Let’s start by defining core values as being the foundation for any business, a measurement of how we are performing and conducting ourselves. No matter what is happening inside or outside the company, we understand where Trumpet is today and where it is going in the future.
That wasn’t always the case. In our recent blog post, How to Define Your Firm’s Core Values, we discuss how and why you should define values for your business. Ultimately, without defining core values, your business suffers; that includes the people and the bottom line.
Keep in mind core values are not the same as standard operating procedures, business strategies, or competencies, nor are they to be used only by a select person or group, or changeable in response to inside or outside factors. They’re the foundation by which all decisions are made.
What happens when there are no defined core values?
You’ve heard the phrase, “the left-hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing”. That means one department has a set of standards such as a dress code, and the other departments either have no dress code or a different one. It looks and feels disjointed as if no one knows what they should be doing or what is expected of them. As an employee, it’s confusing.
This is, of course, a very simple example. But the confusion stretches well beyond dress codes to hiring, firing, day-to-day operations, client service, and even decision-making processes. Ultimately each team is operating within their own silos, not understanding what each other is doing or why they’re doing it.
Employees become frustrated because they don’t understand what is expected of them. In the absence of core values, they may develop personal agendas that are not beneficial to the company or in line with the leader’s vision.
How does this change when core values are defined?
When employees understand expectations and have a foundation for decision making, they become better team players. Where there were once silos, there are now collaborative teams who know what each needs to be successful. There’s a shared sense that everyone is on the same mission.
For Trumpet, our purpose isn’t simply to create awesome software (though we try to do that too). Whether it’s our team or our clients, our purpose is to help people enjoy the way they work. Each decision that we make goes back to this purpose. Each person that we hire shares this vision and embraces the Trumpet Core Values:
- We are empowered.
- We set the bar high to create the WOW factor.
- We find harmony between work and play.
- We’re always getting better.
- We make it happen.
- We care about others.
- We do the right thing.
- Our team is our other family.
Without defined core values, we couldn’t serve our clients the way we do. We couldn’t hire the amazing team that we have. We couldn’t work together to achieve our purpose.
