Before jumping into the process, let’s do a quick refresher.

Core values are those fundamental beliefs or principles that guide your decisions and actions. Because core values are primarily philosophical, it helps to think about them from the perspective of the following six characteristics. Core values are:

Core values guide your personal decisions and actions as well as the decisions and actions of your business. For more info, see The Value of Core Values

Here is a simple process to brainstorm your personal core values – and the core values that guide your business. I created it for my Strengthen the Harmony program.

1 . List the values that are most important to you – Start by simply brainstorming words that come to mind when you think about your core values. Write all the words down in a list. Once you have your list, review your list of words, and determine if any are:

a. More important than others. If so, highlight those words.

b. An “umbrella” for others. If so, what other words come under that umbrella?

2 . Write a clarifying statement that describes

a. WHY this value is important to you

b. HOW it shows up in your life – If you are stumped, think about times in your life, you had to make choices or decisions, or when you were inspired, upset, confused, or stressed. Write/draw/dictate to your phone about an example of when you used this value or would use this value to guide a decision or behavior.

3 . If possible, rank the values. (This does not mean you would compromise on a lower-ranked value. Instead, think of it this way: Is there a value that is the most important? Is there a value that is all-encompassing? Are there values that flow from a broader value?

Create a simple chart like the one below from my Strengthen The Harmony program.

After you have identified your personal core values, use this same process to identify the core values for your business. Then compare the two charts. Are there similarities? What are the differences? How will you react/respond in your business if something occurs that doesn’t align with your core values?

As you work to identify your core values, keep in mind that your business’s core values are not words that are typically seen in slogans, buzzwords, or catchphrases. Avoid using words that may sound good but are meaningless. Avoid using words that are a passing trend.

Remember, core values describe your fundamental belief for why you do what you do. They do not describe what you do. They describe the reasons behind what you do.