The true value of Values

It’s been well-documented that the most successful businesses – whether large or small – all have one thing in common: well-defined core values. When employees share a common value-system, they work together towards a common goal – this makes for a more harmonious environment. At Hasson Associates, we’ve always had a strong sense of identity, but until recently, we’d never sat down and really got to grips with what our values actually are. So we all got together with some tea, biscuits and a copious supply of giant Post-its and attempted to thrash things out.

The process of establishing and agreeing on what we hold dear both as individuals and collectively was surprisingly illuminating. Distilling it all down into 9 key words was a challenge, but the realisation that there was a good deal of consensus already in the room was really encouraging.  Some of the values we hold may seem obvious (‘Honesty’ and ‘Trust’ being the first to pop up, closely followed by ‘Loyalty’, ‘Respect’ and ‘Support’) – BUT the important point is that these truthfully reflect how we behave, what we strive to be and how we interact with clients, candidates and with each other. My 3 personal favourites are ‘Boldness’ and ‘Evolving’, also – the wild card – ‘Excitement’! I’ve really noticed how often these words seem to naturally come up in conversation since our values session!

I had been cynical about companies’ mission and value statements; hackneyed phrases and hollow words, more about PR than people. However, this exercise has made me change my point of view (have I Evolved?) Establishing our core values has served to confirm – at a fundamental level – who we are and what we stand for as a business. In an increasingly uncertain world, having this clear vision is a source of both comfort and strength. And the giant Post-its – what a revelation.