Define Your Business Values: 3 Key Questions for Organizational Success
"So what do you do, Cody?"
I still feel weird answering that question because it's still hard to believe that I own my own business.
I don't really know when it was that I decided I wanted to be self-employed, but it's been at least since Kiersten and I were first married. In every work setting since then, I found myself being able to naturally find practical & affordable solutions to my coworkers’ and supervisors’ problems. I guess it comes from just really believing in people and wanting to see them succeed in any way I can.
The best example I have of this would be at the second company I worked for after Kiersten and I got married. It was March 2020, a week before everything shut down. I was working at a local counseling agency at the time and like everyone else, there was a lot of uncertainty regarding this “new normal” that was being introduced. The difference was that before the pandemic, there were far more strict regulations on telehealth than there are now which led to the question,
“How are we supposed to keep seeing our clients and still meet HIPAA regulations?”
Three months prior, I had suggested that we move our email to Google Workspace. This would give us more control over our email, have the potential for digital filing, and we could also explore the potential of telehealth. When I suggested it, it was not well-received due to the regulations, but now we found ourselves in the middle of the pandemic looking for an answer. I’m happy to say that within a week I was able to train each department separately on how to use Google Workspace to meet their needs and keep running seamlessly online.
And you know what? We were okay.
There were a lot of things the pandemic years provided for me, but a few consistent themes throughout that season were integrity, curiosity, and encouragement. During that season, there were many situations I was in that would have been easy for me to get bitter about and just give up - general workplace issues that we’ve all faced: lack of recognition, the entitlement of supervisors, or hitting that compensation ceiling. Instead of staying there, I found myself asking, what does this situation tell me about myself?
Don’t get me wrong, the pandemic was no vacation for my family. Kiersten and I worked hard to make the decisions that would best set our family up for a brighter future. But it was primarily a season of growth and transition in which I started to uncover what I valued in a company (even what I valued in myself). So that’s what I’d like to give to you today. Out of those beautiful growing pains here are several questions I used to define what it is I valued for my life and our business.
How do I want my business to end?
If your business, dream, or organization were to end tomorrow, what do you hope would be remembered about it? How would you hope people would talk about it? Would you want them to remember the quality of your product first or the way you understood their need? Neither is wrong, but understanding which of these is important to you is the first step to understanding what you want for your business and ultimately your life.
Prior to answering any other question, it’s important that you answer this question honestly.
What did I hate about my past jobs?
When we feel frustration or anger in a situation it can often be attributed to a violation of our values. Here’s an example: It frustrates me when people are not recognized or thanked for the work & effort that they put into a project.
Someone else may think it’s most important that the job was completed and the quality was great so why does it matter? And they would not be wrong; it would appear that person holds a higher value on quality or completion.
However, one of our values at Banks Graphic Design is encouragement. If you come to us for a service we want to make sure that we encourage the dream behind that job. Though one of our top values is quality, we feel that it is best to connect with and encourage our clients initially so that when we are finished with their service they walk away with a high-quality product and feel encouraged to take the next step in their business journey.
What is my business not?
If you have not read the book Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey yet, I would highly recommend it (better yet, listen to the audiobook). This book came at a time in my life when I most needed it. Similarly to you, I was on a journey to define who I was (and my business).
In one of the early questions McConaughey poses this question to the reader for self-exploration: “Who are you not?” The thought behind this question is to help you define yourself through a process of elimination. By asking this question and eliminating who we are not, it creates space and clarity to see who we actually are.
Likewise, with your business, you have to ask yourself this question and answer it honestly. Don’t answer it with who you want to be, answer it with an honest assessment of who you’re not.
An example of this would be that Banks Graphic Design is not Nike. Our goal is not to impress you so that you will want to work with us and be on the inside. Rather, our mission is to help, encourage, and come alongside the greatness that is in you and your idea.
Final Comments
I would encourage you to take an extended coffee break one day with a journal, a pair of headphones, and these questions. Don’t force yourself to find the answers to these questions. Sit with them and let the answers find you.
If you’re interested in learning a bit more about defining your business’ direction or core values, we share additional free resources and information similar to this article in our monthly newsletter. When you sign up you’ll receive additional information about defining your values and a list of core values to help you get started. We’d love to find more ways that we can help bring value to your business!
