Group Defined Core Values

 

"Set your expectations high; find men and women whose integrity and values you respect; get their agreement on a course of action; and give them your ultimate trust."

- John F. Akers, IBM CEO from 1985 – 1993

 

Marcy Hewlett and I initially established A Better Connection’s core values when our company was an infant and after 10 years, we realized we had grown out of our start-up core values.  We came to the conclusion that we needed to find and incorporate values that were more in line with ABC’s current vision.

 

This time around we included our management team in the process.  A couple months ago we planned and held a retreat for our management team.  During the retreat we conducted several exercises that assisted in building team cohesiveness and sought out individual input.  The team identified and named values that reflected ABC’s commitment to excellence and our determination to keep up with technical innovations (such as ongoing professional training for our employees and integration of the latest technologies in our service offerings.)

 

As a result of the retreat exercises, we successfully named our current core values. ABC core values are now: win/win, it’s not about me, solutions with one call, be brilliant, it is what we make it.

 

Identifying the appropriate core values via group input is a smart formula for every successful business, big or small. 

 

Gail Gamertsfelder

V/P-CAO A Better Connection, Inc.