In the book, “Built to Last,” authors Collins and Porras explore how successful visionary growth companies have built businesses by consistently operating in accordance with their core values and beliefs. They conclude that everything else about a business can change over time – its technology, financial resources, structure or timing – but sustained growth is achieved when the people in the company robustly believe in its basic principles and consistently demonstrate them.
What do you value? For entrepreneurs and business owners, business values are often personal values. While your personal core values define who you are and what you believe in, they also align your business with your true self, make it easier to identify your core customers, establish a powerful, consistent message for your personnel, and provide a clear path for the tough decisions you face. Values build culture, and culture feeds (or alienates) employees.
Do your employees know the essence of what you believe?
Do they know how you expect them to behave?
Has your company documented your core values and the metrics to
measure their impact on your company’s success?What defines exceptional customer service…quality…initiative…teamwork?
Specifying and demonstrating your core values builds a powerful collaborative culture – employees feel connected, engaged, and passionate about your business – they know what you expect and focus on performance. Unfortunately, it is all too common for companies to profess allegiance to their core values while behaving in utter disregard of them. Customers observe this behavior; it raises questions about trustworthiness. They commit to suppliers who act in accordance with their values. When your values align with your customers’, an exceptionally powerful bond is created.
How do you ensure that your employees act in accordance
with your company’s core values?
How do you leverage your core values to strengthen customer relationships?
