They are the Foundation of Your Business
I was having a discussion with a sub-contractor. They were venting their frustrations with a general contractor they had worked for. This GC bid the project low to get it. Then after getting it, continued raising the price through change orders.
The sub-contractor felt this was dishonest and unethical.
Core values are the building blocks that make up the foundation your business is built on.
Core values are fundamental beliefs. They are your guiding principles. The definition of CORE is the central or most important part of something. This is the most inner part of who you are. This is also the most inner part of your business.
It’s like your conscience. Deep down, on the inside, who God made you to be. VALUES are the regard that something is held to deserve; the importance, worth, or usefulness of something; a person’s principles or standards of behavior; one’s judgment of what is important in life and business.
You choose these values. How you want to be, how you will treat others, etc. This doesn’t mean they have to be good. Some people’s values may be selfish or greedy, but regardless, we choose what values we will live by.
A wise person builds their business on a solid foundation. The rain can pour down, rivers flood, and the winds beat against the business. But if it’s built on a solid foundation, it will not fall. (Matthew 7:24-25)
Bad core values will not support the business in the long term.
The foolish person builds their business on the sand. The rain can pour down, rivers flood, and the winds beat against the business. It will fall with a crash. (Matthew 7:26-27)
The core values that my business is built on are a collection of some things that I’m naturally good at and some things…not so much. I’m constantly working to get better at all of them.
These things are in alignment with what I believe God wants from me and my business.
These core values, other than the first one, are in no specific order. Some you may recognize as quotes or common sayings. Others derived from things I’ve heard or experienced. All of them are values I hold high and am striving to live out daily. Here they are:
- Honor God in all that I do
- Pay attention to detail
- Spend time wisely, there is a limited amount
- Never be satisfied with mediocrity
- Find and maintain the balance in everything
- Build the wall one brick at a time
- Remember that I have two ears and one mouth
- Avoid drama
- Be accountable
- Take off the blinders, be more observant
- Make all I can, Save all I can, Give all I can
- Intentional action
You can find out more details about these core values by following the links above.
Build your business on a solid foundation!
This post includes excerpts from my previous post, Using Core Values as My Life Filter.