As we’ve entered a new year, it’s worth taking stock of who we are and why we’re here. After COVID-19 forced many companies to spend most of 2020 on firefighting and although we’re still dealing with the pandemic’s challenges, it’s time to look again at the basics of doing business: Our purpose. Profitability. Products. Partnerships. Solutions. Services. And so on. But what about company values? These are often overlooked, yet they are like the oil that keeps the whole business running smoothly. They create a culture that inspires and nourishes us all in our work. Like to know more about ours?
Company values and why organisations need them
At their most basic, these values are the external expression of an internal understanding. Because they are explicit, they give everyone a clear sense of direction and identity. They are intensely practical, because they can be used to assess whether certain actions or behaviours are appropriate. And as everybody in the company is expected to act according to the same values, they also convey a sense of belonging.
When a company is small, colleagues look to the leader to understand how to behave. But as the company grows and develops across different locations or countries, that daily leadership is no longer so evident. New colleagues don’t always understand the unwritten rules, or even realise these exist. So it’s important to create a value-led culture that guides people in their behaviour, decisions and interactions. For us, it’s been like mapping BrandLoyalty’s DNA.
BrandLoyalty’s CORD values
Our four values are Connected, Original, Responsible and Dynamic which together create an invisible CORD. These values were defined by colleagues from different disciplines who came together recently to discuss which values inspire and unite all of us. Let me tell you a bit more about CORD: