Company Values

Pure Fluff or Underrated Growth Hack?

Happy Friday Friends,

Purpose, values, mission - they’re just fluff!  Or are they? There is a reason why the biggest and most successful companies on the planet set deliberate values and a mission statement.

When your values are clear, making decisions becomes easier.

Your customers will not care about your values BUT your values can impact how your teams care about your customers. - Jarren

Values help guide a company toward a better version of itself. In a company, you set values to guide a group of individuals. Values are the foundation for direction and growth.

Over my career, I’ve worked for companies that didn’t believe in values. I’ve worked for companies that put values all over the walls but didn’t bother living them. I am pretty sure you can run a successful business without core values, but can set values to help? 100%! 

I think values are important and worth the time to decide and implement them. When your business is young, you’ll need them to keep people motivated. When you’re bigger, you’ll need them to ensure the people you hire will fit into your culture. Creating company values is as varied as the individual values themselves.

There are hundreds of ways to build your company's core values. My suggestion is to simplify the process. It’s not something you can do overnight, but if you’re intentional about the culture and direction you want for your company, you’ll get them done right.

Reasons For Values

Before anything else, values come first. Without clear, shared values, we wander independently and contradict one another. Everything’s more challenging when we all believe different things about what’s important to the company.

What do Values Look Like?

This is a tough one. Values can be anything from a single word to a paragraph. Sometimes, they’re quotes (which I love), and sometimes, they’re phrases. The only structure I am averse to is single-word values. You know these too well I am sure.

• Integrity
• Compassion
• Trust
• Loyalty
• Vomit in my mouth!
• These are too fluffy. 

I am not inspired, and your teams won’t be either. Words can be interpreted in many ways and mean different things to each person. 

What’s Worked For Me

Over many years, through many startups, many mentors, and many more average leaders, I’ve been collecting values. Most of them resonated with me. I’ve thought about what would inspire and guide a team during both good and hard times. 

My values are a short, memorable phrase. I’ve backed those up with a story, which helps give clarity and doesn't leave room for interpretation.

1. Start with about 15 phrases. 
2. Present them to your teams - explain how and why you chose each.
3. Then, get your team to vote and try to narrow the list to 6/7.
4.  Now it’s up to you as the founder or CEO to make the final decision.
5. Present the final 3-5 values to your company.

The number of values you use is not important. Focus on quality. I try to make sure there is at least one value for each part of your business; your customers, your teams and the work you do.

There is no right or wrong. Do what feels right. A lot of value creation and implementation is about feeling. Of course, you can poke holes in any process. But, it won’t take 6 months and you won’t waste money on agencies and company offsites. 

You may think that values are fluff. You’ll say they don’t drive outcomes. 

And, maybe they don’t. But, maybe they make sure everyone is on the same ship. If you ask me, that’s the most important part. 

Your business can’t succeed if your teams sail in different directions. 

Good luck.

Peace, love and growth.

Jarren

P.S.

If you need some help thinking about or even setting your company values my DMs are open.