The Importance of Values in Business
Based on my past experience, I know that the mission and values of any firm are of paramount importance in ensuring it has the ability to not only provide the best service for its clients, but also in making sure it is a place that people love coming to for work every day. This focus is based on my belief that if these corporate, guiding principles are bought into by a firm's most important asset--its team--these then become the cornerstone of a foundational corporate culture, and thereby, the most efficient driver of bottom line returns as a result.
So where did the values most important to myself as an individual come from originally? They are actually taken from the wisdom offered to me by my father while growing up. A businessman himself, with extensive experience in commercial real estate development and private capital investing, he was one of the hardest working people I knew. Despite the long hours he put in, he always had time for my sister and I, no matter what was going on at the office. It was during these moments that his wisdom truly shined, encapsulated in three sayings he would consistently tell us--which ultimately served as the foundational source for my core values:
I. Aptitude: "Know what you know... and what you don't."
It's important to be confident in one's abilities relative to areas of expertise and core competencies. Similarly, if there are areas in which others may have greater knowledge, it's important to recognize that, as well. Avoiding ego-driven reactions is the best way to foster collaboration (and success as a result).
In my past roles, I have focused on putting together a team with the aptitude to truly excel, including having knowledge and skillsets that are cohesively complementary in order to ensure the best results for the organization and its clients.
II. Integrity: "Be true to thyself."
At the end of the day, one should be able to look into the mirror and be proud of the accomplishments from those waking hours, as well as the support and care shown to one's fellow man. A large part of being able to do that is the forthrightness and honesty at the heart of each matter undertaken, whether to others or oneself. If you are not true to the principles and values driven by one's own moral compass, this will translate into substandard outcomes no matter what the focus may be.
This fostered my own view that if the guiding beliefs held by others are aligned with those of the goal they are serving, that is the truest way to achieve maximal success. This served as the focus for fostering the buy-in of organizational core values by its team members. By having this synergy between what the corporation strives for and what motivates its team, the result is integrity for the individual, the organization, and further enhances long-term outcomes.
III. Excellence: "Be the best you can be."
It's important to fully dedicate oneself to a commitment made, whether to friends and family in one's personal life, or those made to a company and its clients. Of the three values, I truly believe that excellence is the most critical of value all in terms of being foundational support for any other corporate value.
While one may not have the knowledge to directly address any challenge or obstacle individually, performing accordingly to this means taking the actions necessary to leverage the expertise of other team members or stakeholders to ensure the problem is addressed by those most able to effectively drive its resolution. Similarly, related to integrity, one cannot truly look into the mirror on a daily basis and say one had lived in accordance with that principle unless having strove for the absolute best in everything undertaken during its course.
And there you have it. A bit of insight as to not only my experience as child growing up in rural Colorado, but hopefully greater clarity as to why I have been so focused on the importance of not only having an informed corporate culture, but one that is elevated in its ideals and principles as to be worthy of the aspirational buy-in of all who work as part of it.