“Values” are at the forefront of many conversations as people and businesses adapt to the rapid changes occurring in the world. At the very center of this growing trend is the challenge for individuals and companies to stand for and live by their values. Not only does this level of integrity create a positive ripple effect across industries and people, but it is also essential to maintaining an authentic brand culture and clear path forward. These key, foundational beliefs help us navigate our ethics, stand for what’s important, guide our actions, and communicate our boundaries to others.
Defining your Values
Defining the values most important to your company is essential before putting them into practice. The ideals that you define, will be the center of your mission and the foundation that you build your vision and goals upon.
When starting the process of what your values will be, consider the following questions:
- What key values/ideas were a catalyst for your organization’s mission?
- What values do you most admire within your team currently?
- What do you imagine your organization looking like in the future? What values are present?
Make sure to keep your values aspirational; always consider what the best version of you and your team looks like and what you would like to help realize in the future.
Values in Practice
Values are most impactful when made to be the standard that all actions are referenced to. Before making a decision, consider if your choices align with what your organization has deemed to be most important. What path forward best reflects these core beliefs? By living these values, your team will be able to actualize the company vision and their personal goals all while staying true to the brand's mission.
What is a Brand Culture Compass?
The Brand Culture Compass is a unique visual guide that enables organizations and individuals to stay on a course for success by keeping clear focus on the principles and ideas that define who they are as a company and the value they provide others.
Organizations use their Compasses to make consistent strategic decisions on branding, marketing communications, product/service development, hiring and other areas where it is crucial to align on a strong foundation of core brand values, attributes and key messages.
The Brand Culture Compass describes your Brand Promise from the inside out. The Purpose in the center circle is why your organization exists - or why you operate the way you do. The Core Values describe how you go about realizing that purpose. The Brand Pillars are what you are recognized for providing to clients and colleagues.
A Brand Culture Compass helps to guide internal decisions, unify external messages and ensures brand culture authenticity.
To Learn more about this ShiftUp offering, click here.