How Core Values Drive Performance

These focused action statements are where powerful businesses begin

As a senior sales officer charged with effecting business turnarounds for bankrupt private and pre-IPO companies, I witnessed firsthand the importance of core values. A strong set of core values is crucial to driving corporate performance, and without them, companies suffer.

Core values define company culture, which is a big part of why they’re so important to driving performance. We can represent the relationship this way:
core values → company culture → actions/performance

For any sales team, the primary objective is to predictably and consistently produce sales, within budget and in accordance with forecasts. Core values, and the company culture they support, are the most important ingredient in achieving predictability and consistency in the actions that bring about the results we want.

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Comments

Actions first

I would say that the progression is as follows: actions/performance→core values → company culture. Actions by the leadership will highlight the organizations values and lead to a company culture.

I have a hard time believing that putting a slogan or core value in writing will lead to a culture. I think core value statements and slogans often create frustration and resentment because they are aimed at the employess and not the system (processes and tools) provided to employees so they can succeed.