Excerpted from our own BizPlanBuilder business growth planning system
Also included in our EmployeeManualBuilder policies and procedures handbook system
“The purpose of values is to help people who aren’t you make good decisions for the company. At a fast-growing company, values become a shorthand for why decisions are getting made — especially when founders or execs aren’t in the room, but in order for that to happen, everyone needs to really know and internalize the values that will scale our original vision. I wish I hadn’t been so dismissive of that in the past.”
~ Alex Ohanian, Co-Founder, Reddit
Business Power Tools’ Core Values
We Believe In What We’re Doing And In What You’re Doing
Core Values are the standards by which we measure our performance; and our interactions with each other, with our customers, and with our vendors. These core values help define our approach to how we build and run our business:
Focus on Service
- We are all in a customer service function.
- Focus on service, on how we work with others, customers, clients, suppliers, and each other.
- Some of the customers are external, while others are internal, but we are all serving someone.
Courtesy
- Keep it Real — Cultivate authentic relationships
- Be respectful of each other’s needs, both personally and professionally
- Practice the Human Touch
- Treat people as individuals and show them that you care.
- Look for opportunities to acknowledge their uniqueness and their humaneness. (Calls, cards, notes, gifts, etc.)
Integrity
- Honest, committed internal and external relationships.
- Honor and respect another’s point of view
- Do what is right for the business and for our customers.
- Tell the truth.
Dedication
- Do what is necessary to get the job done, regardless of the function or job.
- Set an ask for expectations at the beginning of every project — Inquire / communicate any changes along the way.
- We often judge situations, not by what happens, but by how they compared to what we expected to happen.
- Learn to create, mutually understood expectations in every situation.
Communicate to Be Understood
- Know your audience.
- Respectful communication of creativity, ideas, concerns.
- Write and speak in a way they can understand.
- Use the simplest possible explanation.
Constant Improvement
This is what Dr. Deming taught the Japanese: “Kaizen”
- Constant, incremental improvement — Assure quality and productivity across all areas in the company.
- Freedom to Express Ideas, Concerns, and Possibilities
- Seek knowledge and understanding, then apply it to ourselves, our customers, our processes, and our products.
Discipline
- “Bring iIt” Every Day
- We each have a finite amount of time to work.
- Maximize your contribution by making the most effective use of your time.
- Defining, refining, executing, measuring and completing all activities in support of agreed-upon goals and objectives.
- Make the most of each day by approaching every task with energy, focus, purpose, and enthusiasm.
Faultless, Problem-Solving
- Treat mistakes as learning opportunities.
- Maintain a Solution Orientation Rather than a Problem Orientation
- Focusing on problems strains energy — Apply all creativity, spirit, and enthusiasm toward solutions.
- Focus on the following questions:
- What are our best options to solve the problem?
- What have we learned that can help keep us from repeating the mistake?
- How will we integrate that learning into new behaviors and practices?
Sound Decision-Making
- Our primary goal is long-term success of our organization.
- Make Decisions that Reflect a Reverence for Long-Term Relationships
- Think Sustainably — Make decisions that last longer than you will
- We make decisions we L.I.K.E. Our decisions are based on: Logic, Intuition, Knowledge, and Experience.
Acknowledgment & Appreciation
- Work From the Assumption of People Are Good, Fair, and Honest
- We believe most people genuinely want to do the right thing.
- Kindness begets more kindness, Trust be gets more trust.
- We regularly acknowledge and appreciate our fellow employees, our customers, vendors, partners, and ourselves, for contributions made in support of our vision and pursuit of excellence.
Keep Things Fun
- The world has much larger problems in our own.
- Keep perspective.
- Be lighthearted and smile.
- Add a sweet touch — Create meaningful connections every day
Business Power Tools’ Core Practices
Core Practices are the things we do within our organization to help maintain a high level of integrity and establish an environment where what needs to be said can be said—with confidence that both speaker(s) and listener(s) will be treated with respect, and that their ideas and contributions will be valued, whether those ideas are implemented, or not.
At risk of being redundant, some the values above are restated as practices.
This is what we practice:
- When we have an idea … Tell someone. Planting the seed, invite others to help cultivate it, and watch what grows.
- If we want to try something … Ask. Because solutions and answers often emerge from unexpected people in unexpected places.
- When we want to collaborate … Just do it. In today’s collaborative world, we always need others. Everyone does.
