Why Your Company Needs a Set of Core Values (or Why Yours May Not be Having an Impact)

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September 02, 2021

by an investor from Harvard University - Harvard Business School in Toronto, ON, Canada

All- As current and aspiring CEOs, I suspect at least some of you are like I was early in my own tenure as a CEO, when I thought that core values were tired, hollow, and meaningless platitudes that companies created simply because they felt they had to. You can't be blamed if you currently view them in a similar light.

What I came to learn over time however was that my skepticism towards core values wasn’t because the concept of them was hollow and meaningless, but instead because so many companies had done such a poor job in establishing theirs, and as a result, their core values became tired platitudes that nobody paid attention to.

Some of you are planning to run companies, while others already do. If any given company doesn't currently have any core values established (or if they do but they're lacking any real world impact), then a massive opportunity is being left on the table.

In this week's blog post, I discuss several of lessons that we learned over the years to make our values truly meaningful and genuinely impactful. I hope something contained within resonates with you. Link below. Enjoy!

Why Your Company Needs a Set of Core Values (or Why Yours May Not be Having an Impact)

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commentor profile
Reply by a searcher
from University of Oregon in Beaverton, OR, USA
I agreed with the initial notion that company values were hollow and inconsequential. But after starting my new role at this tech startup, the company values are reinforced by action. "Integrity" is one of the values my company believes in and my manager always makes sure that he asks "how I am doing", "What challenges are hindering me" and "What needs to be done, to better my working environment". I feel appreciated that he simply asks, which in turns makes me want to continue performing to my best ability.
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Reply by an admin
from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Portland, OR, USA
^redacted‌ - I always enjoy reading your posts. It's a good reminder to formalize our core values at Searchfunder.
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