Getting to the Core (Values) of Your Business

I attended Mary Baldwin College where I earned my bachelor’s degree. The all-women’s college, nestled in the heart of Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, has an assortment of apple orchards located in the vicinity.

For nearly 90 years, Apple Day has been a long-standing school tradition. Every October, the sophomore class hosts a picnic for the entire college student population with skits and games at a nearby apple orchard.

So what does an apple have to do with core values? At Mary Baldwin, the fruit was originally gathered to use in meal preparation; today it is donated to a local food bank. But more importantly, the tradition of gathering apples reflects the institution’s core values. The college is committed to instilling students with confidence and compassion, and readying them to address serious issues, locally and globally.

This tradition is one of the ties that binds generations of Mary Baldwin alumni. These institutional values (serving others with integrity and respect) symbolized by this humble fruit have remained constant and continue to define the true nature of the college.

Identifying the core values of your business

In business, your organization's set of values represents your company's DNA or core. Just like human life, these values represent the company’s existence at its most cellular level. These values are the core foundation of the organization upon which all else is built.

Your company’s values are the guiding principles that remain fixed and constant as the world changes. These essential and enduring beliefs are the timeless principles shaping the perspectives your business holds dear in its core.

Taking the time to verify what these core values are—or need to become—is a non-negotiable first step in building a business plan. For your business, you should decide what set of unique values best personifies the overarching beliefs you feel are representative of your company's moral principles.

In simple terms, a set of three to five identified values will clearly define what your company stands for; the company's culture must embrace those corporate values. Do all your employees know what these values are? Are you hiring people who share these core values?

Your company’s set of core values becomes the magnet upon which strategies can effectively connect and upon which the human resources function of the company is grounded. Employees need to understand what your company stands for, and be able to communicate this to your customers.

If your work culture is not aligned with your company's core values, employees will not stay positive and committed to completing assignments successfully. Each of your employees is a representative of the company and what it stands for. Take the time to identify your company’s core and hire wisely.