Core Values

My first assignment of Business Ethics is to create a core values statement for a fictional international company, one page maximum. Here it goes:

Our Core Beliefs

The long-term success of our company is rooted in our seven core beliefs:

1. We believe the diversity of our people is our greatest asset, and commit to providing fair compensation and continued opportunities for career growth.

2. We believe in a relentless focus on meeting the needs of our customers through a commitment to continuous innovation and a focus on the long-term.

3. We believe our company is a member of society, and are thus obligated to volunteer our time and improve the communities in which we do business.

4. We believe in fairness for our stakeholders, and must ensure that we maintain a healthy profit to provide them with an equitable return on investment.

5. We believe that innovation is source of long-term value. We commit to taking frequent but measured risks in order to maximize our collective potential.

6. We believe that our relationships with external partners can be a source of competitive advantage, and must strive to achieve mutual respect and trust in our partnerships.

7. We believe that we should strive to minimize our impact on the natural world. We depend on the health of our environment, it is our greatest treasure.

Not bad, eh? I’m not sure why I settled on 7. I know in the U.S. that is seen by many as a lucky number, but I’m not sure if it is seen that way around the world. In this assignment I was asked to create a core values statement for an international company. I’m not sure if the number 7 will translate properly worldwide. And furthermore, I wonder whether these values themselves are universally accepted and if the language used would be uniformly interpreted or translated.

During the class the professor asked if we had our own personal set of beliefs. I was one of the few that raised a hand. I do keep a collection of core beliefs. They aren’t so much core beliefs, but what I call “rules to live by”. Whenever I make a mistake, I try to write it down. I create a rule, which can be applied in the future, that will help me avoid repeating the mistake in the future. I’m not ready to publish them now, but perhaps in the future when I have a good list, I’ll share them.