Write Your Values & Define Your Company Culture
The perfect company culture — what is it?
When thinking of a positive company culture, we often think of open, colorful spaces with ping pong tables, free lunch prepared by a classically trained chef, and unlimited time off. Employees aspire to work for companies with these perks and benefits, but these are simply tangible artifacts that stem from the company’s real culture. They are a result of the culture, not what makes it.
Culture is the tip of the iceberg –what is visible above the surface. But 90% of an iceberg is underwater. The part that is hidden beneath the surface represents the values of the organization. What matters? What drives the company’s behaviors and actions? What we see as the culture on the surface is actually the company’s values.
Corporate culture comes from a set of shared beliefs, goals, and behaviors. In order to figure out what these are, you first need to identify your values.
What matters to YOU?
As the founder, you drive the company. You set the tone and direction, not only for what the company does, but for how it happens. When building a company, the culture that the team will develop and embrace and that which new employees will buy into stems from the beliefs and values of whoever is leading the charge. Therefore, the first step is to define what matters to you, or your values.
Start by writing down a list of all values, attributes, and ideals that are important to you.
If you’re feeling stuck, think back to a time you were at your best. How did you act? What did you do that led to success? How did you interact with others? What did you care about? Think through this peak performance and list what mattered to you during this time.
You can find examples of core values to help identify the right words during this process here:
Once you have your list, prioritize it. Order your list and select your top 3–5 or so values. Circle, highlight, or otherwise indicate the most significant values that define you and what you care about. Reflect on these top values and make sure they truly represent you.
Keep these values visible. Hang them up on your office wall or put them on a post-it note on your mirror or fridge; keep your values visible for daily reminders and validation.
What matters to your BUSINESS?
Now that you know where you stand, identify what is most important for your company. Follow a similar process for your business values. Keep your vision and mission statement top of mind.
What happens when your business is operating at its best? What do you want customers to think of you? What do you envision as your company grows?
In addition to reflecting on peak performance, you can also look to role models or leading brands you admire. Explore what they have expressed as their values and if any resonate with your business.
Brainstorm the full list of company values and then narrow it down to the top priorities of what matters most.
It is also important that you define what each of the values mean for your company. Clarifying expectations and meanings of each value will allow team members to understand and adopt the appropriate attitudes and behaviors. This helps to mold and shape your company’s culture.
Packback is a Chicago-based company that helps students unlock their curiosity through AI-powered online discussion. Packback’s website describes their team values and provides very clear descriptions for what each means and how it shows up in their company. One Packback value is “We do what we say we will do.” The definition of this value is just as important as the value itself.
“Stories that look like overnight successes are actually the sum of thousands of tiny decisions to follow through on commitments to ourselves and our team. When we commit to a personal goal, we hold ourselves to that goal rigorously, even if we think no one else is looking. We take pride in consistently delivering on the personal goals we set because our individual choices are what add up to team-level success or failure.”
After your company’s core values are created, make them visible to your team. Packback printed and hung up their values around their office to make them easily visible by the whole team. Post your values around your office, share them on your company website, talk about them internally and externally, and most importantly, make decisions that represent the values. Hire for your values, select partners and vendors that share your values, and strive to set goals that represent your values. Operate on values to give your culture an unshakable foundation. Walk the walk and follow through with your commitments to your company’s values and beliefs.
As part of the team at Future Founders, a non-profit that supports youth entrepreneurs, we went through a brainstorming process collectively as a team to determine our organization’s values — ARCHIE. We use ARCHIE to help guide programmatic and hiring decisions that align with our beliefs and culture. Here are a few other examples of companies that strongly communicate and live by their values:
An excellent example of a successful company culture is Tasty Catering. This Chicagoland catering company went through a transformation built around values. By identifying and then focusing on aligning around its values, Tasty Catering became an award-winning and global model for engaged company culture.
Don’t underestimate the power of defining and committing to your values early on. Your culture will be better for it.
“A man who stands for nothing will fall for anything.” [Malcolm X]
