Lets get to the core of the matter!
Posted by Scott Dunn on February 25, 2008
Last week, I had lunch with Steve from Quantum bank. I was relaying to him my experience with a company, who shall remain nameless, and how the core values published on their website were in no way brought to life with the person I spoke with.
This got me thinking about core values for organizations and wondering why organizations put their core values on the world wide web for all to see and then do not execute them. It does not make a lot of sense to me.
Personally, I know a company’s core values when I execute a transaction with that company. It is how I am treated from the start of the transaction to their follow-up post transaction. You do not have to post your core values on your website for me to understand them. Keep them on your intranet and manage your business by them. It will be a better experience for everyone involved.
You tell me. Do businesses with core values published on their website provide a better experience than those without them published? Does it matter at the end of the day?
JReid said
Posting them adds an element (albeit a small one) of accountability. It’s like flying your company flag. In the case you talked about, you read their core values — right? The danger – for the company — of course is just like you pointed out — that if you’re folks aren’t living, breathing examples of the values, if they’re not intrinsic, then the flag AND the values are meaningless.
Having said all that though — and having participated in a gazillion strategic planning sessions where a team of us formulated our values statements, they’re not exactly known for their originality. Aren’t they all pretty much the same? Don’t they all come down to some permutation of “be nice; do your best; stand up straight” and all the rest of the rules our moms taught us as four year olds?
Scott Dunn said
JReid: I could not have said it better myself! If core values are pretty much the same across the board in ALL companies, why publish them on a website? If everyone does it, then how does it make your company different? And if your employees do not live up to them why do I care what they are?
Thanks again for your comments!!!
Scott
Steve said
Core Values are standards that are “carved in your heart.” They should be the filter that ever action and decision is viewed through. They are important in determining the WAY you conduct your business but I feel that they should NOT be part of your marketing/advertising. Core Values should be reflected to the customer in actions and not words. It reminds me of the saying that says, “if you can define it, then you ain’t got it.” If you have to TELL me what your core values are as opposed to showing me, then your core values aren’t very effective.
Sabine said
I would think that posting core values on the Net is not a bad thing – however – too often it seems that these core values simply were determined by someone in Administration, deciding that these values are needed in order to complete a business plan, or something like it.
If you do not have your employees involved in creating these values, why would they embrace them? This is one of those items – just like the business plan – that needs to be revisited over time.
SaraBeth Custin said
I completely agree with this and feel about as passionate as you do about it. I feel that sometimes companies put up their core values and their mission statements just to take up space on their websites.
Now, on a reverse note, there are companies who place their core values on their websites and live by them every single day. If a company says that customer service is their #1 goal and its plastered all over the company paraphernalia, then I better notice it every time I come in to contact with that company.
Thanks for your blog Scott, it helps to keep me entertained and knowledgeable.
Best Regards!