Strong company values aren’t just words to list on a website. When lived and practised daily, they guide decisions, promote teamwork, and make problem-solving faster and more effective. Many companies claim to have values, but if you look closer, they often feel generic, disconnected, or created by an external consultant. These values rarely stick because they don’t reflect the actual dynamics and practices of the company.
At The Cecily Group, we believe that values should be practical tools for making decisions, not corporate wallpaper. They help us work better together and stay focused on what really matters. We’ve benefited in various ways from this approach, including:
Faster, Smarter Decision-Making
Clear values reduce the need for constant approvals and escalation. When employees understand the principles guiding their decisions, they act confidently and responsibly. Leaders can also turn to the values for guidance when facing critical decisions.
Employee Engagement and Retention
People naturally feel more connected to a company when they help shape its culture. That connection leads to stronger engagement, better retention, and a healthier working environment.
Greater Cohesion
When each team member is responsible for upholding the values, and this responsibility is reinforced regularly, personal preferences, views, and ambitions are discussed within a shared framework. This cultivates fairness and humility in work-related interactions and helps create a pleasant, professional environment.
What Our Values Look Like
We developed our values in a slightly unusual way. As a fully remote team long before it became common, we paid close attention to how we naturally worked together and imagined how we could work even better. The gap between those two became the foundation of our values.
This set of principles empowers each of our Awesome Team members to act independently while staying aligned with our founder’s vision, without the need for overly hands-on management.
- Be Available for Each Other
We show up, stay present, and offer help when it’s needed. That’s how we build trust and support within the team. - Fully Charged Batteries Included
Everyone is responsible for staying motivated and energised. We encourage personal well-being and actively share how we recharge—whether through mindfulness, fitness, or simply taking a break when needed. - Stay Humble and Focused on the Team
We celebrate team achievements over individual success. There’s no “most valuable player” here—just people working together toward shared goals. - Keep It Classy
Whether it’s a presentation or a product design, we care about quality and style. If we can’t do it well, we don’t do it at all. - Speak Up Early and Honestly
When something isn’t working, we say so. Honest feedback helps us solve problems before they grow. - Stay Curious and Keep Innovating
New ideas are always welcome. We believe every team member can contribute to improving our products, services, and work environment. - Fail with Style
We know failure is part of the journey. When we fail, we do it openly, learn from it, and move forward stronger. - Ask for Help On Time
We don’t wait for failure to ask for support. If something feels off, we raise a hand early and figure it out together.
How You Too Can Create Values That Last
Strong values aren’t created in a boardroom disconnected from day-to-day work. They’re built by observing how people actually collaborate, understanding where their challenges lie, and defining shared principles that help close the gap between how things are and how they could be. Values are not created by decree: the business is a social construct that interacts with, and gets influenced by, the members of the social construct (i.e. the owners, stakeholders and employees).
Here’s where to start:
- Involve Everyone. When the whole team contributes, the results feel authentic and meaningful.
- Review Regularly. Revisit your values often to ensure they’re still relevant and reflect how you work today.
- Hire for Natural Fit. New hires should align with your values from the start. Skills can be taught—shared values cannot.
Values as a Leadership Responsibility
Values must be lived and demonstrated at every level. That’s why leaders play a critical role in keeping them alive. As the company grows, leadership must ensure that the original values remain a living, breathing part of the culture.
We ask ourselves regularly:
- Are we practising what we preach?
- Do our products and services reflect our values?
- Is every employee, regardless of role, empowered to live these values?
Each quarter, we take the time to review our values as a team and assess whether we’re living up to them. This practice has helped us tackle potential issues early, before they could threaten the cohesion of our team.
The real test of company values is whether they help people work better, feel more connected, and create products and services they’re proud of. When values truly guide business decisions, they become a powerful driver of internal and external alignment, employee and customer satisfaction, and long-term success.
