Do You Know Your Company’s Core Values?
Do You Know Apple’s?
Goal: Discuss how company’s core values are just nice words and what it could be done to fix that.
Recently during an interview I was asked about the company’s core values. Because I had just reviewed the website I knew them. I had my doubt whether the person asking the question knew them.
Today while running I was listening to a podcast that was talking about the core values that companies have posted everywhere.
The guest talked about a program he attended at MIT. One day when discussing core values an exercise was conducted. In a large group a speaker asked the group, many people who were high achievers, how many actually knew the core values of their company.
They were asked if they knew them to keep standing if not to sit down. 50% of the people sat down. There must have been a threat to be able to disclose those values in order to keep the people honest.
Next the speaker asked if the people on their team actually knew all of the values. Another 50% of the people who were standing sat down. At this point 75% of the audience was sitting down.
What happened next was the best part.
The speaker asked the audience and the people that were standing, how many of their customers actually knew their core values. At this point, only 2 people were left standing. I am even suspect of those two.
So what is the point?
Company leaders at the urging of HR departments develop a core values list. They include all kinds of nice words. They are intended to be aspirational and inspirational. BUT if most people do not know them or live them then the exercise has failed.
Why?
The experiment fails because it is top down. The leadership with handholding from HR are telling everyone what their values should be. The reality is that a company is not a person and those values are simply words on a paper.
How do we fix this?
As leaders we have to understand that the words and actions we take have to match those values. If they do not then they are simply “nice” words with no actions.
A company has to take a value and really emphasize it. Maybe have a value of the month and really emphasize it with actions. People could be asked for a personal example of how they lived that value. Teams could be asked for examples of how they lived that value. The value needs to be embedded and practiced in order to be a true value.
This exercise will help install the value into the people’s memory BUT not necessarily hearts. That will be the topics for tomorrow’s article…
To me the interesting question was about whether the customers actually knew your values. You might think that your people should know them and live them but you might not expect your customers to do so?
Why should they know your values?
If they do know your values then it makes it easier for you to differentiate yourself from your competitors.
Can you guess Apple’s values?
I searched online and found Tim Cook’s interpretation of the core values:
“Breaking down Apple’s mission statement (business philosophy) and this quote from Tim Cook:
- We believe that we’re on the face of the Earth to make great products.
- We believe in the simple, not the complex.
- We believe that we need to own and control the primary technologies behind the products we make.
- We participate only in markets where we can make a significant contribution.
- We believe in saying no to thousands of projects so that we can really focus on the few that are truly important and meaningful to us.
- We believe in deep collaboration and cross-pollination of our groups, which allow us to innovate in a way that others cannot.
- We don’t settle for anything less than excellence in every group in the company, and we have the self-honesty to admit when we’re wrong and the courage to change.
Core values are what support the vision, shape the culture and reflect what the company values. They are the essence of the company’s identity the principles, beliefs or philosophy of values.”- from https://thinkmarketingmagazine.com/apple-core-values/
My guess is that you as a customer, if you are or not, probably could have guessed at most of these core values. That tells me taht most likely the people inside Apple truly value these. They are not just “nice” words for them.
My seven cents….(this is what I earned from Medium.com for Nov. 2020)
I got to go…my future self alarm went off
Robert Trajkovski is professional with experience in leading people and projects in Steel/ Power, Refining, Chemicals, Industrial Gasses, Software, Consulting and Academia. He has worked for both owners and engineering companies. In addition, he has instructed 73+ courses at several institutions and often offers his courses for free on LinkedIn.
