White Sparrow Coaching

If life’s a journey, then your core values are the stars by which you navigate. During times of indecision, they help you make difficult choices. When shared, they tell potential clients, talent, and peers who you are. When you’re faced with challenging or even triggering circumstances, going back to your core values enables you to respond as your best self. They’re the foundation of your brand voice and will influence every part of your organization.

For your business…

If your brand were a human, its core values would express their personality. They’ll also be representing everyone in the organization. A fun way to start is to frame your brand as a celebrity for a more tangible representation. Regardless of where you begin, you’ll want to make sure you ask a wide group of people who work with and within your company, if you’re already up and running. Different perspectives are important; you’re choosing words that encapsulate the entire brand.

As you start narrowing down your ideas, there may be some overlap among you and your competitors (LinkedIn has a handy list of some of the more frequent choices). That’s to be expected, but also try to find a couple that are unique. Once you’ve got your list there are systematic ways to share them. Your marketing and branding teams can help with this task, or you can find a consultant familiar with brand strategy.

If you’re flying solo…

Defining your personal core values is a lot more straightforward because, well, it’s just you. If you’re having trouble, ask friends to be a mirror (and get a good pep talk in the process!). Having a list of your own core values literally written down or placed somewhere for easy reference is vital to keeping yourself centered. When you’re feeling irritated, tired, or otherwise dysregulated, revisiting your core values helps you respond from a place of balance, strength, and authenticity. 

So… where are these values?

So happy you asked! I’ve curated a rather magical list of over 130 choices. My list of core values is free to print out and use as a reference or springboard.

I’d love to hear your feedback – let me know which ones resonate with you or if I’ve left out one of your favorites.