Core values can be a powerful tool for many things in your life, both business and private. A few examples:
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If you know what your core values are, you can make better decisions in your life and choose a direction that makes you happy.
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As an entrepreneur, core values can give you a better picture of what you want to radiate and how you want clients to see your company.
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In teams, collaboration can improve through insight into core values and the differences between individuals in order to create mutual understanding.
Perhaps as you read this you are thinking, “core values, what are they and how do I know what mine are?” Core values reflect what you find truly important, what your drivers are, and that ultimately determines your behavior. A few examples of core values are freedom, love, and honesty. There are countless core values like this.
How does that work in practice?
Suppose honesty is a core value of yours. But if you then have a lot of people in your environment who play fast and loose with the truth, this can clash very badly for you. And that can lead to mutual misunderstanding. Additionally, it could also be that you yourself do not live your core value. If, for example, adventure is a core value, but you always make safe choices and do few adventurous things, then you might start to miss something.
Furthermore, a core value means something very different to one person than to another. You have your own standards for a core value. For example, the core value of freedom; to one person this means that they can decide for themselves what to do with their free time. For another, it means not working for a boss and starting their own business. Ideally, you establish between 3 and 5 core values.
Choices based on core values
If you have insight into your core values, you can test every decision against those core values. If, for example, you have chosen to be your own boss because freedom is very important to you and you are offered a job with little freedom, you can ask yourself whether that will make you happy. Also, if you are going to apply for a job, for example, it can be useful to look at the company’s website to see what their core values are to test whether they match your own core values.
Core values in organizations
It is also important for organizations to establish core values. It shows what the company stands for and what its drivers are. What do you want to radiate as a company? You can use core values in important decisions: does this choice fit within the core values? It is also important for the company’s marketing, because why should customers buy your product? If, for example, sustainability is a core value of the company and you have also integrated this into the company because you offer sustainable products, then you can promote it as such. With this, you appeal to a certain group of people who also find sustainability important.
Core values in teams
Ultimately, within organizations it is also important for well-functioning teams that core values are not too far apart, or at least that there is openness to them. If, for example, someone has respect as a core value and that means for him or her that you arrive on time for an appointment, then that can clash very badly with a colleague who is always late. Perhaps flexibility is a core value for that colleague and he does not understand why it is a problem that he is late. It is therefore important that you know from each other what everyone finds important. This creates more understanding and people also take each other into account more.
Do you want to get started with your core values or those of your team? Send an email to petra@carpevita.nl and I will send you an assignment form with a list of examples of core values and a step-by-step plan.
