I have a client who sent me a late night text showing me a picture of the executive team dressed as superheros. I am sharing the picture because I like to celebrate when business leaders show such passion for their work, and have fun in front of and with their people – They also told me I could. The story behind this moment is almost 18 months of trying to capture what they value as an organization, before growth challenges them with diluting what matters because nobody has taken the time to put a stake in the ground and define it. The journey to this point is a story that would need many more words than I like to commit to my daily postings to do it justice, so I will just share the outcome of their work. Here are their values:
- I am most comfortable dressed as a Superhero
- I am a unique piece to the puzzle
- I focus on today, but dream of tomorrow
- I scoop my dog’s poop
Any company, but especially my high growth partners/clients, need to write these down, but that is only the beginning of the journey. In Good to Great, Jim Collins shares the three things about values that he found in great companies. In great companies, they do three things with their values:
- Define Them/Know what they are
- Build them into the organization
- Preserve them over time
The truth around values is this picture is part of step 1. There is work to be done, but great companies know that celebrations have to happen to name significant steps that they have taken. Celebrations mean FUN and showing up as people who passionately believe in the words being shared, not just leaders reading the script they were given. This group of leaders inspires me.
What are some of the unique and inspiring values that you have seen companies share and build into their culture?