We’re all familiar with the terms mission and vision statements, but how often do we hear of value statements?
When we do think of value statements, we typically group them together with vision and mission statements.
However, value statements are arguably the most important when setting your company’s priorities. Keeping your values at the forefront of your company is crucial for creating client relationships and loyalty.
Curious about the benefits of having a solid value statement? Read more to learn how to craft your perfect value statement.
A company’s value statement expresses its core beliefs and guides its actions. It shapes the organization’s culture and influences decision-making at all levels. For employees, the value statement provides clarity on what the company stands for. For customers, it builds trust by showcasing what the company prioritizes.
An effective value statement is concise, memorable, and actionable. It resonates with stakeholders and differentiates the company from competitors. Follow these steps to craft a compelling value statement:
Define Your Core Principles
Start by identifying your company’s fundamental beliefs. What issues does it care most about? What goals does it aim to achieve through its products/services? The answers will point to 3-5 core principles that form the essence of your value statement.
Get input from leadership and team members across departments. Ask questions like:
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Why does our company exist? What is its purpose beyond profits?
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What principles guide our decision-making? What values are non-negotiable?
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What do we want to be known for by employees and customers?
Look back at your history as well. Foundational beliefs tend to persist over decades and shape company culture. Revisiting them can help articulate core principles.
Align with Your Brand Personality
Your value statement should complement your brand personality. Review your brand messaging and look for common themes that resonate throughout. Does your brand promise quality? Prioritize innovation? Embrace sustainability? Weave in principles that match this personality.
This alignment between your value statement and brand identity will make messaging more memorable. It will also lend authenticity, showing you live up to promises made to customers.
Get Team Member Input
Before finalizing the core principles, gather feedback from your team. Schedule a brainstorming session and ask:
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What principles do you believe should guide our company?
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What do we stand for today? What do you hope we will stand for in the future?
This builds buy-in across the organization. Team members will be more invested in the value statement if they helped shape it. Their perspectives also identify blind spots in leadership thinking.
Send out a survey if scheduling sessions is difficult. Leave room for open-ended responses so people can share suggestions.
Craft a Concise Statement
With core principles identified, start drafting value statements. You want something concise that sticks in people’s minds. Longer versions can come later to elaborate on principles.
Keep language crisp and clear. Use active voice and avoid jargon. Your value statement should engage audiences without needing explanation.
Powerful value statements combine an emotional appeal with practical benefits. For example:
“We believe everyone deserves affordable, quality healthcare. Our telemedicine platform makes visits easy, fast, and cost-effective.”
Read your drafts out loud. Do they roll off the tongue easily? Can you summarize them in a sentence? Edit ruthlessly to get to the essence.
Make It Relatable
While concise, your value statement must also resonate with audiences. Use inclusive language like “we” instead of referring to the company as a separate entity. This invites people to be part of the mission.
Share real-world examples of the principles in action. If transparency is a core value, mention how you openly discuss finances company-wide. This grounds the statement in actual behavior vs. lofty claims.
Ask audiences to share when they see values demonstrated. This two-way conversation brings the principles to life as guiding tenets.
Communicate and Celebrate
Launching the statement is only the first step – you need to embed it across your company culture.
Host a company-wide event to introduce the formal statement. Have leadership share why it matters and how they plan to uphold it.
Print it on posters and digital signage so employees see it daily. Weave it into onboarding and training programs. Reference it when explaining decisions and policies.
Recognize individuals and teams who exemplify the core principles. When values guide real actions, celebrate those wins. This positive reinforcement will motivate others.
Hold Everyone Accountable
While celebrating successes, also hold each other accountable. Values only retain meaning if people live up to them.
Leadership should model the behavior expected from all employees. When core principles are undermined, address it quickly and transparently.
Discuss upholding the value statement during performance reviews. Set goals around demonstrating certain principles more consistently.
Handle policy violations seriously, especially from senior team members. Values that do not dictate consequences lose their authority and meaning over time.
Revisit and Revise
Treat your value statement as a living document open to revision. Reconvene teams annually to review it. Ask:
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Are our core principles still relevant? Do any need updating?
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What examples do we have of living these values this past year?
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Where is there room for improvement in upholding our statement?
Look for shifts where behavior and values diverge. If necessary, update language to realign. Keeping the statement current ensures it remains central to your culture.
An authentic, meaningful value statement is crucial for articulating company identity. It grounds strategic decisions in core beliefs and rallies stakeholders around a shared mission. Taking a collaborative, thorough approach to drafting this statement lays the foundation for embedding it holistically across your organization. With regular review, it will evolve alongside your company while retaining key foundational principles.
What Makes A Good Value Statement?
Simple (yet effective) words that are easy to understand and provide clarity to whoever is reading them.
Picking values that are specific and unique to your company, while also providing apparent terms
What Is A Value Statement?
Company Value Statement Definition:
A value statement shows your customers what is important to you and what you prioritize as a brand, company, and business.
But why does this matter?
Having strong values regarding production, decision-making, and customer service sets the right trajectory for what matters most to you as a business. When using marketing techniques to try for new outreach opportunities, your business will want consumers to look into why they should choose your company over your competitors.
Some great examples of core values can be:
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- Integrity
- Honesty
- Inclusivity
- Aspiration
- Innovation
- Respect
- Teamwork
- Transparency
Value statements get caught up in the mix with mission and vision statements. Here’s how to tell them apart to formulate all three correctly.
Your Mission, Vision, and Values (with Examples)
How do you write a value statement?
Choose one or two of the top values from your list and actionable steps to write your value statement. Keep your statement brief, typically only a sentence or two. Value statements are also specific and tell the team and customers exactly what you plan to do. Once you finish writing your value statement, it’s beneficial to share it with others.
What is a value statement?
A value statement usually includes: A value statement defines what’s important to the company and its employees. It specifically discusses one or two of the company’s most essential values. These may be concepts the company believes in, prioritized values or guiding principles that help team members decide what to do and how.
Why do you need a value statement?
A value statement that speaks the truth can help your company gain employees’ and customers’ trust. Being genuine and transparent helps you foster a deeper connection with your employees, motivating them to deliver their best and creating a relatable image for your customers.
How do you write a company Values Statement?
While your first draft of company values may reflect the opinions of leadership, it’s important that the statement accurately represents the entire team’s perspective. By collecting employee feedback, you can determine whether the selected list resonates with everyone in the organisation.
