Core Values Don’t Have to Be Cringeworthy

‘Core values’ — if the two words have ever once made you wince, this post is for you.

Once upon a time, I too believed that company values were a little awkward. My experience in past jobs led me to think they were a list of words tucked away in a PowerPoint, occasionally brought up in company meetings when morale was low.

For those that aren’t familiar, values are principals that guide everything a business does. They sum up what an organisation stands for, drive culture and help contribute to a company’s success. And if executed the right way, they shouldn’t make you cringe.

Nowadays, any tech biz that’s worth its salt has its own set of values. Google has 10, Netflix has nine, Spotify has five, Microsoft has six — they’re seen as an important part of an organisation. But the key to creating great core values isn’t in the number, it’s in the implementation.

Here at iTech Media we have four values: Shipping Greatness, Win As One, Grow Every Day, and Rocking It. Since joining the business, I’ve found they act as the rocket fuel that powers everything the company does. Each value is engrained into working life. From the way people are recognised, to the way people interact with each other — they drive everything we do.

Don’t just take it from me. For a snapshot of how values work at iTech, I spoke to four of the businesses’ finest for their experience...

Shipping Greatness

“This value is one of the easy ones for me, as a Delivery Lead it’s at our core, making sure we and our teams are delivering high quality and epic work. It’s literally my every day! Being able to ship greatness is one that works for everyone, no matter what chapter or squad you work in — everyone has the same purpose and goal to create excellent work.”

“It’s also a value that isn’t just around instant greatness. For me, it aligns with failing fast too. We’re not always going to get it right first-time round and that’s okay, it’s the strive for great work that counts!”

— Maria Savva, Senior Delivery Lead

Win as One

“To me, Win as One embodies everything iTech stands for. Coming together as a company, tribe or squad to achieve the same goal while helping and supporting each other on the way. I’m very lucky to able to work with such a big group of talented people that I can rely on for help and expertise.”

“After being at iTech for more than a year and a half, winning as one becomes a mentality. Everyone is working together towards the same goal — it seamlessly feeds into everything I do.”

— Kiran Khattra, Senior Content Editor

Grow Everyday

“Grow Every Day is a value that really embodies what iTech is about.”

“Right from the interview process, feedback is given in the best possible way — constructive and specific. Regular health checks and retros give us the chance to learn from mistakes and celebrate successes, and that’s before mentioning we have a training day every fortnight. It’s all well and good wanting to be better, but iTech have created an environment where this happens naturally.”

“iTech knows that supporting and investing in their staff is the perfect way to get the best out of all of us. And I like to think they see our gratitude in the form of hard work, innovative ideas and a positive environment.”

— Ant Vella, Content Editor

Rocking It!

“I like Rocking It! because it’s the more personal of iTech’s values. It’s about what you bring to the company each day, rather than your work or discipline. It might be your sense of fun, or your dedication, or maybe a personal interest you just can’t help but wear on your sleeve. You are Rocking It! when you are being yourself at iTech and encouraging everyone to do the same. Ultimately, it means you have fun.”

“It stops working hard feeling like hard work. Better than that, and more simply, it means you enjoy the time you spend working with your colleagues and feel comfortable being yourself around them.”

“I find myself Rocking It! when I am confident, cocky and, yes, a bit silly around the team — thriving off an infectious, empowering atmosphere. I see other people Rocking It! when they lose all self-consciousness and dive right into something. It might be a research task; it might be a workshop or talk…or it might be falling off a mechanical bull in front of the whole office.”

— Adam Ryan, Rocking It! Specialist