A church or a business won’t get to their end zone without fuel—the culture created by meaningful values provides that fuel.

Core values are behaviors. If vision answers the question where, values answer the question how. How do we behave around here?

You can listen to this episode here. You can watch the episode here.

Here are the show notes:

How do we start getting our arms around values?

Understand what they’re not.

• Aspirational – Although some degree of aspiration exists when it comes to values, the gap between aspiration and reality can’t be ridiculous . . . or it’s not a value.
• Permission to play –Core values are organizational differentiators.

How to identify core values?

• Questions to ask

• Jenni Catron: “What do we look like when we’re at our best organizationally? Is this trait inherent and natural for us? Has it been apparent in the organization for a long time? What do we wish we looked like at our best?”
• If I could clone anyone in the organization, who would that be? Why?

How to amplify core values:

• What does each value mean?
• Why does it matter?
• What specific behaviors are behind each value?

Answering these three big questions creates clarity, a sense of urgency, and a common language for a church or a business.

How can we use core values to shape culture?

• Teach
• Model
• Celebrate
• Accountability

Why vision? Why values? Because God’s given you work that has eternal implications. The work you do—and the people who help you do that work—matter. And those who are recipients of your collective work matter too.