How To Lead a Values-Driven Team

I’m going to tell you the secret ingredient to having a cohesive and mission-minded business. 

It’s super simple…its only two words…

Ready??

CORE. VALUES.

That’s right, you heard it here first! The best-kept secret to having a thriving, cohesive, and mission-minded business is creating and implementing your own core values.

I’m so excited to share with you all about how using core values can launch your business and your team on your mission, driven by values. 

So if you’re ready to learn about how core values can impact your business or your team, press play on today’s episode!

In today’s episode, we talk about:

• What are core values? 
• Why having core values is important.
• How to integrate core values into your business and team functions.

Some of the highlights of this episode include: 

What Are Core Values?

If you were to google “company core values” you would be inundated with resources, guides, how-to articles, and so much more.

And yet…every business (whether you’re a solopreneur or already working with a team) should approach its core values uniquely. 

It’s not a “one-size-fits-all” scenario! 

I like to think of core values as a declaration. You’re saying “this is how we do business” to the world. 

And really, your core values should be a reflection of the way you believe business should be done.

The companies that stand apart from the rest are the ones that live out their values in every part of their business so take the time and dig deep.

It can be as simple as 5-6 statements, but they should be uniquely crafted for you and your business. 

Why Are Having Core Values Important?

Once you’ve creatively crafted your company’s core values, you can see how integral they are to running your business. Here are 5 benefits of having core values:

Core values assist in decision making

Your core values can be the guiding light that directs your decisions and can even be the deciding factor. 

When you are approaching tough decisions you can go back to your core values that are custom-fitted to your mission and the company culture you’re trying to create. 

Core values help align your team

People want to be connected to a common goal, mission, and vision. 

As your team grows, your core values can be that unifying principle that can cut through challenges in your business. 

We operate a fully remote team, but because we use our core values to unify our team members, we face these challenges more unified. 

And when you have times when that unity needs a refresh, your core values give you that soft landing to rediscover those similarities. 

Core values motivate a team

When you establish strong core values in your business you also create an opportunity to impact your team and your consumers in their daily lives.

For your consumers, it’s a guiding principle that sets expectations as well as inspires them in their spheres of influence or avenues of work. 

And your team members can see opportunities to live these values out every day. 

Core values help you hire well

This is one of the most impactful ways your core values can influence your business.

When you hire for culture and attitude you begin shaping a team that will strive to live out these shared values in every part of your business. 

When you hire for culture, not just skills, you can look at the role and the candidates with increased insight. 

Your core values identify elements of your business that would make someone love working for your company, or that you both may not be the best fit. 

And when you have team members bought into your mission and share your core values, then you’ve built a team that will grow your business and wants to stick around!

Integrating Core Values

Once you’ve created your core values, how do you fully incorporate your business values into your daily business operations?

Values and cultural alignment must be lived out from the top down.

This might seem obvious, but if you can’t live them out, there’s no way it will trickle down to your organization. That’s why it’s vital that you and your core leadership are leading first!

Don’t wait until you think it’s necessary to establish your values. You have a company culture, even if you’re a solopreneur. 

Make sure your core values begin as a reflection of you and that you integrate them from the very beginning.

Values and cultural fit must be the most important part of the hiring process.

This is why people are so frustrated growing their team, likely because they are not hiring with their core values in mind. 

Values and culture fit can and should be a vital part of your hiring process. 

They can even be the deciding factor between the highly skilled candidate, and the candidate who would fit within the culture but needs a little training. 

Personally, we hire for culture fit over skills every time because I know skills can be trained.  

Values and culture must be addressed and celebrated on a daily basis.

You must keep your core values up front and center, with your team, regularly. 

In our company, we go through our core values every single week in our team meeting and leave some time to share how we’ve seen these principles play out in our work.

We also use Slack channels to share how these values come out in our day-to-day tasks or even in our personal lives. 

Values and culture must be measured.

I hope you’re using metrics in your business! They are so important in measuring the effectiveness and efficiency of different aspects of your business.

Using KPIs, our Customer Service has a metric for “surprise and delight” which ties into our core value, “We Practice Irrational Generosity”.

We measure it and we celebrate it!

Resources Mentioned In This Episode

Hiring for Attitude by Mark Murphy

Episode Sponsor

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