How To Guide Your Business Goals With Your Core Values

Company “core values” have become more prominent than ever in offices across the world. Employees in many firms are indoctrinated into them upon hiring and then left to figure out if and when the values should be applied. Unfortunately, I've found employees are usually preoccupied chasing monthly and quarterly goals, and soon the “core values” become more of a nice thought than a relevant business tool.

The company goals are expressed in multiple communications throughout the week and incentives are tied to their achievement, while the values may hang silently on the wall and are rarely referenced beyond employee orientation. Many business leaders I know share the opinion that values are great, but results are what truly matter. This common thinking can lead to falling short of our values in many cases and in extreme cases, can even lead to major ethical violations (Think Enron).

As a sales director, I've seen how those quiet little values on the wall can be the key to not only staying out of trouble but also achieving goals in a sustainable way that improves employee retention. That’s right: Employees don’t like to feel bad when they go home at night because they had to cut corners to max out incentives. Eventually, the best ones may leave.

I believe a goal without values may as well end in three words: "at all costs." If your personal goal is to make a million dollars, you could lie, cheat and steal to get there. If you don’t have personal values in place, your goal is to “make a million dollars at all costs.” Far too often, I see companies large and small make the mistake of fostering an “at all costs” mindset.

“Okay, Jiminy Cricket, that all sounds fine, but what are you suggesting we do? The goals still need to be achieved!” Do they? I would argue that values are non-negotiable, while goals are expected to be missed at an acceptable rate. If you fall 2% under on a goal, the company will most likely survive. If you fall short of your values, you run the risk of losing the trust of your customers and employees. The consequences can be far more negative for the organization if it hits a goal by compromising core values than if the goal was missed with integrity intact. If your customer reviews are awful and your Glassdoor rating is keeping top talent away, no one will remember the goal you achieved. Here's what to do instead.

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