Establishing Team Values
Building a team can be one of the most challenging parts of running a business. Finding people who are passionate, loyal, and talented can be a hard task. But, once you’ve established your team of staff and employees, the next step in creating a great team often gets looked over.
Most teams don’t take the time to establish their core values. These values will help push and drive the team forward as well as help them to remain communicative while working for the same goals. Values are what unite a team, even when each member is working on different areas or projects. As individuals, we all different values, but that doesn’t mean a team can’t find the values that fit them as a group. Here are some tips on how to choose values that work for you and your team:
Do the Work
Establishing values might seem pretty straightforward, but if you’re doing this together as team (which you should), it’s going to take some time. Carve out the time in your schedule and commit to the process. It will be helpful to send your team some pre-work before your team meeting, so they come prepared with ideas and reflections. Simple questions like, “what does our company value?” and “what’s our number one priority when it comes to interacting with clients and customers?” will do a lot to spark conversation.
Work it Out
For an entire team to “buy into” team values, the values themselves have to come from the team. Consider what each team member is saying, have someone take notes, and then organize your information together. It will be easier to pick out key words and strong values if you have existing material to work with. Choosing values together will strengthen your team and will even act as a team building exercise, without it being too obvious.
See it Everyday
Once you’ve fully defined your values or value statements, choose a platform to showcase them. It could be a laminated paper that each member put at their workspace, or it could be a larger piece at the center of your office. Whatever it is, you should be able to see a physical reminder of your team values each day. Your team should be able to name their values at the drop of a hat, and seeing them in the office will be a helpful reminder.
If you’re ready to establish values with your team, Quadrivium Advisors is here to help!
