Core Values: The Secret Sauce to Bringing Out the Best in Your Team

Photo by Open Image Studio

Let’s talk about company core values.  

I know. If you’re like me, the term itself brings up images of motivational posters and corporate team-building workshops. (Who’s up for a trust fall? Anyone?)  

But hear me out. Core values, when defined and communicated the right way, play a huge role in achieving a positive culture that helps employees be their best both in the workplace and at home.  

And when employees are at their best, the company and your customers succeed.  

Research shows that when it comes to company success, values matter. According to Gallup, “A values-driven culture can fuel organizational growth and attract top talent. Talented people want to work for an organization with a thriving culture.” 

At Approach, we were proud to formally define and roll out our core values earlier this year at our Annual Meeting (for more on that, check out our blog post on engaging corporate retreats). Before I get into the impact these core values have had on our company, let me tell you what they are: 

Approach Marketing Core Values 

1. Care Personally

2. Roll Up Our Sleeves 

3. Deliver on Our Promise 

4. Hold Ourselves to the Highest Standard 

These values sound simple, right? But the reality is identifying and holding our agency accountable to these core values has had a huge impact on our team and culture. 

Here are 4 ways our core values bring out the best in our team – and how core values that are shared by everyone in the company will benefit your business: 

Celebrating Success: It’s all well and good to give teams a shout-out for a job well done, but accolades have more meaning when we recognize how a teammate or account team has exemplified these core values in their work with clients or supporting each other. 

Providing Feedback: We’ve worked hard to create a culture that welcomes feedback. Because let’s face it, getting feedback – both positive and constructive – is how we learn and grow. And while it’s never fun to have difficult conversations, our core values have given us a framework on which to reflect and learn from things that could have gone better. 

Attracting the Right Talent: At Approach, making sure a new hire is a good fit with our culture is one of our top priorities in the hiring process. We discuss core values in depth with every candidate, and make sure new hires are committed to living these values. 

Aligning Your Business Goals: Core values not only guide your employees, but they serve as a moral compass for your business. Defining what you value as an organization helps you seek out clients and partners who share these similar qualities, which will help you align on goals.  

Bringing out the best in your team – and caring about their professional and personal growth – is always a good investment. After all, they are the ones on the front lines serving customers and acting as ambassadors for your company.  

If your company does not have core values in place, or if it’s been a while since you reviewed them, I encourage you to take time to define (or redefine) and communicate them to your employees. Think about who you are and what you value. What makes your company and team unique? And then make sure these values are shared by everyone in the organization. 

Are you using core values in your organization, or want to brainstorm ways you can define or communicate them for your business? Approach us at hello@approachmarketing.com. We’d love to chat!