tomevault-io 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
Lencioni's Four Categories of Values
Created by: Patrick Lencioni (The Advantage)
Not all values are equal. Understanding which type prevents common mistakes.
| Category | Definition | Characteristics | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core Values | Unchanging values upon which organization was founded | Essentially immutable; 2-3 must-haves | Zappos: "Deliver WOW through service" |
| Aspirational Values | Values you want to cultivate for success | Goals, not current truths | "Working toward radical transparency" |
| Permission-to-Play Values | Values the market requires to participate | Table stakes, not differentiators | "Integrity," "Honesty," "Quality" |
| Accidental Values | Values that emerge organically | May be positive or negative | Informal dress code |
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.
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?
| Value Claim | Opposite | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| "Integrity" | "No integrity" | ❌ Not distinctive (no one claims opposite) |
| "Speed over perfection" | "Perfection over speed" | ✓ Distinctive (both are valid choices) |
| "Transparency" | "Privacy/Discretion" | ✓ Distinctive (some companies value privacy) |
Test 2: The Antivalue/Sacrifice Test
Principle: Identify what value you're willing to give up to live your value.
| Value | Requires Sacrificing | Example Company With Opposite |
|---|---|---|
| Transparency | Privacy | Apple (legendary secrecy) |
| Speed | Perfection | Luxury watchmakers |
| Innovation | Predictability | Utility companies |
| Growth | Work-life balance | Bootstrapped lifestyle companies |
Key Question: "What are we willing to give up to live this value?"
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"
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 — environmental values over sales
- Southwest's "employees first" — turning down customers who abuse staff
- Netflix's Keeper Test — letting go of adequate performers
Test 5: The Behavioral Specificity Test
Ask: Can you describe exactly what this value looks like in practice?
| Vague (Fails) | Specific (Passes) |
|---|---|
| "We value innovation" | "We regularly share unfinished work" (Pixar) |
| "We put customers first" | "We put students before tutors" (TutorX) |
| "We value collaboration" | "No brilliant jerks" (Netflix) |
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.
Key Discovery Questions
Uncovering Authentic Values
"What motivated you to start this business?" — Identifies core beliefs
"What would be missing if we didn't exist?" — Reveals true purpose
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
"What would you never compromise on, even if it cost you business?" — Reveals non-negotiables
"What decisions have you made that reveal your values?" — Past behavior predicts actual values
"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
Operationalizing Values (Brene Brown)
Problem: Only 10% of organizations translate values into teachable, observable behaviors.
The Process
Identify 1-2 Core Values Maximum: The most courageous leaders tether to just 1-2
Define Aligned Behaviors: What specific behaviors demonstrate this value?
Define Unaligned Behaviors: What behaviors indicate you've drifted?
Create Observable Behaviors: Map each value to 3-5 observable behaviors
Identify "Slippery Behaviors": Sneaky actions that erode the value slowly
Behavior Mapping Example
| Value | Aligned Behaviors | Unaligned Behaviors | Slippery Behaviors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transparency | Share salary info publicly; Explain decision rationale | Hide leadership decisions; Corporate jargon | "Need to know" reasoning; Selective transparency |
| Innovation | Share unfinished work; Celebrate failed experiments | Punish mistakes; Require polish before sharing | "More research" before trying; Innovation theater |
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.
Anti-Patterns Checklist
Generic Values to Avoid
These could apply to anyone and therefore inspire no one:
| ❌ Generic Claim | Why It Fails |
|---|---|
| "To be the best..." | Everyone claims this |
| "To provide excellent..." | Table stakes |
| "To maximize value..." | Profit isn't purpose |
| "To help people..." | Too vague |
| "Making the world better" | Could be anyone |
| "Excellence in everything" | Means nothing |
| "Integrity" (alone) | No one claims lack of it |
Common Mistakes
| Mistake | Why It Happens | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Too many values | Fear of leaving out | Limit to 3-4 max |
| Vague/generic values | Specific feels risky | Apply Opposite Test |
| One-time event | Values feel "done" | Build into daily rituals |
| Not operationalized | Behaviors require commitment | Map to 3-5 behaviors |
| Aspirational vs Core | Gaps feel vulnerable | Use Lencioni categories |
| No performance link | HR systems hard to change | Include in reviews |
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
Zappos: Values with Teeth
- Two interview rounds: skills AND culture fit—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
Patagonia: Values Requiring Sacrifice
- "Don't Buy This Jacket" campaign — environmental values over sales
- 1% for the Planet — donate 1% of sales
- 100% Black Friday 2016 sales donated ($10 million)
- Values require telling customers NOT to buy
Southwest Airlines: Employees First
- "Employees come first, customers second"
- Screen for humor, team spirit, grit—not just skills
- "We can train you to fly. We can't train you to be nice."
- 47 straight years of profit
Buffer: Radical Transparency
- Publicly share all employee salaries
- Share revenue publicly
- Share decision-making processes publicly
Key Principles
Values are verbs, not nouns (Sinek): Things you DO, not have
Distinctive values create enemies: If everyone agrees, not distinctive
The sacrifice is the point: Stand for something by standing against something else
Discovery over invention: Look inside at what exists authentically
Behaviors over beliefs (Netflix): What you reward/fire for = actual values
Few is better than many: 3-5 maximum; courageous leaders use 1-2
The gap kills credibility: Stated vs lived gap destroys trust
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)
Templates
See reference/templates.md for:
- Values Discovery Worksheet
- Values Category Assessment Template
- Differentiation Test Template
- Behavior Mapping Template
- Values Documentation Template
- Values Validation Checklist
- Values Summary Card Template
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
Deep Methodology
For comprehensive values curation sessions, the brand-values-curator agent contains 1100+ lines of expert methodology including the complete output format with all templates for discovery, testing, operationalization, and documentation.
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