3 Types of Values

I have found that many companies are confused about what they call values. It's important to remember that there are three specific types of values and a leader needs to make sure they can separate them and use them in the right context so that leaders and team-members clearly understand what is expected and supported.

Personal Values

Personal values are an individual’s values regardless of where they work. Employees bring these values with them and often choose their employer based on a personal values "fit" with the company, even if the company doesn't publicly list values held by the employee on their website or documents. Personal values guide our everyday lives regardless whether we are at work or home.

Team Values

Team-oriented values demonstrate how a group of employees wishes to work together. It sets expectations for collaboration, communication, and personal and professional behavior while on the job. Team values can be "positive attitude," "clear communication," "share the work," "respect each other's space," etc. These are often posted on a corkboard in the cafeteria or listed in a new hire's onboarding kit to outline behavior expectations and the "unwritten rules" that make a worksite or team run smoothly.

Core Company Values

Company-wide values dictate how a business identifies its values for all its business interactions on a large scale, for all of its stakeholders (including partners, investors, vendors, employees, and customers). This type of value is the most important for determining a company’s purpose because this is the one that most directly influences the company’s north star. These are the values companies struggle to identify and commit to because they are the hardest: they're meant for everyone and they're meant to be the basis for decision-making and governance for the entire organization, thus: they carry a lot of weight.

An outside consultant, facilitator or trainer can help with the process of identifying these values and implementing them across all departments. This can be necessary because a lot of leaders believe their values are inherently known and understood, when actually these terms need to be clearly identified and expressed so that everyone understands and is on-board.

Strategy Consultant

I help businesses work strategically to identify core values, implement a company-wide, indelible purpose, and develop alignment strategies that are bold, progressive, and world-changing. If your company needs transformation, talk with me about team training, strategic planning, and next steps.

About the Author

Holly Bellebuono, MPA, is the founder of Selle Impact Consulting and is a fierce advocate for revolutionary company missions that elevate business and culture. She is a global speaker, 8X author, and strategist for values-based leadership. She holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration: Environmental Policy from Appalachian State University, and executive certificates in Nonprofit Finance, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), and Impact Measurement & Management of the UN Sustainable Development Goals from Cornell, London Business School, and Duke University. She has served on the Martha’s Vineyard Climate Action Plan Steering Committee (Economic Resilience) and the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center’s Community of Practice, among others. She is known for celebrating the human experience and empowering business leaders seeking a worthy purpose.