Are your values really helping define your brand?
If your company has a list of values, chances are they highlight hoped-for behaviour but probably keep a fairly low profile.
For many companies, they will call on a list that looks much the same as every other company. Almost everywhere we see five or six from this list:
- Integrity/Honesty
- Excellence
- Collaboration/Teamwork
- Respect
- Customer focus
- Innovation
- Safety
- Accountability.
These are all well and good but most of them are just baseline good workplace behaviour. Some companies do more than others to make the values come alive for their staff, but do they add any real strength to their brand?
Part of rebranding, a brand refresh or improving workplace culture calls on you to think deeply about your brand values – what really defines your company’s character and makes it distinctive? How do you explain your value-based character to your staff?
There are many examples of companies that have changed their values as the catalyst to change attitudes, motivation and brand authenticity. Some still keep workplace behavioural expectations in their induction manual or staff handbook but add brand values that align better with how they want their brand to be experienced.
Finding the best words (or phrases) and adding a sentence or two to define what that looks like in action is a great exercise to build out your brand foundation.
What comes to the top of your list? Do you value adventure and want staff with a discovery mindset who will inspire clients on your tours? Do you value empathy and want to see it made real every day in a caring profession? Is wellness high on your list for staff and clients? Are you warriors for social justice? Is adding joy to every day what you’re all about? Or perhaps ingenuity distinguishes your approach?
A values list isn’t something you can easily dream up on the back of an envelope if you want to live by it for years to come. A guided brand workshop with your key people can give you the opportunity to deeply explore and reality-test options that tell a consistent story and align with your purpose and vision.