Added October 24, 2006Core Values #2
There is no prescribed format or set number of values. It all depends on the team and what they define as their core values. It might be helpful to review core values of other companies to, if you will, prime the pump, but take care not to fall into the trap of replicating their core values. For some companies it is a list of words and for others a list of statements. The important thing is that all team members agree and support the core values.
In the hiring process your core values are the source of key interview questions. How else will you know if a person is a fit and match if you do not ask targeted questions based on your core values? Of course this implies that you will prepare for an interview and actually write out your questions in advance. What a novel idea!
I believe that actions come from our thoughts. As human beings we must first form a thought and then take action. When we do not take time to think, and act in haste, what happens? Usually, something bad, that we later regret. We make mistakes. On the other hand, when we take time to think, and run a thought past our core values, our actions are typically more productive. In other words, our behaviors match our beliefs. Or in the words of an old saying, “walk your talk.”
I find the interpretation of James 3:9-12 by The Message, not only interesting, but also tied to core values: “A spring doesn’t gush fresh water one day and brackish the next, does it? Apple trees don’t bear strawberries, do they? Raspberry bushes don’t bear apples, do they? You’re not going to dip into a polluted mud hole and get a cup of clear, cool water, are you?”
