{"id":5937,"date":"2014-01-07T15:00:00","date_gmt":"2014-01-07T20:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/creator\/?p=4216"},"modified":"2020-03-30T19:09:30","modified_gmt":"2020-03-30T23:09:30","slug":"build-company-strong-core-values","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/professional-development\/build-company-strong-core-values","title":{"rendered":"How to build a company with strong core values"},"content":{"rendered":"

The desire to be engaged in purposeful, fulfilling activity is universal. Maslow classified it as a basic need in his \u201cself actualization\u201d rung of the pyramid. Aristotle called it eudemonia, or human flourishing: \u201cthe soul acting in accordance with virtue.\u201d Csikszentmihalyi proffers two concepts: good work \u2014 in which one \u201cenjoys doing [one\u2019s] best while at the same time contributing to something beyond [one]self\u201d\u2014 and growth toward complexity \u2014 in which people flourish as their achievements grow. When we boil all these concepts down, we see that they are all derivations of the same basic principle.<\/p>\n

I call this principle Live.Learn.Grow. These three words tap into a universal truth that people ultimately want to be and do their best.<\/p>\n

So what does it take for this to happen?<\/p>\n

What you do doesn’t matter<\/h3>\n

A company has to realize that what they do doesn\u2019t really matter. Sound completely nuts? It shouldn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

Think about companies that completely changed course or shifted strategy and direction. When a company that specialized in producing computers saw an opportunity in mobile phones, they introduced the world to the iPhone. When a video dating site called TuneInHookUp flailed, its founders decided to change direction and then created YouTube. An unsuccessful podcasting startup worked on a side project for months before making it their full-time gig and renaming themselves Twitter.<\/p>\n

More and more companies are seeing that making drastic shifts to what they do doesn\u2019t have to impact who they are, as long as they are true to how they do it.<\/p>\n

Many companies who modify strategy and approach are unsuccessful because their compass is pointed solely towards profits, not towards the people who create them. So what goes into how a company does business and, more importantly, how it does business well? I believe it\u2019s about creating an environment that allows people to thrive.<\/p>\n

Why \u201ccore values\u201d fall short<\/h3>\n

Companies most often define their culture through a series of core or company values. If you take a sampling of some of the core values out there, you will see many of the same themes repeated. Really, don\u2019t most people want similar things? We want to work in a place where we feel respected. We want our clients taken care of, we want to do good work, and we want our company to prosper.<\/p>\n

So why do so many of these attempt to create a strong culture through values fail?<\/p>\n

Values are often static and generic. In the effort to boil them down to universal truths, values are often universally useless. Many leaders and businesses try to create a list of values to impose upon the company, as opposed to creating a company with these values woven into the fibers of the business. They take the same approach with people; they try to hire folks who have the skills they need and then try to instill the values in them once they are onboard. Rather than that, hire people who, themselves, embody the values.<\/p>\n

How to define dynamic values for your organization<\/h3>\n

Values must remain a dynamic element in an organization. Each value of the snowball builds upon the other both at the individual and organizational levels, gaining a momentum that snowballs and propels the growth and development of both.<\/p>\n

To work, your values must be:<\/p>\n