At Dossier we practice what we preach. Having recently celebrated our 30th year with some team members that have been with us since near the beginning, we are working proof of the merit in embodying brand values and, perhaps more significantly, allowing them to shape our internal culture.
As a design firm we are tasked daily with the challenge of developing core values that form a fundamental part of our clients’ brand strategy. These values are the essence of a company’s identity – at the heart of everything it does; informing every decision made, supporting the vision and shaping the culture. We believe that establishing values and living true to them, contributes to a happy employee base, and ultimately towards growing a successful business.
Companies without Values
Before migrating to Dossier nearly 3 years ago, I had had a series of varying design positions spanning six years in the UK. Whilst every job was very different, each providing a variety of creative opportunities for which I’m grateful, they all shared one fundamental shortcoming in common; there were no evident values in place, or, if there were, they were never actively practised.
Unfortunately because of this I grew accustomed to harsh deadlines, harsh personalities and harsh environments (plus, hailing from Manchester, even harsher weather…). Worse still; I assumed this negative culture was to be expected in most workplaces.
Live well, lead well, create well
Dossier, I’m glad to say, changed my perspective. We are encouraged to Live Well, Create Well and Lead Well with the belief that practicing these values will not only benefit the company but will in turn contribute to our own growth and progress. This is expressed from day one and reinforced regularly. Not least in annual reviews that encourage staff to reflect on how they have embodied the values and how this has impacted positively on our professional and personal development.
Development reviews provide the ideal opportunity to inspire people to positive action and instill a set of values that they aspire to live up to.
Values should not be under-valued
Values must filter across all aspects of a business, allowing them to shape both the culture and the people at the heart of the organization to mirror those beliefs. The core values of Dossier influence how we act here – people live them out and you can see it. We are a happy team of highly motivated, ambitious and confident individuals with high standards who push each other. Not only for ourselves, but for the company and for our clients. It speaks volumes that a large number of my colleagues have stayed loyal to a company that regards them so highly and treats them so well for very long periods of time.
Whether you’re reading this as a budding entrepreneur, a manager within a company, or the CEO of your own business, values shape the culture and contribute to the overall success of the business and wellness more than you may realize.