- When we must measure ourselves … it’s not by what we are against, but rather what we are for. What matters is not the miles or meters—but our meaning.
- If we stand for something … let it be for opportunity. For collective and self-determination. For each and all of us to be more than.
We Check Our Egos At the Door
- Our own egos and personal agendas must never get in the way of what doing best for Business Power Tools.
- Don’t take challenges personally or defensively.
- Being concerned with who gets credit, who looks good, or who looks bad is counterproductive.
- Make sure every decision is based on what the best, what will best advance Business Power Tools goals.
We Listen Generously
- We listen for the contribution in each other’s speaking – suspending opinions, judgments, and what we already think we know…
- Seeking to comprehend the situation from another perspective.
- Adding depth and color to our own knowledgebase
- This means giving the person your undivided attention.
- If you can’t give your undivided attention right now, request to speak with the person when you can listen to them generously.
We Speak Straight
- Speak in a way that forwards the positive action.
- Move past saying “what is supposed to be said” to speak responsibly and honestly, in a way that forwards appropriate action.
- Be willing to surface ideas or take positions that may result in conflicts when it’s necessary to reach our goals.
- Make clear and direct requests. (Few people “get” subtle or veiled requests.)
We Win, Win, Win…
- Seek to Create Win/Win Situations
- Learn to think from others perspectives.
- Discover what others need and find solutions that meet their needs while still fulfilling our own.
- Win/Win solutions are always longer lasting and more then satisfying, then Win/Lose.
- Create solutions, where the customer wins, the community wins, and the company wins.
We Practice “A+ness” as a Way of Life
- Make quality personal. At Business Power Tools we don’t do good, we do great!
- Take pride in the quality of everything you touch and everything you do.
- From the way you inspect a vehicle to the final presentation of the car after a repair, ask yourself, “IS THIS MY BEST WORK?”
- Everything you touch leaves your signature of a job well done.
- Take the Extra Time to Do Things Right the First Time.
- Don’t take shortcuts the goal is to get things “right”, not simply to get things “done.”
We Are FOR Each Other
- Key to a successful team is being “for” each other; much like one would be for a football team.
- This means 100% support for everyone in the company and the roles they play.
- Operate from the point of view that we’re all in this together, and that anyone of us cannot win at the expense of someone else, or at the expense of the business.
- Look for each each each other’s greatness and provide right, rigorous support when needed.
- Make an impact — Always leave others better than you found them
We Honor Agreements & Commitments
- Do what you say you’re going to do by when you say you’re going to do it — Others are depending on you.
- If you can’t keep your agreement, notify whoever is affected early/ahead of time and agree upon a new commitment to be honored.
- If you break an agreement, acknowledge that you did and negotiate a way to clean up your mess.
We Take 100% Ownership & Responsibility
Read “Extreme Ownership”
- Everything that happens in the company is the result of its people.
- There is no room for victims in a high-performance organization.
- Follow through on commitments internally and externally.
- Everyone is 100% accountable for their role in the company.
- This does not mean taking on too much (110%) nor does it mean taking on too little (90%).
- Identify what you don’t know and find a way to learn it.
- Ask for what you want and take full responsibility for your success.
We Are Punctual
- Be on time for all appointments, phone calls, meetings, and promises.
- How we relate to time send a message, but how we relate to other commitments.
- Punctuality is a sign of respect for others.
We Follow-Up Everything
- Internal and external clients rely on us, and we rely on others.
- Record a follow-up date and time for every action, and take responsibility for its completion.
- Your job isn’t done until the job is done.
We Acknowledge & Appreciate Each Other
- Be a Source of Acknowledgment and Appreciation
- Provide positive feedback first (80%), then suggest improvement (20%)
- Support each other’s success — Accept suggestions for improvement as support for your success
- Regularly, receive, and ask for meaningful appreciation and acknowledgment.
- This includes giving, receiving, and requesting acknowledgment.
We Speak Up!
- We speak up (and communicate with my supervisor, team, CEO) when we become aware of irresponsible, dangerous, or unsustainable practices that may cause harm to people, places, animals, or the Earth.
We Celebrate Success!
- Celebrate your passion, your purpose and your successes.
- Live the Sweet Life
We want to acknowledge and thank Susan Mayginnes, MA a recognized team-building expert for her contribution of these ideas. Click here to learn more about Susan Mayginnes, MA…
