Is your company the only member of your industry? Ninety-nine percent of the responses will be a resounding, “no.” Whether you are selling t-shirts online or real estate around the world, your company needs to be distinct. Obviously, no two companies are the same, but it is your business’ duty to make that apparent to buyers in your industry.

Before you edify the public on who you are, it needs to be known internally within your organization. The organization of company values and mission statements aid a company in knowing itself from the inside in order to project the image outwards to the public at large.

Values

What do want others to think about when your company is mentioned? What do you want to be known for? What accomplishments are important to you and your company? These are preparatory questions to ask in order to orchestrate a set of company values. Each company’s personality is its own. The personality is contributed and shared by all employees, but begins from the top. Executives will attract workers whose values are congruent with the company values already set in place.

The framework

Consistency is important. If you take the time to reflect on what values you will instill into your business model, it is of utmost importance to have those values internalized and practiced by all employees. The employees will manifest the company’s values into every phone call, email, and business interaction with clients. Many companies develop a set of values, write them down somewhere on their Web site, and then mentally discard them as if they are meaningless. Values must be learned and practiced in order to become apparent to clients and the public.

Statements

Value statements will define employee interaction throughout the organization. They also label how the company will act towards customers, suppliers, etc. A vision statement delineates what the company wants to become. The vision statement encompasses a concept that is larger than the company’s individual components. The vision statement provides direction for the future. A mission statement tells what a company does; it tells what impact the company has in relation to their industry. Each member of the organization should be able to identify with the mission statement and know how they are to contribute. A company should always have four to five main strategies that they use to keep employees focused at short intervals. The strategies focus on what goals the company is immediately trying to accomplish.

What are your values?

Think of a personal hero or group of people that you deeply envy. What would you say are their values or attributes? It is easier to think of your company’s values if you think of your company as a living entity. What kind of a being do you want your company to be? What do you want others to admire about your company? What do you want others to say about your business? Once you can visualize how you want your company to be and be perceived, then you can identify your values.

Why you need values

Successful companies originate a clear, concise, and shared set of values, beliefs, priorities, and direction in order to provide continuous direction for existing and new employees. Many companies develop statements and values, but do not put in the effort to make sure that their words are personified amidst the day-to-day efforts of the business. It is important that your business’ actions fulfill the words supplied by the values and statements.