Values are essential for business success

Values are essential for business success
By Jacqui Tibbits, Director Consultivation

In life as in business, values are our foundation and guiding light as we grow and expand and explore.  Authentic, meaningful and purposeful business values create a connection between staff, volunteers and an organisation. These connections guide and influence the organisational culture, stakeholder interaction, customer satisfaction and ultimately business success.

This occurs because values which are meaningful to staff provide guidance while influencing longer term strategies of the organisation.  When your business values resonate with people it attracts them – whether they are staff, volunteers or customers. Steve Jobs on returning to Apple in 1997 described its core value to employees as 'we believe people with passion can change the world for the better’ which they are certainly achieving!

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As Collins and Porras (1996) wrote ‘companies that enjoy enduring success have core values and a core purpose that remain fixed while their business strategies and practices endlessly adapt to a changing world.’ Collins and Porras (1996) concluded values are intrinsic, inherent and timeless.

At Consultivation we are fortunate our values are our foundation reflecting us as individuals and professionals. Our values provide guidance, focus and direction in achieving our purpose of helping organisations and people to flourish.

The core values and principles of Consultivation are:

Integrity

Consultivation operates from a position of integrity. We are honest, accountable and competent in business and life. We live our ethics and actively seek to highlight these in all aspects of our practice.

Honesty 

Consultivation functions from a trustworthy, loyal, fair, respectful and compassionate foundation. We are straight forward, genuine and truthful in our abilities, actions and interactions. 

Equity

Consultivation conducts its business in a fair, just and impartial manner. We actively work towards a more egalitarian society through the promotion of education, awareness, understanding and acceptance.

Diversity

Consultivation respects the uniqueness of each individual. We celebrate difference and value the wealth of culture, experience, skills and beliefs that each person represents. 

I believe our core values will positively influence our organisation’s culture and contribute to our success.  They will help us in promoting our business, educating others and attracting clients. Our values provide clarity on who we are, what we stand for and how we conduct business.

Though our strategies and practices may change, our core values will not. As David Packard of Hewlett-Packard said in 1960, ‘..companies don’t simply exist to make money - the real reason is for a group of people to accomplish something collectively that they could not accomplish separately – they make a contribution to society, a phrase which sounds trite but is fundamental….’

At Consultivation, we look forward to contributing to our society and communities by supporting organisations and people to flourish through positive change. We may not be as big as Apple or Hewlett-Packard, nor are we trying to be, but what we are doing is conducting business founded on a set of core values and principles which are meaningful and purposeful, resonating and motivating.

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Consultivation is an independent consultancy service driven by an ethical values base 
supporting businesses and people to flourish in the community and aged care sectors. 

If you would like assistance in discovering how core ideology can contribute 
or improve business success contact us today. 

References

• Collins, J. C., & Porras, J. I. (1996). Building Your Company's Vision. Harvard Business Review, 66-77.
  

• Jobs, S. (2011, October 09). http://www.presentationzen.com/presentationzen/2011/10/steve-jobs-on-values-and-identifying-your-core.html. Retrieved August 17, 2016, from Presentation Zen: http://www.presentationzen.com/presentationzen/2011/10/steve-jobs-on-values-and-identifying-your-core.html
  

• Packard, D. (1960, March 8). 1960 – Packard Speeches. Retrieved August 17, 2016, from Agilent Technologies: http://historycenter.agilent.com/packard-speeches/ps1960/