What Do You Stand For?

What does your company stand for? What is your unique value proposition? Is it recognizable? Does everyone in the company know and internalize your brand’s code of ethics?

Companies, while not human, have many similar characteristics. After all, companies are comprised of a human collective. Therefore, It is essential then, that your company embody a code of ethics, just as much as it embodies it’s vision and mission.

Without a code of ethics, how is the corporation able to attract employees that embody similar beliefs? How are employees to know what the company stands for?

Once you establish what you do indeed stand for, you must live up to those ideals and be consistent about it. Ethics are necessary for trust. iI your employees don’t trust you, aren’t protected or nurtured by you, then how can your clients and customers trust you?

Your management must live and breathe this code. They must embody and reinforce that code. They must represent it . Your employees must understand and internalize it as well. It’s not enough for your employees to perform their job responsibilities, it is equally as important they embody the brand.

Employees will bond and go beyond expectations if they feel aligned with a company that is aligned and lives its code of ethics. We all want to feel valued, respected, accepted, protected, and appreciated. Your company’s code of ethics should spell out what it values and represent these values.

Create opportunities to highlight and bring to the forefront those employees who demonstrate your core values. All too often employee recognition goes to those that produce or exceed profit goals. Go the extra mile, and also reward and bring notoriety to those employees who exemplify your company values as well.

Great management teams embrace the personal as well as the profit and understand the importance of honoring their staff and leading the way with integrity and trust. A company should protect and embrace those that have been loyal to them and helped that company achieve. No one does it alone and the sum of your parts is greater than the whole.

Demonstrating a code of ethics and values shows strong vision and leadership. It creates a framework for like minded individuals to perform for the common good. It frames the brand and provides a narrative to the consumer to identify with. Develop it, live and breathe it.