Most core values don’t work.
Not because they’re bad.
Because nobody remembers them.
Most of the time your people don’t remember them.
Sometimes you don’t remember them.
And that’s because they don’t define who you are at the core and what you want from the culture of your organization.
There’s nothing wrong with most core values. They’re just generic. And generic doesn’t drive culture.
Core values are not marketing terms.
They’re not something put on your website.
They’re not for virtue signaling.
They are there to drive your culture.
In other words, they define what the right person looks like for your company.
A person that fits with your culture.
These are people you love seeing in the morning.
They bring you energy.
They’re part of the team.
There’s no friction. It just works.
That’s the real purpose of core values.
So why aren’t your core values working?
Because you haven’t really defined them.
Get clear on who you are.
Be truly authentically you.
Do not worry about what anybody else thinks.
These are for you internally.
This is how we work.
This is how we interact with each other.
That’s why it’s so important that you’re fully authentic.
The more authentically they describe your culture, the more they’ll attract the right people.
So what makes a good core value?
✅ It drives emotion.
It really resonates with you.
You can feel it.
It gets you excited.
✅ The opposite drives you crazy.
That’s a great litmus test.
A few examples from clients:
Humor with a Touch of Crazy
If you can’t take a joke, you’re not going to fit in.
It’s going to drive most people away, but their people are going to feel they’ve found their home.
Unimpeachable Character
Not just integrity.
You do the right thing no matter what.
You take care of each other no matter what.
Anything less is unacceptable.
Customer First
In a competitive industry with a lot of choices, it’s customer first, always.
If a call isn’t returned, a customer isn’t greeted, or a follow-up isn’t done, this drives them nuts.
Because it’s customer first. And they live it.
Notice something about all three?
They’re descriptive.
You can feel them.
You remember them.
“Integrity” and “honesty” are permission-to-play values.
You wouldn’t hire someone without them.
If integrity matters to your business, it needs to be above and beyond.
That’s why Unimpeachable Character works.
What we’re trying to do is drive emotion and feeling.
That’s what’s going to help people remember them.
So if you want core values that drive your culture:
Be truly you
• Don’t try to be anything else
• Drive emotion
• Get away from the generic terms
• Find the descriptive words that truly resonate
Then use them every day to:
Hire
Fire
Review
Reward
Recognize
That’s how core values drive culture.