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StrategyCore values

Core values you can see in everyday behaviour

'Reliable' and 'customer-focused' apply to everyone, which is exactly why they give no direction. The Next Organization helps you choose a handful of core values that show up in your decisions, your culture and your recruitment.

Sound familiar?

Your values could just as easily belong to a competitor
Employees do not know what behaviour the values call for
Your values play no part in hiring or performance reviews
The values hang on the wall, but never shape a decision
After a merger, each company still has its own values
Your values do not guide which customers you do and do not want

What are core values?

Core values are a handful of words that describe the character of your organisation. Each word comes with a sentence that explains what it means in practice. They work inwards, in your culture and recruitment, and outwards, in your communication and brand. A good set is recognisable to everyone who works there or buys from you.

Four types of values

Not every value you name is a core value. We distinguish four types. Only core values, and at most one aspirational value, belong in your set.

Core value

A value you already live by, even when it costs you something

For example engaged

Belongs in your setYour set should consist of these
Aspirational value

A value you want, but do not live yet

For example innovative

Belongs in your setOne at most, named as an aspiration
Permission-to-play value

A minimum every organisation must meet

For example integrity

Does not belong in your setDrop it, because it does not set you apart
Accidental value

Something that emerged by itself, without a conscious choice

For example informal

Does not belong in your setDrop it, unless you choose it deliberately

Test your values against your competitors: a value everyone claims does not set you apart.

Core values are not the same as the How in Why, How, What. The How says how you win; core values say who you are. How they show up in behaviour is covered under Culture and leadership.

What you get

You get a handful of core values, each with a key word and a sentence that explains what it means. For each value, you know which behaviour goes with it and whether it really sets you apart. That gives you a touchstone for culture, recruitment, performance reviews and brand.

Frequently asked questions

How many core values does an organisation need?

A handful. With too few, you cannot fully describe your character. With too many, the set gets diluted and nobody remembers them.

What are good examples of core values?

'Integrity' says little, because every organisation should have integrity. A word with a sentence about behaviour is stronger, such as 'Down to earth: we only promise what we have delivered before'. The test is whether a competitor could put up the same sentence.

How do you make core values visible in behaviour?

For each value, describe a few behaviours you want to see, and one that does not fit. Build them into recruitment, onboarding and performance reviews. Discuss them in teams, using recent decisions as examples.

How do you arrive at shared values after a merger?

Bring the managers of every part of the business together in working sessions. Start with what each part already lives by, and look for what they share. Anything that only fits one part belongs to that brand, not to the group.