Defining Brand Values

Values reflect the deeply-held beliefs and fundamental principles that define our identity, determine our priorities, guide our behavior, and inspire alignment around a common purpose or goal — what we stand for.

Values Shape Culture

Values definition is essential for any business or organization — micro or macro, start-up or established, for-profit or not. See CXD Brandology posts for more information Values, Vision & Mission and Start With Why: Brand Values.

There are many ways to go about defining values for your business, nonprofit, professional practice, or consultancy, typically including the following steps:

  1. Research • Reflect
  2. Identify • Collect
  3. Prioritize • Nest
  4. Articulate • Explain
  5. Publish • Present
  6. Act • Demonstrate
  7. Be • Connect

Regarding Steps 1 to 3 above, I am happy to share the Communication By Design approach, which I illustrate below using myself (in Notes From Drydock fashion) as an example, with the intent to help as best I can.

With that said, you will most likely find your own way, and proceed with what works best for you, which is the way it should be.

Step 1: Research & Reflect

As I explained in Reaffirming Values, I started with a mind-mapping exercise. I concurrently reflected, journaled, and researched: Google queries, AI prompts, and otherwise diving down rabbit holes as I surfed around looking at anything that seemed relevant.

For example, check out this article 300+ Core Values You’ll Ever Need For Work, Relationships, and Life, which literally lists 300 distinct values.

Example mind-map sketch for CXD values brainstorming.

Step 2: Identify & Collect

After my mind-map brainstorm, I pivoted to a card-sorting approach, which works really well with this kind of challenge because of the flexibility, and easy adding and subtracting it allows.

Based on my research, I identified around 100 contender values, created a trimmed note for each (these could be index cards or post-its — anything you can easily move around) and collected them all in pile.

Contender CXD values ready to be prioritized.

Step 3: Prioritize & Nest

Of the 100 collected values, I quickly distilled to 56. There is nothing magic about that number. It just happens to display nicely in the iPhone camera proportion. I then contemplated my choices for a while — moving many back and forth between “yes” and “no,” and made another round of cuts.

Choose the values that are important to you. Lay out on a table, pin to a tack board, or tape on a wall.
Finalize to those that matter most. Delete the rest (ghosted white). Of those, choose 3 to 6 as core (blue).
Rearrange with core at the top and others nested under as related. Add non-selected or new to support the core.

Step 4: Articulate & Explain

And voilà! Just like that, I have all the parts and pieces I need to begin crafting my values page or descriptive statement.

Keep working with the cards, adding and subtracting as required, or transfer to a text document for further refining.

I pause this demonstration for now (mid-Step 4) having made the first of many refinements. You’ll note in my working final version below that I made a significant adjustment as I moved “purpose” within “entrepreneurity” and added “design” as a core value.

The next step, if my strategy is to present these values externally (which I don’t think it is), will be to write actual descriptions for each core value, integrating the supporting values as appropriate.

Here are Communication By Design values, currently in draft “list” form:

Creativity

imagination • exploration •  intuition • serendipity • curiosity

Entrepreneurity

opportunity • vision • proaction • purpose  • service • courage

Communication

authenticity • transparency • simplicity • clarity • distinction

Collaboration

multiplicity • synergy • integration • cooperation • alliance

Community

respect • connection • reciprocity • responsibility • trust

Design

presence • aesthetics • solution • form • function

Stay tuned for Steps 5, 6, and 7: Publish • Present, Act • Demonstrate, Be • Connect

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11.01.24

This post is an entry in Creative Toolbox • Notes from Drydock where we share sneak peeks from behind the scenes of CXD’s own comprehensive overhaul and ongoing brand refresh.

Note: These behind-the-scenes accountings are meant as examples only. Unique solutions developed for a specific situation, which may not be yours.