Written by: Olivia Ryan
Owning a business comes with many responsibilities. Employers must pick an appropriate image for the firm, design the company’s logo so that it fits its goals, and build long-lasting vendor-client relationships. Owners should also pay great attention to their employees, and develop sincere relationships with their staff. But that is not all of it – the most important part comes just now.
Owners must determine their company’s core values before they start doing anything else. It is crucial that an organization knows what it offers to and expects from its employees. It is also essential that a business runs on frank and candid relationships. Too much formality can be uncomfortable in an open environment, yet lack of respect can be damaging to the firm.
I know why you are here, and I want to congratulate you for being a business owner. Leading can be challenging, but here you are. You’ve made it and here are the steps you should consider when setting your organization’s core values.
Analyze Your Company and Understand What It Is Missing
Analyzing where your company stands is a great way to start. Find out what your budget is, see how large your team can become, and check your sales’ rate. What you think your company looks like and what it actually looks like can be two different things. After you’ve done your part of the research, ask around and get external perspectives. Feedback is very important when it comes to developing new values, or even improving the old ones.
You can encounter other opinions by reading you company’s website reviews, or by asking your staff and clients these questions directly. Clara Stray, sales manager at aussiewritings.com, recommends making a list of valid questions as a reference. She says:
You could also interview your staff, or even your customers. Finding out how effective your company is is crucial!
- Do employees like their work? Are they happy with their current pay rate?
- Do they think they are valued in the firm?
- Do customers feel appreciated enough? Are they unsatisfied with any of the services you provide?
These and similar questions should be used in your survey/interview/self-reflection process.
Review Your Plans
After you’ve analyzed your company thoroughly, challenge yourself by coming up with new strategies. Some old things might have improved – maybe you don’t need to invest in a certain area anymore, or maybe your employees deserve a raise. Whatever that is, make sure you improve your plans, and develop constantly. Reviewing strategies and keeping up to date is essential.
What Does Your Company Need? What Do You Believe In?
Now getting to what really matters: what does your company actually need, and what do you believe your firm’s long-time goals should be? Tricky question, yet vital. Take into consideration all the steps you’ve gone through until now: measure your company’s needs, check your budget, verify your revenue and production rate, but most importantly: think about the people.
What do you stand for? Is it money? Maybe quality? Is it a desire to help the people around you? How about your employees? Should they possess special qualities? What do you want from your staff? Analyze these questions and come up with the right answers. After doing that, write your top three answers down, and see exactly where you stand.
Choose Your Core Values
After going through all the above processes, you must already know how to go in the right direction. Take your personal goals and core values and compare them to the surveys and interviews you’ve conducted. Examine the similarities and differences and find a common ground. Here are some things you should keep in mind:
- Values have to be chosen carefully, after setting your company’s culture.
- Values must be dedicated to a purpose. The purpose must be explained clearly, so that the value is followed by staff.
- Values should be put into action. Every employee should be held accountable for his or her behavior.
Organize Values
After you’ve set your values, implement everything into action. As I was highlighting above, theory is not enough to implement your company’s core values. Start by hiring the right people, creating a proper environment, and letting your staff know what to expect.
Remember, finding your company’s core values is a considerably lengthy experience. Don’t hurry into that, make the best out of your time, and choose the right people. Good luck!
About the author
Olivia is a passionate blogger who writes on topics of digital marketing, career, and self-development. She constantly tries to learn something new and share this experience on different websites. Connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.
