Establishing values for your company can
have a lasting positive effect. It’s easiest to do early on, when the
team is small, but doing it later in the company’s life can still be
useful. Follow a process that allows everyone to contribute. Ask people
to reflect individually on what’s important to them and what the company
values now. Then come together, put everyone’s ideas on the table (or
whiteboard), and create a short list of options. Discuss and decide on a
group of company values that everyone can commit to. Talk about what
each value means, what it looks like in action, and how you’ll evaluate
whether people are adhering to it. Lastly, develop a plan for
integrating the values into everyday work. It should include the changes
you’ll need to make and the practices you’ll need to introduce so that
everyone can live the values you’ve jointly identified.
Adapted from “
How to Establish Values on a Small Team,” by Amelia Friedman
