Our philosophy is to empower others to use their authentic, ethical voice to share their story with the world. We do this by adhering to standards of quality and conduct both for the clients and within J.M. Lacey Communications.
Your business’s values are the core of what you do and what you represent. Values are principles and qualities that are intrinsic human traits and behaviors.
Can adults learn values? Some say once reaching adulthood “no,” but I say that although they cannot be taught as a hard skill, such as math or learning a software program, over time, one can learn to develop the soft skills needed to reshape their personality. Many have done that.
Values are morals, which are learned from childhood. Children have an innate sense of right and wrong and only learn to lie, cheat, and steal as they develop around others lacking moral sense.
And in business, although we are disappointed when we learn company executives have cheated employees out of their retirement savings, lied to consumers, or use cheap materials to mass produce expensive products, we are not shocked. So when a company and its executives treat their employees fairly, when they are honest with consumers, and when they stand by their quality, we are ecstatic that this kind of company exists and stands out from the rest.
For your business to stand out from the “noise” — all the information and advertisements and empty promises — we are slammed with every minute, your values drive your path and objectives so much that people are eager for your services.
How can we implement, improve, and stand by our values?
How do our values shape our company’s culture?
As the founder of J.M. Lacey Communications, LLC., I had to make sure my values were at the core of everything I do.
What your values mean
Your values are who you are. They are, therefore, the core of your business structure and all the decisions you make for yourself, your employees, and your customers.
If you are honest, kind, empathetic, and respectful, then people should see that in how you work with them both internally and externally.
Values in business are across the board. So when you decide who you are, don’t allow others to give you their ideas. Your values go beyond listing them on your website. You need to understand what each value means to you. Describe them, in detail, so you will be apt to follow your own guidelines.
At my company, the six values at the core of my operations are intrinsic to all my decisions in running the company, in collaborating with employees, and in partnering with clients.
Implementing and improving your values
To objectively look at your values, stand back from your business and what you do. Instead, home in on who you are and what you want to represent to your clients and customers. Rather than say your company “stands by its customer service,” define what that means. Are you professional? Respectful? How?
Look at your current values you publicize or have in your operations manual. Scrutinize each one as to how that relates to you and how you show it through your operations and dealings with people. Do you see areas that have not been a focus in a while?
Reflect on why you started your business and the values needed to build it.
How company culture is value shaped
Your company culture is shaped by the values you represent. You hire people who portray your principles. The people who “fit” into your culture are the ones who reflect your company’s values.
That is why it is not surprising that we hire people who, in some way, are like us. Our employees, including executives, should emulate our guiding principles so they create a positive image to our company.
Standing by your values
Revisit your values often, especially if it seems your business is off kilter in some way. Put your values in writing for yourself, your employees, and your customers. That way everyone is on the same page, so to speak.
My values are briefly listed on my website, but they are in more detail in the Philosophy Statement I share with clients. And they are in even more detail in the employee handbook. It’s vital that everyone has a clear understanding of their expectations to fit in with the philosophy of the company.
Narrowing who I am and how I wanted my company to be in reflection of that, was important in two ways: (1) It shows the fairness in how I collaborate with my clients and how my employees are treated, and (2) It helps my business stand out from the “noise” because values cannot be duplicated. While it’s true many try to emulate certain principles — for example, respect — the way each of us does that will vary.
Now that the foundation of my company is my values: Empathy, Ethics, Professionalism, Respect, Commitment, and Quality, and I have a clear outline of what each principle means and how each is conducted, navigating my path and decisions to expand my business is clearer. And when questions arise, I can point to my values and answer, “this is why, and this is how.”
Want to know how J.M. Lacey Communications fulfills each value? Join the journey by visiting J.M. Lacey Communications LLC on LinkedIn and “follow” the page where each week in April we’ll share how we exercise the six values.
How can J.M. Lacey Communications ease your burdens? We keep it simple here. No lengthy lead generation pages. No sales pitches. Just straight-forward programs for your needs. What can we help you with? Visit our Programs page and let’s get the conversation going.
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