Everybody has Core Values

Do you realize that your employees spend more conscious, human interaction hours at work than they do at home? And that each employee, when you hire them, brings their own set of core values with them into your work place? Combine these two facts and consider what could happen if you hire an employee who possesses a set of core values that conflict with yours? Too often we interview from a position of desperation. We just lost a key employee and need to replace them quickly with the best qualified individual. However, we consider work experience, skill and knowledge as our benchmarks for who qualifies rather than “do they fit our culture?” as the leading indicator. To that end, we often find our self making a bad hiring decision without even knowing it.

So here are a few questions for you to consider as your reflect on the “Bad” employees your company has hired in the past. (By the way, I don’t believe there are any bad employees, just bad hiring decisions).

Question 1: Are your Core Values documented. If not, why not?

Question 2: If yes, how do you communicate your values throughout your organization?

Question 3: What happens when an employee acts inconsistent with your established Core Values?

“GREAT QUESTIONS” a business owner once told me. Then he followed up with “What the heck are Core Values”. Well, I guess I probably should have started with that. For some reason I assume every leader in business already knows this stuff, but that simply is not true. I guess that’s why companies like Estrada Strategies exist. To help the average business owner increase their business acumen and thus, increase profits in their business.

Core Values define how you treat the Human Element within your business. Modern academia may call them Guiding Principles or a Policy Statement; All different ways of saying the same thing. Core Values are beliefs that govern how you treat your employees, customers, vendors, the business and the community you serve.

Although I only provided a very brief definition I believe you have enough to “do something with”. So I ask what you are going to do? If nothing, then you just wasted 5 minutes reading this article. If you want to do something about defining your Core Values but just don’t know how to get started, give us a call and we would be glad to help. Estrada Strategies Franchise Inc, the nation’s most powerful network of CEO Coaches. You can find us at www.EstradaStrateies.com.

Written by: Ruben Estrada, Founder Estrada Strategies Franchise Inc