, your back of house and your front of house.
To develop core values for your organization, start with the brand type that your brand falls into — you know, the category (we’ll discuss this in the near future). If you know the general type of your brand and the category in which you. operate, you’ll then be able to identify the kinds of organizational values that are needed to support it.
While not easy, a brainstorming session (or three) with a core group and an outside perspective can bring your organizations’ core values to life in a seemingly short amount of time.
Tips to discovering your brands’ core values
Make them actionable. Your core values are not just pretty words on a piece of paper or a website. If you want your company’s employees to live by these values, document them in a way that will prompt action. Words like “diversity,” “innovation,” and “integrity” aren’t enough. Don’t be passive with language, instead, be active and bring them to life.
Make them memorable. Employees and staff are more likely to act on company values when they’re easy to remember. Stay away from a laundry lists of words and lengthy descriptions with an abundance of fluff. Shorter, less common words and phrases that rhyme or use alliteration are more likely to stay top of mind and trigger a response. The language used should also mirror how your employees talk and should represent the culture that is built internally. Just remember not to be too cute.
Make them unique to your brand. Every company and organization is unique, and your core values should reflect what makes your brand special. Draw directly from your brand’s DNA and use language that falls in line with its voice and tone (another post for another day) to help differentiate your values from competitors.
Make them specific. Don’t leave any room for vagueness or interpretation. Don’t allow the vagueness of core values to be misinterpreted. Your values should be short, sweet, and straight to the point while still effectively conveying the desired ethics and emotions.
Make them meaningful. Words only have power when they’re authentic. Instead of simply choosing adjectives that sound good, make sure they have deep meaning for you and your business. Pressure test these statements with key stakeholders and customers. How do they resonate? Is it meaningful? It’s also good to keep a thesaurus handy when documenting your values, and don’t be afraid to take time to research various definitions.
Make them accessible. Your values must be easy for employees, partners, and customers to find and live every day. List them artfully on the “About Us” page of your website. Print them on company swag. Make art work out of them and include them in your brand standards / guidelines. Keeping these core values locked away in a PDF on a shared drive is the quickest way to not embody these values.
You can also think about your core values as the Philosophy of your brand. Marcus Aurelius, the famous Stoic Philosopher and Roman Emperor writes in his Meditations that “you should not speak about your philosophy but embody it”.
The same goes for your core values. Embody them in everything your organization does, from sales to marketing, HR & hiring to corporate social responsibility. They should serve as a thread connecting these touchpoints and departments.
A phrase I like to use when helping organizations identify, define, and capitalize on their core values is a simple question with deep reverberations: Are your core values and day-to-day action aligned?
A brand can easily have richly worded statements with beautiful undertones but can operate in the real world in a completely different manner with shady business practices, aggressive PR to counteract bad publicity, and a mission that favors profits over purpose. Brands like Johnson & Johnson, Monsanto, and even Exxon Mobile come to mind as organizations that aren’t aligned between day-to-day actions and their core values.
I guarantee there’s more out there and I also know that many of you may even push back on the organizations I’ve identified (respond to this post if you agree/disagree).
So as you go out into the world proclaiming the power of brand and creating core values to help shape the future of the organization, don’t forget to ask yourself (and your colleagues/employees) the ever-important question: Are your core values and day-to-day actions aligned?
If yes? Then amazing. Carry on and double down.
If no? It might be time to look deeply at your organization to understand these leaky points and how to course-correct before it’s too late.
Have a question/comment/curiosity on your brand’s core values? Want to inquire about how I can help? Respond to this email or shoot me a TWEET.
As always, I’m all👂’s. Cheers for now!
- Steven
My Current Reading List
👉 Deep Work by Cal Newport (almost finished and it’s profoundly changed my perspective on how I work)
👉 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene (More of a coffee-table book that should be looked at often as it’s brilliantly written and 100% applicable to today’s culture)