Company values are part of your business DNA – they define the business and they support the vision, culture and reflects what is important to the operation of the business.
To establish strong core values gives a business a framework to develop, it is used internally and externally.
Clients can see what the company is about and what is important to the business. New and existing employees can understand what is important to the company and in some ways, what is expected of them.
Core values should be timeless, they are the foundation of your business, they should not change and they should be sustainable. They should apply in good and bad economic situations.
We felt during lockdown that it was important to re-establish our values, look at what we were doing in practice and make them core to our business. Working as a dispersed team some home working some in the office we felt to set and agree these values on paper would help us to continue and build on our company values.
As part of one of our group zoom sessions we asked all staff what they thought was important to our business, to them and to our clients
We received a variety of suggestions
| Reliable | USP | Better Clients | Efficiency | Efficiency | Integrity | Commitment to customers |
| Teamwork | Professional | Better Fees | Commitment | Integrity | Responsibility to | Accountability |
| Ethical | Accurate | Digital Working | Accomodating/Adapting | Open & Honest | Respect | Leadership |
| Helpful | Paperless Office | Lead By Example | Sportsmanship | |||
| Specialised | One Team | Servant Leadership |
This was important because for core values to work everyone in the Team must buy into them.
Some of the above represented the same value but by a different word. After a review and a vote we ended up with the following core values which as a team we are all proud to work with and encompass into the business. The helps us all work to the same goals and helps us shape the business with these values central to any decision that we make.
- Efficient
- Collaboration
- Integrity
- Accountability
- Commitment
Efficient – Obtaining the best possible outcome in the least wasteful manner by maintaining dynamic, relevant policies and procedures while consistently supporting a quality workforce.
Collaboration – recognising one another’s strengths, listening and evolving together, helping and supporting each other for the sake of our collective goal
Integrity – acting with honesty and honour without compromising the truth
Accountability – acknowledge and assume responsibility for actions, decisions and policies. This applies both as individuals and as the company.
Commitment – committing to great service to all our clients
Do you know the core values of your business ?
Are you and your team in sync?
Now is a good time to look at how your business needs to develop to ensure you continue to thrive in these challenging economic times. Core values are the foundation they help to differentiate your business from the competition but for them to work you yourself must believe in them and integrate them into your daily work so your team can follow.