Is your organization grounded on a solid foundation with an articulated Core Ideology: Core Values and Core Purpose? Core values are those essential guiding tenets that define the enduring character of your organization. Core values provide the base against which all decisions can be tested. Is this action consistent with our core values? Your purpose is why your organization exists and it’s not to make money, that too easy. When found your core purpose describes your passion.
Core Values embody what you stand for. Zappos is well known for living their core values. Number 1 on their list is Deliver WOW through Service. They say if something is worth doing it is worth doing with a WOW. A signature story which exemplifies their core value is the customer service person who took four hours to help a woman who had a problem with her the shoe she had recently bought. Four hours is pretty impressive but then you find out she didn’t even buy the shoes from Zappos. Another Core Value they live by is create fun and a little weirdness. One has to wonder where the little weirdness line is? To shape your core values start with the list you think represent your core value then test them. If circumstances caused this value to pelanize your company, would you change it or stick with it? Would you fire an employee who violated this value? What if she was your #1 sales person? When you have true core values identified you will celebrate signature stories and ask who will create the next signature story.
Core Purpose defines why you exist. For 3M it’s Innovation, for Nike it’s Competition, Disney, Happiness and Starbucks Escape. This is a hard one to nail down. Most often the answer is to make money. Jim Collins suggests that you ask that most important question, why at least five times and then maybe you will be getting closer to the answer. In a recent session, it became apparent that the company I was working with the passion was about solving problems. Not necessarily market place words that will drive customers to the door but truly what was driving their organization and success.
These core ideologies set a foundation needed to build the organization that can sustain the growth we all hope for. Get these identified, articulated and then use them.
A useful resource to help find your core ideology is Jim Collins and Jerry Porras 1996 Harvard Business Review article, “Building Your Company’s Vision.”
