Do you know your stuff?
So ask yourself this question: “What are my company core values? How do I live them in my day to day work?”
Are you struggling? Most people do.
There are two common reasons for this: you don't consider core values useful for your day to day work, and/or you may not understand their purpose. This excellent article published by the Harvard Business Review is great at explaining what meaningful corporate values are and how it’s important to get it right. Read on to see my thoughts on what the direct benefits are for you in your day to day.
Showing core values: why bother?
Be seen as a company ambassador and be recognised for it;
Use your values in negotiating, to influence decisions in your favour, and to help win your case;
Use your values when interacting with your clients: show them your company "walks the talk". This brings you a competitive edge;
Build stronger unity between your teams through the sharing of your core values.
What can you do today?
Here are a few suggestions on how you can act on your company values today, starting now. We’d love to hear your experiences about how it goes.
Review your company’s values and definitions. Challenge a colleague sitting next to you. Make it fun!
Mention one value in your next meeting with your supervisor, use it to support a statement;
Mention one value in your next conversation with a client.
Core values and cardboard boxes!
This month we’ve chosen to focus on our core value of “Agility”. We define it as "We are responsive. We are able to move quickly and easily”. Why this core value? Because we’re moving office this week! We’ve had to juggle our priorities between our everyday tasks and packing boxes. Furthermore, it’s the holiday season and our team are increasingly telecommuting from all over Europe. It's a busy time but living our values is working wonders for us.