In my coaching practice, I’ve reviewed countless company core values. Time and again, I’ve noticed a common misconception: many organizations craft core values that are vague and aspirational, rather than clear and actionable. In this post, I’ll show you how to determine whether your company’s core values are helping—or hindering—your success.
The Problem with Vague Core Values
Too often, companies fall into the trap of choosing lofty but ambiguous values that sound good on paper but fail to drive meaningful behavior. Let’s compare the core values of two companies to illustrate this point:
Company A:
- Teamwork: We work together to solve complex problems.
- Accountability: We each take ownership of our roles.
- Innovation: We seek creative solutions to delight our customers
.
Company B:
- Make it easy.
- Make it right.
- Make it fun.
Now, which company do you think fosters a more effective culture—one that minimizes internal entropy and drives results?
Why Company B’s Core Values Work
Company B’s core values are clear, actionable, and measurable. They can be practiced daily, and it’s easy for individuals and teams to reflect on how well they’re embodying them.
For example:
- If someone isn’t making the lives of their clients or coworkers easier or more enjoyable, it’s clear that something’s off and easy to call out.
- Mistakes will happen—but in Company B, the question isn’t whether mistakes are avoided entirely, but whether individuals take the initiative to make it right.
These simple, actionable values also foster a culture of innovation and continuous improvement. To make things easy, right, and fun, employees must constantly seek better ways to deliver value. This mindset creates a flywheel of improvement, innovation, and streamlined processes.
The Limitations of Company A’s Values
In contrast, Company A’s values—teamwork, accountability, and innovation—are desirable outcomes, but they lack the clarity and actionability needed to guide behavior. How does an individual employee embody all three? How do you measure whether someone is truly living by these values? The ambiguity makes it harder to create alignment and accountability.
The Takeaway
If your company’s core values feel like vague platitudes that hang on the wall but don’t influence behavior, it’s time for a reset. Look for ways to make them clearer and more actionable in everyday work. Core values should be a tool to reduce friction, align efforts, and reinforce the behaviors that drive your company forward.
If you’d like to dive deeper into this topic, check out my article on The Culture System for a framework to cascade core values throughout your organization.
I hope this gives you something to reflect on. Thanks for reading!