Anatta: Our Company Core Values

One of the keys to fostering a fulfilling and productive work environment is by having clear core values that are taken seriously. In this article, I’ll break down Anatta’s core values, the their purpose within an eCommerce organization, and how to create and uphold them within your organization.

Let’s dive in.

Anatta’s core values

1. Integrity: Being honest and having strong principles
2. Driven: Determination, wanting to achieve your goals
3. Care: Looking out for the best interest of your team while delivering services in the right way 
4. Ownership: Having accountability and being committed to your work
5. Joy: Finding a happy spark in your work and life 

Why are core values important?

Every business will experience change. Core values are the foundation of beliefs that guide our decision making through every change. They anchor us. As the business ebbs and flows, as we face challenges and achieve big wins, these values remain consistent. They guide and motivate us toward what is most important.

Core values influence how we act, how we interact with employees, leadership, clients, and team members.

How to establish core values

Core values should be shaped in collaboration with your whole team. That’s because these values shape the work culture and can even affect hiring. As new employees join Anatta, they learn about our core values, which informs how each of us works and interacts with one another in the day to day.

Gather a cross-functional team to identify what is important to your organization and employees. Consider client and employee feedback to find common themes that the groups agree on. Then, get buy-in from leadership about the determined core values. Together, you can decide how the company will take shape. 

Who’s responsible for upholding your company values?

Everyone at your organization is responsible for upholding core values. It’s a shared responsibility. But the stakeholders — the leadership and executives — should be most accountable because they’re setting the example. When leadership upholds the core values of the organization, it builds trust in the workplace. 

Every business decision should be aligned with the values that the team has put together. An organization that doesn’t uphold its core values can easily erode interpersonal trust between team members, because the fixed standard your team put in place is being ignored.

Where should core values live? 

Core values should exist where your organization can recognize employees publicly. At Anatta, we use a tool called 15Five, a performance management software that our team logs into regularly. In this software, we can easily discuss these values as well as extend props to team members who recently lived out one of the organization’s core values.

You can also include your core values in the employee handbook or on your website. Some organizations use their core values as a basis for performance reviews. The key is to keep them easily visible so that they’re always a central part of your organization’s work. 

Recognize and reward employees

One of the keys to maintaining your core values is recognition. When you see someone exemplifying one of your core values at work, you should have a clear and consistent way of recognizing that person. It can be as simple as using a software to send digital high fives. It might be public praise in a Slack channel that’s dedicated to extending props to team members. 

When quarterly or annual reviews come around, you can use core values to highlight where team members have stood out using peer and management feedback. Does this person show care? Are they driven? Do they take ownership over their work? These are easy questions to add to your regular performance reviews.

Core values at work

Creating and upholding core values is a foundational way to foster focus and teamwork across your organization. These are shared principles that help team members do their best work, while finding ways to recognize and empower one another on a regular basis. 

I hope this article inspires you to hone shared values at work. Thank you for reading!

Did you enjoy this article? You may enjoy our other recent piece about how to bring out the best in your team.