Vision and Values

“Core values determine your culture. Your culture determines behavior. Behavior determines performance.”—Sue Hawkes, EOS Implementer/Author

I recently came across this quote, which really resonated with me. 

In business and as leaders, our personal values shape each discussion, each decision, and each interaction. Likewise, the core values of a team or organization shape the people and the environment within. 

As such, it is beneficial to ask the following questions about the company/team’s core values:

“Do these beliefs reflect not only how we treat our customers, but also how we treat each other?” 

“Do these values make a positive impact?”

“Do we, as leaders, live and work in accordance with these values each and every day?” 

The true core values of an organization are those which the team lives every day. They may or may not be the same as those that are written on the wall.

One of the best bosses that I ever had articulated the values of his team with great care and intention. He created a “Vision and Values” document for the group with our collaboration. He went as far as to review it with potential hires, wanting to communicate how we worked and what we believed in. It was critical to him that the people he hired operated with the same level of integrity. Although we did not refer to them every day, his “Vision and Values” absolutely shaped the culture of our team. 

Culture may be defined as “the attitudes and behavior characteristic of a particular social group.” Our core values create that culture, which in turn dictates how people think and act. Positively or negatively. 

You can only manage behavior, not results. Again, behavior determines performance. 

In a thriving environment, everyone buys into the values and lives accordingly. This is reflected in the culture and, ultimately, the performance.