How to Improve Company Culture and Infuse Your Core Values

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Strengthening Marketing & Sales Through Core Values   |   How to Establish Core Values   |  
Core Values in Business Example: LAIRE Digital   |   Tips for Infusing Core Values Into Your Company Culture

Having a strong company culture increases more than your employee’s productivity. It increases your revenue too Businesses with a strong company culture find a significant 33% increase in revenue compared to other companies.

This isn’t a fluke.

Your core values in business are foundational to your company’s mission and vision. They also impact decision-making, the attitudes of your team members, and the overall workplace environment. And these aspects of your business matter.

So, do you want to discover your company’s genuine core values? How about making sure your employees are excited to come to work every day?

Let's dive into how.

Strengthening Marketing and Sales Through Solid Core Values in Business

Strengthening your marketing and sales all starts from within. Infusing core values creates both an internal togetherness and a cohesive brand identity.

Customers and employees both like a company that’s put together. Customers want authenticity, and employees want clear work expectations.

That's why cohesiveness has a massive impact on sales and marketing efforts. So, if your marketing efforts feel disjointed, it may be one of many company culture issues. And company culture issues can be directly related to core value problems.

Maybe your customers are disconnected from your current values. And perhaps your employees don't respect leadership enough to maintain quality.

It can be a large problem to tackle. You might be wondering if it's worth fixing.

It is.

Here are a few areas of your business that a strong company culture can impact:

• Differentiation in a crowded market: Authentic core values set a company apart. Now more than ever, customers are looking for realness. Lean into it — it’ll set you apart.
• Building trust with authenticity: If your company is genuinely living out its values, your customers will notice this too. They’ll begin to realize your actions match what you say. This increases customer loyalty and moves the needle from “like” to “trust.”
• Sales alignment with customer values: Train your sales representatives well. Allow them to embody your core values in all sales calls. This will lead to a stronger, more trusting relationship with your prospects.
• Boosting employee advocacy: Bring in employees who genuinely believe in your core values. They will always be your brand ambassadors. As they spread positivity about your brand like a dandelion, it will create organic, real brand awareness. This realness cannot be manufactured.

How to Establish Genuine Core Values

We've already established that genuine core values are non-negotiable. Now, it's time to put in the work. Here’s how.

Define and Refine Your Values

Don’t create your values alone. Now that you have employees, your company isn’t just you. So, to authentically represent your company, find ways to obtain this information. Here are a few ways to do this:

• Lead a workshop
• Create team surveys
• Leadership reflection
• Team brainstorming sessions

Aim to collect information on an ongoing basis.

Align Values With Your Company’s Mission

Your values should align with your mission. If you aren’t clear on either, it will be difficult to create strong core values as a business. Take time to do this — it’s like laying a foundation for a house. Your house won’t have structural integrity without it.

Avoid Common Pitfalls

Avoid these common pitfalls while deciding on your company’s core values:

• Creating generic, run-of-the-mill values
• Deciding on values that don’t fit your team
• Not taking your time to decide
• Not including your team in this decision

Core Values in Business Example: LAIRE, Digital Marketing Agency

At LAIRE, we want to be remarkable. And our core values reflect that. Let’s walk through our core values as an example.

Can-Do Attitude

We focus on solutions. In attacking a problem, we first look at how something can work versus how it cannot or won’t. When each team member has this attitude, we can collaborate to find creative solutions.

Details Define Us

We care about the small details. We know that it’s the small details that set a business apart. In other words, we aren't lazy. It doesn’t matter if it’s the first or thousandth piece of content — we are laser-focused. Small details mean everything to us.

Don’t Wing It

We never take a shot in the dark. If we don’t know an answer, we always research and get back to you. We know you don’t “wing it” with your business, and that’s why we don’t either.

Not Stuck on the Dot

We believe that failures fuel our success. We don’t remain stuck on a mistake or failure — it propels us forward.

4 Tips for Infusing Your Core Values to Improve Company Culture

Lead by Example

As a leader, you must embody your core values. If you don’t, it will be difficult to have a company with a strong culture. So, live out your core values with consistency.

Here are a few ways to communicate your values clearly and consistently:

• Team meetings: This is a great time to connect with your team and review values together.
• Emails: Always communicate well with your team. Display your core values in how you email them.
• Decision-making: Allow your decisions to align with your core values. This will ensure your team can justify and understand any company decisions.

Integrate Core Values Into Hiring and Onboarding

Next, remember your core values throughout the hiring process.

Finding the right fit for your company can be difficult, but it’s even harder without core values. Here are a few ways to integrate core values into hiring and onboarding:

• Design interview questions to match core values
• Include new hires in training sessions and team building for exposure to core values
• Give new hires informational manuals
• Start a mentorship program

Reinforce Core Values in Daily Operations

Weave in core values daily. It’ll keep your company culture beating like a healthy heart. Here are a few examples:

• Share ideas: Come up with ideas on how core values can be reflected in policies, performance reviews, and recognition programs.
• Explain how to use core values: Your team should use core values as a filter for decisions both small and large. Doing this will create consistency across your entire company.
• Set up feedback systems: Create checks and balances that allow team members to keep each other accountable. This creates a transparent and supportive company culture.

Recognize and Celebrate Core Values in Action

Find creative ways to make sure your employees know what your values look like. Examples include:

• Create value-based recognition initiatives: Give out awards or monthly shout-outs to employees who embody core values.
• Have employee spotlights: Tell stories of employees living out your values in regular company communications. This reinforces positive behavior.
• Keep values top of mind: Incorporate values into your workplace, whether physical or virtual. Create posters, branded wallpapers, or digital banners.

Embedding Core Values for Stronger Teams and Brands

Embedding core values is an ongoing process that pays off in more ways than one. Benefits include:

• Happier more motivated employees
• Increased sales and leads
• Brand consistency
• Overall business growth

And always remember:

• Lead by example
• Integrate values into the onboarding process
• Celebrate core values in action
• Define and refine core values in business

A strong company culture begins with core values. Your company culture will pour into everything else you do. Especially your marketing efforts.

Right now, you might be wearing many different hats to get the job done. We know better than anyone.

That’s why we created 24 Pro Tips to Help You Crush Your Marketing Role. Within this guide, you’ll learn how to streamline your processes, identify internal team strengths, and so much more. Access it now below!