How can I instill our core values across a growing team?

Keeping Values Alive While Scaling 

I still remember the moment it clicked for the leadership team of a rapidly expanding startup I was coaching. In their urgency to hit growth targets, they had unintentionally compromised their culture.

Speed and metrics became more valued than creativity and passion. Their once tight-knit team felt disconnected. Loyalty was waning. And it all stemmed from losing touch with their core values.

In the intensity of growth, it's easy to assume your culture will sustain itself. But you have to be intentional. As teams and locations multiply, keeping values alive takes work.

Here are a few strategies I've found effective:

Codify your values
Use Scaling Up's Core Values Exercise to succinctly define 3-5 essential values. What behaviors do you expect? This clarity provides guidance.

Share stories
Highlight examples of values in action. At team meetings, have employees recognize co-workers modeling values. Stories reinforce meaning.

Reinforce in hiring
Evaluate candidates for culture add, not just skill fit. Probe their values. Onboarding is the perfect time to immerse people in your ethos.

Align reviews
Connect values to performance management. Is behavior aligned with values part of reviews? This integrates them into operations.

Audit regularly
Pulse check your culture through employee surveys. Ask which values need renewed emphasis. Be ready to realign.

Staying purpose-driven while scaling is challenging but worth the investment. Let's connect to discuss how to bring your values to life. Through small actions, we build culture.