How many value sets do you have?
Just a small question: how many sets of values does your company have? For those companies with only one set of values, this sounds like a crazy question. For them it is obvious that companies can have one clear set of values that live throughout the organization.
However, during different consulting workshops, I noticed that many companies have more than one set of values. HR has employer values, marketing has consumer values and corporate communication uses another set of values. How confusing for the market and for your employees!
Let us be clear: if you want to become a great company that drives growth through word-of-mouth and happy clients, you can only work with 1 set of values. These values should be implemented among employees, clients, suppliers and all other stakeholders. If not, people find it confusing and they won’t believe you.
Why is one set of values so crucial? Well, brand positioning is the long term effect of your company culture. As all employees are media, every time they communicate, they are working on the positioning of your company. Company culture (and thus values) influences what and how people communicate. And so, determine your position in the market.