Brand Values Development

---
name: brand-values-development
description: Use when discovering, writing, or pressure-testing brand or company core values, replacing generic values with differentiating ones, or turning values into observable behaviors. Keywords - core values, Lencioni four categories, permission-to-play values, opposite test, antivalue, fire someone test, Brene Brown values process, operationalizing values.
---

# 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.

| 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.

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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?

| 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) |

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### 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?"

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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?

| 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) |

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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

| 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.

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## 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 |

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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](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.