What is your Values Ecosystem?
Sometimes we get so excited about building our business that we move too quickly through the groundwork stages – setting up our values in a way that affirms & upholds our business vision & mission.
At Together, we’re all about Visioning – really building out that dream of what we want to create before we start the action phase of our biz-building – and we still moved through that stage so quickly that we had to double back to work on our groundwork – taking precious time away from our growing biz.
When starting to build our business in a traditional (capitalist) way, we talk briefly about our values: maybe choosing from a list of the values that appeal to us, the way we want our business to be seen. They might show up in our branding, or the way we come across on social media. Usually the values are reflective of our own personal beliefs, or the vision we have for our business, but they can be easily left behind when things get busy and our business grows - they aren’t embedded into the business itself, the way it exists in the world.
Can we imagine: instead of our values being an afterthought or a shifting guidepost, we can build a values ecosystem that truly nourishes our business, upholds our mission and vision, and creates spaces for growth, opportunity, & confidence in building up your biz.
Your values ecosystem:
Is how your values interact with & nourish each other
Creates deep alignment with how your values show up in practice
Allows you to lean into – or away from – specific values as your biz evolves
Allows you to ease into sustainable and meaningful collaboration
Makes business decisions easier and more consistent, as you allow your values to lead you
Creates a sense of confidence & purpose when your describe your business to others
How do we create our values ecosystem?
Spend time really getting to know what you value in the work you’re creating – start writing down all the values that resonate with you
What does each value look like in practice? Think of some examples of how each value might show up in your work in a practical way.
Will each value allow you to grow and evolve in your business? Can they help you to move closer toward your dream & vision?
How does each value interact with & nourish each other? An example: if you prioritize community-building (which in practice will take energy and time), can you also value ease (which will allow for spaces of calm, inward-focus, or taking breaks when needed)
When you think of each of these values, what do they feel like? Do they offer you energy & alignment?
If you’re a visual person, draw or collage what each value looks like to you. If you like your vision boards, put together the words, colours, images for each value. Make a brainstorming map or a chart; write a story. Give each value space to truly be itself, and impact the way that you see your business as a whole.
Now go over everything you wrote / imagined / explored, and see if you’re ready to confidently state the following:
My values are:
And they are visible in my business / brand in these ways:
They add value and strength to my business in these ways:
And they energize me and my work in this way:
Not quite ready for this stage? Keep going over your values and the questions above until you feel yourself moving toward your authentic, truly aligned values. Or reach out if you want to talk more about this process!
