What are they?

Core values represent the organization’s highest priorities. They are the rules by which an organization functions. They are what its leaders and members stand for.

Core values define what the organization believes in and create a framework for all members to conduct their affairs . All interactions, within and without are governed by the core values.

They are the foundation and culture of the practice and the principles that guide all actions within it.

Core values are usually determined by the founder and leadership team after which they are communicated to all members. The team has to understand and agree to the core values and agree that all actions are expected to be in alignment with the core values.

Core values should be written and readily available for all to see.

The purpose and core values of the organization have to be memorized and readily recited by all members of the organization.

When thinking about and setting the core values for your organization, think brevity . Don’t create a laundry list of all the things that you care about and believe in.

Think the Ten Commandments ( and I apologize if I offended anyone.)The way for people to conduct themselves in life ( A crazy huge “organization”) where actually distilled to ten.

In an organization, usually, 5-10 core values is more than enough, and the less the better. If you surpass that number, people will start to lose interest and starts to feel cumbersome and fake.

About “fake” jus like it is with the “Purpose Statement”, this has to be REAL. You really have to believe in it and live it every day. You have to remind yourself about it, every day, and depending on what is going on that day, could be multiple times within the day.

An Example:

The seven core values at Dental Care Team Group ( Our organization):

1. Supremacy of safe and quality dental treatment
2. Polite, curteous and respectful treatment of our patients and team members.
3. Continuous Learning.
4. Engaged Citizenship.
5. Up is better than down.
6. Boundaryless-ness.
7. Constant and healthy growth and expansion.

I will write and article about each one of the above core values explaining what it means and placing it in context within the functioning of our organization.

Warning:

If you want to deflate motivation and create a skeptical and non-invested team, create values, communicate the values to everyone, hold the team accountable, and then, don’t act according to the values you communicated.

As the owner and/ or a member of the senior management of the organization, always behave in alignment with the core values and if you slip sometimes admit, apologize, and correct.

I.F. Jarjoura D.D.S., M.S.

Founder, Dental Care Team Group

Founder, Control “Freaks”- A Group for Dentists WhoWant