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Translating Brand Values Into Daily Business Practices
Legacy is about withstanding shifts and trends, yet staying present in people's minds
When you visit a company's mission page or look at their vision statements, you can find words like integrity, creativity, or excellence. But these words don't necessarily prove your values. The values you claim to stand for are tested by your everyday actions. When you stand for something, it's supposed to influence your brand behaviour. But many businesses allow their values to remain static. They treat their values as a simple word and not something that guides their business activity. People are less likely to trust a brand that says one thing but behaves in another way.
Values don't just define what you want to be known for. Every value you associate with your brand should guide how you respond to different situations and how you treat the people you interact with. When your values are theoretical, your brand can end up looking attractive on the surface but shallow underneath. But when they become practical, your values have real meaning. Clients and customers may never see what you do behind the scenes, but they feel the effects of your values.
The key is to turn your values from theory to practical. You can start by pairing each value with a specific behaviour. If one of your core values is "creativity", how does it show up? Does it mean you present your clients with 3 unexpected ideas instead of one? Does it mean dedicating part of your calendar to being creative without needing to showcase it to your audience? If your value is "integrity", what does it look like? Perhaps you can create a transparent communication policy to ensure that every client deliverable matches your promises.
One way to make sure that your values are practical and consistent is to use a 3-part routine, which focuses on value > behaviour > system. Take "care" as an example. The value is care and the behaviour might be to respond with empathy when a client expresses their frustration. The system could be a communication guide that teaches you how to acknowledge and resolve issues without being defensive. When you apply this routine to your brand, you give your team or collaborators a structure to follow that helps build your business reputation.
Another example is if "excellence" is a value, the behaviour could be delivering projects ahead of a deadline. The system might be an internal timeline that checks every project with two buffer days. As time goes on, that system trains both you and your clients to expect projects to be done on time. When you follow this approach, the word excellence stops being a value you write on your website and becomes an experience people get to witness.
A practical way to be accountable for your values is to have a weekly team meeting that highlights where your values are practiced well and where you or your team can make improvements. You can also do a solo review where you reflect on where you lived out your values and where you didn't.
If you have a large team, you can apply your values into onboarding, performance reviews, and decision-making processes. If you work by yourself, you can create a routine and have journaling prompts that you regularly use. You can put together effective systems or do quarterly reviews that tie your goals back to every value you set for your brand.
It's also important to understand that your values will evolve. As your brand grows it is natural for your priorities to change. That doesn't mean your brand has lost its direction. You just need to adapt your brand for a new era and you can do this by revisiting your values on a yearly basis. Ask yourself, "do our values still reflect who we are and what we want to stand for?" If not, where has growth taken us?".
It's important to remember that words are easy to declare but difficult to live up to. When you build systems that connect your values to your behaviours, you provide proof for your audience. This proof shows to people that you operate by your values. When clients or customers interact with you, they can see that your values are practical and genuine.
Sentinel is Orvellei's journal of essays, practices and reflections. A written companion for entrepreneurs and brands across every stage of business.
Our journal is dedicated to the deeper side of business and entrepreneurship. New entries are added from time to time. You can use it as a moment to slow down and reflect on your brand.
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