Brand values development framework

Quick reference for developing distinctive, actionable brand values using methodologies from Jim Collins, Patrick Lencioni, Brene Brown, Marty Neumeier, and Simon Sinek.

"You do not create or set core ideology. You discover core ideology." — Jim Collins

"Values are verbs, things we do." — Simon Sinek

"If you're not going to translate values from ideals to behaviors, it's better not to profess any values at all." — Brene Brown

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Lencioni's four categories of values

Created by: Patrick Lencioni (The Advantage)

Not all values are equal. Understanding which type prevents common mistakes.

Key Insight: "Core values are non-negotiable. If you believe in them, you'll fit. If not, you won't."

Warning: Don't confuse aspirational goals with core values. Stating "quality is a core value" without demonstrating it waters down impact.

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Six differentiation tests

Apply these tests to ensure values are genuinely distinctive:

Test 1: The opposite test

Ask: Could a reasonable company hold the opposite value?

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Test 2: The antivalue/sacrifice test

Principle: Identify what value you're willing to give up to live your value.

Key Question: "What are we willing to give up to live this value?"

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Test 3: The Onlyness test (Marty Neumeier)

Complete: "We are the only [category] that [benefit]"

If others can make the same claim, it's not distinctive.

Examples:

• ✓ "Cirque du Soleil is the only circus with Broadway sophistication"
• ❌ "We are the only software company that values innovation"

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Test 4: The hard choice test

Ask: Does this value help make hard decisions? Does it force trade-offs?

Examples of Hard Choices:

• Patagonia's "Don't Buy This Jacket" ad put environmental values over sales
• Southwest's "employees first" means turning down customers who abuse staff
• Netflix's Keeper Test: letting go of adequate performers

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Test 5: The behavioral specificity test

Ask: Can you describe exactly what this value looks like in practice?

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Test 6: The fire someone test (Zappos)

At Zappos: "You can be fired for core value violations even if job performance is fine."

Ask: Would you terminate a high performer who violated this value? If not, it's not truly core.

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Key discovery questions

Uncovering authentic values

1. "What motivated you to start this business?": Identifies core beliefs

2. "What would be missing if we didn't exist?": Reveals true purpose

3. The Five Whys (Denise Lee Yohn):

   • Start with a product/service
   • Ask "why is it important?"
   • Ask "why does that matter?"
   • Repeat five times to uncover real purpose

4. "What would you never compromise on, even if it cost you business?": Reveals non-negotiables

5. "What decisions have you made that reveal your values?": Past behavior predicts actual values

6. "What do you respect in other companies? What do you despise?": Reveals values through contrast

"Always" and "Never" statements

Ask the team to formulate:

• "We always..."
• "We never..."

These reveal actual behaviors that can be distilled into values.

Examples:

• "We always share bad news immediately" → Transparency
• "We never sacrifice quality for speed" → Craftsmanship
• "We always give credit to the team" → Humility

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Operationalizing values (Brene Brown)

Problem: Only 10% of organizations translate values into teachable, observable behaviors.

The Process

1. Identify 1-2 Core Values Maximum: The most courageous leaders tether to just 1-2

2. Define Aligned Behaviors: What specific behaviors demonstrate this value?

3. Define Unaligned Behaviors: What behaviors indicate you've drifted?

4. Create Observable Behaviors: Map each value to 3-5 observable behaviors

5. Identify "Slippery Behaviors": Sneaky actions that erode the value slowly

Behavior mapping example

Writing values with action language

Values should start with a verb:

• "Build the best product" (Patagonia)
• "Cause no unnecessary harm" (Patagonia)
• "Deliver WOW through service" (Zappos)

Test: Employees should easily answer "Am I doing this?" with yes or no.

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Anti-patterns checklist

Generic values to avoid

These could apply to anyone and therefore inspire no one:

Common mistakes

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Real examples quick reference

Netflix: values as behaviors

"The actual company values are shown by who gets rewarded, promoted, or let go."

• Keeper Test: "Adequate performance = generous severance"
• No brilliant jerks: "They are detrimental to great teamwork"
• Freedom + Responsibility: No formal vacation policy

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Zappos: values with teeth

• Two interview rounds, skills and culture fit. Candidates must pass both
• $2,000 "pay to quit" offer to new hires
• Can be fired for value violations even with fine performance
• Employees call each other out for not living values

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Patagonia: values requiring sacrifice

• "Don't Buy This Jacket" campaign put environmental values over sales
• 1% for the Planet, donating 1% of sales
• 100% Black Friday 2016 sales donated ($10 million)
• Values require telling customers not to buy

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Southwest Airlines: employees first

• "Employees come first, customers second"
• Screen for humor, team spirit, and grit, not just skills
• "We can train you to fly. We can't train you to be nice."
• 47 straight years of profit

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Buffer: radical transparency

• Publicly share all employee salaries
• Share revenue publicly
• Share decision-making processes publicly

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Key principles

1. Values are verbs, not nouns (Sinek): things you do, not have

2. Distinctive values create enemies: If everyone agrees, not distinctive

3. The sacrifice is the point: Stand for something by standing against something else

4. Discovery over invention: Look inside at what exists authentically

5. Behaviors over beliefs (Netflix): What you reward/fire for = actual values

6. Few is better than many: 3-5 maximum; courageous leaders use 1-2

7. The gap kills credibility: Stated vs lived gap destroys trust

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Expert statistics

• Only 10% of organizations translate values into observable behaviors (Brown)
• Only 23% of employees can apply values to work daily (Gallup)
• No correlation between published values and how well companies live them (562-firm study)
• 306% higher lifetime value from emotionally connected customers (HBR)

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Templates

Read reference/templates.md when producing a deliverable the user will keep, such as a filled worksheet, a documented decision, or a final write-up. Skip it for conceptual questions and quick recommendations, which this file covers. It opens with a table of contents, so load only the template needed:

• Values discovery worksheet
• Values category assessment template
• Differentiation test template
• Behavior mapping template
• Values documentation template
• Values validation checklist
• Values summary card template

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When to apply this knowledge

During values discovery

• Use Five Whys technique
• Apply "Always/Never" statements exercise
• Categorize using Lencioni's four categories

During values testing

• Run all six Differentiation Tests
• Identify antivalues/sacrifices
• Check against generic values list

During values operationalization

• Map each value to 3-5 behaviors (Brene Brown)
• Define aligned vs unaligned behaviors
• Identify slippery behaviors

During final documentation

• Include full categorization
• Document differentiation test results
• Provide behavior mapping
• Create decision-making framework

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Deep methodology

For full values curation sessions, the brand-values-curator agent contains 1100+ lines of methodology, including the output format with all templates for discovery, testing, operationalization, and documentation.