Core values help a growing team make decisions without the owner. Here is how to define and use them.
In this article
Why values matter as you grow
When the company is small, the owner makes every decision. As it grows, people need a guide for choices the owner never sees. Clear values help techs and office staff decide what the company would do.
Choose a few
Three to five values are enough. Pick what already makes your best people great.
Keep reading — free
The rest of this article is worth the 20 seconds
Tell us where to send it and the full piece unlocks right here, along with everything else on this blog.
Rather just talk? Message us on WhatsApp.
Describe the behavior
"Respect" is vague. "We call the customer before we're late" is clear. Write two or three behaviors for each value.
Hire by values
Ask interview questions about real situations related to each value. Skills can be trained; attitude is harder.
Review by values
Include values in performance reviews alongside numbers.
Recognize values in action
Share stories at team meetings when someone lived a value. Stories teach better than posters.
Customer promise
Turn values into promises customers can see, such as cleanliness and on-time arrival.
Owners first
If the owner breaks the values, no one else will follow them.
Revisit yearly
Check if the values still fit and how well the team lives them.
An example
An HVAC company chose three values: show up, own it, leave it better. "Leave it better" means shoe covers, clean work areas and a final walkthrough. Customers began mentioning it in reviews.
Common mistakes
Too many values, generic words and never using them in hiring or decisions.
Where to start
Ask your three best employees what makes the company good to work for and what customers praise most. Their answers usually reveal the values you already have. Write them down, test them for a month in team meetings and then make them official.
Price every call so it pays.
We help service businesses set clear policies, book better jobs and turn more calls into profitable work.
Frequently asked questions
How many core values should a small company have?
Usually three to five. Fewer values are easier to remember and use in daily decisions.