Why Your Company Values Might Not Mean What You Think

When you look at company websites or “About Us” pages, you’ll often see the same words repeated: Integrity. Excellence. Innovation. Respect.
They sound good. They’re safe. They tick a box.

But here’s the problem: if every business is using the same handful of words, do they really mean anything?

The issue isn’t that these words are wrong. It’s that they’re often chosen from a limited “acceptable” vocabulary rather than built from what truly makes a business unique.

Where Many Businesses Go Wrong

Too often, companies decide their values by:

• Brainstorming a list of nice-sounding words.

• Crossing off ones that don’t fit.

• Settling on what’s left.

The result? Generic values that could belong to any company in any industry.

A Better Way to Define Values

Instead of starting with words, start with behaviours. Ask:

• What behaviours do we most value in our people?

• How do we want to treat customers, suppliers, and partners?

• What does “good” look like inside our business?

When you begin with behaviours, the words follow naturally. For example:

• If you want employees to speak up when they see a problem, maybe your value is about Courage.

• If you want to deliver on promises no matter what, maybe your value is about Reliability.

• If you want to build long-term trust with suppliers, maybe your value is about Fairness.

Now your values aren’t just words. They’re a reflection of how you actually do business.

Making Values Real

Values should guide decisions, not decorate walls. That means:

• Hiring people who demonstrate them.

• Rewarding behaviours that reflect them.

• Calling out when they’re not being lived.

When values are grounded in real behaviours, they stop being empty words. They become part of the company culture.