Who doesn’t love Wegman’s?
The fresh produce. The large beautifully designed aisles. Carefully chosen offerings that are sustainable, healthy and delicious. Each decision that goes into making Wegman’s such an inviting space to load up on crunchy apples and aged cheddar is guided by the institution’s core values. Which means everyone from the CEO to the person stocking the prepared foods knows exactly the environment that Wegman’s strives to create – and more importantly doesn’t waste time with choices that run counter to those values.
What are core values, exactly?
Well, first a definition: Core values are attributes shared by key stakeholders in the organization. They embody the brand identity, are used in the tone of the value proposition, and describe standards held by the organization. Most simply, core values are adjectives or common phrases that describe the personality traits of the people involved with the organization – from staff to investors to the clientele. You with me?
How can core values increase productivity and efficiency?
Core values increase productivity by aligning personalities and standards in a work place. This increases efficiency by focusing attention on work that will be most productive or eliminating the work that is not.
It’s simple and you’re probably already doing it. Let’s say you’re hiring. In the interview process, you’re most likely going to look for someone who complements your existing team. If you acknowledge what traits your staff share that make them work together so effectively and look for those traits in a new hire, you know you’ll build a stronger team.
You’re already doing this, right? Keep going.
So take it a step or two further by keeping those traits identifiable to all stakeholders. Likewise, not taking on a client or vendor who doesn’t share your core values helps you avoid situations that won’t be a good fit.
For example, one of the core values at R&R Creative is creativity. If someone approaches us with a project where there’s absolutely no room to propose new or innovative solutions then chances are we won’t be happy doing the project. Unhappy teammates make for an unhappy work environment which could result in our product suffering. The beauty here is that clearly stating our core values increases efficiency because they enable us to say no, and focus on what will end up being more productive in the long run.
What’s next?
Now, if you don’t know your core values or those of your organization I suggest you find out. If their answer is: what core values? Then maybe it’s time to make the case. Lucky you, R&R Creative knows just where to start. We can show you how to feature those values throughout your organization and marketing strategy to make sure you are attracting the right vendors, customers and team members, which means winning half the battle right from the start.