Values are all about your culture. Your company culture is the beliefs and morals that you use when interacting with people outside the business. This can be your customers, your suppliers, or the wider community. You do not have to have a written culture for your company or organisation, but it should be reflected in your values.
When looking at company values, understand that what is done within the company is not always seen the same way outside. Perception is as important as reality, so it’s always worth going outside the organisation, to your customers or trusted advisors, to see what the world thinks your values are.
Your values should align with your mission statement. These are two things that need to work together. If your company’s mission is to deliver eco-friendly products and one of your values isn’t sustainability, then you will have conflicting ideas.
The next stage is to decide what values you want your company to adhere to. They have to be achievable and understood by the entire organisation. Between 3 and 5 values is ideal, but don’t worry too much about that for the moment. Take a piece of paper, or your phone, and write adjectives that describe your company’s position. It’s helpful to follow these rules when looking at your values:
Values must be at the expense of something
This can be a tricky one to get your head around. A value must stop you from doing something you don’t want the company to do. It must restrain you. For example, if you wish to be environmentally sustainable, then that may limit your ability to use cheaper materials in your products. If you want to be community-focused, then there might be certain things you are no longer able to do because they would harm the community. Customer-focused means everything has to be done for the benefit of the customer, not the company.
Values must have a purpose
Values are amazing things that can inspire your whole organisation. They are invaluable if everyone in the company, and outside it, understands why you have chosen them. If they don’t make sense, and you can’t explain it, then they’re not values.
Values must be actionable
Make sure your values make financial, ethical and logical sense. An impossible value won’t inspire action.
Values must align with each other, and the mission statement
Make sure all of your values interact and complement each other. To be cheap and well-made seems contradictory. If your company can change that equation so you can provide top quality products for a very small price, then that’s a unique selling point. But in most cases, having both those things as values means one will have to be sacrificed for the other, and values cannot be selective.
Defining the meaning of your value is also important. Let’s take sustainability again. One person’s idea of what this means will be different to another. A sentence after each value, which clarifies your meaning, provides focus and prevents ambiguity.
How to use values
Your values now need to be woven into every fabric of your business. Your processes and data gathering should all adhere to your values, allowing them to become automatic. When bringing new employees, suppliers and customers into the company, it’s useful to bring them up to speed on your mission statement and your values. This will set expectations and allow them to aid you when it comes to turning your values into a unique selling point for your company.
Underpin Consultants’ Values
Underpin Consultants’ values based on the principles highlighted above. It begins with our mission.
Our Mission: Bridging the Gap for All
Underpin Consultants’ mission is succinct yet powerful: “To give companies, charities, and public organisations access to the same strategy and training as the world’s top businesses.”
This mission is not just a statement; it’s a commitment to democratising success. By ensuring that the tools for success are accessible to all, Underpin Consultants sets a standard for ethical business practices, emphasising that prosperity should be inclusive.
Be Good: Genuine Impact Over Profit
Underpin Consultants operates on a principle that resonates deeply – “We only work with those we can do genuine good for. If we can’t help, then we will find someone who can.” This unwavering commitment to making a positive impact is more important to us than profit because we believe that ethical business practices can lead to sustainable success.
Truly Independent: A Pledge to Unbiased Excellence
The value of independence is ingrained in Underpin Consultants’ DNA. We pride ourselves on being “truly independent,” meaning our advice and strategies are free from external influences. This commitment ensures that clients receive unbiased, tailored solutions that align with their unique needs. In a world where conflicts of interest can compromise integrity, Underpin Consultants like to do things differently.
Do Good: A Commitment to Social Responsibility
Underpin Consultants recognises the power of its expertise and influence in shaping a better world. Most of our work is with the public sector, charities, and companies that want to change the world. By devoting 25% of our time to charitable causes, Underpin Consultants showcases the transformative potential of businesses in driving positive social change. This commitment goes beyond corporate social responsibility; it’s a genuine belief in the role businesses play in creating a better future.
Collaborate: Listening, Advising, and Growing Together
Underpin Consultants approach collaboration with a refreshing perspective. We listen. And we offer our honest opinion, only working on projects where we work directly with clients, hearing their ideas and making them part of our plans. This collaborative ethos is a departure from the top-down approach prevalent in many industries. By actively involving clients in the decision-making process, Underpin Consultants foster a culture of mutual respect and growth.
