Core Values in the Workplace

A winning culture isn’t built by accident — it’s designed. Core values in the workplace are the foundation, but too many leaders post them on a wall and hope they stick. To truly create a culture that wins, you need a simple three-step process: exemplify, engrain, and engage.

1. Exemplify the Core Values

Culture starts at the top. Leaders must model these core values in the workplace for themselves, daily, not just talk about them. If your team sees you consistently embodying the values, they’ll know what “good” looks like. For example, if one of your values is “ownership,” then when mistakes happen, own them publicly and show what accountability looks like. Your example sets the tone for the team.

 2. Engrain the Core Values

 Once modeled, values must be woven into the fabric of the organization. This means integrating them into hiring, onboarding, performance reviews and recognition. Ask interview questions tied to values. Train new employees not just on the what of their job but the how through your values. Evaluate team members on results and behavior. This way, values stop being abstract words and start becoming operational standards.

3. Engage the Core Values

Finally, bring values to life by actively engaging the team with them. Talk about them in meetings. Celebrate team members when they demonstrate them. Create rituals like starting weekly huddles with a “core value shout-out.” Engagement ensures values are not just rules, but rallying points that unify the team and energize performance.

When you exemplify, engrain, and engage, your values evolve from posters to practices. And when core values become the way people actually work, you’ve built more than a culture — you’ve built a competitive advantage.

Winning Culture Core Values Checklist:

Step 1: Exemplify

•  I actively demonstrate each core value in my daily actions.
•  I address mistakes or challenges in alignment with our values.
•  My team sees me modeling the behavior I expect from them.

Step 2: Engrain

•  We ask interview questions tied to our core values.
•  Our onboarding process teaches new hires how values guide daily work.
•  Performance reviews measure not just results, but behavior against our values.
•  Recognition and rewards highlight values lived out by team members.

Step 3: Engage

•  We bring up core values in team meetings.
•  We share “core value shout-outs” to celebrate wins.
•  We use values as a filter for decision-making and problem-solving.
•  We create rituals or traditions that reinforce values consistently.

Pro tip for managers: Pick one small action from each step and implement it this week. Consistency matters more than complexity.

Learn how to define a winning culture with a complimentary preview into Get Fit Biz Academy:

Preston True

Preston True is the founder of Get TPA Fit, a rapidly growing business coaching and value-building firm. Based in Detroit, Michigan, TPA has worked with hundreds of entrepreneurs and leadership teams on day-to-day problem solving, business culture and long range vision, so they ultimately learn how to delete chaos, earn more and build value.

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